HK Audio broadens its offerings in the category of powered PA speaker with molded plastic enclosures. The new SONAR series combines HK Audio’s sound quality with state-of-the-art features in a particularly popular price segment.

The series consists of the three full-range models SONAR 110 Xi, SONAR 112 Xi and SONAR 115 Xi and the SONAR 115 Sub D subwoofer.

The SONAR full-range models feature a 24-bit DSP controller with color display, which can be used to conveniently operate the comprehensive connection and setting options. These include two channels for microphone or line signals and an AUX channel for music signals.

All settings for the SONAR Xi models can even be remote controlled with the free SONAR REMOTE app for iOS and Android. Additionally, signals can be streamed wirelessly via Bluetooth 5.0.

Not only does the luxury 3-band EQ in each channel exceed the usual standards in this product class – all settings for the SONAR Xi models can even be conveniently remote controlled with the free SONAR REMOTE app (for iOS and Android). Via the AUX channel, signals can also be streamed wirelessly via Bluetooth 5.0. Bluetooth TWS (True Wireless Stereo) is also possible when using two SONAR speakers.

The SONAR 115 Sub D subwoofer also features a 24-bit DSP controller, with a display that allows you to set parameters such as the crossover frequency, polarity and a delay. A unique feature in this price class are the two presets for Cardioid operation when using two subwoofers. This means when the bass is directed towards the audience, the unwanted emission of low frequencies to the rear is noticeably reduced.

“With SONAR, our goal was to develop the best equipped, best sounding and easiest to configure speaker family in this price segment”, says HK Audio Senior Product Manager Rüdiger Forse. “My favourite features of the SONAR Xi models are music streaming and remote control via Bluetooth 5.0. This new standard ensures higher ranges and significantly more stable connections. And the app not only allows to adjust the volume of the channels, I can also control the channel EQs from the audience, for example. In this way, every microphone signal is elegantly under control. The SONAR subwoofer stands out thanks to its impressive bass response and effective Cardioid options. Even non-professionals can now create perfectly working Cardioid setups with over 30 dB reduction of low frequencies to the rear at the touch of a button without any previous knowledge. Bands or DJs, who often have to perform for hours directly behind the PA, will really appreciate this feature”.

The SONAR series speakers will be available in stores in November. More information can be found at hkaudio.com

Martin Audio’s ADORN Ceiling and Pendant Speakers

Martin Audio has started shipping its ADORN series ceiling loudspeakers to Europe and North America (following the first shipments to the APAC territories in September). The extension to the popular new installation series, which brings class-leading performance, reliability and value to a wide range of installations, was first announced back in February this year.

Along with the ceiling speakers—an area of the commercial sound installation sector in which Martin Audio has always excelled—is the availability of the company’s first ever pendant speaker, which comes in black or white as standard.

Featuring Martin Audio’s signature sound characteristics, the ADORN in-ceiling series is the perfect choice for background and foreground systems which require superior sound quality from visually discreet, ultra-compact enclosures. They also provide a seamless sonic transition within a multi-zone complex using larger Martin Audio systems such as CDD or BlacklineX.

All the new ceiling models have a nominal impedance of 16 ohms, enabling four or more speakers to be driven in parallel by one amplifier channel, thereby maximizing efficiency and minimizing cost. The new ceiling additions are also fitted with an internal high-quality 70V/100V multi-tap line transformer with a switch to select the output level. For full-bandwidth protection, the low and high frequency sections are individually protected against overload in all models.

Comprising a 4” (100mm) LF driver and a 0.75” (19mm) silk-dome tweeter, the ACS-40TS in-ceiling speaker produces 108dB peak output at 1 meter and its ported design delivers strong bass that extends down to 73Hz. The very wide 180° conical coverage of the ACS-40TS makes it particularly suitable for low ceilings and reduces the number of speakers required for even coverage — leading to a reduction in installation cost. It features a shallow backcan for installation in ceilings with a minimum cavity depth.

Featuring a 5.25” (100mm) LF driver and a 0.75” (19mm) silk-dome tweeter, the ACS-55TS in-ceiling speaker produces 113dB peak output at 1 meter and its ported design delivers strong bass that extends down to 79Hz. The wide 150° conical coverage of the ACS-55TS makes it particularly suitable for low ceilings and it features a shallow backcan for installation in ceilings with a minimum cavity depth.

The in-ceiling ACS-55T comprises a 5.25” (100mm) LF driver and a 0.75” (19mm) silk-dome tweeter, produces 113dB peak output at 1 meter and its ported bass reflex design and backcan with generous internal volume maximizes low frequency output and delivers strong bass that extends down to 62Hz. It also features a wide 150° conical coverage.

Finally, the ACP-55T pendant speaker features a 5.25” (100mm) LF driver and a 0.75” (19mm) silk-dome tweeter, produces 109dB peak output at 1 meter and delivers superb sound quality for both music and speech reproduction. Its stylish pendant enclosure is equipped with a single-point mounting system plus provision for attaching a safety cable, and also features a wide 150° conical coverage.

