It is good to see that line array speaker cabinet technology is now widely embraced by system installers (both new and upgrades) and the overall improvement in sound quality is quickly evident.

What is also evident, unfortunately, is how ugly many of these installations are, especially those that are retrofitted into existing spaces.

I can understand how an installer (i used to do sound system installations myself) might think that a half dozen black speaker cabinets hung against a white or light colored background might look “beautiful”.  After all, he probably risked life and limb in a personnel lift to get the system in place and knows that the sound in the room has been dramatically improved.

How difficult would it have been to paint the new cabinets in a matching or complementary color?  Apparently, pretty difficult, since nobody does it.

I realize that I’m not just talking about a can of Krylon spray paint here, but the results of a good quality paint job can pay off for years.  A smart installer knows that he can gain a competitive advantage at bid opening time if his proposal is the only one that takes how the new speaker hang will look when the install is finished.

Metal speaker grills instead of fabric and recessed rigging hardware and connector plates both make doing a quality paint job easier and there is inexpensive spary equipment on the market that is easy to use.

Next time you are listening to one of these “in your face” sound system installations, close your eyes for a minute and see how much better it would sound if you could just hear it instead of seeing it.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands. We are proud to feature speaker cables from Mitee Cables.

I subscribe to a lot of them, and no matter how hard I try, I get behind in my reading.

I picked up the July edition of Front of House to read over lunch and was pleased to see two prominent North Carolina companies featured.

Special Events Services, from Winston-Salem, provided their new Martin Audio MLA sound system to support Oprah’s final television shows-Oprah’s Surprise Spectacular-at Chicago’s United Center Arena.  This was one of the most highly anticipated television broadcasts of the year, and SES and Martin Audio made sure that the audience heard every word.  Click here for the details.

SE Systems, headquartered in Greensboro, was featured in celebration of their 24th year as the exclusive technical support vendor for Merelfest, a major bluegrass and traditional music festival.  Click here to read the article.

We’re proud to call these two great companies customers and tip our hat to Front of House for their recognition.

Goodbuyguys.com is a collection of web sites (including buytape.com, buybattery.com,buymicstand.com, buyextensioncord.com, buyaflashlight.com and buywireties.com) designed to deliver a great selection of production supplies.

More and more lawyers offices and courts are struggling with the technical demands of media coverage and the need for tech savy technicians in the courtroom. Many courthouses date back to the earlier half of the twentieth century and they are woefully behind when it comes to providing the kind of support that is now expected by the legal profession, the media and the public. Its not unusual to enter a courtroom now and find mic cables and extension cordsheld down with gaffers tape all over the room. If the proceedings are high profile, this tangle of cables may stream out the door, down the stairs and out into the street.

The need for audio visual supplies now often extends back to the attorneys’ offices as well. Many law firms have whole departments that are involved in preparing presentation materials for courtroom work. This now extends far beyond the realm of flip charts to include professionally produced videos, wireless mics, enhanced audio recordings and computer-based presentations.

While it is unfortunate that these technical demands may be overwhelming the courtroom, its a great thing that high tech tools are available to participants in the cases.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Shurtape gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties,Electratrac and Coast Wire extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.Look to us first to meet your audio visual supply needs.

I have always been amused at how the live events industry has allowed such practices as referring to sound persons as “engineers“, and this is a good example of how the special events production industry has evolved outside of the mainstream.  Real engineers have college degrees, face rigorous testing and must be licensed before they ply their trade.  All a sound “engineer” needs is a Sharpie and a Maglite!  You need an architect, a licensed contractor and a building permit to add a bathroom to your house, but you can build a six story tall temporary structure in the midst of 10,000 people by just being lucky enough to win the bid.

I was in the outdoor staging business for many years, and must disclose, upfront, that I was guilty of more than one questionable decision, because we are all so deeply committed to the concept that “the show must go on“.  I am now amazed that over a period of more than 20 years no one ever asked me who designed this roof, who built this stage, and what are their qualifications?

Somewhere along the way, our commitment to hard work and quick thinking have managed to allow us to escape the scrutiny (government and otherwise) that similar industries must submit to every day.  Those days are likely nearing an end.

