From Direct Sound, the makers of EXTREME ISOLATION headphones, comes a brand new, much improved version of the model EX-29, an industry leader in isolation headphone technology,
How is it possible to improve them? The EX-29 is now identified with distinctive gold lettering to give the headphones the world class look they deserve.
The improvements are not just cosmetic. The most important improvement is the new specially designed 500 mW ultra-fidelity speaker drivers. Not only can they handle additional power, but the fidelity is superb. The model EX-29 is now suggested for critical mixing by many pros in the music industry.
In addition to the new drivers, a repairable 1/8” input jack with a new screw-on type 1/4” jack adapter is now standard
What‘s new? Two additional passive sound attenuating headphones are a welcome addition to the family, the EX-25 and the HP-25. The model EX-25 attenuates an average of 25 dB, 4 dB less than the model EX-29. The ear cups feature handsome silver lettering. The speaker drivers in the model EX-25 can also handle 500 mW of input power and incorporate the repairable 1/8” jack with a new screw-on type 1/4” jack adapter.
The model HP-25 is a speakerless model requested by many of our customers and clients. The ear cups feature distinctive white lettering. They are ideal hearing protection for practicing music and other excessively loud events requiring safety from hearing damage.
“Extreme Isolation Headphones - Our Name Says It All”
St. Paul, MN, February 20, 2008 - Al Schmitt, 19-time Grammy winning recording engineer and record producer recently got up-close-and-personal with more than 400 students at McNally Smith College of Music to inaugurate the school‘s first installment of its new Masters Lecture Series, produced by the Music Business Department and hosted by the Recording Technology Department.
“McNally Smith College of Music prides itself on providing its students with practical experience and knowledge within the music arena,” explains McNally Smith College of Music Dean of Music Industries André Fischer, who is responsible for establishing the new lecture series that will showcase music industry legends including engineer and producer George Massenburg, bassist and record producer Don Was, and music producer/engineer Ed Cherney.
Fisher continues, “By establishing a lecture series that brings some of the music industry‘s top ‘masters‘ into our students‘ worlds, the students receive a real-life perspective from music professionals who they look up to and aspire to emulate. In addition, they receive first-hand insight into all facets of the music pro‘s job responsibilities including recording, technology, business, production, performance and composition.”
Mirroring the format of Bravo‘s “Inside the Actors Studio,” some of McNally Smith College of Music‘s leading instructors interviewed Schmitt, who spoke candidly for 90 minutes, discussing his personal road to establishing fruitful careers in music engineering and producing while also offering helpful tips for achieving success. Upon finishing his interview segment, he participated in a Q&A with students in attendance.
In receiving such a rare opportunity as meeting a legend in the music production and engineering world, college senior Vyacheslav Kuharchuk, who travels to McNally Smith from the Ukraine each year to pursue his career in recording technology, says it was an enlightening and inspiring experience.
“In this industry, it takes a certain degree of pioneering, dedication and strength to succeed at the level at which Al Schmitt stands,” says Kuharchuk. “I am thankful to McNally Smith for giving me the chance to meet Al, who has enhanced my passion and drive for success within the music business.”
College senior Veronica Rodriguez of St. Paul, who is majoring in production, shares Kuharchuk‘s sentiments. “I feel very fortunate to have somebody of Al Schmitt‘s caliber visiting our college and speaking with us in an intimate setting. It was wonderful receiving his inside microphone techniques. Meeting him is something I will always remember and will surely be bragging about.”
In recognition of his time and dedication to the college and its students, Schmitt was given the honor of being the first to receive McNally Smith College of Music‘s newest nationally accredited degree, its Bachelor of Science in Music (Music Producer). He was also presented with an Honorary Professor of Recording Technology certificate.
“McNally Smith College of Music goes above and beyond when it comes to music instruction and higher learning,” says Schmitt. “It was a pleasant surprise to become the first recipient of McNally Smith‘s new Bachelor of Science in Music degree. This is a prime example of the college‘s commitment to providing quality programs and instruction to its students. It was also a privilege being the first guest speaker to kick off the McNally Smith College of Music‘s new Master Lecture Series. It was great to have had the opportunity to sit down with McNally Smith‘s fine students and share my experience and insight into the music industry. I was very impressed with their knowledge, skills and talent and believe that they truly represent the music professionals of tomorrow.”
