I still consider it the day I went from "band guy who owns a PA" to "fledgling anklebiter sound guy." It was an outdoor festival. Two days. Probably a dozen acts total with canned music in between. I had my small collection of typical rock ‘n’ roll mics and — with the addition of a few more lent by friends — I thought I was set. Things went well until the second day when I discovered that my next act was a magician hired to entertain the kids, and he was pretty pissed that I didn’t have a headset or lav for him.
Color-coding of cabling, road cases, speakers, etc. is one of those “how do you know that?” questions I get all the time. In all honesty, I have to blame my eighth grade industrial arts teacher (in electronics shop) for the lifelong passion into all my esoteric electronics knowledge. But, of course, it was 1974, and my first project was a one-tube AM radio. I remember a lot of both the good and bad habits of electronics from that class; bad things like how to toss molten solder from the iron-tip toward other classmates, and good things like the color code.
Since I have been writing Sound Sanctuary, I have spent a lot of time in houses of worship, mixing live sound, installing sound systems, tuning up systems and interacting with the people that operate and volunteer at worship houses. The one theme that seems to be common among the different houses that I have visited is the lack of volunteer training.
I have this one annual gig in the LA area that I should really give up. But I like the people, and the nature of the event lends itself to trying new gear, so it is a great Road Test opportunity. In fact, in the five years I have been doing the gig I don’t think we have used the same speaker system once. This year, the boys at Spectr Audio got the call. After going back and forth a few times on the requirements of the gig, we agreed on a configuration.
Electro-Voice has revived the PL series of pro audio microphones, and brought forth a promising crop of both vocal and instrument microphones that are value priced, but professional in performance. The PL Series is currently on the road with STAIND, Finger Eleven and ZZ Top (on drums). The mics have also proved roadworthy on this summer's Vans Warped Tour. With three-year warranties, EV is making a promise that the quality is worthy for road usage. I received one of each model for this road test review.
If you think Crown would gracefully sunset the popular Macro-Tech line of tour-grade audio power amplifiers, well you are in for a surprise. The new Macro-Tech i Series provides a decent series life extension by keeping the front-panel look and feel, while sneaking in some of the same technology from the I-Tech series amplifiers. One could spend a lot of time comparing the I-Tech with the Macro-Tech i, but the little time I spent on this tells me there are both similarities and differences.
“Somebody had to figure out the microphone thing. So that was the first thing I did.”
Jerry Pfeffer got into the PA business while playing in his first band. He was in grammar school. “Somebody had to figure out the microphone thing,” he recalls with a laugh. “So that was the first thing I did.” A handful of years later, Pfeffer was working at a hi-fi store in San Francisco when the phone rang and somebody needed a PA system. The owner let him borrow the van and he loaded up a couple of speakers with a handful of microphones. “It’s been one of those things where it’s one job to another to another,” he says of his company’s growth, “until it’s got to this point. It’s a little crazy now.”
MGM Grand and Foxwoods Resort Casino join forces to build a new entertainment venue.
The symbol of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation is a reflection of the past. A tree perched on a rocky knoll and framed against a clear sky represents Mashantucket, the “much wooded land” where the people hunted and prospered. A statue of a fox stands as a vigilant reminder of the turbulent times when the Pequots adopted the name that still remains today, the “Fox People.”
Written by Nort Johnson, Travis McGee, Bruce Borgerson
Mass music events are becoming the norm around the world.
We have covered festivals as a business trend and have covered many individual events as production profiles, but this year we are pulling out all the stops and gathering coverage of more than a half-dozen festivals into a single feature. It’s a big job, but somebody’s gotta do it… Enjoy.
The Boston Pops Orchestra's Fourth of July concert at the Esplanade on the Charles River
Sound crew worked hard to ensure the Boston Pops’ Fourth of July performance was as vibrant as the fireworks.
There’s nothing like hearing majestic symphonic music and then seeing a sky erupting with colorful fireworks on the Fourth of July, and the concert at the Esplanade on the Charles River is the most prestigious annual celebration of its kind. Featuring lively performances from conductor Keith Lockhart and the acclaimed Boston Pops Orchestra, guest appearances throughout the years by everyone from David Lee Roth to Rascal Flatts, engaging hosts like talk show personality Craig Ferguson, and (of course) a vibrant fireworks display, the event is a local sensation, and after 10 p.m., a national television event on CBS.
Ahhhhh. Smell that? It’s the exciting but somehow slightly putrid smell of trade show season bearing down upon us. And the dance begins. Everyone wants A) their stuff covered as widely as possible and B) to have it still be a surprise when officially unveiled at PLASA in September or AES in October. You know, everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die. Can’t have it both ways.
A few months ago, I was hired to do a gig for a company I had not worked for before, but heard a few horror stories about, mostly pay related. We were carrying most of the gear, but subbed out local crew, most of the lighting, racks and stacks and some backline. First, there was a problem with the promoter paying the balance when due, and the local crew (who had a five-hour call) sat around for three hours (after unloading the local gear for the first hour). Finally, the payments were made and we started unloading our truck.
