FIFA World Cup Stadiums Feature World-Class Audio with HARMAN Professional

Arena da Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil
(Photo Credit: Gabriel Smith)

BRASILIA, Brazil – With hundreds of thousands of fans in the stadiums, not to mention the billions who tune in from across the globe, making sure the sound is perfect for the 2014 FIFA World Cup is no small undertaking. When faced with challenge of delivering the most sophisticated, world-class audio experience possible, from the Amazon basin in the north to the banks of the River Guaiba in the south, eight of the major stadium venues in Brazil’s 12 host cities featured HARMAN’s wide range of audio solutions. In addition, a wide variety of Studer Vista consoles were used for television broadcast of the games.

“From inception through delivery, each component in our family of brands is designed to provide a sophisticated, integrated and affordable audio solution,” said Robert Klesser, National Sales Manager, Install & Cinema, HARMAN Brazil. “As soccer transcends sport and becomes an expression of culture, we are honored to be the brand of choice for so many of the venues hosting matches during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.”

While the components installed vary by venue, popular products include HARMAN’s IDX communication systems, AKG microphones, BSS signal processing, Crown amplifiers, Soundcraft digital consoles and JBL loudspeakers. The range of stadiums equipped with HARMAN audio solutions is diverse in terms of size, location and age.

Beginning on a plateau in southeastern Brazil, on the Atlantic Coast, Arena de Sao Paulo hosted the opening match between Croatia and Brazil. Built specifically for the World Cup, the facility seats 68,807 and will serve as the new home for Sport Club Corinthians Paulista. Systems integrator Johnson Controls and audio integrator Soundvision outfitted the facility with the IDX communication system, AKG microphones, BSS BLU-800 networked signal processors, Crown CTs amplifiers, JBL Control Contractor ceiling loudspeakers and Soundcraft Si Expression digital consoles.

Surrounded by mountains in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, which is inland from Sao Paulo and Rio, Estadio Mineirao is a national monument that will host not only World Cup matches but also numerous matches during the 2016 Summer Olympics as well. Built in 1965, the venue seats 57,400 and recently underwent an extensive renovation that took three years. Johnson Controls systems integrator and Soundvision audio integrator equipped the landmark stadium with an IDX communication system, AKG microphones, BSS BLU-800 networked signal processors, Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers, JBL ceiling loudspeakers and Soundcraft Si Compact digital consoles.

Estadio Nacional, in Brazil’s capital city, Brasilia, opened in 1974, was renovated in 2013 and seats 68,009. Systems integrator Siemens and audio integrator Loudness equipped the massive facility with an IDX communication system, AKG microphones, BSS BLU-800 networked signal processors, JBL ceiling loudspeakers and Soundcraft Si Compact digital consoles.

Estadio Castelao is located in Fortaleza, Brazil, considered a “fortress” port on the country’s northeast coast, more than 1,500 miles from Rio. The facility, which opened in 1973 and reopened in 2013, seats 58,000. For sound, systems integrator TODO and audio integrator Telem equipped the stadium with an IDX communication system, BSS BLU-800 networked signal processors, Crown CTs amplifiers, JBL PD5000 Series loudspeakers and Soundcraft Si Compact digital consoles.

Arena da Amazonia is in Manaus, Brazil, the capital of the state of Amazonas and, at 2,659 miles from Rio, the furthest north of the host cities. The stadium, which opened in March 2014, seats 42,374. Systems integrator Johnson Controls and audio integrator Soundvision equipped the facility with AKG microphones, BSS BLU-800 networked signal processors, Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers and JBL Control Contractor Series ceiling speakers.

Arena Pantanal, which opened just two months before the World Cup, is 1,200 miles from Rio, near the Bolivian border and close to the center of South America, in Cuiaba, Brazil. It seats 42,968. Systems integrator Canal Livre and audio integrator Soundvision equipped the facility with an IDX communication system, AKG microphones, BSS BLU-800 networked signal processors, Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers, Crown DCi amplifiers, JBL PD5000 Series loudspeakers and Soundcraft Si Expression digital consoles.

Arena Pernambuco is in an economically deprived area on the outskirts of Recife, Brazil, more than 1,400 miles from Rio. With a seating capacity of 42,800, the stadium was opened in 2013 with the hope that it will act as a catalyst for local regeneration long after the World Cup. Systems integrator NEC and audio integrator Telem installed an IDX communication system, AKG microphones, BSS BLU-800 networked signal processors, JBL ceiling loudspeakers and Soundcraft Si Compact digital consoles.

Finally, the oldest of the World Cup venues, Arena de Baixada is in Curitba, Brazil, south of Sao Paulo and about 500 miles from Rio. Originally built in 1914, the stadium was completely rebuilt in 1999 and then renovated again for the World Cup. It seats 41,456. Systems integrator NEC and audio integrator Telem equipped the facility with a HARMAN lineup that includes IDX communications systems, AKG microphones, BSS BLU-800 networked signal processors, Crown CTs amplifiers, JBL AWC weatherized compact loudspeakers, JBL PD5000 Series loudspeakers, JBL Control Contractor loudspeakers and Soundcraft Si Expression 3 digital consoles.

HARMAN Professional also had a strong presence in the broadcast elements of the World Cup, with multiple Studer Vista consoles in use for television broadcast of the games. In Rio de Janeiro, a Studer Vista 9 digital console was used to broadcast all 64 games via the TV Globo Network to the Jardim Botanico area. In addition, TV Globo’s OB Van HD3 used a Vista 9 to specifically feed games from Maracana Stadium for live transmission to Jardim Botanico. Projac, the main center of television production for TV Globo, also used a Vista 9 in its OB Van HD8 for live shows related to World Cup events. TV Globo also utilized a pair of Vista 8 digital consoles for television broadcast of live performances centered on the World Cup.

In Sao Paulo and Brasilia, TV Globo’s OB Van HD1 was equipped with a Vista 8 console for the games that were hold in those two cities. A Vista 8 and a Vista 9 were also used in Sao Paolo for live performances related to the World Cup.

Lastly, RCN in Colombia used its OB Van, equipped with a Studer Vista 5 digital console, to broadcast the entirety of the Colombian National Team’s games in the World Cup.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 16,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.3 billion for the twelve months ended June 30, 2014.

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Rascal Flatts Goes Out On Rewind Tour With HARMAN’s JBL VTX Line Arrays and Crown Amps

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Rascal Flatts keeps riding high – the band’s last eight albums have hit number one on the country music charts and the group continues to pack arenas in support of their new chart-topping album Rewind. Never a band to go short on production, Rascal Flatts along with supporting artists Sheryl Crow and Gloriana and live sound company Sound Image are going all-out this summer and fall with a tour sound system featuring HARMAN JBL’s flagship VTX Series line array loudspeakers and Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers.

For the Rewind shows, Escondido, California-based Sound Image is bringing out a stadium-shaking system that includes 60 JBL VTX V25 line array loudspeakers and 32 S28 subwoofers as the main system, complemented by six JBL VERTEC® VT4889 fullsize line array loudspeakers and two VERTEC VT4880 arrayable subwoofers used as sidefills. The loudspeakers are driven by no fewer than 72 of Crown’s flagship I-Tech 12000HD amplifiers.

