Event Tech Puts Radian Microwedges to Work on Fundraisers

Radian Audio Engineering’s MicroWedge series of low profile, ultra-compact monitor wedges have been winning friends recently, in live performance and broadcast applications.

Artists such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Linkin Park and Blink-182 have adopted the MicroWedge for their onstage monitoring, while the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 in the UK also use them regularly.

Now Event Tech, the Maryland-based event production company, has discovered that MicroWedges are well suited to corporate events as well.

The company has used them in a series of fundraisers across the U.S., including the Tour de Friends, a four-day, 330-mile bike ride from North Carolina to Washington D.C. to raise funds in support of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Event Tech has been using MicroWedge stage monitors to provide podium foldback in its standard mobile stage setup for the tour.

“We use the Radian MicroWedges for foldback for the presenters at the podium, and to fold back audio from the video that we play on a large outdoor LED wall,” explains company president and owner Eric Maynard. “That way, the presenter has some foldback of the information that the audience and event participants are hearing.”

With all of the audio equipment transported on a Stage Line SL250 Mobile stage and with many events attracting local and national TV coverage, it is important for the onstage monitors to not only sound good but also look good and be discrete, notes Mr. Maynard.

“These 12-inch MicroWedges were brand new, clean, low profile, and clear, which is helpful as far as fidelity goes. For a 12-inch speaker they sound great.”

“They’re very clean, and the design isn’t so boxy – clients like the way they look. They’re durable, but we also put them in a padded case, because we don’t want any problems with the way they look.”

For the events, the Radian MicroWedges join a compact package of high-end audio components on the Stage Line trailer.

“We have 12 flown JBL VerTecs, a very small mix arrangement with an Allen & Heath GL3300 console, and a pair of EV Polar Choice podium microphones,” says Mr. Maynard.

In addition to the Tour de Friends, Event Tech has supplied equipment to fundraising events in Boston, Cincinnati, Chicago, and San Francisco this year, with further events scheduled for Portland, New York and Los Angeles.

The company is a supplier of services to a huge number of corporate and political events, which have recently included the 2003 Capital Pride Festival, the Johns Hopkins University 2003 Commencements, Barney and Friends in Concert, and the 2003 MD Governor’s Inauguration. Event Tech regularly services the American Red Cross National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. for their public events.

Radian Audio Engineering Web Site

Event Tech Web Site

Blue Sky Monitoring Systems Win Converts Among Top Engineers and Studios

Ever since renowned producer/engineer/mixer Roger Masson (Teraplane, Superfix, Phil Cody, Ken Burns “Jazz”) used Blue Sky monitors during work on special 5.1 elements for a recent Marilyn Manson DVD, he has been an avid Blue Sky fan.

Since that first exposure, Mr. Masson has been using the Sky System One 2.1 and 5.1 monitors for everything from tracking to overdubs, to mixing and mastering of complete album projects. He finds that Blue Sky monitoring works at every stage of the record-making process.

Blue Sky Brings Accuracy to a Temporary Recording Location

Most recently, Roger Masson has been working on the debut album of The Cribb, one of Los Angeles’ hottest young rock bands. He has set up a Blue Sky System One 2.1 monitoring system in a rented Spanish-style residential building in Los Angeles, a site the band members and Masson decided would make an excellent temporary studio, thanks to its acoustics and vibe. In post, Mr. Masson plans to use a Blue Sky 5.1 system to create a multi-channel mix of the recording, and all versions of the album will be mastered using Blue Sky monitors.

“This is the first time I’m using the Blue Sky speakers for tracking, and I just love them in this role,” comments Roger Masson. “They were always great to mix through, but it’s clear that Blue Sky can handle every aspect of the recording process, which gives me and the band a tremendously enhanced level of sonic consistency throughout the entire project.”

The Cribb’s project is also the focus of a forthcoming VH1 documentary about how private residences can be turned into recording environments. “This is a temporary recording space, so we could have put in any monitors we wanted,” says Mr. Masson. “We chose the Blue Sky monitors because we know that the accuracy level is high. They’ll act as the control reference of the recording space.

