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To Enhance the Music, Improve the Intelligibility and Quiet the Noise

UPPER MARLBORO, MD: Dr. Peter D’Antonio began his career as a diffraction physicist at the Naval Research Lab (NRL) in 1967. A musician and composer with an interest in recording, Dr. D’Antonio designed and built the Underground Sound Studio in his home in the late 1970s. In the early 1980s, he became intrigued with the possibility of using diffusing surfaces based on a mathematical number theory, initially developed by Carl Friedrich Gauss in the 18th century, to diffuse rather than absorb the reflected sound from the rear wall of his control room. D’Antonio was familiar with these new, periodic diffusing surfaces; because they were 2-dimensional versions of the 3-D crystal lattices he was studying using X-ray diffraction. As a result of this research, the RPG® Diffusor was born, along with a new Live-End-Dead-End design for control rooms, using a ‘Reflection Free Zone,’ (RFZTM,) which remains the de facto design standard today.

While still working as a diffraction physicist, he incorporated RPG Diffusor Systems, Inc. in 1983. “The RPG Diffuser, which was inducted into the music industry’s TECnology Hall of Fame this year, was the first innovation inspired by our mission of ‘expanding the acoustical palette through a continued commitment to fundamental acoustics research,’” D’Antonio reveals. “Recording studio owners and designers were quick to embrace these revolutionary units. They proved highly effective in improving room acoustics and they provided handsome aesthetic enhancements as well. We literally launched a new industry.” In 1996, Dr. D’Antonio retired from NRL to devote full time to growing RPG from a pioneer in the recording industry to providing new solutions in the general architectural acoustics market. Over the past thirty years, RPG Diffusor Systems, Inc.’s award-winning innovations have changed the face (and the sound) of recording, broadcast, and performance environments. Today, a wide array of RPG products are engaged to enhance an astonishing range of acoustically challenged environments around the globe.

RPG recently instituted a new management team. Dr. Peter D’Antonio is now Chairman/ CEO, and two long-term RPG team members who have contributed greatly to the firms success, have been promoted to senior management positions. John Groth has been appointed President/CFO, Jeff Madison has been named Executive Vice President. Research continues to nourish RPG product advances.

The firm has pioneered a 3-decade-long progression of groundbreaking developments, now considered indispensible to architects and acousticians. Today, a mature assessment of the need for improved acoustics is manifest far beyond the professional audio recording and broadcast studio enclave. RPG products are employed by a client base that encompasses schools, corporate boardrooms and auditoriums, concert halls, motion picture and live performance theaters, Houses of Worship, home theaters, stadiums, restaurants and the burgeoning Project Studio market.

“On-going dialogues with professional organizations such as the Audio Engineering Society, the Acoustical Society of America and Syn-Aud-Con, coupled with long-term relationships with leading architects and acousticians have inspired a number of our new products over the years,” D’Antonio says. In addition to the RPG Diffusor System, which has continued evolving to include the widest range and highest performance sound diffusors, RPG has also developed a wide range of innovative absorbing surfaces.

The ModffusorTM eliminates all the limitations of the original QRD® and represents the highest diffusive performance to date; Waveform® is a patented wide range of optimized curvilinear shapes for wall or suspended cloud installation; Topakustik® and Topperfo®, are key elements in the most expansive and versatile sound absorbing wood plank and panel system, representing hallmarks of high quality installations. “Newer products like Quietstone® , an innovative approach to utilizing recycled stone aggregate or glass to control noise, sound reflections and excess reverberation, and Clearsorber® Foil and Deamp, transparent sound absorbers with microperforations and micro-slits, respectively, illustrate the validity of our philosophy of dedicated R&D,” D’Antonio asserts.

An increasing commitment by architects to improving the sound quality in new public and private buildings has seen RPG products perform noteworthy acoustical services in many significant international projects. These include: The New York TimesCenter, designed by Renzo Piano; Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, recently completed in Dubai; Denver Museum of Nature and Science; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Jungle City, NY’s acclaimed destination recording studio; Sony Computer Entertainment America, San Mateo, CA; the renowned Jazz At Lincoln Center Complex; and, most recently the SFJAZZ Center an extraordinary new 35,000 sq. ft ‘sanctuary for jazz,’ in San Francisco.