Thirty VTX V25 loudspeakers and 16 S28 subs are flown on either side of the stage with three VT4889 loudspeakers flown on either side and aimed towards the stage as monitors, and two VT4880 subs are placed on the ground of the stage floor, aimed towards the performers.

“Everybody likes the new rigging system used on the VTX arrays,” said Sound Image Systems Tech Jeremy Overall. “Everything goes together pretty easily, which is a huge advantage when you have to set up literally 100 loudspeakers night after night.” VTX’s patented S.A.F.E. suspension system is streamlined for speed and efficiency with improved, integrated hardware for faster setup and greater security. Overall and his crew are also using the new JBL VTX Vertical Transporters, rolling frames that facilitate the transport of VTX line arrays for tour sound applications. “It actually makes moving all these arrays pretty easy.”

Sound Image was one of the first tour sound providers to add the JBL VTX Series to its inventory. “We got the second VTX rig and have been carrying it for about a year and a half,” Overall said. “It’s a significant improvement from anything else we’ve used with a lot more bottom end and good punch. The new D2 dual compression driver and waveguide really smooth out the high end – there’s no harshness to be heard.” Overall points out that with VTX in place, the system requires “just a little EQ but not nearly to the extremes we’d gotten accustomed to in order to make a system sound balanced.”

The Rascal Flatts rig is set up and tuned using JBL HiQnet Performance Manager™ software. “It’s so user-friendly – everything we need is right there. For example when we need to associate speakers to their amplifiers everything is built-in on a single tab. When we need to configure delay and processing, we just tell the program what speakers we’re setting up and all the control panels come right up.” Overall is also a big fan of the I-Tech HD Series amps, noting that Sound Image has had dozens of the amps working reliably on the road for two years. “I’m not the first person to say this but the amps work really well with the VTX arrays,” thanks to their built-in presets that enable the VTX models to be perfectly optimized for frequency response, crossover points and slopes and other sonic attributes.

“With a production like this you need to pull out all the stops in every respect including the live sound,” said Overall. “The JBL VTX and Crown system is more than a match for what’s happening on stage. The sound is incredibly detailed, punchy and ‘fast’-sounding from the deep low end to the smooth highs. I’m very happy.”

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 16,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.3 billion for the twelve months ended June 30, 2014.

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Advanced Audio Video Technologies Retrofit Sound System at The Pentecostal Church of DeQuincy with HARMAN’s JBL and Crown

DEQUINCY, Louisiana – The Pentecostal Church in DeQuincy, Louisiana required an upgrade to its sound system, and with a change from a center cluster long overdue, Pastor Wayne Neyland turned to Sulphur, Louisiana systems integrator Advanced Audio Video Technologies (www.advancedav.biz) and HARMAN’s JBL VERTEC® line arrays and Crown amplifiers to bring the sanctuary’s sound up to date.

Not that the church rushed to make up for lost time, they contacted Advanced after asking around and getting a referral from another church in town. “Although the sanctuary only seats 700, the church wanted the best, and we were determined to provide it, so I took my time with the design to make sure we got it exactly right,” said Advanced owner Ethan Miller. The pastor and church personnel demoed several different models from various manufacturers and Miller had many conversations with Brad Ricks at HARMAN about recommended speaker selection and placement.

“As soon as the pastor heard the JBL VERTEC VT4886 subcompact line array loudspeaker he said, ‘that’s the speaker,’” noted Miller. Advanced went with 16 VT4886 subcompact line array elements, eight per side flown from the left and right of the pulpit to cover the floor and balcony of the sanctuary. In addition, two JBL PRX418S and two JBL ASB6125 subwoofers were installed and will be moved under the platform on either side during a planned remodelling project. Four Crown I-Tech 9000HD series amplifiers drive the speakers. Completing the system are a Soundcraft Vi1 digital console and Compact Stagebox.

“Even though I know the loudspeakers and amps are designed to work together, I have to say that this was an easy project,” Miller stated. “We worked closely with Ricks and HARMAN from the very beginning in engineering the system, and the extra time we took up front paid big dividends. The Crown amplifiers are very easy to use and the fact that they’re optimized to work with JBL VERTEC line arrays really saved on system setup and tuning.”

In fact, during one point in the process, one of the amplifiers indicated that one of the loudspeakers had a different impedance than it was supposed to have. It turned out that one of the loudspeakers wasn’t connected properly. “The Crown’s built-in monitoring enabled us to figure out the problem and correct it immediately,” Miller said.

In some cases, however, there’s nothing like a person’s experience and ears: “When we first set up the system the loudspeakers were dead-on in covering the seating area, but there was a bit more sound coming off the walls than we liked. All we had to do was turn the loudspeakers in a few degrees and the sound went from good to superb.”

“The VERTECs work beautifully in this space – far from being overkill, the clarity and headroom are outstanding and the system can handle anything without the slightest hint of strain. The overall sound is nothing less than amazing.”

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 16,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.3 billion for the twelve months ended June 30, 2014.

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This One’s For You: Sound Image and Jimmy Buffett Celebrate 40 Years On the Road Together Using HARMAN’s Crown I-Tech HD Amps and JBL VTX Line Arrays

ESCONDIDO, California — Jimmy Buffett has been extolling the laid-back pleasures of Margaritaville, having a Cheeseburger In Paradise and the fact that it’s Five O’Clock Somewhere since he recorded his first album in 1970. For 2014, San Diego’s Sound Image is celebrating 40 years as Buffett’s live sound provider with a new touring system based around HARMAN’s JBL VTX line arrays and Crown I-Tech HD Series amplifiers.

“When it comes to connecting with the audience, I think you can safely say that nobody’s better at it than Jimmy Buffett,” said Dave Shadoan, who partnered with Sound Image’s founder and partner, the late Ross Ritto, in 1971. “His fans hang onto every word at his live shows and they deserve nothing less than the best sound we can deliver.”

Buffett’s audience certainly isn’t going to have to strain to hear him sing. The live sound rig consists of 80 Crown I-Tech 12000HD amplifiers driving 52 JBL VTX V25 line array loudspeakers and 24 S28 cardioid-arrayable subwoofers. “We generally hang 14 V25 loudspeakers per side in the main array, with eight S28 subs next to them and 12 V25 loudspeakers in each of the left and right side hangs,” noted Sound Image front of house engineer Rich Davis. Depending on the venue, Davis will add more S28 subwoofers at the middle of the stage to fill out any void in the low frequencies, plus three S28 subs on each side if necessary. “We were in sheds at the start of the tour and will be outdoors through October.”

Davis noted that the biggest issue Buffett will have with a sound system is keeping the low end from building up on the “deck” that makes up the floor of the stage. “That’s one of the reasons I like to spread out the subwoofers and not use massive ground stacks,” he said.

Davis sets up the system using JBL’s HiQnet Performance Manager™ system control software. “The latest version of Performance Manager saves us a lot of time and simplifies the entire configuration and calibration process,” Davis pointed out. “It enables us to go deeply into the I-Tech HD’s many DSP functions, filters and crossovers and fine-tune the sound. It also gives me automatic control screens for each of the line array columns and if I need to edit, modify, add or delete a hang, it’s actually easy instead of being a time-consuming chore.”

