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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HARMAN Professional Releases Updated HiQnet Audio Architect™ Version 1.2 Audio System Control Software With Third-Party Controller Support

NORTHRIDGE, California – HARMAN Professional today introduced HiQnet Audio Architect™ version 1.2 professional audio control software, which now offers support of third-party controllers, along with two new Crown DriveCore Install Series amplifiers and the BSS Soundweb London BLU-GPX network-controlled GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) expander. Version 1.2 also offers additional functionality enhancements to streamline the configuration and control process for users.

HiQnet Audio Architect 1.2 is a common control software application for all devices in a sound system, from microphone to speaker. To facilitate system setup, HiQnet Audio Architect 1.2 utilizes graphical, diagrammatic representations of the installed or live sound venue, and the components and loudspeakers in the system. Devices “understand” both their physical and logical placement – in racks, arrays and rooms – and the software “learns” how they are to be used in the real world, while offering extensive setup and configuration capabilities. Audio Architect 1.2 works with numerous HARMAN Professional products and is compatible with diverse digital audio platforms including AVB, HARMAN BLU link, Cirrus Logic CobraNet®, and Audinate® Dante.

HiQnet Audio Architect 1.2 now offers comprehensive support for compiling HiQnet control strings for third-party controller devices like AMX and Crestron. Information can now be exported from the HiQnet system design for direct import into the configuration software of the desired controller. To conveniently separate system-wide control parameters, any number of new third-party controller devices can be added into the system design file and then configured separately. For each controller, a dedicated full-screen mode is provided for compiling its parameters and presets. Within the single view for each third-party device, the properties of each HiQnet parameter may be set, the string format configured to match that expected by Crestron or AMX control software or a designer’s custom format, and the final list exported for repurposing in a third-party control system design.

HiQnet Audio Architect 1.2 provides support for the new Crown DCi Network Series DCi 4|1250N and DCi 2|1250N high-power networkable amplifiers, which recently began shipping. In addition, version 1.2 offers compatibility with the BSS Audio Soundweb London BLU-GPX GPIO expander, a network-controlled component that facilitates the addition of control inputs, logic outputs and relays to systems that require extra analog control and interfacing capability.

Another significant upgrade is version 1.2’s ability to store Audio Architect venue files on Soundweb London devices for file archiving purposes. This enables compatible Soundweb London components that are connected to the network to be used as backup storage devices in a manner analogous to an external hard drive. A number of additional performance optimizations and firmware updates round out the version 1.2 upgrades.

“The new version 1.2 upgrades continue the progression of making Audio Architect a true universal software solution for professional audio system control,” said Adam Holladay, Market Manager, System Development and Integration Group. “With the addition of third-party controller device support and other upgrades, we have significantly broadened the usefulness and functionality of the application.”

More details about Audio Architect version 1.2 are available at http://archimedia.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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HARMAN’s Crown Now Shipping Its High-Power DriveCore Install Series Amplifiers

ELKHART, Indiana — HARMAN’s Crown Audio today announced it is now shipping the four highest-powered models in its DriveCore Install (DCi) Series power amplifiers. Available in both DCi Analog and DCi Network Ethernet-linkable configurations, the 4-channel and 2-channel amplifiers deliver 1,250 watts per channel into 2, 4 or 8 ohms and 70Vrms and 100Vrms (all channels driven; 2,500 watts in bridged mode), and are designed for applications such as stadiums, arenas, amusement parks, clubs and casinos where the highest amounts of power are required.

The models include the DCi Analog 4-channel DCi4|1250 and 2-channel DCi2|1250, and the DCi Network 4-channel DCi4|1250N and 2-channel DCi2|1250N. Both share the same specs, with the DCi Network amplifiers adding Ethernet connectivity that enables networked configuration via RJ-45 cable and BLU link digital audio transport.

“As the successor to our long-time industry-standard CTs Series, we introduced the DCi Series as the undisputed new standard in installed sound amplifiers,” said Daniel Saenz, Business Segment Manager at Crown Audio. “As such, having high-power models in the lineup to handle the largest applications was mandatory. These four new amplifiers bring an entirely new level of performance, flexibility, sound quality and reliability to the most demanding large-scale amplification requirements. With the feature set of the networked amplifiers, the system is simplified through easier connections with RJ-45 for BLU link and fewer hardware devices with rack density of high output 4 channel amplifiers.

Although remarkably powerful, the amplifiers are just 2U rack spaces high, to conserve valuable installation space. The amplifiers’ compact size, high efficiency and superior sound quality is made possible by HARMAN’s proprietary DriveCore amplifier IC chip. The DriveCore chip combines the amplifier driver stage into the power output stage along with additional audio-signal functions – yet is about the size of a postage stamp. DriveCore and the DCi Series’ leading-edge Class D amplifier topologies dramatically reduce size and power consumption requirements and yield much more energy-efficient operation.

