So, is this what it means to go from anklebiter to regional guy? I mean, I have received the odd invite to industry events before, but never anything on this level. Every year, the Harman Pro Group hosts a three-day event for their dealers, select soundcos and press people where they get an in-depth look into the technology and marketing plans for Harman's current crop of gear. (For the record, the actual title was the Harman Professional 2006 Global Business and Technology Conference. Harman Camp is shorter.) And all of this just prior to the Winter NAMM show. When I got the invite to Harman Camp in Huntington Beach, Calif., I was pretty excited. For three days, I was going to be exposed to the newest and most innovative products from Soundcraft, AKG, dbx, BSS, JBL, Digitech, Crown, Studer and Lexicon. And I would also have a chance to check out HiQnet and System Architect, the computer program that ties all this new gear together. The fact that my sound company, RioDeluxe Audio, had just gone regional also added to the excitement of checking out and really getting inside some of the gear. Besides, I was looking for a new console, and new manufacturing contacts are always welcome when shopping for the best deal.
First, what is the deal with this gathering? This is where the Harman brass and their PR people put all of their most important dealers as well as "select" members of the trade press in one place for several days to indoctrinate them–well, maybe that's the wrong term. It is their chance to "Harmanize" a disparate group and make their pitch for the superiority of Harman technology. And they have the drill down to a science. First, the event is never held in Vegas or Orlando or someplace where there are lots of distractions available. Last year, the group parked at the Ritz Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena–a very swank and nice venue, but not exactly surrounded by other entertainment options. This year, we met in an equally nice hotel in Huntington Beach. Also pretty isolated. The idea is that Harman wants the full attention of the attendees and not have to fight bars, strip clubs, theme parks and casinos when it comes to making sure invitees are getting the whole Harman message.
Upon arriving at the hotel, I was amazed at how many sound people were there. Maybe 400 or 500 sound contractors, engineers and sales people showed up for the event. Of course, the sound and lighting was top quality–I wouldn't have expected any less. As I sat in the main conference room, I had to admit to myself that some of this stuff made sense. Like most of you, I am a pretty independent guy, and I've had some issues with the way so many pro audio companies have ended up under the Harman banner and wondered if they were not trying to become the Microsoft of the sound biz.
Maybe it was group hypnosis or just fatigue setting in, but as it was explained, I started to comprehend Dr. Harman's vision of putting all these companies together under one umbrella and actually getting them to work together. It's actually a pretty simple idea. All of the companies in their current manufacturing form complement each other in one way or another. The party line is that none of these well-established companies have lost their identity and, as a matter of fact, the individual notoriety of each organization is very important to the overall success of the Harman group. Which brings us to HiQnet…
I did take the HiQnet operators course, and it is a very cool and very deep system. It gives us the ability to monitor multiple amp, speaker and outboard gear functions and to make adjustments from our laptops. For example: If you have an install or live system flying JBL speakers powered by Crown amps and controlled by dbx DriveRacks, you can look at and adjust the operation of all these components. HiQnet is truly amazing. My only issue is that it only operates within the Harman Pro Group. If your JBL system is powered by QSC, you're out of luck.
Toward the end of the conference, I switched back to my journalist's hat and sat on a panel with a bunch of other writers to discuss where pro audio is and where it is headed. I made a point of asking about the wisdom of a system that locks out gear made by non-Harman companies. I said then and I still believe that what we really need is an audio version of MIDI– something universal and easy to use and cheap–before companies of my size and smaller are going to take any interest at all in this kind of system control.
Harman wants to be the king of this biz, which has fueled the development of some fantastic equipment. However, the company that writes a program compatible with all other programs will be the real kings. Good luck Harman, and thanks for a great conference.
So, What About the Gear?
I know, panels and tech discussions are ok, but we all want to know about the gear. There was a whole lot of super cool stuff at the conference, but since much of it was covered in last month's NAMM report and there is no way I can write about everything, I am going to pick a few pieces of new gear that really knocked me out.
JBL has a new line of powered speakers called the VP (Venue Performance) Series. These speakers incorporate the latest in JBL transducer and high-frequency compression drivers. They are powered by the JBL Drive- Pack power amplifier system platform, which was developed with Harman sister company Crown International. Crown basically plugs a real power amp module into the back of the JBL enclosure. JBL offers five speaker models plus a powered subwoofer. Each speaker model is loaded with a 1,100-watt (2,200 peak) amplifier module. All boxes (including the sub) are constructed using 5/8-inch Baltic Birch, super duty handles, fly points, grills, etc. Basically, the stuff you would expect from JBL's high-end gear. The thing that is truly astounding is how light the cabinets are. For example: the sub enclosure, which sports an 18-inch speaker and packs 1,800 watts (3,600 peak), weighs in at 75 pounds. I had the opportunity to handle one of those 18-inch speakers out of the box, and it weighed in at about 8 pounds. That is absolutely mindblowing. This kind of JBL speaker would have weighed at least 50 pounds just a few years ago and not be able to handle that much horsepower.
AKG showed off their new WMS 40 Pro wireless system. This is more of an entrylevel model, but it does have some very nice features. An all-metal case is definitely a step up. A single unit that receives signal from mics or a mic and Guitar Bug is very handy, and the claim that their transmitter will operate for 30 hours on a single AA battery is impressive. The 40 series is not compatible with HiQnet; however, the 400 series is.
Lexicon unveiled the new MPX 200 24-bit dual channel effects processor. But more than just showing off a new piece of gear, I got a total historical review of the Lexicon company and products. As a matter of fact, all the equipment presentations were very informative and entertaining. Anyway, the MPX 200 is a true stereo processor and has buckets of features.
But, let me get back on track with the new Live 8 console released by Soundcraft.
This is a really nice, very affordable eight-bus desk. It comes in 16-, 24-, 32- and 40-channel frame sizes. Eight group busses, +48V phantom power switch able per channel. Four-band EQ with two swept mids, eight stereo returns, four mute group, six aux sends and more. I had a chance to put my hands on this console and it feels good and is very well made. The big news, however, is the new Soundcraft/Studer digital board. I am actually sworn to secrecy with regards to the particulars of this digital desk, but I can tell you that it is a stunning piece of gear. More features than you could ever want, beautifully designed out and gorgeous to look at (very Studer in architecture). I think they ship in the spring, but you didn't hear it from me.
