Business
CEO Joe Lamond Talks NAMM’s 2020 Vision, Part 1
NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond outlines his vision for this year’s event
Pro Audio
New Products
Earthworks Vocal Capsules for Wireless Mics Unveiled
Earthworks Audio has used the NAMM Show as a launch pad for its new SR3314 and the SR5314 wireless vocal microphone capsules.
The Wire
LEWITT reveals first details of #Project1040 at the 2020 NAMM show
Austrian microphone pioneer marks beginning of tenth anniversary year with a first glimpse of the ultimate microphone system
Regional and Local
Clear-Com Theater Comm Workshops Hit APAC
Clear-Com teamed with ‘Hamilton’ ASD Jason Crystal to present hands-on theater comm workshops in Australia and Singapore.
New Products
Countryman Phantom Power Supply to Debut at NAMM
The new Countryman phantom power supply is intended for use in both studio and live sound settings.
Music Production
NK Sound Tokyo Buys World’s Largest Rupert Neve Designs 5088 Console
Japanese studio NK Sound Tokyo recently purchased a 80-channel 5088 console, the largest-ever manufactured by Rupert Neve Designs.
The Wire
Point Source Microphones Capture the Fierce Fight Sounds of Cirque du Soleil’s R.U.N
Renowned sound designer Jonathan Deans relies on Point Source GO-8WM moldable microphones to turn stunt performers into “moving mic stands” onstage.
Post and Broadcast
Kaiser Comm Builds New Signature Post Facility
Signature Post recently completed a new multi-room facility with three Dolby Atmos stages, built by Kaiser Comm Construction.
Post and Broadcast
Shure Comes out for American Music Awards
A broad selection of Shure microphones were employed at this year’s American Music Awards.
Business
Harro Heinz, Renkus-Heinz Co-Founder, Looks Ahead at 90
As he enters his 10th decade, Renkus-Heinz co-founder Harro Heinz makes predictions about the future of pro audio.
Product Reviews
Gear of the Year
Top audio pros look back at 2019 and share what new equipment caught their eye, what was added to their audio arsenal, what old standbys took their projects to the next level and more.
Business
TeamSpeak Tapped for Overwatch League Comms
TeamSpeak will become the Overwatch league’s official voice supplier through 2022.
Business
Avid and Berklee Improve Sibelius Access for Visually Impaired
Avid and Berklee College of Music have teamed to improve accessibility in Sibelius composition software.
Music Production
UK’s Monnow Valley Studios for Sale
Monnow Valley Studios, which recorded Black Sabbath, Oasis, Robert Plant and others, will be redeveloped if it isn’t sold by February
Business
Focusrite Acquires Martin Audio in $51m Deal
Focusrite plc. has taken a major step into the live sound arena with the acquisition of loudspeaker manufacturer Martin Audio.
Music, Etc
Music, Etc.: Gloria Gaynor — Surviving, Thriving and Testifying
Gloria Gaynor’s new Gospel album, Testimony, is up for two Grammy Awards, taking the career of a disco legend (“I Will Survive”) in a whole new direction. Gaynor and engineer F. Reid Shippen dish on recording the live-to-analog album.
New Products
d&b audiotechnik Adds System Software Features
d&b audiotechnik update includes new CPL for the SL-Series and Temperature Humidity Control for loudspeaker arrays.
Post and Broadcast
MPSE Golden Reel Awards Nominees Announced
The Motion Picture Sound Editors has announced nominees for the 67th Annual MPSE Golden Reel Awards.
Business
Audiotonix Acquired by Ardian
Investment group Ardian is acquiring Audiotonix, parent company of SSL, Calrec, DiGiCo and Allen & Heath.
Blogs
Music’s Unluckiest Night
Producer/engineer Morten Lindberg has a career total of 28 Grammy nominations and 0 wins—the unluckiest streak in Grammy history. Will he finally win in 2020?
HOW Sound
Church at The Mill Turns to d&b audiotechnik Soundscape
d&b audiotechnik Soundscape was utilized by XL Mediaworks for a new sound system at Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church in Spartanburg, SC.
Business
Almo Pro A/V Acquires NewComm Distributing
Almo now takes on all NewComm’s ClearOne inventory while former NewComm Customers gain access to various AV brands, more.