Crown DCi Series amplifiers can be operated into 8-, 4- or 2-ohm loads and offer direct drive “constant voltage” capabilities for 70vrms and 100vrms amplification without the need for a step-up transformer, yielding higher audio quality in distributed audio applications. The amplifiers incorporate an exclusive Global Power Supply that is designed to deliver maximum power in any country and their universal AC input accepts voltages from 100 – 240 VAC, 50/60Hz (+/- 15%).

The DCI Network amplifiers offer networked monitoring and control via HARMAN HiQnet™ Audio Architect system software. The network capable DCi Series amps offer digital audio connectivity using the company’s proprietary BLU link as well as analog inputs.The DCi Series is Crown’s most green amplifier line ever, with a selectable powersave auto-standby mode where the amplifier will power after 30 minutes of no input signal and consume less than 1 watt. In addition to the amplifiers’ balanced 3-pin input connectors and 2-pin terminal strip output connectors, a rear-panel AUX port enables the amplifiers to be integrated into control systems for remote on/off and amplifier fault monitoring.

Crown DCi Series amplifiers are built for the most demanding conditions of continuous professional use and carry a three-year, no-fault fully transferrable warranty.

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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Euro Media’s new HARMAN Studer Vista 5 M3 Provides “Haute Cuisine” for TV Show

PARIS, France – Audiopole, the French distributor for HARMAN’s Studer, has supplied the country’s first Vista 5 M3 to audiovisual technical services provider, Euro Media, for use on a popular TV program. It forms the hub of a technical package that has taken up a residency in a converted studio in a Paris industrial building. The site of a former factory, it is now used to host C à vous (http://www.france5.fr/emissions/c-a-vous), a live, primetime program about cuisine, broadcast by France 5, in which guests join host Anne-Sophie Lapix “at home.” Euro Media also supplied the production company with the necessary technicians.

The daily access prime time program, presented by Anne-Sophie Lapix, and featuring food critics (and guest chefs preparing dinner in the studio kitchen), is filmed in a loft where it occupies a fixed set. The building itself has been converted from its original use into a fully equipped apartment on one floor, complete with a kitchen and its own dedicated video and audio production areas. Audiopole director Jean-Philippe Blanchard describes it as “a highly credible studio facility.”

However, space in the audio control room is limited and Euro Media required a large-capacity console in a reasonably compact footprint. The new Vista 5 M3 was the perfect tool. The Vista 5 M3 includes the special TM7 touch screen loudness metering—a perfect complement to the Vistonics™ touchscreen user interface.

The production team was already familiar with the Vista platform and according to Blanchard, the team is really happy with the upgrades.

“The Vista 5 M3 is a sensible use of their budget—and it’s the first sale of this console in France,” Blanchard said. “They particularly like the FaderGlow™ feature, and they are really enjoying using the integrated loudness bar graph.” The console is used in conjunction with Studer’s VistaMix, which is perfect for multi-participant, unscripted shows such as this.

This is because programs of this nature would inherently suffer from both microphone spill and background noise, as active mics are successively added to the mix. Consequently, the overall sound quality deteriorates, leading to decreased intelligibility and phase distortion.

Instead of needing to manually adjust all the faders each time, VistaMix automatically mimics the action of a human operator so that 'talking' mic gain can be increased at lightning speed while reducing gain for all others—ensuring a clean and balanced mix.

“In this situation VistaMix provides them with a perfect solution,” Blanchard concluded.

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 Wins 2014 Technical GRAMMY® Award for Lexicon Audio Brand

STAMFORD, CT – December 12, 2013 -- Harman International (NYSE:HAR), the premium global audio and infotainment group, announced today that its Lexicon® brand has won a Technical GRAMMY® Award, which is presented to individuals and companies that have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced their Special Merit Awards earlier today. Recipients are determined by vote of The Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing Advisory Council and Chapter Committees, as well as The Academy's Trustees. This year’s Technical GRAMMY Award recognizes Lexicon’s contributions to the art and science of music recording and reproduction through innovation and excellence in product design. The Lexicon brand is in rare company: the only other such award is being presented posthumously to Emile Berliner, who invented and patented the “Gramophone” sound recording device in 1887.

Dinesh C. Paliwal, HARMAN Chairman, President and CEO; Blake Augsburger, President - Professional Division; and Noel Larson, Market Manager - Recording, Broadcast, Portable PA and Tour, will accept the award during the 56th Annual GRAMMY weekend festivities in Los Angeles January 24-26, 2014.

