HARMAN’s JBL and Crown Provide Sound for National Network of Cinemas Project In Mongolia

MONGOLIA — Most audio/video projects involve a single location and anything from a conference room to a domed stadium. That’s a major endeavor by anyone’s standards – but a project that involves equipping an entire country with a network of cinemas? That’s exactly what the Mongolia Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism (MCST) is currently undertaking in conjunction with systems integrator Cinema of Sound LLC and Kinoton Korea, Inc.

In their effort to provide professional high-quality cinemas to Mongolian citizens, Cinema of Sound and Kinoton are building Standard Cinema Point theaters in Mongolia’s aimags (first-level administrative subdivisions), villages and city districts. Twenty installations have been completed to date, spanning across the country’s nearly 604,000 square miles. Audio for all the installations is provided by HARMAN’s JBL JRX125 dual-15-inch loudspeakers and Crown DSi 2000 amplifiers, which are designed specifically for cinema applications.

“Mongolia is a country that has vast areas of scattered settlements and sparse population, so sparse that our country’s most remote citizens watch movies only on television, as there are no theaters,” said Jigjidsuren Khurelbaatar, CEO of Cinema of Sound LLC. “Thanks to our Standard Cinema Point project, which is part of the MCST’s efforts to bring a richer cultural environment to Mongolians, people throughout Mongolia will be able to enjoy a true cinema experience with high-quality sound and projection.”

Cinema of Sound LLC standardized on the JBL JRX125 loudspeakers and Crown DSi 2000 amplifiers for the Standard Cinema Point installations to achieve consistent sound, performance and reliability in every venue. “By standardizing the equipment we’re using, we know we can depend on a high level of audio quality and dependable day-to-day operation no matter where the theaters are located,” Chris Bae, Managing Director of Kinoton Korea, Inc.

The JRX125 incorporates features including dual 15-inch woofers with large 2.5-inch (64mm) edgewound ribbon voice coils, titanium-diaphragm compression high-frequency drivers and high-voltage crossover components to ensure exceptional performance under the most demanding conditions of day-to-day use. Crown’s DSi Series amplifiers are specifically designed to meet the needs of cinema applications and feature onboard digital signal processing including crossovers, EQ filters, delay and output limiting to deliver exceptional sound quality.

Cinema of Sound and Kinoton Korea are contracted to build 50 more Standard Cinema Point theaters in the remainder of 2013, bringing the total of theaters in Mongolia to 70. Theaters are currently installed in capital city Ulaanbaatar and in locations throughout the country.

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’s DigiTech JamMan Express XT Compact Stereo Looper Now Shipping

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – HARMAN’s DigiTech today announced its JamMan Express XT Compact Stereo Looper/Phrase Sampler is now shipping. The size of a standard stompbox, JamMan Express XT offers a host of capabilities including up to 10 minutes of stereo looping time and DigiTech’s exclusive JamSync feature for synchronizing multiple JamMan pedals.

The JamMan Express XT is ideal for use with guitar, bass, keyboards and other instruments. It provides up to 10 minutes of stereo looping time. Its control layout is simple yet incredibly versatile – a single pedal switch, three Record, Dub and Play LEDs and a Loop Level knob provide access to a multitude of looping functions.

“We designed the JamMan Express XT to offer players great value as the most user-friendly and compact looping pedal available,” said Scott Klimt, marketing manager, DigiTech. “Whether you want to record loops and rhythm tracks for playing along with, create sonic backgrounds for solo or band performances or sample loops and phrases to drop into your recordings the JamMan Express XT is designed to do it all.”

All loop recording, playback and loop overdubbing can be controlled simply by clicking on the pedal switch. The three LEDs indicate looping and phrase sampling status – red for record, green for playback and yellow for overdubbing. This simple but effective looping scheme has been standard on single-button JamMan loopers for years to create lush, richly textured loops or multiple instrumental parts for a one-person-band backing track.

The pedal’s JamSync feature enables the JamMan Express XT to be synchronized with other JamSync-enabled pedals to create multi-track loops or play loops with other musicians. Simply connect the pedals via their 1/8-inch mini jacks. Multiple JamMan pedals can be cascaded together with one JamMan acting as a master for all synched slaves.

The DigiTech JamMan Express XT has an MSRP of $149.95. 

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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Amerisports Bar’s Live Entertainment Relies on HARMAN Professional Solution with AKG Wireless In-Ear Monitoring System and Mics

VIENNA, Austria – With live entertainment every weekend ranging from legendary classic rock to top 40 covers by local bands, Ameristar Casino’s Amerisports Bar located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, recently added HARMAN’s AKG IVM4500 IEM in-ear-monitors to improve sound for every act in its uniquely shaped room. With a full HARMAN support system, including a Soundcraft digital console, Crown amplifiers and JBL Professional loudspeakers, FOH engineer Dan Allen ensures that casino patrons will enjoy their time eating, drinking and dancing in the bar.

With the multiple sets of AKG IVM4500 IEM’s and its room simulation program, Allen says the performing artists have become more comfortable in the large room, which is octagonally shaped at the stage and dance floor end. The remaining area of the room – approximately 150 feet long – is rectangular and contains an island bar about 100 feet back. The room’s technical staff had struggled with acoustical issues for years before the HARMAN audio overhaul and a sound-dampening renovation. With the internal processing selections of IVM4500 including 8 compression, 8 EQ and 8 room simulations settings, moving onstage acts to the AKG in-ear monitoring system has yielded positive results.

“AKG thought of everything when it developed the IVM4500’s,” stated Allen. “The in-ears are easy to set up and have very low signal latency. Even artists who have no previous experience with in-ear monitors are easily adjusting to them, allowing for their best performances every week.”

Within the casino, wireless communication signals are very dense, as security and other departments utilize numerous free frequency channels. Allen’s AKG WMS470 wireless mic systems are always clear and have never dropped signal during a performance.

The Amerisports Bar’s audio reinforcement system also includes an AKG Rhythm Pack with a D112 kick drum mic, C430 condensers for overheads and D40’s for toms. A Soundcraft Si Expression 3 digital console and JBL STX800 series loudspeakers powered by Crown XTI amplifiers round out the concert sound system.

