Skip to content

Articles

Photos by Joan Marcus

‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’

Andrew Keister’s Sound Design for the Current Production on Broadway

Currently running on Broadway, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a visual feast and fast-paced musical featuring a cast of nearly 40 performers, an orchestra pit with 18 musicians and a plethora of set pieces. Beyond the scenic magic that the production pulls off, the sound design of Andrew Keister (whose Broadway credits include On Your Feet, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Jersey Boys) is an integral part of the show.

Read More »
FOH June 2017 Buyers Guide

15-Inch Neodymium Woofers

The heart of many sound reinforcement speakers is the 15-inch low-frequency driver. Woofers have advanced considerably over the years and 15-inch models with neodymium magnet structures offer a combination of efficiency, power handling, low-to-upper bass punch and light weight that has made these ideal replacements in live sound systems. Looking at current offerings in 15-inch neodymium woofers, we found a wide range of models that are ideal for your restoration, rebuild or design project. We should also note these represent the tip of the iceberg and many of these are also offered in versions with 4-ohm impedances, higher/lower power variants and even ferrite models. We have included URL’s and (if applicable) booth numbers for this month’s InfoComm show for your convenience.

Read More »
Fig. 1: An AES67-enabled Dante device, acting as the Boundary Clock, bridges the PTPv1 and PTPv2 clock domains.

Improve Your Timekeeping

Audio Networks and Switching Your Way to PTPv2 Support

Audio networks are hardly new, with a huge increase in the number of projects using audio networks over the past few years. Besides the various solutions (like Dante, RAVENNA, etc.), which have made this possible, there are a number of protocols working under the surface too. One of these is IEEE 1588 (otherwise known as PTP or Precision Time Protocol), one of the protocols that underpins many of the various audio (and video) networking standards.

Read More »
DiGiCo SD12 Digital Console

DiGiCo SD12 Digital Console

A few years ago, I started wondering if DiGiCo’s SD series was getting a bit long in the tooth. The SD7 has been around for a decade, and despite being one of the most well-appointed consoles in the market, it started showing its age. I’m not sure why. Maybe it is the lack of multi-touch screens, the somewhat dated software interface or the lack of Dante connectivity.

Read More »
The CADLive A77 is based on an 1959 Astatic microphone

CADLive A77 Vocal Microphone

I gotta come clean. I am a confessed microholic and can’t resist checking out cool looking microphone designs — whether new releases or classics. So a year ago, when CAD Audio’s CADLive division unveiled a “reimagined” version of the company’s 1959 Astatic A77 dynamic microphone, as part of its 85th anniversary celebration, I definitely wanted to check one out.

Read More »
The EXBOX.BLDS MADI Redundancy Switch from DirectOut Technologies.

DirectOut EXBOX.BLDS

The digital audio age has presented a lot of challenges to the live sound and broadcast industries. One of those challenges is the fracturing and segmentation of different competing digital audio protocols such as CobraNet, EtherSound, Dante, Ravenna, AES67 and MADI, to name a few. A small sub-industry of specialized connectivity companies has appeared over the last decade to address some of these concerns.

Read More »
A Waves V-Comp was followed by a Waves Vitamin plug-in.

Off-Time Projects, Part 2

When the principal artist for whom one mixes live performances happens to be an iconic acoustic guitar player, the quest for more natural-sounding reproduction of that instrument becomes never-ending. Last month, I proposed an off-the-road project that I hoped would improve the acoustic guitar sound. I did actually record myself playing my 41-year old Taylor jumbo guitar. This was the first actual recording project had done at home using Pro Tools 12 with my new Apogee Element 24 Thunderbolt interface. The Element 24 performed flawlessly, and the Element Control software is very simple to use. I had the session up and running in minutes.*

Read More »
StrangeLove, pictured here, is a popular Depeche Mode tribute band.

Paying Tribute

If you look at the top 20 tours of the current decade (2010’s, that is, ranked by total ticket sales, with some artists making the top 20 list with more than one tour), we don’t encounter an artist whose first hit occurred in this century until we get to One Direction, who came in at number 6 with their 2014 “Where We Are” tour. Other than that, though, we don’t see a twenty-something band or performer until we get to Taylor Swift, who came in at number 14 with her (appropriately titled) 1989 tour in 2015.

Read More »
OneMix, an iPad mixing app for Allen & Heath’s dLive, lets performers take control of their own monitor mixes.

Mixer Without a Console

Over the past few years, you may have noticed (or been bombarded by) the availability of more and more mixing consoles that don’t have traditional control surfaces. By “traditional,” I am not referring to the now-standard operational model of a digital desk with one set of selected channel controls. I am referring to the proliferation of console-less mixers — mixers that are housed in what is essentially a stage box, often with little more than I/O connectors and a network port. What does this mean for engineers, software developers and manufacturers? There are some obvious, and some not-so-obvious answers.

Read More »
Coverage prediction in version 3 of AFMG’s EASE Focus software. The lower pane indicates an area of minimal sound energy striking the balcony face, thus reducing unwanted reflections and slapback.

Dealing with Balconies

Room geometry is one of the biggest challenges faced by sound engineers and system designers. A single level space with a main floor can be challenging enough, especially if the room is not symmetrical about the centerline. Add in a balcony, or even two balconies, and a number of additional challenges will need to be addressed. Providing adequate reinforcement for listeners seated in and underneath a balcony can be a costly endeavor that should be carefully considered.

Read More »
Illustration by Andy Au

Sometimes, a Little Production Can Be a Good Thing

At this point everyone is well aware of the Fyre Festival debacle that took place a short while ago that was spearheaded by self-proclaimed tech entrepreneur Billy McFarland and the entertainer Ja Rule. Whether the Fyre Festival failure was due to a lack of foresight and knowledge or an excess of hubris and greed is still to be determined as the two promoters will likely be wrapped up in multiple court cases for a good long while. Although it can be argued that McFarland and Ja Rule (a.k.a. Jeffrey Atkins) were overly ambitious in their attempt to create an exotic high-end concert experience, it should also be understood that — regardless of the various extenuating circumstances involved — there are certain basic requirements that need to be fulfilled to ensure for a successful venture of this sort.

Read More »