Stated Martin Audio MD, Dom Harter, “We’re excited to continue shipment of these additions to the ADORN range, which is already becoming a firm favorite of commercial installs. Our considered strategy of shipping first to the APAC region, to take advantage of expansion opportunities in those territories, is already paying off, and we are now ready to focus on our European and North American hubs.”

For more info, visit martin-audio.com.

Scott Pizzo

MIAMI, FL – DAS Audio of America, Inc., the North American subsidiary of Valencia, Spain-based DAS Audio, a leading manufacturer of loudspeaker systems, power amplification, and related products for the sound reinforcement market, is pleased to announce the appointment of Scott Pizzo to the position of Vice President of Sales – Professional Audio, North America. Pizzo’s key responsibilities include supporting the efforts of the company’s seasoned direct sales force, working to further develop both the Production market and DAS Audio’s rental partner network, increasing the company’s Installation market footprint through work with consultants and contractors, furthering the company’s sales network in the US, and building growth through strategic alliances. Pizzo started with DAS Audio in September 2020 and is based in Peabody, MA.

Pizzo brings a wealth of experience to his position at DAS Audio. Most recently, he was with Harman Professional Solutions, where he served as National Sales Manager, Production Audio. Here, his principal focus was on sales of JBL/Crown production and performance audio systems for North America. Prior to this, Pizzo was a Regional Sales Manager for L-Acoustics US where he was responsible for sales of L-Acoustics products throughout the northeastern US and Canada. Going further back in his list of accomplishments, Pizzo was Director of North American Sales at Eastern Acoustic Works and Eastern Regional Sales Manager at Renkus-Heinz.

Reflecting on his new role at DAS, Pizzo offered the following comments, “Throughout my career in Pro Audio, I have been keenly aware of DAS Audio and its reputation as a manufacturer of innovative solutions for performers, installers, and audio technicians. The company has a solid reputation for its well-designed, sonically superior, and reliable loudspeaker systems that enhance music reproduction and speech intelligibility—no matter what the application. I am honored to be joining the company and I look forward to helping DAS reach the next level in its success.”

Jaime Villegas, General Manager at DAS Audio of America, Inc., is equally enthusiastic about Pizzo’s addition to the DAS team, “Scott brings a rich set of skills and experience to our company and I have every confidence in his ability to make a significant contribution to our efforts. He possesses the ideal set of skills and experience we’ve been looking for and I am confident he will be a tremendous asset to our team. All of us at DAS Audio welcome him aboard.”

For additional info, visit www.dasaudio.com

MIAMI, FLORIDA — After more than 12 years of growth, success, and rave reviews in West Kendall, Florida, Chef Adrianne Calvo, the owner and manager of Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant & Wine Bar, decided it was time to move to a larger, more customized location.

Chef Adrianne took over and completely renovated an existing 8,000-square-foot restaurant space. The new space features a large indoor dining area, two private dining rooms, and a social-distance-friendly terrace outfitted with a large retractable projection screen and other AV tools throughout to accommodate special events. The new space has been designed with a warm, modern, Napa Valley wine country décor featuring tall ceilings and wide-open spaces. It can accommodate 270 patrons — a sizable jump from the old location’s capacity of 60.

With audio support playing an essential part of the restaurant experience, Calvo turned to audio expert Ivan Sotomayor, President, and Owner of ISF Enterprises, a south Florida based audio and AV integration firm that focuses on restaurant, club, retail, and multi-use facilities.

“This installation was fun but also a bit challenging,” said Sotomayor. “There are multiple indoor audio zones we need to control, and outdoors, the facility is next to a waterway, so we needed an appropriate volume level and control for optimum sound quality and intelligibility for music as well as presentations — and they even needed surround-sound capabilities outdoors.”

Sotomayor explained that the team used a program called Ease to help map out the number, size, and speakers’ locations to best cover the facility.

“A restaurant of this size can use a lot of audio zones, requiring many separate audio feeds,” added Sotomayor. “They even have unique audio zones in the entrance area where patrons wait for seating, and we added sound to the kitchen and chef area back of house.”

Ultimately, the sound system required ten audio zones to cover the restaurant appropriately. The team selected three Connect 354 IoT-enabled amplifiers from LEA Professional to power the system. Perfectly suited for small to medium scale installations, these two, four, and eight-channel amps feature direct HiZ (70V or 100V) or LoZ selectable by channel.

With three ways to connect, integrators can engage the built-in Wi-Fi access point, connect to the venue’s Wi-Fi, or use the FAST Ethernet to connect to any local area network via Cat5 or Cat6 cable. The Network Connect Series is the first professional amplifier family to feature Cloud connectivity for remote control, monitoring, notifications, and more from any personal devices.

“The three LEA amps give us 12 channels of power, so we have a little growing room. We’re using a 70-volt system over the entire place with Sonance speakers throughout, and it’s worked out nicely,” said Sotomayor. “We were recommended the LEA amps, I had not worked with them before, but now that we’ve had a chance to hear them and see how they operate, we use the DSP to really make the sound perfect in each of the individual zones. They are great amps that I will use for more installations for sure.”

