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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

EXTENDED! Direct Pro Audio Cyber Week Special - 10% off All Orders

We have extended our holiday weekend sale for all of Cyber Week! We will apply 10% off  to all orders, with no minimum and no hassle!

Starting at 12:01 AM central time Thursday November 24th through midnight Friday December 2nd, 2011 we will automatically apply 10% off your order when we process it. No coupon codes required, not minimum, and no hassle!

Back to Direct Pro Audio


The following companies have requested to be excluded from the promotional offer:


  • AKG
  • AUDIX
  • Alesis
  • Allen & Heath
  • Behringer
  • Chauvet
  • Electro-Voice
  • Fender
  • JBL
  • Mackie
  • Martin Professional
  • Numark
  • Peavey
  • Pioneer
  • Q.S.C.
  • Rane
  • Roland
  • Sennheiser
  • Shure
  • Yamaha

Direct Pro Audio Holiday Hours



Direct Pro Audio has the following Holiday Hours:
  • Thanksgiving: Thursday November 24th - Closed
  • Friday November 25th: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
  • Saturday November 26th: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Creighton Men's Soccer Captures 12th MVC Tournament Title at Morrison Stadium

 Direct Pro Audio is proud to provide sound system support for Creighton Athletics at Morrison Soccer Stadium. Direct Pro Audio provided critical system modifications, retuning/balancing, and re-wrote the main system processor settings.  

Direct Pro Audio also installed an ambient microphone system to capture the sounds of the stadium for video webcasts. 

OMAHA, Neb. - Freshman Jose Ribas scored his first career goal to help No. 2-ranked Creighton beat Missouri State 1-0 in the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship match Sunday afternoon at Morrison Stadium.  The top defense in the NCAA logged its seventh straight shutout to deliver Creighton its 12th MVC tournament crown.


Senior goalkeeper Brian Holt stopped two shots and kept his backline organized as the Bluejays posted their 16th shutout of the year.  Holt was named MVC Tournament MVP for his efforts and he was joined by senior defender Andrew Duran, senior forward Ethan Finlay and sophomore defender Tyler Polak on the all-tournament team.


Ribas scored the game's lone goal in the 38th minute, taking a feed from Kris Clark and creating enough space for himself to launch a shot, despite being surrounded by Missouri State (9-8-2) defenders.  His blast found the side netting for his first career score and it held up for the Bluejays as they improved to 11-0-0 at home on the season.


As it has done all year long, Creighton dominated possession in the victory, outshooting the Bears 9-3 in the first half and finishing with a 16-5 advantage on shots.  Holt stopped one shot in each half, including a soft header by Cole Alexander in the 86th minute, which proved to be the only threat by the visitors in the second half.


The win was a record-setting one for Holt in goal, as he logged his 54th career victory to pass Jay Fitzgerald for the most wins in school history.  The clean sheet was his 14th solo shutout of the year and the 41st of his career.  Holt joined Fitzgerald (1994) as just the second goalkeeper in CU history to win tournament MVP honors. 


The Bluejays, who entered the MVC tournament with the No. 1 RPI in the nation, will host an NCAA selection show party for fans and media on Monday afternoon.  The 48-team NCAA bracket will be announced at 3:30 pm on NCAA.com, and the team will gather to watch the selection show at The Old Mattress Factory (13th & Cass).  The Bluejays will be making their 19th NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 20 years.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

DiGiCo’s SD9 is Getting Supercharged!

Direct Pro Audio is proud to install DiGiCo product, and now the SD9 is getting a major upgrade!

 Thanks to the future proof nature of its FPGA technology, DiGiCo’s SD9 is getting an amazing boost from software / firmware upgrades that frees up more of the FPGA’s processing power. With up to 100% more added on certain features, it truly makes your SD9 investment Supercharged...
In celebration of DiGiCo’s anniversary year, the upgrade expands the capabilities of the SD9 by a phenomenal amount. It is free to all existing SD9 owners and is also included with any SD9 console purchased up until the last day of ProLight+Sound 2012.
The SD9 Supercharged has a significant expansion in Channel count, Dynamic EQs, Multiband Compressors and Matrix, and the addition of DiGiTuBes, Reorder of Busses and Multichannel inputs (formerly only available on SD7).
Further new features include an expanded Aux Panel, increased Dynamic functions such as a Duck option and expander for the Gate, a De-esser and two types of Knee for the Compressor. There are also new FX types with multitap, ping pong and stereo delay, with different delay times for left and right. A warmth button is provided on each channel for analogue emulation and two types of EQ have been added (Classic and Precision). There are also now Standard template sessions.
Another new feature, Sets (previously only available on SD7T), has been enhanced to allow for ‘Set Spill’. This allows the user to create Sets and, with a simple button press, change the console layout to display members of that Set.
All of this means that SD9 Supercharged has more features and functionality than any other console in its class.
Get Supercharged with the DiGiCo SD9!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Introduction to the Symetrix Automix Matrix 780