“I’ve really grown fond of the Soundcraft Expression,” Allen continued. “The user levels, recall and scene setups work well and can be easily used by our IT personnel if I’m not there. It’s easy to train those engineers on the Expression who are used to analog boards. And, the JBL speakers are very honest, leaving the entire system quite transparent, especially in the atypical-shaped room. I have been a JBL fan for life and every time I see that orange sticker, I know we’ll have great sound.”

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 Enhances Coke Studio at MTV’s Live Performances with Audio Support from Flying Carpet Productions & SOUND.COM

MUMBAI, India – The Coke Studio at MTV India is a premier platform for showcasing a fusion of India’s best musical talent. Now in its third season, the popular television broadcast events bring together the country’s top independent, classical, folk and popular artists and their creative energies into one entertaining series. Sponsored by the Coca-Cola Company, the show invites musicians from different genres to jam together while recording the resulting collaboration on the spot. The series has gained massive popularity with more than 40 million viewers in the second season alone. This year, the season has pushed the envelope by providing leading-edge music that features world-renowned composer AR Rahman with top artists like Sivamani, Amit Trivedi, Clinton Cerejo and others for listeners across the globe.  The iconic AR Rahman is a global endorsee for HARMAN’s JBL brand, and Sivamani is an AKG endorsee. 

The show is being supported by India’s leading audio & music production company Flying Carpet Productions (FCP), the sonic architects and turnkey audio solutions provider. Led by Audio Director, Ashish Manchanda, the company has supported broadcast music formats like Coke Studio, MTV Unplugged and has mixed for movie soundtracks like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Dev D. In turn, the company collaborates with leading sound reinforcement provider SOUND.COM for The Coke Studio’s artist and production monitoring requirements at the shoot and during rehearsals. The MTV series also features Grammy™ Award winning engineer Stephen Fitzmaurice, who is leveraging his expertise from having worked with renowned artists like Seal and U2.

Commenting on the successful opening of Season 3 of Coke Studio at MTV, Ashish Manchanda, Audio Director & Engineer, FCP said, “With over 200 musicians and over 45 original songs, Season 3 of Coke Studio at MTV presents a plethora of musical flavors, enthralling audiences with unique combinations of music genres and versatile musicians. Thanks to the premium range of microphones & headphones by AKG and Soundcraft mixing consoles, we are able to capture life- like performances of the wonderful artists featured on the show- be it vocals or instruments. Considering the live nature of the program and the expectation for audio clarity, we are very pleased to collaborate with SOUND.COM. Their HARMAN Professional equipment deployed at the show has delivered flawless sound output, receiving very encouraging comments from the musicians and composers.”

SOUND.COM, with a track record of handling audio for some of the most illustrious live events in India, has provided the entire range of audio equipment and the backend support for the stage equipment setup along with RF technicians.  For the demanding project, Ashish Manchanda along with Warren D’souza, Managing Director of SOUND.COM, decided upon the Soundcraft Vi 6 console for use at the audio mixing position along with a Soundcraft Vi1 as a sub-mixer for larger acts. JBL LSR 4328’s are in use for monitoring during recording.  “Coke Studio at MTV is a testimonial to our company’s commitment to cult musical shows on television and the internet,” confirmed D’Souza. “We have the experience and equipment for the artists and producers to deliver successful productions that are enjoyed by the viewers. Our synergy with Flying Carpet Productions is a testimonial to our work on MTV Unplugged & Coke Studio and we will continue to deliver our best by exploiting technology to the limit.” 

“The Vi6 console has a remarkably intuitive Vistonics interface which made it easy to handle almost 60 inputs on each episode of the show with relative ease,” noted Mark Thomas, Systems Engineer for the project. “We chose to work on the Soundcraft Vi6 this year due to its ViSi iPad app. During the recording sessions each musician in the house band was given control over his/her mix using the ViSi remote app on an iPad.This enabled them to tweak their mixes for every song, based on their individual requirements, while the engineer concentrated on handling the in-ear monitor mixes for the guest musicians and singers. The musicians were ecstatic about being able to control their own personal mixes with no learning curve. We used up to 12 iPads simultaneously on the Salim- Sulaiman episode, without a single re-sync issue or network glitch.” 

“As far as monitoring is concerned for the series, the amount of inputs we had to cater to was challenging. The Soundcraft Vi6 definitely made life simple in terms of monitoring, having the flexibility to make all of the busses into auxiliaries as per the requirement of individual producers,” added Ezekiel Tyle, Monitoring Engineer for the show.  “It was an absolute pleasure to work on this board.”

For microphone technology, the show is outfitted with an assortment of AKG models including AKG DSR 700 V2 wireless systems, D7 and D5 microphones for back-up vocals. Other microphones such as C414’s for drum overheads and piano, and C451’s for cymbals and guitars have been deployed at the show. Both mics have been favorites on this show, with the C451 being the permanent microphone on the hi-hats due of its excellent HF reproduction. C414’s are used on everything from Percussion/Drum overheads to shakers and piano, whereas the AKG D 112 was chosen for its excellent fit with the low end of the Cajon, the kick, and the duff. For consistency, all artists on the show are using the AKG K171 MK II headphones.

“This association exemplifies HARMAN’s commitment to quality and our ability to deliver on any stage,” said Prashant Govindan, Director – India Operations, Harman Professional. “HARMAN’s AKG, Soundcraft and JBL products combined with the experienced professionals from Flying Carpet Productions & SOUND.COM, provided perfect and reliable sound for yet another successful edition of Coke Studio at MTV India.”

“We are very excited to be a part of the Coke Studio at MTV, India’s unique exploration of India’s rich musical landscape,” concluded Ankush Agarwal, Director – Marketing & Business Development, HARMAN Professional India.

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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First Reformed Church Receives Sound Upgrade with HARMAN’s Soundcraft Si Expression Consoles

LANDIS, North Carolina – The First Reformed Church in the town of Landis, North Carolina has a strong connection to its membership and recently added two HARMAN Soundcraft Si Expression 3 digital consoles to deliver an even more dynamic audio experience for its congregation. One Si Expression 3 is used for the main 400-seat auditorium, while the other is in the smaller 200-seat auditorium.

“Our past sound equipment does not even come close to the Si Expression,” said the church’s Technical Manager, Adam Combs. “Our old console kept breaking down and I just can’t allow that to happen anymore during Sunday service.”