Like any new system, the team is learning and adjusting, and a key capability of the LEA Professional amplifiers is the cloud connectivity. Sotomayor and his team are looking forward to fully working with the amplifiers’ connectivity to be able to troubleshoot or tweak system parameters remotely, any time needed.

“As we all know, nothing happens during regular business hours, so the remote connectivity is a huge benefit for us,” said Sotomayor. “If we need to mute channels, adjust settings, or even pro-actively look at the system to make sure all is good. And if there is an issue, we can make a fix and never need to roll a truck, and the customer is back on-line in a matter of a couple of minutes, not hours.”

Sotomayor added that the entire team has been great to work with and that Chef Adrianne — as well as her staff and customers — have been very happy with the results.

“This project has been all about quality,” said Sotomayor. “It’s a beautiful restaurant, excellent food and service, and the high-quality, high-definition sound system with all its many custom zones, really sets a great dining and meeting experience. I look forward to working with LEA amplifiers on future projects.”

For more info, visit leaprofessional.com.

RED BANK, NJ – Gabriella’s Italian Steakhouse installed a VUE Audiotechnik i-Class system provided by Staten Island based Dara AV.

More details from VUE Audiotechnik (www.vueaudio.com):

Dara AV recently completed an installation of 23 VUE Audiotechnik i-Class loudspeakers into New Jersey’s Gabriella’s Italian Steakhouse. Founded more than 10 years ago by owner Jak Daragjati as JD Systems, Dara AV provides sound and video system engineering, design consultations, design/build services, sales, rental, and audiovisual systems installation covering the New York, New Jersey area and more.

Jak Daragjati headed up the installation and described the audio needs and challenges for this restaurant. “Gabriella’s consists of a main dining hall and bar where the open ceiling height is about 12 ft. The goal was to provide a distributed audio system that would provide a great vibe with great coverage, yet not overpower lunch and dinner conversations.”

Jak designed a distributed system that consists of eighteen i-2×4.5 full-range loudspeakers. The i-2×4.5 was designed for AV contractors that sought a higher performance loudspeaker. The MTM driver layout allows for various inconspicuous placements, making them ideal for the ceiling install at Gabriella’s. To ensure solid low frequencies, five iS-12 compact subwoofers were also installed.

Jak reported after the installation “We chose VUE Audio’s i-Class due to their construction quality, and sound which is far superior to anything in that size and price range. We know we have a very pleased client when they’ve already called us in for the next restaurant they plan to open.”

More info on Dara AV: www.DaraAV.com

More photos:

LAKE FOREST, IL – TC Furlong is hosting a webinar with industry colleague Chris Gille on Nov. 17 from 3-4 p.m. Central time to discuss the TREND SPL reporting software.

More details from TC Furlong (www.tcfurlong.com):

How loud is loud? This is often a difficult question to answer. While perceived loudness is subjective, Sound Pressure Level (SPL) measurements are critical in order to maintain consistency and safety in any given space or performance.

TC Furlong Inc. of Lake Forest, IL is hosting a webinar with industry colleague Chris Gille on November 17th to discuss the TREND SPL reporting software. TREND is an objective, easy-to-use tool that eliminates the difficult task of guessing at sound pressure levels by providing a simple, real-time, and intuitive readout of SPL.

The TREND software is built specifically to give users the tools needed to accurately manage SPL, including a logging system, which allows for consistent levels and documentation over long periods. The features of TREND provide a flexible and adaptable system that can be used out of the box or custom tailored to any environment or application.

Tuesday, November 17th, 3-4pm Central Time

Registration required on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/9516043555337/WN_Gj118qj8SYOWNtzctL7hSA

Whirlwind’s Rack Lightning system is an RGBW LED lighting system that can illuminate your equipment rack in eight different color settings, with adjustable dimming control.

More details from Whirlwind (www.whirlwindusa.com):

The system includes an overhead single space unit [PLR-PS3 or PLR-PS3S] that powers linear LED rail kits [PLR-PSRK] down the sides of the rack. They are available in sizes to fit 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 24 space racks. These rail kits will attach to your rack without having to remove any of the gear currently in the rack. An expansion to Whirlwind’s renowned Power Link line of power distribution products, the Rack Lightning system is designed to get you out of the dark ages and into the light.

LYTHAM, U.K. – Red Fox & Peacock Ltd’s Lytham House, a multi-zone bar/restaurant in northwest England, turned to local soundco Sound Stage Lighting Live for an audio system centered on Martin Audio components.

More details from Martin Audio (www.martin-audio.com):

Sound Stage Lighting Live (SSL Live) was set up by brothers Elliott and Jack Smith near Preston, in the north-west of England, three and a half years ago.

It didn’t take them long to fall in love with the signature sound of Martin Audio. “We liked the clarity of sound, functionality and ease of deployment,” they say. “We also liked the reliability — we have since installed 500-600 installation speakers and there has never been a problem.”

While their Events subsidiary also purchased a Martin Audio WPC scalable line array pre-lockdown, their installation division has been busy installing a combination of CDD and ADORN series speakers, BlacklineX and ceiling speakers for use in venues ranging from leisure and hospitality to immersive fitness centers.

