AKG’s Perception 820 Tube Adds A Rich, Vintage Sound To GRAMMY Winning Producer/Engineer Jason Goldstein’s Recordings

Working with world-renowned artists like Jay-Z, Beyonce, and The Roots, GRAMMY winning producer/engineer Jason Goldstein has developed an ear for what works when it comes to recording techniques.  Whether he’s tracking lead vocals, instrumentals, or even overhead drumming, Goldstein has been turning to one microphone that he knows will bring him a smooth, rich, accurate sound: AKG’s Perception 820 Tube.  

Goldstein learned his craft from some of the most widely respected producers and engineers in the recording industry, including George Massenburg, Mike Schipley, Rick Ruben and more. Working with high-profile producers and GRAMMY winning musicians, Goldstein learned that having the right equipment for the right recording scenario could make the difference between a good and a great track, which is why he recently began using AKG’s Perception 820 Tube for his studio recordings.

“I just started using the Perception 820 Tube about a month ago, and it’s already starting to make a difference,” Goldstein said. “I’ve used it to record lead vocals for Bilal, and the first thing that jumped out at me was the control we had as a result of the many features that come standard on the mic. With switchable bass cut filters, nine different polar patterns, a ground lift switch, and more, we were able to get the exact sound that we needed for every track.”

The vintage tube sound that the Perception 820 Tube delivers is a result of the dual one-inch large diaphragm capsule and the ECC 83 dual-triode circuitry that emphasises even-order harmonics throughout. The switchable bass cut filter perfectly tailors frequency response for close micing, and the 20 dB attenuation pad can be used in high SPL applications, allowing up to 155 dB SPL. The nine polar patterns - which are switchable on the brush finished, anodized aluminium remote control unit – are changeable from omni to figure 8, and each microphone comes standard with a spider suspension shock-mount.

“When we first got this microphone, we ran it side by side with some tube microphones that were four or five times the cost, and the Perception 820 Tube held its own,” continued Goldstein. “This is already one of the better all-around microphones that I could find, but when you look at the affordable price, nothing else compares.”

AKG Honored With Technical Grammy® Award For Contribution To Recording Arts And Sciences

In recognition of more than 60 years contribution to the art and science of music recording and performance, storied microphone and headphone innovator AKG was recently awarded a prestigious technical Grammy® award from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS).  The award, which was presented at Grammy Week in Los Angeles, represents an historic first in AKG’s history of firsts — not simply in terms of technology innovations, but also in great recordings and performances.

From The Beatles’ watershed performances in Shea Stadium in 1967 to Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, and today’s most progressive and successful artists like Jay Z, Missy Elliot and Kayne West, AKG microphones and headphones have provided great sounding technologies to support the most demanding and creative projects.

AKG is in good company, with this year's only other GRAMMY Technical Award to be presented posthumously to Thomas Edison, inventor of the phonograph, early motion picture technologies, and the incandescent light bulb.  Harman's JBL brand also earned a GRAMMY Technical Award in 2005, the first and only loudspeaker manufacturer to be so honored.  Founded in 1947, AKG has been providing state-of-the-art microphones and headphones for a variety of live and recording applications.

"This year's honorees are a prestigious group of diverse and prominent creators who have contributed some of the most distinguished and influential recordings," said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. "Their outstanding accomplishments and passion for their craft have created a timeless legacy that has positively affected multiple generations, and will continue to influence generations to come. It is an honor and privilege to recognize such talented individuals who have had, and will continue to have, such an influence in both our culture and the music industry."

Commenting on the award, Blake Augsburger, President and Chief Executive Officer of Harman Professional, noted, “As the first technology on the recording signal chain, the quality and performance of the microphone has a critical impact on the sound and feel of a record.  At AKG, we recognize that this fact places great responsibility on our shoulders to design and build microphones with the same commitment to innovation and attention to detail that artists put into their songwriting and performance. To be recognized by the global community of artists, writers, producers and engineers with this GRAMMY Award is extremely gratifying and while we are humbled and honored to receive this accolade, we are equally determined not to rest on our laurels and to innovate and excel further in the design and manufacture of great microphones and headphones.”

