kevin, Author at AudioWorld

‘The Ribbon’ Line-Array Modules by Alcons Audio Provide High-Performance Sound Reinforcement for Audio One and Toto

July 9, 2004 by kevin

The “Tallships Festival” in Larvik, Norway, saw the inauguration of the first Alcons “The Ribbon” line-array system in Norway.

Rental company Audio One took delivery of a large rig of Alcons line-array modules, bass systems, sub systems, amplification and processing and put it into action immediately on rock band Toto’s Norwegian tour stop.

With more than 10.000 fans on hand, the system underwent its inaugural performance, with 48 LR16 line-array modules, 12 LR16B bass systems, 12 sub systems and ALC controller-amps.

Audio One is a national PA rental and sales company with offices in three cities. The company was established only three years ago and in this short time has already secured the position of one of the top audio rental companies in the country.

Stuart Mørch-Kerrison, head of the Oslo department and sales at AudioOne and veteran FOH engineer for artists such as INXS, Allison Moyet, Erasure, Kim Wilde, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Paul Weller; “The main reason for the success is that we are a company of sound guys rather than businessmen. We have extensive experience in our field and we are proud of the service we provide. Audio quality is the number one reason for us to use a product and that is why I became so interested in the Alcons system after hearing it in Frankfurt in April. Considering there was absolutely no EQ whatsoever on that demo system, it was probably the most natural-sounding PA I had ever heard. With our intention to change our rental inventory, it was clear there was only one direction to go; Buy The Ribbon line-array!”

Alcons Audio Line-Array Modules frame the stage as Toto performs at the "Tallships Festival" in Larvik, Norway

Mørch-Kerrison continues: “The system at the Toto concert was a bit overspec’d, but because it was the first time we used this system, we wanted to find out the limits of the system. During the show, the average level at the FOH position (@ 30m/90ft.) was around 116 – 117db (C-weighted), but during set-up, the peak reading was 127 db without any clip indication.”

“The throw of the system was phenomenal. We had a flat SPL response up to 80metres/240ft. and then a slight roll-off in SPL down to 150mtr./450ft, but the sound was still very much intelligible!. We could never have done this gig properly with our old system without additional large delay systems.”

Colin Norfield, the FOH engineer of Toto (as well as Pink Floyd and others) was very pleased with the system as well: “I was knocked-out by the crystal clear response. The vocals were absolutely “in the face” and the overall sound was very crisp and natural sounding. If I couldn’t make a good mix on this system, I’d better go home! Only after the show I heard the system works with ribbon transducers. It’s an amazing system”.

Mørch-Kerrison adds: “Much to our surprise, the Alcons system also seemed to be very efficient power-wise. The current draw was at least 35 to 40% less than with our “old” system. I can truly say that I have never been so impressed with the combination of audio quality, output and coverage from a PA system. Alcons sets definitely new standards in the world of live sound reinforcement.”

Tom Back, MD of Alcons: “It’s fantastic to get this reaction, which is typical for the response we have been receiving on our The Ribbon line-array since its launch 7 months ago. Because of this, the Ribbon Network is expanding globally every month.”

“We’re very proud to have Audio One on board as latest Ribbon Network member. It is surprising to see the similarities between Alcons and Audio One: Recently established and experiencing success because of quality, teamwork and dedication. We talk the same audio language and this will strongly support the development of both companies.”

Alcons Audio Web Site

Filed Under: Pro Audio

Majority of Americans Oppose Music Industry Lawsuits Against Internet Music Downloaders, Says New FindLaw Survey

June 29, 2004 by kevin

A majority of Americans say the music industry should not sue people who illegally download music off the Internet, according to a new poll by the legal Web site FindLaw. Still, legal experts say the industry’s suits have legal merit and urge consumers to be aware of copyright laws and their legal rights before downloading from any Web site.

The Recording Industry Association of America, which represents the major recording companies, filed copyright infringement suits last week against 482 people in St. Louis, Denver, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., who allegedly downloaded music illegally from the Internet. Since last September, more than 3,400 people have been sued by the recording industry for damages of up to half a million dollars each. At least 600 of those cases have been settled for approximately $3,000 each. None of the cases has yet gone to trial.

According to the national survey by FindLaw, 56 percent of American adults oppose the lawsuits. Thirty-seven percent support the industry’s legal actions. Seven percent of those surveyed had no opinion. One thousand adults were surveyed, with results accurate plus or minus three percent.

“Although the RIAA’s lawsuits are unsettling to many, they are based upon sound law because it is a clear violation of copyright law to make a verbatim copy of a protected sound recording,” says Prof. Sharon Sandeen, who teaches intellectual property law at the Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, Minn. “The underlying public policy at work is the notion that without copyright laws, musical artists would be less inclined to create music and, as a result, there would be fewer sound recordings. So the individuals who complain about the lawsuits should ask themselves: ‘Would I rather live in a world with freely distributed but less music, or pay for the music I enjoy so that there will be more of it?'”

