Skip to content

We Are on to Something Here

We Are on to Something Here

Two industry deals get worked out, but maybe not in the way planned …

The music industry has always had an ambiguous relationship with Clear Channel — you may have disliked their practices, but no one could deny their influence and ubiquity. The live sound community especially has had an intense link with what had once been the 600-pound gorilla of the concert production business. When Clear Channel tired of some of its entertainment holdings and spun off the concert production business in December 2005 in the form of Live Nation, a couple of interesting strings remained connected. One of those strings just got resolved — sort of — and it really underscores just how important the live music industry has become to the entertainment sector overall. 

Read More »

Bleeding in a Different Sort of Way

Sometimes you need to stand up for your price, before you get squeezed dry

From time to time we hit on an issue in FOH that’s like a live wire to our readers and our writers — not surprising since they’re all audio professionals. One of those threw some sparks this month for Steve La Cerra. This month Steve amplifies on Larry Hall’s “You Book; You Pay” article from the February 2007 issue of FOH. Don’t worry, next month he’ll be back examining high tech issues for us, but until then: Game on. —ed.]

Read More »

Tips and Tricks: Is That Really a Line Input?

How to make sure you get what you want out of a pre-amp.

At Aphex, we manufacture outboard microphone preamplifiers. We believe that they are great sounding, and that opinion is shared by thousands of users. We did notice, however, that a few customers complained that they could not hear the quality improvement that they were expecting. When we inquired as to how our preamplifiers were interfaced into their systems, we found that almost all the problems arose from the confusion over whether or not an input that is labeled “line” is a true line input.

Read More »

Taking God on the Road

It may not be rock ‘n’ roll, but the band sure rocks

Over the last several months, I have talked to you about installing worship sound systems, dealing with the church hierarchy, training volunteers, getting paid, etc. What I have not spent any time on is mixing church, gospel and worship groups and going out on the road with a worship band.

Read More »

Turning Up the Heat

Chris Chandler matches up well with the wild rock show that is the Flaming Lips

Since the early ‘90s Chris Chandler has had an FOH seat for one of the most exciting and creative rock ‘n’ roll shows played onstage, led by Wayne Coyne and his merry band of pranksters known as the Flaming Lips. From the lead singer getting bounced into a crowd at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in a huge clear ball to space ships onstage to a cascade of balloons bounding down from the rafters to the entire band dressing up in animal costumes, Chandler has seen just about everything.

Read More »

Ace of Sound

Mike Goodreau deals a hot hand of audio

Mike Goodreau began his “life in sound” as a drummer, and he was also the guy smart enough to acquire the P.A. for his fledgling rock band. That happy circumstance put him on the path to a thriving career as a sound company owner and mix engineer who’s served hundreds of events over the past 20-plus years.

 

Read More »

Riedel Communications

Go along for the ride

Who: Riedel Communications, Inc.

What: Manufacturer of sophisticated digital intercom solutions for customers worldwide for use in the broadcast, pro audio, event, sports and theatre industries.

Read More »

Keep It Covered

Slam, bam, thank you, man.

Brian: So, Ken, why is it that even when we hire the best help we can find, they never seem to be able to take the same care with our gear that we do? I know most of this stuff is built with the rigors of the road in mind, but it’s still all got delicate little electronic circuit boards inside.

Read More »

Shure Applauds Bipartisan Support for Legislation to Protect Wireless Microphone Systems

Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV, fourth from left) are (L/R) Shure’s Mark Brunner and Jeff Krull, Mark Dennis (Cirque du Soleil), Bill Evans (FOH Magazine), and Scott Harmala (ATK Audiotek).

NILES, IL— Sandy LaMantia, President and CEO of Shure Incorporated, today praised several legislators who are supporting H.R. 1320, The Interference Protection for Existing Television Band Devices Act of 2007. The bill, introduced by Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-IL), seeks to protect users of wireless microphone systems and other devices that transmit in the television band from harmful interference from new devices. Representatives Mark Steven Kirk (R-IL), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Jim Cooper (D-TN), Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) and Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) have pledged their support for the bill.

Read More »

Sister Hazel Takes the Hard Rock Park Road to Myrtle Beach with Sennheiser

NASHVILLE, TN — A galaxy of Sennheiser and Neumann microphones and a TRUE Systems Precision 8 mic preamp system were on hand at the Memphis, Nashville, and Atlanta Sister Hazel shows for the band’s all-acoustic "The Hard Rock Park Road to Myrtle Beach Tour." Sister Hazel headlined a traveling exhibition of the Beatles' famed Magical Mystery Tour Bus in support of the future 140-acre Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The tour hit Hard Rock Cafés between New York and Atlanta before a finale at the Myrtle Beach site.

Read More »

Martin Audio MA Series Power Amps

The three new Martin Audio MA Series models — MA18K, MA12K and MA9.6K — are designed to use Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) technology to achieve higher efficiency. Martin says these amps can deliver 95% of the input power into the speakers, with a 5% loss dissipated as heat. They are reduced in size and weight and also contain patented design features to control parameters such as distortion, frequency response, slew rate, damping factor and bandwidth. The amps use switch-mode power supplies and power factor correction to maintain a steady current draw on the mains supply.

Read More »