• Case Study: British Summer Time Hyde Park Festival

    BSTAppearing at Barclaycard Presents British Summer Time Hyde Park Festival (BST) for the fourth consecutive year, Martin Audio’s MLA PA delivered its best performance ever – thanks to new system optimisation software.

    From the opening blast of Massive Attack to the closing weekend with Mumford & Sons, Take That and Stevie Wonder, the event showed that it continues to evolve in terms of technical development.

  • Cedar Audio DNS 2 dialogue noise suppressor

    Cedar Audio DNS 2

    In response to the requests for a two-channel version of its DNS 8 Live, Cedar has announced the DNS 2 with a new DNS algorithm whose Learn function identifies and adapts to the background noise and then dials-in appropriate noise attenuation required. This offers near-zero latency, allowing the DNS 2 to be used for live sound and live broadcast, eliminating traffic noise, air conditioning, wind, rain, babble and general background noise from audio signals. It can also help to compensate for unfavourable acoustic conditions and poor microphone placement, and will suppress excessive reverberation.

    Despite being small and light enough to be carried in a pocket or equipment bag, the DNS 2 offers analogue line and ultra low-noise microphone inputs (the latter with switchable 48V phantom power), an AES digital input, and both analogue and digital outputs. With its 12V power input and mounting points for use with other equipment, sound engineers can use it in the field as easily as in the studio or edit suite.

    Key features:
    • Small, light and portable.
    • Near-zero latency.
    • Analogue (mic/mic 48V/line) and digital I/O.
    • Two linkable channels of dialogue noise suppression.
    • Fully automatic processing in Learn mode.
    • Floating point processor, 2.4 GFLOP/s, 40-bit resolution.
    • Digital input and output (AES3).
    • AD/DA conversion: 24-bit resolution.
    • Sample rate (internal sync.) 48kHz.
    • Sample rate (external sync.) 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 96kHz.
    • Balanced analogue line inputs and outputs (+4dBu with 20dB headroom).
    • Gain range: -6dB to +54dB.
    • Dynamic range: > 102dB.
    • Mic preamps: +18dB to +78dB/dynamic range: >102dB (36dB gain) with individually switchable phantom power.
    • Power: 8V DC-17.5V DC (nominal 12V).
    • Power consumption: 4W typical, 6W maximum.
    • Mains operation (85V AC-250V AC) via supplied adapter.
    • Dimensions: 164mm x 110mm x 44mm.
    • Weight: <500g.

    The end-user price of DNS 2 in the UK will be £2,200. Prices in other countries will be available from the local CEDAR office or dealer. The DNS 2 will be available at the end of Q2 2016.

    More: www.cedaraudio.com

  • Cedar Audio DNS 4

    Cedar Audio has announced the DNS 4, the latest and most advanced portable model in its DNS series of dialogue noise suppression processors. With its Hirose HR-10 power input and mini-XLRs for many connections, it takes up little more space than the industry-standard DNS 2 yet increases the number of channels available to four.

    Cedar Audio DNS 4The DNS algorithm uses its Learn function to identifies and adapts to background noise, and then the user adjusts the amount of noise attenuation required. Notwithstanding this simplicity, its maker claims that it can achieve ‘remarkable’ results. The unit also sports analogue line and ultra low-noise microphone inputs (the latter with optional 48V phantom powering), AES3/AES11 digital inputs, and both analogue and digital outputs. It runs on 12V power, and so can be used it in the middle of a field as easily as in the studio or edit suite.

    Retaining the near-zero latency of its predecessors, the DNS 4 is suitable for use in all situations - location recording, live-to-air broadcasting and live sound in venues such as theatres, concert halls, conferences venues and places of worship, as well as in the studio.

    The DNS 4 is not offered as a replacement for any existing Cedar Audio product, but has been designed to complement the DNS 2 and the DNS 8D, filling a hole in the existing range and targeting customers who require more than two channels of DNS in a portable, rather than a rackmount, package.

    More: www.cedaraudio.com

  • Cedar Audio secures Middle East and Turkey distribution

    MediaCast has taken on Cedar Audio distribution throughout the Middle East and Turkey.

