Other Live

Is there nothing that Roland can't do? Does that count as a double negative? These question and more answered in our revelatory news article on the new Roland BA-330 Portable Digital PA System.  

Drummers do need to treat their ears well, and they also need to figure out how to hear what's going on over all that din. Martin Chambers of the Pretenders has latched onto Logitech Ultimate Ears, and wouldn't change them for the world. Well, okay, maybe for the WORLD.  

Some of today's professional audio and, or course, all modern hardware synthesizers are MIDI controllable. In a live-stage setting, this sometimes spells a requirement for the sound engineer, behind-the-stage keyboardist, or showboating keytar player to be away at great distances from their beloved hardware. Kenton Electronics LNDR MIDI Driver secures your signal for accuracy.  

Superior-quality connections are a necessity for a noise-free audio reproduction. To ensure that you get that excellent connections, Hosa Technology has introduced the SKO-200 speaker cables.  

A major annoyance, overpowering bass from today's subwoofers ruins the spectral balance of audio designs. Therefore, it has been one of the greatest challenges to the contemporary audio designer. Community Professional S4, a simple predictive software tool, will lead you to that clear design you've always wanted.  

Any old bag can protect your subwoofer from handling abuse, but only the JBL Sub Transport also protects the guy transporting the sub, what with its back-saving built-in caster board.  

Ever heard of Trade Show Exhibitor's Floor Attention Cannibalism (TSEFAC)? We were checking out the new Samson Expedition XP308i Portable PA System when some other dude at the same booth fired up the very same system and launched into his coffee-house acoustic set. At least we know the thing works.  

Though long gone is the era of notational fluency, there are still plenty of musicians who could benefit on stage from a little bit of extra vision. Put down those carrots and forget what your mother told you. Check out the Mighty Bright Xtraflex and avoid vegetables altogether!  

We rejoin Ian Schneller at Chicago's Specimen, this time to take a look at Specimen's Horn Speakers, expressly made for musician Andrew Bird. Schneller waxes informative about how these beauts are ideal for amplifying violins, among other things.  

Retooling their new "Classic" line of power conditioners, Furman has just announced the "Classic Export" series, compatible with 220 to 240 volt sources. Expect recycled jokes and even more gratuitous nudity.  

The way that Wireworks describes their MusiLUX series makes me think that you could strangle someone with them, and it'd feel good for both parties. I mean, I'm not advocating that you try that. I'm just saying that these cables, much like the late James Brown, feel good.  

As FOH mixer at the Empty Bottle -- Chicago's bastion of independent music -- Shelly Steffens has used the Whirlwind IMP2 in more than a few unique mixing situations. Shelly's life will get easier once these indie bands get over their Brian Wilson rock-orchestral fixations.  

It gets hot on stage; hotter than the sweltering desert heat, the luminescence of the colored lights painting you with the scorn of the sub-Saharan sun. BLOWiT Personal Cooling System aims to undermine the phenomenon known as the Hot Stage Effect, one that's dehydrated the likes of many, including Eddie Vedder and Vance "Guitar" Kelly.  

If you don't have telekinesis, moving loads of gear can present a problem. Luckily, the new SKB Rolling Roto-Racks make things a lot easier on you non-mutant types.  

Thou shalt not kill. Unless thou referreth to stage volume. Mike Ward of Suncrest Christian Church uses amp modeling, direct boxes and smooth talk to keep both guitarists and parishioners happy.  

Have you ever wondered what Pikachu would look like if he were possessed by the dark lord Satan? Turns out, "a little like Hellraiser" is the answer. If you want to hear what he sounds like. . .  

What would a NAMM show be nowadays without a cornucopia of products that beg for the attention and the sweet embrace of your iPod. Dock it up with the new Numark iDeck and you'll be playing and recording audio and video to and fro!  

Will Markwardt talks more on The Absent Arch. How do you deal with a viola through a 4X10 live? Mr. Markward answers.  

When I first saw the headline "American DJ Flash Shot DMX," immediately logged on the RuffRidersFans.net to find out who this DJ Flash character was and why he'd have beef with my favorite, gruff-voiced MC. Fortunately, DMX is alive and well, and the American DJ Flash Shot DMX is an LED strobe effect that will leave me feeling no less disoriented than when I received the press release, I'm sure.  

Her first EP, Light is out and Calgary's Sora has some tips for other singers.  

I, for one, am no C-SPAN junkie; as far as I know, the senate could be voting on a line item that's calling for the requisitioning of my left lung under the auspices of "eminent domain," but if you're at all involved in the audio industry -- particularly if you work with wireless -- you'll want to be keeping up with all the DTV-shift-inspired UHF bandwidth reallocation malarkey.  

Without naming any names, Rob Fishman -- Technical Director at Old Town School Of Folk Music -- dishes on some of the best and worst-case scenarios he's had to contend with as the live engineer for the school's Gary And Laura Maurer Concert Hall.  

As technical director at Old Town School of Folk Music's Gary And Laura Maurer Concert Hall, Rob Fishman has mixed a bluegrass group of two-hundred. His preferred setup is single large diaphragm condenser, and musicians who know how to "work it."  

Lasers used to be pretty sweet, but somewhere along the way, someone ruined them and made them lame for everyone. Point in case, beamz Music Performance System, which ensures that all you need to play music is the ability to get in the way of a laser beam.  

Let's face it. In about five or ten years, Apple's handheld devices are going to be the only thing an individual needs to own to survive. Alesis is ready for that era with the Multiport, a standalone unit that records in stereo directly to iPod.  

The Alesis TransActive Mobile really makes transporting this portable, miniature PA system a breeze. In addition to its handle and wheels, a rechargeable battery allows for use anywhere, and an iPod dock seals the deal.  

When I get off of work, I usually go sit at home and listen to digital reverb by itself for a few hours before I go to sleep. SM Pro Audio's STAGE-BUDDY makes it possible for me to do this on headphones, too. I'm sure it can do a number of much less creepy things.  

A while back, at AES, we were custom fit for some in-ear monitors by Livewires. In this video, Bill shows us the finished product and talks about his impression of their impression of his ear.  

I'm not going to lie; it would be great if I had laser vision, but since I don't, I'm left struggling to see my pedal board in dark venues just like the rest of you. Mighty Bright's Pedal Board Light is a mighty bright idea to fend off the possibility of vision indecision in the dark.  

Brent Grey is Silverchair's front of house engineer and has traveled the world with the Aussie alt-rockers. He talks about the differences between their Australian arena tours compared to their U.S. tours and what challenges he faces.