Post and Broadcast
Goldcrest Post Combs Archives for Godfather of Harlem
Recreating the sounds of 1963 Harlem neighborhoods required Goldcrest Post to conduct extensive research and analysis.
Post and Broadcast
Focusrite Scarlett Admitted to School of Greatness Podcast
The motivational podcast helmed by NYT bestselling author Lewis Howes makes use of a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface for production.
New Products
Avid S1 Control Surface Ships
Announced last summer, the Avid S1 control surface, intended for use in smaller facilities and project/home studios, has started shipping.
Business
Eminence Tour Grade Loudspeaker Line Debuts
Speaker manufacturer unveils its Eminence Tour Grade Loudspeaker family with the introduction of three models.
Post and Broadcast
CMA Country Christmas Turns to A-T
The Country Music Association’s 2019 CMA Country Christmas Show had a variety of Audio-Technica mics on-hand for the telecast.
Business
Dolby Atmos Music Now on Tidal
Music fans can now find various WMG and UMG music artists in Dolby Atmos on Tidal.
Post and Broadcast
Rio Rocks Over Lawo IP
The biggest stars in music played Rock in Rio, but the broadcast mix for pay TV was handled nine miles away using IP infrastructure based on technology from Lawo.
Tour Sound
The Sound of ARIZONA
FOH engineer Abel Ocasio recently mixed pop act ARIZONA on a Bose ShowMatch Line Array.
The Wire
DPA Microphones’ 6000 Series Makes Waves in the Industry
ANAHEIM, DECEMBER 12, 2019 – When the music industry comes together for NAMM 2020, DPA Microphones will be on location (Booth 17910) highlighting the newest versions of its 6000 Series of subminiature high-end pro audio microphones with the CORE...
Regional and Local
Roof Garden Ballroom Revived with Electro-Voice
The revived Roof Garden Ballroom reopened its doors with a blast from the past—Tommy James—that could truly blast, thanks to a new Electro-Voice system.
New Products
Heritage Audio HA-609A Compressor Launched
Madrid-based Heritage Audio is introducing its HA-609A Compressor, which it considers to be a modern take on the classic diode bridge compressor.
Business
Galaxy Audio Acquires Special Projects Audio and Ansr Audio
Special Projects Audio and parent company Ansr Audio—players in the wireless fitness audio marketplace—have been acquired by Galaxy Audio.
Tour Sound
George Strait Rides Again with DiGiCo
Though he retired from touring in 2014, country superstar George Strait has been playing one-offs around the country with a DiGiCo SD12 in tow.
Post and Broadcast
Cinema Audio Society Award Nominations Announced
The Cinema Audio Society awards will be held January 25, 2020, at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.
New Products
JBL Professional DSi 2.0 Amplifiers Unveiled
JBL introduces its first branded cinema amplifiers with high power output, DSP and extensive networking options
Regional and Local
Work Pro Line Array Heads to Hong Kong
A Work Pro Audio system from Spain is now being put to use throughout Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.
New Products
Celestion G10 Vintage Impulse Response Collection Debuts
The Celestion G10 Digital collection adds another speaker to company’s growing selection of impulse responses.
New Products
Eventide Audio Launches MangledVerb for iOS
New iOS app/AUv3 plug-in brings variety of moods, ambiences and chaotic soundscapes to mobile musicians.
Business
NAMM TEC Awards To Honor Joni Mitchell
Folk artist Joni Mitchell will receive the Les Paul Innovation Award at the 35th Annual NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards in January.
Tour Sound
Allen & Heath Helps Hawkwind Tour Take Flight
Hawkwind’s 50th Anniversary UK tour carried an Allen & Heath dLive to every stop.
New Products
Royer Labs Debuts EMT 140 Replacement Magnet Assembly
Royer Labs Custom Shop will release products outside of the company’s regular pro-audio offerings, starting with the EMT 140 Replacement Magnet Assembly.
Business
Pulitzer Prize Audio Category Created for 2020
Underlining the growing influence of podcasting, an experimental Pulitzer Prize audio category has been announced for the 2020 prize cycle.
Regional and Local
Creating China’s Spectacular Chapel of Sound
Beijing-based OPEN Architecture is putting the finishing touches on its spectacular Chapel of Sound — a boulder-shaped concert hall in a rocky valley at the foot of Jinshanling Great Wall.