“I suspect that many people, when educated about the purpose of copyright law, support the law,” Sandeen continued. “Public opposition to the lawsuits may be due, in part, to what some people consider hard-handed tactics by the RIAA.”

The survey found that opposition to music industry lawsuits was much higher among younger people. Nearly two-thirds of those between the ages of 18 and 34 said the music industry should not sue people who illegally download music. Many of the people who have been sued are college or high school students and their parents. The RIAA has been pressuring colleges and universities to limit students’ ability to download large files through campus computer networks. Opposition to the lawsuits was also higher among people with lower incomes.

Legal actions to combat illegal music downloading may increase. Senator Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently introduced legislation that would allow artists to sue the makers of file-sharing software used to illegally download music.

“In the end, there is no such thing as cost-free music downloading,” says Professor Marci Hamilton at Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. “The freewheeling early years of the Internet led adults and teenagers alike to believe that whatever came across their computer screen could be and ought to be downloaded cost-free. In many ways, downloading is like shoplifting: an exciting and slightly risky diversion, a seemingly petty vice in an otherwise law-abiding life. But like shoplifting, illegal music downloading violates the law and exacts a cost on society.”

Consumers concerned about their rights can find the latest music industry lawsuits, copyright laws, analysis by legal experts and a searchable directory on lawyers specializing in the Internet and copyright law at a special section of FindLaw, the leading legal Web site.

FindLaw Web Site

Filed Under: Production

Waves MiniWoofer Provides Subwoofer Quality Sound at a Fraction of The Size

January 8, 2004 by kevin

Waves, the audio technology company known for its professional signal processing software and plugins, is demonstrating revolutionary new technology for the consumer market at CES.

Waves’ MaxxBass technology dramatically shrinks the size of a traditional subwoofer without sacrificing sound quality. At CES, Waves is demonstrating its Home MiniWoofer(TM), which uses MaxxBass processing to deliver rich deep bass response in a 7-inch cube weighing less than six pounds.

Patented Audio Processing Technology Delivers New Applications

The MiniWoofer can also be designed in a variety of forms ranging from a small subwoofer that fits under a car seat or on a door panel, to a three-inch thick flat panel subwoofer that can hang on a wall under a plasma TV. The difference in sound quality that consumers will hear is tremendous, as bass frequencies are what carry most of the emotional impact in music, movies, and games.

The Home MiniWoofer is also an ideal alternative to a complete 5.1 home theater system, where consumers don’t wish to dedicate the space or deal with the complexity of installation or more remote controls. It is simple to connect the Home MiniWoofer with stereo TVs, DVD players, and cable/satellite set-top devices.

“The MiniWoofer enables subwoofer performance levels in a wide range of applications where traditional subwoofers are considered too large, unsightly, or expensive,” said Gilad Keren, President and CEO of Waves. “Imagine if you could get subwoofer quality sound from your car stereo, portable CD player, or home video games without needing a big, heavy subwoofer. The MaxxBass technology that the MiniWoofer is based on makes that possible, and we are now seeing many major consumer electronics manufacturers beginning to embed this technology in their products.”

Leading Consumer Electronics Manufacturers License MaxxBass

Waves MaxxBass technology has already been sold or licensed to a number of leading consumer manufacturers including Altec Lansing, Directed Electronics, Microsoft, Samsung, Sanyo, and Sony. Reducing the size reduces the cost as well since a smaller product requires less power and fewer materials to make. The MiniWoofer consumes 50 percent less power than a traditional subwoofer while providing the same rich, deep bass sound.

Not a Bass Boost Technology

MaxxBass works by extending the lower end of bass frequency response up to one-and-a-half octaves without distortion, delivering deeper, richer, more natural bass. MaxxBass is not a bass boost technology, but instead utilizes a Waves patented psychoacoustic phenomenon called the Missing Fundamental effect, which takes advantage of the way the ear and mind are wired to improve the quality of sound perceived. MaxxBass generates a precise harmonic content so your ear believes it is hearing lower frequency sounds than are physically present.

Generating loud and low bass is the most difficult and costly goal in loudspeaker design. The laws of physics require large speaker enclosures and high power to generate loud and deep bass.

Unlike other technologies, MaxxBass simultaneously allows the system efficiency to be improved, reducing amplifier cost and/or increasing maximum volume levels. The combination of lower material costs, less expensive amplifiers, and reduced shipping is estimated save manufacturers more than 50% on a mass market home theater style subwoofer.

WAVES Web Site

MaxxBass Web Site

Filed Under: Events

More Than 200 Million Consumer Electronics Products Sold Worldwide Feature DTS Surround Sound Technology

September 2, 2003 by kevin

DTS (Digital Theater Systems, Inc.) has reached a rather impressive milestone. More than 200 million consumer electronics products have been shipped worldwide containing DTS-licensed technology or intellectual property.

