New location expands HARMAN Professional’s global network of experience centers; Multi-functional facility will serve as new headquarters for EMEA region and showcase cutting-edge technology offerings

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif. & LONDON) —HARMAN Professional Solutions, the global leader in audio, video, lighting and control systems, including networked AV, today announced the grand opening of the HARMAN Experience Center – London. The new facility expands the growing global network of HARMAN Professional Solutions Experience Centers, including locations in Los Angeles, Singapore and Shanghai, and will serve as the new headquarters for the EMEA region.

Designed to showcase how HARMAN solutions uniquely address customer needs across a variety of entertainment and enterprise market applications, the 25,800-square-foot (2,400-square-meter), multi-functional facility including EMEA headquarter offices, demonstrates the integration of brands including JBL Professional®, AKG Acoustics®, AMX®, BSS Audio®, Crown International®, dbx Professional®, DigiTech®, Lexicon Pro®, Martin®, Soundcraft® and Studer®.

“The opening of the experience center in London represents a major investment in the EMEA region, enabling us to deepen relationships with our customers and greatly expand our presence across critical markets,” said Chris Smith, Vice President, EMEA, HARMAN Professional Solutions. “Not only will the facility offer customers the opportunity to experience HARMAN innovation firsthand, it provides our staff with a state-of-the-art headquarters that will allow us to pursue new opportunities with greater speed and efficiency.”

The HARMAN Experience Center—London is comprised of several dedicated spaces along with the EMEA office space and meeting rooms.The Product Showroom is filled with HARMAN solutions including HARMAN’s Connected Retail Experience, Huddle Space, Connected Hotel Room, Home Recording, Networked AVoIP, and much more. The Foyer, Boardroom and Auditorium are not only practical-use spaces, but also areas that demonstrate HARMAN solutions for restaurant, corporate, education, corporate, and theatre environments.

“By opening this HARMAN Experience Center in London, we expanding our robust global network of experience centers and enabling our customers around the world to experience the One HARMAN Solution proposition firsthand,” said Mohit Parasher, Executive Vice President and President, HARMAN Professional Solutions. “From JBL Professional sound and Martin lighting to AMX controllers and Samsung displays, the entire facility is a brilliant demonstration of what HARMAN products can do when deployed seamlessly together in enterprise and entertainment environments.”

The HARMAN Experience Center—London is open by appointment only to HARMAN and Samsung customers, employees, distributors, sales representatives, dealers, artists and other industry professionals for meetings, performances, productions, hospitality events, and more.

The HARMAN offices and Experience Center is located at Westside, London Road, Hemel Hempstead, HP3 9TD. For more information, contact European.Marketing@Harman.com.

Ba Sao Investment selects JBL, Crown, dbx, Lexicon and Soundcraft solutions to deliver premium sound quality at the historic Vietnamese puppet theater

HANOI, VIETNAM—Ba Sao Investment recently installed a complete audio system by HARMAN Professional Solutions at the Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre.

Since 1956, the Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre has preserved the uniquely Vietnamese art of water puppetry, hosting multiple performances per week. Considered a cultural highlight in northern Vietnam, these shows combine dramatic performances by skilled puppeteers with accompaniments by a traditional Vietnamese orchestra. In order to enhance the performances and ensure superb audio quality for audiences, the National Puppetry Theatre hired Ba Sao Investment to upgrade its aging audio system with a complete end-to-end HARMAN audio solution.

“One of the main objectives was to seamlessly integrate the new sound system with our existing equipment,” said Trịnh Đình Tân, Technical Manager, Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre. “It was also necessary to implement an outdoor-friendly solution that would be easy to set up and operate. The HARMAN system installed by Ba Sao Investment met all these requirements, delivering an audio experience worthy of the prestige our show is known for.”

The HARMAN sound system Ba Sao Investment installed in the National Puppetry Theatre includes JBL VT4886 line array speakers and VT4883 subwoofers, JBL PRX412M 12-inch portable speakers, JBL AWC129 weather-resistant speakers, JBL AC 25 ultra-compact speakers, Crown DSi2000 power amplifiers, dbx iEQ-31 equalizer/limiters, a Lexicon PCM92 digital effects processor and a Soundcraft GB8 series mixing console.

“We rely on HARMAN Professional Solutions to provide quality products for all of our installation needs,” said Nguyen Khac Anh, CEO, Ba Sao Investment Co. Ltd. “The National Puppetry Theatre wanted to make sure the audio solution would be easily integrated with their existing system. Thanks to the versatility of HARMAN products, they are very happy with the system we provided.”  

