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.

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.

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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.

Users of high end (UHF) wireless mics are now mostly aware that mics designed to be used in the 700mHz range of the broadcast spectrum were supposed to be retired in June of this year because the FCC has auctioned off that part of the spectrum for other uses.

Mic users in high end professional audio and those users in metropolitan areas have mostly migrated to new frequencies, many times taking advantage of great manufacturer rebates in the process.  Many users in secondary markets and rural areas have decided to stick with the mics they have while they wait to see what new users will show up in the 700 mHz range.

New initiatives by the FCC to allow currently unused spectrum between major broadcasters in the impacted 700 mHz range are intended to make these “buffer” frequencies available to bring wireless broadband internet services to rural areas.

Furthmore, the FCC is teaming up with the private sector to build databases of unused spectrum that could be made available for broadband. This could force those whose 700 mHz wireless mics to give up their strategy and upgrade.

Big companies like Microsoft and Google are pushing the FCC to allow them to use this space without licensing it.  Since their signals would be much more powerful, they would quickly override the unlicensed wireless microphones that now use the same spectrum.

How have you decided to handle wireless mic upgrades.  Let us know.

You can read more in this article in the current InformationWeek magazine.

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Higher end pro audio users have been slow to adopt this technology because they don’t want to give up the familiarity they have with the sound quality of their favorite mics.

Blue Microphones has gone a long way towards bridging this gap with their  Icicle, a XLR/USB preamp/converter that will allow you to plug a regular dynamic or condenser mic directly into a USB port on your computer.  No other outboard gear is needed.

In addition to having standard female XLR3 and male USB connectors, the Icicle has a handy volume knob so you can control volume in the conventional way, not with an onscreen slider.  It can also provide 48v phantom power so it works with most condensers.

This is an “instant on” device (no drivers to install) and is designed for a fully balanced input.

Best of all, the Icicle logo glows blue when it is plugged in.

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The recent trend in print advertising to have technicians endorse audio products is, in general, a good one.  They normally have a useful perspective and their endorsements have value.  Big Mick has put the value of those endorsements at risk.

Here’s what Big Mick says about his microphone of choice, Audio Technica in May’s Pro Sound News.  “I love Audio-Technica mics.  You can definitely tell an Audio Technica gig as soon as you walk into it.”

Now, I’m no “golden ear” but I do know that between a microphone and my (and Big Mick’s) ears there is (at minimum) a mixer, an amplifier, speakers, and cables, all of which color the sound you hear, regardless of their quality.

The idea that you can identify a brand of microphone just by listening to a live sound system is laughable.

Put on your blindfold, Mick, and step into any music club in America.  Even your ears aren’t that good.

I hope Audio-Technica is paying you well.

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We’ll, at least in the realm of portable live sound, there is still at least one area where the sound person’s ability to problem solve still makes him/her valuable.

I’m talking about the use of microphone signal multicables (snakes as they are known) that delivery signal back and forth between the stage and the mix position.

There are so many different standards in use for the digital “snake” that making these links in the signal chain work with the equipment they meet up with on both ends guarantees the sound man will have a job for years to come.

There is a great push to digitize this signal path, because one of the greatest costs affiliated with touring productions is that of moving case after case filled with heavy copper and steel wire.  If the signal moving along these cables can be digitized and then carried along fewer and smaller conductors or along fiber optic cables, the weight and cost savings is significant.

At this point, there is no standardization among manufacturers who make this equipment, and it doesn’t look like either the connectors or the transmission protocol are anywhere close to being agreed-on.

Many years ago, the makers of pro audio equipment agreed on the XLR standard for equipment, and it has made it easy to use equipment manufactured by lots of companies together in the same sound system.

More recently, the Neutrik Speakon connector system has been adopted by lots of speaker and amplifier makers, and this connector appears to be well on its way to becoming an industry standard.

Until this lack of standards issue is settled among most of the major pro audio players there will be no rush to adopt the digital mic snake.

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The Sony Retro Wireless USB  has a great classic mic look, but is designed to be used with a USB interface on your computer.  Not only is it designed to be used with a USB port, its wireless!