When asked why Combs the Soundcraft consoles for the church, he replied, “Soundcraft in general has a much stronger and reputable brand name compared to what we were using before. When investing in new consoles, I looked for reliability and sound quality. In both departments, Soundcraft delivered beyond our expectations.”

As the largest of the Soundcraft Si Expression consoles the Si Expression 3 comes with 30+2 faders and 32 mic/line inputs. Also, the 14 aux/group mixes and four matrix mixes can be reconfigured as mono or stereo mixes. To top it off, only Soundcraft consoles possess BSS GEQs and Lexicon FX processors.

“For this price point, I get a ton of versatility coupled with beautiful sound quality,” Combs said. “I feel ecstatic, because no other console in this price range that I’ve tried producing and mixing with even comes close to the Si Expression. Coming from an analog console background, I am impressed by how simple yet effective this digital interface is.”

“On every Sunday, we have 9-piece bands and singers, and to support all that music with unreliable sound equipment would do neither the performers nor our worship service justice. I am happy to say that Soundcraft is living up to its reputation.”

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 Offers Scalable, High-Performance Audio and Lighting Systems for The World’s Most Prestigious Stadiums and Arenas

NORTHRIDGE, California – Whether it’s a match-winning goal in Brazil, a walk-off homerun in New York City, a touchdown in Denver, a slam dunk in Los Angeles or a gold medal race in China, the sonic atmosphere of any stadium or arena are vital to the sports viewing experience. HARMAN Professional’s top-of-the-line microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, mixing consoles and lighting solutions have been installed in the most prestigious venues across the globe and entertain millions of fans each year. 

“HARMAN has been on the field and in the stands for decades as the latest awe-inspiring stadiums have taken shape year after year,” states Scott Robbins, Executive Vide President of Sales, HARMAN Professional. “We offer full-scale solutions with products from our various brands, including AKG, BSS Audio, Crown, JBL, Soundcraft and Martin Lighting, to enhance the customer experience while ensuring installation capabilities are efficient and can exceed the expectations of system integrators, designers and stadium owners. We understand the importance of sound, video, and lighting during a sporting event and work to help bring an acoustically and visually stunning experience for every game on the schedule!”

HARMAN is uniquely positioned to provide complete audio and lighting systems that deliver world-class results and ease-of-use across the signal chain, from microphones to loudspeakers and everywhere in between. High-quality design and reliable performance ensure that all venues, with capacities ranging from a few thousand to 100,000, are covered. HARMAN Professional brands manufacture a broad range of products that can scale up to match the size and needs of any venue, from the high school to the professional and Olympics level.

Noteworthy venues across the globe that rely on HARMAN Professional’s sound reinforcement technology include: Yankee Stadium, STAPLES Center, Georgia Dome, Sports Authority Field at Mile High, MetLife Stadium, Arcadia University Sports Field, BBVA Compass Stadium, Lucas Oil Stadium, Hong Kong Stadium, PGE Arena, the Water Cube, Sydney Football Stadium, Simonds Stadium and Manchester United Stadium, and many more.

In addition, HARMAN Professional provides a wealth of web-based resources for customers, 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 and lighting technology and applications.

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

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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Israel’s Channel 10 Commits To HARMAN Studer Vista 9 Amidst Major Relocation

JERUSALEM, Israel – Channel 10, the third-largest TV studio in Israel, recently acquired a HARMAN Studer Vista 9 digital console from Kilim Electronics, Studer’s Israeli distributor. This upgrade in broadcasting equipment was justified by the studio’s relocation from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, due to government regulation.

As the producers and technicians of Channel 10 were eager to convert from its old analog format to digital, they weighed many factors in choosing the best brand for their new sound setup. On both technical and financial levels, Studer came out on top, presenting its flagship Vista 9 console as the ideal solution for the new studio.

Besides its reliability and affordable price range, Studer offers unique advantages that include the reassurance of back-up, as well as technical support from the 63 year old broadcast specialists, led by MD Meir Kilim. Yaron Heizler, head of sound for JCS Studios (host of Channel 10) oversaw the integration of the Vista 9.

“Another asset which convinced the studio’s technicians was VistaMix,” said Kilim. “They were immediately impressed by this function, and it worked wonders in terms of increasing the clarity of our broadcasts.”

VistaMix was designed to clean up the mix of unscripted broadcasts such as multi-participant talk shows. Since programs of this nature inherently suffer from both microphone spill and background noise, VistaMix intelligently increases the mic gain on the active speaker almost instantly, while reducing that of the inactive ones. This solves the problem and creates a balanced mix.

“We also favored the Vistonics™ interface over any other UI we have tried in the past, since it is so quick and easy to operate,” Kilim added. “It is also very easy to understand, which is critical due to our high technician swap rates. Most of them have only operated analogue consoles until now.”

Photo caption: (Left to Right) In Channel 10’s news studio: Ignas Galuškinas, Studer training supervisor, Yaron Heizler, head of sound for JCS Studios (which hosts Channel 10), and Meir Kilim.

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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Snapped on the River Music Propels Forward with HARMAN Soundcraft Si Expression Series

BROOMFIELD, Colorado – Production Company Snapped on the River Music recently invested in a HARMAN Soundcraft Si Expression 1 console for use in the company’s support of live music productions. Joe Michaels, President of Snapped on the River Music, is a seasoned veteran in FOH and live production, and naturally sought a device that could mirror his decades of experience.

The Soundcraft Si Expression 1 is a versatile board that combines power and performance with a compact form factor. “I record the majority of my music in multiple studios,” Michaels said. “This little Soundcraft console allows me to travel without hassle between locations, and yet bears an amazing resemblance to its bigger counterparts due to the quality of the sound that it produces. Sixteen inputs are more than enough for my needs.”

Besides the mic inputs, the Soundcraft Si Expression Series comes fully loaded with all the features that artists and producers need, including but not limited to analog style digital controls, 66 processing channels, BSS® GEQ on every bus and the famous Lexicon FX processors.

When asked why he preferred the Soundcraft Si Expression over competitive consoles, Michaels replied, “The sound from this console is absolutely superior to others in its price range. I love the pre-amps and the Lexicon effects, and everything is so easy to use. Unlike other brands, which sound overly mechanical, the Si Expression sounds sweet, warm and happy.”