Ba Sao Investment designed the audio solution around JBL VerTec series line array speakers and subwoofers, which offer excellent performance and coverage in a compact footprint. PRX412M portable speakers provide clear and precise stage monitoring, while JBL AC25 ultra-compact speakers offer high output and 90° x 90° coverage. JBL AWC129 full-range speakers are highly weather-resistant and satisfy the theater’s outdoor use requirements.

The entire system is driven by Crown DSi 2000 amplifiers, which deliver unmatched sound quality and reliability. To ensure maximum sonic performance from the system, dbx iEQ31 graphic EQ/limiters offer 31-band equalization, AFS™ feedback suppression, Type V™ noise reduction and PeakStopPlus® limiting. The Lexicon PCM92 is the most advanced reverb and effects processor in its class and lends its famously rich and smooth sound to the productions. Finally, a Soundcraft GB8 dual-mode topology audio mixer brings industry-standard mixing control to each performance.

“We are honored to be a part of the unique traditions of Vietnamese puppetry art performance,” said Ramesh Jayaraman, VP & GM, HARMAN Professional Solutions, APAC. “We thank the National Puppetry Theatre for trusting HARMAN products to improve its audience experience, and Ba Sao Investment for continuing to have faith in HARMAN’s ability to deliver custom-tailored solutions for every client’s needs.”

Complete HARMAN mixing solution offers exceptional speed, ease of use and seamless integration for a wide range of productions at one of Europe’s busiest cultural centers

MUNICH, Germany—The Gasteig cultural center, home to the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, recently upgraded its aging mixing console to a complete mixing solution by HARMAN Professional Solutions, including a Studer Vista X mixing console, Studer I/O systems, Lexicon Processors and AMX control systems. The Gasteig hosts more than 2,500 productions each year, and in order to meet such a demanding production schedule, the facility needed a cutting-edge mixing solution that would streamline workflows and enable guest audio engineers to achieve great sounding mixes with ease. The new HARMAN mixing solution offers excellent speed, flexibility and ease of use, and enables Gasteig to deliver excellent sound quality for a wide range of concerts and productions.

“We have a very short timeframe between productions,” said Peter Brümmer, chief audio engineer at the Gasteig. “There could be classical recording on Thursday, and then a jazz recording on Friday. Or we could have four performances in a single evening. I’m a really big fan of the Studer Vista X, and the Vistonics technology provides the best user interface on the market. I can turn a knob and see it happening, without having to deep dive into a computer. It reacts like an analog board.”

The complete HARMAN mixing solution at the Gasteig was provided by Audio Pro, HARMAN’s official distributor in Germany. In addition to the Vista X console, the system includes 2 Studer Infinity Core 800 processing engines for redundancy, a Studer D21m remote stagebox with 48 microphone preamps and a Studer D23M I/O system with AES/EBU, Dante, MADI and more. The Vista X is also compatible with the Gasteig’s old Studer D19 digital preamp system with 48 microphone I/O.

2 Lexicon PCM 96 Surround processors are interfaced with the Vista X via the D23M system to provide the studio with a wide range of high quality surround effects. Parameters are controlled directly from the Vista X via the Vistonics user interface using HiQNet IP protocol, and settings can be recalled instantly using the console’s snapshot feature. Finally, an AMX control system with Modero Touch Panels enable Gasteig engineers to simplify day-to-day operations in the studio, seamlessly control lighting and power and quickly switch between different DAWs. 

“Each hall in our facility is connected to the Vista X console via Dante, which gives us the flexibility to record performances throughout the building,” remarked Brümmer. “The Vista X allows us to use our old preamps, which is really important to us. We now have 96 channels of high quality I/O, which gives us the flexibility to record any performance.”

With such a busy schedule, it was important for Brümmer to select an audio console that guest engineers could operate with as little as ten minutes of preparation before each show. Three of Europe’s leading console manufacturers brought in a console for a one-week trial period, which allowed Brümmer to determine which console would enable him to mix the fastest.

“I loaded up a live multi-track recording from a pop band to determine how fast I could dial up a nice mix,” said Brümmer. “The Vista X was the fastest by far. The flexibility and mixing speed were impressive, and it was a very easy console to mix on. Now when we have a freelance sound engineer, we can show him the board in 10 minutes and have him ready to mix the performance.”

For more than 20 years, the Gasteig has recorded each and every performance by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. The recordings are stored in an archive for posterity or released commercially to the public. They also record performances by famous jazz orchestras, big bands, chamber music and more. For orchestral recordings, they typically record with 96 kHz, 24-bit sound quality using approximately 30 microphones. Orchestral performances are currently mixed in 5.1 surround sound, but Brümmer has been experimenting with creating mixes 9.1, which convey three-dimensional height, depth and width.

