Archive for June 27th, 2012

Nashville, TN – June 2012… Take four beautiful women and combine them with their love of the outdoors and travel and you get Shop Angels. This outdoor adventure travel show slated to begin airing in the first quarter of 2013 is currently in production. From their hands-on approach to prepping their ATV’s (all-terrain vehicles) to exploring the great outdoors, the cameras follow the action—and to ensure broadcast quality audio through it all, Digital Hybrid Wireless® microphone technology from Rio Rancho, NM-based Lectrosonics is on the scene. more

Bryan H. Carroll Helms Doc Based on Motorcycle Legend’s Sweeping Life

(Los Angeles, CA) Gnarlynow Entertainment will co-produce, along with Walking West Entertainment, the dramatic story of Ed “Iron Man” Kretz, the motorcycle racer who became a legend for his heroic and often death-defying races. A Southern California native, Kretz’ awe-inspiring career began in the 1930′s and carried through the 1950′s. His popularity helped establish motorcycle racing as a bona fide sport. Kretz’s career unfolded against the background of a compelling love story that played out alongside this dangerous and nascent sport. His legacy continued with his son, Ed Kretz Jr., who also drew attention to the sport, setting records and carrying on his father’s passion for motorcycle racing.

The project has the full cooperation and consultation of Ed Kretz Jr. and the Kretz estate. Bryan H. Carroll and James Walker are employing a two-pronged approach for the story, beginning with a feature documentary, followed by a narrative feature. Production for the documentary begins on July 13, 2012 in California; Carroll is directing the documentary and Walker will produce. Delivery of the documentary feature is set for late summer 2013. The narrative feature will begin production in early 2013, and will be produced by Carroll and Walker. Carroll, whose producing credits include Public Enemies, Miami Vice, The Invisible Highway and Collateral, founded Gnarlynow Entertainment in early 2010 to create positive-message, personality-driven films.

For more information please visit www.kretzmovies.com.

About Gnarlynow Entertainment
Gnarlynow Entertainment was launched in 2010 by Producer-Director Bryan H. Carroll, succeeding his earlier company BC Entertainment. The production company is based in Southern California.

Gnarlynow was created to gather emerging and established talent to produce positive, quality entertainment that motivates and informs. Producer – Director Carroll has a career that encompasses a wide array of credits in film, television and commercials, from Editor, to Producer to Director. He has spent his entire career in close collaboration with Hollywood’s leading filmmakers in a spectrum of producing, creative, and technical roles. Among a long list of top talents, Bryan has worked with James Cameron, Joel Silver and Michael Mann, with whom he has shared key producing roles on such movies as “Collateral,” “Miami Vice,” and “Public Enemies” and the television series “RHD Robbery Homicide Division.” His career is also marked with a deep expertise in emerging technology, making him an in-demand expert on the application of digital technologies on the storytelling process. Some of the movies on which he has led technology include “Titanic,” “Collateral,” “Ali,” “Public Enemies”, and have had profound impact on the methodology of filmmaking.

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Media Contact:
Chris Purse, 818.303.8088
ignite strategic communications
chris@ignite.bz or mimi@ignite.bz

Jesper Kyd, Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan Return To Pandora with Explosive Original Music Score

Los Angeles, June 27, 2012 – Award-winning composers Jesper Kyd, Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan have created the genre-bending musical score for the highly anticipated Role-Playing-Shooter video game Borderlands™ 2 from Gearbox Software and 2K Games. Borderlands 2 is the sequel to the multi-million selling cooperative shooter-looter that combined intense first-person mayhem with role-playing gameplay.

Composers Velasco/Dikiciyan and Kyd were assigned the task of creating a colorful and dynamic music score for Borderlands 2‘s adrenaline-fuelled combat and diverse atmospheric environments. To accompany players’ loot-hunting adventures in the cell-shaded, eclectic world of Pandora, the soundtrack fuses multiple music styles and cutting-edge sonic palettes which exude the multi-faceted personality and thrilling co-op action of Borderlands 2.