In addition, Schmitt received a personal tour of the McNally Smith‘s first-class campus and its 12 recording studios, which includes two new SSL Duality consoles. He also led two Master Recording Classes during his visit.
Founded in 1985, McNally Smith College of Music is devoted to excellence in music industry higher education and in developing music industry professionals. An accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music, McNally Smith College of Music offers music degrees and programs in Recording Technology, Music Business, Music Performance and Composition. With more than 500 students and a 92-member faculty, McNally Smith College of Music students get a personalized music education that combines cutting edge technology with musical artistry and includes wide access to research tools, real world knowledge and great performance facilities. McNally Smith alumni are working all over the world.
LAKEWOOD, NJ - FEBRUARY 27, 2008 - Neutrik‘s OpticalCon, a ruggedized and dirt protected fiber optic connector system, is incorporated into the design of Midas‘ XL8 Live Performance System, the UK manufacturer‘s flagship digital mixing console. The link between the console and the stage, with no discernable loss in frequency response, is a concern for most live performance sound engineers; Neutrik‘s OpticalCon system meets this need.
The Midas XL8 is one of the leading digital live audio mixing consoles for sound reinforcement applications, whether live, installed, theatre or broadcast. Each Midas XL8 console comes supplied with two 150m drums of Neutrik‘s multimode OpticalCon to create a fully redundant digital snake system.
“Midas has used Neutrik analogue XLR connectors for many years and found them to be rugged and reliable, which is why they were chosen for the XL8 live performance system,” says Alex Cooper, director of console development at Midas. “We also chose Neutrik‘s OpticalCon for our fiber interconnection because it is compatible with Neutrik’s standard XLR footprint, which allows us to standardize all our panels.”
Neutrik‘s OpticalCon, a complete fiber optic connector system, features an LC-compatible fitting that is housed within a roadworthy zinc diecast shell. It enables up to four copper wires to run power, analogue or data signals. The optical connection is protected from dust and dirt through automatic sealing covers and gaskets, which are operated automatically during mating or unmating. Connectors can be supplied with two types of multimode cable (suitable for multichannel audio) or three types of single mode cable (including a special ‘SMPTE-version’ with an additional ground-shell contact for broadcast applications). In addition, colored labeling plates are included to identify the fiber mode.
Neutrik‘s EtherCon and PowerCon products were also incorporated into the design of Midas‘ XL8 console. The EtherCon® Series is a ruggedized and lockable RJ45 connector system, optimized for pro audio, video and lighting network applications. Neutrik PowerCon® is a lockable, extremely robust and reliable 3-pole equipment (AC) connector with high current capacity.
“When we were developing the XL8, we opted to use Neutrik‘s EtherCon to achieve the same levels of reliability and ruggedness for digital Cat5 and Cat6 interconnections,” continues Cooper. “The locking capabilities (which are standard on XLRs but unusual in power connectors) and universal acceptance within the touring business attracted us to Neutrik‘s PowerCon for the main inlets on the control surface.”
Midas live performance mixing consoles have been used by the world’s most demanding sound engineers, performers and rental companies for three decades. Midas is owned by the Bosch Group, a leading global manufacturer of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology. Set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering,” the Bosch Group today comprises a manufacturing, sales, and after-sales service network of some 300 subsidiaries and more than 13,000 Bosch service centers in over 140 countries.
Neutrik manufactures a wide array of XLR connectors and receptacles, jacks and plugs, speaker connectors and accessories for the professional audio industry. Neutrik USA is located at 195 Lehigh Avenue, Lakewood, NJ 08701.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN, FEBRUARY 25, 2008 - Auralex Acoustics, Inc., the industry leader in innovative sound control solutions, keeps sound flowing at Nashville‘s Liquid Music Studio. A personal and commercial facility, founded in 2006 by former Digidesign Production Specialist Brett Clark, Liquid Music Studio specializes in audio and post-production projects.
Several Auralex products have been installed into the space, which includes a control room and a tracking room. Auralex‘s SheetBlok sound isolation barrier was used throughout the construction of the space, its pArtScience Screen6 hangs from the ceiling above the mixing station and the company‘s complete SonoSuede System was used as the surface treatment.
“Auralex Acoustics was helpful from day one,” says Clark. “The company‘s original room analysis really helped put the job into perspective, in terms of the amount of acoustical treatments I would need in order to get the sound I wanted. Not only does the company‘s products stand up to its reputation, but the fabric choices enabled me to choose the treatments that best suited the décor I was going with for both the control room and the tracking room.”