“With the Vista X, I can create 9.1 mixes by setting up two surround-master busses—one for the lower layer in 5.1 and one for the upper layer in 4.0,” Brümmer concluded. “Each incoming channel from Pro Tools is routed to two mixer channels: the main channel one is routed to the 5.1 bus, while the second one gets signal from the pre-fader direct out from channel one and is routed to the 4.0 bus. With 800 channels and the AutoTouch Plus Dynamic Automation System, the Vista X makes the whole process fast and easy. The best part is, I can accomplish all of this without ever having to use a mouse or a computer screen!”

Products Used:

Studer Vista X Console
Studer Infinity Core 800 Processing Engine
Studer D21m Remote Stagebox
Studer D23M I/O System
Lexicon PCM96 Surround Processors
AMX Modero Touch Panels

Lexicon QLI-32 QuantumLogic Immersion processor, JBL cinema surround speakers and Crown amplifiers help audiences experience the highest-quality sound

MAHARASHTRA, India—HARMAN Professional Solutions today announced that CityPride Multiplexes has deployed a complete HARMAN cinema audio solution to provide exceptional sound quality for its state-of-the-art multiplex cinema. The new system features the Lexicon QLI-32 QuantumLogic Immersion processor, JBL loudspeakers and Crown DSi power amplifiers. CityPride selected the HARMAN solution for its seamless integration and ability to provide audiences with a truly immersive audio experience.

“The new HARMAN audio solution gives a completely new dimension to the sound and delivers unmatched output, clarity and fidelity,” said Pushkaraj Chaphalkar, partner at CityPride Multiplexes. “We have received excellent reviews from the audience about the new sound system and they are thrilled to experience the vast improvement in sound quality.”

CityPride installed the new HARMAN solution in its main cinema auditorium, which has a capacity of more than 500 seats. The new system includes a JBL 5742 4-way high power screen array, 9320 and 9310 cinema surround speakers, SCS 12 spatially cued surround loudspeakers and 4642A subwoofers. The new Lexicon QLI-32 cinema processor is designed to deliver up to 32 channels of surround sound, providing a deep and life-like sound experience for moviegoers. CityPride is the first cinema in India to deploy the QLI-32.

“The Lexicon QLI-32 allows us to ensure that the audience will get the best experience for each and every movie,” said Chaphalkar. “The JBL speakers and Crown amplifiers provide incredible crispness and the new generation of surround speakers ensures that the bass effects are felt in surround sound as well.”

CityPride has been using JBL speakers, amplifiers and subwoofers for over 20 years due to their industry-leading output, clarity and dependability. When CityPride decided to upgrade their audio system in the new auditorium, HARMAN was the clear choice.

“In the Indian market, there are several companies in the cinema audio sound segment, but some brands are too expensive while others require a special content format,” said Chaphalkar. “The HARMAN cinema solution gives us a complete end-to-end solution — the speakers, amplifiers, subwoofers and the QLI-32 processor — all in one seamless package. The HARMAN solution provides an incredible sound experience and gives us a great value for our investment.”

Lexicon, dbx and JBL enable front of house engineer, Rob McWhorter, to stay in step with the dancer and electronic music star

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—Virtuoso electronic violinist, YouTube phenomenon and New York Times Best Selling author, Lindsey Stirling recently commenced her latest North American tour with Lexicon, dbx and JBL Professional audio brands bolstering her inimitable sound and elaborate production style.                                                                                                   

During her live show, Stirling twists and twirls alongside four dancers while switching between four violins. “The fact that Lindsey can play as stably as she does while she’s moving is amazing, but working on Lindsey’s violins can still be complicated,” said Rob McWhorter, front of house engineer for Stirling. “A violin is an acoustically based instrument but, with the band’s EDM, dubstep, electronic and pop dance style influences, we have a lot of volume. We can’t keep a live mic in check with Lindsey and instead need to run all of her violins direct.”

 “Always having a direct signal means there’s a lot you need to do to make the sound as big and natural as possible,” McWhorter said. “ One of the key elements of Lindsey’s violin sound is reverb, and on this tour, I have a pair of Lexicon PCM 96s to help give me the biggest, most spacious and ambient reverb as possible, so I can run them very wet and still sound natural.” McWhorter further deploys the Lexicon PCM 96s for Sterling’s vocals and the drum kit.

Rounding out Stirling’s violin sound, McWhorter uses two dbx 676 Tube Microphone Preamp Channel Strips. “I have slightly different settings for each violin—various combinations of reverb, EQ, compression and different pre-amps—and two of the four instruments rely on dbx processing,” he said.

