Archive for July 12th, 2012

Nashville, TN – July 12, 2012: Once again, multiple GRAMMY winner and Christian artist Ricky Skaggs has been hard at work with “the boys” — his longtime band Kentucky Thunder, which have been playing bluegrass music alongside him for over 15 years. Each time Skaggs and his band enter the studio — usually at his own “Skaggs Place Studio” — the resulting music pays homage to the early trailblazers of bluegrass music, while forging entirely new paths within the seemingly timeless genre.

As an artist, Skaggs is wholly committed to authenticity and detail in his recordings. He is an avid collector of vintage microphones and esoteric gear, and constantly in pursuit of the latest sonic building blocks that will help make his recordings stand the test of time. The latest addition to his studio? The new Neumann KH 120 studio monitors. We chatted with Ricky to learn more about his recent projects, and why it’s important to have a loudspeaker that tells the truth…..

What have you been up to lately?
“Me and the boys [Kentucky Thunder] have gotten together and will be putting out a bluegrass record — the first one since Honoring the Fathers, which we recorded several years ago. We’ve cut two days of tracks, about six songs on which we are now working on overdubs. In the coming weeks, we will be doing more tracks, as well as singing and overdubs. For this record, which will have a lot of variety, I’ve brought in Gordon Kennedy [producer] for moral support. I really wanted him involved because I didn’t want it to be just another bluegrass record. Gordon is able to bring some input and creativity that I wouldn’t necessarily think to bring to the project. Beyond this, I’ve been working on a live CD of Bruce Hornsby and myself. Last time we toured, we did a lot of live recordings on the road and we’ve been going through those live shows and hope to get a record out soon.”

Tell us about your first experiences with the Neumann KH 120 monitors
“When I found out that Neumann was doing monitors, I knew they wouldn’t do anything unless it was excellent — because they have never done anything outside of excellence. If it was Neumann, it was going to be great. I first heard the KH 120s out at Winter NAMM and I was just blown away. I really loved what I was hearing. There is something in the midrange that highlights the acoustic instruments and strings, and the highs are not too bright or harsh. Finally, I just can’t believe how small they are and how great they sound.”

How about the low end?
“Typically it is a little bit harder to define the low end, but everything translates great through the KH 120s. In general, I was really impressed and surprised with their performance given their small size, and could not believe that that such clarity in the low end could be achieved without a subwoofer. The low end of my mixes sound tighter now — and in bluegrass, this is important on instruments like the upright bass and the acoustic guitar. We know that when we get to the mastering facility, that the entire low end will be nice and tight.

Why is the crossover important and how does the KH 120 perform in this regard?
“For any instrument that occupies the midrange, you’ve got to have crossovers that are extremely quick, smooth and transparent. The crossover on the Neumanns is very smooth and you can really hear this on acoustic guitars and mandolins. This is exactly what I hear from the KH 120s, and highlights the thing that I love most about them: the midrange. My instruments sound like I know they should.”

Why have the KH 120s earned a place at Skaggs Place Studio?
“I want the safety net of having a great monitor system — it takes the guesswork out of recording and mixing, and you can be more confident in what you are putting down to tape. I know the low end is there, as well as the mids and the highs. Nothing is falsified and it is the real thing. I don’t like cutting any corners — especially in the recording studio. Once you cut something and put it out, it is out there forever. As an artist, I want to make sure that the recording represented the best that I could be at that moment in time.”

You are no stranger to Neumann. Tell us about your collection of Neumann microphones
“My history with Neumann goes back a long way, and to me, the company’s microphones represent the gold standard. I have a U 47 that was once used by folks like Dolly Parton, George Jones and Johnny Cash. I also have two U 69s, which we use on everything including the piano on the recent Bruce Hornsby recording. I bought some KM 64s years ago that had been owned by a traveling gospel band, The Happy Goodman Family. My Neumann KM 66, an early version of the KM 86, is our all-time favorite guitar mic. I also use and appreciate the newer Neumann microphone models such as the TLM 102, TLM 103 and of course the M 149 and U 87.”

