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Roland M-5000 — small footprint, 128 audio paths.

Roland M-5000 Live Mixing Console

In some ways, products are a lot like humans. The final result begins with a idea or concept (i.e., conception) and then follows through a development phase and when it’s ready to debut, the timing of that event is entirely in the hands of the product. With humans, we may want a child to be born on some certain special day, whether it’s a holiday or to coincide with the birthday of someone in the family. In the case of products, a marketing team may prefer that the product launch follows a tradeshow calendar, but it doesn’t always happen that way, and such is the case with Roland’s new M-5000 live mixing console, unveiled on the distinctly non-tradeshow date of Nov. 4, 2014.

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2014 AES Show opens to record crowds.

Product Hits of AES 2014

LOS ANGELES — It’s been 12 years since the annual Audio Engineering Society show made an appearance in Los Angeles, this time returning to the L.A. Convention Center from October 8 through 12, 2014. And for audio professionals, this was the place to be, with the exhibit floor, panels and technical sessions packed all four days, with 15,403 registered attendees — representing a 28% increase over the 2012 San Francisco Show, the last time AES was held on the West Coast.

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In Memoriam: Patrick Stansfield, 70

In Memoriam: Patrick Stansfield, 70

Patrick Stansfield, 70, tour manager for Neil Diamond, the Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, the Grateful Dead, Santana, Tina Turner and scores of others, died in the early morning hours on Oct. 28, 2014 from kidney failure. Along with his prominence in concert touring, Stansfield was the production mastermind behind the transformation of Dodgers and Yankee Stadiums for papal visits in 1987 and 2008 and was co-founder of the Parnelli Awards, named in memory of his good friend Rick “Parnelli” O’Brien. He was surrounded by family and friends at the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, CA in the days before his death.

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During the 2014 AES show, David Morgan (second from left) participated in a technical discussion panel on the programming and operational aspects of the different user interfaces that have evolved for live digital consoles. Also pictured (left to right) are Louis Adamo, Patrick Baltzell and Harold Blumberg.

The Ever-Evolving Digital Console User Interface

The James Taylor tour recently completed its seven-week European itinerary in London. My original intention was to spend a few extra days in that familiar and beloved city following the final show at the Royal Albert Hall. During that stay, my day-off-buddy and monitor engineer, Rachel Adkins, and I had planned on hitting up some museums, eating great curry, taking a drive out to Stonehenge and catching up with old friends. That appealing script, however, had to be altered before we even left the USA.

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Fig. 1: This 1952 ad for RCA’s BA-6A vari-mu compressor emphasizes specs, features and a sepia-toned product shot.

Mad Men

Pro audio advertising hasn’t exactly lived at the cutting edge over the last half century but it has been evolving. When you look back at ads in the trade publications from the 1970s and earlier (like everything else, they’re up there online), you’ll see pretty staid graphics and copy, mostly nerdy product shots and verbiage that consisted mainly of dry data taken directly from spec sheets, such as the 1952 RCA BA-6A vari-mu compressor ad shown in Fig. 1. No CLIO Awards for this bunch.

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This Whirlwind Power Link portable distro system is designed for safe tie-ins to AC power by licensed personnel.

Power Distro Basics: Stay Safe

One book that should probably never be written is Power Distro for Dummies. Given the high voltages in play where power distribution is concerned and the danger of physical harm, it’d be a better idea if dummies stayed out of the electrical room and left electrical work to licensed electricians. However, there are certain things about power that audio people need to know, and though we do not suggest that you attempt adding a new circuit breaker box to a venue unless you are a licensed electrician, it might make your life easier if you knew a bit regarding power distro requirements.

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Low-profile wedge monitors can reduce the chance of blocking views from seated parishioners. In some sanctuaries — such as here in Austin’s Unity Church of The Hills — the monitors can be “stairstepped” to increase sightlines even farther.

Monitoring Your Monitors

We all take monitors pretty much for granted. Whether you use in-ears or floor wedges at your church, they are as common as your main front of house speakers. But did you know that, in the early-mid 1960’s, many bands hit the road without the benefit of monitors of any type. Before floor wedge monitors became popular and commonplace, speakers were simply placed on either side of the stage and turned toward the performers.

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Illustration by Andy Au

“I Should Have Known”

In a recent 60 Minutes interview, President Obama admitted that the U.S. intelligence community had underestimated “ISIS” and what was taking place in Syria while — at the same time — overestimating the Iraqi army’s capability to combat the threat. A shocking admission but, then again, over- and under-estimations have shaped history for thousands of years, and sometimes it is not just a lack of foresight that attributes to a poor judgment call or policy. Official procedure, monetary concerns, various alliances and hubris are a few talking points that might lead to a poor assessment of any given situation.

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