We used to joke that building stages was like having a construction job without a lunch break.  The joke should have also included “and without a permit“. The building of temporary structures puts performers and audience members at the same sort of risk they would be exposed to when shows are in permanent buildings, but the fly-by-night nature (I don’t mean this in a derogatory manner, since we literally do “fly-by-night)  of what we do has allowed it to escape the inspection and permitting process.

The evolution of stage roofs from being a tent over a flat bed truck to massive structures like that one in Indiana has happened in rapid fashion, and the notion that an unlicensed contractor can hang thousands of pounds over the heads of audience members and performers without being subjected to formal training, licensing and inspection now must come to an end.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Electratrac and Coast Wire extension cords, OnStage Stand mic stands, and lots of other useful production supplies.

We enjoy working with our local schools and are particularly proud to be involved with the arts curriculum at Northwood High School, the school my daughter attends.  They are finishing up a series of special events this week and we applaud them for their hard work.

Periodically, I have pointed out the phenomenon I call the “graying” of the concert production industry.  Lots of hands-on techs who got their start in sound and lighting began their careers in the 1970′s and ’80′s and are now looking at retirement or career changes.  Unfortunately, there are not a lot of kids ready to take their places.

If you read the trade journals that cover the concert production industry,  you know that a very high percentage of the articles feature technicians in their 50′s or even 60′s.

My work at Northwood High confirms this trend.  Northwood has a newly renovated auditorium with state of the art sound and lighting systems.  Twenty years ago, there would have been students crawling all over each other to get a chance to learn to operate this equipment.

Not today. Northwood has hundreds of kids involved in band, dance and drama but almost no students who want to work backstage or in the production booth.  They simply don’t see it as a college or career track.

We have recently developed a series of “how to” animations related to teaching technical theatre skills, along with a set of printed guides.

It is our hope little things like this, along with our involvement in training students and teaching tech skills, will open the eyes of some of these high school students to the possibilities of an exciting career path that will soon have lots of employment opportunities.

If you have technical skills and are making a career change, give some thought to sharing all you’ve learned with your local high school arts program.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords andOnStage Stand mic stands. We’re passionate about arts education in the public schools.

Dell has joined giants like Google and Microsoft in the fight to control wireless spectrum, but it appears that they are trying to come in the back door.

Forbes reports that Dell founder Michael Dell is quietly buying up bankrupt local television stations.  It seems unlikely that Dell will be hiring weather girls and operating traffic cams, so the speculation is that they are attempting to acquire the broadcast spectrum that the FCC licences to these local broadcasters.  As the value of allocated frequencies continues to rise, Dell may be trying to position itself as a “player” by acquiring rights to spectrum not through FCC auctions like the other major players, but rather by buying into local markets one at a time.

It is difficult to see how this may work in Dell’s favor in the long run, as their attempts to move into consumer broadcast businesses like television and cell phones has not met with much success.

Even less obvious, but perhaps more important, Dell may become a major player (or at least a thorn in the side) as the FCC continues work on a database that can be used by wireless microphone users to locate available spectrum in the locales where they are operating.

You can read more about this discussion here.

Over the last 25 years we have continued to see consolidation of manufacturing and brand names in a process that should have made information easier to obtain, but, instead have made it more and more difficult.

In the early years of our company a roll of tape (gaffers, duct, cloth, paper, you name it) was two inches wide and 60 yards long. Seems like it had been that way forever.

The first major change was reducing roll sizes to a metric dimension (55 mm) from imperial (2 inch), but the industry continued to refer to the products as two inches.

Following that change came a number of consolidations among manufacturers and converters who held on to parts of a product’s name or description but not others. Perhaps the most obvious example came when Shurtape (which already made and branded gaffers tape) bought the rights to Permacel’s line of gaffers tapes. In addition to making their own brand of tape, Shurtape was also the maker of Permacel 665 and Permacel Professional Grade gaffers tape. A couple of years later, the Shurtape’s rights to use the Permacel brand expired, but they continued to make the product, rebranded as Shurtape A&E Gaffers Tape while continuing to make the Shurtape brand as well.

As if that was not confusing enough, lots of vendors (primarily online) continue to call these products Permacel years after the brand was gone.