Photo captions:
1. Ricky Skaggs, pictured alongside the Neumann KH 120 monitor
2. The Neumann KH 120 monitors are the latest edition to Nashville’s Skaggs Place Studio

XL Events, commissioned by the TRO Group, supplied a specially constructed circular LED screen for Nissan’s stand in the main exhibition area of the 2012 Festival of Speed, held at the Goodwood Estate, Chichester, UK.

The stand was showcasing Nissan’s rugged Juke crossover vehicle under the ‘Built to Thrill’ banner. Over the Festival of Speed weekend, fans were treated to a virtual skydiving experience.

XL Events’ display, measuring 6 metres in diameter, was made up of lightweight Pixled F-11 LED, mounted on to a circular Litebeam truss. The circular display was flown just off centre of the main stand and displayed facts and figures about the Nissan Juke throughout the Festival of Speed weekend.

Rich Pow Project manager for XL events worked with Matt Price from the TRO Group both before and during the event:

“It was a pleasure to work with Matt,” said Pow. “Matt and his team did a sterling job pulling all the elements of the stand together.”

IBC2012
Sonnet Technologies
Stand 7.G02

Sonnet Technologies
8 Autry
Irvine, CA 92618-2708
USA

Sonnet Technologies Contact:
Martin Muggee
Marketing Communications Manager
Tel: +1 949 587 3532
Email: martin.muggee@sonnettech.com

Agency Contact:
Peggy Blaze
Wall Street Communications
Tel: +1 818 357 3693
Email: peggy@wallstcom.com

Company Overview:

Sonnet Technologies Inc. is a leader in providing storage systems, media readers, and Thunderbolt(TM) technology PCIe(R) expansion products for professional users of Mac(R), Windows(R), and UNIX(R) systems in the film, video, and broadcast industries. The company’s product line features a range of high-performance, cost-effective, and reliable desktop and rackmount RAID storage solutions ranging from two- and four-drive portable units, to eight- and 16-drive desktop attached storage with advanced RAID controllers, to 16-drive, 16-port, 8Gb Fibre Channel shared storage systems that are expandable to 384TB. Celebrating 26 years in business, Sonnet has pioneered and brought to market numerous innovative solutions that enhance the performance and connectivity of Mac, Windows, and other industry-standard computers. More information is available at www.sonnettech.com.

Sonnet Technologies at IBC2012:
In Sonnet Technologies’ stand at IBC2012, Thunderbolt(TM) will have top billing. Sonnet will showcase an array of innovative new solutions that enable production teams to take advantage of the lightning-fast I/O speed of Thunderbolt technology to accelerate workflows for all sizes and types of on-location and studio productions as well as in postproduction.

NEW — Echo(TM) Express SE 10GbE Two-Port 10 Gigabit Ethernet Thunderbolt(TM) Adapter
The Echo(TM) Express SE 10GbE bundles Sonnet’s just-released Echo Express SE Thunderbolt(TM) Expansion Chassis for PCI Express(R) (PCIe(R)) cards and Presto(TM) 10GbE two-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe card together to provide a near plug-and-play solution for adding 10GbE connectivity to any computer with a Thunderbolt port. This compact device enables users to connect directly to high-speed infrastructure and storage without stepping down in speed.

Image Link: www.wallstcom.com/sonnet/echo_express_se_r.zip
Image Caption: Echo(TM) Express SE 10GbE — Two-Port 10 Gigabit Ethernet Thunderbolt(TM) Adapter

NEW — Tempo(TM) SSD Pro
The Tempo(TM) SSD Pro is a PCIe(R) 2.0 SATA card to which one or two solid-state drives (SSDs) can be directly attached. Rather than connecting cables and mounting the SSDs elsewhere, the user simply slides them onto the Tempo SSDs connectors, which secures the SSDs to the Sonnet card with supplied screws. Users can purchase 2.5-inch SSDs based on the performance and capacities best suited to their current needs — and upgrade with ease should their requirements change. The plug-and-play device features dual 6 Gb/s SATA controllers, and supports read speeds up to 930 MB/s.