Borderlands 2 features all-new characters; skills; imaginative, diverse new environments with unique missions and enemies, and more exciting and fun weapons, equipment and loot than ever before. All of these features come together in a story that takes players to the world of Pandora to take down the notorious Handsome Jack and his corrupt Hyperion Corporation as a solo campaign or with up to four cooperative players.

Borderlands 2 will be available on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows-based PC in North America on September 18, 2012 and internationally on September 21, 2012. For more information on Borderlands 2, please visit www.borderlands2.com.

— Led by company Founder/President Eric Smith, Auralex Acoustics continues to expand and position itself for ongoing growth in the coming years —

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, June 26, 2012 – Auralex® Acoustics, Inc., the world’s leading brand of acoustical treatments and soon to celebrate its 35th anniversary, continues to thrive due to a leadership vision that incorporates flexibility and an intuitive understanding of the markets it serves. With solid business practices stressing the ongoing development of market-driven products, enhanced customer service and the ability to embrace change, this philosophy continues to be the cornerstone of Auralex’s business for over three decades. Despite the constant technological and business challenges in the markets that Auralex serves, the company continued to experience ongoing growth in 2011 with a continued growth path in Q1 of 2012.

Under the direction of company founder and president Eric Smith, a new long-term comprehensive business plan was instituted that addresses brand positioning, domestic and international sales channels, manufacturing, marketing and customer service. Eight months after its implementation, this multi-pronged strategic plan is proving to be a winner, with much more to come and already unfolding.

One of the first steps was the appointment last year of David Fischer to the position of Auralex CEO. Coming to Auralex from multiple sizable and well-known global organizations, Fischer brings a strong history of exceeding business objectives and growth targets to his role at Auralex. Working closely with Eric Smith, Fischer has been instrumental in implementing the long-term strategic business plan that is driving the company’s worldwide growth and expansion.

On the domestic front, having moved into a new office complex last year that houses enhanced distribution operations and warehousing, as well as ergonomically designed office space, the company continues to drive and focus on existing markets with better penetration but also has refocused key sales personnel and is in the process of augmenting the sales team. With this move, in addition to allowing its sales force to concentrate on the Auralex brand, the company will be better equipped to gather market feedback so future product introductions and enhancements draw not only on engineering developments, but also market-driven factors. The new structure will help position Auralex’s distinctive brand identity to its global dealer and distributor network, but also reinforce the brand in the minds of customers.

The company is also expanding its international sales channels with additional distribution and sales forces, with a dedicated effort in Europe, the Middle East, Asia/Pacific and Latin America. This will facilitate more direct contact with key accounts and participation in overseas trade shows. In addition, as part of an overall operations upgrade, a new Director of Operations has been appointed and a new distribution workflow has been implemented, providing an even quicker turnaround time for customer orders.

From a product standpoint, Auralex continues to design and manufacture market-driven products providing innovative sound control solutions for the various markets it serves. At InfoComm 2012, the company is launching several solutions for contractors and system integrators, including the QuadFusor™ Sound Diffusor, a versatile and affordable Class A diffusor that mates four of Auralex’s MiniFusors™ in a 2-foot-by-2-foot array that is perfect for ceiling or wall mounting; the SheetBlok-AF™, which is a finish-grade isolation product that requires no messy construction and is perfect for retrofit applications; and UtiliTek™ sound absorbers, which are based on Auralex’s popular ProPanel™ series, but offer contractors and system integrators a great-looking yet more cost-effective solution in acoustical control.

Commenting on the long-term goals Eric Smith stated, “We have begun implementing the next phase of our plan, which focuses on such vital aspects as enhanced distribution, brand positioning, domestic and international sales, customer service, and product development as well as overall marketing strategies to grow market awareness for the Auralex brand. What we’ve implemented thus far has been exciting, but the best is yet to come.”

For more information, please visit www.auralex.com.