All four Martin Audio commercial ranges feature in Red Fox & Peacock Ltd’s new flagship Lytham House, a multi-zone bar/restaurant, occupying a prime position on the upmarket coastal resort of Lytham, on the Fylde coast.

Run by Ross Robinson, the company’s other venues—The Eagle at Weeton, The Ship at Freckleton and The Queen’s Hotel, Lytham—are already equipped with Martin Audio from SSL Live.

“From an audio perspective the owners trust us, and once again we have given them the best speakers for the purpose,” they say. The site, a former Italian restaurant on a large plot, was left empty for two years as potential buyers waited for the price to drop. Eventually purchased by a local building contractor it was promptly leased back to Robinson’s company and the interior designers set to work in creating a multi-zonal, upmarket venue, incorporating restaurants (private and public), bars and a dancefloor area in the main restaurant.

SSL Live were again the technology contractors. Four Martin Audio CDD8 provide 360° dispersion, around the large steel tree that bores up through the center, with four CDD5 providing dancefloor infill, and a pair of SX212 subs, situated left and right of the stage. The dining alcoves are serviced by three ADORN A55. There are DJ plug-in points, and DJs have the extra bonus of hearing their reference sound through a pair of Martin Audio Blackline X10.

Mounted in the top of the tree, in the upstairs dining area, are four ADORN A40 while four wall-mounted CDD6 maintain both consistency and coverage pattern.

Sound reinforcement in the front bar area is provided by six ADORN A55, with an SX110 sub discreetly sited under the seating, and the two private dining rooms are respectively catered for with another four ADORN A55 in each.

An ADORN A40 links the sound on the stairs, with the photo booth likewise equipped, and in the ancillary areas and toilets are a selection of C4.8T ceiling speakers (with a pair of ADORN A55 allocated to the men’s toilets).

The sound is processed and routed through a BSS Soundweb digital environment, with local remote control at the bars, and to further ease operation of both sound and lighting (which SSL Live also provided) is a custom iPad lighting control and music playback system.

But the journey is far from finished, as two further Woolton-based licensed operations are now earmarked for development, one of them a high caliber unit that will mirror Lytham House in terms of quality, and feature Martin Audio sound reinforcement.

More photos:

USB 2.0 Extender Kits from LAN Accessories Company offer four-, two- and single-port USB 2.0 extension solutions with the ability to connect to USB 2.0 devices at long distances.

Units supports data transfer rates of 1.5Mb/s, 12Mb/s or 480Mb/s and are connected via a standard Cat-5 cable or higher, which extend USB devices up to 50m (164 feet). Devices are hot-pluggable and no software driver is required.

The rugged metal enclosures offer interference resistance and extended tabs on the edges of the cases support DIN rail or wall mounting. The company also manufactures single- and double-mode extenders for RS-232, HDMI, USB and other signals over fiber lines.

For more info, visit www.lanacc.com.tw.

The former Eagle rocked this private event in late September

Sound Co

Montana Pro Audio

Venue

Private Residence,

Montana

Crew

FOH/Monitor Engineer: Band-supplied

Systems Engineer: Aaron Fisher

Production Manager: Alex Bruce

P.A. Tech: Jimmie Denny

Gear

FOH Console: Yamaha CL5

Main Speakers: (12) RCF HDL 10-A, 6/side

Subwoofers: (5) RCF SUB 8006-AS

Fill Speakers: (4) RCF HDL 6-A front fills

Amplifiers: Self-powered

Event Details:

Former Eagle Don Felder performed on Sept. 29, 2020 at this private, socially distanced event in Montana. Butte, MT-based Montana Pro Audio provided the sound system, based on flown hangs of RCF’s HDL 10-A active line array modules and ground-stacked RCF SUB 8006-AS double-18 subwoofers.

The show, which had a live audience, was also streamed to the internet. Pictured here at the controls: Steve Savanyu

Sound Co

Buford T. Hedgehog Productions

Venue

Stocker Arts Center

Elyria, OH

Crew

FOH Engineer: Steve M. Savanyu

Systems Engineer: Julie Wingate

Production Manager: Joe Leaman

Tour Manager: Howard Perl

P.A. Tech: Shawn Knowles

Gear

FOH/Monitor Console: Soundcraft MH2-40

Outboard: dbx 2231, 1066; PreSonus ACP88; Yamaha REV500; Lexicon PCM81

Main Speakers: L-Acoustics dvDOSC

Subwoofers: L-Acoustics dvSUB, sb-218

Fill Speakers: EAW UB52

Amplifiers: L-Acoustics LA24a, LA48a

Drive Processing: Lake

Snake Assemblies: Custom, ProCo subsnakes

Power Distro: Custom

Monitor Speakers: JBL SRX712M

Amps: QSC PLX31102

Wireless Mics: Shure QLXD with DPA d:facto capsule

Wired Mics: A-T, Shure, DPA, Audix

Event Details:

The first live event since February in this 1,000-seat venue was attended in person by an audience of just 100 socially distanced people. Superstar: Carpenters Reimagined was also captured for streaming to Facebook and YouTube. The tribute to the music of Karen and Richard Carpenter featured vocalist Helen Welch.