Image link: www.wallstcom.com/sonnet/tempo_ssd_w_ssds.zip
Image caption: Tempo(TM) SSD

Qio(TM) E3 — First Dedicated Three-Slot Professional SxS Media Reader Compatible With Thunderbolt(TM) Technology
Sonnet’s Qio(TM) E3 is a cost-effective, high-speed alternative to ordinary card readers for videographers and studios that rely upon SxS(TM) media workflows. The Qio E3 is the first three-slot SxS memory card reader available and doubles as a bus expansion system for ExpressCard(R)/34 adapter cards. The reader provides the ability to transfer data concurrently from three SxS cards for Sony(R) XDCAM(TM) EX professional HD camcorders with an aggregate ingest speed up to 400 MB/s, dramatically increasing efficiency. OS X(R)- and Windows(R)-compatible, the Qio E3 connects to a computer through an included ExpressCard or PCIe(R) 2.0 interface adapter card. When used with one of Sonnet’s Echo(TM) Thunderbolt(TM) PCIe or ExpressCard expansion products, users can connect the Qio E3 to compatible computers with a Thunderbolt port. This setup supports concurrent data transfers from SxS memory cards in all three slots for even faster file ingest speeds.

Image Link: http://www.wallstcom.com/sonnet/qio_e3_images.zip
Image Caption: Qio(TM) E3

Qio(TM) CF4 — First Dedicated Four-Slot Professional CF Media Reader Compatible With Thunderbolt(TM) Technology
The newest member of the Sonnet Qio(TM) series of professional media readers, the Qio CF4 professional CompactFlash(R) (CF) media reader offers a high-speed, cost-effective alternative to conventional card readers for videographers, studios, and photographers alike. The Qio CF4 provides the ability to transfer data concurrently from four cards for HD camcorders from RED(R) and Canon(R), as well as DSLR cameras from Canon and Nikon(R), with an aggregate ingest speed up to 400 MB/s, increasing efficiency dramatically. OS X(R)- and Windows(R)-compatible, the Qio CF4 connects to a computer through an included ExpressCard(R) or PCIe(R) 2.0 interface adapter card. When used with one of Sonnet’s Echo(TM) Thunderbolt(TM) PCIe or ExpressCard expansion products, users can connect the CF4 to compatible computers with a Thunderbolt port. This setup supports concurrent data transfers from CF4 memory cards in all four slots for even faster file ingest speeds.

Image Link: www.wallstcom.com/sonnet/qio_cf4_image.zip
Image Caption: Qio(TM) CF4

Echo(TM) Express Pro Thunderbolt(TM) Expansion Chassis for PCIe(R) Cards
The Echo(TM) Express Pro Thunderbolt(TM) Expansion Chassis for PCIe(R) cards enables users to plug in one or two high-performance PCIe 2.0 (PCIe) adapter cards, originally designed for use in full-size desktop computers, to any computer with a Thunderbolt port. Professional video capture, digital audio, 8Gb Fibre Channel, 10Gb Ethernet, and RAID controller cards are examples of the PCIe adapters that may be used. The Echo Express Pro supports two single-width, full-length, and full-height cards, or one double-width card. It features an integrated 150W universal power supply, temperature-controlled fans to cool the cards when necessary, and two Thunderbolt ports to support daisy-chaining up to six devices to the host computer.

Image link: http://www.wallstcom.com/sonnet/echo_express_images.zip
Image Caption: Echo(TM) Express Pro Thunderbolt(TM) Expansion Chassis

xMac(TM) mini Server PCIe(R) 2.0 Expansion System/1U Rackmount Enclosure for Mac(R) mini with Thunderbolt(TM) Ports
Sonnet’s xMac(TM) mini Server is a combination expansion system for PCIe(R) adapter cards and 1U rackmount enclosure for Mac(R) mini with Thunderbolt(TM) ports. The xMac mini Server transforms a Mac mini into a full-fledged expandable rackmount server — enabling users to plug in two PCIe expansion cards to slots connected to the Mac mini via an included Thunderbolt cable, while enabling the daisy-chain connection of additional Thunderbolt peripherals to the xMac mini Server’s second Thunderbolt port. With these features, the Mac mini is an excellent replacement for an Apple Xserve(R) Server.

Image Link: www.wallstcom.com/sonnet/xmac_mini_images_newest.zip
Image caption: xMac(TM) mini Server

Company Quote:
“At IBC2012, we’re looking forward to presenting our innovative solutions that can bring new efficiencies to all types of mobile and studio production workflows,” said Greg LaPorte, Vice President of Sales and Marketing of Sonnet Technologies. “Our new xMac(TM) mini Server PCIe(R) 2.0 expansion system, for instance, can transform a Mac mini with Thunderbolt(TM) technology into a metadata server, a video ingest station for Avid and Final Cut(R) suites, or into a host for high-capacity shared RAID storage.”

