Press Release - iZotope Launches Mastering Academy with Jonathan Wyner

Audio professionals will learn how to produce their best-sounding masters through hands-on mentoring Cambridge, MA.  iZotope, Inc., a leading audio technology company, is now accepting applications for its first-ever Mastering Academy event for audio professionals taking place July 23-25, 2015. Led by iZotope's Education Director and GRAMMY-nominated mastering expert Jonathan Wyner (David Bowie, Howie Day), with special guest Adam Ayan (Carrie Underwood, Pearl Jam), this intensive workshop combines small-group instruction with hands-on practice. Personalized mentoring from Jonathan will help take students' mastering abilities to the next level. The majority of the training takes place in iZotope's brand-new, fully equipped mastering studio in Cambridge, MA. In this acoustically optimized listening environment, participants will learn advanced mastering techniques and best practices on a full range of state-of-the-art equipment. Students will analyze their own habits and patterns through feedback and insight from world-renowned mastering professionals. They'll also add new pro audio skills to their arsenal, learn time-tested strategies for dealing with clients, and grow their network of pro audio peers. "It's a real thrill to be launching our first major learning initiative of this scale," says Jonathan Wyner. "Education has always been a personal passion of mine, so I'm looking forward to working with students individually. I'll be sharing strategies and techniques so they can tackle their next mastering project with greater confidence." The event includes tours of iconic musical sites in Boston including Symphony Hall and Berklee College of Music. Mastering Academy is the culminating event of iZotope's "Mastering Education" month. Throughout July, iZotope will offer events and resources designed to help audio professionals achieve better-sounding mastering results in their studios. How to Apply: Visit http://izotope.com/masteringacademy for more information and for application deadlines. About iZotope, Inc. iZotope makes innovative products that inspire and enable people to be creative. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, iZotope has spent over a decade developing award-winning products and audio technologies for professionals and hobbyists alike. Used by millions of people in over 50 countries, iZotope products are a core component of GRAMMY-winning music studios, Oscar and Emmy-winning film and TV post production studios, and prominent radio studios, as well as basement and bedroom studios across the globe. Through a robust licensing program, iZotope also powers products made by industry partners such as Adobe, Avid, Microsoft, and Sony. iZotope was recently honored with an Emmy® Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development for its flagship audio repair suite, RX®. For more information on iZotope products, please visit www.izotope.com.

Press Release - Sennheiser and Linkin Park Empower Music for Relief – Linkin Park’s Wireless Microphones Find a Home with Lucky Fans at Charity Auction

Old Lyme, Conn. When the Indian Ocean tsunami devastated Southeast Asia in 2004, rap-rockers Linkin Park endeavored to leverage their international fanbase to assist. Shortly thereafter, they founded Music for Relief: a charity that helps artists and fans connect to provide relief for natural disasters around the world. The organization’s vital mission is to mitigate and prevent the damaging effects of these disasters through environmental initiatives including forest preservation and tree planting. Linkin Park has remained instrumental in raising funds for Music for Relief, and recently worked with Sennheiser to provide several SKM 2000 wireless handheld transmitters with MME 865-1 capsules for an auction fundraiser – including some autographed by the band.

“When a natural disaster occurs, many people out there want to help in some way but don’t know how,” says Kimberly Hurtarte, Advancement Associate for Music for Relief. “Linkin Park knew they were in a position to mobilize not only their fans but also other bands to get involved.” Since 2005, Music for Relief has raised over $7 million for survivors of multiple disasters across four continents including Hurricane Katrina, China’s Wenchuan earthquake, a cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe, earthquakes in Haiti and Japan in 2010 and Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. More recently their ecology and prevention efforts have taken center stage in places like Baja California, where the organization has been working to protect mangrove forests, which serve a critical role in protecting the coastline from deforestation and development.

Coming Together for Relief

Companies like Sennheiser are part of the enthusiastic network of friends and sponsors that Linkin Park and their compatriots are able to call upon to further their fundraising efforts. Recently, when the call went out for items to offer at an auction benefiting Music for Relief, Linkin Park reached out to Sennheiser, which assisted in providing several SKM 2000 handheld transmitters coupled with MME 865-1 capsules: the choice mic and capsule configuration of Linkin Park vocalists Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda. The auction was further enhanced by Linkin Park’s donation of their very own tour-utilized SKM 2000 microphones signed by the band.

“Sennheiser is proud to play a role in a caring musical community, particularly one that is able to mobilize relief efforts for those impacted by natural disasters,” commented Pierre Morant, Sennheiser’s Manager, Music Collaborations. “We could not be more pleased to play a role in such an important endeavor.”

