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Product Hits From NAMM 2015

NAMM Exterior (c) Jesse Grant, Getty Images

Product Hits From NAMM 2015

Like clockwork, the sunny skies of the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, CA always coincide with the horrible weather, heavy snowfall and ice storms that seem to grip the East Coast and central states around the third week of the New Year. And the situation was no different from Jan. 22-25 for Winter NAMM 2015 as a record 99,342 attendees (including 13,208 international registrants) made the annual pilgrimage to enjoy short-sleeve weather, check out the latest in music and audio products — and maybe even do some business.

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DiGiCo at Central Church of God

House of Worship Installation Showcase

No matter what anyone may tell you, getting great sound in a house of worship environment is no picnic. Besides the “it’s too loud” complaints from the old folks who insist on sitting in the front row — even in churches presenting modern music at rock concert levels — there are also certain acoustical difficulties that are near-insurmountable. Let’s face it, many sanctuaries are “blessed” with copious amounts of marble, wood and glass surfaces, which are anything but audio friendly. Other groups may meet in converted gymnasiums, storefronts and the like, which were rarely designed from an acoustical standpoint. The bottom line? It ain’t easy.

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Ear scan shown during capture process.

Ultimate Ears All-Digital IEM Production Process

Every once in a while, I encounter some product or technology that represents a major paradigm shift in defining the future, and I recently had just such an experience at the 2015 Winter NAMM show. While Ultimate Ears all-digital production system for measuring and creating custom in-ear monitors is not currently available to the general public, it’s definitely on the near horizon.

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The ensemble: Elizabeth Bacher, Melissa Tong, Jeremy Kittel, John Ondrasik, and Dave Eggar (c) Michael Kloda

Strings Attached

Last month, I wrote about the projects and events that keep me busy when I am not out on the road working behind a mixing console. However, over this past weekend, I participated in a project at home in California that truly got this year off to a great start.

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The Dave Matthews Band was among the first artists to begin streaming with Yahoo!

Got Live (Streaming) If You Want It

Streaming live concerts seems to be the greatest idea that’s never gotten off the ground. Dozens of companies stream live music in bits and pieces, with ISPs like AOL and Yahoo creating online shows around the concept. Live Nation’s partnership with Yahoo to stream one live concert every day, which began with the Dave Matthews Band last July, continues offering free, high-definition concert footage. Start-up Bulldog Digital Media is looking to expand its nascent business beyond festivals such as Outside Lands, Bonnaroo and South by Southwest to full-on tours. But the widespread live streaming of entire concerts or tours on a consistent basis remains elusive, despite more than a decade’s worth of predictions that this is the next logical step for the music industry.

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Bradford AV upgraded the Fellowship Hall at the First Baptist Church (Chatsworth, GA), with Tannoy VLS column speakers and Crown amplification. The rectangular space handles meetings, lectures, movies, civic gatherings, and overflow from services.

Sound For The “Other” Audio Spaces

As mixing engineers, we want our churches to sound as good as they possibly can. And even those who are not part of the audio team still want your house of worship to sound great. But how many of you think much about the other spaces? You know, the cry-room, the outbuildings, fellowship halls, etc. Not all worship houses have additional spaces or buildings, but if yours is one that does, these probably need attention.

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Illustration by Andy Au

The 3002 Conspiracy Theory

One late night as I was channel surfing through myriad old movies, series reruns and infomercials, I stumbled upon Stanley Kubrick’s 1999 last film Eyes Wide Shut, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. As a Kubrick fan, I saw the movie when it first came out, but I remembered leaving the theater less than impressed and a bit confused in regard to the plot. Realizing that sleep was beyond my grasp and wanting to see if a 15-year time span would endow me with more insight,

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St. Mary's Catholic Church exterior, Joplin, Missouri

Tornado-Torn Congregation Rebuilds; New Church and School Using Ashly Gear

JOPLIN, MO – After one of the worst tornados to ever hit the U.S. destroyed St. Mary’s Catholic Church and Elementary School in 2011, the church and school relocated southwest of the city. The school made the most of the unfortunate situation by building a new infrastructure that would accommodate the needs of its growing congregation and student body. The new facilities include a multipurpose cafeteria that features JBL in-ceiling loudspeakers and Ashly’s Pema 4250.70.

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