Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School Launches Next Generation of Producers with HARMAN’s JBL Professional M2 and LSR Studio Monitors, AKG Microphones and Lexicon Processors

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The first of its kind in the US, Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School in Nashville, Tennessee provides a unique opportunity to students interested in pursuing careers in the entertainment industry, offering concentrations in audio engineering, radio production, broadcasting and other media industries. Fulfilling a key initiative of the project, Pearl Cohn partnered with the Nashville Chapter of the Recording Academy® Producers and Engineers (P&E) Wing in late 2012, to build a fully functioning, world-class recording studio, creating the opportunity for students to learn music production skills in a professional, hands-on environment. The new studio is equipped with HARMAN Professional’s newest JBL studio monitors, AKG headphones and microphones, Lexicon effects and Crown amplifiers.

The transformation of Pearl Cohn into the Nation’s first Entertainment Magnet High School was the personal project of Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, and Music Makes Us, a music education advocacy group, working to create a world-class learning environment for entertainment arts in Nashville.

Renowned studio designer Steven Durr donated his time and energy to develop the plans and oversee construction of the fully equipped studio. In a remarkable effort, producer/engineers Jeff Balding, Chuck Ainlay, in addition to Ben Fowler, Julian King, Nick Palladino, Terry Palmer, Matt Schlachter, Jon Randall Stewart, Durr and notable members of the Nashville music community rolled up their sleeves as a valuable subcommittee to put the facility together.

“Music education is so important to The Recording Academy, so when we were approached with the idea of Pearl-Cohn’s studio, we were proud to help in the development, contacting key associates in the music world to construct the first-of-its-kind high school facility,” says Susan Stewart, South Regional Director, The Recording Academy. “The studio became a reality with the help of the generous manufacturers and the community, who bonded together to provide students the hands-on environment they deserve to excel in the music industry.”

According to Sam Lorber, Instructional Designer at Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School, the institution was developed with the desire of engaging students with project-based lessons centered on the entertainment industry theme.

“It was the intention of the school from the start to provide professional-level education. Whether students are going to pursue an audio degree or a career immediately after graduating, they will have the problem-solving, communication and collaboration skills associated with a strong audio-based foundation,” Lorber stated. “With the P&E Wing and HARMAN, our vision of building the all-encompassing studio has far surpassed what we ever imagined was possible!”

The commissioning of the studio at Pearl-Cohn marks the first installation of the JBL M2 Master Reference Monitors powered by two Crown iTech 5000 HD power amplifiers. The M2, JBL’s flagship main monitor system leverages 7 patented technologies, JBL’s next generation transducers and its new Image Control Waveguide to deliver exceptional imaging, frequency response and high output to very broad space in the control room.

The control room also includes a 5.1 JBL LSR6300 system, while edit rooms are equipped with JBL LSR4300 studio monitor systems. AKG microphones and headphones include K271MKII and K240MKII headphones, D12 VR drum microphone, C214s, a C414 matched stereo set and three C451B condensers. Lexicon’s PCM96 Parallel Stereo and Surround Sound Reverb/effect processor was installed. Pearl-Cohn also installed three complete Lexicon plug-in packages.

Pearl-Cohn provides nine audio classes, which have become the most popular courses since the program was established. The studio/audio program has become the centerpiece of a curriculum that includes a student-run record label and publishing company, plus classes in studio techniques for musicians and singers. Students select a pathway—

choosing between careers as producers, managers, engineers, marketing agents, and more—and enroll in classes beginning with a survey of the music industry and progressing into the specific areas of each student’s interest.

“With a student-run record label, a state of the art studio and the support of music industry veterans, the stage is set at Pearl-Cohn for emerging talent to make their mark in the music world. The future of the industry lies within these kids. We are proud to partner with The Recording Academy in support of this project,” stated Mark Ureda, Vice President, Strategy and Technology, HARMAN Professional.

“We want our students to realize their dreams and potential. They enter the program with ambitions and we want them to graduate with the skills that will provide a stepping stone for a successful career in the audio industry and success in life,” Lorber continued. “Having a partner like HARMAN enables us to create a student-centered studio that rivals university and professional facilities. The sound emanating from our studio is superb and we can’t thank our partners enough for helping Pearl-Cohn inspire its students in this top-of-the-line learning environment.”

For more information on the Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School, please visit http://www.pearlcohnhs.mnps.org.

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 14,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.3 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013.