A Cut Above

Linkin Park began using the Sennheiser SKM 2000 with MME 865-1 capsule in 2010 after monitor engineer Kevin McCarthy conducted a shootout of 10 transmitter and capsule configurations from major manufacturers. “The SKM 2000 with 865 capsule was the clear winner,” McCarthy says. “The sound quality is amazing and wireless functionality is extremely reliable.” McCarthy also noted that the capsule performed evenly even when Bennington and Shinoda were wrapping their hand directly around the capsule, a common microphone technique during energetic live performances. “A lot of the mics we tried sounded completely different when they wrapped their hand around the capsule, but the 865 sounded exactly the same, which makes it much easier to get an even sound throughout the performance,” he says. Linkin Park have been touring with six sets ever since. These mics include a main and back up for each lead vocalist as well as two sets for any guest vocalists that might join them on stage. Three of these road-used mics were donated to Music for Relief for the charity auction. “These are really popular with fans so they usually bring in a significant contribution,” says Hurtarte.

Music for Relief distributes the funds they raise to organizations and individuals working on the ground around the world. “Our supporters like that we’re less bureaucratic than many humanitarian aid organizations, it’s more of a hands-on operation,” notes Hurtarte. “The fans and artists we work with are very much a part of the process and they always want to know exactly who we’re working with and how the funds are being utilized. We can provide a level of transparency that’s not usually available in larger-scale organizations.”

A Growing Effort

Humbarte is quick to point out that Music for Relief now incorporates many artists beyond Linkin Park, though the band remains active on the board of the organization and contributes a dollar for every ticket of every show to the organization. “We’re grateful to be able to empower all kinds of different artists and their fans to make a difference globally, and we couldn’t do it without the support of sponsors like Sennheiser who help keep our operations funded year-round,” Hurtarte concludes.

About Music for Relief

Founded by two-time Grammy winning/multi-platinum rock band Linkin Park, Music for Relief is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing aid to survivors of natural disasters and the prevention of such disasters.  Since its inception in 2005, Music for Relief has raised over $7 million for survivors of multiple disasters across four continents. Music for Relief also supports environmental programs as a means of disaster risk mitigation including the planting of over 1 million trees to help reduce global warming and Power the World, a program bringing clean energy solutions to the 1.3 billion people worldwide without electricity.  The organization was recently recognized by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon for the Download to Donate program to raise funds and awareness in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake. For more information visit www.musicforrelief.org.

About Sennheiser

The Sennheiser Group based in Wedemark near Hanover, Germany, was founded in 1945 and has gone on to become a leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Sales in 2013 totaled 590.4 million euros. Sennheiser employs more than 2,500 staff worldwide and operates plants in Germany, Ireland and the USA. The company has a worldwide network of subsidiaries in France, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Germany, Denmark (Nordic), Russia, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, and the USA. It also has long-established trading partners in other countries. Georg Neumann GmbH, Berlin, a maker of studio microphones and monitor speakers, and Sennheiser Communications A/S, a joint venture making headsets for PCs, offices and call centers, are also part of the Sennheiser Group.

More information about Sennheiser is available on the internet at www.sennheiser.com.

Power Up or Down Your Gear in the Correct Sequence!

Proper Power Management for the stage and studio Atlanta, GA (June 17, 2015) - The Rockn Stompn RS-4 foot-activated sequential power strip is designed to automatically power up or down a musician's set of gear in the proper sequence, every time, providing protection and convenience on stage or in the studio. "Musicians know the importance of powering up and down gear in the right order to avoid power surges and pops, but it's not always easy to do," says Kimball Magee of Rockn Stompn. "The RS-4's four-step power sequencer automates this process, and gives you the ability to safely power up far more gear than ever before on a single 15 amp circuit.  By consolidating all your gear into one power strip you greatly reduce noise and potential hazards created by external ground loops."   Previously, pro audio power sequencers were rack mounted and limited to large professional audio performances. The RS-4 is transportable and no rack required. "It's perfect for guitar rigs with multiple amps or multiple processors," adds Magee. "It's also great for bass, keyboard rigs, PA systems, and home studios to protect amps and speakers." Every musician or band's rig is different. To allow for varying power-up times for both vintage tube amps and modern solid state equipment, the RS-4 delay for both on and off sequences are user adjustable from 1 to 15 seconds, ensuring equipment will perform better and last longer. The unit also provides surge protection, EMI/RFI noise filtering, power conditioning, and over-voltage/over-current protection.  The Rockn Stompn power strip is the result of decades of engineering and manufacturing knowledge, and four years of intense research and development in collaboration between engineers and musicians to produce the ultimate power strip for musicians. With a fully welded stainless steel enclosure, the RS-4 is American-made and comes with a lifetime warranty. "As musicians, we are very invested in our gear," sums up Magee. "Looking after the power requirements is an often overlooked, but important element in making it last for a very long time." Price and Availability: The Rockn Stompn RS-4 is available now from http://www.rocknstompn.com and at authorized guitar dealers for $299.

