Sunday, July 22, 2012

The Jeff Show: the Racine Zoo + Security Lines

Since I am supposed to give you monthly cool travel tips, I'm giving you a bonus - two tips this month - sort of like Christmas in July.

On your next road trip, go to the Animal Crackers Jazz Festival in Racine, WI. The concerts are every other Wednesday. And this year, they start on July 11th and run through August 22.

We have been providing sound for these concerts at the Racine Zoo for 26 years. It's a cool place to see a show. The zoo sits on a bluff with a great view of boats in Lake Michigan and a refreshing breeze. It’s complete with a lion, bear plus a bunch of other animals. You can see the show Ravinia-style (minus the traffic, hassle and 15,000 friends) with picnic food and blankets to enjoy the music.

Photo:  AP Photo Kiichiro Sato
On to the serious business of getting around airports. You're flying out of O’Hare on American and running late. There are 600 people in line ahead of you in the security line. Ever since they started the TSA pre-line, they really check the paperwork; meaning you also can’t get through the business class line anymore without a proper boarding pass.

Now what, you're stuck. Not if you go to the hidden line down by the L gate. They have a security line down there that used to be used by Delta. Now, Spirit still uses it along with Virgin America but those are like three flights a day. You will be through TSA in less than five minutes. Not to mention, the first thing past security is a Starbucks that no one uses. You also get the added bonus of getting a little exercise while getting a chance to to purchase lottery tickets while getting back to the HK feeder.

Don’t forget the zoo.
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Company owner Jeff Warner has been involved in the industry of as long as he can remember as his dad, Harry, started WAV. He joined the company full-time in 1979, and travels the world to help big clients like Bankers Life and Casualty, McDonald's and Microsoft plan AV displays for meetings and events. Please e-mail Jeff you own travel tips to jwarner@warnerav.com, and your tip might be featured in our blog.

Who Stole My Bandwidth; or Wireless Device Management



June 12, 2009 was a historic day marking when broadcasters switched from analog to digital transmission of on air programming. Previously, the frequencies (54 MHz-806 MHz) encompassing TV channels 2-69 in the VHF and UHF spectrum were no longer available to musicians, AV companies and TV/film production houses. In fact, we had to send our old wireless mics to Shure for shredding.

With the switch to digital transmission, broadcasters are required to operate between 54 and 698 MHz. This leaves the 700MHz bandwidth open for the FCC to broadcast public safety messages. It's now illegal for AV production and rental houses to use the this bandwidth range, causing a major overhaul of costly UHF wireless systems. The switch from fixed to frequency agile systems also became paramount for users because of the reshuffled D-TV transmissions.

The new UHF bandwidths designated for wireless audio systems are low-band UHF (450-698 MHz) and high-band UHF (900-1GHz). The 900 MHz bandwidth is undesirable for wireless manufacturers because it already has primary and secondary users, including STL (studio to transmitter links), and consumer products like cordless phones and home AV repeaters.

This leaves the low-band UHF (450-698 MHz) for the growing number of wireless devices. The average corporate production is comprised of many wireless microphones and instruments, IEM’s (in ear monitors) and more. This leaves an AV specialist with the daunting task of managing as many as 20+ frequencies within a narrow bandwidth, all while dodging around the local D-TV transmissions.

Luckily, computers come to the rescue! Computerized scanning software and hardware (i.e. free download, Shure Wireless Workbench) help AV specialists see what signals are present. These programs help bundle channels in non-interfering groups.

Some programs will automatically assign frequencies to open units allowing for the maximum number of devices in a given bandwidth. There are also new high-tech systems that detect outside frequency interference and warn the AV specialist; or automatically switch to a clear frequency making it undetectable to the listener. These new systems are costly, but it will ensure that your chairman or CEO's mic will not fail.

High-tech systems notwithstanding, your best solution to wireless device management is careful planning and coordination before load-in. Implementing both will ensure a flawless presentation and impress your client.
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Craig Vlasic | Technical Director/Audio

Joining WAV in 1982, Craig was the first full-time employee. In 30+ years, Craig has engineered over 700 meetings with audiences ranging from 20 to 35,000 people. While current in the latest audio techniques and theories, he brings knowledge in fundamental audio logic to every production from corporate talking heads to rock-n-roll bands.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Graffiti6 at Shubas

A few weeks ago, WAV helped the rock band, Graffiti6, provide the sound equipment for a webcast of the Graffiti6 concert live at Schubas in Chicago.

Project Manager, Craig Vlasic, created a web viewing experience that makes viewers feel like they were actually at the concert by taking the band's feed from the sound engineer who was mixing the band and adding two audience microphones.