We catch up with Brad Madix, Brent Carpenter and Rush.
To say that Rush is a damn good rock band would be the understatement of the last four decades. Geddy Lee, Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson are three of the best at what they do in the world. When they perform live, it’s a mind-boggling experience. Since the release of the band's self-titled debut album in March 1974, Rush has become known for the instrumental skills of its members, complex compositions and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy and libertarian philosophy, as well as addressing humanitarian, social, emotional and environmental concerns.
Clients: ABC News — “Nightline with Tek Kopple,” “This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts,” “Good Morning America,” ABC Sports — ”Monday Night Football,” First Baptist Columbia, S.C., Bemus Point United Methodist Church and Family Church, both of Jamestown, N.Y.
Quote: “Whatsoever you do, do as not unto man, but as unto the Lord.”
Personal Info: Over 25 years of experience in the television and theatrical lighting and audio business. I was formerly a controller and then president of a $30-million general contractor. I have installed systems in 14 states and designed systems in 26 states. Long and proud history as a U.S. Military family: One son is a U.S. Marine Lance Corporal with combat medals currently on second tour of Iraq as Point Man (and door breacher). Our second son will enter the Marines as an officer next year.
Hobbies: Weightlifting. I read EVERY issue of the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Business Week, The Economist, Fortune, Barrons and Leatherneck.
Equipment: Harman audio dealer (Crown, AKG, Soundcraft).
Don’t leave home without: A nice pair of pants with a shirt and matching tie (since you never know where you’ll be invited to or with whom) and my bible. No joke.
Terry Holdershaw
Operations Manager
Star Productions Inc.
Mississauga, ON
www.starproductions.com
519.591.2725
Services Provided: Full production services.
Clients: Private, corporate and festival events. Clients include: The Healing Cycle, Pottahawk, Transitions Optical, Golder Associates, etc.
Quote: “Sounds good!”
Personal Info: Six years in the business and things are going well so far.
Hobbies: DJ-ing, computers, skiing.
Equipment: Allen & Heath consoles.
Don’t Leave Home Without: Duct Tape and Red Bull.
If you’d like to see yourself featured in “In the Trenches,” visit www.fohonline.com/trenches to submit your information to FOH, or email
for more info.
At this time of year — when the members of our celebrated audio industry descend upon one town or another and fill massive convention centers with miles and aisles of new, state-of-the-art audio technology — my thoughts turn to control. After all, every item on display at AES is purporting to present the user with more control of their mix along with the promise — spoken and unspoken — that each new piece of technological wizardry will offer a newer, faster and more efficient way to manipulate and manage the mechanics of their audio world.
Brothers who built pro audio empire to be honored with Parnelli Audio Visionary Award
Roy and Gene Clair are quick to say they are “outstanding in their field.” Not that they are braggarts — far from it. They mean it literally, as in they are “out standing in their field” of humble Lititz, Pa. Far from the glare of New York or Los Angeles, the brothers built one of the largest and most innovative pro audio empires the live event industry has ever seen.
You may notice a small change on the cover of this issue of FOH. Where it used to say “The News Magazine for Live Sound” it now says “People. Production. Gear. Gigs.” I know it seems like a small thing, but it speaks volumes about the role of news in print media and the future of FOH magazine.
The basic tenet of Bleeding Edge is to look forward at cutting-edge technology and what it can offer us now, or perhaps might promise us in the future. Sometimes it can be fun (and quite educational) to look in the rearview mirror, so to speak, where technology is concerned. Since this month is AES month and we’ll be seeing a lot of new product from our favorite gear manufacturers, we thought it might be fun to set the time machine back to 1998 and have a look at the audio rage of the time and what has perhaps fallen by the wayside.
When the iconic Bleecker Street music venue, the Village Gate, was at its peak in the 1960s and ‘70s, the sound system was decidedly monaural, though plenty suitable for the eclectic array of musicians, from folky Dave Van Ronk to fusion prophets Dreams, who trod its stage. But when the Village Gate came out of retirement this year, under the rubric Le Poisson Rouge, its programs may have been just a eclectic as ever, from jazz to classical to rock, but its sound system had to face the reality of modern expectations. It had to go surround.
I got the call on Wednesday that I would be leaving for England on Monday, having been invited by the folks at Midas to be present for their latest and greatest product unveiling. I knew Midas would not spend the time and money necessary to gather journalists from all over the U.S. and Europe if they didn’t have something big to show off. I figured that they had created a new digital mixer or stage box, but Midas was keeping their new baby a secret.
; "Shure Incorporated Beta 54")
; "SPX 1534 over a SPX 218T sub")
; "Electro-Voice PL Series Mics")
; "Crown Macro-Tech i Series")
; "Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco")
; "Crew")
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; "The Boston Pops Orchestra's Fourth of July concert at the Esplanade on the Charles River")
; "Turbosound Flex Array Series")
; "Alcons LR14/90")
; "www.tonygleeson.com")
; "Rush Drummer Neil Peart in the zone")
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; "Roy and Gene Clair")
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