    MediaCastEstablished more than 17 years ago, MediaCast handles professional audio/video solutions ranging from broadcast, live-to-post and on-demand, and serves a wide region spanning the Middle East and Turkey, supporting resellers and commercial customers through a network of more than 50 locations in 15 countries.  

    Having played integral roles in equipping some of the major broadcast stations, recording studios, production companies and universities in the region, MediaCast is woven deeply into the fabric of creative media development in the Middle East. The company has its Middle East HQ in Dubai, and its Turkish office in Istanbul.

    ‘We first met Mediacast at CabSat in Dubai, and were immediately impressed with their understanding of our broadcast and post customers’ needs,’ says Cedar Audio MD, Gordon Reid. ‘Everybody in the region knows them, and they are perfectly suited to supplying and supporting Cedar products throughout the Middle East and Turkey. They also have considerable expertise in the area of forensic audio, and we are delighted that they will be looking after our existing and future customers in the region engaged in law enforcement and national security.’

    ‘Cedar’s groundbreaking technology and product range are of great value in a region that requires a solution that simplifies audio restoration and speech enhancement,’ says MediaCast Director, Peyman Dadpanah. ‘From broadcast stations to live production and forensic applications, the Middle East and Turkey are in need of Cedar’s products to attain higher standards in audio applications.’

  • Celine returns to Caesar’s residency with SSL

    Resuming her residency at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Celine Dion is again accompanied by long-time FOH and Tour Manager Denis Savage and Systems Engineer Frankie Desjardins. For the front-of-house mix, they have chosen an SSL L500 live console for FOH duties.

    Celine DionDesjardins is Chief Technical Advisor at entertainment technology services provider Solotech, and has been Systems Engineer for Dion and Savage for more than 20 years: ‘The show might look simple enough, but it’s actually quite complicated,’ he explains. ‘There are 128 inputs coming from stage via the SSL Alpha-Link Live R convertors. A Madi router distributes those streams to the two monitor consoles, front of house, and a Pro Tools rig for recording.

    ‘The SSL sees about 110 inputs as some of the original sources are crowd mics and so on, though of course we don’t use 120 inputs of every song. Celine has a large repertoire in both English and French, spanning a long career, and even if you only have one song with an accordion, you’re going to need an input for it.’

    ‘The fact that we can manage so many inputs into the L500 is a big plus – and the footprint is really small now that everything is inside the console. In the past we had to have a dedicated processing rack. There are a lot of FX in the console as well, which also helps a lot.’

    Savage has been Dion’s Tour Manager and FOH engineer for 28 years. He sees the advent of the programmable live console as one of the most significant changes in over that time: ‘It’s rare you run a show under 100 channels these days,’ he says. Everybody goes mad with the orchestration because they know you can just program changes into the snapshot memory... Before that, 50 or 60 channels was a very big show’

    Savage notes that their own arrangements have changed over time too, and with experience his own strategy has evolved: ‘We’re heading away from trying to do the record,’ he explains. ‘My goal is to make sure that whatever the audience sees on stage is what they hear. If you see the percussionist playing a little shaker, you want to hear that little shaker. If you go to see an orchestra you always hear what everybody is playing. I think rock and pop should be the same.’

    The SSL L500 has been one of the main enablers for Savage: ‘I really like the way this console sounds,’ he says. ‘When we started rehearsing both Frankie and I thought it sounded much wider and deeper than anything we had before. Even my own outboard reverbs were more present. I don’t use much outboard gear any more since I got this console. I still have a few things – my go-to reverbs and so on. I’d actually be interested to do a show only with the internal stuff.’

    The SSL L500 has 96 slots in its internal FX rack with more than 45 different effects available, in addition to the 208 fully processed paths that all include parametric EQ, full dynamics, an all-pass filter, delay, and tube emulation. Of particular note is Savage’s use of the SSL FX Rack Dynamic EQ in Celine Dion’s vocal channel. It is very capable of the kind of subtle control that he needs, preserving Dion’s amazing signature vocals: ‘If her voice does get harder I grab that with the EQ,’ he says. ‘But she’s a great, great singer and she’s always on top of things. She controls her instrument so well – we get a feeling of such power, but she controls it so well.’