Glendale, Ca– In a major expansion of its visual effects and digital lab services and personnel, Mechnology has opened a second studio in Vancouver, B.C., according to Mechnology founder and president Chip Potter.
Mechnology Vancouver has brought aboard Sean Bowers as general manager. Bowers previously held various producer and post production positions with Syfy, Screen Siren/Hasbro/HUB, Hallmark/E1, Lionsgate and Alliance Atlantis.
Kirsten Sharp has also been added as visual effects producer. Sharp was previously at Goldtooth Creative, a digital production studio and creative agency; Rainmaker Entertainment; Mainframe Entertainment and Vanguard Animation/Starz Entertainment.
Potter indicated the move was made in response to increased client production in Vancouver and the desire to allow clients to take advantage of the favorable business climate supported by British Columbia. “The future for Hollywood and corporate brands is what we call transmedia storytelling,” said Potter. “The new generation of visual artists is eager to work on this scale, moving from a movie, to television, to social game, to mobile app. Mechnology is designing a studio where artists can function at a high level by accessing our visual effects and digital lab to develop and promote their reels, games and apps.
“Film and TV is booming in Vancouver and increasingly it’s a place to innovate for the new media industry. Visual artists are behind the web’s most compelling content and Mechnology wants to attract those visual artists who can help producers tell a story most effectively, from big screen, to home screen, to tablets and phones.
“Although our on-set supervision and visual effects work for television and film is Mechnology’s bread and butter, through our digital lab we’ve been creating other assets, pipelines, and software along the way for ourselves and our clients. My partner, Stephen Lebed, has created several mobile apps for filmmakers, two mobile games and a scanning tool that allows us to capture an environment as a point cloud that in turn helps us integrate 3D models into live action. In short, we’ve turned our artists loose inside the digital lab and they’ve created prototypes for amusement park rides, interactive corporate presentations, education apps, games, and a ton of art. The digital lab is the repository for artist noodling. It’s a jumping off point where our client might say: ‘That’s amazing, what if we apply that technology to my project.’”
“There is a huge talent pool in Vancouver that we’re tapping into,” said Lebed, Mechnology principal and visual effects supervisor. “And along with that, Mechnology has always been a place where we train artists in visual effects. Most of our artist trainees have stayed with us for years. We’ve already begun training the next generation of 3d and 2d artists. We have been very fortunate to find the team that we have in place here and we’re looking forward to the challenges ahead.”
“We’re a boutique shop that has a good client base,” Potter pointed out, “but we needed to grow to the next level. Opening an office in Vancouver is a sign that we can make the jump into larger, more challenging projects. We’re able to hire top talent in Vancouver and offer our customers more choices for how they want their projects to be done.”
Mechnology has worked on such key projects as “Boston Legal” (ABC), “The Middleman” (ABC Family), “Hell on Wheels” (AMC), “Without a Trace” (CBS), “House” (Fox Television), “Southland” (NBC Universal), “Burn Notice,” (USA Network) and “The Aviator” (Miramax Films).

Contact: Lanny Sher, 323-653-0380; prals@pacbell.net

Advertising competition and New Directors Showcase slated for September 11 in tandem with LA Shorts Fest.

Hollywood-–NXT STAGE has appointed a panel of judges for its first-annual NXT STAGE Hollywood International Creative Commercial Art & Technique Awards, a global competition honoring creative excellence and innovation in advertising.

Judges include directors, creative directors and producers from some of the industry’s most successful commercial production companies, including Partizan, RSA Films, Moxie Pictures and Anonymous Content. The awards competition and festival will be held in conjunction with the 16th annual Los Angeles International Short Film Festival (LA Shorts Fest) on September 11, 2012 at the Laemmle Noho 7 Theatres in North Hollywood.

