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Ahmad (Marty) Taylor with an Avid SC48 console at FOH mix position.

Overcoming A New Sanctuary’s Audio Challenges

Hi-Tech Electronics Enhances the Sound at World Overcomers Christian Church

Be more than you have ever been before. Stop being a victim, be a victor. Be an Overcomer!”

That’s the message at Durham, NC-based World Overcomers Christian Church, and it is striking a chord with a growing number of congregants.

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Sennheiser XS Wireless

Sennheiser XS Wireless

The Sennheiser XS Wireless comes in five application-specific sets. Two are vocal sets — one with the SKM 35 handheld transmitter featuring Sennheiser’s standard e835 dynamic cardioid capsule; the second, XSW 65, comes with an electret super-cardioid condenser capsule.

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From left, Jason Chamlee, Eric Thomas, Tommy Dowdy, Chris Belcher, George Olsen, Hyacinth Belcher, Barry Pharr, Russ Purdue, Ernie Gonzales and Tyler Johnston

Onstage Systems

There are many day-to-day challenges a regional audio company must contend with, but even Hyacinth Belcher couldn’t have imagined police officers storming her office, hands on guns, ready to draw. Co-owner of Dallas-based Onstage Systems with her brother Chris, she laughs about it now, though surely the “raid” got her adrenalin going.

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From left, Taidus Vallandi, technical sales manager, DiGiCo/Group One; Andrew (Fletch) Fletcher, freelance consultant; Jeff Peterson, freelance consultant/PA system designer; Leslie Anne Jones, The Recording Academy/Producers & Engineers Wing; Ron Reaves, FOH music mixer and Mikael Stewart, production mixer, ATK AudioTek.

Grammys Make a Big Change

The live-sound mix console business is in play. The number of new desks is on the rise, and digital technology is leveling the landscape for deals. Consider the DiGiCo SD series consoles used at the world’s biggest televised audio party, the Grammy Awards, held Feb. 12 in Staples Center. The crew used a 256-input DiGiCo SD7 console at FOH and two 96-input DiGiCo SD10s at monitors, with a third 96-channel SD10 used for the production mix. These replaced Yamaha PM1D consoles, which had been used on the show for the last nine years.

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Vocal Mic Techniques - fig. 1, fig. 2

Mic Techniques for Lead and Background Vocals

For the vast majority of engineers, lead vocal is the most important part of the mix. Unless you’re dealing with an instrumental group, ensuring that the lead vocal can heard at all times is paramount. Background vocals can be equally important, because the musical interplay between lead and background or harmony vocals often define a musical arrangement. Here are techniques you can use to keep vocals in the spotlight of your mix.

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Small Consoles

This month’s discussion is on small-format mixing consoles for houses of worship, both analog and digital.

There are probably a few different definitions for “small format” consoles. To me, any mixer that can fit into a rack would fall into the category.

That said, if your worship house mixer is not in a rack, don’t worry about it. We still have plenty to talk about.

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Illustration by Andy Au

Navy SEALs of Sound

Here is an open letter to any and all clients that that require audio and production assistance. Please understand that I recognize you, as the client, are most likely spending a huge amount of money on your incredibly important event and also be aware that, as a bronco buster, this is not my first rodeo. After all, if you were going into the hospital for an operation would you tell the surgeon where to cut, or how to stitch? I think not. Therefore, what compels you to dictate to me how to do my job? You own an ipod? You did sound for a friend in college? Please…get over it.

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Martin Audio MLA Compact

Martin Audio MLA Compact

Since its introduction less than two years ago, Martin Audio’s revolutionary Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array (MLA) has won accolades and nearly every industry award. Horn loading has always been Martin’s hallmark and recent heritage also includes the large-format Longbow and medium-sized W8LC line arrays.

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View from the Middle

Now that the Grammys have come and gone we can all go out and buy Adele’s 21, Foo Fighters’ Wasting Light, Skrillex’ Scary Monsters, Taylor Swift’s Speak Now, Bon Iver’s Bon Iver, Tony Bennett’s Duets II, The Civil Wars’ Barton Hollow, Alison Krauss’ Paper Airplane, Corea, Clarke & White’s Forever and maybe even Kanye West’s Twisted Fantasy since they all won multiple awards.

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Audio crew at 2012 Grammy Awards, photo courtesy of the Recording Academy - WireImage

Grammy Live

When the envelopes were opened for the 54th annual Grammy Awards Show on Feb. 12 from the Staples Center arena in Los Angeles, there were few surprises between Adele, Foo Fighters and Taylor Swift. But at the ends of the fiber optic snake, there was a big one. After a decade with the venerable (and recently discontinued) Yamaha PM1D console at the FOH and monitor mix positions for the Grammy Awards telecast, DiGiCo’s SD series desks made their first appearance on “Music’s Biggest Night,” and did so in force. If the Grammy’s tendency to stick with technology platforms consistently for long periods continues to hold true — the Yamahas were there for nine consecutive years — expect to see these British imports in place for some time to come.

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