Wednesday, June 9, 2010

The Most Advanced User Interface Just Got Even Better: Studer Releases Vista 9 Digital Console

Building on the acclaimed and proven Vista digital mixing platform, the Vista 9 combines advanced ergonomic design with complete system flexibility, pristine audio quality and groundbreaking new features to create a console fit for a new age of broadcast and live production.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Following on from the Vista 5, 6, 7 and 8 desks, the Vista 9 takes the operator experience to a higher level, supplementing the Vistonics™ interface with radical and innovative ‘wide screen’ based TFT metering, FaderGlow™ and numerous other innovations.

The new metering really does give precision feedback on signal status. The channel meters are able to show mono--right through to 7.1 channel signals--in the upper section of the screen, while the lower portion can show bus assignment or for surround channels an image of the surround composite, providing a clear and easily understandable display of the surround signal. 

Alternatively, a unique HISTORY mode records events such as overloads in the audio path of each channel, and highlights them in red on the channel waveform. The operator can then review which channel had such an event, up to 30 seconds after the event has occurred. Furthermore, all stereo inputs and stereo masters have a correlation meter bar above the bargraph display.

The Control Bay meter section can be configured to show any choice of output busses and input channels and displays up to 40 meters at the time.

Studer’s patented Vistonics has won many friends worldwide thanks to its speed and ease of use and affinity to the analogue channel-strip way of working. Each touch-sensitive TFT screen shows 10 channel strips, with rotary encoders and switches mounted directly onto the screen, providing the operator with ‘Where you look is where you control’ ergonomics.

During a hectic live production, the context oriented FaderGlow™ provides the operator with an instant overview of the console status by illuminating each fader in one of eight freely-assignable colours. Suddenly it’s easy to see exactly where your channel groups are, dramatically increasing reaction time and reducing the stress of mixing in an environment where there is no second chance.

The new Vista 9 gives you absolute freedom to place input, as well as master channels, anywhere across the surface. You decide how you want your mixing session laid out. From surround input channels with an intuitive input balance section to stereo input channels with a 5.1 up-mixing panner to automatic down-mixer processes for outputs, the Vista 9 has all the practical tools for today’s and tomorrow’s surround productions built-in.  This includes dual speaker group 7.1 control room monitoring connectivity integrated into the desk.

Drawing on more than 60 years of experience in the design of rock-solid, industry-proven broadcast equipment, failsafe redundancy comes as standard with the Vista 9. Dual PSU’s as well as a dual control system ensures that component failure doesn’t mean loss of control over the mix, while a redundant network system keeps up the vital communication to the DSP core.

The Vista 9 integrates nicely with other Studer Vista and OnAir consoles and Routers by making use of the Studer RELINK network technology.  Communication to third party control systems is also provided, making the Vista 9 a future-proof investment.

The Studer Vista 9 has already shipped to the first customer installations, and is in full production. The Vista 9 will be on show for the first time at the Broadcast Equipment Exhibition of the Shanghai TV Festival and KOBA the following week.

Video examples of the Vista 9 metering can be seen at http://harmanprogroup.blogspot.com/2010/06/vista-9-video.html

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems.  HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.2 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2010.  The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.


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Harman Professional Puts AVB Front And Center At InfoComm 2010, Hosts A Series Of Seminars And Training Sessions