    The console has been through extensive rehearsals and many flawless performances since it was specified for the show, and it continues to impress both Savage and Desjardins. Dion recently performed her 1,000th show at the Caesar’s Palace Colosseum, and the SSL L500 had the best seat in the house. ‘We’re very happy with it,’ says Savage. ‘It sounds really good and is super sturdy – we’re happy to have it.’

    ‘We can really customise the way we want to work,’ adds Desjardins. ‘You can do the same thing in two or three different ways and it can be adapted to the way you want to do things, so your workflow is easier.’

  • China marks 30 years of rock with EAW and A&H

    The Music Power Rock China 30 tour has set out to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Chinese rock music, opening at the same venue on the same day as 30 years ago.

    Music Power Rock China 30 In 1986, Cui Jian – widely regarded as the ‘father of Chinese rock’ – marked the official birth of Chinese Rock & Roll when he performed ‘Nothing To My Name’ at Beijing Workers Gymnasium. Now, with some of China’s top rock artists on the bill and an EAW Anya Adaptive Performance system for PA, engineer Jim Ebdon has joined the entourage using Allen & Heath dLive digital mixing systems at FOH and monitors, and ME personal monitor mixing.

    A total of 11 bands performed at the opening show, using two drum kits, two sets of keyboards, Chinese drums, ten guitar amps, two bass amps and various vocals. Two dLive systems, each comprising an S7000 Control Surface and DM64 MixRack, were selected to manage the diverse audio requirements at FOH and monitors, and six ME-1 personal mixers were employed for band members to control their own mix on stage.

    Ebdon, has worked with a host of top artists, including Maroon 5, Aerosmith, Sting, Annie Lennox, Matchbox Twenty and the Pet Shop Boys. Now he had hands-on with the dLive system: ‘I love the effects in here,’ he says. ‘I love the dynamics and the compressor – so, for a show like this, there is no need for external effects or compressors.

    ‘I tend to do some parallel compressions of the drums, so I have to set up with the 16VU compressor on a separate drum bus and I can fade that in just to get some more weight and punch to the drums as when it is necessary.’

    Delivering the music

    Jim Ebdon

    ‘The arena building made up of concrete, glass and metal, with a festival-like stage set up in one end of the floor, which cut down on available floor space and limited seating to almost half of the arena’  Ebdon says. ‘Our job was to give the fans the best music experience possible, which meant keeping the sound off of the walls and ceiling.’

    To do this, four EAW Anya columns and Otto subwoofers were used for the main PA – LR hangs of 12 Anya boxes per side, with out fill from two further hangs of eight Anya modules each. Six Otto subwoofers were flown behind the main PA, with eight more stacked on the ground. ‘There is no doubt that it was a challenging space, but Anya performed perfectly,’  Ebdon says. ‘We did soundchecks for two days. Initially we focused the PA on the floor seating area. When we opened it up to cover the entire venue the sound characteristic was identical. It was quite impressive.’

    Music Power Rock China 30 The seating area dimensions for the Beijing Workers Stadium were plugged into EAW’s Resolution software, which determined the ideal three-dimensional wavefront for the desired area. From there the software communicates with the Anya modules to provide precise coverage.

    ‘This was incredibly useful in this space, Ebdon reports. If the sound had started bouncing off of the walls, it would have been a mess. Resolution was key to the clarity and audio quality the event required.’

    Otto subwoofers provided perfectly balanced low-frequency coverage to suit the concert. Each module includes two high-power 18-inch cones that use Offset Aperture loading to generate four optimally-spaced acoustical sources; one in each corner delivering exceptional efficiency and minimising harmonic distortion.

    ‘It was a sold-out event that features many different styles of rock and roll,’ concludes Ebdon. ‘The quality of the musicians was exceptional. The Adaptive system really delivered for the fans.’ The show continues to tour another five cities in coming months.

  • Clear choice for mixing Ozzie Floyd live shows

    Australian Pink Floyd Show

    The Australian Pink Floyd Show has played for millions of concert goers in 35 countries, delivering an uncanny replication of the classic UK band’s legendary live show. Using a lavish collection of visuals (including lasers, inflatables and 3D stereoscopic projection), the group’s live shows recreate the look, feel and sound of Pink Floyd’s later world tours.