“We are deeply honored that yet another HARMAN brand has been recognized with a Technical GRAMMY Award,” said Paliwal. “Lexicon products have long been admired both by recording industry professionals and the discriminating audiences they serve, and we are proud to be the only audio systems company to have received this prestigious validation multiple times from the Recording Academy.”

Founded in 1971, Lexicon is one of the world's premier manufacturers of digital effects processing electronics and home theater systems. The company was among the first to produce commercially-available digital reverb systems which is used by 80 percent of recording artists, and was also an early pioneer in the hard disk recording sector. Lexicon also markets premium amplifiers for luxury cars, home theater and distributed audio applications, featuring the brand’s exclusive Logic 7® surround sound processing algorithm.

“Earning this GRAMMY is a testament to the remarkable passion that Harman puts into the science of recording and reproducing great sound,” said Augsburger. “I am very proud of the contribution that our Lexicon team has made in creating some of music’s most memorable impressions, and congratulate my colleagues on this milestone achievement.”

HARMAN is the only manufacturer to earn multiple Technical GRAMMY Awards. The Company’s AKG microphone and headphone brand was honored in 2010 for its more than 60 years of contributions to the art and science of sound. The JBL brand earned a Technical GRAMMY in 2005 for its state-of-the-art advancements in music recording, loudspeakers, and audio systems integration expertise. HARMAN Professional audio systems are used in the studio and on the road by leading performing artists, and are installed in thousands of performance, sporting and commercial venues worldwide.

About Harman International
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. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

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HARMAN collaborates with Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) to provide unmatched audio experiences at T1A

BANGALORE, India — HARMAN International India today announced the successful implementation of a new HARMAN IDX Information Delivery System, a truly integrated airport communications system at Bengaluru International Airport in Bangalore, India. The deployment is a part of a comprehensive program by BIAL to deliver world-class facilities and services to its passengers and partners at T1A, which spreads across 1.5 million square feet and has the capacity to handle 20 million passengers/year.

The HARMAN IDX Information Delivery System is especially engineered for meeting the communication challenges in today’s complex public spaces such as airports, rail stations and others. In this case, the airport communications system comprises a software-based IDX system core and operator interface, as well as JBL Professional loudspeakers, CROWN amplification, AKG noise sensing microphones and BSS audio processing.

The system is a fully managed digital notification system that seamlessly combines audio and visual messaging systems with the airport IT LAN and provides operators with an effective interface for managing complex, rapidly-changing travel information including gate information, boarding details and life safety protocol in the unlikely event of emergencies.

The deployment provides the airport with a highly flexible and scalable solution that can support the airport’s current requirements of Terminal 1 and future expansion plans. This is a landmark installation, as it is not only the first HARMAN IDX Information Delivery System installation at an international airport in India, but also the first IDX system deployment in Asia.

“We are pleased to partner with HARMAN in installing a highly capable, robust and mission-oriented situation management platform at the terminal. Through the new system we will raise the bar in providing unmatched world-class audio experience to our passengers at the Bengaluru International Airport. This sets the foundation for an integrated airport communication system that will serve the airport’s needs for years to come” said Mr. G V Sanjay Reddy, Managing Director, BIAL

“The truly integrated airport communication AV system from HARMAN Professional will provide a premium information delivery solution that minimizes traveler stress, and ensures a positive airport experience. We believe this project has set a new benchmark in the global AV industry,” said M. Lakshminarayan, Country Manager and Managing Director, HARMAN International India.

HARMAN IDX is designed and built to exceed professional audio standards, incorporating premium microphones, amplifiers and loudspeakers for the best audio quality available. This IDX system can be found in various leading airport terminals across the United States and project sites across the world, including the recently installed projects at ORTIA International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Bogota International Airport in Colombia. IDX systems are also suited for Mass Transit facility applications Systems like SuperVia Trens Urbanos in Rio de Jeniero Brazil.

About HARMAN

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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John Mayer’s Born and Raised World Tour Relies On HARMAN’s Martin Viper Lighting Fixtures

AARHUS, Denmark — As John Mayer travels the world on his 4-conintent “Born and Raised” tour, lighting designer Nathan Alves ensures the lavish set is deployed quickly and easily to wow fans beyond Mayer’s renowned guitar playing. Supplied by Upstaging, 50 HARMAN Martin Professional MAC Vipers and 18 MAC III Quadrays light up the stage for the 9-month tour.

