As college students everywhere deal with budget cuts and tuition increases, Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is working hard to provide financial aid for students who qualify academically, but fall short financially.

“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.

Tags: Backline King, Dynacord Cobra, Patti Austin, WSSU

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.

It was hands on yesterday in Atlanta as VP of Sales for Roland System Group, Christian Delfino, demoed the new M-48 Personal Mixing Solution to dealers in advance of it’s imminent release and CareySound was there to get our first glimpse of the new hardware. The M-48 is the newest addition to Rolands Digital V-Mix System. We are now taking orders for the personal mixer for delivery at the end of April.

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.

Tags: Roland, Roland M-48, Roland RSS V-Mix

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

Dear 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

Tags: Big E, Ribbon Microphone

I think I have spent more time writing about and answering questions concerning wireless microphones than any other audio topic in the last 20 years. Not because I really want to mind you but because it always seems to be the cause of so much angst. A quick history of wireless microphones is in order.

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.

Those first NADY transmitters (as pictured above) broadcast on any clear area in the FM radio band. It was shipped without a microphone or a receiver. All you had to do to use the transmitter was remove the 3 pin connector in the bottom of a SHURE SM58 microphone and slide in the unit. The early versions of the SM58 came with an extra set screw located at the connector so you could lock a mic cable to the mic and this same set screw enabled the NADY transmitter to be securely fastened to the mic. The recommended receiver (pictured to the right) was the ADVENT Model 400 Mono FM receiver designed by the legendary inventor and home audio pioneer, Henry Kloss, because of it’s renowned sensitivity, stability, and extremely low distortion audio output with a precision vernier tuning dial. Tuning the system was accomplished by setting the tuner to an unused frequency between stations (there was a lot of room back then) and then turn a small tuning knob that protruded from the bottom of the transmitter until the audio from the microphone could be heard from the receiver. Not a particularly painless procedure, but the result was amazing for the time.

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. And definitely seek the advice of a trusted professional wireless provider.

Tags: White Space, Wireless Microphones, FCC

Not everybody is counting on a government handout.

Tags: Will mix for food