“We consider the past 30 years a prelude to the next 3 decades,” Peter D’Antonio adds. “Sophisticated new research, measurement and simulation tools and innovative new acoustic materials are constantly being introduced. Awareness of the critical role performed by acoustics in our social, business and entertainment worlds has never been higher. Our commitment to on-going research and our state-of-the art measurement facilities for determining the absorption, scattering and diffusion coefficients are increasingly productive. RPG’s staff of mathematicians, acousticians, musicians and architects continues to guide our firm towards more breakthrough developments; and to on-going improvements to products already established as industry standards. The future looks good to us, and we’re dedicated to making it sound even better,” he concludes.

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Photo (l-t-r) RPG Difuser Systems, Inc. Founder/Chairman/CEO, Dr. Peter D’Antonio,
President/CFO John Groth, and Executive Vice President Jeff Madison.

NOTE: In 2007, Dr. Peter D’Antonio established the Chesapeake Acoustic Research Institute, LLC www.cari-llc.com, The Institute is focused on providing the architectural acoustics community with continuing acoustical education, experimentation/proof-of-performance testing and exploration of more effective room designs, with the ultimate goal of improving the acoustics of the built environment.

Formed in 1983, RPG Diffusor Systems, Inc. is committed to continually expand the acoustical palette of tools available to the design community, builders and customers. RPG is located at 651 C Commerce Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 Phone:301 249 0044, Email: info@rpoginc.com or visit: http://www.rpginc.com/

Los Angeles, CA, June 13, 2013 – Focusrite®’s RedNet® networked audio I/O technology is being specified by a number of leading designers, contractors and system integrators – a recent example of which is design/build integrator WH Platts Company, who specified the RedNet system for a high-profile client in the Atlanta area. WH Platts was looking to develop for the client the ability to use pro audio gear in an interconnected network environment as part of this major production facility. They chose RedNet because it best suited the client’s needs and installed five different RedNet I/O units: RedNet 1 – eight-channel AD/DA; RedNet 2 – 16-channel AD/DA; RedNet 3 – 32 channel digital I/O; RedNet 4 – eight-channel remote gain control Mic Pre; RedNet 5 – 32 channel HD Bridge for ProTools HD, which streamlined the operation’s workflow. Paul Yurt, RedNet product specialist, flew in from New York to work closely with the WH Platts design team on-site and to oversee the installation and ensure that it was smoothly integrated and fully operational. All involved are fully satisfied with the result.

David Strupp, Sales Design Engineer for WH Platts, stated, “Our research team looked at all available options for networked audio and choose the RedNet system based on its quality, versatility and ability to scale to the scope of this project.”

Ralph Goldheim, Focusrite Director of U.S. Sales, stated, “We are extremely pleased that such a prestigious firm as WH Platts has chosen to employ our RedNet system for their client’s major production facility in Atlanta, based on extensive evaluation of RedNet’s reliability and performance. We look forward to working with them in the future – providing them the Focusrite products and support they need.”

Rednet is Focusrite’s flagship range of Ethernet-networked studio interfaces, based around the tried and tested Dante Gigabit Ethernet audio networking system. Focusrite’s RedNet is the first to offer IP network audio interfaces for the recording studio – or any application that requires moving high-quality audio around with ultra-low latency. The RedNet system is available now from RedNet Certified Dealers. To discover more about RedNet, head to www.focusrite.com/rednet, where users can sign up to receive regular RedNet updates.

Photo File: Fitton_Goldheim.JPG
Photo Caption: Focusrite® RedNet® was recently selected by the WH Platts Company for a high-profile client who owns an Atlanta television production facility. RedNet networked audio I/O technology is being specified by a number of leading designers, contractors and system integrators. Pictured at InfoComm 2013, L-R: Peter Fitton, WH Platts Sales Support Engineer, and Ralph Goldheim, Focusrite Director of Sales.