The Automix Matrix 780 provides tools for consistently clear audio in courtrooms, government chambers, corporate boardrooms and houses of worship.
Setup is easy and efficient with a straightforward Windows® interface connected over Ethernet. Compatible with Symetrix RS-485-based Adaptive Remote Control (ARC) Wall Panels for user control.
An interactive front panel provides convenient access to vital system parameters or may be programmed for user and technician control.
Open Collector outputs drive LEDs directly for status updates or integrate with external logic and automation systems.
Featuring:
  • Twelve inputs (eight microphone, four line level)
  • Eight outputs
  • Automixing (Gating and Gain-sharing) and Submixing
  • Routing and Processing
  • Matrix mixing
  • Microphone pre-amplification
  • Feedback elimination
  • Compression  and Equalization
  • Limiting and Delay
  • Filters and AGC



Benefits & Features

  • A complete, fully-optioned 12-channel Automixer with eight submixers for Courtrooms, Government Chambers, Corporate Boardrooms and Houses of Worship.
  • Eight (8) Mic/Line Inputs with filters, EQ, and feedback elimination into Gating or Gain-sharing Automixing with full control over NOM counts and priorities.
  • Four (4) Line Inputs featuring filters, EQ and Automatic Gain Control (AGC) for devices such as CD Player, TV Audio, DVD Audio, or an additional mixer.
  • Eight (8) Outputs: Route sub or mix-minus mixes to as many as eight (8) unique locations or dedicate any number of outputs to specific tasks such as recording, archive or broadcast.
  • Wizard-driven software set-up; network ready.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Symetrix Introduces Solus 16


Symetrix announces an addition to the SymNet Solus product line – the Solus 16. “The Solus 4 and Solus 8 already provide two of the most popular form factors requested by integrators,” said Trent Wagner, senior product manager at Symetrix. “But input counts run higher in many types of installations, and we received a barrage of requests for a higher input form factor. The Solus 16 answers that request without requiring a jump to networked DSP or separate expansion I/O devices maintaining the high value for which the Solus line is known.”
Solus is powerful SymNet DSP hardware, ideal for small to mid-sized installations not requiring I/O expansion. The entire family of SymNet hardware, including Solus, is configured using open architecture SymNet Designer software. System designers have the option to use or modify Solus DSP design templates for basic projects, or, to create unique designs entirely from scratch.
The three Solus hardware offerings differ only in their audio input and output counts: Solus 16 with sixteen inputs and eight outputs, Solus 8 with eight mic/line inputs and eight outputs, and Solus 4 with four inputs and four outputs. Ethernet, ARC port, RS-232 port, two control inputs, and four logic outputs complete the control feature set. To simplify set-up, a front panel LCD displays system settings. Solus supports Symetrix ARC wall panels, third party control systems, and SymVue, a SymNet end-user control panel application.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Direct Pro Audio Provides Sound at The Shadows Edge Haunted House for 9th Year

Shadow's Edge Haunted House


The Shadow’s Edge haunted attraction is consistently one of the most popular haunted houses in the Omaha metropolitan area. Direct Pro Audio has been providing sound reinforcement for the Shadow’s Edge since its birth in 2003. While competing haunted houses use home or car stereo parts with little flexibility and fidelity, The Shadow’s Edge has a professionally installed and fully controllable sound system that is critical to the mood and atmosphere of the house.
Situated in a portable structure in the parking lot of a popular novelty and costume store, The Shadow’s Edge is rebuilt and torn down every year. This temporary structure situation poses unique challenges for the the installation of the sound system. It must have high fidelity and a wide dynamic range for the high-pitched screams and low booming growls of the house’s sound effects. It must be quickly and easily installed, wired, and tested. It also must be easily torn down and stored for use the next year. In addition, some speakers are located outside, in the elements, so they must be water-resistant.
Direct Pro Audio has delivered for these needs every year. The system consists of:
  • Over 30 Yorkville Coliseum series installation speakers in 8 zones
  • 4 compact two-channel Stewart Audio 70V commercial amplifiers
  • Inter-M 8 channel matrix mixer for routing any input to any zone
  • Audio-Technica wireless microphone for paging
  • Housed in a portable, lockable Grundorf rack for ease of setup and transport
  • CD player inputs
Any CD player input can be routed to any of the houses 8 zones quickly and easily. This provides great flexibility in setting up and changing the mood of a particular room.
In addition, Direct Pro Audio provides a sound system for the Shadow’s Edge’s outdoor rock concert series, “Wake the Dead”. Every Saturday in October finds bands rocking in the Graveyard as entertainment for people waiting in line. This, combined with the high quality, high fidelity sound effects in the house provides for a wickedly scary night for all patrons!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Common Misconceptions Regarding Church Sound Systems