    For more than 120 2016 shows, the touring ensemble has had DiGiCo SD consoles on tour with it for the first time since beginning touring in 1988. For the current North America run, Clearwing Productions has supplied an SD5 for front of house and an SD10 for monitors. Both desks share an SD-Rack and are connected via an Optocore network, creating an efficient and robust DiGiCo audio ecosystem.

    ‘With the consoles sharing the same SD-Rack on a network, it’s a very solid and seamless system,’ says Clearwing’s System Technician, Jeff Schauer. ‘It makes for a very efficient system, too, since we only have to carry a single rack.’

    Underscoring this efficiency, Schauer says that the SD-Rack is also being used to drive the PA system, porting the AES audio through the Optocore loop to the stage rack. ‘As a result, we don’t have to re-clock the AES signal from front of house when it hits the stage to be distributed to the mains,’ he explains. ‘And when we’ve carried an opening act, we’d just add another stage rack into the loop and it’s seamless. It makes my life a lot easier. We would never have been able to do that before with another console.’

    Trevor Gilligan and Matt ColonDescribing his experience with the SD5  as ‘absolutely fabulous’, FOH engineer Trevor Gilligan praised its extensive features for giving all of the processing needed for the show from a compact footprint. Gilligan is using all of the SD-Rack’s 56 channels and says the snapshot automation allows him to easily manage a complex mix: ‘It’s especially handy for fader changes and mutes,’ he says. ‘It’s just a real pleasure to use, and I’m looking forward to getting the Stealth Core 2 upgrade when we get back to the UK.’

    Matt Coton adds that the SD10 is a great desk for managing monitors. The few spare I/Os he had during rehearsals – more than 250 shows ago – have long since been eaten up, but the SD10 still offers him plenty of headroom. ‘I’ve never had any stability issues, and the gain sharing at the rack gives us lots of headroom,’ he says. ‘It’s a fantastic workhorse of a console.’

    All ten members of The Australian Pink Floyd Show are using IEMs along with a few stage wedges, and Coton says that all of them have expressed utter satisfaction with what the SD10 sends them: ‘The internal effects enable me to give the band members all their own reverbs; I don’t have to run any external effects,’ he confirms. ‘We all get what we need and then some from the SDs.’

    See also:
     
  • Clearwing adds A&H dLive S5000 mixing to hire servies

    US full-service production company and systems integrator Clearwing has recently added an Allen & Heath dLive S5000 digital mixer to its production rental inventory along with eight ME-1 Personal Mixers, an ME-U Monitor Hub, a Qu-Pac and an AR2412. 

    ClearwingWith offices in Phoenix, Arizona and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Clearwing’s Production Division provides pro audio, lighting, staging and rigging, backline and video equipment rentals for clients ranging from concerts and music festivals to corporate events. Its new dLive is equipped with a DM64 MixRack and a DX32 Expander with Dante card.

    ‘Our systems integration division regularly installs the dLive and other Allen & Heath mixers for their clients,’ says Clearwing’s Nick Dressler. ‘Now, tour designers have taken to this desk.

    ‘The dLive was something we needed in our rental inventory – it’s a rock-solid mixer with simple drag-n-drop set-up, and extensive DSP and things our rental customers demand like redundant networking capabilities and hot-swappable power supplies.” 

    Dressler reports that the dLive is currently on tour with touring production company Delicate Productions, and that he plans to use the mixer on several further high-profile tours this year.

  • Clearwing locks into Gilmour tour with L-Acoustics

    Rattle that Lock

    In response to the call to provide sound reinforcement for David Gilmour’s Rattle That Lock tour of North American, Clearwing Productions produced its A-Game and its best gear – a full L-Acoustics K1/K2 rig complemented by the company’s new KS28 subwoofer.  

    This tour represented the official US debut of the KS28, which was introduced at the 2016ProLight & Sound, show and used by Clearwing on a North American pilot programme. With its extended frequency response (down to 25Hz), reduced weight (174lbs) and 3dB greater output than its predecessor, the KS28 reckons to handle everything from classical to EDM, with all rigging integrated into the box.

  • Collage stick with Allen & Heath for tour of Italy

    CollageRenowned retro Italian pop band, Collage, is currently on tour with two GLD digital mixing systems from Allen & Heath.

    The band are on an extensive 30-date tour across their home country, which includes several key festivals. For mixing, they are carrying two GLD-80 mixers with AR2412 remote IO racks (connected via Dante) provided by PA company Service SLS,.