The company currently uses the console for local and national shows, while accommodating studio projects as well. The Si Expression 1 is truly a well-rounded console that can be deployed anywhere with minimal set up time. It gives ease-of-use a whole new meaning with controls that are digital, but feel like analog, due to its 1 Control = 1 Function feature.

Michaels added, “There is nothing in the digital realm that is both inexpensive and comfortable to record with. This is the first console I have bought that provides all that plus unbelievable results equivalent to $10,000 counterparts.”

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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Singing Wells Records, Archives and Shares Traditional African Music with HARMAN’s AKG Microphones

VIENNA, Austria – Working to raise awareness and manage traditional East African music for future generations to listen, refer to and take pride in, not-for-profit group Singing Wells travels throughout the continent to capture beautiful melodies of the people of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and others. With a studio pair of HARMAN’s AKG C414 XLS reference recording microphones, Singing Wells captures the sounds of local musicians and offers young artists an opportunity to collaborate and incorporate traditional music into their own work. 

Beginning in 2011, with a successful pilot recording in the coastal province of Kenya, Singing Wells (a collaboration between UK-based charity Abubilla Music Foundation and Ketebul Music) delivers engineers to help with audio and video recording during performances.

“The time we spend in the field must be used productively, so being able to set up quickly and capture as many high-quality recordings as possible was an important factor when considering microphones,” stated Andy Patterson, Singing Wells. “I’ve used AKG throughout my entire career for vocals, guitars, overheads and ambients in various studios and they have never disappointed.”

A matched pair of AKG C414 XLS is used on a stand to record in the field and have been featured on every recording Singing Wells has developed. From the vocals to the percussion and even the performers’ stomping feet, C414 beautifully captures the rhythm, soul and heart of the performers.

“The C414’s produce a reliable image and balance of the sound, which we complement with extra lapel and spot mics.” Patterson continued.  “We are confident that in the event of failure of the other microphones, we will have an accurate stereo recording from the main pair of AKG C414 mics as a fallback if necessary. In such differing outdoor environments, I was worried we might suffer equipment failures, but the C414’s have never let us down.”

Singing Wells pays a gratuity to all artists for their recording time and in the event any money is made from the recordings, royalties are also paid.

“We see ourselves not just as archivists and seed collectors, but as cultivators and seed planters, helping to conserve and grow this magical type of performance,“ said Patterson. “The next stage in our project is to try and raise the profile of Singing Wells and the musicians we have recorded. We’ve worked with amazing artists, and anyone in any culture can surely appreciate and respect their passion.”

For more information on the Singing Wells project, please visit http://ww.singingwells.org

For more information on the AKG C414 XLS, please visit http://www.akg.com/C414+XLS-788.html

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’s JBL Professional Invests in Tour Sound with Appointments of Paul Bauman, Eric Friedlander and George Georgallis to New Positions

NORTHRIDGE, California – Reinforcing its dedication to coupling its world-class technology development capabilities with steadfast commitment to customer support, HARMAN’s JBL Professional today announced several new appointments within its Tour Sound division, including Paul Bauman (Associate Director, Tour Sound), Eric Friedlander (Product Manager, Tour Sound) and George Georgallis (Technical Support Lead, Tour Sound).

“Paul Bauman has driven the development and widespread growth of adoption of VTX line arrays across the globe since the product’s introduction in January 2012, while also growing JBL’s VERTEC® customer base,” said Brian Divine, Director of Marketing, JBL Professional. “Now, with the appointments of Eric Friedlander and George Georgallis, Paul has a team in place that is equipped to continue pushing the technological envelope with new loudspeaker technologies while providing world-class support for our valued tour sound customers.”

Paul Bauman has been a key member of the JBL Professional team for the past seven years, having spent the past two as Senior Manager, Tour Sound. Bauman has also held the positions of Director, Tour Sound Product and Application Engineering, and Senior Manager, Product Development, Tour Sound. Bauman has more than 29 years of professional audio and global touring industry experience, including key positions at L-ACOUSTICS, Maryland Sound International and Adamson Systems Engineering. Bauman’s background comprises loudspeaker and sound reinforcement system design, live sound system engineering and mixing, as well as studio mixing, engineering and producing (including radio broadcast).

“The adoption of VTX and VERTEC by the world’s most prestigious tour sound companies for the world’s most accomplished artists speaks to JBL Professional’s commitment to innovation, coupled with dedicated on-the-ground support,” Bauman said. “Working with Eric and George, we will continue to work closely with our customers to provide leading-edge technology and maintain close relationships every step of the way.”

Eric Friedlander joins JBL Professional from Crown Audio, where he served as Business Developer, Tour Sound, for more than three years. He was responsible for supporting sales in the tour sound market and working closely with the customer base to provide tailored solutions to meet each customer’s specific needs. In his new position, Friedlander will participate in product development of JBL Professional’s high-end live sound loudspeaker products and support of JBL’s market-leading VTX and VERTEC® line array loudspeakers, reporting to Bauman.

“I’m thrilled to join such a strong team of professionals to help in the development of JBL’s world-class tour sound loudspeakers,” Friedlander said. “In particular, I am eager to build on the overwhelming success of VTX with more groundbreaking products in the future!”

As Technical Support Lead, Tour Sound, George Georgallis will provide technical, product, design and installation assistance for JBL’s tour sound customers in the use of VTX and VERTEC line arrays with particular emphasis placed on customer training. Previously, Georgallis was an applications engineer and senior applications specialist for Electro-Voice and was responsible for managing the design and installation of large-scale sound systems, working with end-users, contractors and consultants. He grew up in the professional audio industry, as his father owned a pro audio distribution business in Cyprus, where Georgallis began working at an early age. Before moving to the United States, he was a front of house engineer and performed system engineering for a variety of tours and shows in Europe and the Middle East.

“Between its VTX and VERTEC product lines, JBL Professional offers the broadest and highest-performing tour sound loudspeakers on the market,” Georgallis said. “I’m looking forward to working with customers in the field to ensure that our world-class technology is backed with dedicated and prompt support.”