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — In a move to provide systems integrators with deeper knowledge of the features, benefits and applications of the AVB protocol for multichannel A/V networking over standards-based Ethernet, Harman Professional will hold multiple training sessions and discussions throughout InfoComm 2010 that focus exclusively on the new protocol. The training sessions and discussion will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center on separate days throughout the 3-day exhibition, while its new AVB system, which demonstrates the benefits of the technology with an emphasis on Houses of Worship applications, will also be on display at the Harman Professional booth, number C6236.
The House of Worship demonstration system features the three interconnected elements of Harman’s AVB system solution: next generation hardware, next generation software, and the next generation audio network. The next generation hardware consists of a dbx SC Series digital matrix processors, Crown CT series amplifiers with USP4/AVB installed, BSS Audio AVB wall plates, and the BSS Audio / Netgear Ethernet AVB switch. The system is operated through next-generation software HiQnet System Architect™ version 2 with its new configuration and routing paradigms based on designing the system directly ‘into’ a floor plan of the venue; all audio running over the next-generation audio network, Ethernet AVB.  Visitors to the booth will not only be able to experience the extrodinary simplicity of Harman’s AVB routing mechanisms, but also take real-time control of the system with System Architect’s new full-screen kiosk mode functionality.
“As more members of the professional A/V community begin to adopt AVB protocols, and the single A/V network standard becomes a reality, Harman Professional will continue to support and introduce new products that enhance the efficiency of A/V delivery,” commented Adam Holladay, Market Manager, System Development and Integration Group. “It is important for us to educate our customers on the benefits of AVB, and we encourage anyone who is at InfoComm to come by our booth or seminars to learn more – particularly those connected with House of Worship system design.”
The first public event, a training session entitled “Designing The World’s First Ethernet AVB Systems With HiQnet System Architect”, will focus on configuring an Ethernet AVB system with System Architect in a House of Worship system design, and will take place on Wednesday June 9 from 2:30pm-4:30pm at room N208. It will be hosted by a complete Harman Professional team, including Adam Holladay and Tom Cram for SDIG, Iain Gregory for dbx / BSS Audio, and Brad Benn for Crown.
The next event will be an AVnu Alliance™ panel - featuring representation from Harman International, and several other AVnu Alliance member companies - and will take place on Friday, June 11 from 10:30am-12:00pm in room N219. The panel will discuss the new IEEE 802.1 AVB standards and how they affect the A/V community.  See avnu.org for more information about the alliance.
Harman HiQnet™ is the world's first connectivity and control protocol that integrates all product categories in the signal chain for professional audio systems of all types, size, and applications. Harman HiQnet no longer requires the user to manage multiple disparate operating systems or be responsible for programming individual signal processors, speaker controllers, wireless microphone systems, and mixing consoles. HiQnet was developed by engineers from across Harman’s Professional Division and is coordinated by the System Development and Integration Group (SDIG), a team of dedicated systems specialists based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Harman Professional will also be showcasing its new AVB product technologies along with other members of the AVnu Alliance at the AVnu Alliance Pavilion at booth number C7934 throughout the show.

HARMAN (www.harman.com ) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems.  HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.2 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2010.  The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.
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Harman Professional Links With Com-Net Software To Launch IDX Information Delivery Systems That Couple Harman Audio Networking And Performance With Com-Net Software’s Market-Proven Interface And Control

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Realigning expectations for high-performance, easy to integrate communication systems, Harman Professional today announced a partnership with information display and paging specialist Com-Net Software to launch a series of new communication technologies starting with the co-branded IDX Information Delivery Systems that debuts today at InfoComm. The IDX System couples Harman’s Crown CTs, BSS London and HiQnet™ technologies on the back end with Com-Net Software ECLIPSX Flight Information Display System or ECLIPSX Transit Information Display System at the front end.  The combined result is great sounding, highly reliable audio networks with application-engineered interface and control in a versatile, cost-efficient package.

According to Van Williamson, Sales & Marketing Manager Commercial Systems, Harman Professional, working with Com-Net Software made a very attractive proposition.  “Rather than build a system from the ground up and learn paging at our customers’ expense, we have the opportunity to work with the market leader in flight information display and message delivery logic.  The new IDX System hits the ground running to deliver considerable audio networking and control without impacting the end-user interface or workflow.  It’s literally the best of both worlds!”

The IDX System delivers audio solutions integrated with signage products and provides integrators serving customers in paging and life safety for infrastructure, healthcare, transportation and government.  Featuring Com-Net software logic and interface software deployed on a database platform speaking to a BSS London and Crown CTs audio network via CobraNet and Harman HiQnet systems configuration and control protocol, the IDX System is a powerful, unified communication system.  Operators can monitor the status of every critical component of a system for status and full control over recording, playback, volume, and scheduling of audio and visual messages.

Commenting on the introduction, Chad Timms, Vice President, Product Development, Com-Net software said today, “Harman Professional deserves considerable respect for recognizing that one size does not fit all: that mission-critical paging systems require very specific feature-sets and fail-safes to the professional audio systems deployed in entertainment, sport or retail!  Because paging is a demanding market where the slightest hiccup can result in mass confusion or personal injury, customers need a proven solution developed by trusted experts — going any other route would be short-sighted and counter-intuitive.”

Underscoring Timms point, Com-Net Software and Harman have worked together closely to deploy several major transit facilities in the United States already prompting the companies to work closer together to productize their solution: The IDX Information Delivery System.  The companies have agreed to work closely together to build upon the platform and develop a range of modular paging systems and signage solutions to make airports, train stations, healthcare institutions and other large facilities safer, friendlier and more communicative.