A Growing Number of All-Blue-Sky Facilities

Wabejon Entertainment is one of a growing number of all-Blue-Sky studios. Owner, record producer and label executive Eric Miller recently purchased two new Blue Sky 2.1 systems, to go along with the two Blue Sky set-ups already in service at the rapidly-expanding 7,000-square-foot audio/video facility. He plans to install a Blue Sky 5.1 surround monitoring system in a new SSL-based mixing studio, expected to go on line in May 2003.

Mr. Miller and Wabejon have established a solid reputation working with successful artists such as Sara (BMG), B5 (Bad Boy Entertainment), Sarai (Epic, hit single “Pack Ya Bags”), and Althea (Ill Na Na/Def Jam Records).

Will Baker (left) and Pete Woodruff (right) of Hitstreet Avenue, working on their latest project at Wabejon Entertainment

Wabejon has also been home to Will Baker and Pete Woodruff of Hitstreet Avenue, whose work work with India.Arie won 2 Grammy Awards on Feb.23 (Best Urban/Alternative Performance, Best R&B Album).

“The Blue Sky monitors are simply cleaner and clearer sounding than anything else,” Eric Miller remarks. “They’re very crisp sounding. Also, you get a tremendous amount of power from a speaker of that size. I can mount them on desktops or on stands and get full-range response. And by using Blue Sky speakers throughout our facility, we can have a consistent sound from studio to studio. The artists love them, and I love them.”

Blue Sky Monitoring Leads the Charge to Surround

Spectrum Recording Studios has been leading the charge for surround audio in South Florida, with the Blue Sky 5.1 monitoring system at the heart of its surround capabilities. Since a Blue Sky 5.1 system was installed at Spectrum, the studio has used it to mix a range of projects that reflect the diversity of the surround approach to audio. These include the DVD release of the recent PBS music special featuring big-band virtuoso Michael Civisca, produced by legendary arranger Charles Calello, as well as an ongoing project to create an entire library of surround-ready music pieces that will be compatible with film projects and digital broadcast.

Spectrum Studios is a top-flight two-room facility that has become a magnet for upcoming and established artists from around the country, including Juice Newton and Ronnie Milsap. Spectrum is also a major supplier of music content for the large Abaco Music Library, and music composed and produced by owner Jim Kalamasz has appeared on hit television shows including Malcolm In The Middle, The Drew Carey Show, and Saturday Night Live.

“Surround music is really on the verge of taking off in so many different applications,” says Mr. Kalamasz. “We’ve been positioning ourselves as the leading facility in this area for practical expertise in surround music mixing. The Blue Sky 5.1 system has played a major role in our success at that.”

Kalamasz first encountered Blue Sky monitoring at the 2001 AES Convention in New York City, and later heard the Blue Sky 5.1’s in action again at Room With A View Studios in Nashville, a facility Spectrum often collaborates with.

“I not only realized how good they actually are,” explains Mr. Kalamasz, “I also realized that our two studios could now share a reliable, accurate, and consistent 5.1 monitoring environment, which would significantly benefit our clients. The Blue Sky 5.1 monitors were the obvious choice, both for how they help our sound and how they help our business.”

Blue Sky Web Site

Avatar Studios Celebrates 21 GRAMMY-Nominated Recordings, Including Best Engineered Album

When the 2003 Grammy nominations were announced recently, the staff at New York’s pre-eminent recording venue Avatar Studios was thrilled to discover that 21 prospective winners had recorded all or part of their nominated tracks and albums at Avatar.

The list of Avatar’s GRAMMY-nominated recordings includes two albums that are up for the prestigious Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical award: Natalie Cole’s Ask A Woman Who Knows (Elliot Scheiner and Al Schmitt, engineers) on Verve Records; and Sheryl Crow’s C’mon, C’mon (Trina Shoemaker and Eric Tew, engineers) on A&M Records.

Among this year’s GRAMMY-nominated artists who used the Avatar facilities are: Sheryl Crow (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, Best Rock Album), Natalie Cole and Diana Krall (Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals), Elvis Costello (Best Male Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Album), Foxy Brown (Best Female Rap Solo Performance), The John Scofield Band (Best Contemporary Jazz Album), and Herbie Hancock (Best Jazz Instrumental Solo).

“At Avatar, we strive to do everything we can to make the highest quality recordings possible,” comments Kirk Imamura, president of AVATAR. “When the outcome of our labor gets recognized in this manner, especially in these difficult business conditions, it is very rewarding. We are very honored to have contributed in some way to the success of the great artists who record at Avatar.”

