Skip to content

Articles

Grand Ole Opry Turns 80

For a place that acts as the tabernacle for old-time American music, the Grand Ole Opry has kept itself remarkably up to date. Like country music itself, it benefits from a periodic infusion of new ideas. The Opry is an institution that once banned drums from its stage (though bolder artists in the 1950s would have a kit playing behind the velour curtain of the Ryman Auditorium, the Opry's original home). But on a night this spring, the drums were as up-front in the mix as they are on the radio. Top 40 radio, even.

Read More »

That's "Mr. Expert" to You

OK, it's official–I'm an audio expert. No, really, I'm not just saying this to impress; I am officially an expert and I can prove it. Unfortunately, at this time, if I do reveal any references, names or places I will have to erase the reader's memory by writing a subliminal memory erase code into this text. This, of course, I'd like to avoid at all costs because it is not a specific memory erase code and, if used, may erase much more of the user's memory than necessary. It could mean that the reader, while not being able to remember anything written in this article, may also lose the capability to remember things like how to set up gain structure, how to read an input list or even simple things such as the formula for Ohm's law or how to use the internal computer on the Midas H- 3000 console. Therefore, be satisfied with the information I give you and all will be well.

Read More »

Night & Day

I have been privileged to provide audio gear and production for Good Charlotte on a few occasions and the band has always sounded great–a fact that I attribute not only to the equipment, but to the professionalism of their seasoned engineers. I was scheduled to arrive at the Good Charlotte show at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia to interview their audio engineers, but true to form, I got overbooked and couldn't make it. Fortunately, I managed to catch up to Vince Buller (monitors) and Gary Ferenchak (FOH) in cyberspace for a conversation, and they were sporting enough to make the dialogue happen.

Read More »

Dennis Cooper and Rob Mondora

Dennis Cooper

Production Manager

Production Support Group, Inc.

Tallahassee, FL 850.562.1070

[email protected]

Quote: One hundred feet away and in the dark, they'll never know the difference.

Services Provided: Full service production company. Sound, lighting, stage, AV.

Clients: 53rd Annual Florida Folk Festival, Celebrate America 4th of July featuring Andy Griggs, Florida State University's Last Call Before Fall featuring Jimmy Eat World, Freightliner and Kohler Industries sales meetings and trade shows, Swamp Stomp

Read More »

Two Words: Underwater Monitoring

Le Rêve: A Small Collection of Imperfect Dreams debuted in April at the fabulous new Wynn Las Vegas, Steve Wynn's $2.7 billion entry as the latest and greatest on the Las Vegas Strip. Created by Franco Dragone, formerly of Cirque du Soleil and the man behind such legendary shows as O, Alegria and Celine Dion's A New Day, Le Rêve is an acrobatic water show that pushes technology and technologists to new heights–and new depths.

Read More »

Odds and Ends

Lots happening out there this month, but nothing that I am inspired enough about for a whole 700-word column. So, let's do a collection of short bits, shall we?

The Squeeze Is, Apparently, On

A few months back, we talked about the consolidation at the top end of the live event audio world and how it might result in a squeeze on mid-sized providers. It seems like that vise is beginning to tighten. In just the past couple of weeks, I have heard about some mid-sized companies that are struggling, and rumors of ballooning deficits are running rampant. At the same time, word on the street is that some of the big boys are tightening the screws. One regional provider looking to move up into the touring world said that he had been told that one national company "will not be under-bid. If I bid $100, they will come in at $50."

Read More »

All Wet

I learned the hard way to never lend out gear to your friends. My good friend came to me to borrow my new FOH board and new monitor mixer. He needed it for his friend who was doing a show out of town, so I said "OK, but I need it back in time for my show on the following day, at the exact time I am to set up."

The day of the gig, they rushed in, dropped off the boards and took off right away, which was curious. My head tech pulled the board out of its road case to find it dripping with water, and the case itself had absorbed a lot of water as well. My tech phoned me where I was working on another job, and I had to rent my old board that I had just replaced with the new board, the one that was now soaking wet. I was so embarrassed. Especially after bragging to the customer on how good the new FOH board was and how the built-in effects were just beautiful for what they needed. Boy, did I have egg on my face.

Read More »

Bigfoot Found and Captured! French Array Avoids Radar!

Not a line array? A tangent array system? Maybe they should just call it French.

The new NEXO GEO T speakers are not boxes, as we would typically assume a speaker enclosure to be. They look more like something out of a futuristic Spielberg movie. They are small, very small, and shaped like a mini stealth fighter. The rigging looks weird, very weird, but extremely functional. Like stealth fighters, they are light and weigh less than 100 lbs, or 45 kilograms, as the French would have it (that's 99.2 lbs). Radar does not bounce off them, and they have been flying over the United States undetected now for sometime…

Read More »

Yamaha Makes a Major Move

The ongoing consolidation of the audio business took another giant step forward in June when Yamaha announced that it had established a joint venture with French line array and live sound technology developer NEXO. The agreement calls for the two companies to join forces in future product development and gives NEXO's line arrays and other high-end PS products a much deeper reach in the critical American and Asian markets via Yamaha's distribution and marketing capabilities. Good for NEXO, which has long made what many in the industry feel is a quality, competitive product that has been hamstrung by a marketing culture out of its depth here.

Read More »

Rack Case Design

I believe the role of road cases is critically important to the profitability of a sound company. But not every case made out there is really road-worthy. A lot of my anklebiter friends think I am insane to pay $600 or more on semi-custom rack cases to haul power amplifiers and signal processing gear. I look at it as cheap insurance to keep the gear performing throughout its scheduled life, and to put more gear on wheels instead of having my back do the lifting. So this month's installment is about rack road cases, and a guide to getting them built and maintained.

Read More »

The Sound of Sweet Charity

A revival of Bob Fosse's 1966 musical, which he later adapted into a movie, Sweet Charity follows the misadventures of dance hall hostess Charity Hope Valentine as she hopelessly searches for the right man to help her escape her life of misery–and a chance meeting with a shy, awkward accountant named Oscar may be her chance for happiness. Yeah, it's definitely dated in its concept, but headliner Christina Applegate proves that she is far more talented than many would give her credit for as she sings and dances her heart out and makes Charity her own, while the show itself offers the razzle-dazzle that choreographer Fosse was known for. This modern production features some fantastic sets, costumes and music, particularly one groovy club sequence drenched in purple ("Rich Man's Frug") that shirks lyrics and is all about the dance.

Read More »

New Kid on the Block

Dear Sirs,

I don't have my own sound company. I don't even have a job working for a sound company. I am currently graduating high school and volunteering at my local church, but I have aspirations of one day owning my own company. However, I currently have very little experience and would appreciate any advice you can give me on what are the most important things to consider when mixing live sound. I am an Anklebiters fan and I want to thank you for considering my request.

Read More »