Digital systems are dramatically changing the installed audio landscape. The scales have tipped in the cost/ benefit ratio in favor of deploying digital solutions as compared to their analogue predecessors. These two system upgrades that CareySound has just completed at Calvary Christian Center and Providence Baptist Church provide a two great examples of the advantages of digital workflows.


At Calvary Christian Center a new Roland RSS V-Mix System replaced their aging A&H GL3 mixing desk along with their old wired analogue snake. The new system boasts:

• Dramatically improved sound
• Up to 48 channels of input control of up to 320 inputs
• 24 ch of compression
• 24 ch of gates
• 4 stereo effects engines
• 16 auxiliary mixes
• 12 1/3 octave 31 band graphic EQs or 12 8 band parametric EQs
• Remote digital snake system
• User memory setting of all parameters
• Greatly simplified control interface

CareySound’s V-Mix instructor John Carey trains Calvary’s soundmen.

Over at Providence Baptist A new Automix Matrix 780 system controller from Symetrix mounted in their equipment rack located in an office with an ARC-2 adaptive remote control mounted at the pulpit for complete system control with a menu-driven remote. System highlights include:

• Customizable programing
• 12 input channels and 8 outputs
• Matrix mixing
• Feedback elimination
• Equalization and filtering
• Limiting
• Delay
• Easy control from a menu-driven remote located conveniently at the pulpit
• Great audio and control at a small price point

In the rack.

At the Pulpit control.

Old Inkel 12ch rack-mount mixer with outboard 1/3 EQ is replaced with a Symetrix Matrix 780 mixer with processing.

Tags: Roland RSS V-Mix, Symetrix

What if you took the award winning Roland RSS V-mix M-400…

…and shrunk it.

Read More...

Tags: Roland RSS V-Mix, Roland M-380

Having provided quality production services for thousands of events over our 31+ year history, CareySound Productions enters its fourth decade of service with new energy saving technologies and a host new services. CareySound takes great pride in offering it’s clients the highest degree of expertise and customer service in specialty event production services.

New Technology -

• 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.

Tags: Dynacord Cobra, EV Phoenix, Roland RSS V-Mix, Roland REAC, Elation Lighting, Elation Lighting, Elation Lighting, Elation Lighting

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

CareySound is pleased to announce the release of the new personal mixing solution from Roland, the M-48. The M-48 is the next generation live personal mixer that offers musicians the fexibly to control exactly what they want to listen to during their performances. It provides the highest level of sound monitoring quality for both headphones and IEMs (In-Ear Monitors) as well as for wedge and powered monitors. The superb sound quality creates the ideal monitoring environment for live performance and recording as well as studio applications.

Unprecedented Personalization
The M-48 enables control of up to 40 audio channels via 16 stereo groups. No longer do you have to share the same sources and in the same order as everyone else. Each musician can choose what he or she wants to listen to - a truly personal mix.

Professional Sound Control and Quality
Sweeten your monitor mix to your exact preferences with volume, pan, 3-band EQ and built-in reverb per group —all instantly adjustable by convenient encoder knobs. A Limiter is incorporated for protecting your ears from sudden and dangerous volume spikes. Based on REAC, the all-digital connection results in a low noise floor, improved musicality and crystal clear sound.

Unparalleled Usability
The LED indicators on the control knobs enable instant adjustment and visual confirmation at a glance, even on a dark stage. The built-in ambient mic aids in communicating with other musicians without have to remove your IEMs or headphones as well as enabling a stage/room feel if desired. The AUX Input allows a metronome or other device to be mixed into the primary sound.

Convenient Connectivity
Our newly developed "REAC Embedded Power" transfers both power and 40 channels of audio to the M-48 via a single CAT5e cable —dramatically simplifying wiring and stage layouts. Mini jack and 1/4 inch phone jack headphone outputs are provided. Balanced TRS line outputs support wedge or other types of powered monitors. An independent stereo output mini jack enables recording with superb sound quality.



The Next Generation of Simple, High Quality Audio Transfer
REAC (Roland Ethernet Audio Communication) is Roland's original technology for low latency, high quality digital audio transfer. Products using REAC technology are installed today in many venues and have been used for high profile events worldwide. REAC's 24-bit, 40x40 channel protocol delivers pristine digital audio via lightweight, inexpensive and easy to install cable (Cat5e). REAC technology is immune to externally induced signal quality degradation or hums and buzzes typically found in analog systems. You have more freedom in cable placement resulting in lower cost and better sounding installations.


A Complete Digital Mixing System with the M-400 V-Mixer
With the M-400 Live Mixing Console you can setup, maintain and control 40 channels of monitor output to each M-48 connected to the system. The M-400 is equipped with all the remote management software, memory recall, etc. providing a simple and flexible setup.* Version 2.0 (M-400) or higher is required when using the M-48.