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HARMAN Professional Provides Transportation Centers with Comprehensive, Scalable Audio/Video Solutions

Bengaluru International Airport in Bangalore, India features
a HARMAN IDX Information Delivery System.

NORTHRIDGE, California – Whether it’s an airport, a railway station or a subway platform, transportation hubs rely on effective communication to ensure their passengers are kept up to speed with schedule changes, locations of arrivals and departures, emergencies and more. As such, the effectiveness of any transportation center’s communication relies on the strength of its communication systems. With the understanding that any communication system is only as strong as its technology, HARMAN Professional offers world-class audio and visual components to ensure information is delivered quickly and clearly to millions of travelers around the world every day.

“Through the BSS, Crown and JBL brands, HARMAN Professional has become a common choice for cities and airport designers who require reliable and heavy-duty audio equipment for their transportation facilities,” said Van Williamson, Business Development Manager, Commercial Systems, HARMAN Professional. “Furthermore, HARMAN Professional’s IDX system, developed in partnership with Com-Net Software, further adds to our ability to provide comprehensive and scalable solutions for today’s airports, transit stations and other public spaces.”

HARMAN’s IDX System is a seamless audio and visual information delivery solution that provides a highly flexible and scalable way to communicate important information for way-finding. HARMAN’s experience and expertise in audio, matched with Com-Net Software’s depth of experience and knowledge, brings a new and comprehensive approach to information delivery that has not been seen before. The system is designed and built to exceed professional audio standards, incorporating premium microphones, amplifiers and loudspeakers for the best audio quality available.”

HARMAN’s brands also offer best-in-class products in every audio category, from AKG microphones to BSS processing, Crown amplifiers to JBL loudspeakers, Martin lighting and more. As a result, HARMAN is uniquely suited to offer fully integrated, scalable audio systems where all components are optimized to work seamlessly together. These benefits are realized in ease of installation for systems integrators, affordable and easy-to-use systems for operators, and—most importantly—clear and effective communication for travelers.

In addition, HARMAN Professional hosts a wealth of resources for customers on their websites, including free software, white papers, application guides, and online training on audio topics and system design. These resources are used by professional consultants and integrators and are accessible to anyone interested in becoming more knowledgeable about audio science and technology.

For more information on HARMAN Professional’s offerings for stadiums and large venues, please visit www.harmanpro.com

For more information on IDX, please visit idx.harman.com

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,600 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.5 billion for the last twelve months ended September 30, 2013.

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Pick Of The Hits - JBL in Pro Sound News, December 2013

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Systems Integrator 956 Group Takes HARMAN Professional Audio Components to Planet Fun For the Ultimate Bingo Experience

PORDENONE, Italy – Systems integrator 956 Group recently installed a full HARMAN Professional audio system at the new multi-room entertainment venue Planet Fun, located in Zoppola, Italy. Mille Uno Bingo, the group that owns Planet Fun, wanted to break conventional wisdom and develop a new concept by expanding their bingo halls into a wider range of entertainment.

The leisure complex now features live music rooms, a piano bar, meeting rooms and dance studios, redesigned at a cost of 4 million Euros. It features JBL loudspeakers supported by Crown amplifiers, AKG microphones and dbx signal processing. Pro audio distributor Leading Technologies provided all of the sound equipment.

“So far, the installation has been well received by the clients, who commented positively on the quality of the audio experience,” according to project manager Valentino Mengato of 956 Group. “All the JBL components used were selected to not only match the demanded level of performance, but to also minimize aesthetic impact on the rooms.”

The two bingo halls, with 700 tables, are the centerpiece of the entertainment venue, and feature multiple JBL Control 26C ceiling loudspeakers. The dance studios feature six JBL STX812 high-power loudspeakers and the new ASB6125 subwoofers, as well as 10 JBL Control 26C ceiling loudspeakers. The bingo halls also include eight AKG DGN 99 microphones distributed across the ceiling to catch the voices of the players.

To accommodate the rather complex acoustics of the piano bar, Group 956 installed four JBL Control 328C loudspeakers, 12 Control 26 loudspeakers and two Control 312CS subwoofers into the ceiling. Finally, the multi-purpose room features 16 JBL AC 2215 loudspeakers and four ASB6125 subwoofers that are integrated within the video boards.

While Crown XTi amplifiers power the system, the sound is processed by a dbx DriveRack 260 Loudspeaker Management System, which provides full bandpass and crossover configurations as well as independent output processing. It is the popular choice among contractors, due to its inputs for wall-panel logic control and its Advanced Feedback Suppression (AFS™).