We have had a number of churches ask for a comprehensive list of misconceptions regarding the purchase of a new sound system. We aim to please, so here it is!

Number 1: The most expensive is always the best bet.
There are many church audio installation companies out there that will try to convince you that you simply must spend at least "X" dollars to purchase the perfect system for your church. While it is true that spending too little can result in a substandard church audio system, it can also be a red flag indicating that that particular audio company has a primary aim of moving more expensive product lines, whether or not your church facilities require equipment of that caliber or not.
 
Number 2: I was told of the rule of thumb that states you must multiply the seating capacity of the church by $75.00 to arrive at an appropriate sound system cost.
Ok, let us look closely at this. According to this myth, a church that seats 350 people should spend $26,250 on a new sound system for their sanctuary. This rule of thumb is for SOUND ONLY. You will still have thousands to spend on video projection and integration. This is a fallacy, pure and simple. We at Church Audio Template can provide you with a list of clients whose audio systems have far exceeded their expectations at a fraction of the cost of this "rule of thumb".

Number 3: Only "XYZ" manufacturer provides a product suitable to the needs of your house of worship.
Not usually. Some manufacturers are on the cutting edge of loudspeaker design. These new designs feature speakers that can offer pinpoint coverage to reduce reflections off of hard surfaces. This, in turn, increases the intelligibility of the sound system by reducing slap-back and reverberation. In our present day and age, many manufacturers offer fantastic solutions to solve these audio issues, so you need not be tied to one specific manufacturer. As discussed above, this may be a ploy to attempt to sell the installers preferred brand of speakers.

Number 4: The church down the street bought a new system that consists of "XYZ" speakers and amplifiers, it sounds great, we need the same.
Please don't make this mistake. As you well know, all church buildings differ as to size, layout, building materials, attendance and of course type of worship service (spoken word only, or full fledged praise band). Our experts will look specifically at the layout of your church and the type of worship service you engage in. Only then can we offer you a new system that will function above expectations for years to come.

Number 5: Our church has been told that NONE of our current sound system can be reused in our new audio system.
This may or may not be true. When Church Audio Template designs a new sound system for your house of worship we view it as a living, breathing organism. All of the components should be designed to work together with all components working together in harmony. To put it another way, your new church sound system is designed as a team, with each piece of audio gear selected to work seamlessly with all the others in the signal chain. Sometimes, we can use items such as podium mics, wireless mics and CD recorders in the new system. Typically, we will want to replace all amplification, speakers and interface and / or DSP units to create a solid platform that will provide years of reliable service.

Number 6: A new sound system for a church must be installed all at once.
While this obviously helps, our church audio system experts can work out a step by step plan to upgrade your system as funds allow. We will ascertain the needs of your sound system and work to correct any major flaws right away. Then we can work closely with you to formulate a plan that makes sense and fits within your long term budget. We have built Church Audio Template on helping churches of all sizes, but we have a special soft spot for small congregations in rural areas that really need to stretch their donation dollars. We have delivered complete sound systems to churches for as little as $2,100.00. Doing the right thing irregardless of the amount of money spent is what keeps us busy and growing. Call us no matter what your problems are, or how small your budget is. If it is possible to fix your churches audio issues within your budget, Church Audio Template will be there to make it happen.

Number 7: Our worship facility does not have a dedicated sound engineer to run the sound system, will we ever achieve a great sounding church service?
Absolutely! While it does add cost to the system, we can design a system that runs on automatic mixers, which once set-up, require no human interface at all. Another option is to add a digital signal processor that can allow a member of the congregation to control the volume levels and sound sources via Wi-Fi from an iPad or laptop while sitting anywhere in the church!