Now, to add to the confusion, Shurtape and their distribution partner, Pro Tapes & Specialties, have downsized the standard roll of gaffers tape from 60 yards to 55 yards. Most web sites that sell these products still describe them as 60 yard rolls, even though they have been shipping the 55 yard rolls for almost a month.

With so much information in control of so many providers, some of whom don’t seem to think the details really matter, it is unlikely that there will ever be a “standard” roll of gaffers tape ever again.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.

I was disappointed to learn that her television show was ending, but I came across an article in Front Of House magazine that made this a little less painful.

It seems that one of our long time gaffers tape customers, Special Event Services in Winston-Salem, NC was involved in producing Oprah’s last televison shows, taped at the United Center in Chicago.  SES, along with On Stage Audio put together the largest Martin Audio MLA speaker system ever assembled to provide audio support for the tapings.

If I couldn’t be there in person, its good to think that we might have insured that Oprah didn’t trip over a cable.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.

Tape is a great tool and we’d never get the show open without it, but prices for products like gaffers tape have reached the point where some new strategies are in order.

In doing some research for my writing on this subject, I came across a great idea for a velcro-backed cable cover that replaces the task of taping a cable down across carpet with a reusable cover that will last for years.

We are looking for a manufacturer who could help us add something like this to our product line, but, in the meantime, you can make your own.

Here’s a link to an excellent YouTube video that will show you exactly how to do it.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  Every speaker cable we sell is “Satisfaction Guaranteed“.

There are three versions of the NL series connector, and you can find out more about those here.  The confusion comes from many manufacturers choosing to use the NL4 style connector (4 poles) in applications where only two conductors are needed.  This has led to a sort of “de facto” standardization based on the fact that the Speakon standard has been slowly accepted as the way to go by most speaker cabinet and amplifier manufacturers.

By using the NL4 standard, speaker manufacturers have been able to create a product that can be either “mono-amped”(single signal for all components in the speaker cabinet) or “bi-amped” (separate amp signal for the two different components in the cabinet).  The ability to choose whether a speaker is mono-amped or bi-amped based on internal wiring in the cabinet creates lots of flexibility and this makes the confusion worth while.

Speaker cables from buyspeakercable.com are all two conductor but use the NL4 connector standard.

Best of all (even with yet a little more confusion), the NL4 male connector will fit into the same female connector as the NL2.  They are completely interchangeable.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  Every speaker cable we sell is “Satisfaction Guaranteed“.

The most recent edition of Front of House magazine (one of my favorite trade journals) highlights how some of those concert production pros are redefining their careers in the information age.

Front of House, or FOH is published by Timeless Communications, the leader in trade journal publications for the sound and lighting industry.  They touch just about every aspect of hands on production with good articles, equipment reviews and industry news.

In their current edition, FOH announces the hiring of Mark Frink as the new editor.  Frink is well known to the pro audio community, having worked with acts ranging from Tony Bennett to Jessica Simpson.  He’s worked at the Super Bowl and was involved in Pope John Paul II appearance at Giants Stadium,  so he obviously knows what producing a big event is all about.

Congratulations to Mark in his new position.  We look forward to reading his contributions.  And a tip of the hat to Timeless Communications and FOH for turning to the industry that supports them to provide new talent.

In an business where a retirement plan is about as elusive as perfect sound at every seat in the house,  it’s great to see new ideas for a “second act.”

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  Every extension cord we sell is “Satisfaction Guaranteed“.

After spending a few days in a very nice New York City boutique hotel and constantly plugging and unplugging devices, I knew exactly what they meant.  My wife’s Ipad ended up plugged into an outlet under the sink in the bathroom and we had to take turns charging our cell phones.  What few outlets that were provided were obscured by heavy furniture and having to unplug the reading light to plug in a computer made less sense every time I did it.

The Times writer even speculated that even more than the big flat screen tv, travelers wanted the outlets concealed behind it!

Here are a couple of items you might want to consider adding to your overnight bag to help solve the problem.

A Tri Outlet Cube Tap lets you turn one outlet into three with a device that you can hold in the palm of your hand.