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— The Charity Angels to provide $100,000 Shoot-Out, on-course poker game, chance to win companion airfare and a spin-to-win —

— Event’s organizers offering a one-time million-dollar shot, hole-in-one prizes and more —

Los Angeles CA, June 6, 2013 — The 2013 Recording Industry Golf Tournament (RIGT), which will be held Monday, June 24, 2013, at Malibu Country Club, is proud to add special opportunities from L.A.-based organization The Charity Angels to the day’s events. Aside from the tournament itself, The Charity Angels will be providing several games and promotional opportunities throughout the day. These include $100,000 Shoot-Out for four lucky Superticket holders; an on-course poker game; a chance to win companion airfare; and a “Spin-to-Win” game, where every Superticket holder walks away a winner (prizes include Golfsmith GIft Cards, $150 BBQ Sets, One Hope Wine, Pro V 1 Golf Balls and more). Other opportunities, provided by the event’s organizers, include a $1,000,000 one-shot Shootout for one player at the end of the tournament as well as a $1000 chipping contest opportunity for another lucky player. Hole-in-one prizes include $25,000 and $10,000 packages, and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle provided by Bartels Harley-Davidson in Marina Del Rey.

Newly announced sponsors include Blue Sky and Avid. Sponsors named previously include GC Pro, Sterling Audio, Dave Collins Mastering, Design FX Audio, Lurssen Mastering, PreSonus, Record Plant, SAE Los Angeles, Shure, Sound Design Corporation, TransAudio Group, Vintage King Audio and Westlake Recording Studios, with more to be announced.

The event has been organized by seasoned event producer Karen Dunn of KMD Productions and will benefit the music program at A Place Called Home, a dynamic community center and safe haven in South Central Los Angeles where underserved youth 8-21 years old are empowered to take ownership of the quality and direction of their lives through programs in education, arts, and well-being. Recording veterans Ed Cherney and Al Schmitt will serve as Co-Honorary Chairs for the afternoon’s festivities.

Dunn stated, “We are pleased to have The Charity Angels add their flair to the tournament. This is a very special event for the industry, our sponsors, the golfers and A Place Called Home, and The Charity Angels’ extra opportunities will add a new level of excitement to the day. Just think if someone can snag the $100,000 shootout or comped airfare – what a thrill that would be for all of us!”

Online registry for players and sponsors is available at http://2013recordingindustrygolftournament.eventbrite.com/. For more information about the tournament, visit http://recordingindustrygolftournament.webs.com/ or call Karen Dunn at 925-708-0307.

About A Place Called Home
A Place Called Home (www.apch.org) is a dynamic community center and safe haven in South Central Los Angeles where underserved youth 8-21 years old are empowered to take ownership of the quality and direction of their lives through programs in education, arts, and well-being. APCH provides support and opportunities that increase the likelihood that young people will stay in school, go on to higher education and viable jobs, and make a meaningful difference in their communities and the world. Music and recording are key components of the organization’s program offering, and the APCH youth band performs and records on a regular basis.

About KMD Productions
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, KMD Productions offers full-service event production across the US for businesses and individuals, providing a range of services needed to make events an overwhelming success. KMD Productions can handle all the details of your fundraiser, corporate function or trade show event. Whether you’re looking to launch a new product, get better brand recognition or raise money for your worthwhile charity, KMD Productions has the resources and experience to help you achieve your goals.

GLENDALE, Calif. — June 13, 2013 — Riedel Communications, provider of pioneering real-time video, audio, data, and communications networks, today announced that it has opened a new facility in Burbank, Calif., to address increasing demand for the company’s product range. In addition to providing space for more inventory and sales personnel, the new facility includes a training room in which customers and partners can get hands-on experience with Riedel equipment and software.

“As a rapidly growing number of U.S. production companies turn to Riedel solutions, our Burbank facility gives us the ability to provide both new and existing customers with a higher level of service and support,” said Christopher Street, general manager for North and Central America, Riedel Communications. “In fact, our sales and service operations are growing worldwide, demonstrating the increasing adoption of Riedel gear in diverse applications and locations.”

Among the solutions available for training and demonstration at the new facility are the Riedel MediorNet real-time media network; RockNet real-time audio network; Artist, Performer, and Acrobat intercoms; as well as a variety of radios, headsets, and fiber and intercom accessories. The office also will support Riedel’s full-service rental offering, which provides the wired and wireless intercom systems and signal transport and routing along with the staff for live events, TV productions, and theater performances. The full-service rental surpasses simple dry-hire to include project planning, logistics, setup, and operation.

