Crestron HDMI Switchers Deliver Affordable, Reliable Solutions

New HD-MD8x1 and 8x2 Switchers Achieve Much More than Signal Routing

Crestron introduces simple, low-cost HDMI switchers that are designed for in-room HD applications. The HD-MD8x1 and HD-MD8x2 handle every HDTV format specified in HDMI 1.3a; support computer resolutions up to 1920x1200, and are compatible with DVI and DisplayPort multimode computer signals. The Crestron HDMI switchers solve the problems currently associated with the latest HD video systems and devices, such as HDCP content protection, EDID resolution management and CEC device control. Built-in software tools ensure quick installation and reliable system performance.

HDMI switching has been a challenge; when systems don't work right, troubleshooting is nearly impossible. The problem could be at the source, the display, the cable, the switcher or an issue with HDCP authentication keys. Crestron HDMI switchers prevent frustrating switching delays with exclusive, built-in QuickSwitch HD™ technology, which pre-authorizes HDCP keys and maintains a constant handshake between sources and the display for fast, uninterrupted HDMI switching.

Crestron HDMI switchers feature DM Tools, a powerful setup and diagnostic software program that graphically displays the flow of all signals and data on a connected computer screen, optimizing system performance and enabling installers to efficiently deliver a reliable HDMI system. EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) is processed, to identify and automatically send the best resolution to display, so end users no longer have manually configure output resolutions to the display. CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) data, which is embedded in HDMI and DisplayPort signals, is managed to prevent devices from issuing unwanted, seemingly random commands, such as turning off a projector during a presentation.

Crestron HDMI switchers provide a seamless upgrade path from analog to digital. Existing analog sources may be integrated and switcher through the HD-MD8x1 and 8x2 by simply connecting Crestron DigitalMedia™ input cards using the DMCI chassis.

Never again will clients complain of equipment inexplicably turning off, long switching delays, or having to manually configure output resolutions. Only Crestron HDMI switchers provide the installation tools to ensure the reliable, high performance HDMI system designs.

The Boxmasters Stick With Shure, The “Cadillac of Mics”

LOS ANGELES, CA —The Boxmasters (Billy Bob Thornton, J.D. Andrew and Mike Butler) are back with what may be the trio’s best studio offering to date, Modbilly. A two-CD set, the record got an introductory boost with the help of a touring schedule that swept through several House of Blues, South By Southwest, followed by a recent run through Canada, Connecticut, and Massachusetts with Willie Nelson and Ray Price.

“I’ve been in bands from the time I was a little kid,” Thornton confesses, who has released 4 critically acclaimed solo records and released the third Boxmasters CD in less than a years’ time. “You know, during all the years I’ve played — and when I worked as a roadie, too — Shure microphones were all we had. I mean 58s and 57s mostly, which we still use to this day. They’re like the Cadillac of mics to us.”

Following a model established with their critically acclaimed and eponymously-titled first disc in 2008, Modbilly serves up a self-defining story with disc one featuring a dozen original songs. Switch to disc two, and The Boxmasters reveal more of their inner musical selves with great covers of Roger Miller’s “Half a Mind”, Tom Rush’s “Merrimack County”, and John Hartford’s “Gentle on My Mind”.

Recently off the road after a show with Willie at his Austin, TX club, Carl’s Corner, Thornton notes without reservation that “we’re going to go right home and start recording again. We don’t write songs with the intention of becoming successful or having hits or anything like that. We know we’re not going to sell ten million records, not many people are doing that now. So we stick to what we love and what makes us feel good, and whatever happens, happens. We just can’t stop recording — we’re kind of obsessed. But we’ll still probably do another tour next winter or spring.” Their next project, an acoustic record followed closely by yet another double CD to be titled Bellflower.

Modbilly can be ordered at The Boxmasters website. The Boxmasters also currently appear on Keep Your Soul: A Tribute to Doug Sahm as contributors of a bonus track called “Yesterday Got in the Way.” The tune is available to those who purchase the CD on iTunes. Founder of the Sir Douglas Quintet in the ‘60s, Sahm is also known for his work with the Texas Tornados.

Direct Pro Audio Carries Full Line of ProCo Stagemaster Snakes

Direct Pro Audio proudly carries the full line of ProCo Stagemaster series Snakes. Re-engineered from the stagebox to the connectors for even greater reliability, our StageMaster multipair cables are an ideal choice for church groups, fixed installations, schools and "one-nighter" portables.

The rugged design features the latest in connectors and a cable that is extremely flexible for easy coiling. All StageMaster snakes are backed with our 3-year, limited warranty.