The concert opened the new stadium.

Sound Co

Beijing Zenith Events

Venue

Donghe Stadium

Jinan, China

Crew

FOH Engineer: Yong Xu

Sound Supervisor: Ma Xin

Systems Engineer: Wenzhao Ma

Broadcast Mixer: Wenzhao Ma

Gear

FOH Console: SSL L500 with L100 sidecar

Broadcast Console: DiGiCo SD7 Quantum

Outboard: Flux Immersive Spat Revolution processing

Main Speakers: d&b audiotechnik GLS8 and GSL12 (LCR hangs)

Subwoofers: (12) d&b audiotechnik SL-SUB

Fill Speakers: SE Audiotechnik M-F3a

Orchestral Mics: DPA 4099

Event Details:

To celebrate the opening of the Jinan Donghe Stadium, 2,000 people heard the region’s first immersive orchestral performance, with 160 musicians, an 800-person chorus and guest appearances by nearly a dozen famous singers — all via the power of Flux Immersive Spat Revolution to bring the audience inside the music.

From left, before the show: Scott Luckman, Mike Borell and Rustin Bullert

Sound Co

Wright Sound & Lighting

Venue

Camp Ripley

Little Falls, MN

Crew

FOH Engineer: Rustin Bullert

Systems Engineer: Mike Borell

Production Manager: John Sawatzke

P.A. Tech: Scott Luckman

Gear

FOH Consoles: (2) Yamaha QL5

Main Speakers: (16) JBL A8 line arrays

Fill Speakers: (6) JBL VT-4886

Amplifiers: Crown IT 4x3500HD

Tent Speakers: (10) JBL EON 612

Drive Processing: JBL Performance Manager

Power Distro: Motion Labs

FOH Rigging: VMB 320a line array lifts

Wireless Mics: (2) Shure wireless ULXD, w/Beta 58 capsules

Event Details:

Following a military deployment ceremony, the Minnesota-based “Serving Our Troops” organization put on a huge steak dinner for 700+ departing National Guardsmen at Camp Riley, MN.

Grant Howard sets up the FOH position

Sound Co

Soundworks of Virginia

Venue

Pocahontas State Park,

Chesterfield, VA

Crew

FOH Engineer: Grant Howard

Monitor Engineer: Bryan Hargrave

Systems Engineer: Bryan Hargrave

Production Manager: Brent Bowden (Richmond Symphony Orchestra)

P.A. Tech: Steve Payne

Gear

FOH Console: Soundcraft Vi1

Main Speakers: Martin Audio Wavefront WPS

Subwoofers: Martin Audio SXH218

Fill Speakers: Martin Audio CDDLive15

Amplifiers: Martin Audio Ikon IK42

Drive Processing: Lab.gruppen LM4

Power Distro: Motion Labs

FOH Rigging: VMB TLA500 line array lifts

Monitor Console: Midas M32R

Monitor Speakers: Soundworks SW2

Amps: Lab.gruppen PLM20kQ

IEMs: Sennheiser IEM G3 EW300

Wireless Mics: Shure ULXD

Wired Mics: DPA 4099, Shure Beta 88A, SM57

Event Details:

Held in the beautiful Pocahontas State Park Amphitheater (Chester, VA), the show featured the Richmond Symphony Orchestra accompanying the Commonwealth Bluegrass Band. The 2,500-capacity venue’s audience was limited to 350 socially distanced patrons for this event.

BÖC’s Buck Dharma shreds a lead line.

Sound Co

Paddle Out Productions

Venue

Cheshire Fairgrounds

Swanzey, NH

Crew

FOH Engineer: Steve La Cerra

Monitor Engineer: Kevin Young

Systems Engineer: Ryan Burhans

Tour Manager: Steve La Cerra

Stage/Backline Manager: Phil Castellano

Gear

FOH Console: Midas M32

Main Speakers: (12) Martin Audio WPM/side

Delay Hangs: Martin Audio W8LM

Amplifiers: (2) Martin Audio iKON

Monitor Console: Midas M32

IEMs: Lectrosonics Duet; Sennheiser em G4

Event Details:

New England Sound Company Paddle Out Productions supported “Drive-In Live,” a 16-week (July 12-Oct. 31) concert series featuring a variety of artists, including Blue Öyster Cult. It was held at the Cheshire Fairgrounds drive-in music venue — a huge, open 650-foot deep field with enough room for 425 cars parked in double-sized parking spaces.

Socially distanced seating within London’s Clapham Grand venue

LONDON – Even if health authorities give venues the green light to reopen with social distancing measures in place, an analysis of the risks and rewards might convince some venue operators to simply stay dark.

One venue bucking that line of thought with a spirit of can-do optimism, however, is London’s Clapham Grand. The 1,300-capacity venue reopened in a limited capacity shortly after restrictions in the U.K. lifted in July, and on Sept. 6, a renovated upper tier balcony boosted the venue’s socially-distanced seating capacity from 100 to 380.