Davis notes that he rarely needs any EQ on the high end and that the system is smooth from top to bottom. “We did a show in Raleigh and I walked up on the lawn, which was about 430 feet from the speaker stacks and there was solid low end all the way in the back of the lawn, which never happened before. This new system is more coherent and the low end really holds up.”

“The PA is super stable,” Davis added. “Jimmy is known for talking between songs and when he talks to the other band members it’s often sideways off the mic. I can ram that fader all the way up so that he can be heard and the system still doesn’t have any problems.”

 “It’s been an honor, a privilege and a great time working with Jimmy all these years,” Shadoan concluded. “The only thing missing in this 40th year is my former partner and Jimmy’s former monitor engineer, Ross Ritto. Sound Image has always been about technological innovation and I know Ross would be thrilled to hear what we’re doing with Jimmy on his 2014 This One’s For You tour.”

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 16,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.3 billion for the twelve months ended June 30, 2014.

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AED Rent Turns Up Europe’s Volume with Revolutionary Sound from HARMAN’s JBL Professional VTX Loudspeakers and Crown Amplifiers

WILLEBROEK, Belgium – HARMAN’s JBL Professional and Crown amplifiers continue to be a rousing success in Europe, as Belgium-based AV rental system provider AED Rent delivers a new level of sound quality to festivals and tours across the continent with its inventory of JBL’s next-generation VTX line arrays and Crown I-Tech HD amps. From Turkey to the Netherlands, from heavy metal to hardcore house, AED Rent is harnessing the power of the revolutionary VTX Series to confirm itself as a market leader and total system provider throughout Europe. All systems have been/will be controlled, configured and monitored with JBL HiQnet Performance Manager™ providing a deliberately consistent user experience for the operator as they move from one system to another.

“The VTX Series is setting a new standard for concertgoers across Europe,” said Piet Verstraete, Sound Engineer/Account Manager for AED Rent, which signed on as the first adopter of JBL’s VTX V25 loudspeakers and as a Strategic Partner in the VTX Network in 2012. “We signed on as a Strategic Partner two years ago because we recognize revolutionary quality when we see and hear it. This summer it’s been very gratifying to enable the producers of the festivals and tours that have rented from us to expose thousands of fans across Europe to the experience that’s only possible with the quality of JBL and Crown.”

Events across Europe that have included VTX loudspeakers in the audio lineup include:

· Graspop Metal Meeting, known as the hardest festival in Belgium, took place in late June. In addition to sets by a range of acts that included Alice in Chains, Limp Bizkit and Soundgarden, the festival featured a Classic Rock Café and DJ sets. KO-sound delivered the audio through two columns of eight V25 loudspeakers that were supplemented by 16 S28 subs. Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD amplifiers featuring DriveCore™ technology powered the entire system.

· This year’s Rock@Field, Luxembourg Open Air festival, a 3-day/night music and camping extravaganza, blended local and global talent by including 10 local bands in a lineup that featured international acts such as Kings of Leon, Alice in Chains and Triggerfinger. To provide a quality of sound that matched the festival, EML/PRG Productions used two columns of 16 V25 loudspeakers supplemented by two columns of 12 S28 subs. Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD amplifiers featuring DriveCore powered the entire system.

· This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Reggae Sundance Festival, a 2-day reggae and camping gathering scheduled for the weekend of August 9–10 in Liempde, The Netherlands. The lineup includes acts such as Kabaka Pyramid, Dillinger & Trinity and Jesse Royal. To provide festival attendees with the best sound experience possible, KO-sound will provide two columns of 12 V25 loudspeakers supplemented by two columns of 12 S28 subs. Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD amplifiers featuring DriveCore will power the V25 loudspeakers, while I-Tech 12000HD amplifiers will power the S28 subs.

· At the end of June, football and music came together at Dance with the Devils, held at Sportpaleis in Antwerp, where Belgian fans cheered their teams and enjoyed music provided by a lineup of live artists and DJs. EML/PRG Productions managed the sound for the facility, installing a configuration that consisted of two columns of 16 V25 loudspeakers supplemented by two columns of 12 S28 subs. Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD amplifiers powered the V25 loudspeakers, while I-Tech 12000HD amplifiers powered the S28 subs.

· In mid-July, Metallica performed to an enthusiastic and energetic audience at the Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. In addition to its own inventory, Altincizme Elektronik supplemented the sound with 16 S28 subs from AED Rent. Crown I-Tech 12000HD amplifiers powered the entire system.

· Part of July’s Robin Rotterdam Unlimited, this year’s Crazy Sexy Cool festival was equipped for sound by A Events, which chose two columns of 12 V25 loudspeakers and two columns of 12 S28 subs. Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD amplifiers powered the V25 loudspeakers, while I-Tech 12000HD amplifiers powered the S28 subs.

· In early August, the Loveland Festival comes to Sloterpark in Amsterdam with a lineup that includes Adam Beyer, Maceo Plex, Sasha, Arjuna Schiks and Oliver Koletzki. To supplement its own system, EML/PRG Productions Holland is equipping each stage with 24 S28 subs. Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD amplifiers powered the entire system.

· Launched in 1985, Pukkelpop began as a small, local music event organized by Leopoldsburg’s “Young Humanists” near the city of Hasselt, Belgium. Today, with its three days of musical acts chosen from the alternative fringe, Pukkelpop is considered one of Europe’s greatest musical gatherings. For the mid-August event, EML/PRG Productions selected 60 S28 subs for the Boilerroom stage and 26 S28 subs for the Marquee stage. Crown I-Tech 12000HD amplifiers powered the entire system.

· Nightmare 2.0 isn’t about bad dreams: It’s a festival of “hardcore” DJs held in Rotterdam at the end of June. With a lineup representing the unique sounds from an impressive number of cities and regions worldwide, sound quality is everything for this event’s audience. To deliver on those expectations, First Love Sound & Light Concepts selected 40 V25 loudspeakers and 32 S28 subs for use across the event’s multiple stages. Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD amplifiers powered the V25 loudspeakers, while I-Tech 12000HD amplifiers powered the S28 subs.

For more information on AED Rent, please visit www.aedrent.com

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 16,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.3 billion for the twelve months ended June 30, 2014.

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Show-Concept.ch Invests in JBL’s VTX Line Arrays and Crown I-Tech HD Amplifiers

The show-concept.ch team (left to right): Florian Jaeger,
ProjectManager; Cyril Schmuki, Head of Audio;
Patrick Frueh, CEO.

ELSAU, Switzerland – Swiss rental and event production company show-concept.ch has recently purchased a HARMAN JBL VTX V20 line array system and additional Crown amplifiers from HARMAN Professional distributors Dr. W.A. Guenther Audio Systems AG with the aim of broadening the range of services they offer. They are the first company in Switzerland to invest in JBL’s new generation, smaller format VTX system. Known for their work in the corporate sector, their aim now is to migrate further into concert touring with their range of sound, lighting and technical services.

After running JBL’s VERTEC® in its inventory, the company has now stepped into the future, placing an order for 16 JBL VTX V20’s and eight each of the new VTX S25 subs and have also added four Crown I-Tech 12000HD and 12 Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD amplifiers to its existing Crown I-Tech HD inventory.