— EX•BB 500™ module combines Aphex®’s legendary Aural Exciter® and Big Bottom® technologies with the portable and convenient 500 Series format —

BURBANK, CA, June 26, 2012 — Aphex®, the leader in sound enhancement technology, has launched the EX•BB 500™ module, which introduces the company’s legendary Aural Exciter® and Big Bottom® patented audio enhancement technologies to the portable and convenient 500 Series format. The mono EX•BB 500 module is the first release in a new line of 500 Series products being launched in 2012 by Aphex.

Aphex’s Aural Exciter technology – often imitated but never duplicated – has been used in recording studios, broadcast facilities, concert arenas, musicians’ equipment racks, DJ systems, houses of worship, auditoriums, theaters and sports venues worldwide since 1975 to enhance detail, clarity and imaging to a wide variety of sources. The new EX•BB 500 module offers discrete Tune, Harmonics and Mix controls that enable users to increase intelligibility to vocals, add punch and presence to individual instruments, and add detail and airiness to mixes.

Optical Big Bottom processing extends low frequency power and spectrum, providing a richer and more percussive sound, even at very low volume, while avoiding the level build-up associated with traditional equalization. The module includes Tune, Drive and Mix controls, allowing the user to dial-in just the right “thickness” and dynamically enhance the low frequency range.

The 500 Series form factor of the EX•BB 500 module enables users to configure a system incorporating as many or as few channels of Aphex’s Aural Exciter and Big Bottom processing as required or as the budget allows. The EX•BB 500 module fits all current 500 Series racks, including those from A Designs, API, Empirical Labs, Radial and Tonelux.

Aphex Chairman/CEO David Wiener stated, “Everyone at Aphex is really excited about where we’re heading. And it gets better! I promised that the best was yet to come. We’ve never sounded so good – and we’re going to keep rolling out the hits.”

Film Audio Professionals Record the Sounds of Bangkok for the Hangover Part II

BANGKOK, JUNE 27, 2012 — When Sound Designer/Supervisor Cameron Frankley and Sound Mixer John Fasal were tasked with capturing the ambient audio for the film the Hangover Part II in Bangkok, the team packed its Sound Devices 788T multi-track digital audio recorders and DPA 5100 mobile surround microphones, confident the gear would help them effectively secure the film’s 5.1 location audio.

Frankley and Fasal hit the streets of Bangkok, recording everything from the bustle of the marketplaces to the sounds of the cigarette boats and tuk-tuks (open air taxis) unique to Thailand. The pair visited every location that existed in the film, as they had access to rooftops, basements, marketplaces and intersections.

The team constructed two sound rigs to cover different areas and aspects of the city simultaneously. The rigs included Sound Devices’ 788T, using six channels for the handheld DPA 5100 mobile surround mic, with channel 7 and 8 reserved for MS shotgun mics—effectively recording eight channels at all times. The rig gave the team the ability to walk into any environment with the 5.1 mic on a boom pole, holding it down low to the street or, if there was too much direct sound, raising it as high as 15 feet above the crowd.

“As far as the run-and-gun technique or being out in an environment where you are acclimating to different events that are happening and you are adjusting your setup, this rig was by far the best set I have ever recorded with,” says Frankley. “It allowed us to walk into really tight spaces and get in between things. At the end of the day, it worked out really well in post, as we had lots of useful material.”

The products’ plug-and-play capabilities were a real draw for Frankley and Fasal, as both pieces of equipment work well together and are easy to integrate. The DPA microphone’s multi-pin connector breaks into clearly labeled XLRs that can be simply plugged into the Sound Devices 788T. The 788T’s isolated tracks make it the ideal recorder for 5.1 capture, as each channel of the DPA 5100 can go into the individual channel of the 788T. Another great feature of the combined products is that everything is in dead sync. With the different monitoring functions on the 788T, users can pinpoint what to listen to while recording, in terms of monitoring all five channels or just monitoring the left-right, depending on preference.

In Thailand’s walking streets, which are reserved for pedestrians and the occasional bicycle or scooter, there is always a lot of action, as the streets are filled with marketplaces and small cafes. Frankley and Fasal situated themselves in a little crevice between a couple of buildings and, using the DPA 5100, captured an incredible left-center-right happening on the street, as well as between the buildings. With Sound Devices recording these isolated tracks, the duo knew that they would be afforded a great deal of material that could later be mixed for a very unique track.

