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Although recording studios are my favorite environment to work in, I have done a lot of work in other venues too. In the past several years I”ve spent a lot of time in sports facilities working on large scale sound systems. I”ve been lucky to experience some very exciting events and see a lot of history in some well known places. One such place is the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

My good friend and mentor Steven Durr is now in charge of the public address system at IMS (Indianapolis Motor Speedway or “The Brickyard”). The track is currently host to three major events each year…the Indianapolis 500 in May, the Brickyard 400 in July, and this year is the MotoGP in September. Steve and another friend and colleage of mine, Dave Dusick, typically have me come up and do some maintenence on the sound system at the track the week prior to each event. So a few weeks ago I went up to work a few days before the Sprint Cup race.

In addition to the PA system at the Brickyard, Dave is also overseeing some improvements at ORP (O”Reilly Raceway Park) where the Nascar Nationwide series and Craftsman Truck series race during the same weekend as the Sprint Cup race. I spent most of my week at ORP as the system at IMS was in fairly good shape.

The system at the ORP dragstrip needed some serious attention. The design was typical of most dragstrips. It’’s a very basic front end feeding an amp rack which drives a number of Cobraflex horns in a constant-voltage (70v) system. We decided to address just the front end and the amp rack on this trip and leave the horns for another trip.

The entire system has been changed, patched, and re-patched many times over the years. Our approach was to just tear it all out and put in all-new equipment. It is sometimes far easier to just start over than it is to try and figure out what other people were trying to do. Systems like these in speedways around the country are usually run and maintained by non-audio people and can end up being beyond repair in some cases.

Upstairs in the announce booth, I took out the toy mixer and cassette player and put in a user-friendly (read: can”t mess it up) mixer, CD player, AM/FM tuner, and added a wireless mic.

 Before 

After    

Then I attacked the amp rack.

 Before

   After

 Before

 After   

We put in a new rack with shiny new QSC amplifiers. We left the existing speaker cable, but I re-dressed it in the amp rack and in the fuse box. The fuse box looks kind of funny, but it actually is a good idea for a system like this. Each of the eight or 10 speaker lines goes through a 10A 240V fast-blow fuse which protects both the horns and the amplifiers depending on where the trouble originates.

 Before

   After

Dave also wanted the ability to turn on and off each speaker line so that the PA could be heard on not in certain zones. The simplest way to do this so that no additional processing is used and each amplifier’’s level controls are not messed with is to just put a switch on each amp input. Since a single mono signal is fed to all the amp channels in parallel, it was easy to make a single panel with on/off toggle switches for each amp channel.

One difference when working on systems like these compared to studio systems…these systems are used mainly for public address with dependability and intelligibility being the goals rather then accurate reproduction of music. You must really approach the design and operation of a racetrack public address system differently than you do a recording studio. While they both deal with audio, that’’s about where the similarities end.

Now that the dragstrip system was ready to go, it was time to head over to IMS.

The massive sound system at this massive facility has also been changed and patched around over the years, but with the help of Steve, Dave, Tom Moores, myself, and a few others, it is now well documented and running quite smoothly. There are areas such as the media center where some improvements and upgrades need to be made, but for the most part the system is fine.

While I was there we added some volume controls in the amp racks to control the volume in some areas around the infield and added a few horns to increase coverage.

How many sound guys does it take…

 

Here’’s a project I just finished…Run a multi-pair cable from upstairs to downstairs and attach connector panels on both ends.

This type of project is pretty common in home studios. You want to track in an isolated area of the house and have the control room in another room. You can always run long mic cables between the rooms, but for a much more professional look you”ll want to do it right and use custom connector panels on the walls.

This particular studio is located on the famed Music Row here in Nashville. It’’s a carriage house type of structure, an apartment behind a house where a publishing company is located on Music Row. There are probably 200 other studios just like this one within a sqare mile of here!

Downstairs is where the control room is being set up…

Upstairs is where the musicians will play…

After the studio owner told me where on the walls he wanted the connector plates, I located the studs in the wall. I cut a small hole and fed a fish tape up to be sure there was no fire blocking or any structural obstacles that would prevent pulling the wire. Fortunately there wasn”t even a subfloor behind the wall between upstairs and downstairs, so I didn”t have to drill through anything.