In doing so, Harman Professional is providing its global sales and distribution teams with a range of compelling new solutions to serve new customers in paging and life safety for infrastructure, healthcare, transportation and government markets.  Harman will immediately be providing the IDX Information Delivery System to international partners.

“Harman is committed to growth and well-positioned to meet that commitment at the corporate level, the brand level, the manufacturer-rep level and the international distributor level,” Williamson concluded.  “We believe that well-directed innovation will provide more customers with better sound and we’re pleased to have partners like Com-Net in this important, exciting mission.”
Harman HiQnet is the world's first connectivity and control protocol that integrates all product categories in the signal chain for professional audio systems of all types, size, and applications. Harman HiQnet no longer requires the user to manage multiple disparate operating systems or be responsible for programming individual signal processors, speaker controllers, wireless microphone systems, and mixing consoles. HiQnet was developed by engineers from across Harman’s Professional Division and is coordinated by the System Development and Integration Group (SDIG), a team of dedicated systems specialists based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Signature Technologies, Inc. dba Com-Net Software is a leading provider of Audio-Visual Customer Communication Systems for the transportation, retail, hospitality, education and healthcare industries. Com-Net is a market leader in providing sophisticated turnkey solutions that include hardware, software, installation, maintenance and support throughout North America.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems.  HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.2 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2010.  The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Andy Trott Appointed President of AKG

Soundcraft, Studer and AKG combine under the same management team.

VIENNA, Austria – Andy Trott, President of Harman’s mixer business Soundcraft Studer, with facilities in the UK and Switzerland, has also been made responsible for AKG, headquartered in Vienna, Austria.

Stefan Gubi, who has headed up AKG or the past five years, is departing at the end of June, returning to a senior post in the telecom industry from where he originated prior to joining AKG.

Andy Trott, who has architected the ‘digitalisation’ of Soundcraft Studer’s business since he joined in early 2003, is understandably excited at the prospect of leading AKG. Speaking from Vienna today, Trott said, “Having a background as a digital engineer and a recording musician I am absolutely thrilled at the prospect of leading another legendary name in the audio industry. AKG has always been a brand I have revered and having now met with many of the team in Austria I can see many synergies with the new product development programs we have been pursuing in Soundcraft Studer.

“Harman’s strategy is to develop centres of excellence and by bringing our microphone and headphone business closer together with our mixer brands, we will be able to capitalise on engineering innovations currently under way in both camps--for example, we have several digital programs in place that can benefit from sharing one another’s creativity.”

Regarding organisation there will be minimal change, according to Trott. “We will obviously look for efficiencies and make sensible changes, but AKG is running well, much to the credit of Stefan’s [Gubi] work over the past four years. Nigel Beaumont, our VP of Operations, has been running our manufacturing operations across all three brands for almost a year now and the marketing teams, in line with all Harman Professional brands, work together on a daily basis so the businesses are comfortable working together.”

Accepting his new appointment in the same year as AKG received a coveted Technical GRAMMY Award, Trott was keen to point out that his strategy is to spearhead growth. “Like Studer, AKG has over 60 years of proud history valued by staff, distributors and customers alike, and this is something we want to protect as we pioneer new technologies--no other brands can offer such an integrated set of possibilities for future products as we can.”

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems.  HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.2 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2010.  The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

Lexicon PCM Native Reverb Plug-ins Provide Sonic Solutions for GRAMMY Winning Producer

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – While searching for the ultimate sound combination to complete the freshman album of pop singer Jenna Andrews, GRAMMY and EMMY Award-winning producer Andy Zulla, deployed the Lexicon PCM Native Reverb Bundle to develop one of the most unique-sounding albums to date for the young Toronto native. 

With influences stemming from Hip Hop, R&B and Pop, Andrews had visions of an album with a sound combining a blend of retro-sounding, wet mixes and a contemporary, dry and tight mix.  Zulla knew he would have to summon the perfect reverb that sounded full and dense, while also having a transparent, non-existent feeling.  Having sold his Lexicon 480L and 960 before taking on this project, he hadn’t realized that hitting this perfect mix without them would be difficult.

“The problem was once we went for a dense reverb, it became very clogged and heavy; very lifeless yet very apparent,” said Zulla, Mixer of multiple number-one hits and more than 20 gold and platinum records for artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Jessica Simpson and Rod Stewart. 
           