A Right Angle Adapter allows you to make an outlet that is otherwise inaccessible because there is not enough space between it and a piece of furniture usable by turning the outlet 90 degrees.

A Three Way Splitter also lets you turn one outlet into three, but has the additional advantage of ten inch cable extensions on each outlet, so that there is plenty of room to connect chargers, power supplies or other bulky items designed to plug directly into the outlet without a cable.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  Every extension cord we sell is “Satisfaction Guaranteed“.

]]> http://buygafferstape.com/blogs/extension-cords/2011/05/16/what-do-travelers-want-more-holes-in-the-wall/feed/ 0 http://buygafferstape.com/blogs/pro-sound/2011/04/22/can-you-hear-electricity-what-does-159-99-sound-like/ http://buygafferstape.com/blogs/pro-sound/2011/04/22/can-you-hear-electricity-what-does-159-99-sound-like/#comments Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:11:54 +0000 Jeff http://buygafferstape.com/blogs/?p=634 Continue reading →]]> One of my regular reads is a trade magazine called Pro Sound News.  I’ve been a loyal reader for many years and have written before about the educational value of these free, industry supported publications. I even look at the ads.

An add for Essential Sound Products caught my eye, as advertising for something like a basic power cord really stands out among full page adds for the latest digital mixers and speaker line arrays.

A quick look at ESP’s web site made it clear that this ad wasn’t about a simple power cable. Not when you’re talking about $159.99 for a 7 foot power cable.

We like to think that we know a little about power cables, so Essential Sound’s claim that standard heavy gauge power cables cause (their words)

-High Frequency Roll Off

-Blurred Imaging

-Bloated, Sluggish Bass Response

caught us by surprise.

There may be some small truth to the possible ability of a well engineered cable to deliver measurable improved audio performance (we use the word “may” here). There is absolutely nothing that a cable that delivers power for the last two meters of its travel to an amplifier (wall plug to audio device) can do to address possible deficiencies in the building wiring, wall plug, service entrance cable or the miles of wire that the power company runs to get to the point where ESP’s cable takes over.  It’s a passive device and  can’t put something into available power that is not already there.

Money spent on a well made extension cord or power cable with a large enough gauge to not dissipate power as heat is money well spent.  Any additional expense would be better spent on upgrading your audio equipment.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  Every extension cord we sell is “Satisfaction Guaranteed“.

This involves churches that hold services in spaces not normally intended for worship. Holding church services in a storefront, a school auditorium, or a hotel meeting room is nothing new. It has been going on for years, and it is the way many churches get started. Building a church is expensive, and until there are enough members to sustain the cost, some temporary space is necessary. This is not the trend I am talking about.

What I am talking about is a church service focused on youth that is done as a full blown concert experience. This means a full band with a concert quality sound system, high end lighting, video image magnification and special effects. The whole set up loads into a local arena or amphitheater like a regular show and is run by church staff members who are experts in various areas of special event production.

Having to set up full sound, lighting, video and staging is a tremendous amount of work, but bringing their message into an environment where young people are open to new ideas is proving to be really effective.

We salute these technicians in their efforts and are proud to be a part of what they are doing.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Shurtape gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.

When we started selling expendable audio visual supplies over 20 years ago, I didn’t really expect that I would someday find myself closely tracking agricultural commodity prices.  Little did I know.

Apparently, that gaffers tape we sell by the pallet load is made of the same cotton as the pair of Levis you are probably wearing.  Well, it seems that the cotton that Levi Strauss buys for their mills to make your pants has increased in price by 80% since July and the cotton futures market suggests that more increases are in the pipeline.

You’ll see this price increase reflected in any cotton clothing you buy and it is going to impact the price of cotton cloth tapes as well, probably before the end of the year.

Flooding in Pakistan, poor crop yields in India and bad weather in China all impact the price of this raw material.  Things are so bad this fall that even veteran cotton traders are surprised at what is happening in the market.  They now think it may take a couple of years before world supply can again match demand.

Oh, don’t let me forget the rest of the story.  The other major component in gaffers tape is a synthetic adhesive made from oil.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.

This weekend I got to witness something that could change that in a really positive way.