Avatar Studios Web Site

More GRAMMY News

More GRAMMY Nominations With Key Audio Credits


2003 GRAMMY Awards Nominees Recorded at Avatar Studios

Category: Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

Ask A Woman Who Knows
Elliot Scheiner & Al Schmitt, engineers (Natalie Cole)
[Verve Records]

C’mon, C’mon
Trina Shoemaker & Eric Tew, engineers (Sheryl Crow)
[A&M Records]

Category: Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

Soak Up the Sun
Sheryl Crow
Track from: C’mon, C’mon
[A&M Records]

Category: Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

Better Than Anything
Natalie Cole & Diana Krall
Track from: Ask A Woman Who Knows (Natalie Cole)
[Verve Records]

It’s So Easy
Sheryl Crow & Don Henley
Track from: C’mon, C’mon (Sheryl Crow)
[A&M Records]

Category: Best Female Rock Vocal Performance

Steve McQueen
Sheryl Crow
Track from: C’mon, C’mon
[A&M Records]

Category: Best Male Rock Vocal Performance

45
Elvis Costello
Track from: When I Was Cruel
[Island Records]

Category: Best Rock Album

When I Was Cruel
Elvis Costello
[Island Records]

C’mon, C’mon
Sheryl Crow
[A&M Records]

Category: Best Female Rap Solo Performance

Na Na Be Like
Foxy Brown
Track from: Broken Silence
[Def Jam Records]

Category: Best Contemporary Jazz Album

Überjam
The John Scofield Band
[Verve Music Group]

Category: Best Jazz Vocal Album

Ask A Woman Who Knows
Natalie Cole
[Verve Records]

Live In Paris
Diana Krall
[Verve Records]

Category: Best Jazz Instrumental Solo

Naima
Michael Brecker, soloist
Track from: Directions In Music (Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker & Roy Hargrove)
[Verve Music Group]

My Ship
Herbie Hancock, soloist
Track from: Directions In Music (Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker & Roy Hargrove)
[Verve Music Group]

Category: Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group

Triangulo
Michel Camilo
[Telarc Jazz]

The Infinite
Dave Douglas
[Bluebird]

Directions In Music
Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker & Roy Hargrove
[Verve Music Group]

Category: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

What Goes Around
Dave Holland Big Band
[ECM]

Tonight At Noon… Three Or Four Shades Of Love
Mingus Big Band
[Dreyfus Jazz]

Category: Best Rock Gospel Album

The Way I Am
Jennifer Knapp
[Gotee Records]

AES 114th Convention Exhibitors

Company Stand

A

A.P.R.S.


3412

ACME/AUDIO PRO

1223

Acoustics Engineering


1119

Adam Audio


1916

ADK Microphones


1425

ADVANCED COMPUTER SYSTEMS S.p.A.


3315

AEQ, S.A.


2325

AES 115th Convention


3415

AKG Acoustics GmbH


2808

ALCONS AUDIO

2915

ALLEN & HEATH Ltd


1416

AM 3D


3211

AMPTEC bvba

1622

AMS – NEVE plc.


1204

APHEX Systems Ltd


1416

APT


1907

Arbor


2820

ARKAMYS


3013

ASL INTERCOM bv.


1416

Audemat / Aztec


1411

Audient

1211

Audio Engineering


2516

Audio Precision


1910

Audio Pro Magazine


2812

Audio Pro Nederland


1211

Audio Video Echos


2812

Audionics


1915

Audioscope 2K


2818

AUDIO-SERVICE Ulrich Schierbecker GmbH

1125

Audio-Technica


2207

AVALON Design


2425

AVIOM


1622

AVT


2416


B

Belden


2914

Brainstorm


1702

Brainstorm

1702

BRAUNER MICROPHONES


2425

Brüel & Kjaer


2102


C

Cadac


1507

Calrec Audio


2210

Canford Audio


2712

CB Electronics


1901

CEDAR Audio Ltd

1807

CIRRUS LOGIC Inc.