“We chose Pordenone to launch our unique formula,” explained Enrico Polo, the administrator of Mille Uno Bingo. “If the model that we launch here works, then we are ready to replicate the success in larger cities such as Bologna and Florence.”

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,600 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.5 billion for the last twelve months ended September 30, 2013.

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Sonic Ritual: HARMAN Professional and Premier Production & Sound Services Cast a Spell at Voodoo Experience 2013

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — The third time’s the charm, as Baton Rouge, Louisiana sound company Premier Production & Sound Services, LLC (PSS) found out when it supplied the sound reinforcement system for the Voodoo Experience festival for the third year in a row. The 3-day festival featured a dazzling array of more than 80 artists and more than 100,000 people at New Orleans’ City Park were treated to an epic sonic and musical experience, courtesy of HARMAN’s JBL Professional VTX and VERTEC® line arrays, Soundcraft digital consoles and Crown amplifiers.

PSS equipped the festival’s Flambeau Stage with eight JBL VTX V25 fullsize line array elements per side and four stacks of three S28 subwoofers arranged in cardioid configuration. PSS also deployed 12 VERTEC VT4886 subcompact line array elements atop the subwoofers for front fill. A total of 28 Crown I-Tech 12000 HD amplifiers powered the system.

Stage sound was furnished by 16 JBL SRX712M floor wedges, plus 12 VT4886 loudspeakers and six VT4883 subcompact subwoofers. All the loudspeakers on stage were powered by nine Crown I-Tech 4x3500 HD amplifiers.

In addition, PSS supplied two Soundcraft Vi6 digital live sound consoles for front of house and monitor mixing. Brian Gordon, PSS Head Audio Engineer and Co-Owner and his staff used the JBL VTX-LZ-K Laser Accessory Kit to precisely align all the loudspeakers in the system.

“This was our third year of working on the Voodoo Experience festival and our second with the JBL VTX Series line arrays,” said Russ Bryant, PSS Director of Operations and Co-Owner. “The sound was absolutely awesome. At a large-scale outdoor rock festival like this, the demands on a loudspeaker system are tremendous in terms of the sheer SPL and coverage required—and the V25 line arrays are phenomenal in their ability to deliver clear sound even at high volume, with pristine, effortless headroom especially in the upper midrange and high frequencies.”

The Crown I-Tech 4x3500 HD amplifiers also made life easier for PSS. “Having four channels in one amp allowed us to significantly cut down on the amount of cabling we needed and save a lot of time and labor,” he pointed out. “We are very happy with the flexibility they offer and the fact that they can be optimized for use with VTX and VERTEC loudspeakers using their V5 DSP presets.”

Anyone who has mixed sound at festivals with dozens of bands can attest that smooth transitions between acts are crucial. “We wound up using the Soundcraft Vi6 consoles for 31 front of house and monitor changeovers,” said Bryant. “I can tell you that the Vi6 was much easier to use than other consoles that were at the festival,” noting that in addition to its superior sound quality, the Vi6 is laid out very much like an analog console, which made it easy for visiting engineers to step right up and start mixing. Another big advantage: “The Vi6 still passes signal while you’re loading show files into it where some other consoles will not, which is a major benefit during the hectic time constraints of a big festival.”

Bryant concluded, “There were four total stages at Voodoo Experience 2013 and we had many people coming over from the other stages telling us that our stage sounded the best.”

For more information on Premier Production & Sound Services, please visit www.psssound.com

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,600 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.5 billion for the last twelve months ended September 30, 2013.

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HARMAN’s JBL Professional and Crown Deliver Mega-Scale Dolby Atmos™ Multichannel Sound in South Korea’s Megabox Cinema

ILSAN, South Korea — Megabox is a chain of 58 South Korean movie theaters known for its commitment to leading-edge cinema technology. Moviegoers who attend the Ilsan, Baeksuk Megabox Theater will now be treated to the newest advancement in movie theater sound, thanks to the theater’s recently-installed Dolby Atmos™ surround sound system featuring HARMAN’s JBL loudspeakers and Crown amplifiers.

Dolby Atmos takes cinema surround sound to an entirely new level of excitement by employing overhead speakers as well as traditional surround speakers to create an astonishingly immersive sonic environment. Sound can originate from literally anywhere – side-to-side, front-to-back and overhead – enabling the directors and sound designers to create a true three-dimensional listening experience.