“We chose Viper because of its size and weight. It’s really the only full-feature light that will stand up to our video backgrounds and the wide variety of other beam-driven graphics on stage. Viper’s crisp beam and flat field really impressed me,” stated Alves. “I have eight instrumentalists on stage at every venue and I require a light that will hold up to everything from the bright spots to the ware and tear of international travel.”

The Quadrays were originally slated as MAC III Arifx fixtures, but after a demo Alves was content with the change. The versatility and dynamic shift the fixtures provided, from a frosted, even wash on a performer to its 4-beam explosion of light in multiple directions, left his options open to keep up with the high energy of Mayer’s performance.

“We never know which way John is going to turn next on this tour, so it’s almost an exercise in clairvoyance,” Alves continued. “I needed to design a system that could go in almost any direction creatively at any moment. Between the speed of the fixtures and the attention Martin paid to the demand of lightweight fixtures, I can do twice as much with half the fixtures, fewer trucks, fewer stagehands and smaller vendor costs.”

The Born and Raised tour began in summer 2013 and runs through April 2014.

For more information on Upstaging, please visit http://www.upstaging.com.

As a world leader in the creation of dynamic lighting solutions for the entertainment, architectural, and commercial sectors, Martin lighting and video systems are renowned the world over. Martin also offers a range of advanced lighting controllers and media servers, as well as a complete line of smoke machines as a complement to intelligent lighting. Martin operates the industry’s most complete and capable distributor network with local partners in nearly 100 countries. Founded in 1987 and based in Aarhus, Denmark, Martin is the lighting division of global infotainment and audio company HARMAN International Industries. For more information please visit: http://www.martin.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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Grand Central Terminal Lights Up For The Holidays With HARMAN’s Martin Professional

NEW YORK, New York — As New York’s Grand Central Terminal celebrates its 100th anniversary, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Metro-North Railroad decided to create a beautiful lighting design for all travelers and New Yorkers to brighten up their holiday spirit. Partnering with Toshiba, a concept for a light show filling the west windows of the terminal was created by designer Michiru Tanaka, displaying colored patterns and images during the evening hours. Bestek Lighting & Staging, Inc. deployed an impressive lighting system in the historical building featuring more than 350 of HARMAN’s Martin Professional lighting fixtures.

There were numerous challenges facing Bestek’s team on the project from the start. Not only is Grand Central Terminal a historical, high profile landmark in New York City, but it’s also a very active transportation hub, with 250,000 or more travelers and visitors passing through daily, and more during the holidays. The lighting design had to meet specific security specifications to keep the station safe. In total 354 Martin Professional Stagebar 54s fixtures are deployed on custom rigging, running on 24 full universes of DMX from 5pm to 11pm every night through December 26, 2013.

“With so many restrictions and requirements listed for this project, we needed to worry less about the physical lighting fixtures and more about the actual programming and installation for a safe and entertaining project,” says Kevin O’Brien, Resident Lighting Designer, Bestek. “The Martin Stagebars fit perfectly into the windows at Grand Central and the color matching throughout the entire spectrum, from fixture to fixture was nice and even. Given the fixtures’ age, that’s a testament to Martin quality and durability.”

Bestek had to ensure excellent hardware back up given the duration of the job and quantity of fixtures. The supplier of choice for the Martin fixtures was Main Light Industries. “The guys at Main Light have been fantastic in their support of Bestek and the holiday lighting project at Grand Central Terminal,” stated Van Allen Rice CEO and Project Manager, Bestek.

The pixel count of the project is 270 pixels-wide and 8 pixels-tall. Media Creator and Programmer, Sean Cagney, of Amazing Industries, LLC., animated all the elements for Tanaka’s design. “Despite the low resolution, everything was created to the pixel specifically for this animation. You can't just drop in stock media to fill time,” says Cagney. “Pixel mapping is a symbiosis between video and lighting to create something engaging and fascinating. Some of the elements were created as fully 3-dimensional systems with particles to make the correct motion.”

The final installation took three days of adjusting the color and brightness of the elements. Bright elements pop out of the windows and the dark elements create a touch of color in the fixtures for a background glow in the windows.

Bestek researched many different fabrics as light-reflective surfaces to serve as miniature “bounce” drops for each window, while not blocking the sunlight during the daylight hours. This was an important specification from Metro-North. Additionally, all materials had to be certified flame retardant and the equipment and hardware had to be approved by the terminal electrical and safety personnel.

To put together a lighting design of this magnitude, there was no true way to actually demonstrate the end result without installing it. Bestek installed a preliminary set, which ended up being the first third of the entire piece in the 100-year-old windows.