1825

CLYDE BROADCAST PRODUCTS Ltd


1606

C-MEXX Software


1706

Coding Technologies


1902

Comrex


2816

CSTB


3311

Cube-Tec


2013


D

d & b audiotechnik


1211

D & R


2219

D.A.V.I.D.

2622

DALET


1408

DANGEROUS MUSIC


1423

DATEQ Audio Technologies


2913

DELEC AUDIO-UND VIDEOTECHNIK


1820

DHD GmbH


1522

DiGiCo UK Ltd.


2010

Digidesign, a division of Avid Technology


1220

DIGIGRAM sa

1411

DK-Audio


2411

Dolby


2608

DOMINO DESIGN GmbH


1207

DPA Microphones A/S


1815

Drawmer


2212

DTS


2019

DURAN AUDIO bv.


3021

DVD-AUDIO GROUP c/o MERIDIAN AUDIO GROUP

2615


E

EARTHWORKS Audio Products, Inc


1207

EBH Radio Software


2119

EMES Studio Monitor Systems


3416

EMPIRICAL Labs, Inc.


1423

EUPHONIX Europe Office


3215

Eventide


1421


F

FAIRLIGHT ESP Ltd


2921

FAR


1613

FOCAL – JM LAB


1225

Fostex Corporation


1918

Fraunhofer IIS

1105

FRIEND-CHIP


1212


G

Genelec


2410

Genelec


Room M

GENEX AUDIO Inc.


1122

GEOFFREY DAKING and Co Inc


2221

Ghielmetti


1406

GML

1702


H

HARMAN PRO GROUP


2306

HEARSAFE Technologies


2726


I

I.B.E.


2812

Imas Publishing


2106

Innova SON sa.


1411

Institut für Rundfundtechnik GmbH

1616

Interface Media BV – Shiva DMA


1323

Inter-M / Algorithmix


1506


INTERNATIONALPRESSAREA

2812


J

J & C Intersonic Ag

1722

JK AUDIO, Inc


1312

Jünger Audio


1112

Jutel


1710


K

Keyboards

2812

Klippel


2421

KM Studio Systems


1810

KRK Systems


3221

KS Digital


1211


L

Lake People


2004

Lawo


1804

Le Guide Radio

2812

Lectrosonics


1307

Lexicon


2912


Line Up

2812

Link


1211

LINN PRODUCTS

2817

Listen Inc.


2102

Live Sound


1912

LOGITEK ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS


2321

Lundahl Transformers


2612

Lydkraft


2216

M

Mandozzi Elettronica sa.


1404

Manley Labs

1603

MARANTZ Professional Europe


3312

M-AUDIO


3313

MAYAH Communications


2419

Maycom Audio Systems


2222

MB QUART GmbH


3113

MECASTEP OY


1710

MEDIA UTILITIES


1522

MEDIARTE GmbH

3212

Merging Technologies


1604

MICHAEL STEVENS & PARTNERS Ltd


3010

Milab


1502

Millenia Media


1120

MILLER & KREISEL INTERNATIONAL


1712

MILLER & KREISEL SOUND Inc.


1712

MINNETONKA AUDIO SOFTWARE


3212

mLAN Alliance


1716

Mogami


1803

MT Gefell


1520

MUSICAM USA

2422

Musikelektronik Geithain Gmbh


1620

MUTEC GmbH


2725


N

Nagra Nagravision SA Kudelski Group


2413


NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR GmbH

2813

Netia


1610

Neumann


2204

Neutrik


2315

NHT Pro


3017

NOA Audio Solutions VertriebsgesmbH


2521

NTI


1725

NTP AV Group


2007

NTP System Engineering

2007

NXT New Transducers Ltd


2522


O

Omnia


2714

Opticom


1325

ORBAN / CRL Systems Inc.


3112

Otari Europe GmbH


2104


P

Panphonics Ltd

1812

Pearl Microphones


1802

Philips International / Super Audio CD


Room O

Plus24


1702

PMI


1602

Prism Media Products


1217

Pro Audio Asia


1420

Pro Audio Visie


3018

Pro Sound & Vision

2812

Prodys


1402


PROKOM

3111

PSI AUDIO / RELEC


3210


Q

QUESTED

1416


R

RADIKAL TECHNOLOGIES DEUTSCHLAND


1622


Radio Link

2812

REEL DRUMS


1423

REFERENCE Laboratory s.r.l.

