On June 9, 2023, Taqwa Dotson of Phoenix, Arizona rented the following items from us:
(1) Yamaha EMX212S 12 Channel Powered Mixer
(2) 15" Carvin 2-way Speakers
(2) Tripod Speaker Stands
(1) Cable for Phone or Laptop
(2) Shure SM58 Microphone with Stands
(5) Cables
He refused to pay the rental charges. The equipment was eventually returned in part, but he left it outside our warehouse overnight while we weren't there. It was missing one of the microphone stands. We were shocked that someone risk leaving expensive equipment outside.
A police report was filed, but have not been able to collect. If you know his where he is, please let up know. We post this review of Taqwa Dotson of Phoenix, AZ in order to warn other vendors about our experience.
On May 16, 2020, Miguel Zazueta rented $14,815.85 worth of audio equipment from us and never returned it. This was during the COVID shutdown year, so we were hit particularly hard by this theft. A police report was filed and he lost in court, but have not been able to collect. If you know where he is, please let up know.
There is a currently a warrant out for his arrest.
We post this review of Miguel Zazueta of Indio CA in order to warn other vendors about our experience. You can help us by contacting him at
CHICAGO, June 10, 2021 — Live music is finally coming back! And as performers and audio engineers at concert halls and live event venues worldwide start the “check one…check one-two…” -- they are finding some significant changes and opportunities in post-hiatus live music.
Shure and Sensaphonics believe this post-pandemic return is an opportunity for performers and audio professionals to adjust their listening behavior to reduce hearing-damaging audio levels. Daily assaults on hearing health with 100-plus dB monitor levels are neither healthy nor necessary. After over a year away from typical concert volume levels, the hearing of band members and sound engineers has adjusted to a controlled listening lifestyle. This means that “getting the band back together” will require some extra care when it comes to the ears.
Costa Mesa, Calif. (August 2021) - QSC was proud to provide the audio system for the world premiere of Disney’s “Jungle Cruise”, held at the Fantasyland Theater in Disneyland on July 24, 2021. A small team of dedicated QSC experts designed, built, and installed the enormous QSC audio system, helping transform the 5,000 square foot outdoor amphitheater into a state-of-the-art movie theater, setting the stage for moviegoers to travel deep into the heart of the Amazon jungle.
Zoom ceremonies, backyard elopements, and creative postponement plans have become 2020’s unexpected top wedding trends. Despite having to pivot throughout almost every aspect of the wedding planning process, this “extra time” has given engaged couples and experienced vendors alike insight into how to make the most out of the wedding planning experience during a pandemic. If you and your spouse are in the middle of a postponement (our hearts go out to you, if this is your second or third reschedule of the year!), or if you are newly engaged and wondering how to proceed amid unprecedented chaos, then consider these expert-approved ideas for how to move forward efficiently. Having picked up their own pointers these last few months, we tapped top industry vendors for their best piece of advice on how to plan your I dos right now for your celebration happening next year.
1. First, check the availability of your venue.
“Once you have the available dates from your venue, start checking with all your vendors in order of priority. You might have to make some hard decisions, as some of your vendors might not be available on the dates you want, so make a priority list when looking to move your celebration,” Alison Hotchkiss, principal and founder of Alison Events Planning + Design, says. “Also, be decisive on your decisions as dates can book up fast with all vendors, so move quickly once you have decided to change.”
2. Start trying on gowns.
“Mood boarding for sure helps at a time like this!” Christy Baird, creative director of Loho Bride, says. “Most bridal shops are back open, and some production turnarounds have been extended, so if you’re comfortable, definitely start trying on gowns now since that will be important whether you end up with a Zoom wedding or a bigger fete in 2021.”
In the world of television, where success can vanish in the blink of any eye, Wheel of Fortune stands out as a paradigm of longevity. Debuting in Hollywood 46 years ago, the word puzzle quiz show, is the longest-running syndicated series in US history. The Belgian edition Het Rad van Fortuin, has been around almost as long, first appearing in 1976, only a year after its American counterpart.
Like all long-running “success stories,” the Wheel of Fortune franchise has survived (and thrived!), thanks to its ability to adapt and change, a quality that has enabled it to appeal to new generations of fans without losing their parents. This renewal process was very much in evidence in the 2020 edition of the Belgian show, which featured a sleek new set designed by Deusjevoo.