Cagney added, “The idea of this project was to create a pleasant holiday atmosphere in Grand Central, a place where many are rushing to get from A to B, without taking the time to enjoy the beauty within the station. The performance level of the Stagebars is very high, giving us a total package from the brightest animations to the lightly dimmed aspects. To grab the attention of a New Yorker, even for a minute with this beautiful lighting design is the ultimate approval.”

As a world leader in the creation of dynamic lighting solutions for the entertainment, architectural, and commercial sectors, Martin lighting and video systems are renowned the world over. Martin also offers a range of advanced lighting controllers and media servers, as well as a complete line of smoke machines as a complement to intelligent lighting. Martin operates the industry’s most complete and capable distributor network with local partners in nearly 100 countries. Founded in 1987 and based in Aarhus, Denmark, Martin is the lighting division of global infotainment and audio company HARMAN International Industries. For more information please visit: http://www.martin.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 Studer Vista 9 for Berlin Philharmonic’s Chamber Music Hall

BERLIN, Germany – Often referred to as the musical heart of the city, the Berlin Philharmonic (Berliner Philharmonie) has marked its 50th anniversary by installing a HARMAN Studer Vista 9 in its Chamber Music Hall.

This hall opened 24 years after the first concert had taken place in the venue’s Great Hall. Thanks to the excellent acoustics, today’s productions are performed in both auditoria, and live concert recordings and live broadcasts made for radio and television, Internet and cinema—stretching far beyond the borders of Germany.

Last month the Chamber Music Hall’s Studio 11 production room was equipped with a 42-fader Studer Vista 9, fitted with some 240 DSP channels, and operates at either 48 kHz or 96 kHz. The console was supplied by Studer’s German distributor, Audio Pro.

In addition to 80 analog and 24 digital inputs and outputs, the system is fitted with 512 additional audio channels in the form of optical MADI interfaces. “Over MADI, on the one hand we connect 64 channels to the digital workstation while the other MADI interfaces are used to connect to the Great Hall,” reported Mirsat Neziraj of the Berlin Philharmonic. Studio 11 production is not assigned exclusively to the Chamber Music Hall but is used, as appropriate, with the other studios—and as a mixing space for recordings or broadcasts from the Great Hall.

Used for the house’s own live program, the studio is also in high demand from record companies and broadcasters for their productions. It also services the Philharmonic’s ‘Digital Concert Hall’—an Internet platform that enables music fans all over the world to see and hear the Philharmonic's concerts, live or on demand. In addition, the venue recently started to transmit live concerts into over 100 cinemas across Europe—several times a year in 5.1 surround sound.

“The consistent and fast operating concept of the Studer Vista has impressed us from the start,” said Marco Buttgereit, a member of the audio team. “Because we often have guest sound engineers using our studios it is important that they are able to familiarise themselves quickly with the technology.”

In addition to chamber music concerts, jazz and world music performances are also promoted. For example, famous journalist and TV presenter Roger Willemsen has been hosting a series of concerts taking a musical journey through different cultures in fascinating regions of the world. These, too, are held in the Philharmonic’s Chamber Music Hall and mixed in the newly refurbished Studio 11 on the Studer Vista 9.

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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Q-Sound Doubles Up on HARMAN Soundcraft Vi1 Following Success in Two Cultural Events

THESSALONIKI, Greece – Greek rental company Q-Sound was the force behind the success in two recent cultural events, employing HARMAN’s Soundcraft Vi1 audio consoles supplied by Bon Studio S.A. to ramp up the sound performance. The events included a festival organized by a well-known political party, plus a symphonic orchestra performance at Thessaloniki Concert Hall.

The symphony was a tribute dedicated to legendary Greek poet Kavafis, and all 64 input channels on the Soundcraft Vi1 were utilized during the show. Needless to say, both the audience and the supporting team from Q-Sound were impressed with the sound quality of the console, which has the smallest footprint in the Soundcraft Vi Series. In addition, the Vi1 has the largest touchscreen in its class and features FaderGlow™ color-coded illuminated faders.

“We could not have imagined better results from a Soundcraft console of this size. Our mission was to be able to support venues of this magnitude, while also creating the exact level of sound that the orchestra needs. We are glad to say the Vi1 helped us achieve this goal and exceeded our expectations,” according to Mr. George and Chris Paraskevopoulos, owners of Q-Sound.

“The recent shows were such a success that we decided to acquire a second Soundcraft Vi1! The portability, combined with the amazing yet easily controlled sound system, is a huge advantage for the variety of events that we manage. From political gatherings to cultural events, nothing seems to be a problem for the Vi1,” claimed George Paraskevopoulos.

In 2013, Bon Studio S.A. has already sold 28 Si Expression consoles, seven Si Performer consoles and nine Vi1 consoles in the Greek audio market.