I had the pleasure of attending an entertainment technologoy conference at the UNC School Of The Arts in Winston-Salem, NC, which featured presenters for Cirque du Soleil and some of their suppliers.

Cirque provided some of their highest profile technicians and administrators and presented training seminars and “hands on” training for UNCSA students and students from a number of other university technical training programs.

In addition, there were workshops on resume preparation and arts administration careers, again taught by Cirque staff.  Representatives from Cirque du Soleil made it clear to student attendees that they would be looking to college technical theatre programs as an important source for new techs for all their shows.

Until this weekend, I had been unaware of the connection between North Carolina university theatre programs and Cirque du Soleil.  Alumni from The School for The Arts, UNC Chapel Hill, and others were represented among the presenters and Cirque representatives let student attendees know that they were hoping to strengthen these ties.

While it is true that our company has ties to a number of Cirque vendors (and Cirque itself) as an expendables supplier, my interest in attending was primarily in the capacity of a volunteer at our local high school.  I am interested in helping high schools develop technical theatre training programs and can’t wait to share what I learned this weekend.

Thank you, UNC School Of The Arts, for being such a great host. And for opening my eyes to a great new opportunity for students to develop a relationship with one of the greatest entertainment presenters in the world.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands. Click here for unbeatable deals on Shure wireless microphones.

Hoping to promote the development of what is being called “wifi on steroids” as well as other new wireless technologies, the FCC has ruled that additional frequencies no longer needed by broadcast television (now that television has gone digital) can be used without licenses for development work on new wireless devices, new wifi included.

Since this access to new frequencies will exist at many different points within the spectrum, the possibility that  devices in development will intrude on frequencies now used for wireless mics is very real.  Using these frequencies will not require a license, and wireless mic users will have no idea what might be going on close by that could conflict with their wireless mic signals.

The important part of this new rule for wireless mics is that the FCC intends to set aside two broadcast  channels for exclusive use by wireless microphones.  That would mean that developers of new wireless technology would have to stay away from those yet-to-be determined channels.

Since many wireless mic owners have abandoned (as required by law) the spectrum in the 700 MHz band, we can only hope that the FCC will respect this compliance and make sure that at least the 500 MHz band that the majority of wireless mic users have migrated to will be reserved for their continued use.

Expect a big fight on this from the deep pockets of wireless players like Google and Verizon who have no intention of giving up access to even a couple of broadcast channels if they can prevent it.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands. Click here for unbeatable deals on Shure wireless microphones.

There was still an abundance of new equipment manufactured to use these frequencies on sound equipment sellers shelves in June when the new law went into effect and they continue to make their way into the hands of unsuspecting buyers.

Online auction sites like Ebay are full of these now illegal mics.  If you encounter one, you should notify Ebay, who has said they will remove the offending item.

The FCC ruling makes clear that the sale, manufacture or import of wireless mics operating in the 700 MHz range is now illegal.  If you have been sold one of these units at any time after January 15, 2010, you should return it to the seller for a full refund.  If the seller is not cooperative, you can report them to the FCC.

While you can expect that the FCC will deal swiftly and firmly with the offending vendor, that does not mean that the unsuspecting buyer of a 700 MHz mic is off the hook.  Even if you were not aware that it would be illegal to use the microphone you were sold, you are still subject to both criminal and civil actions if you continue to use the device.

Nobody should become a member of the “700 Club”.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  We offer “FCC-approved” wireless mics at BuyWirelessMic.com.

That prediction was that the FCC would let those major telco companies that had bought exclusive access to these frequencies do their own policing on this issue.

It seemed that it was time to look at this issue again, to see if there was any record of the FCC taking actions against wireless mic users.  A quick scan of enforcement-related “Field Notices” at the FCC web site did not turn up any actions related to wireless mic use.  I guess that that is not really surprising after only ten weeks.

I did turn up a document, however, that would seem to confirm my June prediction.  It is a form letter issued by Verizon Wireless (one of the companies now controlling the 700 MHz spectrum) that is being sent directly to wireless mic users who are considered to be in violation of the FCC ruling.

In the letter Verizon claims “exclusive” license to the 700 MHz spectrum and, thus, a right to “protection” against harmful interference that might be caused by wireless microophones.