You can use this mic anywhere within a 10 foot radius of your computer without any cables to trip over.  It uses RFI technology and is designed to work with all current Windows and Mac operating systems.  Best of all no special drivers are needed for use with Windows computers.  It even has an on/off switch.

If your podcasting has advanced to the point where your computer’s onboard mic no longer gets the job done, or you just love the idea of “walking the walk while you talk the talk” then this mic is just what you need.

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Leave it to the British to bring us a decidely “low tech” solution to handling sound mixing for those interminable 8 hour corporate meetings or all night rehearsals.

Its the Canford Wine Rack, a 3 space rack mount module, designed to store up to four bottles of wine in an audio rack.

Apparently this is not a joke (even though I first came across it on “boingboing“).  It appears that you can actually order it.

Obviously cooling might present a problem if you prefer a Chardonnay or Reisling, but we are going to get to work right away on a nitrogen chilling system.

Check back here for updates.

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With my background in pro sound, I was familiar with both the quarter inch standard , and the Canon EP    multipin standard. I had never seen the XLR used for speaker cables.  I quickly became a convert. Here’s why.

Because speaker cables with XLR connectors have a male connector on one end and a female on the other, its easy to extend the length of a cable without an adapter.  Not using an adapter  means not losing an adapter.  This is a really valuable feature when doing long outdoor speaker cable runs.

Each pin in an XLR3 connector is rated at 15 amps.   That’s more than enough current carrying capacity for most practical amplifier outputs.

The flexible strain relief boot on an XLR connector is flexible enough to handle 2 conductor 14 gauge, or even 12 gauge cable.

Each pin makes independent contact with the mating connector, unlike a quarter inch connector where the tip must make contact with the sleeve before it mates with the tip.

Finally the solid, easy to use locking mechanism on the XLR3 means that no additional securing of a connection is necessary when cables are linked together.

A couple of amplifier manufacturers adopted this standard back in the 1980’s, but they let it fall by the wayside when the industry as a whole failed to sign up.

On more than one occasion, I must admit that I used a microphone cable as a temporary speaker cable when I ran out of speaker cables.  Try that with a Speakon cable!

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How many times have you gotten to the end of a long XLR cable run, only to discover that you had the wrong gender connector in your hand?  The Convertcon makes that a thing of the past.

By simply sliding the connector barrel forward or back, a male XLR3 connector can become a female XLR3, or vice versa.  No more coiling and rerunning the cable or digging through your tool box for a turn around.

While the cost ($12.00 or more) keeps this connector from being practical to use on all mic cables, those special long run control cables or the ones you use to interface with someone else’s equipment are where this innovative connector shines.

The problem of running a long interface cable “blind” to a remote patch bay, an outboard production truck, or an unknown facility interface just got a whole lot easier.

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BuySpeakerCable.com is hosted by Speaker Cable Sam , the latest addition to the GoodBuyGuys family. Sam is ready to provide lots of valuable information about speaker cables, speaker cable connectors and the proper set up of sound system speakers. Sam draws on 30 years of work in the concert production industry to help you make decisions about purchasing and using the best speaker cables and accessories, no matter what your application.

Buyspeakercable.com features cables from Mitee Cable. Mitee cables use quality connectors and wire to insure that your speaker cables deliver all the sound possible from your amplifier to your speakers. They have tough rubber jackets and copper wire that is durable, easily coilable and ready to stand up to the tough use sound and audio visual pros subject their equipment to every day.

Of particular interest is the in depth information provided about Speakon connectors, the new standard for pro audio speaker cables. Mitee Cables feature Speakon connectors that are fully compatible with the Neutrik NL2 & NL4 series connector, available at a fraction of the Neutrik price. Here, you will find valuable guides about wiring and using Speakon connectors, along with adapters that make Speakon speaker cables compatible with other connector types.

With the addition of BuySpeakerCable.com, you can turn to GoodBuyGuys.com for all of your audio visual and sound system cable needs.

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As with most popular products based on good design, lots of copies of the original Speakon have made their way into the marketplace. Neutrik has wisely decided to allow these “knock offs” to prolifierate, realizing that the more products on the market built to be compatible with their brand means the more connectors they will sell. This is how they have managed such total market penetration in an industry that always challenges change.