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 - Soundcraft in Audio Media, December 2013

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HARMAN Soundcraft Si Expression 2 Strikes a Strong Chord with Producer Grant Leiterman

REVELSTOKE, Canada – A lot of talent passes through the small town of Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada, and as the only producer in town, Grant Leiterman always manages to leave a big impact with his HARMAN Soundcraft Si Expression 2 digital console. With decades of experience, Leiterman mixes sound at convention centers, nightclubs and a 300-seat performing arts center.

The Soundcraft Si Expression 2 is an extremely versatile console that suits Leiterman’s needs, especially since his projects range from wedding ceremonies to monitor mixes with bar bands. For this reason, he finally made the switch from analog to digital. The Si Expression 2 digital board provides clear advantages in terms of recallable features and copy-paste capabilities.

“My setup times are as quick as my analog days, only now I get the benefits of storing multiple digital profiles,” said Leiterman. “Soundcraft makes it very easy for me to go to any venue with minimal gear and pull up the settings that I prepared for it.”

When asked about other mixing consoles, Leiterman replied: “The inputs on a lot of other boards are so compressed, there’s no music left. I have been working with Soundcraft my whole life, because it has been the most reliable brand for me. The Si Expression 2 definitely holds up to the Soundcraft reputation because it does not sound too warm or too crisp.”

Soundcraft consoles are designed with the user in mind, as it comes standard with FaderGlow™ to illuminate the fader slots according to function, the TOTEM™ for instant mixing with a single key, and the complete feel of an analog board as each control is dedicated to a given function without any layering of controls.

“Just as expected from a Soundcraft console, it was solid out of the box and does everything just the way I want it to. My experience with Soundcraft started with the 200 and 800 Series, and I’m glad the company listens to its customers and provides upgrades all the time,” Leiterman stated.

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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Shanghai Mook Club’s Exhilarating Nightlife Created with HARMAN’s Martin LED Lights

SHANGHAI, China – Shanghai Mook Club, one of the most popular nightlife hotspots in the financial capital of China, recently installed a full HARMAN’s Martin lighting system, creating an exciting experience for Shanghai’s partying public. The club’s vibrant and urban-style interior design is complete with a vast number of Martin lighting fixtures.

Mook combines local music with international flavors for a premium clubbing experience, hosting world-renowned DJ’s and bands on a monthly basis. Therefore, it needed a lighting system as versatile as Martin to accommodate its broad music selection.

To bring an extraordinary party experience to the nightclub, Martin designed the system to be highly adaptable, yet consistent and reliable in each function. Its lineup of lighting fixtures, combined with hazers and fog machines, outfitted the Mook club with all the desired visual effects.

For the installation of visual effects in this club, Martin provided 16 MAC 350 Entour high power LED’s, 16 MAC 101 moving head wash LED’s, two Jem K1 Hazers, two Jem ZR-44 Hi-Mass foggers and one LightJockey 2 Controller.

The MAC 350 Entour does not fall short in high-powered brightness, coupling an 8000-lumen output with motorized iris. The fixture is Mook Club’s flagship lighting, co-existing with the club’s innovative design. The MAC 350 Entour’s dimming, strobing and shutter effects synchronize perfectly with a wide range of music, while its high rotational speed makes it an excellent partner to Mook’s fast-paced songs.

Smoke is an indispensable element to high-end entertainment and lighting systems. Martin Jem K1 Superior performance, sustainable operation and consistent fog output ensures a uniform release of smoke density. The Jem K1 creates the fog by intelligently and efficiently mixing air with smoke oil to accentuate the rich and varied lighting effects. A low quantity of smoke oil is consumed, leaving no soot or pollution after use. To increase visual effects, Martin installed a Jem ZR44 Hi-Mass fogger to suit a host of performances in the club, which has a continuous fog output of 1200 m3/min.

Martin systems are known to perform flawlessly throughout every hour of the night for club-goers. Through endless testing it ensures top-notch reliability and consistency of LED and smoke machine output.

A Martin LightJockey 2 console controls both smoke and lighting systems, which is one of the industry’s most popular PC control units in the past decade. The user-centric lighting control software is both user-centric and flexible. It is a crucial component for professional lighting performances.

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 dbx 376 Tube Channel Strip Is The Sonic Tool of Choice at Glenn Thomas’ ITuneAudio Studio

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Like many musicians turned recording engineers, Glenn Thomas began learning his craft on his own, long before setting foot in a “real” recording studio. He didn’t have a choice – growing up, the closest city with a professional studio was six hours away. From his early days of bouncing tracks on a cheap four-track cassette recorder, Thomas has progressed to become the owner of Newfoundland, Canada studio, ITuneAudio providing recording and production services for a wide variety of Canadian and US artists. When it comes to running a self-made studio, Thomas knows a key piece of equipment can go a long way – in this case, HARMAN’s dbx 376 Tube Channel Strip with Digital Out.

