Direct Pro Audio Donates Sound System for "Band of Brothers" Reunion

The Strategic Air and Space Museum hosted the real Band of Brothers on December 4^th and 5^th. These real life heros were flown in free of charge by the Veterans Airlift Command. Over 1600 people attended this reunion for a chance to hear first hand the horrors and triumphs that Easy Company endured during their time in Europe. Direct Pro Audio was honored to donate the sound system used during the Saturday morning session.

Sugarland Tours with Sennheiser Gear

WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA — Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush, the country music duo called Sugarland, have been touring North America with their band, using more than three-dozen channels of Sennheiser wireless vocal microphone, personal monitor and instrument systems. Sugarland’s use of the Command option on the SKM 5200 RF handheld vocal mics, in particular, is “a cool feature that we all love,” said Steve Ledet, monitor engineer for the tour. At the touch of a button, the Command feature re-routes the SKM 5200’s capsule to a second output channel. In Sugarland’s case, that Command channel is sent to all of the personal monitors, as well as to speakers at the FOH position, allowing Nettles and Bush to communicate privately with their musicians and crew. “Jennifer uses it all the time,” Ledet said. “For example, during stadium dates on this summer’s Kenny Chesney tour, she would be out on the thrust in front of 60,000 people and ask for more vocal, more snare drum, or more of Kristian’s guitar in her ears. If they’re running out of time in the set and they need to cut a song she can just tell the band in-between songs. Or she’ll be grabbing a drink of water and she’ll ask them to double up on the intro.” He added, “I have it cranked up so there’s no mistaking between her vocal and that. It really is invaluable, and the audience never knows that she’s dealing with anything. It’s the coolest thing ever as far as I’m concerned because she doesn’t have to look at me or wait for eye contact — she just talks. She has complete communication to me. All she has to do is push the button.” Andy Hujdich, who oversees the 93 channels of onstage patching, calls the new feature invaluable in terms of time saved when an on the fly patch is necessary. Sugarland’s FOH engineer and production manager David Haskell, who formerly toured with Alabama, Keb’ Mo’, and Gretchen Wilson, runs down the list of Sennheiser wireless gear in use onstage. “We’ve got tons of Sennheiser gear out on the road with us — every instrument, all ears, and all the vocal mics,” he said. Nettles and Bush each use the SKM 5200 outfitted with the MD 5235 dynamic capsule. “Those microphones sound incredible,” Haskell said. Additionally, each of the five backing musicians supplies background vocals via an e 935 wired vocal mic. “I also use MD 421s on both of our bass rigs, and as a low microphone on the Leslie,” Haskell added. “I’ve used those things for a hundred years on drums. I’d use a hundred of those things if I could find a spot to stick ‘em.” Haskell had good things to say about the EM 3732 mic receivers that are paired with the SKM 5200s. “That thing is impeccable. I’ve never had those vocal mics drop out. We’ve even taken it to ‘Oprah’ with us, and places like that where RF is not simple.” Ledet also noted how easy it was to learn the operation of the EM 3732. “I’ve never even seen a manual for that thing and it’s just a piece of cake to get around on and change frequencies. It does its own scanning, and to synch it takes about two seconds. That’s real convenient when something pops up all of a sudden; I can pretty quickly find an open frequency and get the mics tuned back in.” Ledet additionally oversees a dozen ew 300 PM G2 units. “I’m only using nine of them at a time,” he said. “I’ve got seven band members, including the principals, my cue mix, and I use one for the guitar techs. We have the extras for guests. The PMs operate in conjunction with AC2 combiners and A 5000-CP antennas.” Guitar tech Steve Castro looks after 10 channels of ew 372 G2 for Bush’s various wireless instruments, plus additional channels for Nettles’ acoustic guitars and for bass player Annie Clements. Jill Hall, stage right guitar tech, handles two units for guitarists, Scott Patton and Thad Beaty. Despite there being just short of forty channels of Sennheiser wireless equipment onstage, says Haskell, “The RF has been like a rock.” For more information, please visit www.sennheiserusa.com. Reprinted from FOH Online.

Taylor Swift on Tour With Audio-Technica Wireless Gear

LONDON — FOH engineer Russell Fischer and monitor mixer Andrea “Vito” Carena had no qualms about using Audio-Technica’s 5000 Series wireless system for Taylor Swift’s Fearless tour for frontline and backing vocals.