Photo Caption: (Left to Right) Eric Friedlander, Paul Bauman, George Georgallis

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’s dbx Keeps Youth Organizations on Top at Tabernacle of Praise

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – James Lacey III is a volunteer audio engineer for Tabernacle of Praise, a nondenominational Fort Worth, Texas ministry. Known as “Fort Worth’s Church”, Tabernacle of Praise (TOP) supports two youth ministries, KIDZ on TOP for first to sixth graders and TOP AGENTS (Army of God Equipping New Teens with Salvation) for seventh through twelfth graders. In support of these youth programs HARMAN’s dbx recently donated three 1066 Compressor/Limiter/Gates for use in their youth facility’s “The Bridge” audio system.

Lacey has been an audio enthusiast since he was young, and now takes great pride and enjoyment in passing along his skills and enthusiasm to a new generation of budding sound engineers. “A big reason I got into audio is from being a performing artist and asking the front of house engineers about what they were doing at the console and how it affected the way things sounded.” Eventually Lacey learned enough to become a sound engineer and has been volunteering at TOP for the past five years. “With KIDZ on TOP and TOP AGENTS, the ministries’ youth are now doing the same thing I did when I first became curious about live sound – they’re intrigued by what a mixing console and all the lights flashing on the outboard gear rack! It’s a great feeling to know that positive impacts on the youth can happen even through the use of audio equipment!”

With the addition of the dbx 1066 to the ministry’s audio system, which already had a dbx 266XL Compressor/Gate in place, they now have more of an opportunity than ever to learn about the essential elements of dynamics processing and hear how they relate to worship sound. The 266XL and 1066 units are applied as inserts to eight vocal and instrument subgroups on the mixing console, and used for gating on vocals, drums and percussion. The 266XL is primarily used on the lead vocal channels while the 1066s handle the other vocal and instrument subgroups.

Lacey has extensive experience with dbx, noting that most of the venues where he performed earlier in his career used analog mixing consoles with dbx dual compressor/limiters of some type, especially on vocals – and in the ones that didn’t, “it was really a challenge to run sound. I wanted to make sure that I got our new 1066s in place as soon as possible so our youth could hear what it’s like to achieve the best mix possible, a really balanced mix with clarity and dynamics where all the vocals and instruments sit perfectly in place.”

Every FOH engineer has their favorite features about any particular piece of gear and the dbx 1066 is no exception. For  Lacey the Over Easy control “is a dream” for transparently smoothing out fluctuating vocal and instrumental levels. Sometimes he’ll use it on vocals like an instant “custom” overall setting so he can just concentrate on the rest of the mix. “Over Easy is a great feature that, to me, you can apply on just about everything. In fact it makes getting a good sound so easy it’s almost like cheating! That’s because good sound doesn’t ‘fight fair,’ especially in a live setting and sometimes you just have to bare-knuckle it and have tools that can get the job done quickly and effectively.”

For other applications Lacey notes that the 1066’s flexibility is in order, and that there are always cases where some hard knee compression or manual adjustments have to be made to tame and balance the mix. “In some cases, the live mix seems to have a mind of its own and changes its personality at a moment’s notice. With the 266XL and 1066s in place, you can deal with these sonic surprises much more easily, and achieve a great mix under any circumstances.”

The dbx 1066 Compressor/Limiter/Gate combines classic dbx dynamic response with a host of versatile features like selectable Over Easy or hard-knee compression, frequency-dependent gain control, PeakStopPlus speaker protection and many additional functions, making it the ideal dynamics processor for live, studio and broadcast use.

“James is a role model to audio professionals everywhere for the wonderful work he is doing with these youth organizations. We are proud to be able to support him and his work in teaching a new generation about how exciting professional audio can be,” stated Noel Larson, Market Manager, Portable PA, Tour and Recording, HARMAN Signal Processing.

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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First Baptist Church at the Mall Standardizes with Nine HARMAN Soundcraft Si Expression Digital Consoles

LAKELAND, Florida – Building on its successful relationship with HARMAN’s Studer over the past year, the First Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland, Florida recently upgraded with nine Soundcraft Si Expression digital consoles in time for the Church’s fall season. The consoles are being used in several areas throughout the Church’s property, including the classrooms, chapel, the children’s ministry and youth ministries.

Of the nine Si Expression consoles Church at the Mall now owns, five are Si Expression 3, three are Si Expression 1 and one is a Si Expression 2. “We wanted to standardize on the same console throughout these different spaces,” said Daniel Livingston, Program Technology Supervisor at the Church at the Mall. “Since we rely on a number of volunteers to operate the technology, we wanted them to have the same level of familiarity with every console. We also can save settings from one console to a USB drive and copy that to another console, which is a huge advantage.”

As with any house of worship that relies on volunteer technical operators, ease of use was a top priority when choosing a digital console. “The Si Expression consoles are very easy to operate and the volunteers already love working with them,” Livingston noted. “Once a volunteer learns on one of them, he/she can use the Si Expression console in any other room.”

Livingston added that the existing relationship with Studer—the Church purchased a Vista 5 M2 for front-of-house and monitor mixing in its main worship space in 2012—was a factor in the decision to purchase the Soundcraft Si Expression consoles. “We have had success with the Vista 5 M2 and the fact that the Compact Stagebox can be interchanged between Studer and Soundcraft consoles was a benefit as well,” he said. “Of course, the affordability of the Si Expression was also attractive and frankly, they sound a lot better than I would have expected at that price point.”

For more information on Church at the Mall, please visit www.churchatthemall.com

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’s Crown And JBL Professional Provide Comprehensive Audio Solution for South Bend’s Kroc Community Center

SOUTH BEND, Indiana – The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in South Bend, Indiana is dedicated to enriching the lives of people in the region with a wide range of education, faith, sports, arts and supportive programs. The $64.2 million, 100,000-square-foot Kroc Center encompasses 12 acres in downtown South Bend and houses a worship and performing arts venue, aquatics center, fitness and recreation center and a fine arts, music, education and special events facility. More than 110 HARMAN JBL loudspeakers, powered by nearly two-dozen Crown amplifiers, deliver sound for the entire complex.

Specializing in commercial, government, education, healthcare and entertainment installations, systems integrator Communication Company of South Bend Inc. (www.communication-co.com) provided the audio/video and paging for the facility, along with life safety CCTV and control systems. “Kroc Center has a combination of teaching areas, athletic facilities, worship spaces and even a fully equipped recording studio, so the facility required almost every conceivable type of A/V need,” said Rick VandenBossche, Communication Company’s Systems Engineer. As a result, VandenBossche and his team went with a variety of application-specific loudspeakers and amplifiers according to the requirements of each of the 12 rooms they wired for sound.