The renovated upper circle

The Clapham Grand has hosted post-Covid-shutdown music and comedy from Frank Turner, Jimmy Carr, Russell Howard, Louise Redknapp, Daniel Sloss and Al Murray, among others. And while the latest shutdowns ordered by the U.K. authorities disrupted the venue’s plans for November, the Clapham Grand is still selling tickets for December shows (www.claphamgrand.com/whats-on) and encouraging acts affected by the November closures to consider postponing their shows to December or 2021 rather than just canceling outright.

The Clapham Grand hosted a “Save Live Comedy” charity show in August featuring Al Murray, Jayde Adams and other comedians. Attendance in the 1,300-capacity venue had to be limited to about 100. A refurbished upper balcony has since expanded capacity to 380.

Ally Wolf, the manager of the Clapham Grand, issued the following statement recently:

Customer confidence is key for our industry to salvage anything in December and January post this lockdown.

I encourage promoters or acts with December shows not to make any rash decisions; venues can’t open without shows and an empty diary in December is heart breaking. Likewise anyone with affected shows in November, please don’t cancel – move dates into December or 2021.

Customers want to come out, they want to see shows and we can deliver them safely – but they need to see that confidence reflected across the whole industry straight away. If we waiver on it so will they.

None of us are taking a pandemic lightly, at The Grand alone we’ve invested a fortune in remodelling ourselves to accommodate distancing and we are brilliant at it – like so many others too. We will abide by all guidelines as we always have, but people have to know there is something to return to and still invest in.

We were about to announce the next 8 weeks of shows at The Grand, which were our best yet, including our 120th birthday celebrations, and I know we will do so again, but everyone needs to have the same faith.

We need an outwards facing positivity from top to bottom – no matter how bad it is internally. No one invests in fear, and all our customers are making investments in us.

This pack of cards ain’t falling down just yet.

For more information, visit www.claphamgrand.com

H.E.R. discusses the driving forces behind her music with her signature Fender Stratocaster in Guitar Center’s new Make Music holiday video campaign

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA – Guitar Center’s new video campaign features Grammy award-winner H.E.R. on Nov. 5 followed by 25 inspirational videos from artists across genres and instruments through Dec. 25.

More details from Guitar Center (www.guitarcenter.com):

Guitar Center, the world’s largest musical instrument retailer, has enlisted the support of highly revered musicians from all corners of the music community with unique sounds and voices to launch its new inspirational “Make Music” campaign. The campaign features a series of 25 artist videos released on GuitarCenter.com and its YouTube channel starting Thursday, November 5, through Thursday, December 24. The campaign spotlights a combination of legendary artists, innovative producers, and rising musicians discussing the driving forces behind their creativity and why they make music.

Headlining the series is a video from Grammy Award-winning R&B singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist H.E.R. Subsequent videos will feature a range of artists across all music genres, as well as exclusive musical content from a selection of groundbreaking artists.

“The past year has presented many challenges, but it is clear that the importance of music as a means of comfort has become more and more front-and-center,” said Jeannine D’Addario, Guitar Center’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer. “With the ‘Make Music’ campaign, we wanted to get inside the minds of the artists that we all admire and hear from them on what music means to them. We hope that visitors to our website and subscribers to our YouTube channel find a lot of wisdom and joy in these videos leading up to the end of this very stressful, trying year. Every one of these artists has a different perspective, but there is a common thread across all of their testimonials: music is how they express themselves to the world, and it’s an emotional release and a celebration.”

In addition to showcasing musicians and music influencers on its social channels, Guitar Center is asking musicians of all skill levels to share why they make music by creating a video and posting it to social media using the hashtag #WhyWeMakeMusic. For more information, visit www.guitarcenter.com/Why-We-Make-Music.gc.

According to H.E.R., “Music is everything, and it’s a language everybody speaks,” she states in the campaign video. “Growing up my dad had a cover band when I was a little girl, and they would rehearse in our living room. My playlist goes from N.W.A. to Sly & the Family Stone to Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Carlos Santana, Prince, Lauryn Hill, Jimi Hendrix. It all inspires me to make it my own and have fun with it.”

To watch the first video in the series of H.E.R. discussing the passion and inspiration behind the music she makes music, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtVnLn4p3UY&feature=youtu.be.

Additionally, H.E.R. recently made history being the first female African American artist with a Fender Signature Stratocaster. This beautiful guitar features an alder body with a traditional tonewood finished in a stunning new iridescent color and is available now in-store and online at GuitarCenter.com.

Watch out for volunteers who make a few system tweaks to “improve” performance.

Those of us involved in professional audio for houses of worship tend to be captivated by technology as a means of solving problems or improving the quality of the sound we present. We love gear, and we’ll pounce on that flashy new plug-in or gadget to accomplish our goal and will happily pay the retail price for some magical technology.

Sometimes we do need some kind of electronic magic to accomplish our goal. But often, the better (or only) solution lies in the acoustical physics of our space, rather than some device installed in our rack. If you have the blessing of sorting out all the acoustics of your space at the beginning of the process — before a service is ever held in it — you can carefully measure and align and get it right. But even if you’re not so blessed, it’s never too late. You can always make adjustments and improve the way your loudspeakers distribute the sound in your room. Let’s look at a handful of ways to make some incremental moves towards a noticeable improvement in the quality of our congregants’ experience.