Our line of Speakon speaker cables is designed to mate effortlessly with Neutrik branded connectors and to perform comparably. Mitee Speakon cables use the same quality components as the Neutrik version and can be counted on to deliver the same reliability over a very long life.

Mitee Speakon speaker cables have locking tabs and are designed to latch securely to Neutrik panel mount connectors, whether mounted on a speaker cabinet or on an amplifier. A simple twist insures a solid connection. Strain relief is provided through a spring loaded “press to release” tab.

Just like the Neutrik version, Mitee Speakons are fully shielded so that there is no risk of ever touching an energized contact. All conductors are recessed and the connector body is heavy duty, non-conducting plastic.

Speakon connectors have a unique design that insure they are not switched with XLR, quarter inch, or any other low current audio cables. They are never used on microphones or signal processing equipment, only speaker cables.

Mitee Speakon speaker cables utilize the four pole connector, even though the cables are two conductor. The four pole standard has been adopted by amplifier manufacturers that equip their amps with Speakon connectors so that the amp can be switched internally between mono and biamped. This means that you can be sure that speaker cables from buyspeakercable.com will mate with all popular Speakon equipped amplifiers.

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Now featuring speaker cables at BuySpeakerCable.com

The biggest impediment to having rank and file sound people (not those on the bleeding edge) embrace this technology has been that there were too few knobs capable of doing too many things. Sound people with years of analog mixing experience couldn’t just step up to a new mixer and build a mix. Intuition as to which knob will give the desired result simply didn’t matter anymore.

Digico, long a leader in digital mixers, has introduced a new series of consoles, the SD7 that speak directly to this problem. Instead of embracing the line of thinking that computer processing power would allow the manufacturer to decrease the number of knobs on the mixer (now called “control surface” in digital-speak), Digico is turning this idea on its head.

Decreases in cost and size of computer processing allows the SD7 to have MORE knobs and sliders. The result is that this mixer looks almost like a conventional analog desk. This is the part of the digital puzzle that has been missing, and it is an idea that will lead a whole generation of “over 40 something” sound people to take the digital plunge.

Recognizing that having separate knobs for tone control (eq) and aux busses (monitors and effects) is of more value than making a mixer as small and multi-functional as possible is an idea that is long overdue.

The Digico SD7 is expensive and you shouldn’t expect to see them in churches and schools anytime soon (probably never!). What you will see is some of the more reasonably priced offerings from companies like Yamaha and Mackie following Digico’s lead and using additional processing power to make their lower priced digital mixers something that late adopters will actually recognize.

When that happens, I just might come out of retirement.

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 , OnStage Stand mic stands . Now offering Mitee Speaker Cables at buySPEAKERCABLE.com.

Digital audio is quickly bringing live sound to the point where Ford stepped beyond his customer’s reality.

Up to now, the design theory behind bringing digital audio to live sound has been to make the sound person’s reality better. Give them more powerful tools while keeping them in charge of deciding how something should sound.

Now that digital mixing consoles have come way down in price and complication, they are being embraced at every level of the live sound industry. It’s common to see them in churches and schools. Digital microphones are next. When this new mic technology is embraced (sooner rather than later) by the live sound community, the digital signal chain will be almost complete.

I say almost, because there is one giant analog bump in what is otherwise soon to be a complete digital signal path. If you mix sound, that bump is YOU!

How far are we away from the digital live sound reality that doesn’t include the sound guy?

Here’s what I’m talking about.

Take the latest Dave Matthews Band album. It’s recorded digitally and everything on the album can be reproduced and analyzed in the digital domain. Stick with me here. I’m not talking about how a song is actually played, but rather the volume, tonal quality and relationship of all the sounds on the album to each other.

If the band wants to closely reproduce the sound of the record (the “mix” if you will) in a live performance, then why not have the person who used to mix the sound be replaced by a computer that knows what the song is supposed to sound like. Every instrument on stage will soon be introduced into the live sound system either by a digital direct box or a digital microphone. Instead of a human moving faders and twisting knobs, the computer doing the mix will maintain the tonal integrity, relative volumes and dozens of other parameters analyzed from the recorded sound. There will be no problem if the arrangement on stage changes from night to night, because the mixing computer doesn’t really care about how the song is played, only about how it sounds.