Riedel’s new U.S. office is located at:
2508 North Ontario St., Burbank, CA 91504
Phone + 1 (818) 409-6900
Fax + 1 (818) 241-5927

Further information about Riedel and the company’s products is available at www.riedel.net.

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About Riedel Communications
Riedel Communications designs, manufactures, and distributes pioneering real-time video, audio, data, and communications networks for broadcast, pro audio, event, sports, theater, and security applications. The company also provides rental services for radio and intercom systems, event IT solutions, fiber backbones, and wireless signal transmission systems that scale easily for events of any size, anywhere in the world. Founded in 1987, the company now employs more than 400 people at 11 locations in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas.

Raleigh, NC – June 10, 2013 – NC State is known around the world as a preemi-nent technology and research university, preparing thousands of students each year for the most demanding and creative high-tech careers on the planet. The University re-cently opened its pioneering, state of the art new learning facility and technology incuba-tor, James B. Hunt Jr. Library. The new facility, which features audio solutions from Sennheiser and K-array, provides students and faculty with unmatched visualization, computing and collaboration technologies for advanced, next generation applications in engineering, computer science, textiles, design, and other disciplines.

Located on the University’s Centennial Campus and designed by renowned international architectural firm Snøhetta, the Hunt Library is meant to be a ‘technology sandbox’ — a place where innovative ideas can flourish and collaborative dialog can be exchanged without restriction. During the design phase of the facility, Sennheiser became an official ‘Powered By’ partner.

“We had to find the right technology partners that could fit into our vision,” says Maurice York, Head, Information Technology NCSU Libraries, NC State University. “The Hunt Library is an impressive building, designed by one of the best architecture firms in the world,” says York. “So performance and form factor were very important considerations for us all the way through. We wanted to create a sound environment that brought this incredible visual environment to life, so visitors would have that ‘WOW’ experience.”

Scott Frey of Pittsburgh-based The Sextant Group handled the A/V design and supervised equipment specification for the entire project, and the installation was handled by Tampa, FL-based integrator AVI-SPL, a company that was chosen for their knowledge in complex A/V installations: “AVI-SPL have a quality team in the field and were one of only a few companies that could fill the requirements of the project,” says Frey. “We were very confident working alongside them from the very beginning.”

The library, which is comprised of more than 220,000 square feet, had several dedicated spaces featuring large-scale visualization, interactive displays, 3D motion technologies and other visual elements that would be complemented by highly specialized audio componentry from Sennheiser and K-array. “Audio quality is always the first thing I con-sider, and then aesthetics follow closely behind,” says Frey, who identified K-array as a suitable solution following a visit to the K-array demo room at the InfoComm trade show in 2011. “The video componentry was the highest quality on the market, so I wanted to match this with the highest possible audio quality.”

Frey thought the K-array system would be perfect for the Library’s Game Lab — not only because of their sound, but because of their small footprint. “I had maybe 6″ to work with for each speaker, and had to ensure the sound was paramount,” Frey recalls. “Those 2″ linear drivers on the KK102 really sold me — a traditional loudspeaker would have been twice that size.”

After setting up a K-array surround system in the Game Lab, Frey was so pleased that he specified them for other environments within the Library as well, in addition to head-phones and wireless equipment from Sennheiser. Sennheiser’s Eric Reese facilitated demonstrations in several rooms that were still under construction at the time, including what would eventually become the Auditorium. “Even though we knew the acoustical properties of the rooms would change, it was important for us to be inside the building and inside those spaces,” York explains. “After we set up a 5.1 system in the Game Lab, we then went down to the Auditorium and auditioned several different types of music. The performance of the system just blew us away.”

There were five primary A/V environments the team focused on for the initial installation: the Game Lab, the Teaching and Visualization Lab, the Creativity Studio and the Audito-rium. Each space had a completely different technology focus and design program.