“Our list of jurors and participating companies is evidence that NXT STAGE Hollywood is gaining importance in the creative industry,” said Robert Arentz, founder of NXT STAGE. “We reached out to leaders in their respective fields who share an understanding of the rapidly changing dynamics in the industry, and who continue to inspire others to create great work.” more

SEATAC, WA — Professional video and audio systems integration firm Advanced Broadcast Solutions (ABS) will exhibit at the 18th annual NW Tech Days on July 24 at the Embassy Suites Portland Airport in Portland, Ore. Sponsored by the Cascade Range, Shasta-Rogue, Mid-Columbia, and Inland Empire Chapters of the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), the one-day event includes a full schedule of technical training sessions and an exhibit hall.

ABS will be joined by several vendor partners at the show, including Harmonic, Tektronix, Telairity, Digital Nirvana, Pico Digital, and Kathrein, Inc., Scala Division. In addition, ABS will sponsor a hole during the NW Tech Days Golf Tournament on July 25 at the Eastmoreland Golf Course in Portland.

“Tech Days is one of the most important cable shows in our area, because it draws MSOs, independents, telcos, and NCTC operators from across the Pacific Northwest,” said Victor Abramson, ABS national sales manager, CATV solutions. “We are proud to support this event and look forward to expanding our presence in the cable industry.”

For more information about NW Tech Days, visit www.scte.org/events.

About ABS:

Based in SeaTac, WA, ABS (Advanced Broadcast Solutions) delivers customized, technologically superior solutions for broadcast, corporate, house of worship, entertainment, government, and educational facilities – from design and integration to installation and support services. Since 1982, its experienced technical staff has installed more than 700 systems for clients including Fisher Communications, Cowles California Media, Real Networks, Cisco Systems, and Microsoft Studios. For more information, call 206-870-0244 or visit www.advancedbroadcastsolutions.com.

Orad’s lineup will include state-of-the-art on-air graphics, studio, sports, MAM, and video server solutions for the broadcast industry
 
July 12, 2012 – Orad, world leader of award-winning, real-time, 3D graphics, video servers, and media asset management solutions will be presenting its newest product lineup at the upcoming 2012 IBC Show held in Amsterdam from September 7th through 11th (stand 7.B27). Orad professionals will be on site to provide attendees with informative demonstrations and presentations of its on-air, studio, MAM, sports and video server solutions.
 
“This IBC, Orad will be demonstrating our wide variety of unique broadcasting solutions. Visitors to our booth will enjoy exciting interactive demos, giving them a feel for the endless possibilities Orad’s solutions can offer,” comments Avi Sharir, President and CEO of Orad.
 
IBC 2012 Lineup – What to See at the Orad Booth
Press and attendees are invited to stop by the Orad booth (7.B27) to see Orad’s award winning solutions.
 
NEW TD Control: Designed for technical directors/switcher operators, TD Control streamlines video box production workflows by consolidating video sources and graphics, delivering a single composited image to the switcher. The breakthrough TD Control technology provides tremendous flexibility, including the ability to switch, while on air, from six video sources to six completely different video sources with one click of a button. Users have access to an assortment of video box layouts as well as the ability to create their own video box layouts and store them as a preset for fast recall.
 
PowerPlay: PowerPlay is a turnkey post-production solution for managing live sports productions. Capabilities include ingest and instant highlight editing integrated through a dedicated sports media asset management platform. PowerPlay is designed to provide a complete solution for large-scale sporting events, offering fast turnaround of content and advanced data management tools.
 
PlayMaker: PlayMaker, Orad’s next generation sports replay server, provides up to eight I/O channels of high quality ingest in multiple video formats, with synchronized slow motion replay, and powerful yet simple editing tools. PlayMaker facilitates file sharing between multiple servers and instant file export to Avid, FCP, Adobe Premiere, and other NLEs via standard Ethernet. New features for IBC include: enhanced events tagging and support for Avid’s DNxHD codec and cyclic recording.
 
iFind: iFind is a sophisticated media management solution that provides users with the ability to manage the essential elements of a professional broadcast server, graphics and archive systems from a web browser. Powerful search, workflow and management functionality are available, which can be tailored to a station’s individual requirements in order to maintain a smooth day-to-day operation. Simple to use, the combination of the iFind user interface and rules engine produces a powerful workflow management system, the benefits of which can be quickly identified to bring a fast return on investment. The system’s iFind Asset Core is the powerful database that underpins the media asset management system, providing flexible, user configurable metadata schemas. In addition, advanced business rules-based and process-driven workflows enable essential functions such as archiving, restore from archive, clip movement and deletion.
 