Pro Co StageMaster SMC Series Snakes use the exact same wire, box, and connectors as the StageMaster SMA Series Snakes. The only difference is that the SMCs are manufactured in China and the SMAs are manufactured in the USA. All StageMaster snakes are backed with our 3-year, limited warranty.

ProCo Stagemaster snakes compete on a quality level with any competitors' products costing up to twice as much. Cleverly designed by Pro Co director of engineering, Gerry Carpenter, these snakes are logically thought out and designed for ease of manfufacting. Thus, much of the cost of the snakes stays in the materials, not in the labor and overhead.

The rugged T-Bar construction and aluminum extrusion technology make for a truly sturdy stage box that assembles in a hurry. StageMASTER snakes are available in 12, 16, 24, 28 and 32 channel configurations in lengths starting at 25'.

The narrow profile top-loading boxes are easy to set up and use and are easily visible in poor lighting on stage. The fan ends are clearly numbered in groups of four, making setup even more convenient. The assemblies come in models with XLR or 1/4" T/R/S returns to conform to your personal requirements. The snakes use either Amphenol or REAN components.

Visit the ProCo Stagemaster Snake page here.

Shure Raids Wholesale Shops and Warehouses in China, Seizes Counterfeit Earphones

NILES, IL, May 21, 2009 — Shure Incorporated announced that it has struck another blow against suppliers of counterfeit Shure products. Following an investigation initiated by Shure, officials of the Baoshan Office of the Shanghai Administration for Industry and Commerce (AIC) conducted raids on wholesale stores and warehouses of Han Si Appliance Co., Ltd and Run Zheng Digital Ltd on Baoshan Road. Both locations are in the Zhabei District of Shanghai.

“Counterfeiters are constantly working to duplicate the Shure logo and other product markings as well as the general appearance of the products,” said Anita Man, Managing Director of Shure Asia. “Due to the popularity and reputation of the Shure brand, they know that consumers are interested in an item that bears the Shure name.”

In the two raids, large quantities of counterfeit Shure E2c and E4c earphones were seized as well as counterfeit earphones of other brands, including Audio-Technica and JVC. These raids have been officially reported and published on the public website of the Shanghai AIC. The penalties to be imposed by the Shanghai AIC are still being determined.

“The Shure brand carries with it a promise of quality and performance,” said Sandy LaMantia, President and CEO of Shure. “Counterfeit Shure products do not live up to that promise, and that damages the value of our brand. We are fiercely committed to working with international agencies and with other brands to fight the spread of counterfeit products and halt this kind of criminal activity.”

“Shure encourages customers to purchase our products only from authorized Shure dealers,” added Man. “These sellers can be found in the ‘Where to Buy’ section of www.shure.com/asia. Customers should be highly cautious of Shure products that are priced unreasonably low at retail outlets online.”

In addition to anti-counterfeiting actions in China, Shure has also been continuing forceful efforts in other parts of Asia, Europe, South America, the Middle East, Africa, and the United States to cease intellectual property violations.

Crestron Releases New QuickMedia® Receiver

QM-RX1-2G Delivers AV Signal Routing and Control in a New Low Profile, Compact Design

ROCKLEIGH, NJ, June 1, 2009 - Crestron unveils its QM-RX1-2G receiver, the latest addition to the QuickMedia (QM) family of AV transport solutions. QM integrates 16 separate cables into a single CAT5-type wire, streamlining presentation system design and installation. Upon receipt of the QM signal the QM-RX1-2G outputs the AV signals- which can include HD, high-res computer graphics and four channels of 24-bit digital audio - to the display device. With built-in display control, audio DSP and stereo amplifier, the QM-RX1-2G provides complete connectivity for a display device, screen, lift, and speakers, and eliminates the need for outboard audio processing.

Perfect for installation behind a flat panel display or above a ceiling mounted projector, the QM-RX1-2G mounts simply onto a standard 2-gang US, UK, or European electrical box. Bidirectional RS-232 and IR/serial ports enable full control of the display device without additional wiring, and two relay ports are included on the QM-RX1-2G to control a projection screen or lift. Signal routing occurs automatically, based on the input source selected at the QM transmitter.

A digital input port can accommodate a room occupancy sensor or power sensor for enhanced automation and monitoring. Connections for the display device and speakers are all positioned on the top and bottom of the receiver, while the QM cable and screen/lift connectors are behind the unit within the electrical box. The QM-RX1-2G is available in black or white.

Crown Expands Range Of Class Leading Fixed Installation Amplifiers With CDi 6000

ORLANDO, Florida -- Further proving its ability to offer sound integrators the best available solutions for power amplifiers in fixed installation applications, Crown Audio today introduced the CDi 6000 amplifier, the fourth amplifier in the CDi series.