Clark‘s professional credits run the gamut, from live tracks for recording artists such as Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Joe Nichols and Paul Brandt; to post audio for two 30-minute specials aired on CMT Canada as well as several commercial spots for Ford Canada. He has also worked on mixing/editing projects for ForJam productions, BMG/Sony and Paul Brandt.
Liquid Music Studio offers the very best in audio equipment in terms of recording, converters, microphones and mic pre‘s including a Digidesign Pro Tools HD system, and Digidesign and Apogee converters. The studio‘s extensive microphone offerings include Rode, Audio-Technica, AKG, Groove Tubes, Neumann, Sennheiser, Shiny Box, Shure and CAD. Several mic pre‘s are available on-site such as Focusrite, Milliennia, Universal Audio, Vintech, API, SSL, Chandler and Digidesign. Learn more about Brett‘s professional accomplishments as well as Liquid Music Studio at www.liquidmusicstudio.com.
About Auralex Acoustics, Inc.
Located in Indianapolis, Auralex Acoustics was founded in 1977 with a mission to provide top-performing acoustical treatment products at the best value. Since then, thousands of satisfied Auralex customers have experienced improved acoustics, expert advice and exceptional customer service. Auralex products enjoy widespread use among prominent artists, producers, engineers, corporations, celebrities and government agencies.
Auralex Acoustics has become the industry leader in innovative sound control solutions and continues to enjoy rapid growth through an international network of authorized dealers. Visit the Auralex web page at www.auralex.com. Auralex can be reached via email at auralexinfo@auralex.com or by calling 1.800.959.3343.
LAKEWOOD, NJ - FEBRUARY 19, 2008 - Kontinuous Jams Music, a multimedia AV recording, post and mastering suite located in Boardman, OH continually turns to Neutrik USA, designer and manufacturer of the XX series XLR cable connector, for its connectivity needs.
Kontinuous Jams Music is far more that just a recording studio; it‘s the Mecca of music, offering lessons in just about every instrument, in-house duplication and replication services, and a wholesale retail business for high-end AV products. The company has grown beyond its borders, necessitating a move to a larger facility.
The new studio is outfitted with Neutrik products, including the company‘s RJ45 EtherCon and FireWire data connectors. Additionally, every wall plate throughout the facility is equipped with Neutrik connectors.
The new 10,000 square-foot building, comprised of the main studio building and a warehouse, can now accommodate two full Digidesign, Avid and Nuendo suites, each with accompanying live rooms, ISO booths and lounge areas. There are five music-lesson suites with computers containing music-theory learning software to keep clients on the cutting-edge of music instruction and technology. The company also hosts seminars where noted musicians provide tips and consultations on how to succeed in the music industry. In addition, the company has expanded part of its facilities to accommodate Kontinuous Jams AV Sales, a commercial, educational and government multimedia wholesale retailer of high-end AV products, giving that side of the business its own showroom.
“I have faithfully used numerous products from Neutrik throughout the duration of my business‘ existence,” says Mike Moritz, principal of Kontinuous Jams Music. “Our old facility was completely outfitted with Neutrik. When it came time to relocate, Neutrik was the only choice for us. As we continue to grow, we will continue to turn to Neutrik.”
Kontinuous Jams Music not only promotes Neutrik for their own studio, the company is also involved in large architectural sound installations, such as local government centers, auditoriums and conference rooms, where it recommends and installs Neutrik‘s products. The company just completed a large restoration project with Youngstown Playhouse, America‘s oldest ongoing community theater, where Neutrik is the sole connectivity manufacturer used on the renovation.
Neutrik manufactures a wide array of XLR connectors and receptacles, jacks and plugs, speaker connectors and accessories for the professional audio industry. Neutrik USA is located at 195 Lehigh Avenue, Lakewood, NJ 08701.
HARD-FI want fans to get creative and show off their remixing and designing skills with TWO brand new competitions at www.ishallovercome.co.uk
REMIX
Use the exclusive remix tool to make your own remix of new single ‘I Shall Overcome’ and upload it to show your mates and win. The highest rated remixer will win a framed pressed vinyl of their remix signed by the band, and the track will be OFFICIALLY RELEASED by the band and serviced to club DJs.
Budding producers can download the audio parts to create their remix on their own software, but you can also use the exclusive I Shall Overcome remix application on the site to mix up your masterpiece if you don’t have any.
