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Selenium D3500Ti-Nd, Mic-Mute Automatic Microphone Switch, Cerwin Vega VIS-153

Selenium D3500Ti-Nd High Frequency Driver

By Mark Amundson

With the quality going up and the cost going down on rare earth magnetic materials, more Low and High Frequency Drivers are employing Neodymium as the magnetic motor. The main advantages of Neodymium over conventional magnet materials like Ceramic (Ferrite) and Aluminum-Nickel-Cobalt (Alnico) are twice to five times the remnant magnetic flux, which is the force the voice coil repels against to move the air. By using Neodymium, speaker designers can proportionally shrink the size of the magnet pole faces and motor assembly. While the assembly size and some component costs also shrink, it is believed that the Neodymium material is more expensive; leading to an equivalent to slightly more expensive driver.

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Cutting-Edge Technology and Talented Personnel

"Next to offering the very best in equipment, the key to our continuing success lies in the experience and professionalism of our engineering and production talent," states Lane Rickard. "Quality and success can only come from the 'been there, done that' staff that makes up Power Plus."

Rickard founded Power Plus in Salt Lake City in 1984. The business was later moved to San Diego County, where it remained in operation until February 1998. After a five-year hiatus, during which time Rickard worked for another San Diego-based event production company, Power Plus incorporated and reopened in January 2003 as a full-service entertainment production company under its new name, "Power Plus Sound & Lighting, Inc.," with the goal of providing the best equipment and personnel at an affordable price for virtually any type of event. Today, Power Plus Sound & Lighting not only houses an impressive inventory of top-notch gear, but also a full range of technical, production design and management staff.

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Crest XRM X-Rack, Powersoft DIGAM Q4004, Soundcraft GB4

Crest Audio XRM X-Rack Mixer

By Jamie Rio

A lot of small to mid-sized sound companies avoid the jump to a monitor board because they fear the perceived cost and complexity of a second board and splitter snake. Of course, there is some investment required to take such a step, but Crest Audio has made setting up your own monitor world less expensive and easier than ever.

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Q&A with FOH Engineer Steve Taylor

For four years straight, FOH engineer Steve Taylor has been on the road. He started off in 2000 as FOH engineer for Jimmy Eat World, then, while the band took time out to go into the studio, Steve headed straight onto FOH for Mars Volta. Fueled by the fact that both bands have the same management, he has lived out of a suitcase for 1,460 days in a row! He answered some questions while on the current Jimmy Eat World show in Canada.

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Crate PSM12P, A-T Pro Series, Furman Series II PL PLUS, Allen & Heath Mix Wizard3, Yorkville M1610

Crate PSM12P Powered Speakers

By Bill Evans

I know they are widely derided by many pros as "speakers on a stick," but I sometimes do the kind of gigs where I use plastic molded and powered enclosures–and unless you are doing exclusively big tours, you probably have as well. I have seen them used everywhere from corporates to small outdoor gigs. A couple years ago, I was at the Playboy Mansion for a press conference about the Playboy Jazz Festival, and the band was being run through a Mackie mixer and a couple of Mackie powered enclosures. I also see a ton of them used as stage monitors. But as we all know, not all powered boxes are cut from the same cloth, so to speak, and sound quality and features can vary radically.

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