The Immersion Theater
Located on the main level of the library and just 40′ inside of the main entrance, the Im-mersion Theater serves as a presentation space for faculty to show off their research, and a space for students to discuss and review their projects. It features a 20′ curved micro-tile display wall as well as an intelligent but powerful sound system from K-array. “We originally thought of limiting the audio requirements to just voice reproduction, but after discussion we realized we needed a much richer sound environment,” York recalls. “Part of the acoustic challenge was that the space was open to the main traffic through-way. We had to contain the sound inside of the space so it didn’t bleed out into the read-ing rooms, but still provide an engaging audio experience.” The solution was to deploy several of K-array’s KV50 ultra slim line arrays in the ceiling, along with KU36 ultra slim subwoofers — which were mounted above the video wall. This combination created fo-cused and powerful sound dispersion for those working in the space, without distracting students in the nearby reading rooms.

Game Lab
North Carolina’s Research Triangle is recognized as a main center of gaming devel-opment, with one of the most dense concentrations of gaming companies in the U.S. NC State offers an undergraduate program that is focused on the entertainment side of gaming, as well as a graduate program that is focused on sophisticated applications like artificial intelligence, environmental simulations and advanced training platforms. The Game Lab, which doubles as a development lab and a place where students can take a break and play their favorite console games, features a 20′ wide micro display wall, which can be augmented into 80 disparate LED cubes – each measuring 10″ x 12″. The multi-channel audio system features a 5.1 K-array set up with (3) KK102 line array ele-ments, each comprised of (16) 2″ neodymium magnet transducers and positioned hori-zontally at left, right and center of the display wall. Two K-array KK52s serve as rear left and right channels, and a 12″ KMT12P ultralight subwoofer, mounted in custom cabi-netry underneath the display wall, provides 600 watts of detailed sub-bass frequencies. In addition to the K-array, the Game Lab also features four channels of Sennheiser wire-less comprised of SR 300 IEM G3 transmitters, EK 300 IEM G3 receivers and RS 120 wireless headphones, in addition to several Sennheiser lavalier and handheld wireless microphones.

Teaching and Visualization Lab
The Teaching and Visualization lab is designed with similar design principles as an open, black box theater. “We wanted to create a room in the facility that was adaptable enough that we could constantly change it,” York explains. The room features an open infrastructure overhead, as well as exposed walls and flooring so pipe grids, cables, electricity and other items can be easily accessed and adjusted. Surrounding the room is a 270-degree projection screen, which provides an immersive, 3-sided wrap-around visual experience. Audio is covered with a 5.1 surround system from K-array, which in-cludes three KK102 line arrays mounted horizontally in the front (left, right and center), and two KK52s for rear left and rear right channels. The sub-bass system, a K-array KMT12P, is mounted above and suspended from the ceiling deck. In mounting the speakers, integrator AVI/SPL deployed an intelligent clamping system enabling speak-ers to be repositioned as needed.

Creativity Studio
Similar in design to the Teaching and Visualization lab in its ‘black box theater’ approach, the Creativity Studio is a multi-collaboration environment designed for many people to use simultaneously. The space features (16) 10′ x 4′ whiteboard panels that can be moved, reconfigured or retracted to meet the specific needs of a project, making the room extremely flexible. Large screens on both sides of the room and two rotating walls in the middle enable it to function as separate rooms or as one large space. Two separate K-array 5.1 systems were deployed with a similar clamping solution as the Teaching and Visualization lab; once again, the KK102s were deployed for left, right and center, with the KK52s covering left rear and right rear channels. For sub-bass frequen-cies, two K-array KMT12Ps were mounted in the ceiling. “Since the room could be di-vided into two rooms, we wanted each half of the room to have its own 5.1 surround system; these can be tied together to make a 10.2 system if the full room is used. This is where the pipe clamping system helped so we could adjust and shift the set up as needed,” York says.

Auditorium
Another key space in the new installation is the new 400-seat auditorium, which is locat-ed just below the Immersion Theater near the entrance of the library. This theater fea-tures a 30′ wide screen — the largest projection screen on campus — complemented by a state-of-the-art K-array surround sound system. The auditorium is used primarily for lectures and as a classroom, but also doubles as an all purpose theater for ‘movie night’ and other campus activities. All of the K-array speakers are completely hidden from view, mounted in niches behind the screen and behind acoustic paneling surrounding the space. In the front of the room behind the screen are eight vertically mounted K-array KK102s positioned at left, center and right, supplemented by (4) KK102s posi-tioned at rear left and right. Finally, (16) KK52s are positioned around the perimeter of the room, which help create an immersive and authentic sound experience.

