Exploring the Parallel Universe
Anyone who reads FRONT of HOUSE is probably familiar with the differences between serial processing and parallel processing. Serial processing is used when we want 100 percent of the signal to be processed and none of the “original” signal to be allowed into the mix. For example, when compressing a lead vocal, we most often insert the compressor on the lead vocal channel in an effort to control the dynamics of the lead vocal. This prevents the uncompressed lead vocal from reaching the mix.
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Got Subs?
Adding LF To Your House of Worship
Subwoofers placement and technique is tricky business for the church sound engineer. On one hand, we want our mixes to be impactful and we want them to move people. On the other hand, subs are a common source of complaints in houses of worship, at least the ones that I’ve worked in.
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Brad Paisley 2017 ‘Weekend Warrior’ Tour
Summer is winding down at the St. Louis shed (today called Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, which old timers still call Riverport, its original moniker). Brad Paisley picked this spot to end another successful summer tour, and he, the band and the crew are all in an especially good mood.
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Are We There Yet?
“Are we there yet? No! Are we there yet? No! Are we there yet? No!” It’s the iconic call and response between bored children and their parents as they travel for long tiresome hours in an automobile. It was a scene played out on a daily basis between back seats and front seats everywhere and perfectly parodied in such cartoons as The Simpsons and the Shrek movie. While this is an amusing bit (made all the more funny if one ever experienced the situation up-close), it unfortunately is less than humorous as the experience is unfolding in real-time.
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Enrique Iglesias 2017 Tour
The Enrique Iglesias & Pitbull Live! 2017 co-headlining tour, which also featured Latin boy band CNCO as an opening act, hit the road in the U.S. and Canada in June and July, then headed back out for another trek across North America in October and November. The tour follows a previous trek pairing Enrique and Pitbull, the “Time of Our Lives” tour, in 2015.
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‘Hamlet,’ Outdoors at the San Diego Old Globe Theatre’s Festival Stage
Every new production of Hamlet must lay to rest the ghosts of its predecessors. With its familiar story, often quoted (and mostly misquoted) lines and contemporary spin offs, it’s among the most accessible of Shakespeare’s tragedies. The director’s skill lies in extracting the story of revenge from the Iambic pentameter and metaphysical musings so unfamiliar to the modern ear.
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The Unique Acoustics of ‘Bluegrass Underground’s’ Performance Space
House engineer Andy Kern and Lonely Dog Productions owner Tony Cottrill on the non-televised gigs staged within the PBS Bluegrass Underground venue, the Volcano Roomxt
A truly unique room — naturally beautiful and with amazing acoustics — makes a memorable music venue. The Volcano Room, a venue that seats 600, is the home for a popular radio and television series Bluegrass Underground, as well as a variety of non-televised concerts each month.
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Recent Theater/Performing Arts Center Projects
FRONT of HOUSE profiles four unique venues, each with their own audio reinforcement needs. There’s the Palace Theatre in St. Paul, MN, a former vaudeville and cinema mecca saved from the wrecking ball and converted for use as a live music venue, and then there’s the Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre, where puppeteers wade behind a curtain in waist-deep water. We also profile the Queen’s Theatre in Hornchurch, Havering, London, which is making the switch from analog mixing to digital, and how acoustic treatments are optimizing the acoustics for different performances within the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, FL.
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2017 Hometown Hero Finalists
Audio Achievers Voted Best in Their Region by FOH Readers
Readers across the continent weighed in on which sound company deserved the certificate, bragging rights and the chance to take home the “Parnelli Hometown Hero Award of the Year” at the Parnelli Awards gala in January. There are some fresh faces along with several who are returning to the winner’s circle, but they all offer up a few things in common: a dedication to customer service, a commitment to constantly investing in their inventory and an unflappable commitment to getting the job done. Meet the people running the companies named as the best in their region by readers of FRONT of HOUSE.
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Nightclub Focus: Twelfth & Porter
After a One-Year Hiatus, 12th & Porter Returns to Nashville’s Live Music Scene By Thomas S.FriedmanI
n February 2015, when 12th & Porter’s previous owners announced that their storied venue was about to close, the local newspapers went into full obituary mode, lamenting the loss of a venue that helped put artists like Keith Urban, Sugarland and Dierks Bentley into the public eye (and ear).
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