RadioTV: RadioTV is a complete solution that visualizes radio programming by broadcasting the radio talent, real-time 3D graphics and promos as a multi-camera production. RadioTV automated solution relies on unique audio detection software to identify the talent’s voice and determine which cameras should be on air. New for IBC is RadioTV’s clickable video, a unique feature that enables URL links to be embedded as hotspots inside the scene.
 
Interact: Interact enables presenters to control graphical content directly on their touch screens, video walls and other input devices. The latest new feature includes interacting with live web content from within the interactive graphics. Its dedicated OradTouch application enables presenters to interact with the graphics using their iPad and control the content and flow of production while moving around the production space freely.
 
MVP: Emmy award-winning MVP provides fast preparation of captivating sports highlight clips to better visualize critical plays, the flow of the game, and post-game analysis. New enhancement features include: virtual camera flights between two real cameras, erasing players from the field while the video is still running, viewing a play as it is drawn on the coach’s drawing board, comparing the position and technique of individual athletes, drawing a specific player in colour on top of a black and white background, breaking down a play into a sequence of frames to better analyze the player’s movements, and more.
 
Maestro: Maestro addresses all of broadcasters’ graphic needs for real-time, pre- and post-production environments. Maestro’s new features for IBC include: new graphics MAM system support, connection to social networks, integration to Quantel NLE, 3D transitions, support for MOS 2.8, videoEngine control, and SceneEdit2 to edit graphics during playout. Maestro offers a modular and scalable architecture and a flexible, easy and intuitive interface.
 
3DPlay: 3DPlay, Orad’s advanced channel branding solution, offers stunning 3D graphics for promo over credits, multiple tickers, video clips playback, etc. 3DPlay covers the entire workflow from integration with traffic, scheduling and automation, to frame accurate graphic playout. 3DPlay offers user management, customized metadata, and logic-based, scripting-free graphics.
 
Morpho: Morpho is a real-time, 3D character generator that offers unparalleled creation and playout capabilities from a single user interface. Powerful 3D real-time graphics rendering, smart graphic design tools and flexible playout capabilities are all packed together, offering an efficient and easy workflow. Some of Morpho’s new features for IBC include: dual channel (PGM/PGM) option, 3D transitions, custom effects creation, support for object grouping inside pages, single character text effects, and connection to social networks.
 
ProSet: ProSet, Orad’s high-end virtual studio solution provides a powerful dimension to any virtual studio production. ProSet can utilize any of Orad’s many tracking solutions, including its high-end Xync infrared tracking system with 360 degree of free camera movement. By combining state-of-the-art tracking with sophisticated graphics, ProSet enables the broadcaster to display a big studio look from a small location.
 
Book A Private Press Briefing
To set up a press briefing with a member of Orad’s management team or a private product viewing, please contact Anya Oskolkova at anya@zazilmediagroup.com.
 
About Orad
Orad Hi-Tec Systems is a world-leading provider of real-time 3D broadcast graphic and video server solutions including news, channel branding, sports production and enhancement, elections and special events, virtual studios, and virtual advertisement. Orad’s compelling solutions streamline production workflow, enhance viewer experience, and improve production value. Founded in 1993, Orad is a public company listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (OHT). More information is available at www.orad.tv.
 
Press Contacts
Ofir Benovici
VP Marketing
Orad Hi Tec Systems
ofirb@orad.tv
 
Anya Oskolkova
Zazil Media Group
anya@zazilmediagroup.com
(p) 617.817.6559
(skype) anya.oskolkova
 
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July 12, 2012 — Passfield, UK: Digital Rapids – the trusted provider of innovative media transformation and workflow solutions for bringing video to wider audiences — and Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO) — the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system — announced today that NPO has expanded their streaming operations with the purchase of 10 dual-channel Digital Rapids encoding systems. The new encoders complement NPO’s existing deployment of Digital Rapids solutions, and have been added in support of streaming projects including this year’s European football championships, Tour de France cycling and NPO broadcaster Nederlandse Omroep Stichting’s (NOS) online and mobile coverage of the 2012 London Olympic Games. more