“When you are out in the field, you listen to your surroundings as if you are a microphone,” says Fasal. “When using a surround mic, you have to situate yourself so you are getting useful material in as many places as possible. When you play back the tracks, you are basically back on location, in the moment.”

Frankley says, “When you come back from recording in the field, you have a palette of all of these colors, and you are able to mix and match them, and manipulate them to fit the picture and what the camera is doing. You get these different channels and pieces and then you can accentuate them to maximize the cinematic idea.”

Frankley and Fasal have used Sound Devices gear and a collection of DPA mics for past and current film projects, including the upcoming Gangster Squad from Warner Bros. and the most recent installment of the Terminator franchise, Terminator Salvation.

About DPA:
DPA Microphones A/S is a leading Danish Professional Audio manufacturer of high quality condenser microphones and microphone solutions for professional applications in studio, broadcast, theatre, video/film and sound reinforcement environments. All DPA microphones and components are manufactured at the company’s purpose-built factory in Denmark.

For more information on DPA Microphones, please visit www.dpamicrophones.com.

Sound Devices, LLC designs and manufactures portable audio mixers, digital recorders and related audio equipment for feature film, episodic television, documentary, news-gathering, and acoustical test and measurement applications. The thirteen-year-old company designs and manufactures from its Reedsburg, Wisconsin, headquarters with additional offices in Madison, WI, and Highland Park, IL. For more information, visit the Sound Devices website www.sounddevices.com.

UFM-30FRC HD/SD Frame Rate Converter Makes Brazilian Debut

Fort Lee, New Jersey – FOR-A Company Limited, a leading manufacturer of video and audio systems for the broadcast and professional video industries, recently displayed several key, new products at two road shows in Brazil. FOR-A hosted the events with two Brazilian-based partners – distributor Tecnovideo and systems integration firm Line Up. The events took place on May 16th in São Paulo and on May 18th in Rio de Janeiro.

“Hosting the road shows was a great opportunity to showcase our most advanced solutions to the Brazilian market,” said Pedro Silvestre, sales director for FOR-A Corporation of America. “FOR-A’s partnerships with LineUp and Tecnovideo has helped to strengthen and expand our business in this important region. We believe both shows were a big success, as exhibiting our latest products with our Brazilian partners enabled us to further connect with our customer base in this area.”

At the road shows, the UFM-30FRC HD/SD Frame Rate Converter was shown for the first time in Brazil. Equipped with up/down/cross converters as standard features, the UFM-30FRC offers a motion compensation processing mode and linear conversion mode to perform optimal conversions.

The company also displayed its LTR-100HS video storage appliance working with its MediaConcierge media management system. The LTR-100HS includes an LTO-5 driveand features HD/SD-SDI input/output, broadcast quality codec, and MXF wrapping and unwrapping. MediaConcierge acts as a ‘concierge,’ managing content; converting between common file and digital video formats, facilitating search, browse, and file delivery; and interfacing to third party media content databases and archives. Also shown was the new MV-42HS HD/SD Multi Viewer, which resizes and display up to 4 inputs of HD-SDI and SD-SDI signals on a single screen. FOR-A also exhibited its FA-9500 3G/HD/SD Multi Purpose Signal Processor. The FA-9500 offers logo insertion capability and supports 3G-SDI, HD/SD-SDI, and analog composite I/O, in addition to its ability to be used as a frame synchronizer, provide up/down/cross/aspect converters, second converter, color corrector, and automatic video optimizer as standard features.

FOR-A’s VFC-7000 HD Variable Frame Rate (Super Slow Motion) camera was shown in both field and in-studio configurations. The VFC-7000 is a compact, lightweight, all-in-one unit, capable of high-speed HD recordings. The slow motion camera offers high-speed play-out and recording in HD at variable frame rates from 24 to 700 fps. It features a high-sensitivity CMOS color sensor and electronic high-speed shutter that can operate as fast as 1/200,000 of a second for filming fast-moving events and subjects without blur. São Paulo–based Disk Films, who is renting the VFC-7000 camera as part of its offerings, was on hand as well.

