Production Update
- Call it Cobra ver. 2.0. We have expanded our inventory of Dynacord Cobra boxes to over 24 boxes including Cobra 4 Far long throw boxes and upgraded our popular systems voice with the best signal processing and the most powerful EV amplifier ever, the 7,000 watt TG-7 with RCM-26 remote control DSP module.
- EV Phoenix subs and monitors. This new implementation of the Electro-Voice Manifold Technology provides even more output per cubic foot of cabinet than it's predecessor, the venerable EV MT4 System. The new Phoenix Subs produce more acoustical output at lower frequencies with two 18" loudspeakers each than the original did with four 18's. The new Phoenix Monitor produces a spectacular 6 db more output than any other contemporary rival and does it in an amazingly small low profile wedge.
- Roland RSS V-Mix digital system. More than just a digital replacement for an analogue mixing desk, the M-400 is the control surface for a complete end-to end digital audio system. Just add microphones on one end and stacks n' racks on the other and you have a complete sound system.
- We were so impressed with the new Roland digital gear we added new Roland Ethernet Audio Communication (REAC) digital backbones to all of our systems providing high quality 24-bit/96kHz audio over Cat5e cables. No more bulky audio snake systems with all of the noise, buzzes and signal quality losses associated with analogue audio over miles of copper wire.
- No longer do you need to use massive amounts of electrical power to light a concert stage. Elation Lighting is leading a revolution in the lighting industry with their new line of fixtures utilizing new high-output/low-power usage Light Emitting Diodes (LED's) as light sources.
Production Bundles
We have a
solution for the Recession Blues - Bundle Up &
Save. 
Our services and
expertise now go way beyond just sound and lights.
Utilizing over 31 years of industry connections
CareySound has formed a partnership with a group of
other like minded production professionals. Drawing
upon their respective fields of expertise and
extensive inventories we now offer a complete event
production experience. With the formation of
The Production Partners Network we
now offer the following:
Sterling AV
Sterling Audio Visual is a
full-service supplier of audio-visual equipment,
staging, and technical support. They offer the most
modern equipment and the highest quality of
technology. Sterling 's most valuable asset is their
team of trained audio-visual professionals.
SRO Entertainment
As one of the
fastest growing artist booking agents on the east
coast, last year SRO booked more than five million
dollars in national talent including the biggest and
hottest Nashville stars. The company produces events
from small private single family celebrations to
major corporate events for Fortune 500
companies.
Joe Mama's Mobile Stages
Professionally designed from
the ground up to work outdoor shows, concerts,
festivals and special events, we provide fast,
hassle-free setup service, with many flexible
configurations to accommodate both small and large
events.
Road King Backline
No more guitar amps
that don't work and drum kits missing parts - our
newest production partner, Road King Backline,
provides the best rental band gear in the Southeast.
They maintain meticulous care of their large
inventory of new and vintage band equipment.
Call us today at (336) 292-8282 and
we will coordinate the best production team in the
Southeast for you. We offer special bundled packages
that deliver the finest production values
anywhere.
Memory Lane
Barbara went on to star with R&B legends Atlantic Starr before moving on to a solo carrier in 1990 . I am honored to have been a SoundMan and friend of such an amazing talent. A genuine artist that takes you breath away when she is on stage. And was a great baby sitter for my sons. Thanks for the call Barbara.
Barbara Weathers
w/Covacus - Early 80’s - Roanoke Civic Center
(Click to Enlarge)
Music for a Sunday Evening in the Park
The 2008 season ended with a performance by two of its most popular bands, Wally West's Little Big Band and Martha and The Mood Swingers on the lawn at Blandwood Mansion. This year they will reprise that lineup on Sunday June 7th at 6:00 pm in Center City Park for the opening of the 2009 season of Music For A Sunday Evening In The Park, a Greensboro tradition for 30 years.
The MUSEP summer concert series continues to be one of the golden treasures that makes Greensboro such a great place to live and work and that really sets it apart from other communities. It has been a weekly gathering of friends and neighbors to share picnic dinners and enjoy the best native Greensboro musical talent.
