On first impressions, the APB DynaSonics mixing console cosmetics appear 1960’s retro with the tan paint job. However, you have to be blind to not notice the colorful control surface features upon that tan surface. I was able to acquire the APB DynaSonics ProRack-House compact mixing console for this road test review. It boasts a remarkable density of features stuck in a 10-rack space form factor.
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Aphex HeadPod, TC-Helicon VoiceTone Correct and Radial JDX
I have always thought of gear as falling into one of three basic classes. First is the big stuff that soundcos get judged on (i.e., stacks, racks and consoles). Next comes the less pricey, smaller stuff that goes a long way in defining a soundco’s “flavor.” This is stuff like processors, EQ, comps and mic selection. Finally, there are the small “secret weapons” that can sometimes save a gig and fit in your briefcase. Here are three such armaments.
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Making the move from bars to corporates
Bill Robison started the Great Lakes Sound and Lighting empire in the early ‘80s out of a garage, renting PA gear to bar bands. It was a different time, he recalls. “In those days, bar bands wanted sound men and 24-light light shows. What they wanted was relatively elaborate. I started with one band, then [worked with] more bands, and I reached a point where I wanted to get some legitimacy going.”
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When you are mixing and recording each night’s show, there’s not a lot of time for anything else.
The clock has just clicked over to 9:17 p.m. and Ken Van Druten is at all-faders-go in the front-of-house position at Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif. Linkin Park has just hit the stage for the band’s final North American show, and everybody is looking forward to a two-month break. Well, everybody except for Van Druten, who is better known by his nickname “Pooch.”
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Digidesign Mix Rack
When combined with a D-Show Profile system, Digidesign’s Mix Rack option for its VENUE live sound systems is designed to offer a compact and affordable entry into the Venue family for small- to mid-sized venues, houses of worship, corporate A/V applications and regional tours. Mix Rack combines all stage, local audio I/O and DSP into a single compact 11-space rack enclosure. Mix Rack offers much of the same functionality of the dual VENUE I/O and processing components with a smaller footprint and easy portability.
www.digidesign.com
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About a month ago, I was doing sound for the Kentucky HeadHunters in a small town not far from my hometown.
They originally hired two production companies before mine, but apparently the first guy ended up in jail and the second guy couldn't find any help, so I took on the gig barely meeting the ridiculous rider — especially for a band that hadn't had a hit since the ‘80s. Nonetheless, I rented some monitor gear that I was lacking.
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From theatrical to R&B to church revival, Jill Scott’s show has a little bit of everything
With Masque Sound providing the audio, Jill Scott’s audience heard every malleable murmur and every vociferous vocalization equally – and with great delight. The sell-out show was a powerhouse of great music and showmanship. Scott is far from what all too often passes for a pop star these days: She’s a woman of experience, talent and effectively and sincerely connects with the audience.
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IET takes on a rider-friendly install on a budget
When it comes to a mecca for the hottest nightlife, Winnipeg probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind. But with the debut of Blush Ultraclub, its reputation is quickly changing. The sexy and sophisticated nightclub, which holds up to 1,000 patrons in its 19,000-square-foot space, is the result of the city’s downtown revitalization program and a multimillion-dollar renovation. The venue had been vacant for the past 10 years and its renaissance serves as the center of the downtown’s west end transformation. Its ideal location across from the MTS Centre attracts a crowd of clientele after concerts and sporting events. As part of Blush’s massive inception, Integrated Entertainment Technologies (IET) was awarded the project to install a new sound system that could provide smooth transitions between the club’s live entertainment and DJ-mixed dance music.
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Matt Satorius
Audio Engineer/Road Manager
Stellar Kart
Schaumburg, IL
815.529.5689
[email protected]
http://www.stellarkart.com/
Services Provided: FOH engineer, monitor engineer, road/tour/production manager
Clients: Stellar Kart, Willow Creek Community Church
Quote: “My job is to keep those who pay me happy.”
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It is my experience as an observer of human nature that our temperament is never quite satisfied with what we have or what we easily acquire. While this is not an overly profound observation or one that will get me into the philosopher’s hall of fame, it is, nonetheless, a reoccurring theme in my life personally and professionally. For example, as much as I desire to give my children everything, it has been one of my lessons that they will have more appreciation for the things they receive if they are required to work for them.
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A friend of mine has a T-shirt that reads, “People say I have ADD, but they just don’t understand. Oh, look! A chicken!” It has become a kind of shorthand in my very nonlinear-thinking family. Kind of a warning that someone is about to go off in a seemingly totally unrelated direction. Now it only seems unrelated. Truth is that if you sit down and really analyze the situation, it is something like this: Something the other person said reminded me of something else, which reminded me that I had forgotten to do something I was supposed to do, which made me think of this thing I need to tell the other person. We used to just sound nuts. Now one of us will say, “there’s a chicken.” And the rest of us know we are about to go nonlinear.
Read More »DiGiCo recently announced a new digital console, the SD7. This is not “just another digital console.” To understand why the introduction of the SD7 is significant, we have to first recognize that DiGiCo’s previous desks — the D5 Live, D1 Live, DS-00 and CS D5 — are already extremely advanced digital mixing systems. The D5 Live 56 boasts a 96-channel work surface split into sections of eight channels, each with an LCD touch screen. A companion DiGiRack stage interface includes 56 A/D and eight D/A converters, while a second DiGiRack resides next to the console and provides 56 external I/Os for inserts, effect returns, etc. Snapshot recall, MADI I/O and Opticore I/O are also furnished, making it easy for the D5 Live to support live multitrack recording.
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