    ‘GLD is the perfect choice for this tour – the mixer is very compact, the AR rack provides plenty of additional IO, and the sound quality is excellent,’ says Collage’s sound engineer, Francesco Rega.

    More: www.allen-heath.com

  • Crest Audio ProTour Series power amplifiers

    Crest Audio has announced the ProTour Series of class-D power amplifiers, targeting ‘the most demanding requirements of portable and fixed installation audio systems’.

    Crest Audio ProTourComprising ProTour 8004d 4-channel amplifier with 2000w/channel into 4Ω or 70/100V direct drive; ProTour 5002d 2-channel amplifier with 2.5kW/channel into 4Ω; ProTour 4004d 4-channel amplifier with 1kW/channel into 4Ω; and ProTour 3003d 3-channel amplifier with 1kW/channel into 4Ω or 70/100V direct drive, the series delivers high output power, efficient cooling, onboard DSP, Dante network connectivity, and USB/Ethernet connectivity for monitoring and control.

    All models incorporate a highly efficient switch mode power supply and class-D circuitry with full-bandwidth PWM modulators for ultra-low distortion, high efficiency and circuit protection. The clip/limiter function provides output monitoring to prevent speaker damage with gentle gain reduction at clip threshold as well as efficient heat dissipation and overheat protection for uncompromised reliability.

    ProTour Series amplifiers also use powerful internal DSP with sampling rates of 96kHz, 24 bits, and high-performance 24bit AD/DA converters, and provide IIR HP/LP crossover filters, RMS compressor, parametric EQ, alignment delays and white/pink noise.

    Users can set parameters, select input source and load presets via the convenient front panel LCD touchscreen. A Dante network module enables primary and redundant connectivity to a digital audio network and allows external control and monitoring of the amplifier.

    More: www.peaveycommercialaudio.com

  • Crest Audio Tactus digital mixing system

    The Crest Audio Tactus digital mixing system comprises hardware and software components incorporating the Waves eMotion LV1 Mixer for SoundGrid. This runs on Windows PC or Mac using up to three multi-touchscreens. In addition to providing a full complement of professional features, the Tactus system allows the use of Waves audio processing plug-ins for live events.

    Tactus.FOHUsing Waves Soundgrid audio network protocol, the Crest Audio Tactus systems comprises of three hardware units – Tactus.FOH, Tactus.Stage and Tactus.Control – with each addressing the input and output, monitoring and control plus synchronisation requirements of audio signals at the stage and front of house points. The modular approach provides scalability for any size event, targetting a wide variety of applications including touring, corporate, houses of worship, performing arts and live music concerts.

    The Tactus touchscreen operating interface puts all of the audio routing, processing and mixing tools within easy and immediate reach. Tactus.FOH provides the audio processing core for the system, with Tactus.Stage adding a 32-input/16-output remote stagebox. The modular capability of the system, which interconnects via standard Gigabit Ethernet cabling and an internal Gigabit switch, allows multiple configurations in a range of channel counts to best suit each application.

    Tactus.FOH is powered by the Waves SoundGrid audio processing/networking platform, ensuring extremely low latency with precision audio processing. The Tactus.FOH frame provides eight local microphone/line inputs and eight line outputs in addition to two AES outputs and serves as the audio processing engine.

    Tactus.Stage supports 32 microphone/line inputs and 16 line plus to two AES outputs. The digitally controlled mic preamps feature ultra-low input noise, high slew rate, very low THD, and 66dB adjustment range in 1dB steps. An integrated gigabit Ethernet switch allows easy networking. Users also combine Tactus.Stage I/O interfaces for a total of 64 stereo inputs by 32 stereo outputs.

    Crest Tactus.Stage

    Tactus.Control is a tactile motorised fader board complimenting the eMotion LV1 touch screen by providing moving faders, lighted buttons and knobs for the most commonly used functions. It has 16 channels plus master motorised faders, with Mute, Cue and Select buttons along with a multi line scribble strip display. These can follow screen layer selections or be locked on a layer for expanded control.