“When I was a kid I basically started pushing myself, working with four-track equipment until people were comparing my productions to what others were doing on 16 tracks, learning how to play all the instruments myself, touring in bands, moving to Ontario, Canada, you name it,” said Thomas. “Growing up with no one to learn from and having to work and work at everything until I got it right, I’ve always felt I had to be something of an overachiever – and I’m drawn to equipment that’s the same way and gives you more than you might expect.”

I grew up hearing about dbx, Thomas notes that dbx was “a household name” and that pieces like the 160s and 266 compressors and dbx EQs “were everywhere” when he was playing the club scene. “I always knew dbx made good products and when I found out they made tube gear I got really excited, since like many others I’ve always loved what a quality tube preamp can do for the sound of vocals and instruments.”

Fast forward to 2013 and it’s no surprise the dbx 376 has landed at ITuneAudio. In addition to a tube preamp section the 376 offers a three-band parametric EQ, compressor, de-esser, mic and line inputs, selectable digital sampling rates and analog and digital audio outputs. “I use the 376 on every project in one way or another,” says Thomas. On a current project for California Based band “X-Sinner” 7th album he’s running most guitar tracks through the 376. “It works exceptionally well to enhance the sound of a guitar that’s going into an amp simulator in a DAW. It really makes a guitar sound more like it’s being recorded through a real amp.” Thomas likes to apply a -3 to -6dB notch at 1 to 3 kHz to remove some midrange “honk,” a technique that’s helped him achieve a signature guitar sound.

When recording drums, typically a 15-mic setup, Thomas runs a stereo pair of AKG 3000 mics through a dbx dual channel 386. Cranking the mic pre pushes the preamp to “run a little dirty,” which Thomas finds adds to the sonic character. He likes using the 376 either when printing vocals and instruments right to a track, or during mixing when he can tweak the 376’s parameters to bring a track to sit perfectly in a mix. “I even prefer using the dbx 376’s preamp section instead of the built-in preamps in my high end digital interface. Other preamps are too ‘stubborn’ to use, feel too sterile or add colorations I don’t like, whereas the 376 always sounds right.”

“The dbx 376 and the dbx 386 are killer products for the money,” Thomas concludes. “I would never sell these pieces of gear.”

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 Lexicon FW810S FireWire Audio Interface Featured in Innovation House by Insidesign®’s High End Music Room

JOHNS CREEK, Georgia – Built for the wired consumer and professional, the Innovation House by Insidesign®, is a unique designer show house that showcases the top vendors of residential home building systems and finishes. Atlanta-based designer build firm Insidesign constructed the 11,000 square foot European estate style residence over a seven-month period and outfitted the house with hand-selected infotainment and audio solutions chosen by industry leaders for their durability, ingenuity, and beauty. HARMAN’s Lexicon FW810S FireWire Audio Interface was selected to provide the Innovation House’s high-end music room with sophisticated home recording capabilities.

The Lexicon FW810s 10 Input/12 Output FireWire Audio Interface offers high quality 96kHz sampling that is coupled with dbx’s high-voltage, ultra-low noise mic preamps and dynamics. These powerful tools connect to the Home’s digital audio workstation through Lexicon’s patented FireWire technology for the ultimate home recording studio.

“To be featured Insidesign’s Innovation House truly shows the versatility of Lexicon equipment to bring professional-grade recording technology into the home,” commented Jason Kunz, Marketing Communications Manager for Harman Signal Processing. “Tech-driven families expect technology to perform at an extremely high level, and we take pride in providing innovative professional audio products that exceed those expectations. We are honored to be recognized by the industry’s leading professionals and be included in the Innovation House.”

Additionally, the home’s design team developed in depth articles featuring each of the home’s key features and product capabilities. The Insidesign team also created a digital tour via high definition photo galleries that are accessible on the home’s website.

To learn more about the project or to take a virtual tour of Innovation House, visit showhouse.myinsidesign.com.

About Innovation Show House

Innovation House by Insidesign® is an 11,000 square foot European farmhouse style estate on 2.5 acres of land in Johns Creek, GA outside of Atlanta. Meticulously completed over seven months, Innovation House is a six bedroom, 9.5 bathroom showcase of hand selected building materials to provide residential design/build firms with digital inspiration through high definition photography and editorial-worthy articles.