The count of DTS-licensed products includes DVD players, receivers, amplifiers, pre-amps, video game consoles, car audio processors and head units, PC-based software decoders and 5.1-channel speaker systems for the PC.

Unit sales of consumer electronics products with DTS technology reached just 3,000 units in 1994, its first year of availability. The number soared to 100 million units annually, as of August 2002. More than 200 consumer electronics manufacturers worldwide license DTS technology today.

“The number of DTS-licensed products now exceeds 200 million, which attests to the appeal of DTS technology and brand amongst consumers and consumer electronics manufacturers alike,” comments Jon Kirchner, president and CEO of DTS.

“The fact that we have reached this milestone at the same time we’re celebrating DTS’ ten-year anniversary also underscores our increasing establishment in the industry.”

In addition to consumer electronics products, DTS licenses its technology to the pro audio industry, and distributes its own encoder/decoder units via a global dealer network. DTS-encoded audio is available on thousands of DVD-Video and DVD-Audio titles, on the company’s own DTS Entertainment-branded 5.1 Music and DVD-Audio discs, as well as on video games for Sony’s PlayStation(R)2 gaming console.

DTS is an innovator in the development of multi-channel digital sound technology for the consumer electronics and professional audio markets, including home A/V, video games and consoles, broadcast, personal computers and mobile and portable audio systems. Today, every major consumer electronics manufacturer supports DTS technology. DTS also offers hardware and software encoders to the professional audio communities, allowing them to produce DTS audio content directly.

DTS decoders are in virtually every major brand of 5.1-channel surround processors, and DTS sound is featured on more than 20,000 motion picture screens worldwide.

DTS Web Site

Filed Under: Tech

Barix Exstreamer Home Network Audio Interfaces Go High-End With Digital I/O and Infrared at CEDIA

September 2, 2003 by kevin

Swiss maker Barix is adding “pro” quality interfaces to its line of home audio networking devices that use Ethernet to move streaming audio (MP3, Internet radio, and now uncompressed, full-resolution audio as well) between home audio systems and computers or Internet connections.

At CEDIA 2003 in Indianapolis (Sept. 3-7, 2003), Barix and North American distributor Grid Connect will be announcing and demonstrating the new Exstreamer Digital Professional ($425 US) and Instreamer Digital Input Professional ($425 US) interfaces.

The new models add high-quality audio capabilities to the compelling features already provided by the basic Exstreamer ($179 US) and Exstreamer Wireless ($299 US) network players.

The general idea with all of the Barix players is that they use standard computer networking technology – Ethernet at 10/100 Mbps for wired devices, and 802.11b protocol for wireless – to distribute audio from computer file and Internet streaming sources, via standard stereo audio connections to consumer electronics equipment.

You connect the Exstreamer to an Ethernet network, access it via a Web browser anywhere on the network (or even a remote location on the Internet), then control digital audio files or Internet audio streams from anywhere on the connected network.

You can use multiple Exstreamer devices to inject audio into home entertainment systems throughout your home or office location, in any room with a network connection.

While the original Exstreamer model provides RCA jack and headphone outputs, the new Exstreamer Digital Professional MP3 and Streaming Music player adds stereo digital S/PDIF outs via both TOSlink optical connector and RCA jack.

The new model also provides IR remote control features, even functioning as a bidirectional transparent infrared gateway with an optional stick-on transmitter.

The advanced, high-end features make the Exstreamer Digital ideal for use by professional home installers, who can now handle just about any customer requirement when setting up a distributed audio system. It can be controlled by Web-connected pads and PDAs, in addition to computers, or simply by an IR remote control. With serial and Ethernet control API’s, the device can be managed from typical home automation systems. Software developers can even develop custom audio applications using one of the well-documented Ethernet, serial or Web-based interfaces.

A typical application will be in multi-room distributed audio systems. Thanks to its audio synchronisation capability, digital audio distribution to large halls or rooms with interconnecting, open doors or gates is now possible and easy to implement.

Average home users will also find Exstreamer devices are easy to install, thanks to their unique SonicIP and IPzator features: after power-up, the device will speak it’s own IP address to the audio port!

The new Instreamer Digital Input Professional shares similar technology and control features, but moves audio in the opposite direction – from the home audio system, into the computer streaming out to the Internet. Audio from stereo systems, tape players, tuners, microphones, or other sources can stream audio onto the network.

The Instreamer’s audio connections include Line In (RCA, 2Vpp max level) and S/PDIF In (TOSlink optical and RCA), instead of outputs. It converts analog and digital audio into MP3 streams, and serves it to the connected network just like an ordinary Internet radio station.

Barix Web Site

Exstreamer Web Site