The powerful PCM Native Reverb Bundle includes seven signature Lexicon reverbs including: Vintage Plate, Plate, Hall, Room, Random Hall, Concert Hall, and Chamber with over 950 of the most versatile and finely crafted studio presets including recognizable classics from Lexicon’s immense library of sounds.

“After purchasing every reverb plug-in available as well as libraries and libraries of impulse responses, I realized I could find nothing to replace my Lexicon 480L and 960 reverbs, until now. The new Lexicon PCM Native Reverb Bundle delivers that lush Lexicon depth and fullness that nothing else can even come close to! Back are the days of just pushing up the fader and having the reverb sound instantly great without even trying,” continued Zulla. “It has the ability to create lush spaces but at the same time allow the mix to sound dry, tight, and modern. We ended up using the PCM plug-in on everything, all over the album.”

Zulla and Andrews’ completed album, ‘The Moon And The Stars’ on Island Records, will be released in the summer of 2010.  Her first single, ‘Tumbling Down’ was released May 17, 2010.

“Computer technology has finally advanced to the point where it is able to efficiently run our complex algorithms natively,” stated Rob Urry, President, Harman Music Group. “The use of the PCM Native Reverb Bundle by world class professionals such as Andy is a testament to the Lexicon brand and our success in this platform environment.”

The PCM Native Reverb Plug-In Bundle is ideal for recording and post-production environments where unsurpassed quality is required. It is a fully functional cross-platform plug-in that is compatible with Windows® XP, Vista, and 7 along with MAC® OSX 10.4, 10.5, 10.6. It is available now with a suggested retail price of US $1899. To activate a free 7-day trial of the Plug-In, a user can visit www.Lexiconpro.com for an iLok™ authentication key.


Lexicon is a unit of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com).
HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems.  HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.2 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2010.  The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

Soundcraft Vi6™ Conquers The Great White North

WHITEHORSE, Canada – The Yukon Arts Centre (YAC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of the arts as an important cultural, social and economic force in the Yukon, and the territory’s premier venue for performing and visual arts, has purchased and installed a Soundcraft Vi6™ large-format digital live sound console. The Vi6 emerged as the clear winner of a nearly year-long period of intensive research and systematic comparison by Patrick Matheson, Technical Director of the YAC, which saw the Vi6 emerge superior in key performance categories including intuitive operation, a fast learning curve and exceptional reliability. In the year since the Vi6 was installed at the YAC, it has acted as the FOH mixing platform--and often simultaneously as the monitor mixer, as well--for a wide range of music artists, consistently delivering great sound and smooth performance.

Intended to be a model for the development of the arts in Canada’s North territory, the YAC’s 428-seat proscenium theater offers outstanding acoustics and top-of-the line technical support to provide an engaging experience for performers and audiences alike. YAC has become a major presentation venue in Canada, showcasing performances ranging from hip-hop to modern dance, from cutting-edge theater to national and international music headliners, and everything in between. But it’s unique in another way, as well. “Being in a fairly remote area of the country, we have to try to be all things to all people to the extent that we can,” explains Matheson, who has acted as Technical Director for the YAC for the past five years. He spent the better part of the last year intently researching the YAC’s first foray into digital mixing, which promised to give the YAC’s audio system the flexibility it needed.

“Once we decided to go with a digital console, we knew that it had to meet some very rigorous criteria,” he says, again noting that Yukon’s vastness and remoteness meant that the console would have to offer outstanding reliability even while it was being used almost every night, often to mix both FOH and monitors. Furthermore, with nearly half the visiting artists performing at the YAC bringing their own live sound engineers, the console had to be user-friendly. “We reviewed a lot of candidates,” says Matheson, who compared specifications of several different consoles and contacted colleagues asking their experiences with them. The results increasingly pointed towards the Soundcraft Vi6.

When Matheson visited the General Motors Place arena, home to the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, where a Vi6 had been installed a year earlier, he realized he had found what he was looking for. “We needed a board that had already proven itself, yet was still state of the art, that could perform multiple functions yet be as familiar as an analog console for visiting engineers,” he says. “The Vi6 was all that and more. The touch-screens are easy to navigate – you know where everything is and where it’s routed all the time, which is much better than a single screen where you have to go through several layers to find everything. Plus, we have had a lot of good experience with systems from BSS, Lexicon and Studer, and those technologies are all integrated into the Vi6, such as the Vistonics™ interface. I’m an Apple computer user, so I have a very specific idea of what a simple but effective user interface is, and I have to say that if Steve Jobs designed a digital audio console, the Vi6 would be it. Visiting engineers are on it after just a 10- to 15-minute tutorial. It’s a console that speaks to its operators. It’s been the perfect choice.”