Echoing this sentiment, AKG President, Stefan Gubi noted, “Great sound does indeed start with the microphone and, I believe, especially with AKG microphones. The music world has changed considerably since AKG’s inception more than 60 years ago, but the dedication of AKG’s engineering and manufacturing teams and the preeminence of AKG microphones and headphones has been a constant.  We are extremely pleased to receive this great honor and we are grateful to NARAS for this recognition.

This year, AKG continued it’s tradition of innovation; introducing some of their most advanced microphones and headphones to date. With the release of the C 414 XLS and XL II, AKG introduced two of the most sensitive and versatile microphones available; with the Perception 120 USB, AKG gave users the ability to record studio-quality sound from their desktop and with the DMS 700, AKG presented their first digital wireless audio system.

JBL Professional Studio Monitors and Live Sound Speakers Take Center Stage At The 52nd Annual GRAMMY® Awards

Selected for the ability to meet the requirements of the most demanding professional applications, JBL loudspeakers were used in both the arena and the critical listening room of the 52nd Annual GRAMMY® Awards telecast on Sunday, January 31 at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. As has been the case for the past several years, JBL LSR Series studio monitors, VERTEC ® line arrays and VRX portable line arrays were crucial to the success of this year’s telecast.

The annual GRAMMY Awards telecast, known as Music’s Biggest Night® is presented by The Recording Academy®, to honor outstanding achievements in the production and performance of recorded music. The GRAMMY Awards were broadcast live in HDTV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network

The star-studded production for this 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards featured a host of live entertainers and celebrity presenters. Beyoncé was the biggest star of the evening, taking home six GRAMMY Awards, including Song Of The Year for “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It).” Taylor Swift was also a big winner, earning Record Of The Year honors for “Fearless,” along with three other GRAMMYs.

Key members of The Recording Academy’s Producers & Engineers Wing® used JBL LSR6300 Series studio monitors for critical monitoring during the Awards telecast, which aired live on CBS. "As always, attention to detail is essential for the GRAMMY telecasts, and this year’s Awards were no different,” said Michael Abbott, Audio Director for the GRAMMY Awards. “To that end, we once again chose a 5.1 JBL LSR6300 Series Studio Monitor System to pick up every nuance of the performances, and they gave us exactly what we needed.”

In addition, audio systems provider ATK/Audiotek supplied the main live audio system at the GRAMMY Awards, deploying a total of 70 JBL VERTEC VT4889 full-size line array elements, with 48 deployed as main left/center/right suspended arrays and the rest as signal-delayed arrays farther back in the venue. ATK/Audiotek also suspended twin 6-box subwoofer clusters overhead, using JBL’s VT4880A ultra-long excursion arrayable subwoofer. Also in use were 16 JBL VT4887 compact line array elements for auxiliary fill arrays, and 12 JBL VRX932LA compact constant-curvature speaker boxes for VIP front fill positions.

For more information on ATK/Audiotek, please visit www.atkcorp.com

AKG To Receive Technical Grammy® Award For Contribution To Recording Arts And Sciences

In recognition of more than 60 years contribution to the art and science of music recording and performance, storied microphone and headphone innovator, AKG was recently named to receive a prestigious technical Grammy® award from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS).  The award, which will be presented at this coming Grammy Week in Los Angeles in January 2010, represents an historic first in AKG’s history of firsts — not simply in terms of technology innovations, but also in great recordings and performances.

From The Beatles’ watershed performances in Shea Stadium in 1967 to Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra,  and today’s most progressive and successful artists like Jay Z, Missy Elliot and Kayne West, AKG microphones and headphones have provided great sounding technologies to support the most demanding and creative projects.

AKG is in good company, with this year's only other GRAMMY Technical Award to be presented posthumously to Thomas Edison, inventor of the phonograph, early motion picture technologies, and the incandescent light bulb.  Harman's JBL brand also earned a GRAMMY Technical Award in 2005, the first and only loudspeaker manufacturer to be so honored.  Founded in 1947, AKG has been providing state-of-the-art microphones and headphones for a variety of live and recording applications.