Number 8: A person in our congregation was / is a musician and believes that they can design our new system with no problem.
Well, maybe yes, maybe no. The background of a musician or band member differs greatly from the experience needed to design an integrated church audio system. In our opinion, you should take into consideration the needs and views expressed by those church members and then relay those on to us to create the perfect church sound system that incorporates the latest technology to satisfy all church members.

Number 9: Our small church can not afford professionals like Church Audio Template.
Not true at all! Let us help you avoid the buy three, get one pitfall of church audio. Most churches accept the least expensive audio system that is proposed to them. After installation they find that the new system lacks a few minor things, and they throw some more money at the problem. Then, after the new problem solvers are installed, a few more issues come up requiring a little more money to solve. During this process they have probably expended enough dollars to have bought one of the midrange bids that would have perfectly suited their needs. Thus the church has bought three systems to arrive at the system they should have bought in the first place! This is usually the fault of the church. How is it the fault of the church, you ask? Well, for starters, they probably did not know how to adequately explain what problems or shortcomings their current audio system has. They simply contact a few local companies and ask for bids. Some come in high, a couple are grouped closely together and there will likely be a low ball or two. Ask the members of your church what bothers them the most about the current sound system. Make it a team effort to ensure that your church gets an audio system that all agree is far superior to the previous system, and is ready for any future additions your church may have in mind.

Number 10: A church sound system is the same whether it is for Liturgical or Contemporary service.
Whoa! Hold on, don't even think that! Nothing is further from the truth. These two systems differ greatly in design, capability, function and flexibility. A system designed for the spoken word will never survive being introduced to a kick drum and bass guitar. Our experts at Church Audio Template can still solve your audio issues within a reasonable budget, but the system is much more complex and will require deeper consultations with your praise team and leadership to design a perfect audio system for your house of worship.

I hope this helps you understand the common myths surrounding the purchase of a new sound system for your church or house of worship. Take your time, do your research and your audio upgrade will be as painless and stress-free as possible!
Find out more at Church Audio Template
About Direct Pro Audio LLC
Direct Pro Audio has been in business since 2003. We our proud of our A+ Better Business Bureau rating and we strive to supply you with the very best customer service possible.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Direct Pro Audio and OmahaNightLife.com Team up to Rock the CWS

As the NCAA College World Series moves to its new home at TD Ameritrade Park in Downtown Omaha, Direct Pro Audio and a number of local promoters, DJs and business owners including OmahaNightLife.com have teamed up to rock the party atmosphere. Direct Pro Audio has provided nearly one dozen separate sound systems for various bars and clubs, private parties, and outdoor beer gardens.


Union Pizzeria and Sports Bar
 The Union Pizzeria and Sports Bar, will host the biggest party downtown from June 17th to the 29th, if necessary. With two indoor areas, one large patio, and a giant tent in back to support all the headliners for the weeks.  With such acts as Screaming for Silence outside and DJ Shift D inside, along with many others every night, where else would you go!


With a breakfast and bloody mary bar from 7 to 10 each day, lunch, dinner, and live music every night, this will be the hottest party downtown!


Farrels
Farrells and Famous Daves are teaming up this year and are going to have one of the best tents in town for this years CWS, its gonna be a ZOO!!!  $4 beers, $5 cocktails, shot specials, and food By Famous Daves! They will have DJs every night to keep the party going well after the game until 2AM!


The Underground
Located on Howard Street in the historic Old Market (below The French Cafe'), The Underground (AKA The French Underground) is a staple in the downtown Omaha bar scene. But, we are so much more! The Underground is the home to amazing drink specials like the ever-popular $2 Long Island Iced Tea!


Club Irie
Irie is a diverse and eclectic venue which appeals to everyone. Whether you are looking to start your night or end your night at Irie once you join us you won’t want to leave! It is three floors and the best time you can have in Omaha! They offer the largest beer garden in all of the Old Market with great specials.


Direct Pro Audio installed the sound system at Irie when it opened in 2008, and it has been moving crowds in the Old Market for over 3 years.


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So if you have a good time downtown this year for the CWS, you were probably partying with Direct Pro Audio! 

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Direct Pro Audio and Renkus-Heinz Iconyx Tames a Legendary Challenge

Durham Museum’s Famously Cavernous Acoustics Under Control with IC16

Omaha, NE. For history buffs, the idea of turning a classic old train station into a museum scores high on the Really Cool Ideas scale. For the person tasked with designing a sound system for said museum, not so much.