“The main reason for purchasing a new system was to take a step forward in tour sound—and of course to be up to date,” stated Cyril Schmuki, audio engineer for show-concept.ch —adding that its new front line PA system will be backed-up by other systems, including three complete VERTEC rigs.

VTX V20 features the advanced technology of VTX V25 in a smaller format and the high power density of this 3-way system is complemented by a new ASM suspension system that provides efficient transport, fast setup and precise configuration. Utilizing Differential Drive™ technology and a small format version of the revolutionary D2 dual compression driver, the integrated V5 presets fully realize the processing capability of the Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers.

“The handling and the rigging system were what we especially liked,” added Schmuki. “This and the new JBL HiQnet Performance Manager™ software were the main advantages.”

The sale was supported by Dr. W.A. Guenther’s Director of Sales Felix Alpstaeg, and Application & Project Engineer, Jaromir Ott. Already familiar with JBL VERTEC and Performance Manager for system configuration, monitoring and control, the production company is nevertheless planning advanced training in conjunction with Dr. W.A. Guenther for next year’s festival season.

Overall Schumuki couldn’t be more pleased with his new JBL and Crown powered rig, “We are delighted with the VTX V20, it’s a pleasure to work with. I’ve never heard a system which is so precise over the whole frequency range; and what is absolutely astonishing is to stand behind the array, because it’s just so quiet.”

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 16,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.3 billion for the twelve months ended June 30, 2014.

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Coeur d’Alene Church of the Nazarene Elevates Its Sound System With HARMAN’s JBL Loudspeakers and Soundcraft Digital Consoles

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — Coeur d’Alene Church of the Nazarene has served its parishioners since 1941, with roots going back to the first group of Nazarenes who congregated in the region in 1912. Like many houses of worship, the church had been making do with an inadequate, practically antiquated sound system until it brought in Spokane, Washington’s Hoffman Pro Systems and HARMAN Professional for an audio revival.

“The sanctuary literally had two wall-mounted speaker boxes to provide coverage to the entire main floor, balcony, under balcony and the church’s extended side wings,” said Hoffman Pro Systems general manager Dave Kenagy. “To say it was insufficient for the church’s current needs, which include providing sound for a full praise band, would be an understatement.”

Not so for the current system, specified by designer/installer David Lewis which features a Soundcraft Si Expression 3 digital console, Crown XTi 2 Series amplifiers, JBL VRX Series and additional loudspeakers, dbx PMC16 Personal Monitor Controllers and AKG K240 MKII headphones.

The Soundcraft Si Expression 3 has a MADI card installed and provides 32 inputs from the floor as well as local inputs at front of house for playback from various audio sources. A Soundcraft Stagebox is located at the front of the pulpit/stage area, linked to the console via a HARMAN BLU-Link card. Two dbx PMC16 Personal Monitor Controllers connected to the front of house via Cat6 cable enable the drummer and guitar/bass player to control and balance their own individual monitor levels, which Kenagy notes helps to keep the overall stage volume lower and easier to mix.

The Si Expression 3 handles the front of house and all monitor mixes. “The church volunteer staff had to make the move from their old analog console to digital,” noted Kenagy. “Although they’re not audio professionals, the board’s straightforward control layout and ability to store and recall snapshots made it easy for them.”

Three JBL VRX 932LA-1 Constant Curvature loudspeakers and two VRX918S subwoofers are hung as the main center cluster. Two VRX928LA loudspeakers are used for balcony fill, with three AC18/26 wall-mountable loudspeakers employed for under-balcony fill. Two AC18/95 wall-mountable loudspeakers are used for front side fill where the seating wraps around the front corners of the stage. In addition, an AC26 compact loudspeaker is mounted on stage and aimed back at the choir area. The loudspeakers are powered by a total of five Crown XTi 6002, XTi 4002 and XTi 1002 amplifiers.

Lewis noted that the Coeur d’Alene Church of the Nazarene is “extremely happy with the new system. Aside from the fact that it’s a night and day difference from their old setup sonically, for the first time it enables the church to mix the praise band the way they should be heard and it gives the pastor and the speakers the freedom of wireless movement.”

Another benefit which was unforeseen by Lewis and the church’s staff: the sound quality is so clear throughout the entire sanctuary that fewer people are using the church’s assistive hearing devices.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 16,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.3 billion for the twelve months ended June 30, 2014.

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HARMAN Professional Delivers Superb Sound in New Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Auditorium

BIBVEWADI, PUNE, India — The city of Pune has a new cultural attraction to be proud of – the recently completed Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Auditorium, an 850-seat facility built to host Marathi-language theatrical productions and other events. Named for the noted social reformer and writer, the Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe auditorium has an understated yet striking architectural design and an elegant interior with the finest quality appointments and audio/video facilities throughout, including an audio system built around HARMAN Professional’s JBL, Crown and dbx.

Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Auditorium was built under the auspices of government agency Pune Municipal Corporation, which chose Zillion Solutions of Pune as the systems integrator thanks to the firm’s more than 25 years of experience in auditorium installations. “The time span to install the audio system was only five days,” said Pankaj Pansare, Zillion Solutions’ proprietor. “Five days for everything – from receiving the loudspeakers and components to installing, EQing and calibrating the system in time for opening night.” As if that wasn’t enough pressure for Pansare and his team, the installation was the first government project Zillion Solutions had ever undertaken.

Pansare knew he could turn to HARMAN to help him meet the tight time requirements and provide loudspeakers and products that would deliver world-class sound. “We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Zillion Solutions over the course of many successful projects,” noted Rohan Tadke, National Sales Manager, HARMAN Professional India. “They know our products offer sound quality, performance and reliability that’s second to none and we know they trust us as a valued partner to provide technical and design assistance and deliver products on time no matter what.”

HARMAN Professional India supplied 12 JBL VRX932LA-1 Constant Curvature loudspeakers, along with two VRX915S subwoofers, two SRX712M stage monitor/utility loudspeakers and 10 Control 1 wall-mountable loudspeakers. The loudspeakers are driven by seven Crown XTi 6002 amplifiers. Additional system components include a dbx DriveRack 4800 Loudspeaker Management System, dbx 234 stereo crossover and dbx 231 dual-31-band equalizer. “We needed a system that provided high-quality sound with even coverage throughout the auditorium, and was easy to operate and be totally reliable once installed,” stated Pansare.

The speakers were deployed in a somewhat unusual manner, since no fill loudspeakers were specified for the balcony by the architects. The JBL VRX932LA-1 loudspeakers were placed to cover both the main auditorium floor and the balcony, with the upper line array elements in the cluster aimed at the balcony and operated at a higher volume than the rest of the speakers via the dbx DriveRack 4800. “This combination actually works so well that we don’t miss the presence of fill loudspeakers at all,” Pansare pointed out.

 The system was calibrated using HARMAN HiQnet Audio Architect™ software. Pansare noted that Audio Architect enables him to optimize a system to its full potential, and makes the process faster and easier than by any other means he’s used previously. The result was all Zillion Solutions hoped for and more. “The engineers from Pune Municipal Corporation were highly impressed with the sound quality and performance of the system and its ability to deliver even coverage and clear, intelligible audio throughout the auditorium.”

Pansare proudly noted, “Because of the hard work and dedication of our team and the support that HARMAN provided, the system was working a day earlier than we promised.”