Verizon then refers to a specific “violation” of the new law and demands that the recipient of the letter “immediately cease operations of such devices”.

In the final paragraph of the letter, Verizon Wireless refers the recipient of the letter directly to the FCC with any questions they may have.

What happens next?  Check back here, or better yet, let us know if you have actually received one of these letters.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  We offer FCC compliant wireless mics at buywirelessmic.com.

Thousands of churches, schools and entertainment venues have not yet replaced their 700 MHz equipment and may think that they don’t have to.  The common sentiment seems to be that the FCC doesn’t have the capacity to monitor local use all over the country, so individual users aren’t likely to be found out.

The point that these scofflaws are overlooking is that there is someone with much greater interest in their wireless mic use than the FCC and this will make enforcing the new law a whole lot easier.

The major telecommunications companies that paid billions for the right to exclusive use of this spectrum are the ones that are going to make the law work.  They can simply report trespassers to the FCC and then stand back and let the government do the dirty work.

Since companies like AT&T and Verizon have nationwide presence in thousands of communities, they will be able to quickly identify those users who operate now illegal 700MHz devices and force the FCC to take action.  Since the auction price was so high, those who now control access to this part of the broadcast spectrum will probably show little patience with those who don’t upgrade and replace their equipment.

Fines will be steep, particularly since the FCC can make a case that unauthorized use of these devices can potentially endanger the public.  One of the uses for the reallocated spectrum is for public safety broadcasts and wireless devices that potentially interfere with that sort of communication will have serious consequences.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  More information about this subject is at wirelessmic.net.

Wireless intercom, ” in ear” wireless monitors (IEM,s), wireless instrument transmitters and IFB’s (interupptable feedback units), all have been designed and marketed for operation in the 800 MHz frequency range. They will all be impacted and will have to be replaced, even though they are not specifically listed in the FCC ruling, if they transmit on the newly restricted frequencies.

The technology that makes UHF wireless mics possible has found lots of other uses within the entertainment production industry.  The stage performer with a wireless mic in hand is likely to also be wearing a set of wireless in-ear monitors which may well be also operating in the 800MHz  range.  The same goes for a guitar player using a wireless rig.  He may well have a wireless mic, in-ear monitors and a wireless instrument transmitter in use all at the same time.

Wireless intercom has allowed technicians to roam production spaces without being tethered to a cable.  The most popular systems now in use operate in the same frequency range as wireless microphones.

Finally IFB’s (the small ear pieces you see in a television anchor’s ear) are also impacted.  These devices allow the director or producer to speak directly to on-air talent.  In order to allow the weatherman to move about the tv set freely, these devices need to be wireless.

If you use any of these devices, you’ll need to check the frequencies (it should be stamped directly on the transmitter and receiver).   You may well be replacing more than just your  wireless mics.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  Join our discussion on wireless mic issues here.

I practice at least a half hour every day, and the worst part of practicing, by far,  is playing with a metronome.  I’m ” tempo challenged” and this is no fun at all.

On Monday my metronome died (believe me, this blog is not a eulogy!) and  i realized pretty quickly that i would never get ready for my lesson without it.

I was ready to head for the mall, when I suddenly remembered “I have one in my pocket”.  A metronome?  Not exactly.  What I had was my Droid smart phone.  A quick search among free apps, and within less than a minute I had a new time keeper.  The cost?  $0.00.

Anybody who is in the business of designing and manufacturing small hand held devices has a really tough new challenge.  Are they going to be put out of business by cell phones.  Development of phones that do lots of other things is accelerating quickly and all sorts of device makers are impacted.

Students no longer buy or wear watches.  They use their phones?

Who needs a camera?  Some phones have zoom lens and 6 megapixel resolution?

GPS?  I wouldn’t want to invest in Garmin and Magellan stock.

Calculator or language translator?  If you’ve got a smart phone,  you’ve already got both.

This technology is even extending into areas with a very limited user base with applications like sound pressure level meters and digital remote controls for stage lighting systems.

I hate to admit it, but the monthly cost of my Verizon data plan is starting to seem like a bargain.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  Got a favorite phone app?  Share it with us.