Jennifer Hance, Greensboro City Arts Director for the Music Center, just released the lineup for this years series and it includes many favorites from years past plus some new talent. In addition to Wally and Martha at the first concert, 19 other local groups will fill the air with music for the 13 scheduled weekly events throughout the summer. A complete schedule for the new season can be found at the official MUSEP website at www.musep.com
MUSEP began as a City funded outreach project of the Parks and Recreation Department and when City Arts had its budget cut in half a number of years ago, MUSEP became completely unfunded. Recognizing the the value of this program to Greensboro, The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro generously stepped in the keep the series alive.
But as with all the wonderful work that the Foundation does for our community, their contribution was provided only as a stop gap measure so that a suitable permanent funding solution could be arranged. No one stepped up to the challenge. They continued to keep it alive, however, last year they cut their funding for the series in half restructuring their donation as a one to one matching fund up to half the cost of the festival.That means that when Jennifer walks the festival each week with the donation bucket your contributions are vital to the continuation of the series.
As all of our regular concert goers should know, last years weather forced the cancelation of a record four consecutive weeks of shows and along with it four weeks of lost revenue. Your contributions are critical to the continuation and success of the series. So please help out! Click the link below for details on how to donate.
EarthMover Microphones Shake The Entertainment World
ConcerTech, a wholly
owned subsidiary of SoundMan Enterprises, has
announced a breakthrough in microphone transducer
technology. They have begun shipment of the first in
their new series of EarthMover microphones based
around their new revolutionary patent pending
Rectulearital Biphase Technology.
The EarthMover EM-1 specifications exceed the International IEC 60268-4 standards on sound field testing making it superior to the human ear.
- Frequency Response: 1Hz to beyond 50kHz +/- 0.0 dBu
- Polar Pattern: Adaptive Omnipotence
- Sensitivity: 10mV/Pa
- Max Acoustic Input: 175dB SPL
- Output: ESP-3 (pin 1+)
- Noise: none
- Minimum Output Load: It’s not heavy, it”s my brother
The EarthMover EM-1 is also available in a wireless version the EarthMover EM-1W. It works without electronic receivers utilizing bleeding edge empathic telepathy (ET) adapted for military use from UFO’s captured in Rosewell, NM. It is FCC 700MHz complaint.
The new ConcerTech EarthMover microphone is set to revolutionize the live audio industry. The perfect vanity microphone for screaming electric guitar amplifiers due to it’s almost infinite maximum input capacity, it was tested by NASA at 1 meter form the space shuttles solid rocket fuel engine at takeoff with no diaphragm distortion. “It was truly blazing in our launch tests” reported NASA engineers.
The wireless version makes the perfect rap vocal microphone. It is completely impervious to bad mic technique and will simultaneously translate and sanitize gangster rap lyrics so that you will never hear offensive language through the system that broadcasts directly to the listener via its ET technology.
ConcerTech engineers have at long last deciphered the key to the SoundMans holly grail and have created the Talent Compensation Device (TCD) that is available as an option on any EarthMover microphone. With the TCD option you will never have to worry about the talent of your artist again.
One Enchanted Evening
“It’s paramount that we provide young, talented minds with access to a university education,” said Donald J. Reaves, Ph.D., chancellor of WSSU. “To increase the number of scholarships we are awarding, we need the support of our communities, alumni, members of the faith community and other friends of the university to support scholarships.”
“One of my strategic goals is to improve the student experience,” Chancellor Reaves continued. “A way to do that is to provide the financial assistance deserving students need.”
To assist in that effort, WSSU hosted an evening of musical enjoyment featuring GRAMMY® award-winning songstress, Patti Austin on campus in the Kenneth R. Williams Auditorium. Along with performing classic R&B and jazz numbers, Austin also performed with the WSSU Burke Singers under the direction of D’Walla Simmons Burke, director of choral programs at WSSU. To complete the evening.
CareySound technology on display at WSSU
concert.