FOR-A showcased a variety of other products at the events, including the HVS-300 HD/SD 1 M/E video switcher. The HVS-300 includes various wipe patterns, such as 2D and 3D DVE transitions, frame synchronizing, and a re-sizing engine on every channel, which allows SD equipment to be used in full HD mode.

About FOR-A

FOR-A is a major manufacturer and distributor of video and audio systems to the broadcast, postproduction and professional video markets. For more information about FOR-A’s product line, call 201-944-1120 or visit our web site at www.for-a.com.

Legendary Producer For U2, Dave Matthews Band & The Rolling Stones

SAN FRANCISCO: Early this year, the Queen of England awarded, multi-Platinum record producer Steve Lillywhite with a Commander of The British Empire (CBE) for his contributions to music. While some might consider this honor the culmination of a thirty-year career, Lillywhite promptly returned to the recording studio, where he has been busy producing new records for The Killers, Dave Matthews Band & Thirty Seconds To Mars. On Friday, October 26, Lillywhite will take another break from his studio chores to present the Keynote Address for the 133rd AES Convention at SF’s Moscone Center.

“Steve Lillywhite is a Producer Of The Year Grammy-winner who has made an indelible impact on popular music,” remarked AES Convention Co-Chair, Jim McTigue. “He has collaborated with a stunning array of artists. His discography boasts a remarkable list of critically acclaimed and commercially successful projects including eight albums with U2, 4 with the Dave Matthews Band and a who’s who list representing each of the last 3 decades. The 80′s by: Peter Gabriel, The Rolling Stones, Talking Heads, The Psychedelic Furs, Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Pogues, Big Country, XTC & The Smiths – The 90′s by: David Byrne, Morrissey, Travis, Dave Matthews Band & Phish and the past decade with: The Counting Crows, Matchbox Twenty, Thirty Seconds To Mars & The Killers.

“He has made an indelible impact on contemporary music and he continues to hone the razor edge with major new projects. His insights, into the art of producing and engineering, coupled with his perspective on the impact of technology shifts and changes in recording styles, promises to provide AES attendees with inspiration, enlightenment and, unforgettable anecdotes,” McTigue says.

Born in the UK in 1955, Lillywhite began his career as a tape operator for Polygram in 1972.

“We are delighted to have Steve Lillywhite address our attendees,” Co-Chair Valerie Tyler concludes. “His work is as relevant and innovative today as it was at the beginning of his career. His Keynote Address marks an auspicious beginning for what is shaping up to be an exceptional Convention.”

The 133rd AES Convention will be held at SF’s Moscone Center Oct. 26-29, 2012. For more details please visit: http://www.aes.org

Photo: Producer of The Year Grammy-winner, Steve Lillywhite will present the Keynote address for the 133rd AES Convention on Friday, Oct. 26, 2012

To listen to a selected Steve Lillywhite discography please visit: http://soundcloud.com/barquemgmt/sets/steve-lillywhite

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The Audio Engineering Society was formed in 1948 by a group of concerned audio engineers. The AES counts over 14,000 members throughout the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Japan and the Far East. The organization serves as the pivotal force in the exchange and dissemination of technical information for the industry. For additional information visit http://www.aes.org

New Agreement Increases SSL’s Presence in the Region

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Solid State Logic, the world’s leading manufacturer of analogue and digital audio consoles, is pleased to announce the appointment of Stage Craft International as its large format console distributor for the Philippines. Founded in 1987, Stage Craft International has evolved into the largest source for professional sound, lighting, video reinforcements and special effects products and services in the region. The agreement, covering SSL’s entire line of large format consoles that include C10 HD, C100 HDS, Duality SE and AWS Consoles, will enhance both companies’ ability to develop strong customer relationships and deliver excellent customer service.