The system is installed in the theater’s 275-seat M Hall. Designed for critical film sound reproduction applications in medium to large cinemas, five JBL 5672 three-way loudspeakers and five 4342A loudspeakers are deployed as the main left, center and right-channel speakers. Eight JBL 4642A dual-18-inch subwoofers and two PRX618S-XLF extended low-frequency 18-inch subs deliver powerful and authoritative bass, and a total of 48 JBL 8350 Cinema Surround Speakers are arranged throughout the theater.

The loudspeakers are powered by an impressive complement of 16 Crown DSi 4000 and 29 DSi 2000 amplifiers. Crown DSi Series amps are specifically designed for cinema applications with features including onboard DSP, EQ, delay, output limiting, presets for industry-standard JBL loudspeaker systems and much more.

“In order for Dolby Atmos to be heard the way its designers intended, every aspect of the system has to be perfectly optimized,” said Hueng-Sik Jung, manager of Projection Technique Team of Megabox. “The coverage pattern of the loudspeakers has to be precisely directed and smooth throughout the theater and the amplifiers have to be capable of delivering clean, powerful sound at high volume levels. The JBL loudspeakers and Crown amps in the Megabox cinema are ideally suited to these requirements and the sound in our theater is so enveloping and lifelike that it literally almost seems unbelievable at first listen.”

Dolby Atmos employs up to 64 speakers and the proprietary Dolby Atmos Cinema Processor to heighten the realism and impact of movie theater sound. The Dolby Atmos specification requires 105dB peak SPL at the reference point in the theater along with numerous additional stringent technical requirements.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,600 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.5 billion for the last twelve months ended September 30, 2013.

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By Request: HARMAN Professional Components Are Installed In Houston’s New Indian Pentecostal Church

HOUSTON, Texas – Indian Pentecostal Church is a newly built house of worship in Houston, Texas that opened in October. The church’s 1,079-seat auditorium features a HARMAN JBL VERTEC®, Crown and BSS Audio-based sound system that wouldn’t be out of place in a major concert venue – in fact, the church specifically requested a VERTEC line array system when planning the facility.

Andy Tyndall, Co-Owner for Whitehouse, Texas sound contractor Cross Systems Audio-Visual Services (www.crosssystems.net) noted, “The church management did a lot of research before hiring us and actually told us they wanted not just a JBL system, but a JBL VERTEC system. They knew the level of performance they wanted and were well aware of the brand’s reputation.”

Cross Systems outfitted the auditorium with nine VERTEC VT4886 subcompact line array elements per side, along with two VT4883 subcompact arrayable subwoofers per side and four VTX Series S28 subwoofers. Four JBL STX812M 2-way floor monitors and two PRX612M 2-way powered monitors are deployed as stage monitors, augmented by seven AC15 compact speakers as stage fills.

Six Crown Macro-Tech® i Series MA12000i amplifiers power the line arrays and subwoofers, with two Crown CTs Series CTs2000 amps and a CTs4200 driving the stage monitors and stage fills respectively. In addition to the main system, 14 JBL Control 26CT in-ceiling loudspeakers and a Crown CTs600 amplifier provide audio to the church’s foyer, nursery, boardroom and restrooms. Signal processing and networking for the entire system is handled by a BSS BLU-100 12 x 8 signal processor with digital audio bus and a BSS BLU-BOB2 break-out box.

Cross Systems went with the VERTEC VT4886 line arrays because in Tyndall’s experience they have “a ton of headroom” and deliver the dynamic range necessary for a church service with live music in a larger space. Tyndall chose the Crown amps because of their high power output, outstanding reliability and the fact that they work hand in glove with VERTEC line arrays. “More importantly, the Crown amplifiers ensure we’re getting the most out of the JBL VERTEC system.” The Crown DSP presets are specifically optimized for use with VERTEC (and other JBL) loudspeakers and provide optimized frequency and phase response, horizontal coverage and other sonic advantages and enabled Tyndall and his crew to more precisely tailor the performance of the speakers to the auditorium’s acoustics.

In addition to providing sound reinforcement for the pastor’s and other speakers’ voices, Indian Pentecostal Church will be using the system for amplifying a full praise band during services and special events. Tyndall was well aware the church would settle for nothing less than the best. “The clarity, power and even coverage of the system from the front to the back of the room is superb. This is a brand-new building and we wanted to make sure we got it right the first time,” he stated. “I think anyone who hears it would say we did.”

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,600 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.5 billion for the last twelve months ended September 30, 2013.

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