Setup Display
Control the volume, pan and EQ of all channels.





Source Assignment
Channel assignment for up to 16 stereo groups is set using a simple matrix.


Connect to an existing Analog/Digital ConsoleWith your existing console, connect the M-48 along with the S-1608 (16 channel) or the S-4000S (40 channel) Digital Snake to utilize the complete system. The next generation of digital monitoring can be incorporated along with your existing system.


* Version 2.1 (S-4000S series) / version 2.0 (S-1608) or higher is required when using the M-48.


Setup and Manage the M-48 on your PC
M-48's can be setup and controlled on your PC when using with an existing console. Simply connect to the serial port on the S-1608 or S-4000S series Digital Snakes.


Included Mounting Plate
The M-48 can be attached to a microphone stand by using the mounting bracket. The mount is designed with a headphone hanger and accessory tray for your pencil or portable recorder. The optional APC-33 mounting bracket can be used when you need to mount the M-48 to the middle of a music or mic stand.

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

Now Shipping on all new Roland RSS M-400 Systems
Roland didn’t just stop with the new M-48 Personal Mixing System they have also released Version 2.0 software for the V-Mix M-400. Seriously - forget about the Yamaha M7 and LS9. It just doesn’t get any better than this.

New Version 2.0 Features:

Support for LCR Sound Systems
The LCR (Left-Center-Right) mode is now supported as a direct response to customer requests. Simply enable the LCR mode in the system configuration to activate this feature.



Support for Personal Mixing and Monitoring
The M-400 can be used to setup, configure and control multiple REAC-enabled M-48 Live Personal Mixers. The M-48 represents a breakthrough in professional personal monitoring and mixing.



Six Newly Added Vintage Effects
Access some of Roland’s legendary vintage effects within the M-400. Original sounds used by engineers the world-over extends the range of live expression.



GEQs can now be switched to PEQs
Any existing 31-band Graphic EQ can now be switched to an 8-band Parametric EQ. The Real Time Analyzer enables a quick look and instant adjustment of the acoustic characteristics of a venue.


Six Newly Vintage Added Effects


Space Echo - RE-201
The world’s standard in tape echo effect -“RE-201”. Spring Echo is also emulated perfectly.




Stereo Flange - SBF-325
Employs 3 Flangers and 1 Chorus. Supports Stereo Inputs.





Dimension D - SDD-320
The studio standard - Dimension. Also supports multi-button mode.





Digital Delay - SDE-3000
The standard Digital Delay of sound reinforcement and recording. Can be used by two channels for dual mono effect.




Phase Shifter - SPH-323
Dual channel Phaser employs LFO.Also possible to link two units modulation.




Digital Reverb - SRV-2000
The standard in Digital Reverb with a accurately modelled EQ character.

Don’t feel left out if you already own V. 1
It’s a simple software upgrade for existing M-400 owners.
So how much does all of this new goodness cost?
NOTHING - IT’S FREE
Call CareySound for details.

Tags: Roland RSS V-Mix

A new generation of Christians are foregoing traditional church edifices and modern worship spaces are springing up around the country in very non-trditional spaces. Large institutional church congregations are giving root, and in many instances giving way, to small grassroots collectives of worshipers who, instead of acquiring real-estate and its associated debt, have created homes by leasing “flex spaces”, once the exclusive domain of small business entrepreneurs. Joining this growing movement is Gate City Vineyard in Greensboro, NC. They, among many others, are helping to define a new contemporary Christians worship experience.


Modern keyboard synthesizers, electric guitars and large drum kits supplant traditional church organs as praise teams replace choirs. Tightly interwined in a new partnership with contemporary worship is the very latest in communication systems integration technology playing a pivotal role in this new multi-media experience. CareySound assisted Gate City Vineyard elders in transforming their new space at 204 South Westgate Drive, which is just a few blocks away from CareySound in the Pomona Business Park, into a worship space supplying the design and installation expertise necessary for the job..


The RSS V-System by Roland takes center stage in cutting edge audio system. Utilizing the Roland REAC digital network backbone running on inexpensive and flexible twisted-pair Cat 5e cabling, the V-Mix System takes a complete digital end-to-end system approach to audio distribution and control. It solves many of the problems that plague other digital audio solutions and analogue audio installations and allows for an easily expandable system. It’s not simply a digital replacement of a mixing console, but an entire digital audio system that only needs the addition of microphones and ‘front of house’ stacks & racks to complete the picture. It includes; 48 mix channels, 16 aux/monitor busses, 24 channels of insertable comps, 24 channels of insertable gates, four stereo digital effects processors, 12 system graphic eq’s, a digital two track recorder/player, stage drop boxes AND with the addition of a small laptop computer run wirelessly over Wi-Fi, a complete monitor mix system. Building the new audio system around the Roland RSS, systems integrator CareySound was able to contain costs and create an easy to use experience for the church that is high in features and low in maintenance.


