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SoundGirls.org Supports, Inspires Pro Audio Women

Karrie Keyes, co-founder of SoundGirls.org

SoundGirls.org Supports, Inspires Pro Audio Women

They make up 49.7 percent of the earth’s population. Among U.S. doctors, their ratio is 31 percent. They even account for 19 percent of the elected officials in Congress. But the percentage of live sound engineers who are women is closer to the 5 percent mark.

Two members of this rarified group, Karrie Keyes and Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato, were panelists for the “Women of Professional Concert Sound” seminar at AES 2012 in San Francisco, hosted by the recording industry group, Women’s Audio Mission (WAM, womensaudiomission.org). The panel was moderated by WAM founder Terri Winston and also included Claudia Engelhart, Deanne Franklin and Jeri Palumbo.

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George Travis and Bruce Springsteen

George Travis, Winner of the 2013 Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award

George Travis knows who the real boss is.

“You end up being part of this little touring group that can be a tight, dysfunctional family that shares one goal: putting on a good show,” he says. “We have to remember that when the music starts, we have 8,000 to 80,000 bosses who are the audience. The biggest excitement in this business is when the concert starts. Then you have your immediate reward… or you can also have your immediate judgment!”

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2013 Hometown Hero Regional Sound Company Finalists

2013 Hometown Hero Regional Sound Honorees

This year’s lot of regional winners is a good mix of those companies across North America that are serving their communities and beyond. It’s one thing to be a guy with some gear that fits in a pickup and is stored in a garage, and it’s another to be a huge national company with loads of resources at your fingertips — that’s how we imagine it, anyway! But it’s those in the “middle” who can (and have the nerve to) invest in the gear to keep their company relevant and also surround themselves with an exceptionally talented crew.Anybody in this category is a hero in our book. The people and companies that follow got an extra nod of approval from FRONT of HOUSE readers — including many of their peers.

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DSP Amplifiers

DSP Amplifiers

Amplifiers keep getting smarter, offering more features and improved connectivity, while at the same time becoming more compact, energy efficient and more reliable than their predecessors. We decided to take a look at the top-of-the-line offerings in designs offering onboard DSP and found a bountiful harvest. It should be noted that some companies offer powering packages designed for specific loudspeakers, but here, we’re spotlighting general-purpose amps that can be used with a wide variety of models and applications. All prices are MSRP list and URL’s are provided for more information.

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One voltage cycle of a three-phase system, with phase 1 (black), phase two (red) and phase three (blue) labeled from 0° to 360° along the horizontal time axis.

Portable AC Power Distribution, Part 1

Over this past summer in FRONT of HOUSE, we embarked on a three-part series that touched on some aspects of electrical power distribution in the context of portable generators. Those articles covered a broad range of generator topics, from the important distinctions between bonding and grounding to the upcoming code changes for small generators. In light of the positive reception for that series, we undertake a series on portable power distribution (a.k.a., AC distro) downstream of the generators.

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Fig. 1: This modification of a simple star network adds I/O routing via a central hub.

Understanding Audio Networks

The world of audio data networking is often clouded by conflicting information and opinions by proponents of proprietary systems, who often feel their approach is the best for all users. And from that viewpoint, finding clear unbiased information can be difficult, or simply so filled with jargon and deep technical details that readers may be left somewhat bewildered.

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Soundcraft Si Expression 2

Soundcraft Si Expression 2

The Si Expression comes in three models, the 16-input Si Expression 1, the 24-input Si Expression 2 and the 32-input Si Expression 3. For my review, I took the Si Expression 2, (the 24 mic pre version) for a test drive.

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Point Source Audio CO-8WD headset mic

Point Source Audio SERIES8

Over the past few years, Point Source Audio has gained a reputation for supplying tough, good-sounding miniature microphones in headset, earworn and lavalier styles. Now, with its new flagship SERIES8 line, the company is poised to take things up a notch — or two.

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Fig. 1: MLA cabinet cutaway shows the horn loading of the various drivers.

The Martin MLA System: Audio from the Audience Perspective

I recently had the pleasure of journeying to On Stage Audio in Las Vegas and attending a hands-on training session on Martin Audio’s MLA system. The event was hosted by OSA vice-president Jim Risgin and skillfully taught by OSA’s director of engineering services, Martyn “Ferrit” Rowe. Over the past year, I have seen this innovative system in action at a tour stop at the venerable Sports Arena in San Diego; critically listened to and experimented with MLA arrays erected in the back parking lot of Delicate Productions (Camarillo, CA); and more recently, mixed a show on the MLA at a large outdoor venue.

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It’s Showtime – Do You Know Where Your Audience Is? (Advertisers Do)

We already know that the live event is the new locus of technology, but much of that has been developing along parallel and distinctly different tracks, between pro and consumer. Back of house, we’ve seen tremendous strides in areas like control systems, automation and LED’s. Out in the audience, smartphone apps have become ubiquitous, and we’re starting to see patrons texting and Twittering in their seats — possibly even more annoying than seeing them talking or making out. We now see them interacting with apps that, if they didn’t get them into the venue in the first place, told them where to park and where they can go for a bite after the show.

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