Accentuating this set and endowing with extra vibrancy and depth was a lighting and video design by Painting With Light that featured an extensive collection of our fixtures supplied by our friends at Splendit, including the EPIX Strip IP, Maverick MK3 Profile, Maverick MK2 Profile, Rogue R2X Wash, Ovation E-910FC ellipsoidal, COLORado Panel Q40 and COLORdash Batten-Quad 12.
These five tips will ensure great audio for your next outdoor event.
So you need to achieve better audio outside? Maybe you’re setting up for an outdoor wedding or other church event and want to make sure everyone can hear what’s going on. It’s no good if the congregation is struggling to hear the sermon during your outdoor service because the sound system isn’t capable. Whatever reason, all outdoor locations have their own unique difficulties, but by the time you are done reading this, you will have a solid foundation for improving your outdoor sound.
First, system portability is essential
It’s a hassle to be lugging heavy equipment around to outdoor events. Portability is key when selecting the right sound reinforcement gear — it can be unwieldy. Gear that’s lightweight, or just easy to move around, gives you the flexibility to make small or large adjustments to the audio setup anytime without much hassle. Imagine having to move a heavy system for your youth group each week. It doesn’t sound appealing. Equipment that you can barely lift is a bad place to start. It’s best if you use equipment that’s either lightweight and portable.
You are planning an outdoor service or event for your church. It sounds so quaint. So rustic-nouveau. So ... vulnerable to a meteorological and logistical disaster.
I know what it’s like to take church services to the great outdoors. From intimate baptism services for a few people at a lake, to renting out the local Triple-A ballpark for a 12,000-person event, we’ve seen, done, and experienced it all. The end result of an outside event feels like the Israelite Exodus: either you just entered the Promised Land, or you barely survived a modern-day version of the Egyptian plagues. There’s rarely anything in between.
Why would anyone risk clouds of insects, impending darkness, hail bombardment, or hordes of frogs? (Okay, that last one might be less likely than the others.)
There are several good reasons to take things outside. Church outside the norm brings excitement to your congregation. It stirs up stagnant waters and forces you out of ruts. If you’re a multi-service or multi-site church, this is an opportunity to get the entire family together under no roof.
There are also potential wins for outreach. Few things will bring outsiders and insiders closer together than taking insiders outside. Outdoor services allow your church to invite your community to a non-threatening, neutral environment. Neighbors may feel skeptical about walking into the sanctuary at First Baptist, but they’ll let down their defenses if they’re heading to the neighborhood park.
Class of 2021 graduation party ideas: Can you believe it’s already that time? We love a good party, so let the grad party planning begin!
To celebrate, we’ve put together THE ultimate guide to help you plan the best graduation party of the year. This list has everything you’ll need to pull off an unforgettable college or high school graduation party that guests will be talking about for years to come.
1. 2021 Graduation Party Ideas – Types of Graduation Parties
Don’t know where to start? First, take a deep breath. Trust us - this is going to be fun!
Before you start planning everything else you’ll want to figure out what kind of Instagram-worthy party this will be. Is your grad picturing a laid-back hangout like a backyard bbq or pool party? Or are you leaning towards hosting an open house or a formal dinner at a nice venue? What about compromising and throwing a fun themed graduation party like Hollywood Night or The 90’s?
Having lived through a year like no other, lighting and event professionals look to 2021 with a mixture of hope, determination, trepidation, and (most important of all) courage. To learn more about how our industry is preparing for the challenges that lay ahead, we interviewed a cross section of lighting and staging professionals from across the world. Here is what they had to say:
Allen Branton
Grand Encampment
Wyoming
“Many are better qualified than I to consider our business future post-pandemic. I do know one thing for sure: we miss the live audience. And the audience misses the opportunity to gather together. The potential elevation of the performer/audience connection is the beating heart of show business after all. Performers perform and audiences gather to enjoy themselves, to be transported – together. We technical craft types work in this business seeking that same elevation. When it is again feasible to assemble in numbers, I anticipate the emotional high will be epic.”