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One of the justifications for kicking wireless mic users out of the neighborhood has been that opening up this part of the spectrum would lead to opportunities for entrepreneurs to develop new wireless technologies.

It’s fine to claim that you support entrepreneurs, but since the price bid for the 700 MHz spectrum was in excess of $19 billion dollars, we’re not talking about your garden variety start up.

Players like Google and Verizon were the real winners here and it’s unlikely that opportunities for real entrepreneurs are going to filter down from monsters like this.

The 700 MHz band may well see exciting next generation wireless services for both consumers and public agencies, but those developments won’t come from someone who simply has a good idea.  They’ll need a bag of money too!

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As reported in the New York Times (Jan. 16, 2010), the FCC is standing behind the 2008 auction of this spectrum for new users, hoping to promote the development of “a whole new generation of wireless services”.

This version of the ruling essentially changes nothing regarding the intention of the FCC to no longer allow wireless mic use in this part of the UHF spectrum. It makes the date of June 12, 2010 the final deadline for theatres, concert tours, churches and entertainment venues to give up use of any wireless equipment operating in this band.

Fortunately, by putting off the final implementation of this new ruling (yet again) the Federal Communications Commission has given the users of unlicensed wireless mics (almost all users) the better part of two years to make the transition.

Major manufacturers, including Shure, have extended their rebate offers one more time, so there are still incentives available for those how have put off making the frequency change.

The title of the FCC’s official pronouncement on this issue is titled,

OPERATION OF WIRELESS MICROPHONES IN THE 700 MHZ BAND
IS PROHIBITED AFTER JUNE 12, 2010

There is not really much need for interpretation to that sort of language.

If you are interested in the specifics of this ruling directly from the FCC, you can read it here.

If you’re not sure if your wireless mics are covered by this ruling, you can consult the FCC’s official list of offending manufacturers models here.

There is more information regarding this transition at our web site wirelessmic.net.

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The XLR connector was first developed by James Cannon at ITT and was introduced to the audio market in 1958.  Amazingly, through all the changes in connector standards and component wiring, the XLR is still the audio standard for microphone and patch cables.

One reason for its long life is that the basics of the design, much like good computer software design, have moved into the public domain.  Anyone who has a better idea can bring their own version of the XLR connector to market.

A simple innovation developed by the Switchcraft company is an example of this design concept.

Cannon’s design for the XLR was for a round connector-a good idea since it fit well to a round cable and allowed the cable to be dragged along the floor without catching and tangling.  Cannon’s concept called for both round body connectors on the cable and a round body “chassis mount” connector-the mating female connector found on the equipment or multicable box that the cable connector mated with.

A simple innovation by Switchcraft-changing the body shape of the panel mount connector from round to rectangular-meant that more connectors could be mounted side-by-side in a confined space since they could now fit edge to edge.  You can see the value of that design change today by comparing a contemporary audio mixer to one built in the 1960′s or ’70′s.

Many minds contributing to the evolution of the XLR connector means that it will remain the audio industry standard for many years to come.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  Our Hosa & MI cables use industry standard XLR connectors.

Carmichael has always been an acoustical nightmare, and I was skeptical as to whether ceiling treatment and a new sound system might actually improve the building.

I was really impressed!

The building looks great, and I was able to understand every word the announcer said.  Congratulations, UNC.

One of our former employees, Wes Hardison, is serving as the sound person for women’s basketball this season, and that’s where my phone story begins.

I have written before about the Motorola Droid, my new cell phone, and on Saturday I learned some great new tricks.

I was able to download a couple of applications (free, no less) for the phone while sitting in the stands watching the game and listening to the new sound system.

One was a SPL meter (sound level meter).  The other was a frequency spectrum analyzer.

I was able to roam all around the arena, take acoustical readings directly on the phone, and then text message Wes quantitative information regarding what I was hearing.   He could then make adjustments from his position beside the playing floor, based on what I was hearing in the stands.  All as simple as a phone call!

Have you got an interesing smart phone story?  Share it with our readers.

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The most consistent prediction, by far (shows up on every list), is that we should expect a true explosion in internet video.  The combination of an expansion in bandwidth, the ease in which new content can be developed and the ability to search online for videos based on their content all mean that the value of internet video has increased greatly.