COVERSLEEVE
If creative design more your bag, they‘re running a separate competition where you can create your own single cover and upload it to the gallery to win a framed signed print of your coversleeve.
If you’re feeling really creative then you can enter both competitions or simply browse everyone else’s entries and vote for your favourites.
New integrated package offers creative music education with Cubase 4 and Cubase Studio 4
Hamburg, Germany (February 15, 2008) - Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH is pleased to announce that its unique new product for the English-language education market, Classroom Resource Pack, is now shipping. Written by teachers for teachers, the Classroom Resource Pack integrates up-to-the-minute software technology into a comprehensive music teaching package, and provides all necessary elements for educators to deliver a wide range of innovative, modern music lessons. Classroom Resource Pack is available now through Steinberg‘s regional distribution network.
“Computer technology is increasingly being used for teaching music in schools world-wide,” comments Mark Porter, Steinberg‘s International Sales Manager. “But often the task of providing classroom resources is left to the individual teacher, even if their personal experience using modern music technology products has been somewhat limited. So the huge quantity of structured, high-quality resources provided by the Steinberg Classroom Resource Pack will be invaluable to music teachers everywhere, whether they are experienced Cubase users or are completely new to using computers - because it gives them more time for applying their teaching rather than preparing for it,” he continues.
Catering primarily for the age groups 11-18, the CRP supplies all required materials, templates, worksheets and much more - all in an easily navigable and highly usable package. The included 100 hours of fully prepared material has been prepared by teachers for teachers to cover aspects of music composition and performance as well as recording, production and technology. With its contemporary, modern outlook, the Classroom Resource Pack combines the best of traditional music teaching with the latest audio technology. The Classroom Resource Pack contains all needed media files such as audio, MIDI, loops, videos - all integrated directly into the specially designed lesson plans. The custom-made interface guides through each step, and provides fast and easy access to all the included materials, files, worksheets and Cubase projects.
Classroom Resource Pack on the road:
The Classroom Resource Pack will be featured at events worldwide this year including:
Feb 13-16 2008
Texas Music Educators Association Conference in San Antonio, Texas, USA
Feb 19-23 2008
DIDACTA in Stuttgart, Germany
March 12-15 2008
Frankfurt Musikmesse, Germany
Price and Availability:
Classroom Resource Pack is now available for $399.
About Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH
Steinberg is known the world over for its professional media solutions. The company has been developing, manufacturing and selling software products for musicians and producers in the music, film, post production, and multimedia industries since 1984. Steinberg products are used by Grammy® and Oscar® award winning composers, engineers, and producers. For more information, please visit www.steinberg.net.
LAKEWOOD, NJ - FEBRUARY 12, 2008 - A student-run, project-oriented organization at Michigan State University (MSU), the Audio Enthusiasts and Engineers (AEE), have jumped full-force into their ongoing project, Revolution Audio. Through generous donations from Neutrik USA, designer and manufacturer of the XX series XLR cable connector, along with several other manufacturers, the students are able to begin construction on a high-quality turntable, low-noise RIAA phono stage, a hand built tube microphone, rebuild several power amps, as well as redesign the universal power supply and the preamp.
Revolution Audio is an ongoing project that began with the creation of a one-of-a-kind stereo system that allows options of source selection, volume control and audio panning from an LCD touch screen on the preamp. An audiophile type turntable and the phono stage are this semester‘s addition to the Revolution Audio project. AEE will also build an enclosure for a 24-inch subwoofer that will complement Revolution Audio for frequencies as low as 10Hz. Other sponsors include Advanced Circuits, Microsoft, Electric Interconnect, and Linear Systems.
Neutrik donated several products for various aspects of the project, such as chassis connectors for the recording studio‘s tube microphone. Neutrik donated its 7-pin black male chassis XLR connector (NC7FD-L-B-1), 7-pin black male cable XLR connector (NC7MXX-B), 7-pin black female cable XLR connector (NC7FXX-B), 3-pin black male chassis XLR connector (NC3MD-LX-B), 3-pin black male cable XLR connector (NC3MXX-EMC) and its 3-pin black female cable XLR connector (NC3FXX-EMC). All the connectors featured gold contacts.
Neutrik also contributed parts for the 8-channel snake, which will be used for live sound, as many AEE members perform around campus. Neutrik provided several female and male XLR panel mount inputs and connectors (NC3FDX-EMC, NC3MXX-EMC, NC3FXX-EMC-B, and NC3MAH).