Cutting edge technology is also integrated into the stage lighting system. High output color washes are provided by the new OPTI RGB lighting fixtures from Elation. Each fixtures is lamped with 24 high power 1 watt LEDS and feature full red-green-blue (RGB) color mixing with built in dimming, full remote control over 7 DMX channels, 25° beam angle and 50,000 hour lamp life. It provides exponentially more hours of lamp life than traditional incandescent bulbs which not only save money through electricity charges, elimination of expensive high current dimming circuits, elimination of color gel costs and bulb maintenance, but is also an environmentally "GREEN" product.

Two large projection screens with modern high lumen video projectors complete the multimedia installation.

Tags: Gate City Vineyard, Roland RSS V-Mix, Elation Lighting, OPTI RGB

Free 40 Track Digital Recording System Software

Buy a Roland V-Mix Standard System form us between Now and December 23 for the low price of $11,995.00 and we will upgrade the system with a copy of Cakewalk Sonar REAC, the 40 ch live recording software package a $1,295.00 value for FREE.

System must be for immediate shipment and not a part of any other system package or special offer. Shipping not included.

Tags: Roland RSS V-Mix

It’s been a while since we have been in Sternberger at Guilford College. The picture to the right was taken there about 17 years ago. Last night campus FM radio station WQFS presented a performance by national recording artists Juan Maclean and CareySound was honored to provide production for the event.

John Carey - HE, Ken Carey - Tech
Dynacord Cobra FOH
EV Phoenix MON
Roland V-Mix Digital System

Tags: Guilford College, Juan Maclean, Roland RSS V-Mix, Cobra

CareySound delivers another new Roland V-Mix System to Reynolda Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem. It is the centerpiece to their new sound system. It was chosen over a Yamaha desk for it’s unique value. Unlike every other available digital solution, with the exception of the MIDAS XL8 (not many have those kind of financial resources), The Roland V-Mix System comes standard with a completely digital signal path - form the high quality microphone inputs located onstage through it’s versatile REAC digital networking system to the V-Mix control interface. No third party digital add-ons necessary with this package. Simply add microphones and loudspeaker “stacks & racks” and you have a complete ready to use system.

Speaking of the Roland REAC network buss, the church also purchased the CakeWalk SONAR REAC software package that allows the simultaneous recording of all 40 individual audio tracks by simply connecting a PC running the SONAR software connected directly to the REAC bus via the computers built in Gigabit NIC network card.

The systems incredible ease of use enabled the tech team to get up and running with no training. Call CareySound today to deliver your new Roland System.

Available at CareySound.

Tags: Reynolda Presbyterian Church, Roland RSS V-Mix

For the second year the City of Salem, VA Parks & Rec. chose CareySound to provide audio production and our partner SRO productions to provide the entertainers. In addition to local favorites Acoustic Endeavors from Roanoke, country stars Heartland and Billy Currington provided the music. One of our Dynacord Cobra systems proved once again to be the perfect solution for the sold out show. This year we added the Roland V-Mix to FOH duties. Our new Phoenix monitors were controlled by a MacBook Pro on stage connected wirelessly to the FOH desk running Roland M400-RCS remote control system software.

Heartland

Billy Currington

Dynacord Cobra II (6-Cobra II Tops & 4-Cobra II Subs) and sold out crowd.

EV Phoenix PX1122M monitors.

10,000 watts of EV TG-7 for FOH and 5.600 watts of EV CP400S for four mixes of monitors.

John Carey - HE, Ken Carey ME, Kent Martin of SRO Productions - Artists

Tags: SRO Productions, Roland RSS V-Mix, Salem, VA, Cobra, Heartland, Billy Currington

Guest editorial by Rick Earl

In the interest of fairness, I must disclose a few things before I get started…  One:  I’ve known Ken for a long time and worked for him for a few years.   Two: I hopped on the digital bandwagon quite a few years ago and cannot remember the last BIG show I mixed on an analog console.  Three: I am a geek, not just an average gek, but a dyed in the wool, pure audio junky geek; I’m always looking for the newest, best, coolest audio gadget, from mics to mixers, I love it all. Four: I am not getting paid for this, but Ken did buy me dinner after I volunteered to help with a show.  Finally, I stand by what I say, if you have questions or concerns about anything I write in here, I will be happy to discuss them in open dialog.

So I came into the V Mixer after seeing and using the S 4000 Digital snake by Roland, It was clean, quiet, had imperceptible latency AND fit in the passenger seat of my truck.  It had its uses, and I thought it was pretty cool, but being a geek I don’t like converting too many times, so I waited. Good product, but incomplete for my uses.

