Skip to content

The Bidding Wars

The Bidding Wars

I have devoted quite a bit of this column space to the virtues, struggles and wages of the audio labor force. I am still convinced that the best equipment is only as good as the people using it. That said, I believe that free enterprise and competition make for good business. Audio, lighting and staging companies make their money not on labor, but on the equipment itself, and therefore, equipment-based companies assume the responsibility of placing a fair market value on each piece of gear that goes out the door.

Read More »

Welcome to the Hat Shop

A long time ago in a non-descript office far, far away, your intrepid FOH leader dude was the editor of a local weekly newspaper. It is where I cut my journalistic teeth and built the foundation for a fabulous career in magazine publishing. I have fond memories of the people and the stories we broke and the awards we snatched from larger and better-funded news organizations.

Read More »

A Pocket Full of Storage

Over the past few years in the pages of FOH, we’ve had more than a passing discussion of digital recording technology. We examined the in-creased demand for live recordings (December 2006), the nature of digital data delivery (January 2007), and the use of optical technology for digi-tal audio transfer (September 2007). In fall of 2006, FOH reviewed the Sony PCM-D1 Linear PCM Recorder, a hand-held stereo digital recorder with a built in XY pair of condenser microphones intended for location recording. The PCM-D1 has the ability to capture linear 16- or 24-bit audio at sample rates from 22.05 kHz to 96 kHz into nonvolatile RAM. Using its 4 GB internal RAM, recording times range from 2 to 13 hours, depend-ing upon sample rate and bit depth, and recording time can be expanded by adding a Memory Stick. You can connect the PCM-D1 to your com-puter via USB, and it shows up on your desktop as a storage device. Note that the words “hard drive” are not mentioned anywhere in a discussion of the PCM-D1.

Read More »

Boutique Mics Live

 A Custom Fit In an Off-the-Rack Arena

”Boutique” microphones have become the new talismans of audio in a scaled-down digital universe. People don’t look at the console first like they used to when entering a recording studio. Today, they want to look in the mic cabinet. Increasingly, however, they’re starting to look in the road case, too. The number of ribbon and high-end condenser microphones showing up on stage is on the rise, suggesting that some boutique manufacturers, facing an increasingly crowded group of companies selling to a studio market with a narrowing top end, are looking to the live sound market for growth and branding opportunities.

Read More »

Cerwin-Vega! Decks Out Cranes Tavern

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. –Cerwin-Vega! Has announced that it is now the official sound choice of the Hollywood, Calif., venue Cranes Tavern.  As a permanent sponsor, Cerwin Vega! outfitted Cranes Tavern with Active Series speaker system. Cranes Tavern is recognized as one of the most enjoyable hotspots for music in the city.  The custom install included six CVA-28s, a 3-way active speaker system featuring dual 8” custom-designed Cerwin Vega drivers, which provide tight bass and a clearly defined mid-range.

Read More »

Electro-Voice DC-One

The Electro-Voice DC-One digital loudspeaker system controller, based on a two-in-six topology, is designed primarily for users of small- to medium-sized sound systems in both mobile and installed applications. While the unit is a new development based on a SHARC processor, it is 100% compatible with all settings from other Electro-Voice signal processors, including the Dx38.
 

Read More »

Howl Of The Coyotes Heard Loud and Clear with L-ACOUSTICS

GLENDALE, Ariz. – When a coyote howls, the world listens. Now, the Phoenix Coyotes NHL franchise at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz., can make the same claim. The 17,500-seat arena recently upgraded its sound reinforcement system with a major commitment to L-ACOUSTICS line arrays, subwoofers and amplifier-processors.

Read More »

Glastonbury Festival Rocks England with HK Audio

PILTON, England – England’s Glastonbury Festival is unquestionably Europe’s biggest festival. In fact, there is no event like it anywhere in the world, not only because of the 150,000 visitors who make the pilgrimage to the sleepy hamlet near Oxford. What makes this gathering unique is its countless stages big and small, outdoors and in tents. The three-day festival featured some 500 bands, artists, and DJs representing every conceivable style and genre, among them acts such as Jay-Z, The Verve, Franz Ferdinand, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen and Massive Attack.

Read More »

Boys & Girls Clubs of America Hosts Fundraiser with Electro-Voice

DALTON, Ga. – The Electro-Voice XLC127 DVX mid-sized line array continues to prove itself a versatile loudspeaker system, equally at home on the highest-profile rock tours or at corporate events requiring precise coverage and sonic detail. GravelRoad Entertainment LLC (Cleveland, Tenn.) deployed an input-to-output Electro-Voice PA for one such event, the 6th Annual Steak & Stake Dinner at the Northwest Georgia Trade & Convention Center, held recently to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Gordon, Murray and Whitfield Counties.

Read More »

George Michael Returns to North America with DiGiCo

LAS VEGAS – For the first time in 17 years, mega popstar George Michael heads to North America, bringing the smash “25 Live” tour to arenas this summer. In promotion of his latest Twenty Five recording, the North American segment is the third leg of Michael’s worldwide tour, the first two having covered 12 European countries in 80 shows for an estimated 1.3 million fans over the past year.

Read More »