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 AKG Does Jinhua City People’s Court Justice With CS3 Conferencing System

JINHUA, China – The Zhejiang Jinhua Wu District People’s Court has seen a host of prominent trials spanning the entire country. To fully support the high-profile cases of this judicial building, Zhuo Xin Group provided a transformation of the court’s conferencing systems by integrating HARMAN’ AKG wide range of conferencing microphones and dbx signal processor within its digital network.

For the court’s microphones, Zhuo Xin Group installed an AKG CS3 wired conference system. The judge stand is equipped with a CS3 CU Chairman Microphone Station, while the rest of the court features 17 CS3 DU Delegate Microphone Stations. All the microphones are connected through a CS3 BU Base Unit.

The entire conferencing system is simplified and user-friendlier in its operation. The CS3 units are equipped with professional built-in speakers, which automatically turn off when a voice is detected, preventing any feedback to occur.

“AKG is dedicated to deliver not only the best quality audio products, but also the most accurate voice solutions for the exact needs of the wide variety of end users we cater to worldwide. CS3 conferencing systems are both reliable in performance and precise in application, able to ensure clear and quality audio during the important court proceedings in Jinhua,” explained Thomas Giczy, Business Development Manager, AKG.

The audio signals of the CS3 BU microphones are processed by dbx ZonePro 1261M, which is pre-configured with input processing, a central matrix and output processing. It features AutoWarmth®, a psychoacoustic function that maintains full frequency bandwidth on each output zone. Coupled with an Advanced Feedback Suppression capability, which takes the guesswork out of controlling feedback, this digital processor guarantees safe and easy operation.

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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Mizmor HD Productions Turns to HARMAN’s Studer

TEL AVIV, Israel – Mizmor HD Productions, based in Tel Aviv, has recently purchased a 32-fader HARMAN Studer Vista 1 digital console through Kilim Electronics, Studer’s Israeli distributor.

Under the direction of Daniel Lankry, Mizmor HD has grown steadily since being founded in 1992 and today has four sophisticated HD OB vans, including the largest in Israel, broadcasting mainly sport and national events. It is in this OB, which can accommodate up to 14 cameras, that the Vista 1 and Compact Stagebox have been installed, replacing the previous analogue console.

After considering all options, the purchasing decision was based on the superior facilities of the Studer console and the service/backup Mizmor knew it would receive from Kilim Electronics.

The Vista 1 is a transportable all-in-one digital mixing console for broadcast, live and production use, with the control surface, I/O system, DSP and power supplies all contained within the console. This makes it the ideal choice when space is restricted, such as in OB and ENG vans.

Thanks to the patented Vistonics™ user interface, with 40 on-screen rotary knobs, the Vista 1’s look and feel is identical to that of the larger, more sophisticated Vistas.

The OB van’s technicians say their excitement on taking delivery was eclipsed by the speed of installation (which they undertook themselves). They then discovered just how easy the Vista 1 was to operate.

“In fact they started working only a quarter of an hour after the installation was complete—without the need to study the manual,” reported Kilim Electronics’ MD Meir Kilim, whose Haifa-based company again supplied all the services.

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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One Vision Acquires HARMAN’s Soundcraft Si Compact Digital Audio Consoles

CANBERRA, Australia – When Canberra-based audiovisual company One Vision decided it was time to replace its Yamaha digital mixers, there was only one alternative—HARMAN’s Soundcraft Si Compact. Soundcraft's Si Compact Series consoles are designed to offer digital power and versatility combined with an operator-friendly “analogue feel.” The consoles were purchased through Jands, Soundcraft’s Australian distributor.

“We wanted a console that would be more hands on than the Yamaha consoles as far as the crossover between digital and analogue,” commented Frank Meany, managing director of One Vision. “Basically, we wanted a console with knobs on it as opposed to a console with buttons and scrolling pages of menus, it’s more intuitive.”

Meany and his team have found their Soundcraft Si Compact consoles to be very powerful and they are particularly impressed by the console’s sound, with Meany remarking that it sounds more like an analogue console than other digital consoles.

“We purchased a digital multicore for them which makes a huge difference being able to patch things around and also having the soft patch on it,” Meany added. “I am however a bit sad that the Soundcraft Si Performers were not available at the time we bought them—a simple lighting console built into the desk would have been great! Maybe next time.”

Meany also commented on how easy his team has found the Soundcraft Si Compact to learn, describing it as a straightforward live sound mixer.

“Its price range, small footprint and portability also helped seal the decision to purchase,” he said.

In the few months since acquiring the Soundcraft Si Compact, One Vision has had it hard at work mainly on corporate events and Meany reports that it has been totally reliable and a great asset to the company.

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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