Sound for the chapel is provided by a relatively modest complement of three JBL AC18/26 compact wall-mount loudspeakers, three Control 26CT in-ceiling loudspeakers, 11 Control 65P/T pendant loudspeakers and two ASB4128 subwoofers. The loudspeakers are powered by eight Crown XTi 4002, XTi 2002 and CDi 1000 amps. The fitness room and gymnasium, two of the other larger rooms at Kroc Center, are served by equally unassuming yet capable systems. The fitness room is fitted with eight JBL Control 24CT in-ceiling loudspeakers, 12 Control 65P/T pendant loudspeakers and a Crown CDi 1000 amplifier, while the gym is served by 12 JBL Control 321C in-ceiling loudspeakers and three Crown XTi 2002 amps.

“Thanks to the loudspeakers’ efficiency, wide coverage patterns and clarity over a wide frequency range, we were able to successfully take a ‘less is more’ approach and deliver outstanding sound throughout the Kroc Center facility. It didn’t hurt that JBL offers tremendous value for the money,” noted VandenBossche.

In fact, the “biggest” loudspeaker installation is in the youth activity center, where Communication Company went with a pair of JBL PRX615M 15-inch portable powered loudspeakers and two each of JBL’s EON 515 15-inch 2-way speakers, EON10 G2 10-inch two-ways and EON 518S 18-inch powered subs. The Center hosts a wide variety of functions and they needed to meet a wide range of audio requirements from bands, DJs and live performances to general PA, events and background music requirements. “The PRX and EON loudspeakers can accommodate anything and everything that happens here – they play loud, are easily moveable and because all the loudspeakers are powered, they can be moved into place and set up in a few minutes,” VandenBossche pointed out.

Other areas in the Kroc Center include a number of classrooms, two dance rooms, an aquatic center, a fine arts and digital arts center, a music rehearsal room, a kids’ care room and other areas. Audio for these parts of Kroc Center is provided by a combination of JBL Control 24CT, 28, 65P/T 67P/T and C29AV1 loudspeakers and Crown XTi 1002, CDi 1000 and CTs 4200 amplifiers and 280MA mixer-amps. “We chose Crown because so many different types of systems are used in this facility that different types of amps were required and Crown makes an amp for every need,” said VandenBossche.

The Kroc Center and its audio system are used day and night, VandenBossche notes, and the facility has become a cornerstone of the community. “The project was a great success and we look forward to working with Kroc Center for many years to come.”

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’s Crown and JBL Professional Provide Major Improvement to Minor League Stadium

SOUTH BEND, Indiana – South Bend, Indiana’s Four Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium is the home of the South Bend Silver Hawks minor league baseball team. The 5,000-seat stadium, known locally as “The Cove,” opened in 1987 with a sound system that was good by 1980s standards, but not up to the requirements of the stadium’s recent renovation and expansion. When systems integrator Communication Company of South Bend Inc. (www.communication-co.com) was contracted for the stadium’s sound system upgrade, it turned to HARMAN’s Crown and JBL to meet the specific audio needs of the project.

“Our goals for this project were not just to significantly improve the sound quality at the stadium but to make the games a better, more fun-filled experience and equip the stadium to accommodate other events that are held throughout the year,” said Rick VandenBossche, Systems Engineer at Communication Company. The renovation ran from 2011 through 2013.

All the speakers inside the stadium were replaced with 16 JBL Control 29AV full range indoor/outdoor loudspeakers to cover the main seating areas, complemented by 31 Control 24CT in-ceiling loudspeakers in the upper deck and 48 Control 25AV high-power compact loudspeakers in the walkways and on light poles. A series of luxury suites and an area for private parties and meetings were added to the stadium, all equipped with JBL Control 24CT loudspeakers and high-definition video displays.

One of the key components of the renovation was the creation of a park-like environment that surrounds the facility and allows patrons to walk a full circle around the stadium. The walkway is lined with video screens, loudspeakers and lighting that are designed to bring the play-by-play action inside the ballpark to the outside of the property and 30 JBL Control 29AV loudspeakers are deployed throughout this area.

All the loudspeakers are powered by five Crown CTs 2000 and four XTi 4000 amplifiers, which are connected to the facility’s system control network by three Crown IQ3 PIP-USP3 network interface modules.

“With all outdoor facilities you are going to encounter acoustical challenges,” said VandenBossche. “First, we needed to respect the residents in the neighborhood next to the facility. Second, with outdoor venues it’s best to distribute audio from multiple points instead of hurling sound from one place and blowing some people out while others don’t hear enough sound.” Hence the use of multiple smaller JBL loudspeakers, deployed in a distributed audio system that took into account areas with reverberant sound and outdoor walkways with high environmental wind noise into account. The output of the loudspeakers was time-delayed as necessary according to their locations.

VandenBossche chose JBL Control Contractor Series outdoor loudspeakers for their presence, clarity and ability to deliver wide coverage from smaller enclosures. “They’re dynamic loudspeakers with great sound.” Crown amplifiers were used exclusively because he feels they offer the best quality and value on the market.

Another curveball for Communication Company was the fact that they had to install the system in the offseason and not interfere with season play, which meant all the work had to be done in Indiana’s late winter. “Let’s just say the installation would have been more fun if it wasn’t so cold out!” VandenBossche noted.

The result was worth it. “With a setup like this, the fans find it hard to contain their excitement once the music and game-day sounds start,” concluded VandenBossche. “The ballpark experience is completely transformed and games are much more fun and exciting.”

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 Introduces JBL HiQnet Performance Manager™ Version 1.6

NORTHRIDGE, California – HARMAN Professional today announced the latest update to its patented, award-winning live sound system configuration and control application software, JBL HiQnet Performance Manager™. Version 1.6 features improved group muting controls and a new library cleanup tool, along with several other updates including the ability to save files with EQ in Line Array Calculator Tapering/Shading mode and open them in multiple arrays.

