News

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, WA — Founder Dane Butcher conceived Symetrix in the early 1970s, while he worked as a recording engineer, and this year the company celebrates its 30-year anniversary. Butcher worked with members of Return to Forever and helped engineer Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters.

NEW YORK — A broad range of Audio-Technica microphones was selected to outfit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York City. A-T supplied more than 100 mics to capture the audio for this event, which took place at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Midtown Manhattan on March 12, with inductees including Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, R.E.M., The Ronettes, Patti Smith and Van Halen.

HOUSTON — Houston-based LD Systems designs and deploys sound reinforcement and lighting for the annual Houston Rodeo and Livestock Series, held at the city's Reliant Stadium. LD Systems oversee the installation of Electro-Voice equipment for the HLSR, featuring 108 EV X-Line boxes powered by EV P3000RL remote control DSP amplifiers. For 2007, LD Systems incorporated EV's NetMax networked matrix system controller into their system design for the first time for remote supervision of the system.

CLIFTON, NJ — Formerly known as "Joey's Night Club," the Bliss nightclub in Clifton, NJ, was completely renovated before reopening, with design by Pedro Pons and lighting by Dougie Lazer. As described by Joe Lodi, owner and chief designer of Advanced Audio Technology, the old sound system consisted of "a large number of primitive boxes, each the size of a refrigerator and with the sound quality of an AM radio." Lodi and his partner and head of installation, Angelo Poulos, designed and installed the new sound system, which hinges on eight TA-500 and eight TSW-218 Turbosound Aspect Series loudspeakers and subwoofers.

HONOLULU, HI — Custom Audio, of Kaneohe, Hawaii, provided audio support for this year's Pro Bowl production in Aloha Stadium, drafting three PowerH 5000 amplifiers from Dynacord to help deliver game day sound.

TORONTO, CANADA — In the few months since it opened with Wagner's complete Ring Cycle, Toronto, Canada's new CDN$181 million Four Seasons Centre has added more than 150 Meyer Sound loudspeakers, though their presence isn't apparent; all are concealed from sight, either around the proscenium or embedded in the hall's walls and ceilings.

HERCULES, CA — Currently with Pro Media/UltraSound in Hercules, Calif, Derrick Featherstone has spent well over a decade working with alt-rock band Primus as both their tour manager and FOH engineer. Though they're noted "analog die-hards," Featherstone and the band recently made the decision to swap out their aging analog equipment for a new digital system and chose Digidesign's VENUE live sound environment to handle FOH duties for the band's U.S. and Canada tour.

OLD LYME, CT — Sennheiser has engineered a new microphone head for its RF wireless microphone, the SKM 5200. The MD 5235 mic head is a rugged dynamic capsule designed to cut through high on-stage levels. The new mic head can be used with all handheld transmitters of Sennheiser's 5000 Series – the SKM 5000, SKM 5000 N and the latest model, SKM 5200.

SAN JUAN, PR — CBS, as in Caribbean Broadcast Supply, recently installed a new Martin Audio system at the Magna Aula ("Big Hall" in Latin) Performing Arts Center at the University of Puerto Rico's Rio Piedras campus in San Juan. The university had originally envisioned a modest audio and lighting system but CBS founder Freddie Rojas and his audio engineer/installer sons, Freddie Jr. and Alex, had already created sound systems for performing arts centers in Santurce and Caguas, used by musical groups and artists from all over the world. They counseled the University to go for something more comprehensive.

NASHVILLE, TN — Alison Krauss and Union Station have played a major role in keeping the bluegrass on its upward trajectory with a string of albums and tour dates, a schedule that includes QSC and SE Systems to provide audio support.