"This year's honorees are a prestigious group of diverse and prominent creators who have contributed some of the most distinguished and influential recordings," said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. "Their outstanding accomplishments and passion for their craft have created a timeless legacy that has positively affected multiple generations, and will continue to influence generations to come. It is an honor and privilege to recognize such talented individuals who have had and will continue to have such an influence in both our culture and the music industry."

"We are humbled by this recognition from the recording industry's preeminent organization," said Dinesh C. Paliwal, Harman International Chairman, President and CEO. "Our AKG products have long supported the industry's leading artists and technicians, and we are honored to share the spotlight with them at the legendary Grammy Awards."

This year, AKG continued it’s tradition of innovation; introducing some of their most advanced microphones and headphones to date. With the release of the Perception 120 USB in September, AKG gave users the ability to record studio-quality sound from their desktop; with the C 414 XLS and XL II, they introduced two of the most sensitive and versatile microphones available; and with the DMS 700, AKG presented their first digital wireless audio system.

“From its formation many years ago, AKG has been singularly committed to quality,” said Alfred Reinprecht, AKG Vice President of Marketing and Product Management.  “It is not surprising, therefore, that so many quality recording artists, producers and engineers have gravitated to AKG and made our microphones and headphones the tools of their trade and the instruments of their craft.  To be awarded this prestigious and rare honor is recognition of the wonderfully creative and committed people who have designed and built AKG products for more than half a century and to the loyal customers who have partnered with us to make our best products even better!”

Everyone at AKG is honored to be recognized by The Recording Academy for Technical Achievement,” “Since the company was founded in 1947, AKG has been dedicated to producing the highest quality microphones and headphones with the most advanced recording technology. This award not only signifies our ability to do so, but it also validates AKG as one of the leading international providers in audio equipment.”

Eventide Anthology II Plug-ins Underscore Sonic Creations Of Grammy Nominated Producer Eric Rosse

Eventide’s Anthology II TDM Plug-in bundle, drawing on decades of boundary smashing effects, provides a foundation for many of the innovative sounds of illustrious, Grammy ®-nominated producer Eric Rosse.

A professional musician and composer, as well as producer, Rosse is also known for scoring the highly acclaimed film Hand of Fate. He has worked closely with Gold and Platinum selling artists like Tori Amos, Anna Nalick, Lisa Marie Presley, and Sara Bareilles. Rosse produced the groundbreaking first album of Tori Amos, Little Earthquakes, and continued working with her on her Grammy nominated second album, Under The Pink, which produced smash hit singles across the globe. Rosse now works out of SquawkBox Studio in Silverlake, Los Angeles, maintaining control of projects from development through production, recording, and finishing. In his studio, he relies on Eventide’s Anthology II bundle for a sonic foundation.

“I depend on the great sounds in the Anthology II bundle first and foremost,” said Rosse, “but I also count on their ease of use and depth of programmability. When I’m mixing, just about all the processors are being used, and effects such as Eventide’s great sounding reverbs come in handy for recording drums, guitars and vocals.”

Rosse’s current projects, all of which involve him relying upon Anthology II, include the band White Tie Affair, whose eponymous album will be released on Epic this year. For that project, Rosse leaned heavily on Anthology’s EQ, reverb, compressors, and distortion for special effects and re-amping instruments. Beyond that, Rosse also kept busy with a recently released record by Sara Bareillas and on Anna Nalick’s second album. Nalick’s single was just released, and a preview EP is to be released shortly. Producing and mixing a new rock band on Mercury called Sparky’s Flaw, Rosse drew on Anthology II for EQ and reverb especially.

“The plug-ins in Anthology II speak to me sonically, like my favorite pieces of analog gear do,” Rosse said. “I still use my old Eventide H-3000/SE - it has never gone out of style. Quality is the most important aspect of any piece of gear — even above convenience — and the heritage of Eventide evolving into the Anthology II plug-ins provides both.”