It wasn’t long ago that most of us believed that cost, reliability and user-complication would keep digital mixers from ever being accepted in the live sound world. We’re over that.

Look for this to happen with spoken word first.

A presenter will simply read a couple of sentences into a digital recorder that interfaces with a digital mixer. When the speaker steps up the podium, the sound system will already know what he or she is supposed to sound like. When this info is combined with the digital analysis of the output of the sound system (we’ve had this software in common use for years) then the true sound of the presenter’s voice can be delivered directly to every seat in the house.

Will the future of live digital sound need us at all? Let me know what you think.

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The final straw for us came because a change in the ebay policy for posting feedback about customers. There is a lot of scamming going on by ebay buyers, and sellers have been able to use a system for posting feedback about difficult transactions. This lets sellers warn merchants about problem customers. Feedback is one of the most important things keeping ebay transactions on track, as neither sellers nor buyers want negative feedback.

We are mystified about ebay’s decision to stop allowing sellers to post negative feedback about customers who cause problems. It seems like ebay would welcome input from sellers (ebay’s customers) about members of the ebay community that make things more difficult for everybody. Apparently, protecting sellers is of no real interest to ebay. Posting in lots of ebay-oriented forums would seem to indicate that we are not the only merchants jumping ship.

While we were trying to make ebay work for us, our search results for mic stand and microphone stand in major search engines have risen to solid page one returns (thank you, Dale), so ebay doesn’t really fit in with our plans anymore anyway.

Meanwhile, everything we offered in our ebay store (and a lot more) continues to be available at buymicstand.com. See you there!

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I did, however, come across one microphone stand-realted video that you really ought to see.

Blacklie Lawless, the guitar player for W.A.S.P. has a mic stand that might qualify as a state fair ride. Take a look at this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tJbNLu3QDrU

Overall, I’m not a big fan of heavy metal, but you’ve gotta admit that no musical genre does a better job of turning a simple piece of sound equipment into a prop. Something as simple as Jon Bonjovi’s white mic stand or Korn’s female figure stand add a lot of visual interest to the set.

W.A.S.P. ’s combination mic stand, motorcycle & pogo stick somehow manages to make the microphone stand a part of the show. It even takes a bow at the end!

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.

It seems the must-have item for this year’s Christmas is an XBox 360 game called Rock Band. Growing on the popularity of Guitar Hero, Harmonix has released a game that includes not only a guitar, but a drum set and a microphone as well. What it doesn’t include is a microphone stand.

Suddenly, every gadget and gift giving blog I come across talks about Rock Band and about the accessories you’ll need to play the game correctly. A mic stand is one of the accessories that the game maker doesn’t offer.

I hadn’t checked our Google search ratings lately, but currently we are number 1 for the search term “microphone stand” and number 2 for the term “mic stand“.

Maybe we’ll sell enough stands for me to be able to put Rock Band under our Christmas Tree.

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. Count on us to meet your mic stand needs.

I began my career as a an audio techncian, and spent many years building, setting up, configuring, and repairing concert sound systems. People who design computer peripheral wiring could learn a lot from the audio industry.

While the performance and compatibility of computer peripherals continues to improve, the interconnections between these devices never catches up. I can’t think of a single data-type connector that comes close to matching the performance of the lowly audio XLR connector, a design that is well into its second half-century of use.

I just spent 15 frustrating minutes trying to replace a computer monitor in the office, only to be reminded that there are at least three (if not more) different pin configurations for a D-sub connector, even though they all have the same physical shell. Maybe, it’s just me, but I almost always have to try to plug in a USB connector at least two times, as there is nothing visible on the outside of the connector to indicate which end is up. I guess there are savings involved in making ethernet connectors with with almost useless plastic locking pins, but the savings quickly evaporate when you spend a half-hour trying to pry one out of a computer port after the release tab snaps off. The list goes on and on.