When I found out that Roland was making a Mixer for the snake, immediately I became very interested. This has some potential.  I wasn’t too surprised to see Roland Boxes at Carey Sound, as I mentioned before, I am a geek, geeks know geeks, and Ken is a geek too. The problem is I KNOW Ken, he may be a geek, but he has his standards. First of all, the road case was not purple and it did not contain a product made in the UK. Second, It was digital, and did not have a touch screen. Somehow I did not see a match, especially after hearing some of Ken’s early digital experiences. So when I was told how cool it was, and how good it worked and how well it sounded and how many had already been installed, I knew it was time to take a closer look.

I called Ken up, asked for an opportunity to use it, and then volunteered to help with a MUSEP show that Carey Sound was doing.  The show was the EMF student Orchestra at Guilford College.  We showed up, set up, miced the orchestra according to Ken’s plan.  I ran the snake, all 300’, by myself, did a line check and then Ken took off, leaving me to mix.  

Mixing a symphony is one of my favorite things to do, but it was not what I was expecting to do that night.  In these situations, there is no sound check, it’s usually hand on and GO!  So I did. And what a ride it was.  Granted, I’ve had quite a bit of digital mixing experience, but not on this console, although immediately I knew I would be ok.  First of all, everything sounded fine, the sound was smooth and quiet (not too many consoles are with 30 open mics) everything I needed was right where it should be and responded flawlessly.  The eq was easy to use, I turned the knob, and it worked, I never felt like I had to sit and tweek, endlessly to get the sound I wanted.  Later, when I wanted some compression, I activated it on the channel, set the threshold, and wow, nice smooth compression.  Once I felt comfortable with the mix, I decided to add some reverb to sweeten up the strings; it was easy to access and sounded great too.  Just so you know, I prefer reverb to be subtle, sometimes it is hard with cheap reverbs and down and dirty algorithms used in many units. The Roland reverb, was everything I wanted, I knew it was there, but it never distracted from the mix. All in all, when the night was over, I had had fun, I always felt in control, but knew I found a great product.

Ken was nice enough to let me try the console again the next night at Elon University.  We had the same orchestra playing but  this was my show, my mics, my speaker facing (well, ok, the school’s) I was confident in the console, so I  changed my inputs a bit for my inventory and to experiment with some other mic techniques.  I had no problems accessing the console’s systems settings to re-patch input and outputs,  I was able to achieve every bit of the clarity as the night before.  The best part about all of this, I had fun mixing, I wasn’t lost in the console, I wasn’t fighting the console, I was mixing with it.  Other than the color LCD screen being a little difficult to read in daylight, I cannot think of any real negatives of the design.  I talked to John Carey, who’s been getting his time on the console too, he said he has been TRYING to get it to crash, but with no success.  Knowing the manufacturer, I am sure they had it pretty bulletproof before it was released.

Why is all of this important?   I feel digital is the way to go, it works, you have much more system for the dollar and it offers greater flexibility for the user.  In fact, digital consoles get better with age, new firmware and software increase functionality, user libraries help build shows quickly from past shows and settings.  The problem is, when digital is not done right, it can make it worse.  Compromises in design that make the console sonically worse than analog, limited controls and hierarchical menus that confuse the operator, all take away from the reason we want these things.  Even traditional analog systems offer compromises if your needs exceed your budget.

Roland did things right with the V Mixer, exceptional audio quality, ease of use, a versatile and compact snake system all able to fit in the back of my Nissan Versa.  The analog equivalent would barely fit in a van, require 4 people to lift and would cost at least twice as much.  RoIand has a long history with digital audio and it shows. I would suggest anyone in the market for a new mixing system to look at the Roland V Mixer; I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.


About the author-- Rick Earl, a self described audio junky geek, prior to his tenure as HE for CareySound Productions in the 90’s, worked as FOH engineer for national recording artists Firehouse. He left us for a FOH position with Millie Jackson and then spent some time with SE Systems before landing a job with Guilford Tech as a teacher and then to his current position as Technical Director for Cultural and Special Programs at Elon University in Burlington.

Tags: Rick Earl, Elon University, EMF Concert, Roland RSS V-Mix

The RSS V-System by Roland takes center stage in yet another new house of worship in Wilson Mills, NC. Utilizing the Roland REAC digital network backbone running on inexpensive and flexible twisted-pair Cat 5e cabling the Wilson Mills Baptist Church’s V-Mix System takes a complete digital end-to-end system approach to audio distribution and control. It solves many of the problems that plague other digital audio solutions and analogue audio installations and allows for an easily expandable system.

Building the new audio system around the Roland RSS, systems integrator CareySound was able to contain costs and create an easy to use experience for the church that is high in features, including the built in ability to record the services, and low in maintenance. Call CareySound today to show you how this new system can work for you.

Tags: Roland RSS V-Mix