AEE‘s phono stage consists of one “pearl” pass-labs phono stage that is being built to remind students at MSU that in today’s digital world, vinyl still holds a unique value. Neutrik supplied its male and female PowerCon connectors (NAC3FCA, NAC3MPA) and several phono chassis mounts and RCA plugs (NF2D-B-0, NF2D-B-2, and NF2C - B/2).
Aside from the group projects, a handful of AEE members are building phono stages for their use and are constructing speakers and a DJ mixer. Each semester, the AEE showcases its projects at “Design Day” to a growing number of attendees.
“Neutrik was involved in the initial stages of Revolution Audio which began during the Fall 2006 semester,” said Jakub Mazur, resource manager, MSU‘s Audio Enthusiasts and Engineers. “When we needed some additional connectivity products to finalize the project, Neutrik was our only choice. It is important to AEE that our relationship with Neutrik continues for future semesters, as manufacturer support is crucial to the success of our organization.”
AEE is a student-run organization, kicking off its inaugural semester during fall 2006. Consisting of students with a broad range of interests and majors, AEE aims to design, optimize, package, advertise, and present projects that best reflect the professional attitude and passion the students have for audio engineering. The group was founded by Stas Todromovich and David Lenz, and MSU‘s faculty advisor, Dr. Gregory Wierzba , due to the lack of academic curriculum that focuses on audio design at the College of Engineering.
Neutrik manufactures a wide array of XLR connectors and receptacles, jacks and plugs, speaker connectors and accessories for the professional audio industry. Neutrik USA is located at 195 Lehigh Avenue, Lakewood, NJ 08701.
VirSyn updates Matrix Vocoder to v1.1 with native VST3 support for enhanced integration with Steinberg‘s VST3-ready host applications Cubase and Nuendo
Hamburg, Germany (February 11, 2008) - Leading German software synthesizer and virtual effect manufacturer VirSyn has announced the worldwide first update for VST3 compatibility for a commercially available third party plug-in. With the update to version 1.1, Matrix Vocoder is now available as a native VST3 version for Mac OS X 10.4 and Windows XP through the VirSyn website.
Harry Gohs, VirSyn‘s founder and lead developer commented on the release: “Developing the update for VST3 was problem-free, and it was a very easy transition. We‘re looking forward to releasing updates to other VirSyn products for VST3, as it offers us new features which will be very useful for our products like multi-channel processing for surround. Another aspect of VST3 is that it‘s ready for the future, meaning that it appears to be very extendable and easily updatable. That‘s very important to us,” Gohs continues.
Steinberg‘s Marketing Director Frank Simmerlein comments: “We‘re very pleased that VirSyn have started updating their excellent plug-ins to take advantage of the new capabilities of VST3. This marks the beginning of an exciting new era for the audio industry with VST-3 powered effects, instruments and host applications,” Simmerlein continues.
VirSyn‘s Matrix Vocoder 1.1 utilizes the new native sidechaining ability of VST3 to improve handling and routing when used with all of Steinberg‘s latest generation of VST3-ready Cubase and Nuendo production environments.
Released in January 2008, VST3 is a next-generation audio interface standard that offers third party plug-in and host application manufacturers new capabilities and tools for developing virtual instruments, effects and DAWs. VST3 introduces a new dynamic I/O and bussing system, enhanced CPU efficiency, sample-accurate automation and much more.
For more information about the advantages of VST3, please visit Steinberg‘s website.
For more information about Matrix, access to the Matrix demo version as well as audio examples, please visit the VirSyn website.
About Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH
Steinberg is known the world over for its professional media solutions. The company has been developing, manufacturing and selling software products for musicians and producers in the music, film, post production, and multimedia industries since 1984. Steinberg products are used by Grammy® and Oscar® award winning composers, engineers, and producers. For more information, please visit www.steinberg.net.
All trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective owners.
Frankfurt, Germany–February 5, 2008- Following a well-received sneak preview at the Winter NAMM show in January, Aviom, exclusive developer of the world‘s fastest audio transport protocol, A-Net®, is introducing the latest addition to its innovative Pro64 Series of audio distribution products, the 6416m Mic Input Module, at the MusikMesse show (Hall 8.0 Stand H46). In tandem with this debut are its companion products, the RCI Remote Control Interface and the MCS Mic Control Surface. more