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 16,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.3 billion for the twelve months ended June 30, 2014.

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Power Music of Denmark Takes Newly Purchased HARMAN’s JBL VTX Line Arrays and Crown I-Tech HD Amplifiers to ABC Beach Party

GRENAA STRAND, Denmark — Power Music of Denmark recently added HARMAN’s JBL VTX line arrays and Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers to its inventory. A longtime HARMAN customer, Power Music is a leading regional provider of sound and lighting systems for applications of all sizes. The company recently put its new VTX system to the test at ABC Beach Party, a 12-hour event organized by Danish broadcaster ABC Radio, featuring approximately 25 artists. Held at Grenaa Strand, in Denmark, ABC Beach Party drew an audience of 10,200 people.

“As a JBL VERTEC® user for many years, the time had come for us to take the next step with VTX,” said Rune Hjort, Owner of Power Music. “The launch of the VTX V20 loudspeaker was a perfect solution for our company, providing great flexibility and fast setup with the new ASM suspension system.”

Power Music purchased a total of 16 VTX V20 loudspeakers, along with six S25 subwoofers and six G28 subwoofers. In addition, the company added six Crown I-Tech 12000HD and four I-Tech 4x3500HD amplifiers featuring Crown’s DriveCore™ technology (on top of the four I-Tech 4x3500HD amps the company already owns).

The PA system at ABC Beach Party featured a left-right configuration of eight V20 loudspeakers per side, topped with three S25 subwoofers per side. Six G28 subwoofers were ground-stacked as a center cluster in cardioid mode, while two VTX F12 loudspeakers were used for out fill. All monitors were JBL SRX712 and VRX915M loudspeakers, while side fill monitoring was handled with two JBL SRX725 loudspeakers and two SRX718S subwoofers. A Soundcraft Vi4 digital console was used at the FOH position, while a Vi1 console was deployed for monitors and the entire system was powered with Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers that were controlled, configured and monitored with JBL HiQnet Performance Manager™.

“The last couple of years we have used JBL VERTEC® VT4888 loudspeakers, so we were really excited to see how the VTX system would compare,” said Rune Hjort, Owner of Power Music. “Needless to say it blew everyone away.

Considering the size of the crowd and the fact that the music was very sub-heavy we had some concerns about the amount of headroom. But when you have VTX boxes with I-Tech HD amps in front, you never really run out of power—you can just keep turning up the volume. I also love the fact that we barely had to touch the EQ on the vocals to get it just right.”

For more information on Power Music, please visit www.powermusic.dk

HARMAN designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a global workforce of 15,200 people and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last 12 months ended March 31, 2014.

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USO’s 4th of July Pitbull Concert at the White House Celebrates Veterans with Event Tech and HARMAN Professional

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Contracted by the United Service Organizations, Inc. (USO) for the sixth year to integrate the sound at the 4th of July concert on the South Lawn of the White House, live production company Event Tech deployed HARMAN’s JBL VTX line arrays, Crown amplifiers and dbx signal processing to meet the strict demands of the venue and to deliver high-quality sound to the honorable audience.

International pop star Pitbull gave an hour-long performance for the 1,200 US servicemen and servicewomen that were present, as well as their families and the White House staff. Besides the show, there were various activities such as barbecue, lawn-games, photo stands and meet-and-greets. However, the annual event would have not been as successful without Event Tech’s ability to bring high-level production quality to the events.

Because of a gradient on the South Lawn, it was a challenge to balance the sound between the two ends of the stage; stage-left was elevated two feet above the ground, and stage-right was elevated five-and-a-half feet above ground. To provide precise coverage of 280 degrees, Event Tech used four stacks of six ground-stacked JBL VTX V20 loudspeakers and one VTX S25 subwoofer per stack, as well as six VTX G28 subwoofers per side in cardioid arrangement as the main PA. Two VTX F12 and two VTX F15 loudspeakers were deployed for front and out fills.

Four VRack 4x3500HD and two VRack 12000HD amplification systems powered the entire PA system. A dbx DriveRack 4800 unit enhanced the signal processing and routing for the overall system. The system was configured and controlled with JBL HiQnet Performance Manager™.

“We did a lot of pre-work at our office with the VTX rig, because we wanted to make sure that the coverage was precise and make it drop off 300 feet from stage left, so that the sound did not penetrate the White House,” said Jeremy Meyers, Account Executive and Audio Systems Designer for Event Tech. “I was very impressed with the output from these small V20 boxes, given their relative size compared to those from other manufacturers that I have worked with in the past. The detailed coverage from JBL’s patented waveguide and the precise frequency output of the D2 drivers allowed us to accomplish our goal.”

Since the stage was set up between the fountain and the White House, space was tight and the FOH position was at an awkward location. Also, the crew was forced to use smaller sized loudspeakers in order to fit all the equipment onto the stage. However, compromising on power was not an option either, since Pitbull’s music has significant output requirements, especially for low frequencies.

“The VTX V20s were truly perfect because of their power-to-size ratio and the Crown amplifiers were also compact and powerful enough for this event,” said Raul Gonzalez of HARMAN. “The front stacks could throw the music 225 feet to the back of the audience, and the stacks on the side were so powerful that we did not need separate loudspeakers for the FOH position. Overall, the performance was great and we were able to deliver everything in a compact, tightly-integrated package.”

“We were also impressed with the VTX F12 and F15 fills, which had amazing output, even when compared to the V20 boxes,” said Meyers. “Thanks to our experience in live corporate events and the incredible caliber of these JBL loudspeakers, our veterans received a terrific 4th of July gift.”

For more information about Event Tech go to www.eventtech.com.

Event Tech is a nationally recognized leader in providing production services to the trade show, entertainment, industrial, and special events industries. No matter the location or project size, Event Tech meets and exceeds the needs of its clients through the use of the latest in audio, lighting, power distribution, mobile stages, roof systems, staging and structures, and is supported by some of the industry’s leading professionals. Event Tech carries a wide array of Harman brands’ equipment for sale and rental, and proudly uses Harman brands on their own productions around the country.

HARMAN designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a global workforce of 15,200 people and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last 12 months ended March 31, 2014.

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Dreamsound Is Poland’s First Post-Production Studio to Adopt Dolby Atmos Powered By HARMAN’s JBL and Crown

WARSAW, Poland — Since 2007 Warsaw-based Dreamsound (www.dreamsound.pl) has been one of Poland’s top film post-production studios, offering a complete range of services from recording sound on set through sound editing, mixing and audio mastering. Since its inception Dreamsound has been committed to offering its clients the very latest in film sound technologies, as evidenced by the fact that it’s the first post-production house in Poland licensed to produce film soundtracks using the leading-edge Dolby Atmos surround-sound system, heard at its full potential thanks to a system based around HARMAN’s JBL ScreenArray™ loudspeakers and Crown DSi and XLS DriveCore Series amplifiers.

Dolby Atmos is a next-generation surround-sound technology that employs overhead speakers as well as traditional surround speakers to create a remarkably realistic and immersive sonic environment. Dolby Atmos employs up to 64 speakers to heighten the enveloping sonic atmosphere and impact of movie theater sound. The Dolby Atmos JBL and Crown system is installed in a new 280 square foot, 15-seat screening room that opened in January 2014. Dreamsound co-owner Kacper Habisiak worked closely with JBL and Crown brand manager Wojtek Kopytek at HARMAN Professional distributor ESS Audio and with Dolby personnel in designing and installing the screening room.