JBL HiQnet Performance Manager offers reduced design time, simplified networking, and automated control interface configuration in a true workflow-based user experience for live performance installation professionals. Offered in version 1.6 is the new I-Tech 4x3500 HD firmware version 1042, a critical update for front display operation, a new array and ground stack Auto Amplify button to help guide automatic amplification of loudspeakers, and Group Muting and Signal Generator controls are now available in Test System mode. When selecting groups within the Group list, the affected loudspeakers are now highlighted in the main workspace to aid navigation.

In addition, each Array or Ground Stack now has its own mute button to facilitate left/right testing, time alignment and tuning, as well as the ability to amplify speaker groups from the Configure Array dialog. Overall subwoofer array delay is now completely separate from individual subwoofer electronic delay steering (EDS) delays and the delay panels now show these as two separate values. This new feature allows for more sophisticated low frequency steering for either cardioid or front-firing subwoofer arrays while providing a convenient interface for global system time alignment.

The updated version also provides users with a new library cleanup tool, which helps to eliminate the accumulation of inadvertently large files for archived Custom Racks and Generic Speakers. A new “Clean” button has been added to both the Add Speakers and Add Amplifiers modes to remove custom racks and generic loudspeakers not in the current file from the disk library, as well as the file itself.

“JBL HiQnet Performance Manager version 1.6 further proves our commitment to providing the most complete and useful live sound system configuration and control tool,” said Paul Bauman, Associate Director - Tour Sound, JBL Professional. “Our customers want to be able to tweak every aspect of the sound design to optimize performance for the specific requirements of any venue and show. Performance Manager provides a user interface that is easy to use in the field, allowing our customers to achieve the best possible performance.”

Performance Manager is available for purchase via license key on the HiQnet website. For more information please visit: hiqnet.harmanpro.com

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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LifeChurch.tv Continues Expansion, Exclusively Installing HARMAN’s Martin Lighting Fixtures In Venues Across United States

EDMOND, Oklahoma — With 17 locations across five states, LifeChurch.tv hosts more than 50,000 attendees a week during high-intensity services, complete with house bands and exciting sermons. The majority of the 165 services per week throughout LifeChurch.tv are lit with HARMAN’s Martin lighting fixtures. Steinas Systems continues to provide LifeChurch.tv with its lighting gear for a full inventory of lighting and a backup supply to keep the services bright, both in person and online.

“Our services are eye-catching from both the audience and technical side. The worship music portion of our services is similar to what someone would experience at a concert,” states Greg Bacus, Central Team Leader of Technology, LifeChurch.tv. “With Martin, we’re able to deliver what we need for each service in each location, providing a fixture that’s superior quality, cutting edge, and at a price point affordable for houses of worship. By standardizing all of our worship sites with an arsenal of Martin, we can facilitate addressing any down fixtures immediately.”

LifeChurch.tv uses a vast amount of Martin fixtures, including the RUSH series, MAC 101’s, MAC 250’s, MAC 600’s, MAC Manias and Wizards, and Tripix, among others. Six of the LifeChurch.tv facilities also boast HARMAN’s JBL VRX line array elements for sound reinforcement: Tulsa, Fort Worth, Keller, South Oklahoma City , Northwest Oklahoma City and Studio B at its Central Offices.

LifeChurch.tv has 12 venues in Oklahoma, two in Texas, one in Tennessee, one in upstate New York, and one in Florida. Per campus, the technical team uses approximately 30 Martin lighting fixtures, resulting in over 500 active lights, with a va amount of spare pieces ready to be deployed in the case of a failed unit. The church’s “hub and spoke” model allows for immediate response and swap on a downed fixture.

The dynamic church services also integrate video throughout all locations.

“There is a relationship between a manufacturer and the end-user, and Martin’s attention to the house of worship market’s needs sets them apart from others,” continued Bacus. “The difference was clear before and after we decided to work with Martin years ago. The efficiency of the fixtures in power, affordability and standardization are impressive and help make our services visually engaging.”

For more information on LifeChurch.tv, please visit http://www.lifechurch.tv. For more information on Steinas Systems, please visit http://www.steinas.com


Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Aarhus, Denmark, Martin Professional is a world leader in the creation of dynamic lighting solutions for the entertainment, architectural, and commercial sectors. Martin lighting solutions are industry standard on top tours and events, grace prestigious theatres, energize nightclubs and decorate major television studios around the globe. Other important areas of application are indoor and outdoor architecture and commercial applications where Martin products are increasingly being used to transform spaces with dynamic light. 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. The company operates the industry’s most complete and capable distributor network with local partners in nearly 100 countries. Martin Professional joined the HARMAN families of category-leading technology and lifestyle brands in March 2013.

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’s JBL Professional Introduces 9320 Large-Format Cinema Surround Loudspeaker

HOLLYWOOD, Florida – HARMAN’s JBL Professional today announced the introduction of its 9320 Cinema Surround loudspeaker, a large-format loudspeaker designed for high power handling, extended bass response and wide dynamic range in professional cinema applications. The 2-way JBL 9320 features a 12-inch MB12-8 low-frequency driver and 2408H-1 high-frequency compression driver. The large JBL Progressive Transition™ rotatable waveguide ensures superior 120 x 60 degree coverage and smooth frequency response with the loudspeaker mounted horizontally or vertically.

“The JBL 9320 is ideal for cinemas, auditoriums, and venues where higher volume and a larger coverage area is needed from the surround loudspeakers, especially in a multichannel system,” said Chuck Goodsell, Senior Manager, Cinema, JBL Professional. “The 9320 delivers clear, powerful and articulate sound, to create an immersive movie theater listening experience. “

The high-excursion, heavy-duty MB12-8 low-frequency driver provides high power-handling capability and bass extension. The proven, industry-standard 2408H-1 high-frequency compression driver delivers exceptional clarity and resolution and is mated with JBL’s Progressive Transition Waveguide, which provides constant beamwidth and directivity across a 120-degree horizontal/ 60-degree vertical coverage pattern, along with smoother frequency response and a more seamless blend with the woofer. The waveguide is rotatable, enabling the 9320 to be used a vertical or horizontal mounting position.

The JBL 9320 enclosure is fitted with M10 threaded mounting points on the top and on the sides to facilitate U-bracket mounting. In addition, four M10 mounting points are located at the rear, arranged in a standard pattern to accept a variety of multi-mount brackets. The speaker terminals are located on top of the cabinet for easy access. The 9320’s enclosure is constructed of multi-ply birch coated with JBL’s rugged DuraFlex™ finish and is heavily braced to maximize low-frequency performance. A steel grille protects the drivers and gives the 9320 an understated, professional appearance.