For Frey, the project was a resounding success. “This was one of the best projects I ever worked on and I got top quality support from the NC State personnel, the design team, the integrator and of course Sennheiser. The quality demands of the project were very high and required the best efforts from everyone involved,” he says.

The Hunt Library helps NC State realize its vision of becoming among the most techno-logically innovative universities in the world, and serves as an important vehicle for re-search, learning, collaboration and experimentation. By implementing a world-class sound environment, the University was able to provide a more enriching A/V experience. “The installed systems we have right now are just the starting point,” York adds. “We are seeing lots of potential applications for different types of speakers and ways we can use them in the different spaces, since they each have their own character.”

K-ARRAY
The incredibly thin and lightweight K-array loudspeakers are manufactured in Italy and distributed in the U.S. and Canada exclusively by Sennheiser. Despite their small size, K-array speakers deliver impressive power and sound quality for small, me-dium and large-scale applications, including touring, special events, installed sound and broadcast. For more information, please visit www.k-array.com.

SENNHEISER
Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Conn. Sennheiser’s pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For more information, please visit www.sennheiserusa.com.

Old Lyme, Conn. – June 12, 2013 – Audio specialist Sennheiser announced the availability of the latest product from its distributed brand K-array. Anakonda is a benda-ble speaker that combines outstanding audio quality with an enormous range of configu-ration and installation possibilities. Anakonda is the perfect solution for a variety of indoor our outdoor applications such as theme parks, museums, broadcast studios and many others.

Since each speaker element is bendable, the Anakonda can be wrapped around poles, columns, or mounted to curved or otherwise uneven surfaces. Speakers are available in 6-foot lengths, and can link to up to 16 combined elements using the Anakonda’s in-tegrated NL4 connectors. The speaker’s dedicated presets support a variety of configurations, including both standalone and combination use wtih K-array KMT Series subwoofers.

“The Anakonda establishes a completely new set of possibilities for rental companies, integrators and end users,” commented Vanessa Jensen, senior product specialist, in-tegrated systems, Sennheiser. “The speaker’s flexible design makes it perfect for both portable and installation designs, indoor or outdoor. With the Anakonda, it is now possible to get great sound just about anywhere.”

The Anakonda looks as great as it sounds. With a sleek and discreet design for which K-array has become well known, the speaker delivers crisp, intelligible audio while enhancing the aesthetics of just about any installation environment. Each Anakonda includes a wall bracket, as well as fabric covers in both white and black to enhance vis-ual appeal and protect against dust.

Adding to its flexibility, the Anakonda is compatible with other K-array products such as the KA40 amplifier and the KMT12 and KMT18 subwoofers. Each KA40 amplifier can drive up to 16 Anakonda (KAN200) elements per channel, and the KMT12 and KMT18 subwoofers can support up to 8 Anakonda’s per channel.

The Anakonda, which is priced at $899.95, is available in the U.S. exclusively through authorized Sennheiser dealers. Below is a complete list of specifications:

Acoustics
Speaker power handling: 150 W (AES)
Frequency range: 150 Hz – 18 kHz +/- 6 dB (1)
Impedance: 64 ?
Maximum SPL: 96 dB (continuous) – 102 dB (peak) (2)
Coverage: Horizontal: 160°, Vertical: 10°
Crossover Type: External crossover required
Frequency: High pass @150 Hz, 24 dB/oct suggested minimum

Transducers
Full-range: 8 x 1” neodymium cone driver with 0.75” voice coil

Physical
Dimensions: 79.5 x 2.2 x 1.4 in.
Weight: 3.09 lbs.

(1) With dedicated preset
(2) measured with musical signal

K-ARRAY
The incredibly thin and lightweight K-array loudspeakers are manufactured in Italy and distributed in the U.S. and Canada exclusively by Sennheiser. Despite their small size, K-array speakers deliver impressive power and sound quality for small, me-dium and large-scale applications, including touring, special events, installed sound and broadcast. For more information, please visit www.k-array.com.

SENNHEISER
Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Conn. Sennheiser’s pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For more information, please visit www.sennheiserusa.com.