Swift’s vocal microphone needed to be suited to her voice and able to reliably reject feedback, since Swift often interacts with the crowd in front of the main P.A. loudspeakers. Fischer and Carena, together with Swift, chose the 5000 Series wireless system for its overall sound quality, gain-before-feedback properties and reliability.

Swift uses Audio-Technica’s Artist Elite 5000 Series UHF Wireless System with an AEW-T4100 Cardioid Dynamic Handheld Transmitter for her lead vocals, and all background vocals are handled by the 5000 Series Wireless System with AEW-T5400 Cardioid Condenser Handheld Transmitter, with all systems using the AEW-R5200 True Diversity Frequency-Agile Dual Receiver.

Fischer, who has in the past worked with Toby Keith, Keith Anderson, Jane’s Addiction and Skid Row, among others, selected other Audio-Technica mics for the Fearless tour, including AT4050 Multi-Pattern Condenser Microphones on guitars and overheads, AT4051 Cardioid Condenser Microphone on snare bottom and an ATM25 Hypercardioid Dynamic Instrument Microphone for kick drum.

“During rehearsals for the tour, we tried a number of different wireless systems and mics from a variety of manufacturers on Taylor’s vocals, but we kept coming back to the Audio-Technica 5000 Series Wireless and the T4100,” Fischer recalled. “And we all agreed that the A-T was the right system for the job.

“For me, I needed a mic that would give me gain before feedback and work well with a female vocal,” Fischer added. “Because she’s moving around the stage a lot, going in front of the P.A. system plane, we need to make sure feedback doesn’t creep in the mix, so we needed something that had massive rejection and controllable gain before feedback. The mic really sounds great — it sounds like her.”

Carena, who worked as monitor engineer for such artists as Keith Anderson, Colbie Caillat and Trick Pony, added, “This is the biggest tour I’ve been on yet, and that naturally presents some pretty big wireless challenges, but the A-T system has been very comfortable to work with. I’ve never had a problem squeezing in all the frequencies or having them work flawlessly as a matter of fact. From arenas to clubs, from award shows to subway stations, the A-T has been rock solid.”

Swift’s Fearless tour traveled to the U.K. recently, and, after an early-2010 jaunt to Australia, she will be back in North America, beginning March 4, 2010, in Tampa, Florida.

For more information, please visit www.taylorswift.com and www.audio-technica.com.

Reprinted from FOH Online

Yorkville Releases the E1152 - Speaker - 1200w 15 inch 2 inch two way

The newest cabinet in the élite line, the E1152 delivers a full 1200 watts into the high quality 15-inch neodymium woofer and titanium driver housed in the solid 5/8-inch birch plywood trapezoid cabinet. Ideal for demanding touring and rental applications, the E1152 uses Yorkville's proven CTL™ high frequency driver protection ensures maximum reliability even in the most demanding club or concert hall.

Features

• 1200 Watt Full Range Loudspeaker
• 15-inch Neodymium Woofer
• 3-inch Titanium HF Driver (1.4-inch Throat)
• 60º x 50º ABS Waveguide Horn
• Innovative CTL™ High Frequency Driver Protection
• 2 x Speakon™ and 1 x 1/4-inch Parallel Inputs
• Integrated All Metal Speaker Pole Adaptor
• Solid 5/8-inch (15mm) Birch Plywood Construction
• All-Metal Grille & Integrated Bar Handles

Click here for more information.

Shure Mics Hit the Stage in London's “Rat Pack” Show

NILES, IL, November 17, 2009 — Mention The Rat Pack to anyone with a love of great music from the 50s and 60s and classics like “Volare,” “Fly Me To The Moon,” and “New York, New York” instantly spring to mind. Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dean Martin epitomized the cool and glamour of the era with unparalleled lifestyles that captivated a global audience. They were film stars, showmen, comedians, and playboys, but most of all…it was about their music.

Chris Whybrow, the live sound engineer responsible for the West End show “Frank, Sammy & Dean – The Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas” has spent his career working on a string of award-winning theater productions and on tour with artists and bands like Kaiser Chiefs, Coldplay, and Dizzie Rascal. But with “The Rat Pack,” it’s all about combining great sound with authentic style.

“When you’re recreating some of the biggest classics ever to be recorded,” said Whybrow, “you need to be certain the gear you’re using is up to the job.”