Jvan Morandi
Placing Shadows
United Kingdom
“I fear that 2021 will be another difficult year that will test the resilience and creativity of our industry. Personally, I feel that the only way for us is to diversify as much as possible including virtual performance but not limiting to streaming and XR. More research and R&D are required in VR from our side. The game industry is looking at the live performance as another avenue of income. If our industry doesn’t come up with solutions , we will be cut out of a potentially life-saving side stream income. I’m confident we will have a return to gigs in 2021 but the size and scope of these might be limited .”
CHICAGO, Jan. 26, 2021 - The professional audio industry spent much of last year pivoting and adapting to the current state of live events. From live-stream concerts to pre-taped performances in artists’ bedrooms, the entire industry was forced to adjust to a new way of working.
To bring the industry together, Shure gathered an all-star panel of guests to offer their own perspective on how the current situation has impacted their professional lives and day-to-day reality. The 90-minute roundtable chat offered unique viewpoints from bands, venues, music labels, and more, including Julie Weir (Sony Records UK, Music for Nations), Adam Thurston (Audiotree, Lincoln Hall, Schubas in Chicago), Glen Rowe (KYOTO Music, Muse), Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith (Dawes), Greg Morrow (Session Drummer), and John Harris (Mixing Engineer).
Moderated by Peter James, Vice President of Global Professional Audio Sales at Shure, the discussion touched upon the positives of 2020 and the steps the industry needs to take to re-open again.
A Pro Audio Renaissance
Regardless of profession, all panelists agreed that there’s been a rebirth of creativity. From writing sessions over Zoom to recording new music to developing platforms to consume the content, the industry has never been more creative.
“People are really desperate for new music,” said Julie Weir of Sony Records. “We had a top ten record in the UK with a heavy metal band because we did an interesting campaign that was all digital and people engaged with. It has taken longer to do smaller things, but I’ve never been more creative because you talk to more people now and there is more collaboration coming through because artists are open to thinking outside the box.”
PreSonus® has released five fan-favorite, retro-inspired effects with the Analog Effects Collection. The collection includes Analog Delay, Analog Chorus, Red Light Distortion, Rotor, and Tricomp®. Each effects plug-in in the collection represents the apex of PreSonus craftsmanship, from State-Space Modeled drive stages with inspiring sonic textures to their classic, vintage-inspired user interfaces. Formerly only available in Studio One® Professional and Artist, these plug-ins are now available via PreSonus Hub in VST3, AU, and AAX format.
Analog Delay is a classic emulation plug-in of an analog BBD delay known for its ability to create a warm delay sound that can range from subtle modulation to spirals down a psychedelic rabbit hole. It also features a State-Space Modeled Drive control to add analog grit to your sound for even more tonal sculpting.
In these times, many of us have found ourselves off the road and unable to perform at live events. While we may have been using this time to sharpen our skills or pursue new interests, for the most part, our audio gear has been silent. As surprising as it may sound, your audio equipment is most vulnerable not while you are using it, but while you are not using it! In order to have gear that will be in perfect shape for your next event and last for years to come, it is important to understand how to take care of it and how to store it safely and responsibly.
After all, you have put significant investments into purchasing it, so you should focus on preserving this investment for as long as possible. Here are a few tips on the basics of keeping audio gear in good shape.
Backup First
Nowadays laptops, hard disks or personal media players are entirely part of most audio systems. Hopefully, before you moved your gear into storage, you made a backup of each device. Either way, now would be a good time to check that your backup is still in good working condition or if you do not have a backup, do it now! Remember – no music, no dance.
You will have noticed that in a large number of live events, sound engineers place subwoofers close together either on the floor, on the side of the stage, or at the top of the line-array rig. Are there any benefits in doing so, and what exactly happens? Before exploring the answer, let’s first recall some basics of sound.
Sound Wavelength
First, let’s recall the definition of the speed of sound ‘C’ (at sea level, at 21° C / 70° F degrees, under normal atmospheric conditions. It is defined as C = f λ, where ‘f’ represents frequency and ‘λ’ wavelength and it equals to 344 m/s (1128 ft/s).
Now, what is a wavelength? In physics, the wavelength is the spatial period of a periodic wave—the distance over which the wave’s shape repeats. It is the distance between consecutive corresponding points of the same phase on the wave, such as two adjacent crests, troughs, or zero crossings.
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