Last month, the new Antelope Audio Orion32 multi-channel interface was put to the test during a live recording of blues maestro Ray Fuller at one of the premier blues club destinations in the United States: Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago. The recording, which consisted of non-stop 60 and 90-minute sets before a live audience, was captured in its entirety using the Orion32, which recorded 26 tracks of audio in 96k to a MacBook Pro running Pro Tools.

For freelance engineer Mike Picotte, the benefits of the Orion32 were immediately apparent from the moment he began setting up the remote recording rig — which was situated several flights of stairs above the venue. “I didn’t want to have to carry a lot of gear, and for this particular project, I wanted to keep my set up lean, yet powerful,” he says. Since the Orion32 is able to handle 32 tracks of 96k audio in a single rack space, Picotte was able to maintain an extremely compact set up, with zero compromise on sound quality. “I just ran a USB from the Orion32 to my laptop, and recorded the whole show,” he says. In addition to the Orion32, Picotte also had an Antelope Audio 10M Atomic Clock in his rack to maximize the fidelity of his rig even further.

Picotte, whose day job is with audio retailer Sweetwater Sound, acquired the signal by placing a splitter snake onstage so he could access all of the venue’s microphones, then supplemented the house mics with his own — creating a fully redundant set up with plenty of alternate audio source possibilities. “I wanted to have everything covered and then decide later what I actually needed, so I brought my own mic locker with me just in case,” he recalls. Picotte ran the snake up the stairs into a small room where he was able to record and monitor the performance using a Dangerous D-Box system and a pair of Sennheiser HD 380 closed back headphones.

At the preamplifier stage, Picotte employed two TRUE Precision 8s and an Audient ASP008, which he then connected to the Antelope Audio Orion32. He then recorded the entire performance over USB 2.0 at 96k to the MacBook Pro via the Orion32, without incident or interruption. “Performance-wise, the Orion32 was amazing,” Picotte recalls. “There was no lag time on the screen, and no hiccups at any point during the entire gig. I ran 26 channels at 96k without stoppage and had no issues whatsoever.”

Thanks to the flexible i/o architecture of the TRUE Precision 8, Picotte was also able to run backup audio feed to a separate system as a safety. But the backup system suffered a complete failure mid-way through while capturing audio at just 44.1k. “Next time, I will probably use another Orion32 as a backup instead of another device,” he says.

Remote recording in complete confidence

In the past, Picotte would typically record to an external drive. But with the combination of the Orion32 and the solid-state architecture of the MacBook Pro, this is no longer necessary. “Now, with all the testing that I’ve done, I record directly to the solid state drive on the MacBook via the Orion32, then immediately transfer the audio to a secondary hard drive following each set,” he explains.

Picotte had full confidence in his Orion32 well before the recording gig. “Before the Ray Fuller performance, I tested the Orion32 over MADI into my Pro Tools HD system and USB into Pro Tools natively,” he says. “Although I tested it at a 64 sample rate, I ran a 1,024 sample buffer size during the gig because there was no artist mix, therefore no need to tax the computer system.”
A great challenge for any remote recording engineer is being able to adapt to unpredictable technical environments. In this sense, the Orion proved to be the ultimate ‘Swiss Army Knife,” ready for just about any situation: “Even though I knew the capabilities of the venue well in advance, it was exciting to come to the live recording knowing that I could mix and match signals on the Orion32 if I had to,” says Picotte. “I had analog, optical and MADI i/o options all at my disposal if I needed them.”

The Orion32′s ‘True to Life’ Sound

Perhaps most importantly of all, Picotte characterizes the Orion32 tracks he captured as ‘extremely detailed and accurate.’ “There was great separation on the drums and particularly good transient response on the kick, snare and overhead,” he reports. “Some converters will soften the transients, or it will feel like they are not coming across like they do live. The Orion32 gave me the best representation of how the band actually sounded in the club, and with no coloration. All the channels were clean, and the depth and stereo imaging were outstanding.”

“Whether it is a studio or a live recording, my goal is to capture all the sonic details of a performance,” Picotte concludes. “Ray Fuller is known for his tone and I wanted to capture the band the way they sounded that night at Buddy Guy’s Legends. With the Orion32, I was able to do this and deliver a ‘true to life’ recording when it was over.”

About Antelope Audio

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