When it opened in 1929, Omaha’s Union Station represented the city’s burgeoning growth as a railway hub and a gateway to the west. Hailed as one of the Midwest’s finest examples of Art Deco architecture, the station remained a hub of activity until the decline of the nation’s rail era, finally shuttered in 1971. Two years later the Union Pacific Company donated the building to the City of Omaha, who opened the Western Heritage Museum in 1975. A $22m renovation in 1995 was funded largely by civic leader Charles Durham, with the museum renamed in his honor.

While no train station has ever won praise for its acoustics, the Museum’s home is even more challenging than most. With its soaring ceilings, abundant glass and no shortage of hard surfaces, it’s a space so acoustically live that even minor background noise generates a din that challenges the intelligibility of most normal conversation.

Bringing that environment under control was the task at hand for Omaha-based Direct Pro Audio, and as DPA’s John Manhart explains, the project turned out somewhat different than expected.

“My original design concept called for four Renkus-Heinz Iconyx IC16 arrays,” says Manhart. “Ben Shipman of Audio Video Associates in St. Louis had provided the Museum with a demo system for an event, and it was so successful that a donor immediately provided money for the system.”


The project took an unexpected turn when the museum board discovered that the building’s landmark status prevented them from making the necessary structural modifications. “They had to obtain special authorization, which could potentially take quite some time, or even completely derail the project,” says Manhart.


As an interim solution, Manhart and DPA’s Dan Allen built a temporary system, setting the IC16s on tripods and pairing them with an SG12S-5 powered subwoofer. But rather than a short-term inconvenience, the system’s lack of a permanent fixed location has proven to be an asset.

“Because the system is portable, they can use it in a variety of locations and in different configurations,” says Manhart. “They can set up in the Susanne and Walter Scott Great Hall, or in the smaller Swanson Gallery, or even outside on the grounds. We created a handful of presets, so they can easily change the steering and tuning to suit the space.”


Iconyx’s steerable beam technology made the difference in a space once legendary for its bad sound, says Manhart. “It’s the most acoustically challenging room I’ve ever been in, and the IC16s provide clear, wonderfully voiced sound without agitating the space too much. The beam steering enables us to place the sound exactly where we want it, and nowhere else.”


Not surprisingly, there’s no rush to make a final decision on permanent installation for the system. “Sooner or later they might decide to install them, but for now they’re really enjoying the flexibility,” says Manhart. “The Museum’s staff have commented several times that they’ve never heard it sound so good.”

Monday, January 17, 2011

Back from NAMM 2011 with lots of great new products!

Direct Pro Audio is back from the 2011 NAMM Convention... this is our eighth consecutive year! The NAMM Show is one of the largest music product trade shows in the world, founded in 1901. It is held every January in Anaheim, California, at the Anaheim Convention Center.

NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants, the International Music Products Association) has evolved from a national entity representing the interests of music products retailers to an international association including both commercial, reseller members, affiliates and manufacturers.

Direct Pro Audio attends the NAMM Show every year to meet up with our suppliers, and check out all of the new and cool products and specials. Sunny Orange County is a great break from the cold and snow of the Midwest!

 

This year we stayed in style in Newport Beach California at the Newport Beach Marriott. Holy smokes, look at that view! We had an ocean view, and were right next to all of the cool things to do at Fashion Island.


There are so many new and cool products! We are busy right now uploading them to Direct Pro Audio, and we will blog about them here and post links when they are up!

We started our trip to NAMM with the traditional stop at In-N-Out for a great burger! WOW, you can't get that burger experience anywhere else!

Friday night we had a great dinner with our good friends from Yorkville Sound at the Orange County Mining Company. There is no better view and no better steak dinner to be had in all of Southern California! We had a great night with Betty, Joe, and Errol.


Overall the show was a great success for Direct Pro Audio. We are working hard to price and upload all of the newest products we found at NAMM! So check back to our blog over the next couple of days!

JM

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Direct Pro Audio Completes New Sound System for Fremont-Mills Iowa School Gym


Check out this cool sound system at the Fremont-Mills Iowa High School Gymnasium! The customer requested a system to be used for multiple events such as sports, assemblies, and theater performance. So we used a Rane RPM 26z as the main speaker processor to recall preset configurations based on the type of event.

The speaker system consisted of nine Community R.25TZ's that we mounted from the ceiling rafters to achieve even coverage throughout the gymnasium. We used Crown CDi amplifiers to  provide plenty of clean power to the speakers.

The system also includes four microphone jacks on the East and West sides of the gym. We included wired and wireless microphones and an portable media player interface.

We finished this cool little job on time and within budget!