‡‡         Taming Reverberation

A substantial part of the sonic problems in rooms large enough to accommodate a church service are associated with reflections and reverberation. A room would sound dull, lifeless and disorienting if it were anechoic, but it would be a cacophonous train wreck if there were hard, reflective surfaces everywhere. The solution is a compromise between those extremes. For instance, we put absorptive acoustical panels on our rear walls, but don’t cover the entire surface — instead, it’s better to space them out a bit. Leaving a bit of hard, flat, reflective wall exposed can be good. Actually, by the time our sound gets all the way back to the rear wall, it’s going to be pretty diffuse to begin with, so the reflections will also be pretty diffuse — a good thing. The closer we get to our speakers, however, the less diffuse the output, hence giving us less diffuse reflections that are more easily noted and identified by our ears as reflections. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing — reflections are cues used by our brains to identify the size of the space.

If a sound happens between two reflective surfaces that are perfectly parallel, we get a flutter echo — the waves bounce back and forth between the two surfaces until they decay away. I describe it as that “boing” echo one hears in an empty room with no furniture. It’s not musical and it’s not pleasant, so examine your space to see if any such reflective and parallel surfaces cause it. The solution is pretty simple — choose one of the surfaces and treat most or all of it with an absorptive substance of some kind. A similar issue occurs when a reflective surface causes our sound to travel in directions other than what we expect, based on the dispersion pattern of our loudspeakers. A common one is when speakers are located very close to the ceiling and the HF drivers’ dispersion is partially directed toward the ceiling. If the ceiling is reflective, that energy will bounce back down and re-combine with the direct sound from the speaker, although slightly out of time (and out of phase) — not good. This same phenomenon occurs with walls. Placing the speakers widely apart (close to walls) to get the widest possible stereo image can result in that same reflection problem. Moving speakers away from walls and ceilings can reduce this phase mess and increase the clarity of our sound. And speakers that were installed long ago can move around a bit and not be aimed as they once were. Occasionally checking to ensure they’re actually pointed correctly is a good idea.

‡‡         Stage Volume Controls

Another common acoustical issue is stage volume. Most churches rely on a combination of sound created by on-stage sources (e.g., drums and guitar amps) and audio produced by a sound reinforcement system. In many cases, our ears hear that sound twice — once directly from the instrument, and once again through the sound system. And per physics, those two iterations of the sound will not be naturally aligned in time. Unless we do something to resolve this issue, things like digital signal latency and the additional distance of our SR speakers to congregants can cause the second signal to arrive later in time. It might seem like such tiny delays are no big deal, but in fact, these shorter delays cause the most trouble. This is the stuff that creates comb filtering and phase smear. A longer delay would actually be perceived as a discrete echo by human ears — hardly desirable, yet less troublesome in a certain manner of speaking.

Since we can’t “undelay” our FOH mix, the solution here is to reduce the amount of the direct sound. This is why we see drum kits encased in Plexiglas boxes. These boxes may not completely eliminate the drums’ stage volume, but they can at least reduce it enough to help put comb filtering and phase chaos under a little more control. Same goes for guitar amplifiers. A common solution is to hide those amps away in isolation somewhere backstage. Some opt to not only move them offstage, but put them in airtight boxes with lots of absorptive material, or even leveraging the dead airspace of boxes built within boxes. This additional effort is worthwhile for another reason — it gives the FOH mixer much more control over the mix, and thwarts the efforts of “more me” guitarists who turn up their amps after sound check to ensure that the world will hear their six-string heroics.

‡‡         Time for a Reset

We mentioned how the physical positioning of speaker cabinets can “drift” in physical positioning over many years, but there’s a related issue. When a system is installed, a contractor typically shoots the room with noise and uses an RTA to tune the system within the confines of that space. Invariably, delays and EQ are applied to accomplish this tuning, and balances are struck between various speakers (e.g., between subwoofers and the rest of the system). Sometimes, overzealous team members may tweak these adjustments, thinking they’re “improving” sound quality (or maybe they just like more bass, for instance). It’s not a bad idea to ensure that the initial baseline settings dialed in by the contractor are still in place. I recommend some kind of security to lock out such “helpful” tweaks, but if there are no such safeguards, it’s almost a certainty that settings have been changed, by accident or otherwise. Take a look and make sure they are where they’re supposed to be.

As the holidays approach, and in anticipation of the large crowds to come, now is a good time to look at these few attributes of your system to ensure that the audio part of the year-end experience will be optimal. It’s also nice to start off the new year with such things bolted down, so get to it!

John McJunkin is the chief engineer and staff producer in the studio at Grand Canyon University.

The author demonstrates a frequently used — yet not recommended — application for a dynamic microphone.

This month in FRONT of HOUSE, we’re featuring a Buyer’s Guide to handheld dynamic vocal microphones (See
page 16). The dynamic microphone is like the grunt of the sound reinforcement industry. We beat the daylights out of dynamic mics, leave them out on stage to cook in the heat of summer, freeze during the cold of winter, or to drown in hurricane rains, and even still, they keep working — until they don’t. And then we become upset that the $100 mic we’ve been using for 10 years to close-mic a snare drum suffered an untimely death when a 500-pound drummer cracked it on the head with a 3S drumstick. Condenser microphones get all the glory, but a dynamic mic is like a Ford F-150. Treat it right, and it’ll live longer than you.

