A Barking Dog

I tuned into the Superbowl pre game and broadcast this year hoping for a possible wardrobe malfunction from Gretchen Wilson or Fergie from Black Eyed Peas. What I got was an assault of one of the most embarassing music mixes on an event of this scope in the near 25 years I’ve been in the biz. Normally, I don’t like to second guess the guys in the truck or in the booth because I know all too well what it’s like and what it takes to do something of that scope. Though rarely as a broadcast mixer, I have done scores of such events in varying capacities (lately as Ear Boy for the most part) and have had an opportunity to work with some of the best in the biz. I know what it takes to do the gig and hate to second guess in most cases but in this case I’ve had the pleasure of working with most of the artists involved (a couple of them on several occasions) and they didn’t sound like that when we did them. In this case I may be an armchair quarterback, I’m at least one that’s been able to get out of the armchair and sit in the “Big Chair” ™.

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Kathi Evans posted to the LAB yesterday that after 15 years she’ll be leaving the marketing and communications position she’s held at connector giant Neutrik Feb 11. Mark Boyadjian will start in the position on Feb 14. Kathi was good folk and we’ll miss her around the LAB. She plans to start an event planning business in the Ocean County area of New Jersey.

Good luck Kathi!

It’s Grammy time again kids and this time last year your’s truely was working on some of the festivities leading up to the gig. No such luck this year, I’m camped out at Roaddog Manor waiting to see if I get some of the gigs I’m up for, doing local gigs and writing the blog to pass the time. During my usual trolling looking for worthy items to become part of A Barking Dog I ran into this on Mix Online announcing that JBL was to receive a technical Grammy. According to a statement issued by Recording Academy President Neil Portnow this Grammy is awarded to “recognize music people who have made a lasting contribution to culture around the world. These profoundly inspiring figures are being honored as legendary performers and archetypal musicians, cultural ambassadors and technical visionaries. Their outstanding accomplishments and passion for their craft have created a timeless legacy that has positively affected multiple generations, and will continue to influence generations to come.” Well, err, umm, OK, but specifically why these guys? Why now?

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From a press release from the Pacific Northwest Section AES

Subjective Microphone Comparisons with Juergen Wahl
Sennheiser /Neumann Microphones

Co-Sponsored by the AES PNW Section
&
the AES Student Section at the Art Institute of Seattle

Art Institute of Seattle
7:30pm, Monday, February 28, 2005

Abstract
The purpose of this workshop is to analyze the variables that make it so
difficult to predict a microphone’s performance in actual applications,
and to understand why microphones with seemingly identical technical
specifications sound differently, even when used under the same
circumstances. The seminar will demonstrate how to concentrate on less
complex segments of performance behavior. For example, when evaluating
electronic performance, we can concentrate on good signal-to-noise
ratio, low self-noise during very quite passages, and minimal distortion
components in the non-linear operating range. To evaluate the
microphone’s acoustic behavior we listen for the imaging of instruments,
how it captures room acoustic, reverberation, ambience, and distant
instruments. When we analyze the tonal characteristic of the microphone
under test, we may include the natural frequency response for all
instruments, the extended frequency range, the transient response, the
uniform polar pattern, the detailed resolution of harmonic components,
and how the microphone works together with other microphones.

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Pro Production 2005 is slated Feb 24th through Feb 26th at the Long Beach Convention Center. The opening keynote is Kevin Lyman, founder of the Warped Tour on “You have to strike when the opportunity is there”. I worked with Kevin when he was with Golden Voice. It should be a good presentation. Other notable seminars and conferences include the Rocky Paulson led rigging seminar with “Uncle Bill” Sapsis and others. Bill Chrysler is moderating the
“FOH and Monitor Engineers: Does it Take Two?” panel, including Dave Rat, Paul Owen, William Nealie and Ted Leamy, all touring heavy weights. “Digital Consoles: Why do I need one” with Dave Shadoan and Harry Witz among others. There are also a trio of business related seminars on hiring and training, planning growth and exit strategies and bidding strategies with Bennie Collins, Patrick Stansfield and Stuart Ross.

Pre reg is still open and compared to other seminars and conferences, this one is a deal.

The fourth annual Integrators on Ice expo is slated for Feburary 7th and 8th at the Sheraton Gateway Suites presented by midwest rep firm Strategic Marketing Group . It’s free but you must pre register. Presentations that interest me include Jim Brown’s preview of this summers noise workshop presented by Syn Aud Con that I covered previously. The presentation from Duran Audio on beam stearing looks interesting as does the Digigram’s look at Ethersound digital snakes, line array presetation from Renkus Heinz, Charlie Wicks from Proco discussing the future of cable and branch circuit surge protection from SurgeX, LCS showing the CueConsole control surface, a demo of EASERA and a look at the Terrasonde’s Audio Toolbox ATB-3c. There are also several others, though they are geared primarily toward installed media systems and the like.