Having worked with Stirling since her debut tour four years ago, McWhorter also serves as her production manager and uses JBL speakers for onstage monitoring. “All of our monitors are JBL, and we’ve been using them since day one. In the four years that we’ve had them, I’ve never had to replace a driver. We use a drum sub, wedges at the keyboard position and side fills for the dancers. That way, if any of their IEMs go out, I know they’ll still be able to hear the mix. The JBLs are solid and never let me down.”

Stirling catapulted into the limelight as an acclaimed violinist and performer with her self-released and produced music videos on YouTube, which have garnered more than 1.4 billion views and more than 8 million subscribers. With her unique blend of Celtic folk, classical, dubstep and dance, her debut and sophomore releases have both topped the Billboard Album charts and, to date, her tours have sold more than 500,000 headline tickets worldwide. Lindsey’s highly anticipated third studio album, “Brave Enough,” will be released on August 19 through her own imprint, Lindseystomp Records.

LOS ANGELES, California – Los Angeles can be a tough town when you’re trying to get a break in the entertainment business – but if you have talent, it also offers opportunities available nowhere else. Just ask Adam Hochstatter, who graduated from University of Southern California in 2010 and since has become a highly sought-after composer and orchestrator for film, TV, and commercials. His compositions often blur the lines between live and computer-generated music by using the Lexicon PCM92 Reverb and Effects Processor as a key sonic element in the process.

Hochstatter got started in the business soon after graduation doing freelance work and projects for other composers. As he got deeper into the field he became exposed to more equipment. Eventually Hochstatter started to branch out and get work on his own, and had to move into his own studio space and invest in his own gear.

“A lot of the work I do for television, commercials and independent films involves orchestration and MIDI mock up. This is where you have to make computers sound like a real orchestra, since the client can’t afford to hire a live orchestra as part of the project,” Hochstatter said. “This kind of work means that I’m always looking to enhance realism in my music, and I was recently in the market for a new reverb. I tried a bunch of different software but I wasn’t really happy with any of what was available at the time.”

Contrary to Hollywood’s dog-eat-dog image, Hochstatter found great support from fellow composers in his search. “Since I’m out in LA, I’m lucky because there are so many resources for young composers. Those in our industry are extremely helpful in letting others test out gear.” Ultimately he was able to borrow a Lexicon PCM92. “I fell in love with it.” The Lexicon PCM92 delivers 28 stereo and mono reverbs, delays and modulation effects and a collection of over 1,200 presets, including industry-standard classics from Lexicon’s vast library of sounds.

Aside from its rich sonics and flexible features, Hochstatter points out another advantage: as a hardware unit the PCM92 doesn’t stress his computer at all. It allows him to run sophisticated reverbs with no CPU power taken away from my computer, where he hosts samples and other CPU intensive audio software. “My computer and DAW have enough to deal with as it is!”

“Something about the Lexicon PCM92 just sounds smoother to me. It doesn’t have the sonic artifacts that I heard in the software I tried, and it does an amazing job of making sampled instruments sound more realistic. I used to struggle a lot more with getting my work to sound convincingly lifelike and the PCM92 has made my work sound so much better, whether I’m adding a touch of reverb to an individual instrument or creating a big wash of sonic atmosphere to complement the mood of a film, TV or commercial.”

Hochstatter also does a lot of work for companies that create sample libraries, creating demos that showcase specific instruments. “It’s the ideal way to show what the samples can really do in a musical setting.” Perhaps not surprisingly, he’s now doing demo videos for Lexicon. “Thanks to Adam’s exceptional talent and understanding of how reverb and effects can absolutely make a track, we’re really excited to have Adam produce more product demo videos that really dig deep into the capabilities of Lexicon products,” said Jason Kunz, Market Manager, Portable PA and Recording & Broadcast, HARMAN Professional.

“When I was first looking for reverb units, I was surprised that I couldn’t find a lot of online resources regarding how the unit sounded,” Hochstatter said. “I saw a few YouTube videos that demonstrated a particular feature well, but didn’t give enough of an overall picture for me to gamble and spend the money without really knowing what I was getting. Living in Los Angeles, I was able to borrow and test out a number of things, but if you’re not in a bigger city you might not be able to find the resources you need. My goal is to give insight for those who are starting out in the field like I was, and can’t test the products out for themselves.”

HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for consumers, automakers, and enterprises worldwide, including audio, visual and infotainment systems; enterprise automation solutions; and software services. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson ® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. HARMAN also is a technology and integration services leader for the Automotive, Mobile, Telecommunications and Enterprise markets. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. The Company’s software solutions power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated, personalized, adaptive and secure across all platforms, from the work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 25,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.9 billion during the last 12 months ended March 31, 2015.