‡‡         A Little History

It’s hard to imagine, but the first moving coil microphone was patented way back in 1874 by Ernst Siemens. It didn’t really catch on right away because carbon granule mics were easier to produce at the time and were widely used for telephones. As telephone and radio technology improved, Bell Labs’ Edward Christopher (“E.C.”) Wente created the first condenser mic in 1916. Condenser mics provided better audio performance, but were large and fragile, and required a separate power supply. They also didn’t like being left out in the rain.

Fig. 1: The Western Electric 618A was the first commercial dynamic microphone.

The first commercial dynamic microphone was invented in 1928 at Bell Labs by Wente and Albert Thuras. It was released in 1931 as the Western Electric 618A, shown in Fig. 1. The goal for Wente and Thuras was to create a reliable, more affordable microphone that could stand up to rough treatment in the field. It employed a thin duralumin (a hard, light aluminum alloy) diaphragm and a magnet made from a cobalt and steel alloy — which was big news at the time. The omnidirectional 618A yielded high output and a frequency response that ranged from 35 Hz to around 9.5 kHz(!). The 618A was used for years in P.A., film and broadcast applications, and was a popular choice for FDR’s famed Fireside Chat broadcasts (Fig. 2). It may be hard to believe, but almost 100 years later, you can still find working examples of the 618A.

Fig. 2: The 618A was frequently the choice for president Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “Fireside Chats.”

The basic approach to the operation of a moving coil mic today is essentially the same as it was when the 618A was invented. A voice coil attached to a lightweight diaphragm is suspended within a magnetic field (see
Fig. 3). When sound waves hit the diaphragm, they cause it (and the voice coil) to move, generating a voltage in the coil. Lo and behold, that voltage is a pretty darn good representation of the original audio signal. Amazing.

Fig. 3: A cutaway diagram of a dynamic microphone capsule. Image courtesy Shure.

‡‡         Lots to Consider

These days, you can pick from hundreds of dynamic mics, many of which were designed for use on stage. Some of these mics have distinct advantages over their glamorous (and often more expensive) condenser cousins. Take, for example, tom mics. A lot of engineers like to use small-diaphragm condensers on toms. They’re easy to place, there are a variety of clip-on mounting options available, and small diaphragms tend to have lower mass, which results in faster transient response when compared to moving coil (or large-diaphragm condenser) microphones. The diaphragm motion of a typical moving coil mic is considerably slower, because the diaphragm is saddled down with that pesky coil — oh yeah, we need that coil to generate the electricity. That’s one of the reasons that moving coil mics tend to be less sensitive to transients than condenser mics, and less sensitive in general.

On the other hand, with their extended bandwidth, quick transient response and high sensitivity, small-diaphragm condenser mics are capable of delivering plenty of low-end as well as plenty of sparkle up top. You know what that means? More leakage from the cymbals. If a drummer places their cymbals close to the toms, you may experience a lot of cymbal leakage into the tom mics — especially if the drummer bashes the cymbals. You might even hear a cymbal get louder when the gate on a tom mic opens. Don’t look to EQ to help you out in such a situation, because all the EQ in the world won’t help reduce that leakage.

What you need is a microphone that’s less sensitive, and maybe has a bit less fidelity than a condenser mic. Those traits often translate into tighter pickup patterns and reduced leakage — important attributes in a live situation. A super- or hypercardioid mic placed on a tom can produce less cymbal leakage if the position of the cymbal falls within one of the nulls of the pickup pattern. Many dynamic instrument mics don’t have the extended HF response of a condenser, so you may need a bit of EQ to brighten things up, but if the mic has lower sensitivity, then leakage from surrounding instruments will be reduced.

You can take a similar approach with vocal microphones. Many lead singers sound great through a condenser mic, but what happens on a loud stage when the vocalist moves away from the microphone? The vocal mic becomes a cymbal microphone. This issue is made worse if there is compression on the lead vocal, and let’s face it — in just about any live situation, you definitely have compression on the vocal. When the vocalist stops singing, the compressor lets go of the gain reduction. Background noise gets louder and changes the balance of your mix, not to mention the phase issues that are created. On a quiet stage with less worry about instruments leaking into the vocal mic, this might not be an issue and you could go for a premium condenser mic — but when you’re fighting leakage on a loud stage, a less sensitive microphone might be a more effective tool. And as a testament to their durability, a frequently used (yet not recommended) application for dynamic mics is shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4: The author demonstrates a frequently used — yet not recommended — application for a dynamic microphone.

Don’t think that I’m hitting you with an “I hate condenser mics” tirade. The bottom line — particularly with vocal mics — is that you need to find the tone you’re looking for while also making the talent happy with the way their instrument (their voice) sounds. Sometimes you have to think outside the box to make that happen.

Steve “Woody” La Cerra is the tour manager and front of house engineer for Blue Öyster Cult.