Audio connectors, on the other hand, are designed to be patched in the dark, repaired (when necessary) in the field, and to be common to hundreds and hundreds of different manufacturers equipment. The Shure SM57 microphone ( probably the most popular and common in the world) uses the same connector now as when it came to market in 1965. A 40 year old SM57 works with a brand new Chinese-made microphone cable right out of the box.

We’re depending more and more on computer-based devices all the time, and the portability designed into these items means that they are constantly having to be cabled and uncabled. Hopefully, manufacturers will consider adopting some connector standards that are up to the task.

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Frankly, this item looks like it was developed by the marketing department rather than engineering. Here’s how this product is described in Honeywell’s own press release:

“We’ve made this cable intelligent by integrating a chip into the connector that performs two major functions,” said David Coleman, Program Manager, CE Cable Products, Honeywell. “First, the chip’s line driver ‘cures’ corrupted HDCP and EDID data that can lead to serious audio and video artifacts. Second, we added ‘light’ in the form of LEDs embedded into the connector that let installers monitor the most critical elements of the HDMI interface for problems.”

The parentheses around “cure” are theirs and their description of the “cure” doesn’t really shed much light on this voodoo.

As the broadcast industry approaches the deadline of 2009’s conversion to digital television, a lot of consumers are going to be taken to the cleaners by televion accessory makers who bring very little value to the table. Honeywell’s CurexE cable looks like one of these offerings.

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. Great products for audio-visual production available on the internet everyday.

The Nady CT6 Cable Tester is a wonderful tool and a really great value. Its a quick way to take the guesswork out of cable testing and a “must have” for on-the-go trouble shooting. This pocket-sized device has ports to test cables with all the major audio connectors, inclucing XLR, Speakon, 1/4 inch (both 2 and 3 conductor) RCA, banana plug and 5 pin Mini-DIN. It also has connectors for test leads so you can test a cable that can’t be plugged directly into the tester.

Finally, it has a test tone that will let you determine continutity without even looking at the tester’s LED display.

This rugged device packaged in a tough metal case with good quality screened labeling will work for months on a single 9v battery.

We keep one in our rental department to make sure that every cable with an outgoing rental gets checked.

Got an audio tool you can’t live without? Share it with us!

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. Count on us to meed your audio needs.

I was able to provide a couple of professional quality microphones and a mixer, and we run the mixer output into my son’s MacBook Pro, record and edit, and then burn a CD with the Mac. This works very well, but requires a lot of equipment that most people don’t have. It doesn’t matter how great the software for recording and editing on the computer might be, as long as you have to use the microphone that is installed in the computer, your chances of getting a quality recording are very limited.

The MicPort from CEntrance makes this job a whole lot easier. The MicPort is a microphone preamp that lets you plug one or more professional grade microphones directly into your computer, no mixer needed.

The MicPort is a simple inline device that accepts a professional low impedance microphone into one end and delivers the ouput to a USB port on the other end. Now any microphone using a standard XLR connector can be hooked up directly to your computer. This handy little preamp even has a volume control and a headphone output so you can monitor the output of the mic without the annoying delay time you encounter when using a mic through the computer headphone jack. The MicPort even has the ability to apply phantom power so that professional grade condenser mics can be plugged into the computer without the use of an outboard power supply. The whole device is powered from the computer’s USB port, so you don’t even need batteries!

The addition of a MicPort from CEntrance will let anyone involved in field recording leave the mixer at home and get professional quality recordings with just a microphone and a computer. Or, it’s a great way to get an instant increase in audio quality for your podcast.

I’m looking forward to trying it out.

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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 cords held 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.

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We have sold Duracell Procell batteries for a long time and our largest user base is wireless mic owners. People had told me for years that one reason they preferred the Procell over Energizer’s Industrial line is that the Duracell Procells were slightly longer, and thus made better contact with the battery clips in the microphone transmitter.

I am holding examples of AA batteries from both manufacturers in my hand, and this is absolutely true. My assumption that all AA batteries are the same size was wrong and our customers absolutely knew what they were talking about.

We are in negotiations with another battery manufacturer now, and one of the criteria we will use when considering whether to offer their AA and AAA batteries at Buybattery.com will be how long they are.

I never cease to be amazed at what can be learned from listening to our customers.