When London’s West End celebrates these performers, it also celebrates some of the finest music ever recorded. So, it stands to reason that “The Rat Pack” show had to set the bar higher for sound quality than any other, which is why several Shure microphones, including the KSM9, KSM137, Beta 87, Beta 98, Beta 91, SM58®, and 55SH are used for vocals and the backline during the performances.

“We’re using a lot of Shure microphones on this show,” said Whybrow, “but the star is undoubtedly the KSM9 handheld condenser. We have two in black, but the six main ones we use are in champagne. They sound fantastic. With the KSM9s, I don’t need to treat the sound of their voices…it’s pretty much just flat, natural sound. You don’t really have to put any EQ on, as they’re a very natural sounding microphone.”

Chris has used KSM9s in some of his previous theater designs – including “Thriller Live,” the show that celebrates the career of Michael Jackson – so he was already familiar with what they were capable of, but he isn’t alone. The performers have been impressed with them, too.

“The performers love them, actually,” said Whybrow. “The performer playing Dean Martin especially loves them! During the show the mics come in for a bit of abuse, so it’s good that the housing on them is really strong. The capsule is also shock-mounted, making it ideal for hand-held performance, especially seeing as they get thrown off stage every performance – after ’Sammy Davis Jr.‘does ’That Old Black Magic.’ At the end of the song, he swings the mic around and lobs it off the stage and someone catches it. Well, that’s the plan – it’s been dropped a few times now, but it still works!”

So after designing the sound for “The Rat Pack,” does Chris ever have enough of hearing these tracks?

“I love all that old music – even after hearing it a lot,” he said. “These tunes…they’re classics

Construction Continues Around DPA

Sewer work continues around Direct Pro Audio's store and shop on south 11th Street in Council Bluffs. Expect to be dealing with traffic disruptions through the rest of the year.

South 11th Street is OPEN in front of Direct Pro Audio. Access is available south from Veterans Memorial Highway, but CLOSED from 34th Ave./Lew Ross Road.

If access to Direct Pro Audio is blocked by construction, you may enter through the Superior Auto World's lot.

Direct Pro Audio Plans Renkus-Heinz IC Live Demo

Direct Pro Audio and AVA Associates plan a demonstration of the Renkus-Heinz IC Live sound system.

The demonstration is the morning of Thursday November 12th, 2009 in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. The demo is by invitation only. If you are interested in attending, please contact the following:

• Rob Wagner - robwagner@directproaudio.com - 712-326-5491

Adaptable, Articulate, Invisible Digital beam steering puts IC Live output where it belongs: on the audience, not walls or ceilings. Computer software lets you define the opening angles for as many as four sonic beams from each IC Live array module (up to 8 beams when stacked) and aim them up or down. Meanwhile, the slim enclosure stays vertical and inconspicuous. Two ICL-R modules can be stacked for even tighter control and higher output. Powerful, Accurate, Musical Iconyx transparent technology controls sound with DSP intelligence, not cumbersome brute-force techniques. Multi-channel class D digital amplifiers with Integral DSP engines control every single array element with programmable precision. High-current audiophile output stages power each light, efficient transducer in the Iconyx array individually. Even at 100 feet, SPL is an impressive105 dB (108 dB when stacked). Output is flat from 80 Hz to 20 kHz. Low frequency energy can be extended to 40 Hz or below with matching subwoofers.

ICL-R Array shown with companion IC215S-R Subwoofer

Portable, Scalable, Versatile Iconyx IC Live arrays are engineered for portable applications, with a comprehensive hardware system that makes setup simple. Two IC Live arrays can be combined for added output and control. When full range musical output is important to the program, one or two IC215-S dual 15-inch subwoofers can be added to either array. The subwoofers can act as tall or wide bases for IC Live arrays using the interlocking hardware system. One-Touch Presets, Intuitive Software RHAON empowered IC Live arrays provide a full set of remote control and supervision functions, along< with the ability to store up to ten preset configurations in memory. The presets adapt the arrays 150° wide horizontal coverage for typical applications such as hotel meeting rooms or auditoriums. For more complex situations, Iconyx BeamWare software makes it easy to shape the array’s coverage to the audience area.

Applications • Corporate Events • Live Concerts • Political Rallies • Theatrical Productions. • Museums: lobbies, galleries, etc. • Resorts, Theme Parks • Any environment where enjoyable music and/or intelligible speech are critical