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.

The city of Wilmington, NC will use frequencies within this part of the broadcast spectrum to operate wireless surveillance cameras and environmental sensors in what city officials are calling a “smart city” deployment.

Wilmington has been on the leading edge of these developments before, being the first city to publicly experiment with high definition digital television broadcasts before this service was rolled out nationwide.

The FCC has issued what it is calling an “experimental license” which can be used while the final rules for using the newly available spectrum are worked out.

Here’s what Wilmington plans to do.

Their first use will be to transmit data from wireless traffic cameras in hopes of relieving congestion and reducing fuel consumption.

Second, Wilmington will install cameras in some city parks for surveillance.

Finally, the city will monitor and manage wetland areas in conjunction wit the EPA.

What might be most interesting is that commercial providers-primarily cell phone companies-can already provide all of these services through their data networks.

This sounds like it might just be an experimental “place holder” until major new players in the wireless  game like Google and Microsoft are ready to roll out new products since they are now clearing wireless mic users from the spectrum they purchased through auctions.

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.

This blog

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!

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.

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.

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.

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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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.

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.

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.

For some reason, however, a Today Show video clip from the Video Music Awards caught my ear.I don’t usually watch awards shows, but the story about Kanye West jumping on stage during Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech stayed on my mind all morning.

Finally, about lunch time, it dawned on me why i couldn’t get this off my mind.

We had provided all the batteries for wireless mics used at the VMA Awards.

The batteries in the mic that Kanye West grabbed out of Taylor Swift’s hand had come from us. About two weeks ago we shipped a huge battery order to Radio City Music Hall for Moonman Productions, the video production arm of MTV.  It was a great order, but I didn’t really give it much thought.  Now we’re a side note to entertainment history.

I am usually proud to proclaim the reliability of ProCell batteries, but, just this one time, it might have been better if there had been a catastrophic battery failure.

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 and OnStage Stand mic stands.   Click here to sign up for our newsletter.  Here’s a link to our new “How To” animation series.

One of our sites, wirelessmic.net, has suffered from lack of attention over the last several months, and there have been some very important developments in how wireless mics are used.  We’re ready to get back to work posting new, useful information.

The changeover to digital television in June has changed how many  frequencies traditionally used by wireless mics are allocated by the FCC.

If your church or school uses wireless microphones, you need to be aware of how the frequencies your mics transmit on have been affected by theis reallocation.

If you have info to share with other mic users about how these changes have affected you, wirelessmic.net is the place to join the discussion.

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 and OnStage Stand mic stands.   Click here to sign up for our newsletter.  Lots more good ideas at our Twitter feed.

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.

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 and OnStage Stand mic stands.   Click here to sign up for our newsletter.  Lots more good ideas at our Twitter feed.

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.

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 and OnStage Stand mic stands.   Click here to sign up for our newsletter.  Lots more good ideas at our Twitter feed.

This article speculated that a lot of the Chinese buying was a stockpiling of material for which China’s manufacturers had no real demand.  If that’s true, then the Chinese buying binge may be over.

This may well explain the recent downturn in copper prices after a steady rise over the last six months. This rise made little sense in light of the overall worldwide decline in manufacturing.  If this downturn is real, it could be a harbinger for lots of commodity price reductions.

Why do we care?  The cost of extension cords (copper and rubber), mic stands (steel and aluminum), tape (cotton, oil and chemicals) and batteries (tin plate and many minerals) are all tied to world commodity prices.

Lets hope that if this recent reversal in commodity prices is real, that we will see it passed through to the products we sell.

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 and OnStage Stand mic stands.   Click here to sign up for our newsletter.  Lots more good ideas at our Twitter feed.

I posted two knol articles back at the end of April to see if Google was ready to take on Wikipedia. I’m proud to report that my knol posting about microphone stands has had a total of 42 page views, several of which I am sure were me.

No one has bothered to rate it and no one has made any collaborative contributions.

While it appears that I might be right about Google not being in a position to challenge Wikipedia, I am certainly wrong about Google using knol as another way to display relevant ads.

The google ads on my mic stand knol page are about cell phones.

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 and OnStage Stand mic stands.   Click here to sign up for our newsletter.  Lots more good ideas at our Twitter feed.

I learned a lot of my “hands on” production skills working as a stagehand, first as a student, then as a part time employee at my alma mater, UNC Chapel Hill, on the tech crew there.

One of the first acts I had a chance to do sound for was John Sebastian, soon after he had left The Lovin’Spoonful to go out on his own.

In those days, acts never traveled with sound systems and rarely did any sort of advance work.

The day Mr. Sebastian showed up, the took a look at our sound system and said “where are the monitors?“.  Not only did we not know WHERE the monitors were, we also didn’t know WHAT the monitors were.

After having him explain to us what monitors were and what they did, we decided that we could achieve what he wanted by simply setting up two complete sound systems, duplicate mixers, speakers, mics, stands, everything.  One set for the audience.  The other set for the performer.

I’ll never forget the first thing he said when he hit the stage.  Looking at the audience through a forest of four big, shiny chrome microphone stands, he said “I feel like I’m in jail“.

Next time we produced a concert, we had the monitors.

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 and OnStage Stand mic stands.   Click here to sign up for our newsletter.  Lots more good ideas at our Twitter feed.

While the articles don’t show up in search when the key words are used by themselves, when you combine the key words with the term “knol” the , mic stand article pops up number one.  Yesterday’s blog posting is returned in google search as well.  I certainly never had a posting show up and go to #1 so quickly, regardless of what it was.

I returned to the knol on microphone stands using another browser and discovered that I was able rate it.  Needless to say, I gave it four stars.

If google allows the writer of an article to control who can edit it and allows the author to rate his own article, I doubt if knol will be around for long.

Rest easy, Wikipedia.
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, OnStage Stand mic stands. Sometimes we have some interesting ideas about web development too!  Click here to sign up for our newsletter.

Knol is an acronym created by Google, and it means “a unit of knowledge“.

Knol is a new content creation index from Google that has a lot of similarities to Wikipedia.  Individuals are allowed to post articles on any subject of their choosing and then the articles can be commented on and edited by other users of the service.  Unlike Wikipedia, knol will allow the creation and viewing of multiple articles on the same subject and the author can control how his or her work is edited.

I first came across it through an online posting by Jason Calacanis, a highly regarded web guru.  Mr. Calacanis went to great lengths to draw interesting and accurate between KNOL and traditional content creators like the New York Times.  These parallels led Calacanis to determine (and I agree) that this project was Google’s latest attempt (not unlike YouTube) to get into the content creation business.

It should be obvious that a business that has become the defacto provider of indexed search results faces potential conflict of interest problems if it is the creator and controller of the content it returns with its search results.

Since we are currently indexed at the top of page one for a number of  Google search terms,  I have created a couple of KNOL articles on microphone stands and gaffers tape to see how quickly Google might index them and how high they might rise in search rankings.

You can take a look at these articles here:

microphone stands

gaffers tape

If you’re interested in whether this test turns up any interesting results, check back here from time to time.

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, OnStage Stand mic stands. Sometimes we have some interesting ideas about web development too!  Click here to sign up for our newsletter.

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.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Shurtape gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Enterainment 1 extension cords , OnStage Stand mic stands and quality speaker cables.  We’ve also got cables for “Wired” microphones!

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.

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 and quality speaker cables.

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.

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 and quality speaker cables.

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.

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 and “value added” customer service.

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!

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 and “value added” customer service.

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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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.

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 recording supply needs.

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.

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.

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.