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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TV Skyline Travels with HARMAN’s Studer Vista 1

MAINZ, Germany – Mainz-based TV Skyline GmbH is one of the largest OB trucks and service providers in Germany, serving public and private TV channels as well as customers in various industries throughout Europe. To meet the increasing customer demand for surround sound productions, TV Skyline upgraded the audio technology of its Ü3HD truck with a HARMAN Studer Vista 1 console. The Vista 1 was sold through Audio Pro, Studer’s German distributor.

The Vista 1 in Ü3HD is equipped with 32 faders and offers 32 mic / line inputs, 32 analog outputs and eight AES / EBU stereo input and output channels, as well as an integrated MADI port. A Riedel RockNet card is installed in the expansion slot of the console, ensuring the integration of the MediorNet system.

One particular advantage to the Vista 1 is that no external hardware is required, according to Jan Saueressig of TV Skyline. “The compact dimensions of the mixer, combined with the fact that no external hardware is needed, was a huge advantage of the Vista 1,” he said. “The easy access to MediorNet was another advantage that made the Vista 1 the obvious choice.”

“The time we had to incorporate the new console into our service was extremely short, but we familiarized ourselves with it very quickly,” Saueressig added. “We already knew about the Vistonics™ interface from using the Soundcraft Vi1, which was in our Ü1HD truck. The Vista 1 has additional options, such as surround sound and configurable DSP allocation.”

The console was first used in an 8-camera production at the start of the season for the Austrian Bundesliga soccer tournament in Innsbruck. The game was produced for the ORF and broadcasted by TV Skyline on behalf of Media Plaza in 5.1 Surround. Other productions followed at the Salzburg Festival for the transmission of the 8th Symphony of Mahler, and at the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo. Which were also produced in 5.1 Surround.

For more information please contact Tel: 07131 2636-400 or Fax: 07131 2636-430, www.audiopro.de or e-mail: info@audiopro.de.

TV Skyline Film- und Fernsehgesellschaft mbH, is a leading service provider for broadcast and multimedia events. Founded in 1991 and based in Mainz, Germany, they provide clients with turnkey solutions for events ranging from FIFA World Cup to the world famous Wagner festival in Bayreuth. They also support a number of large corporations at their annual shareholder meetings or major product launches around the globe. TV Skyline has 65 staff and a pool of 200 freelancers. A fleet of comfortably furnished and highly equipped OB vans, SNG's and production vehicles meet all the requirements for 4K, 3G, HD and SD productions, including Dolby 5.1. A growing part of the TV Skylinebusiness is the development and production of a large number of special cameras and tracking systems, built as a result of extensive experience with using cameras in the field. More information can be found at www.tv-skyline.de.

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 and Daktronics Restore Sound at University of Illinois Football Stadium

CHAMPAIGN, Illinois – With a total seating capacity of 60,600, Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois was built in 1923 and is home to the University’s Fighting Illini football team. While the stadium’s history is a huge part of its charm, the outdated audio system was not. To that end, systems integrator Daktronics recently designed and installed the new audio/video systems at the stadium, implementing HARMAN’s JBL VLA Series loudspeakers along with Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers to power the audio system. The new system is integrated with existing BSS Audio and Crown back-of-house equipment.

The new main bowl audio system is integrated with the new scoreboard and consists of two line arrays, each equipped with six JBL VLA601H and two VLA901H loudspeakers. Two JBL PD5212 loudspeakers are used for downfills. Also, nine AC28’s were installed to fill shadowed areas under the East upper deck.

The system is powered with 12 Crown I-Tech 4x3500 HD and five Crown I-Tech 9000 HD amplifiers. These were installed in accordance with the existing BSS Audio Soundweb London BLU-80 system and Crown CTs amplifiers. The challenge for Daktronics however, was to incorporate the new equipment into the structural appearance of the stadium.

“Daktronics structural engineering had a defined ‘look’ for the entire scoring/audio/video board structure during the beginning design phase of this project. I was tasked with designing a sound system to fit within this look, and thanks to the modular design concept of the JBL VLA Series, this was easily accomplished,” said David Sturzenbecher, Audio Project Engineer for Daktronics.

“The integration with the existing BSS Audio network was crucial to saving cost as there was no need to add additional DSP components. We did provide new user interfaces for the existing BOH system so the customer can easily see any system issues and make quick adjustments,” Sturzenbecher added.

After testing, Sturzenbecher said, “Overall, the system has been performing great. We are experiencing smooth and even coverage across the stadium with plenty of headroom. We have worked with Brad Ricks from JBL and the VLA Series on numerous other projects with great results, and the vertical arrays really fit well within the allotted area.”

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’s AKG K812 Reference Headphones – Perfect Sound Five Years In The Making

NEW YORK, New York – During AES, HARMAN’s AKG proudly announces its new K812 reference headphones – the completely new open-back design optimized for pristine and natural sound.

The K812 offers an oversized 53mm driver for the highest dynamic range ever in an AKG headphone. Its copper-covered aluminum voice coil extends sounds beyond the limits of human hearing, hitting a full spectrum of frequencies. Each K812 is built for comfort with a fast, adjustable headband and extremely soft ear pads to ensure comfort in any application, for extended periods of time.

“The AKG K812’s are not only our newest reference headphones, but they are the very pinnacle of technological innovation to which we’ve aspired in our 65 years of innovation,” stated Kent Iverson, Director of Marketing and Product Development, AKG. “K812 is the result of an intensive 5-year research and development program to achieve, as near as possible, the perfect headphone. The level of technology and engineering invested in K812 exceeds the industry standard, resulting in truly the best sounding headphones AKG has ever released.”

AKG’s long-standing tenure in the headphones industry has delivered numerous world-renowned professional pieces, from the original K120 in 1949, and iconic K1000 head speaker system for advanced, binaural reproduction for the hi-fi purist and studio pros, to the revolutionary flat-wire technology K701’s for studio professionals.

For more information about AKG, please visit http://www.akg.com or http://www.akg.com/K812

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of audio, lighting and infotainment 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 14,300 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

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Pick Of The Hits - HARMAN in the AES Daily, October 2013

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