The cable pull went smoothly and I was now ready to attach the cables to the connectors.

I built this soldering station using a Panavise and a Weller WLC100 soldering iron.

The panel layout was as follows…16 XLR connectors for mic lines, a 1/4″ TRS connector for a line level feed or a return, another 1/4″ connector for a speaker line, and four cat-5 connectors for the cue system. I used Mogami 2934 for the 16-channel cable and Belden 9451 for the TRS line. I also ran a spare length of 9451 for future use or to use as a pull wire for future cable pulls.

I had the panels made by Whirlwind. They do fine work and deliver quickly. After emailing a simple sketch of the panel design to a local Whirlwind dealer, I had the finished panels within two weeks.

The panels were made to fit in between the studs in the wall so after soldering the XLRs and TRS connectors and punching down the cat-5 connections, the panels were ready to screw to the wall.

Now setting up for a recording session will be even simpler and the studio has a more professional look to it.

Cost: Panels = $500, cable = $100

Time: 3 hrs

Have you attempted a project similar to this? How did it turn out? Leave a comment and let me know about your studio projects.

One of the best parts about attending conventions and trade shows is filling those free shopping bags full of free booth goodies. You know, those promotional items with the exhibitor’’s logo printed on it.

Well this year’’s NAMM show exhibitors had a wide range of freebies for the taking. Of course there were plenty of pens, matches, and keychains. That stuff usually ends up in a junk drawer or glove box. And there were also industry-appropriate items like guitar picks. But the best freebies are when the exhibitor gives away the actual product they are promoting. And if that product is earplugs, it’’s a very inexpensive and effective way to advertise.

That was the case with Mack’’s booth. Mack’’s Earplugs was giving away three of their best products and I took one of each. I”ll probably never actually use a branded keychain, but I will definitely use some free earplugs. So I was excited to try them out.

I can”t remember actually ever buying any earplugs. It always seems that someone gives me a pair or I just grab some out of a box. But after trying these, I will now be purchasing Mack’’s to throw in my toolbag.

As I mentioned, there were three different types of earplugs that Mack’’s was giving away. The first type I tried was Mack’’s Ultra SafeSound Soft Foam Earplugs. These were packaged in a simple square plastic bag and looked like typical foam earplugs. The package claimed a noise reduction rating of 32 decibels. After opening the package, I immediately noticed these “foam” earplugs were different than most. They definitely felt different as I rolled them in preperation to put into my ears. Once I place the earplugs in my ear canal, they slowly expanded to create a solid, yet comfortable seal. It is common to have to frequently adjust this type of simple foam earplugs, but these Mack’’s stayed in place and maintained a seal without any irritation or adjustment. I was already sold, but still had two more types to try.

The second type I tried were the Pillow Soft Earplugs. The box contained 2 pair and claimed to be “#1 Selling” as well as “Snore Proof” and “Water Proof”. The noise reduction rating for these were 22 decibels. Unlike common foam earplugs, these looked and felt just like a plug of silly putty. The directions on the box said to roll the plug into a ball and place the plug over the ear opening and flatten to form an airtight seal. It felt a little awkward flattening the ball of putty over my ear openings. I was very careful not to push the putty into my ear canal. I did take quite a bit of molding to create a tight seal, but once the plug was in place it did not move at all.

I didn”t give these Pillow Soft Earplugs a water test, but I could see how they might be useful in the pool. But other than in possibly a water-proofing situation, I can”t see any advantage over the simpler Ultra SafeSound Soft Foam Earplugs.

The third type of Mack’’s I tried was their High Fidelity Hear Plugs. These were the “high-end” type earplugs with a removable cord that can connect the two plugs and you can hang around your neck or tie onto a credential lanyard. They were packaged in a hard plastic carrying/storage case. These Hear Plugs claimed only 12 decibels of noise reduction, but they were very simple to insert and kept a solid seal. I could see using these to take the edge of the high end at a concert or to just reduce the ambient noise while still being able to communicate with others. And the removable cord does come in handy in lots of situations.