3413

RENKUS-HEINZ


1416

Resolution


1808

Rohde & Schwarz


1715

Rosendahl


1110

RTW


1908

Rycote


2215


S

S.E.A. Vertrieb & Consulting (West)

1207

Salzbrenner Stagetec


1820

SANKEN MICROPHONE Co., Ltd


3110

Schoeps


2415

SD SYSTEMS Instrument Microphones


2206

Sek’ D


1702

Sennheiser


2405

SERVICIOS DE RADIO WAVENET


3019

SHURE GmbH

1818

Solid State Logic


2015

SONIC SOLUTIONS


3212

SONIC STUDIO LLC


3212

Sonifex


2614

Sono Magazine


2812

SONOSAX SAS SA


2815

Sonovision


2812

Sony Europe / Super Audio CD

Room O

SONY OVERSEAS SA


1722

Sound and Vision


1106

Sound Keys


2812

Sound On Sound


2812

Soundfield


2312

Soundmanager International AS


2007

Stage Accompany B.V.


2006

STAGE TEC ENTWICKLUNGSGESELLSCHAFT

1820

STEINBERG Media Technologies AG


1720

Studer


2605

STUDIO 22 GmbH


1207

Studio Audio + Video Ltd


1707

STUDIO BOX GmbH


2822

Studio Magazin


2812

Sypha


3213


T

Tamura


1925

TC ELECTRONIC A/S


1211

Teac / Tascam


2610

Telos Systems


2714

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS


3015

That Corporation


2302

THX, Ltd


3310

TM Audio Holland BV

1416


Top Format


1926


Total Production

1102

TRUTH AUDIO


1423

TSL


1608


U

Ultrasone


2511

United Entertainment Media


1104

UNIVERSAL AUDIO


1207


V

VCS Aktiengesellschaft

2017

VDT


2823


W

Walters-Storyk Design Group Europe


2919

Wave Distribution


1423

WAVE MECHANICS Inc.


1423

WAVES


1622

WEISS Engineering Ltd


1121

Wysicom

1314


Y

Yamaha Corp.


1716

Yamaha Music


1211

Yamaha Music Central Europe GmbH


2617

YOU/COM Audiocommunicatie bv.


2918

Z

Zenon Media


2012

ZPLANE.DEVELOPMENT

1111

USACI Details Upcoming Spring Break Sound Off and SPL Events

United States Autosound Competition International (USACI) has provided event details for a couple of Spring Break competition events coming up in March.

First up is 6th annual Spring Break Jam, March 1-2, 2003 at the South Padre Island Convention Center in South Padre Island, Texas. The event will include a USACI triple-points regional sound off and USACI custom car show, plus live performances, free product giveaways, and bikini contests.

Spring Break Jam will also feature “The Mike Outlaw Show,” under a new agreement that will bring Mike Outlaw and his “incredibly crazy personality” to the spring break event every year for the next three years.

“I am pumped!” exclaims Mike Outlaw, explaining that he can hardly wait to take the stage at Padre. “I do a lot of events, but few as fun or spontaneous as Spring Break Jam” he says.

A couple of weeks later comes the USACI Spring Break Beach Bash, sponsored by Audiobahn. It takes place March 15-16, 2003, at the Miracle Mile Amusement Park on the “Party Strip” at Panama City Beach, Florida. It will be a USACI Regional event, World SPL Record Event, and Tuner Jam Car Show. Organizers are expecting about 100,000 spring breakers to attend.

The event admission includes one free admission to the amusement park, World Finals size trophies, and cash prize money in every class, with one lucky competitor winning a guaranteed $1000 cash prize.

Among the attractions at the Beach Bash:

  • “The Judge” SPL tower
  • the “Mike Outlaw Show” (sponsored by Memphis Car Audio)
  • SPL Legend Alma Gates will sign autographs
  • “The Bronco,” the vehicle that changed the face of SPL competition in America

Team Kicker will be on hand to support their competitors as will Crutchfield, Memphis Car Audio, Audiobahn, Digital Audio, Ichibahn, Xcite Audio, Swiss Audio, Alphasonic, and many other local and national sponsors.

Sommers Audio of Panama City Beach will be the local host sponsor for the event.

USACI Web Site