    The Waves eMotion LV1 mixer application runs on a Windows PC or Mac with one, two or three multi-touchscreens. One or two Tactus hardware surfaces with moving faders can be added for tactile control connected via USB to a PC running the eMotion LV1 software and connected to the Waves SoundGrid network the Tactus.Control allows tactile feedback to the sound engineer as typically required for live performances without having to look down at a touch screen. Multiple Tactus.Control panels can be used to create a flexible live sound mixing system.

    ‘Working closely with Waves, we believe that Tactus offers a professional sound mixing platform that is fitting for today’s digital demands, with features that will benefit all users, from the workplace to a live music venue,’ says Peavey Commecial Audio EMEA Operations Manager, James Kennedy. ‘We’ve made connectivity and networking simple, with USB, Ethernet and MIDI all available. What’s more, Tactus is flexible to your application needs, with I/O components, processing, touch screens and controllers all being catered for to allow easy set-up customisation.’

    Production is now ongoing with first orders expected to ship in Q4.

    More: www.peaveycommercialaudio.com

  • Cure Tour runs on with BritRow and L-Acoustics

    The Cure

    Entering their fourth decade, The Cure show few signs of tiring – in the studio or on the road. With major festival appearances and other one-off gigs, The Cure Tour 2016 – which played 33 shows in North America this spring and is now journeying through 34 shows in 17 European countries – marks the first real outing for the band since the release of its 13th studio album, 4:13 Dream, and subsequent tour in 2008.

    London-based Britannia Row Productions has been with singer/guitarist Robert Smith and his mates for most of that time, since 1979, providing global touring support for the post-punk group, which is currently out on the road with an L-Acoustics K1/K2 system.

  • Cymatic Audio adds Sonic support in UK and Eire

    Sonic Distribution has taken on Cymatic Audio representation in the UK and Eire, in response to increasing sales and interest in the company’s live recorders and players.

    Sonic will represent Cymatic Audio’s full range of live recorders and players including the LP16, LR16 and uTrack24 24-track Live Recorder, Player and USB interface.

    ‘We are very proud to have come to an agreement with Sonic as we are convinced that the long experience of Sonic in the sales and distribution of technology products will be of great benefit for servicing our customers in the UK and Eire,’ says Arie van den Broek, CEO of Cymatic Audio, reporting the company’s products having found favour some of the UK’s largest touring acts.


    ‘Sonic Distribution has a long-standing track record of providing innovative Pro Audio solutions and products with cutting-edge technology. Cymatic Audio aligns very well with this ethos and offers outstanding, unique products with tremendous value, offering great solutions for many musical acts, performers, engineers and installations,’ says Sonic Distribution MD, James Young.

  • d&b strengthens UK presence with SFL

    d&b audiotechnik Great Britain has appointed SFL as an official UK Sales Partner.

    Gianni Abruzzese and Tom JefferyFounded in 1990, the Reading-based A/V supplier specialises in sales support, permanent installations and corporate hire, as well as offering an in-house training programme for live production engineers. As A/V partner for the Royal Albert Hall, SFL has a strong presence in both the UK and international markets.

    ‘d&b and SFL have shared a rich 20-year history,’ says Gianni Abruzzese, Commercial Manager at d&b GB. ‘As a key user of d&b products, the expertise and experience the team brings can only be a benefit to d&b and our end-users. SFL has an impressive infrastructure, with dedicated sales, install and corporate rental divisions, fronted by specialist staff who know how to support their customers. SFL shares the d&b education ethos, we see this partnership going from strength to strength.’

    ‘We look forward to supporting d&b users through supply, installation, and training – and being a centre of excellence for d&b,’ says SFL Managing Director, Tom Jeffery. ‘Purchasing a d&b system isn’t just a one off transaction, it’s an investment into a relationship with a brand and with a supplier that will last the lifetime of your equipment and beyond.’

  • Danley Sound Labs J3-64 Jericho Horn

    J3-64 Jericho HornFollowing the release its recent GH-60 Genesis Horn – which claims the benefits of the a array without line array shortcomings – Danley Sound Labs is introducing the higher output/full-range J3-64 Jericho Horn.

    The J3-64 is built upon the same three patent-pending technologies  – Synergy Horn, Paraline, and Shaded Amplitude Lens – and uses six 18-inch low-frequency drivers, six 6-inch mid-frequency drivers, and two 4-inch two-way, high-frequency drivers. These can be driven by a 20kW amplifier module and/or user-adjustable DSP.