Overall, I was very glad I happend upon the Mack’’s booth and even more glad I snagged these earplug samples. Of the three types I tried, I really preferred the simple Soft Foam Earplugs. Although I don”t know what any of these models retail for, I have no doubt the foam ones are the cheapest. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for these Mack’’s Ultra Safe Sound Soft Foam Earplugs the next time I”m at a music store. I highly recommend getting some for your bag too.

Have you ever used Mack’’s Earplugs? What kind of earplugs are your favorite? What is the best freebie you”ve ever gotten at a trade show? Leave a comment and let me know.

Since the Summer NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show moved back to my home town of Nashville this year, I decided to check it out and see all the newest gear in the world of MI (Musical Instrument) retailers.

With most of my recent projects being more in the pro audio and installation side of the music industry, it had been a while since I had spent any time just browsing in a music store.

When I was a young lad with dreams of rock stardom, I would spend every saturday in one of the local music stores. My mom would drop me off and go do her shopping while I spent hours and hours playing with all the newest keyboards and guitars.

I”ve long since given up on being a rock star, but I do still like playing with all the toys. And the NAMM show is like the worlds biggest music store. So I had a lot of fun walking through.

If you”ve never been to a NAMM show, it’’s just like any busy music store x100. Drums here, guitars there, more drums over there. “Step right up and see the latest newest coolest guitar string winders. Or how about these slick new guitar strap pick holders?” And it sounds like a 500-piece orchestra tuning before the start of a symphony, except they never quite get to that A above middle C.

Now I”m only good for about two hours at any convention or trade show. And NAMM was no exception. But it was neat to see some new stuff. And not once did I hear a butchered version of Stairway To Heaven.

It helps to have a certain type of product you”re looking for when walking though the endless maze of booths. My focus was on tech stuff…cables, connectors, tools, etc. When it came to cables, there were plenty to look at. And if you”re an exibitor at one of these massive trade shows you”d better have a darn good gimmick because after a while unless that cable could pull a locamotive or was wrapped around a bikini-clad booth babe, I wasn”t going to stop and look. There was just too much to see.

The common theme for connectors at this year’’s show seemed to be “fix-it-in-a-hurry” solderless connectors for all those times a forklift runs over you guitar cable or rips the connector out of the jack. Most everything was crimp-type connections and I even saw one 1/4″ connector that was held together with a magnet!

I”ve got nothing against crimped connections. In fact a well-crimped connector is sonically and mechanically more sound than a soldered connector. When done properly, crimping actually fuses the two surfaces together at the molecular level.

All that being said, I could still fire up a butane soldering iron and repair a cable faster than anyone could prep and crimp a connector. And I wouldn”t think twice about my soldered connection, but any of those crimp connectors I saw at the show would make me nervous if a live performance or recording was dependant on it.

Granted I”ve mad a living for years with my soldering skills, but if you”re not good with a soldering iron how proficient are you going to be at properly crimping a connector?

If you take the time and practice your crimps and work at doing it right, then I have no problem with anyone using crimped connectors. Buy you”ve got to use quality connectors and quality tools. Just as with soldering, if you use cheap connectors or don”t have the skills then you”re always going to have problems with your connections. And usually at the worst possible time.

So invest some time in your skills, some money in your tools, and do the job right. You won”t ever have to wonder “will it work?”.

Aside from the tech products, I also looked for studio-related products such as acoustic panels, bass traps, cue systems, etc. There were some nice recorders and outboard gear as well as all the latest software and plugins, but I couldn”t find any acoustic products. I did see a lot of stage equipment like snakes, mic stand attachments, and other performance-related gear.

So if you have the chance to go to a future NAMM show, it’’s probably worth walking through. It can be a great networking opportunity. And the exibitors are usually willing to give great deals on demo equipment if you find something you really like. But don”t expect to find much for your studio. The NAMM show is geared more toward the performing musician.

Have you ever been to a NAMM show or did you go this year? Reply and tell me what you thought of it. What type of products were you looking for?