“The CDi 6000 provides an unmatched combination of processing, power and a competitive price that makes it the clear leader in its class. The new CDi 6000 is a reflection of our commitment to providing integrators with the greatest range of options for power and scalability for the challenges that each individual installation presents,” stated Brian Divine, director of marketing for touring and installed sound for Crown.

The CDi 6000, like the other amplifiers in the series, has the ability to run both low-impedance two-, four- and eight-ohm loads as well as 70- and 140-volt outputs. The amp also features 20 available presets that can be recalled at the touch of a button. All CDi amplifiers can be controlled and configured through Harman HiQnet™ System Architect™.

All CDi Series amplifiers feature an intuitive front panel LCD display that guides installers through their configurations. All amps in the CDi series also offer onboard DSP for loudspeaker signal processing. Other features include a switch-mode universal power supply, useful function indications, proportional-speed fan-assisted cooling, removable Phoenix-style inputs, as well as barrier strip outputs for 70V/100V/140V loads. Equipped with Crown’s extremely light and efficient universal switch-mode power supply, each of the four CDi models weigh only 19 pounds and can be conveniently and reliably run off of a standard 15-amp outlet.

Power output ratings on the CDi 6000 are as follows:

• 3000W per channel at two ohms
• 2100W per channel at four ohms
• 1200 per channel at eight ohms
• 2500 per channel at 70V
• 6000W in bridge-mono mode at four ohms
• 5000W in bridge-mono mode at 140V

Crown is a unit of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com). Harman International designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment products for the automotive, consumer and professional markets, and maintains a strong presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia, employing more than 11,000 people worldwide. The Harman International family of brands includes AKG®, Audioaccess®, Becker®, BSS®, Crown®, dbx®, DigiTech®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson®, Revel®, QNX®, Soundcraft® and Studer®. Harman International’s stock is traded on the
New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NYSE: HAR.”

Harman HiQnet™ is the world's first connectivity and control protocol that integrates all product categories in the signal chain for professional audio systems of all types, size, and applications. Harman HiQnet no longer requires the user to manage multiple disparate operating systems or be responsible for programming individual signal processors, speaker controllers, wireless microphone systems, and mixing consoles. HiQnet was developed by engineers from across the Harman Pro Group and is coordinated by the System Development and Integration Group (SDIG), a team of dedicated systems specialists based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Shure UHF-R, Wireless Workbench 5.0 Software on Parade at Carnaval

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL, March 24, 2009 — Last month, thousands of dancers in full make-up and bright costumes, along with hundreds of elaborate floats accompanied by musicians and rolling PA trucks blasting samba music marched down Rio’s famed Sambódromo in celebration of this year’s Carnaval. Song after song, samba school after samba school, Shure microphones took charge of vocalizing the passion of the week-long event that marks the beginning of Lent.

Televised globally by Rede Globo, the fourth largest broadcaster in the world, Carnaval is a giant celebration where samba schools, which consist of thousands of performers, compete for bragging rights as the official winner of Carnaval. The schools prepare all year for this one performance where they are meticulously judged on their costumes, choreography, floats, music, harmony, and overall theme. Because music and harmony play such an important role in the outcome, and due to the hectic outdoor RF environment, all of the bands that performed chose Shure wireless microphones to accompany them on their kilometer long, one-hour performance.

Representatives from Shure worked with Pride Music, Shure’s Brazilian Distributor, to provide RF coordination and technical support for Rede Globo and Gabisom, Brazil’s largest live sound company. They successfully coordinated and monitored the use of more than 78 channels of wireless frequencies using Shure Wireless Workbench (WWB) 5.0 software and UHF-R wireless receivers.

“Our goal was to give full-time technical support to the Gabisom team by managing and monitoring RF using an external scanner that talks to Shure’s Wireless Workbench software,” said Marinho Alves, Sales Manager for Pride Music. “Because of the constantly changing RF environment, the Wireless Workbench RF scanner and backup frequency features were critical in allowing us to recognize and respond to any RF problems, as the trucks accompanied the performers down the Sambódromo.”

In all, 30 UHF-R channels, 12 UHF wireless microphone systems using SM58® and Beta 58A capsules, and 12 PSM®700 personal monitor systems accompanied the schools on their performances without a failure, thanks to daily frequency scans and coordination by Alves and Gabriel Benitez, Training and Education Manager for Shure.

“During one of my Wireless Workbench scans, I noticed two intermittent DTV stations and one of those channels landed right on one of the UHF-R handheld transmitters,” said Benitez. “Since this occurred during one of the performances and there weren’t any spares available, there was no chance to swap it out or reprogram the transmitter. Fortunately, UHF-R is an extremely agile wireless microphone system, so we didn’t experience any dropouts.”