Soundcraft is a unit of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com).
Harman International designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment products for the automotive, consumer and professional markets, and maintains a strong presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia, employing more than 11,000 people worldwide. The Harman International family of brands includes AKG®, Becker®, BSS®, Crown®, dbx®, DigiTech®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson®, Revel®, QNX®, Soundcraft® and Studer®. Harman International’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NYSE: HAR.”

Lights! Camera! Sound! Technology From Harman Professional Provides Audio For The Legendary Sundance Institute Feature Film and Composers Lab

Fledgling filmmakers are mentored at the Sundance Labs Program, for which Harman Professional provides leading-edge technology products from JBL and Soundcraft, including JBL LSR studio reference monitors and Soundcraft M Series mixers for editing and mixing of film soundtracks and dialogue, and for film scores

For the past 11 years, Harman Professional technology has helped young filmmakers find their voice at Sundance and this year is no different, with Harman providing 7 pairs of JBL LSR2300 monitors, 3 Soundcraft M12 mixers and 3 M8 mixers for the summer-long program

NORTHRIDGE, California –- Continuing its support of excellence and creative innovation among young filmmakers, Harman Professional will once again provide cutting-edge audio technology for this season’s Sundance Institute Labs Feature Film Program that takes place from June through September at the Sundance Institute in Provo, Utah.  This year — the program’s 12th season — Harman Professional will provide seven pairs of JBL LSR2300 monitors, three Soundcraft M12 mixers and three Soundcraft M8 mixers for use in the program’s film editing and scoring projects.  HP Marketing, of Centennial, Colorado, the Harman Professional regional manufacturer’s representative and a long-time supporter of Sundance, facilitated the equipment’s delivery to Sundance.

Reservoir Dogs, Boys Don’t Cry, Requiem For A Dream. These are just a few of the now-classic movies that had their starts at the Sundance Institute Labs Feature Film Program, which every year nurtures a select group of aspiring filmmakers in a workshop environment where they are mentored by some of the best minds on the film industry. The Feature Film Program, which also includes the Film Composers Lab in which young music scoring talent is cultivated, takes place in the hills of Utah, far from the high-tech sound stages of Hollywood. However, thanks to Harman Professional’s commitment to the advancement of film sound, the work at Sundance Institute Labs Feature Film Program benefits from the same technology platforms these students will be using when they begin their careers in Hollywood.  The JBL LSR2300 Series Studio Monitors features the same stringent Linear Spatial Reference criteria used in the design of the acclaimed LSR6300 and LSR4300 Series for absolute accuracy at the mix position in any environment. The Soundcraft M Series mixers deliver a great-sounding, reliable performance in any environment, offering a familiar user interface with advanced design and construction, including high-quality 100mm faders combined with signal and peak LEDs on every channel and high resolution output metering.

“The Sundance Institute Feature Film and Composers Programs are extraordinary undertakings,” states Ian Calderon, Director of Digital Initiatives.  “Our visiting filmmakers, composers and creative advisors expect to use the best technology resources while at Sundance.  JBL and Soundcraft have consistently met those expectations and we are grateful for their continued support.”

Scott Johnson, Technical Director for the Sundance Institute Film Composers Lab Program, notes that the JBL and Soundcraft equipment are used throughout the summer, for all the editing work and for the Film Composers Labs working first on documentaries and then on narrative features later in the summer.  Now in his 11th year with the program, Johnson says JBL and Soundcraft have been an integral part of the initiative for as long as he can remember. “The equipment is great – it really helps raise the technical and creative bar at the Labs,” he says. “Working with this kind of quality equipment in this remote environment gives the students an incredible advantage, one that I’m sure will stay with them for the rest of their careers.”

Commenting on the initiative, Michael MacDonald, Harman Professional Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales noted, “Innovation comes in many shapes and forms. Organizationally, Harman is deeply committed to creative and technological innovation in our culture and in the community.  The Sundance Institute shares this commitment to innovation and education, which is why support for the Institute labs is a natural step for Harman.