The installation employs a total of 32 JBL loudspeakers including ScreenArray 3731-T 3-way tri-amplified loudspeakers and 4642 dual-18-inch subwoofers arranged behind the 20-foot wide projection screen in a left-center-right configuration. JBL SCS 12 and SCS 8 Spatially Cued Surround 12-inch and 8-inch coaxial loudspeakers are mounted on the ceiling, side and rear walls, augmented by two JBL 4181 18-inch subwoofers. The loudspeakers are driven by a complement of Crown DSi 1000 and XLS 2500, XLS 2000, XLS 1500 and XLS 1000 amplifiers.

“JBL speakers are the standard in Polish cinemas, and they match perfectly with Crown amplifiers, so it was a logical move for us to implement these components in our Dolby Atmos screening room,” said Habisiak. “Equally important, the performance of the speakers and amplifiers meets Dolby’s licensing requirements, which are extremely stringent regarding specifications including sound pressure levels, frequency response, coverage relative to room size and other parameters.”

JBL’s ScreenArray 3731-T loudspeakers are designed for critical sound reproduction requirements in small to medium cinemas and studio production and post-production applications. The 3731-T incorporates a host of design and engineering advancements including Optimized Aperture Waveguide and Focused Coverage Technology for ultra-low distortion and extremely uniform frequency response over a precisely controlled coverage area. Crown’s DSi amplifiers are specifically designed for cinema applications with features including onboard DSP, EQ, delay, output limiting and presets for JBL loudspeaker systems. XLS Series amplifiers combine performance and flexibility featuring both Crown's proprietary DriveCore™ Technology and PureBand™ Crossover System allowing users to select crossover points from 50 Hz to 3kHz.

 “The JBL and Crown system far exceeds our expectations,” Habisiak noted. “It’s one thing to meet the Dolby Atmos specs, which are admittedly quite demanding – but it’s another thing to actually experience what this system can do. The combination of the clarity, dynamic power and seamless integration of the speakers and amplifiers with the three-dimensional width, depth and height localization of the Dolby Atmos process is truly remarkable to hear.”

HARMAN designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a global workforce of 15,200 people and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last 12 months ended March 31, 2014.

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HARMAN’s JBL Professional and Crown Uncork Extraordinary Sound at BottleRock Napa Valley

NAPA, California — Billing itself as the Ultimate Celebration, the 3-day BottleRock Napa Valley Festival offered the best in music, wine, beer and gourmet food, accompanied by stellar sound courtesy of HARMAN Professional audio systems featuring JBL’s VTX Series line array loudspeakers and Crown I-Tech HD Series amplifiers. The festival, which took place on three stages at the Napa Valley Expo, hosted an unusually diverse lineup including Outkast, Eric Church, The Cure, Weezer, Heart, The Fray, Barenaked Ladies, Thee Oh Sees, and more than 70 other acts.

Camarillo, California-based full-service event production company Delicate Productions provided sound, light and video for the event. It was the second year Delicate got the exclusive to handle all the A/V and lighting setup for all three stages—and the first year the company used JBL VTX line arrays.

BottleRock is held right in the actual heart of the city of Napa, which meant the stages were 200 feet from houses in every direction. On top of that, the sound system was not allowed to exceed an SPL of 105dB C-weighted, so Delicate needed loudspeakers that could meet these requirements yet deliver the high-impact, full-range sound that the artists and concertgoers expect at an outdoor festival.

Delicate Productions’ President Jason Alt and his crew had previously heard a VTX demo at JBL’s Northridge, California headquarters, liked what they heard and thought the VTX Series would be well suited for the requirements of the festival. “We had never used the VTX loudspeakers before, but we had complete confidence after hearing them for ourselves at Northridge,” Alt said.

For each of the three BottleRock stages, Delicate hung nine JBL VTX V20 line array elements and six S28 subwoofers on each side of the stage, along with 12 F12 loudspeakers for out fill and six F15 loudspeakers for down fill.

Amplification was provided by two Crown I-Tech 12000 HD VRacks for the subwoofers, three I-Tech 4x3500 HD VRacks for monitor mixes, out fills and stage subs, and two I-Tech 4x3500 HD VRacks to power the V20 loudspeakers. The amps were linked to the VTX loudspeakers via JBL’s HiQnet Performance Manager™ system setup, calibration and control software.

“The VTX line arrays, subwoofers and loudspeakers proved to be exactly what was needed for the application,” Alt noted. “The VTX’s acoustic energy was focused in the right direction, with the correct directivity being delivered forward to the audience and with very little spill to the surrounding neighborhood.”

Alt was equally impressed by the VTX’s sound quality, particularly the accuracy and resolution of the D2 dual-diaphragm high-frequency compression driver and the smoothness of the transition from the midrange to the upper-midrange and highs. “The V20 is really impressive and the fidelity is second to none, including any of the highest-end boxes that are out there,” he said. “The way the V20 pairs with the subwoofer, it’s all elegantly designed.”

Alt noted that he was “really blown away” by the entire HARMAN package for the way the synergy between the VTX loudspeakers, I-Tech HD Series amps and HiQnet Performance Manager software enabled the crew to set up the entire system faster and more accurately and optimize the performance of the loudspeakers and amps to a greater degree than in previous events. “Looking at the way JBL, Crown and Performance Manager tied together, it’s apparent that HARMAN has thought out the process very well.”

For more information on Delicate Productions, please visit www.delicate.com

HARMAN designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a global workforce of 15,200 people and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last 12 months ended March 31, 2014.

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HARMAN Professional India Takes 2014’s An Ode to the Blues Festival To a Higher Level with Stunning Sound and Lighting

BANGALORE, India — The blues has growing appeal as evidenced by the popularity of India’s An Ode to the Blues festival, now in its fourth year. Held at Bangalore’s CounterCulture performance space/restaurant, the festival featured international and Indian blues artists including Guitar Shorty, Soulmate, Blackstratblues, Ministry of Blues and many others, who performed on two stages outfitted with a complete HARMAN Professional live sound system and Martin lighting.

“With every event we do, our primary focus is on the artist and we want to present the way they sound and the way they look at their absolute best,” said Guru Somayaji, Program Director and Festival Manager at CounterCulture. “This year we wanted to up the ante to bring in a setup that not only looked good but sounded top-notch.”

The Robert Johnson Stage and the Roots Blues Stage were equipped with a variety of JBL loudspeakers including four VRX 900 Series loudspeakers, two STX828 dual-18-inch subwoofers, two PRX615M powered loudspeakers and two STX815M loudspeakers. The loudspeakers were powered by Crown VRACK complete, self-contained amplifier systems, which include I-Tech HD Series power amps, analog and digital connections and a globally universal power distribution system, all housed in wheeled rack with a suspension system that enables VRACK to be flown if desired.