Anthology II contains:
E-Channel™ - configurable channel strip with gate, compressor/limiter with sidechain, and 5-band 48-bit double precision parametric equalization

EQ45 Parametric Equalizer - vintage 48-bit double precision 4-band equalization with high and low cut 12dB/octave filters

EQ65 Filter Set - vintage 48-bit double precision high and low cut 18dB/octave filters, plus 2-band reject or band pass filters

Eventide® Reverb - nine room types from the H8000 with 3-band parametric EQ (pre- and post-reverberator), a compressor (pre or post-reverberator) and stereo delays

H3000 Band Delays™ - eight voices of delay with modulating filters; includes the Function Generator with 19 waveshapes

H3000 Factory™ - patch together any combination of 18 effects; includes the Function Generator with 19 waveshapes

H910 - the original Harmonizer® pitch shifter with delay

H949 - deglitched pitch shifting with delay, reverse, flanging, and randomizer

Instant Phaser™ - recreation of the world’s first phaser

Instant Flanger™ - dedicated flanger with bounce

Omnipressor™ - dynamics processor with an attitude!

Octavox™ - eight-voice diatonic Harmonizer pitch shifter

Precision Time Align™ - track phase alignment tool

Quadravox™ - four-voice diatonic Harmonizer pitch shifter

Ultra-Channel™ - configurable channel strip with gate, compressor/limiter with sidechain,
Omnipressor dynamics processor, 5-band 48-bit double precision parametric equalization, micropitch shifting and stereo delays

Anthology II is fully compliant with ICON, D-Control, D-Command, Venue, Pro Tools 7.4, and is Mac, Universal Binary, and PC compatible.

John Eargle Posthumously Awarded Technical Grammy

Industry pioneer John Eargle was posthumously awarded the 2008 Technical GRAMMY® Award at the Special Merit Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on the evening prior to the 50th GRAMMY Awards Telecast. The accomplished engineer, musician and longtime JBL Professional consultant passed away May 9, 2007, leaving a legacy of achievement in the areas of music recording, loudspeaker design, and education. The Technical GRAMMY Award is presented by vote of The Recording Academy®'s National Trustees to individuals who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.

“John Eargle left an everlasting and profound impression on the audio industry,” said Mark Gander, Vice President of Marketing, JBL Professional, who accepted the GRAMMY Award on behalf of John Eargle, along with John’s niece, Cyndi Bird, and nephew and namesake, John Paul Eargle. “He was a brilliant engineer, musician, author and teacher. His 2008 Technical GRAMMY Award commemorates the industry-wide recognition of John’s accomplishments, as well as the considerable time he devoted to sharing his expertise, experience and wisdom.”

John Eargle was a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) and engineered and/or produced over 275 albums, including GRAMMY Award-winning releases from Joe Williams and Ruth Brown. In 2001, John earned a GRAMMY Award for Best-Engineered Album, Classical for Dvorák: Requiem, Op. 89; Sym. No. 9, Op. 95 "From the New World."

In 2002, John and other JBL engineers won a scientific and technical award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the concept, design and engineering of the modern constant-directivity, direct radiator-style motion picture loudspeaker systems.

John Eargle earned degrees in music and electrical engineering from the Eastman School of Music (B.M.), University of Michigan (M.M.), University of Texas (B.S.E.E.), and Cooper Union (M.E.). He was member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; a member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers; a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers; a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America and reviewer of electro-acoustical patents for the ASA Journal; and a Fellow, Honorary Member, and past president of the Audio Engineering Society, a member of the AES Journal Review Board and was awarded the AES Bronze Medal.

During his 30-plus years with JBL, John Eargle championed the concept of flat power response in sound reinforcement applications, conceiving the application of bi-radial constant-coverage horns to both studio monitors and cinema systems. John also authored several books, including The Handbook of Recording Engineering, The Microphone Handbook, The Handbook of Sound System Design and The Loudspeaker Handbook. In early 2007, he completed The JBL Story: 60 Years of Innovation.