    The use of the three technologies allow a single Genesis or Jericho Horn to claim coverage out to multiple hundreds of feet. This is accomplished as Shaded Amplitude Lens Technology allows as much as 20dB of gain out of a single cabinet, to be evenly distributed over a very large listening plane. Company founder Tom Danley developed the Synergy Horn technology employed in the company’s flagship SH-50 full-range loudspeaker, along with the Paraline and Shaded Amplitude Lens technology that makes the new horns conform to three critical requirements: high output, appropriate SPL by angle so that everyone from the front row to the back row receives the same impact, and fidelity that impresses even audiophiles.

    ‘In every respect, the Jericho Horn is a vastly better alternative to the problematic line array solution that the industry has settled for,says Mike Hedden, president of Danley Sound Labs. ‘Its output is monstrous, yet so pleasant to listen to. I challenge any line array solution, at any price, to even approach the Jericho Horn’s performance.’

    More: www.danleysoundlabs.com

  • Danley Sound Labs J3-94 Jericho Horn

    Danley Sound Labs J3-94 Jericho HornTom Danley and the Danley Sound Labs team have announced the newest member of its Jericho Horn Series – the J3-94.

    Designed for the requirements of stadiums and concert venues where high impact, high fidelity, and high SPLs are needed, the J3-94 delivers 142dB of continuous output using 18 drivers that are combined using proprietary technologies to produce a single phase-coherent signal with ‘home hi-fi quality intelligibility and musical impact’. Like the original J1-94, the J3-94 produces a 90° horizontal by 40° vertical beam width, with Danley’s characteristic steep drop-off outside of the beam. However, the J3-94 is half the J1-94’s weight, with slightly less bass output as the compromise.

    The J3-94 is a tri-amped cabinet that uses four amplifier channels – two for LF, one for mids, and one for HF. The drivers in the horn comprise six 15-inch woofers, eight 6.5-inch mids, and four 1.4-inch highs with built-in overload protection. It can be flown by many different standard lifts or towers, and comes as standard with fly points on top and bottom and L track on the sides.

    ‘The new J3-94 Jericho Horn can be used in every circumstance where line arrays could be used, but with vastly better fidelity and pattern control and at a vastly lower cost,’ says Danley Sound Labs President, Mike Hedden. ‘We recently fired up a single J3-94 at an Atlanta Falcons Friday Night Lights event, where the team plays a scrimmage at a high school venue, and it produced crystal clear intelligibility 600ft away. We paired it with two Danley BC-218 subwoofers. Check out the video on our Facebook page – it’s astounding.’

    More: www.danleysoundlabs.com

  • DAS Audio hops into action at Rolling Loud

    With some of the biggest names in rap and hip-hop on the bill, the Rolling Loud Festival in Mana Wynwood looked to LPS Production Services and DAS Audio to deliver high SPLs.

     Rolling LoudHandling lighting, sound, video and staging, LPS managed the audio logistics for this year’s festival, with company president Jose Laria specifying the DAS Audio systems.

    ‘This was a big, outdoor concert event, so we needed to ensure that the system we assembled had excellent music reproduction and speech intelligibility, and even coverage across the area,’ he says. ‘Our setup included 16 DAS Aero 50 large-format line array elements – with eight enclosures each for the left and right main hangs. These were augmented by four Aero 12A mid-high line array modules – two enclosures per side that served as down fills. For low frequency, we arranged 12 DAS UX-221A subwoofers stacked two-high across the front of stage.’

    ‘For side fills, we used six Aero 20A compact line array elements – three enclosures each for left and right – and coupled these with four LX-218A subwoofers, which were positioned two enclosures per side. We also used another four DAS Aero 20A enclosures for front fill. The stage monitor set-up consisted of four Road 15A stage monitors while, for the DJ monitor setup, we used two Vantec 215A enclosures with two Vantec 18A subwoofers. These loudspeakers were arranged one stack per side.

    ‘With a lot of hip-hop shows, it’s difficult to get a consistent level of vocal intelligibility while maintaining the amount of bass the audience expects,’ he continues. ‘I was pleasantly surprised by the performance both these loudspeakers delivered – all without any drawbacks. Further, the amount of air moved by the UX-221 is very impressive. My techs were actually taking videos of how the air was making our tent flap in the wind like a kite, and this was all the way out from the stage at the front of house position. The UX-221 is very impressive in its ability to reproduce frequencies you can’t get with a double 18-inch subwoofer and they’re very fast and clean for such a large driver.’