CareySound On The Road
It was a beautiful
weekend for an outdoor concert at the beach as
CareySound hit the road for Barefoot Landing in North
Myrtle Beach this last weekend for the Annual Taste
Of The Coast Festival. The festival a production of
Risen Christ Lutheran School and the proceeds go to
the school. Area restaurants had booths set up so
that you could sample the many different types of
cuisine they offer, and there were fun and games for
the whole family to enjoy while they spent the day
together.
SoundMan knows how to pack a big punch into a
small space
and he comes with his own house.
CareySounds Basic Cobra package sets up fast, packs into an incredibly small space and performs better than systems three times its size. We know how to keep prices low during tough economic times without sacrificing quality. Call us today.
Roland Update
We also got to preview
the new Version 2.0 software for the M-400 console.
This is the second major feature upgrade for the
system since it was first introduced less than a year
ago. The new upgrade adds an onboard real time audio
analyzer, parametric EQs and 6 new effect engines
plus more advancements to the work flow. We were told
to expect the software to be available by next week
and we will be contacting all of our V-Mix customers
for appointments for this free upgrade. It’s exciting
to see the rapid growth of this digital platform and
announcements of more products in the system later in
the year.
It was also announced
that Cakewalk Software is now a completely owned
subsidiary of Roland and the newest version of their
Sonar 8 REAC recording system for the V-Mix is
shipping and has come down in price. Also Cakewalk
has introduced a comprehensive new hardware DAW
interface called the V-Studio 700.
Striving to create an
ideal music production environment, Cakewalk and
Roland have built the ultimate DAW system integrated
with high-end tools. The SONAR V-STUDIO 700 offers
the “tactile feel” of working in a traditional
studio, but in a way that takes advantage of
everything modern technology has to offer. The system
represents the best that software and hardware have
to offer with amazing control, integration, and sound
quality.
Call us for details today.
But Will It Work In A Hurricane?
Dear ZD,Dear SoundMan, I read your review of the Big E ribbon mic, and had a question. How Does the Big E hold up in the aspect of durability? I know that ribbon mics are typically quite delicate and wanted to know if this was any different. Thanks - ZD
We have been getting lots of feedback (no pun intended) about the Big E and I thought this was a good one so I contacted the designer Rick Earl for an answer and this was his response;
Glad to hear you’re interested in the microphone, I’m also glad to see you wanting to pursue a career in the industry, we need more good people.
Ribbon mics in general have the reputation for being delicate, although some of it is exaggerated. The weakest part of the microphone is the ribbon itself. The Big E has a 4 micron thick ribbon, many have a 2 micron or less. A strong blast of air, say from a kick drum could possibly tear or break the ribbon. I know many people are touring with mics like Royer and in fact, they have a LIVE model that has a thicker (4 Micron) ribbon. As far as the Big E is concerned, I have beat on it to test the suspension and have used it in almost every situation except kick drum. I do not put a bag over it when I move it and sometimes just toss it in the back seat when I take it places. So far no damage.
This is JUST THE PROTOTYPE! Although the motor design is pretty final, I am still perfecting the ribbon manufacturing process. I do have a double grill design that does reduce “wind” directly on the element and that would continue in any future designs or modifications. When the ribbon process is perfected, hopefully I will be able to do a complete set of tests, including max SPL.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Rick
The Wireless Dilemma
History
Although several early references document the use of radio microphones beginning around 1948, it was an American electrical engineer by the name of Raymond Litke that invented and patented the first lavalier radio microphone in 1957 for use in classroom communication at San Jose State College. It was first brought to market by VEGA in 1960 and was used by the broadcast media that same year for the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. Wireless microphones did not come into popular widespread use until the mid 1970’s until John Nady (who founded NADY Systems) pioneered their use in the music industry. He was also the first to add a compander circuit that offered audio performance and dynamic range that came close to that of a wired microphone. Their use then spread quickly through the entertainment and broadcast industries.