About Sundance Institute: Dedicated year-round to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences, Sundance Institute was founded by Robert Redford in 1981 in the mountains of Sundance, Utah. Since that time, the Institute has grown into an internationally recognized resource for thousands of independent artists. The Institute advances originality, authenticity, and innovation in storytelling by offering creative and financial support to artists around the world.

Through year-round support and a series of Labs and fellowships for screenwriters, directors, and producers, the Institute’s Feature Film Program has supported more than 200 feature films, connecting filmmakers with musicians, the Film Music Program’s Composers Lab allows accomplished musicians to explore composing for film while introducing filmmakers to the importance of music in film.

Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com), designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment products for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. Harman International maintains a strong presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia, and employs more than 11,000 people worldwide. The Harman International family of brands includes AKG®, Audioaccess®, Becker®, BSS®, Crown®, dbx®, DigiTech®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson®, Revel®, QNX®, Soundcraft® and Studer®. Harman International’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NYSE: HAR.”

Harman Professional Helps Sound The Call For The United States Pavilion at World Expo 2010 Shanghai China

JBL VRX line arrays, Control Contractor installed-sound loudspeakers and BSS Soundweb London processing systems will provide the U.S. Pavilion with world-class audio;

The U.S. Pavilion’s theme is "Rise to the Challenge,” something that Harman brands do on a daily basis when called upon for the most significant live sound applications around the world.

SHANGHAI, China — Harman (NYSE: HAR), a leading provider of branded audio and infotainment electronics for the home, the car, and sound professionals, today announced that technologies from its JBL and BSS Audio brands will form the critical core of the sound system for the United States Pavilion at the upcoming World Expo 2010 Shanghai China.  An estimated 70-plus million attendees over the course of the next six months will experience performances in the $61 million, 60,000-square-foot, glass-walled U.S. Pavilion, which will feature four separate performance spaces, which will be used for multimedia performances, with live performances taking place just outside in the plaza near the queue. Artists scheduled to perform during the opening week of Expo 2010 include the Philadelphia Orchestra, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Herbie Hancock, as well as a wide range of musical styles, including jazz, pop, ska and classical music, along with university marching bands, theater and dance troupes, and "Salutes" the American city and state partners.

The sound system’s components, installed and integrated by award-winning audio-visual company Electrosonic, include loudspeakers from JBL’s portable systems including PRX512M powered monitors in addition to VRX Series line arrays, including VRX932LAP powered 2-way line arrays and VRX918SP 18" powered subwoofers. Both the PRX and VRX Series speakers were part of the live stage equipment and run through the Harman soundboard. Other speakers used included JBL’s Application Engineered Series, such as AC2215/00 compact 2-way loudspeakers, as well as JBL’s Control 26CT and Control 25AV from the highly regarded Control Contractor Series of installed speakers. These loudspeakers are processed by BSS Audio Soundweb London BLU-160 Signal Processors configured using Soundweb London Architect software and controlled via Harman’s HiQnet™ control protocol.

“Great sound carries,” noted Michael MacDonald, Harman Professional Executive Vice President of Marketing & Sales.  “And in this instance, Harman is at once proud and also humbled that our sound systems are helping carry the spirit of American design and invention at the World Expo 2010.  We are honored that when events of this magnitude and this significance need sound technologies, systems designers the world over continue to look to Harman brands and products to make sure that sound is perfect.”

As it has for numerous prestigious performance spaces around the world, Harman continues to provide the ultimate in sonic quality and reliability for critical event spaces.  Harman systems are deployed widely at major sporting events, support the music industry’s most successful tours and are installed in many of the world’s most prestigious and ambitious architectural venues.

Harman HiQnet™ is the world's first connectivity and control protocol that integrates all product categories in the signal chain for professional audio systems of all types, size, and applications. Harman HiQnet no longer requires the user to manage multiple disparate operating systems or be responsible for programming individual signal processors, speaker controllers, wireless microphone systems, and mixing consoles. HiQnet was developed by engineers from across Harman’s Professional Division and is coordinated by the System Development and Integration Group (SDIG), a team of dedicated systems specialists based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com), designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment products for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. Harman International maintains a strong presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia, and employs more than 11,000 people worldwide. The Harman International family of brands includes AKG®, Becker®, BSS®, Crown®, dbx®, DigiTech®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson®, Revel®, Soundcraft® and Studer®. Harman International’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NYSE: HAR.”