Press Release - For Queens of the Stone Age, Sweethead and Other Projects, Guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen Plugs Into BAE Audio

North Hollywood, CA, – Since 2002, Troy Van Leeuwen has been captivating audiences around the world with his chunky rhythm guitar and searing leads as a member of revered hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age. His distinctive guitar style has also surfaced in acts including A Perfect Circle and Sweethead. With QOTSA currently on hiatus, Van Leeuwen has been focusing his energy on other projects including Sweethead’s latest album — keeping BAE Audio preamplifiers close by his side.  

Tracking both records primarily in his home studio, Van Leeuwen uses a combination of BAE Audio preamplifiers to capture the sounds and performances he and his bandmates create in the studio, citing the gear's ability to achieve "the coveted performance of vintage British preamps" — coupled with the durability of BAE Audio’s modern construction and hand-wiring.

Van Leeuwen became acquainted with BAE Audio preamps during QOTSA sessions at a Los Angeles recording studio, Pink Duck. “We used a lot of BAE Audio mic pres on the last record,” he says. After hearing the performance of BAE Audio’s 312A and 1028 preamplifiers at Pink Duck — and subsequently meeting BAE Audio President Mark Loughman, Van Leeuwen outfitted his home studio with many of the same BAE Audio preamps that were present in Pink Duck. Since then, the BAE Audio's 312A and 1028 have featured prominently in all his recent tracking sessions.

Two Sizes Fit All

“Between the 312A and the 1028 you can really get everything you need,” Van Leeuwen observes. “On drums I’m using the 312A on everything except kick and snare. They’ve got a punch to them and a quick attack that really lets the character of a well-tuned tom come through.” The 312A also pairs well with ribbon microphones, Van Leeuwen’s preferred choice for overheads. “Ribbon mics don’t sizzle your ears off with high end from the cymbals which I really appreciate. The 312A has plenty of gain and really captures what they’re doing on the kit.” For the kick and snare, he calls the 1028 into service to add some bite. “I like to drive the input so there’s some extra crack to the attack, and the 1028 is perfect for that.”

Bass guitars also get the 312A and1028 treatment, he says: "I'll use a 312 with a DI to take a direct signal and then also route it out to an amp, which I’ll mic up into the 1028. I like the attack of the 312 and then I’ll get the roundness and warmth of the speaker cab, which can benefit from the EQ options of the 1028.”

Preserving Sonics in the Signal Chain

But what about Van Leeuwen primary weapon, the guitar? “Whether it’s for Queens of the Stone Age or my other projects, we’re getting the sounds we want for the guitar with our amps and pedals. So what we really need is a preamp that will capture that sound with no frills and the 312A is perfect for that. It has a little punch to it, but otherwise it’s not really coloring the sound, so it does exactly what we want," he explains.

Van Leeuwen says that BAE Audio preamplifiers will remain a fixture of his recording signal chain for the foreseeable future. “Anything that I’m doing at my studio at home I’m using it. And when we start doing the next Queens of the Stone Age record I’m sure we’ll be using it for that too,” he says. 

“I am a big fan of old technology with new components because it’s so much more reliable than vintage gear. With BAE Audio you’re getting everything you love about the sound of that vintage gear, but without the headaches of old technology," he observes. He and his bandmates are so confident in the performance of their BAE Audio gear that they’re planning to take it on the road for live performances next time around. “We’ve just been getting into patching in our own compression and signal processing when we go on the road, so it would be nice to bring some of those 1028s as well.”

For more information on any of BAE Audio's preamplifiers, please visit http://www.baeaudio.com.

About BAE Audio

BAE Audio is a U.S.-based manufacturer of high-end microphone preamp and equalizers, all of which are faithful to vintage designs of the seventies and before. The company is committed to the vintage philosophy of hand wiring and hand soldering all of its components to achieve a high quality and authentically vintage sound. For more information on BAE Audio, please visit our website at www.baeaudio.com.