These FM radio based transmitters were quickly replaced by crystal controlled fixed frequency VHF units that used unused TV channels. It was really a challenge to travel with these radios because you had to take extra systems to ensure a clear signal. However the output of the transmitter was significantly stronger and more stable than the FM radios they replaced. Further improvements were made by adding a second antenna to the receiver to help prevent dropouts from phase cancelation. Current wirelesses operate in the UHF frequency band, again sharing the bandwidth with the local TV stations. They use a frequency synthesis circuit that allows the flexible selection of frequencies giving some units a couple of thousand channels to build a clear reliable wireless system. It is these systems that have precipitated the huge expansion in the use of wireless systems allowing many transmitters to be used in close proximity to each other.
So, what’s all the fuss about?
The latest issue trust upon us is courtesy of none other than our Federal government, who in their ultimate wisdom have decided that we can’t live without digital television. So what exactly does this have to do with my wireless mic you may ask? Well, those seemingly essential audio tools that so many of us have come to rely on have been sharing the same airways that TV stations use for over the air broadcast. And unless you’ve had your head in the sand you should have noticed all of hoopla surrounding the switch from analogue to digital TV. It is this transition to digital TV that has put wireless microphone use in the spotlight.
Licenses are required to use wireless microphones on vacant TV channels in the United States. This application of a wireless device falls under the Broadcast Auxiliary Service (BAS) rules. Since their inception, wireless microphones have essentially operated as unlicensed pirate radio stations, except for less than 1,000 devices in the entire US that have applied for and been granted licenses. The tens of thousands of unlicensed transmitters in daily use have been largely overlooked by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) who is responsible for code enforcement and only rarely shutdown or prosecuted. In the shadow of the stealth growth of wireless microphone usage, the neglect of the FCC to make the rules clear and their lack of enforcement, the benign use of this unused bandwidth has grown from a novelty to a huge community of users that rely on their wireless microphones.
So here’s the first problem
The FCC has sold the rights to the unused frequency spectrum that will be abandoned when TV stations turn off their analogue signals. So hence forth, Broadcast Auxiliary Services, such as your wireless microphones, will not be allowed to use the 698 - 806 MHz portion of the spectrum due to their auction of the 700 MHz band to buyers with really deep pockets. (We are talking Billions here.) So if you have any wireless transmitters operating in that space they have been effectively EOL’d (end of life) by the FCC.
Problem #2
There is still some discussion among the players in this drama as to the fate of the remaining TV spectrum. The discussion revolves around who will be granted access to this “white space” (the area between active TV channels) under existing BAS rules. Among those fighting for access is the entertainment & broadcast industries and high speed internet access, the outcome of which has yet to be determined. Complicating this issue is a new requirement that these new transmitters employ, yet to be proven, new technology that includes GPS location, spectrum-sensing, and location database access.
So what’s a wireless microphone user to do?
These regulations represent a moving target as to when they will be implemented and what the new rules will actually be. Nothing has been finalized yet and remember that this is a political issue and is subject to the whims of our government.
- Go out and by bunch of new expensive gear?
- Stake-out your wireless territory and try to get licensed?
- Run up the pirate radio flag and continue with business as usual?
- Go back to using wire?
A successful wireless strategy requires the combination of all four.
- For the immediate future go ahead and continue to run the pirate flag. Your current wirelesses have worked for the last 30 years and are not going to suddenly self-destruct. The FCC isn’t adding a platoon of new enforcement officers to jail offenders. It’s the same old “if no one complains, no foul” as it has been for the foreseeable future.
- Ultimately if you are using you’re wireless in a fixed location you should probably put a claim in to protect your airwaves by applying for a license. This will insure that if it does come down to a fight you are on the right side.
- See if any of your current wireless mics operate in the 700 MHz band. I would not replace them yet if they are still in good shape and working but I would start a fund to replace them when they break. You will no longer be able to get them fixed.
- This is a good time to seriously evaluate if you really need a wireless solution. Wired microphones still deliver superior performance to their wireless counterparts and they cost much less.
- If you decide that you need to purchase new equipment this is no time to buy a cheep wireless microphone. It’s becoming a crowded field and only high end wirelesses have the flexibility and performance to have the best chance of survival.
- And definitely seek the advice of a trusted professional wireless provider.