A Soundcraft Si Expression 1 digital console with a Si Compact 16 handled the live sound mix for the Robert Johnson Stage, with a Soundcraft Si Compact 16 deployed for the Roots Blues Stage. The consoles were equipped with a Soundcraft Si Multi Digital Card to record the shows to a computer in multitrack digital audio. A selection of AKG microphones rounded out the system (Indian blues-rock band Soulmate are AKG endorsers).

The Robert Johnson Stage and Roots Blues Stage were illuminated by a complete Martin lighting setup that included RUSH by Martin MH 3 Beam, MH 1 Profile and MH 2 Wash models, plus MAC 101 LED wash and PAR 1 LED can lights. Martin M1 and M2GO consoles operated the lights for each stage.

HARMAN Professional India and students at India’s Audio Academy assisted CounterCulture in producing An Ode to the Blues. “This year through our partnership with HARMAN Professional and Audio Academy, the team not only delivered a fantastic-sounding and looking setup, but the students at Audio Academy also learned the process of setting up the system and the stage and in fact helped us a great deal,” said Somayaji. The students will go on to mix the multitracks and produce a finished live recording of the event. “From a lighting perspective, the audiences enjoyed a real treat – the Martin illumination created atmospheric, exciting and even surreal lighting experiences that took this year’s performances to an entirely new level.”

"An event of this scale requires a first-class sound and lighting setup. With multiple bands and a quick turn around required between acts, an effective and reliable sound system is an engineer’s backbone for an event of such complexity. HARMAN brands, AKG, BSS Audio, dbx, JBL, Soundcraft and Martin lighting ensured that! As an FOH engineer, I could not have asked for better technology. This was one of the best music festivals I have had the pleasure of being associated with," added Nikhil Pai, Freelance Sound Engineer.

“Without HARMAN Professional India and especially application manager, Sunil Karanjikar, none of this would have been possible,” he noted. “Each and every artist complimented us on how exceptional the JBL loudspeakers and Crown amps sounded, the clarity of the Soundcraft consoles and the AKG mics and the striking lighting provided by Martin. The audio was truly stellar, with excellent balance, presence and clarity from every location around both stages.”

Somayaji concluded, “We look forward to further such associations for next year’s An Ode to the Blues festival and other events.”

HARMAN designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a global workforce of 15,200 people and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last 12 months ended March 31, 2014.

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HARMAN’s Crown Offers Online Certification Program for DriveCore™ Install Series Amplifiers

ELKHART, Indiana — HARMAN’s Crown Audio announced that it now offers an online certification program for its DriveCore Install (DCi) Series amplifiers. Available free of charge, the program offers instruction covering Crown’s DCi Analog, Network and Network Display amplifier models and information about the company’s exclusive DriveCore technology that is at the heart of the amplifiers’ powerful and efficient operation.

The course is available online at: http://www.crownaudio.com/usa/drivecore-install-series.html. Simply click on the blue “Test Your Knowledge” icon at the right of the screen to register and take the test. The test consists of approximately 50 questions and has a time limit of three hours to complete. Once registered, users may take the exams in one sitting or save their progress and resume the test at a later date.

“Our DCi certification program was created with installed sound contractors, systems integrators and other professionals in mind, to help them get the most out of Crown’s DCi Series amplifiers and use them effectively in a wide variety of real-world situations,” said Dan Saenz, Business Segment Manager, Crown Audio. “We designed the DCi Series as the new industry standard in installed-sound amplifiers and models are available with connectivity options and power ratings to suit any application.”

Once logged on, participants are asked a series of questions about the DCi Series amplifiers. Information to help in completing the exam can be found in the DCi training videos on the Crown YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/CrownInternational) and on www.crownaudio.com. Additional helpful information is available by working within HARMAN’s HiQnet Audio Architect software and watching its training videos, viewing the company’s System Technology Bulletins and by having a general understanding of professional audio and networking. The test is designed to provide guidance to those seeking training, and the questions themselves offer helpful resources.

Participants must receive a score of 90 percent or greater to earn certification. There is no limit to how many times the test may be taken. Once they pass, users receive a downloadable Certificate of Completion and a notification is sent to Crown.

HARMAN designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a global workforce of 15,200 people and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last 12 months ended March 31, 2014.

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HARMAN’s BSS Audio, Crown and JBL Play for the Majors in San Diego

SAN DIEGO, California – Petco Park, home to Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres, recently took a bold step toward delivering on its dedication to “Creating Major League Memories” as systems integrator Daktronics installed an all-star lineup of standard-setting audio equipment featuring HARMAN components. The facility, which opened in 2004, seats 42,445 and calls itself “The World’s Best Ballpark in America’s Finest City,” is now equipped with HARMAN’s JBL Professional loudspeakers, Crown amplifiers and BSS Audio processing components.

David Sturzenbecher, audio project engineer, and the Daktronics Audio team’s first step in the extensive Petco Park audio retrofit was evaluating the state of the previous system by testing every amplifier’s voltage gain and frequency response. Petco Park has two large amplifier rooms, each with 80 amplifiers, and up to 30 amplifiers in each of six smaller rooms. Daktronics Audio replaced each of the older amplifiers in the smaller rooms with Crown DCi amplifiers; the upgrade to the Crown DCi amplifiers in the larger rooms is ongoing. Featuring Crown’s DriveCore™ technology, the DCi series is more powerful and energy efficient then other large-scale install grade amplifiers and are just 2U rack spaces high.

For loudspeaker testing, Sturzenbecher along with Field Engineer, Doug Dodge took complex impedance measurements of each unit run from the amplifier rooms and listened to every passband of every loudspeaker. Once the needs were determined, JBL became the obvious choice. “The stadium is located only a quarter mile from the ocean, and the loudspeakers on the upper deck are quite exposed and only accessible via scaffolding,” he said. “So in addition to superior sound quality, we selected the JBL PD and AM weatherized boxes because we knew they would be able to handle these conditions without the need for additional service.”

While the sound requirements for most of Petco Park are on a grand scale, the facility does have a number of restaurants and bars that called for a lighter touch. To accommodate those areas, Sturzenbecher augmented the BSS Audio BLU-800 processers already installed throughout the venue by adding BLU-320 devices in the park’s more compact sections. “The BLU-320 provides the preamps for local audio input, but also provides the BLU link source for each local amplifier room,” he said. “The Soundweb London processors were programmed so that mix engineers can monitor any audio signal in the park from the control room.” In the Bud Patio area, Daktronics installed three JBL Control 29AV-1 loudspeakers and, for Hodad’s Restaurant, eight JBL C29AV-WH-1 70V loudspeakers. The lodge, restaurant and the Pier and Hall of Fame bars use Crown DCi 2I600N amplifiers.

The equipment inventory of HARMAN products that Daktronics installed in various areas of the park is extensive. On the Toyota Terrace, 19 JBL PD5322/95-WRX-WH weather-protected loudspeakers were installed. For the outer concourse, Sturzenbecher selected 30 JBL AWC129 all-weather loudspeakers with 70V transformers and two Crown DCi 2I1250N amplifiers. To fill in gaps in the concourse, two JBL PD5322/43-H-WRX weather-protected loudspeakers, two JBL AM5215/66-H-WRX weather-protected loudspeakers, powered with four Crown DCi 2I1250N amplifiers.