    For large productions of this nature, modelling the system to ensure optimum performance and other aspects of system design are crucial to the success of the event: ‘I was very pleased to see the level of support we received from the U.S. office in Miami,’ Laria reports. ‘The DAS staff actually came on-site to help set up, tune, and even strike the system. We couldn’t have asked for better support.’

    ‘If the audience enjoys the sound and lights, and the promoter is pleased with the results, then I’ve done my job,’ he adds. ‘This year’s show delivered phenomenal sound and the energy of the event could literally be felt throughout the entire audience area. Those UX-221 subs really helped make the difference.’

  • DAS Audio UX-218A subwoofer

    DAS Audio has added the UX-218A a new powered subwoofer to its UX Series range of LF speaker systems.

    DAS Audio UX-218AThe UX-218A makes use of two of the company’s newly developed 18UXN4 transducers, with a 4-inch sandwich split winding voice coil, 52mm peak-to-peak excursion, and a powerful FEA optimised neodymium magnet assembly. Thanks to the double silicon spider, the 18UXN4 controls the moving mass with high linearity. An aluminium demodulating ring benefits lower distortion and the effective ventilation of the voice coil gap provides for a high thermal rating, and reduced power compression. The speaker has an AES power handling capacity of 1.1kW.

    The amplifier driving the UX-218A has an output of 2 x 1.7kW, and incorporates current class-D technology. A high-efficiency, low-consumption universal power supply with Power Factor Correction (PFC) allows for fail-safe use worldwide. Other features include a fixed frequency switch mode output stage, providing the highest audio accuracy. A comprehensive set of ‘smart’ protections include thermal, over-current, short circuit and overload on the output, clip limiter and high frequency protection keeping the amplifier and acoustic components safe. Remote monitoring is provided by way of the DASnet monitoring system and software, an audio management application for DAS powered cabinets and processors.

    The enclosure is manufactured using birch plywood to DAS’ standards for strength and durability. It is finished with the tough ISO-flex exterior coating and a punched steel grille protects the speaker components. The UX-218 variant designed use with for external amplification.

    More: www.dasaudio.com

  • DAS dares to dance at Barbarella Festival

    Emerging among the fastest-growing and most popular events in the Caribbean, the 2016 Barbarella Festival by Presidente Black drew thousands of music fans to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic for an orgy of electropop fans from the world’s biggest DJs – from David Guetta and Steve Aoki to Afrojack and Jack Ü. The sound was provided by a DAS Audio system.

    Barbarella FestivalEmmanuel Martínez and Gustavo Montilia at the helm, Dominican sound company Enlab managed the event’s sound for the festival with DAS Audio Systems Engineer Joel Damiano on-hand for set-up and adjustment of the systems used in the Quisqueya Stadium.

    The spectacular Barbarella by Presidente Black stage – compete with laser effects, screens and a massive width at over 50m – required an equally hard-hitting sound system. After studying the stage’s requirements, the sound technicians designed a main PA solution based on 36 DAS Audio Aero 40A powered line array systems. Rigged in two linear hangs of 18 boxes, these were paired with 12 Aero 20A for out fill. A combination of 12 DAS UX-221A and 32 LX-218CA systems provided low-frequency support. These systems were stacked in front of the stage in an arc designed using Ease Focus 3 software, and set up and controlled via DASnet software.

    Eight DAS Convert 12As were provided even sound coverage for the closest ranks of fans, while six Aero 40As stacked on two LX-118A subwoofers handled DJ monitor duties. The Enlab sound team also rolled out DAS Road 12A wedges for the front of the stage.

    To ensure uniform coverage for the 18,000 fans packed in front of the wide stage, the team also set up two delay towers behind the mixing console rigged with eight Aero 12A powered line array systems each. An additional two delay towers ensured flawless sound for the VIP area. The package of main PA and delay towers delivered high SPLs and reliability, and has earned Enlab and DAS Audio an invitation for next year’s event.

    More: www.dasaudio.com

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