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 microphone accessory and battery needs.

Information Week, a highly regarded technology publication, reports in the latest edition about exploding batteries in Chinese cell phones, including one that killed a Chinese welder. This was reported to be a Motorola phone, but Motorola’s response has been that the phone and/or the battery may have been counterfeit. If so, then Motorola might not have responsibility.

However, problems with counterfeit batteries or counterfeit Chinese products could easily invade the audio-visual market. There are many Chinese made wireless microphones on the market and lots of users think that they can save money buy buying offbrand lithium rechargeables for their mics.

Information Week is not the only source of info on exploding cell phone batteries. According to Engadget.com The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports 83 complaints on this matter in the last two years. They also point a finger towards suspect third party battery quality.

Furthermore, the problem seems to be made worse by overcharging the batteries, something that happens regularly with wireless mics, as they are often left in charge mode long after they are fully charged.

We don’t know of any reports of exploding AA, 9Volt or AAA lithium rechargeables, but the high number of reports about problems with all sorts of Chinese products gives me pause when thinking about any battery powered device that I might hold in my hand or close to my face.

For the time being, this would appear to be one more reason to wait for better future developments on rechargeable batteries for wireless mics and stick with alkalines.

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The podcast is GearMediaTech, one of the many podcast enterprises run by Leo Laporte of TWIT.tv. This particular podcast deals with audio equipment that might be of interest to podcasters who might want to learn more about audio or to improve the sound quality of their podcasts. But, like I said, this posting is not really about the podcast.

The particular podcast I am referring to is a discussion about the dbx166 limiter/compressor. I spent many years as a live sound technician and, without a doubt, the limiter/compressor wins the award for combining the most important functionality and the most confusing learning curve of any component used on pro audio. Knowing how to use a compressor/limiter properly can dramatically improve the quality of a live or recorded mix, but these things have enough knobs on them make your head swim. They use really confusing terminology like “threshold” and “expander” and incorrect use can really wreck a mix.

Proper use of a compressor/limiter is a lot like gaffers tape for audio. It holds the signal (as opposed to the cable) exactly where you need it to stay and then comes off clean (no distortion or audio coloration) when it is no longer needed.

Over the years I have owned lots of these units and would never want to do a loud or complicated show without them. But, this posting is not really about the dbx166.

What I am really writing about is good inherent design, and I was stunned to learn that a piece of gear that I have owned for years might have been a lot easier to learn to use than I realized. Scott Bourne, who partners with Leo Leporte on this podcast, points out in introducing the dbx166XL that you can get the classic dbx compressor sound by simply setting all the controls in the 12 o’clock position. Who knew? While this may oversimplify the use of this component, knowing now that you can have a good starting point for compressing your audio by simply setting all the knobs in the straight up postion is a great piece of info. Wish I had known about this in 1988!

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The FlashMic combines a handheld mic and an onboard digital recorder that has a full gigabyte of storage. The whole thing runs on AA batteries. No recorder, no cables, nothing but a handheld mic. It uses a quality Sennheiser mic capsule (cardiod or omni) and can record as much as 18 hours of broadcast quality audio.

This is a whole new take on the wireless mic concept. Rather than sending audio wirelessly to a receiver, it simply stores the audio for later downloading into a computer via an onboard USB port. Once you hook the FlashMic up to your computer, you can simply “drag and drop” audio files directly from the mic to your computer. It also has a standard headphone jack so you can listen to the audio directly from the mic or have an audio output that can feed conventional analog audio equipment.

What a great way to do a podcast!

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When I write an article or blog post about gaffers tape or microphone cables I certainly hope that my writing is something that someone would actually like to read. Regardless, my true intended audience is something known as a robot or a spider. Internet search engines constantly send around these spiders to sample internet content and make notes of what links to what. This is the major source for data to determine what information you are offered when you enter a word or term in a search engine.

Since Miles was famous for playing a piece by completely ignoring what the composer had actually written, what he played would be completely invisible to an internet robot. At this point, robots are indexing text, not sounds, but you can be sure that someone, somewhere is working on a version of spider that can read music and index it for search engines. Its going to be an even tougher challenge to index Miles.

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