Last year we rolled out our video “how to” animation series, designed as simple teaching tools for those who work in audio visual and entertainment production.  They have been well received and we look forward to producing more in the new year.

The use of the web as a teaching medium can quickly expand, due to the ability of cell phones to now stream video.

Need to know how the pros tape down a cable?  Our “how to” animation is as close as your smart phone.

Do you have a good idea for a “how to” animation for the audio visual production community.  Let us know.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.

I have written a number of times about the “graying” of the pro sound industry, but losing Ross at the age of 60 really brings this home for me.

While best known as the founder and CEO of Sound Image, a major west coast touring company, I first encountered Ross back in the 1970′s. His company, Silverfish Audio, a sound company from Buffalo, NY  provided a touring audio system for Jimmy Buffett.

Ross brought a football stadium sized sound system to my alma mater, UNC Chapel Hill, and by the end of the day I had a totally new concept of what major league sound reinforcement was about.

Although I was only one of many stagehands on the call, Ross took as much time as need to answer all my questions, no matter how ridiculous, and that Jimmy Buffet show as one of the most memorable of my career.

This was in the days of multi-component horn loaded sound systems, and with the information I learned from Ross, I built a “mini” system much like the one he brought to Kenan Stadium.  In fact, there are probably a couple of pieces of this package still lurking in the back of our warehouse.

My decision to pursue a pro sound career was met at every step by patient professionals like Ross, and I consider knowing him one of the highlights of my 30 hears in a great industry.

He will be missed.

(link to the original Silverfish Audio brochure with pics of the sound system I am talking about)

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It is certainly not news that churches, technically at least, are legally required to have licenses for their wireless mics.

At this time of year when so many churches produce special events that use wireless mics, this issue has been brought back into sharp focus.

A group called the White Spaces Coalition has come together to advocate for the use of unused broadcast spectrum intended for televison to actually be used for wireless internet.  This is group of lightweights.  Members include Microsoft, Google, Dell, Earthlink and Samsung among others.

While the FCC has turned a deaf ear to unlicensed wireless microphone users in the past, it is unlikely that those who make up the White Space Coalition will allow the FCC to continue to ignore the use of spectrum that is now seen as being so valuable.

I have written before about how these companies are pushing the FCC to build databases of unused broadcast spectrum nationwide.

The chances that a high school theatre or “Sunday only” wireless mic user will be able to stay under the radar if the spectrum they use is commandeered for wireless internet use, since these sorts of services are in as high demand in rural areas and secondary markets as they are in major metro areas.

If you don’t think Microsoft will turn the FCC loose on you, you don’t know Microsoft.

You can read more about the White Space Coaltion here.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords andOnStage Stand mic stands.  Click here to sign up for our newsletter.  Here’s a link to our new “How To” animation series.

I’m really glad I clicked on the one from Clear-Com.  Clear-Com is a leader in intercom systems used in theatres, tv studios and touring production.  Producing a show would be impossible without it.

On a complicated event, concert or television shoot each production company will usually have their own closed system that deals with one aspect of the production.

Unfortunately, one of the problems with a closed intercom system is that there is always somebody on a different system that you really need to talk to.

Clear-Com has released an intercom system (Clear-Com Concert) that uses internet protocol (IP) rather than standard xlr microphone cable for connecting users.  This means that anybody with internet access and the proper clearances can join the conversation related to putting on the show.

The video director can include a follow spot operator in the conversation by adding him or anybody else to the work group.  As long as internet access is available (wired or wireless) there is no limit to the number of participants.

There are multiple ways to administer the user group so that those who need to be included for only a little while can be managed, hopefully preventing what might be really chaotic.  The software package developed for this system allows for a simple “drag-and-drop” method to build your temporary user group and users can also communicate by real time texting in addition to spoken word.

Perhaps most interesting, now participants who are not on-site for the event can be given access to the intercom loop.  Imagine being able to bring in the original set designer or a qualified repair tech in real time to address an issue as the show unfolds.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords andOnStage Stand mic stands.  If you know about a new innovation in concert production hardware, please share it with us.