“Stage Craft International has a long and successful track record, a fine portfolio of products and a great deal of respect from their customers,” says Anthony Gofton, regional sales manager for SSL. “They will be at the centre of developing the broadcast and music markets for Solid State Logic in the Philippines. They recently held demonstrations and seminars for the C10HD Compact Broadcast Console in Manila as one of their first initiatives.”

“Stage Craft International is delighted to have the opportunity to market Solid State Logic’s products,” states Antonio Garalde, sales and marketing director of Stage Craft International. “SSL is a prestigious and forward-thinking company and we hope very much to be able to introduce our many broadcast and music customers to them, while establishing a strong sales and support base for SSL in the Philippines.”

Solid State Logic is the world’s leading manufacturer of analogue and digital audio consoles and provider of creative tools for music, broadcast and post production professionals. For more information about our award-winning products, please visit: www.solidstatelogic.com.

Just when college students have wrapped up their academic years it’s back to school for High Resolution Systems whose UDC (Universal Device Controller) is now in use at the University of Phoenix’s new Executive Briefing Center.

Located in the John G. Sperling Center for Educational Innovation in Tempe, Arizona, the Executive Briefing Center is part of an 8,000-square foot facility.

Cincinnati-based The Brand Experience and Executive Creative Director Geoff Thatcher turned to 3Stage Design of Jasper to take on the digital consulting responsibilities and implement the media and technology for several interactive experiences at the Executive Briefing Center.

One of these areas is the center’s theater. When guests arrive in the theater they can view a video that tells the story of University of Phoenix founder and executive board chairman John G. Sperling and his vision for the school, which boasts students worldwide. 3Stage Design selected UDC to control all the source inputs and video playback in the theater.

“Over the years there has been limited choices for control systems, but now UDC is able to communicate with devices in a more cost effective, direct fashion and provide us with a custom interface for our client,” says Todd Hall, who is partnered with Emile Wolsky in 3Stage Design.

“High Resolution Systems is a boutique shop, and if we need custom configurations they can accommodate us,” notes Wolsky. “People come to us because of the uniqueness of their project — they want a custom approach. So we need to partner with a company with the flexibility to adapt to our needs in a timely fashion.”

High Resolution Systems’ Drew Taylor says that using UDC offers numerous advantages for the Executive Briefing Center, including a significant cost savings over dedicated hardware and user-friendly operation. “UDC is quick and easy to update and change after the initial install,” he notes. “We can react to changing customer needs as the room evolves; UDC can adapt and support any new equipment that’s brought in.”

For the opening of the Executive Briefing Center 3Stage Design needed to furnish control for 20 foot 4,000 pixel widescreen driven by three Barco W8 projectors, 7.1 surround sound, custom LED lighting, a Vista Spyder X20 image processor, and an Alcorn McBride media server.

High Resolution Systems provided 3Stage Design with UDC running on two Apple iPads and an Apple iPod Touch built into the wall.

“The way people interact with technology today they want to be able to control devices from a familiar interface – they don’t want to acquire proprietary systems and experience a learning curve with them,” explains Hall. “Where UDC shines is that it works on all platforms: It doesn’t require any proprietary hardware.”

UDC controls an array of inputs for the screen and the video playback from the Center’s stylish round conference table. Hall and Wolsky chose the UDC platform because of how it integrates cleanly with the Spyder and it’s unique ability for it to PIP multiple inputs at one time.

“A few weeks after the Center implemented UDC we followed up and discovered a very happy client,” Hall reports. “High Resolution Systems was very responsive and quick throughout the project, which is important to a continuing relationship. We worked with them last year on booth for the NBAA trade show and were pleased to come back with this new project.”

About High Resolution Systems
High Resolution Systems, a member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers is a company with a strong systems engineering and applications background. Its founders have decades of experience in the audiovisual rental and staging industry, broadcast applications, A/V installations and system design. This combined experience allows them to provide the highest possible quality solutions to its customers in the most efficient manner. For more information, visit www.hrscontrol.com.