On the park’s upper deck, Daktronics installed a complete replacement, including 26 JBL PD5322/64 WRX-H-WH weather-protected loudspeakers, 26 JBL AM5215/26-H-WRX weather-protected loudspeakers, 26 AM5215/95-H-WRX weather-protected loudspeakers and 23 JBL AM5215/00-H-WRX weather-protected loudspeakers. Daktronics outfitted the Right Field Budweiser Scoreboard and Budweiser Patio Addition with four JBL PD5322/64-WRX-H-WH weather-protected loudspeakers, five JBL AM5215/26-H-WRX weather-protected loudspeakers, one JBL PD5215/95-WRX-H-WH weather-protected loudspeaker and, for the right outfield rear fill, seven JBL C29AV-WH-1 loudspeakers; the area is powered with a Crown DCi2I1250N 2 Channel amplifier. For the owners’ suites, Daktronics installed 12 JBL C29AV-WH-I weather-protected loudspeakers.

This deployment is also one of the largest to date of HARMAN HiQnet Audio Architect™ audio system design and configuration software, which retains the workflow-centered philosophy first introduced in HiQnet System Architect™ but also incorporates the BSS Audio Soundweb London DSP functionality to combine the power of the open-architecture platform with equally powerful microphones, amplifiers and loudspeakers.

By uniting HiQnet System Architect and Soundweb London, HARMAN believes that HiQnet Audio Architect represents the next stage in the evolution of audio systems design software. Sturzenbecher agrees. “HiQnet Audio Architect lets us combine programs and provide intuitive custom panels on a large touchscreen for the operators,” said Sturzenbecher, who installed the Petco Park deployment. “We have more than 200 HiQnet devices on the network, and the status of all of them can be seen by simply glancing at the software.”

The HARMAN lineup even helped address one of the unique acoustic challenges of Petco Park, which is the “Park at the Park” area just outside the stadium where fans can watch the game with their pets. “The main complaint from people in that area was that the sound was unintelligible,” Sturzenbecher said. “So we replaced about a dozen loudspeakers with two JBL CBT 70J+E column loudspeakers. The coverage throughout the park is great and the vocals are very clear.”

HARMAN designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a global workforce of 15,200 people and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last 12 months ended March 31, 2014.

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Pick Of The Hits - HARMAN in InfoComm Show Daily, June 2014

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HARMAN’s Crown Debuts Its XLC Series Power Amplifiers Featuring DriveCore™ Technology at InfoComm 2014

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — HARMAN’s Crown Audio today announced the introduction of its XLC Series XLC2800 and XLC2500 Power Amplifiers, two cost-effective 2-channel models that offer a host of useful features for installed sound applications. The new amplifiers incorporate proprietary DriveCore™ technology for high efficiency with lighter weight and are on exhibit at InfoComm 2014.

 The XLC2800 and XLC2500 can operate into impedances from 8 ohms to 2 ohms using stereo, parallel or bridged mono outputs. Although extremely powerful at 775W and 500W per channel respectively (at 4 ohms; 2400W and 1550W into 4 ohms in bridged mode), both amplifiers are lightweight and measure only 2U rack spaces high.

Both models feature HARMAN’s proprietary DriveCore amplifier IC chip, which combines the amplifier driver stage into the power output stage along with additional audio-signal functions – yet is about the size of a postage stamp. DriveCore and other exclusive Crown Class D amplifier topologies significantly reduce the amplifiers’ size/weight and power consumption requirements while yielding much more energy-efficient operation.

“Our new XLC Series amplifiers provide a cost-effective solution for restaurants, bars, stores, businesses and other establishments that don’t require the high power output and networking connectivity of our other amplifier lines, yet still need a top-quality amplifier that’s totally reliable and delivers outstanding sound quality,” said Daniel Sanez, Business Segment Manager, Crown Audio.

Designed for easy installation, the XLC2800 and XLC2500 feature Power, Signal, Clip and Fault indicators and limited front panel control. The XLC series is contractor friendly with input/output connectors, and supports parallel connections to multiple speakers, an advantage in applications where available amplifier channels are limited. XLC Series amplifiers also feature rear-panel volume controls for each channel.

Like all Crown products, the XLC2800 and XLC2500 are engineered for unshakable reliability even under the most demanding conditions of continuous long-term use and carry Crown’s three-year, no-fault fully transferrable warranty.

The Crown XLC Series XLC2800 and XLC2500 Power Amplifiers are available immediately.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 15,200 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2014.

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HARMAN’s Crown DCi Network Display Amplifiers: The World’s First AVnu Alliance® Certified AVB Endpoint

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – HARMAN’s Crown Audio today announced its DCi Network Display Amplifiers are the first professional audio endpoints to receive AVnu certification for Audio Video Bridging (AVB) interoperability from the AVnu Alliance, the professional audio industry’s only organization dedicated to driving open, standards-based AV networking through the certification of AVB products for interoperability.

“This certification underscores our long term commitment to AVB and HARMAN Professional’s support for the AVnu Alliance and its mission to promote interoperability amongst audio manufacturers,” said Dan Saenz, Business Segment Manager, Crown Audio. “Crown’s history of leadership in professional amplifier technology is well documented and today’s announcement is the latest in a long list of industry-first achievements.”

 Crown’s flagship DCi Network Series amplifiers set a new standard for power and flexibility in large-scale installed sound applications. The eight-channel DCi 8|600ND delivers 600W into eight ohms (300, 600 and 300W into 16, four and two ohms) and the four-channel DCi 4|1250ND provides 1250W into eight, four or two ohms (625W into 16 ohms). Both amplifiers offer direct drive “constant voltage” capabilities for 70Vrms and 100Vrms amplification without the need for a step-up transformer, yielding higher audio quality in distributed audio applications with power outputs of 1250W and 600W respectively.

Like all Crown DCi Series amplifiers, the DCi 8|600ND and DCi 4|1250ND take advantage of HARMAN’s proprietary DriveCore amplifier IC chip for powerful, highly efficient operation from a compact form factor measuring just two RU high. The DriveCore chip combines the amplifier driver stage into the power output stage along with additional audio-signal functions, yet is about the size of a postage stamp. The DriveCore-based Class D, next-generation PWM design dramatically reduces size and power consumption and yields a much more energy-efficient operation.

Crown DCi Network Display Amplifiers passed the testing procedures at an AVnu-appointed test house. AVnu Alliance funds the development of certification testing and its members are responsible for ensuring AVNu Alliance’s IEEE AVB compliance program meets demanding performance benchmarks. This is the first and only independent AV networking certification test program.

Certification, which is available to any member, is based on testing that takes place at the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab (UNH-IOL), which serves as AVnu’s independent testing facility. “AVnu Certification provides in-depth validation of member products against established standards enabling a healthy multi-source ecosystem,” said UNH-IOL’s Bob Noseworthy.

About AVnu Alliance

The AVnu Alliance is dedicated to the advancement of streaming audio video by promoting the adoption of IEEE 802.1 Audio Video Bridging (AVB) standards over the network infrastructure. The organization strives to create an open path to AVB standards, define AVB compliance test procedures, and an AVnu certification program that ensures AVB interoperability of networked A/V devices to provide the highest quality streaming experience in professional A/V, automotive, and consumer applications to deliver a compelling end user experience.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 15,200 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2014.

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