LIVE SIGNALS SOUND
TRENDS SURVEY
In the Feb . 2017 issue of Professional Sound magazine , we had our “ Live Sound Lay Of The Land ” feature , with prominent Canadian live sound pros discussing what technologies and trends they ’ re seeing emerge and how they affect their work and the industry . We then opened the conversation up to our readers . Here are a few of the responses …
In your opinion , which technological trend of the last 2-3 years has had the most significant impact – either positive or negative – on your work or the audio industry in general ?
“ Steerable line arrays are a very big trend .”
“ Cheap digital audio consoles have made previous inventories of rental equipment worthless , while lowering the standard of what pro audio equipment is supposed to consist of . On the other hand , the low price makes small jobs much more cost effective . Lastly , the connectivity to iPad-type devices for control is a real game changer to ease of operation .”
What do you predict will be the next big technological innovation that will have a widespread effect on people ’ s performance and workflow in live sound ?
“ Dante over IP for integration .”
“ Easily networked control devices that are intuitive to use and lower priced or even free to purchase . If new products don ’ t allow for this , they will have a hard time selling into the market .”
“ AVB … All components of a networked system , including switches , will be time aware , meaning all will participate in the clock / sync accuracy of your system – time stamping , time sensitive systems , etc .”
Do you find that the general trend of audio equipment and concepts being more accessible to more people has had a positive or negative impact on your interactions with clients over the past few years , as far as a clear idea of what they want from your services ? If so , how has that affected your work , for better or worse ?
“ Positive in the sense that people are more willing than ever to try new concepts , but at the same time negative as people often underestimate the level of attention needed on these new systems . People think everything is easy now ...”
“ Depending on the capability of the user or sophistication of the application , the new systems are either a blessing or a curse as far as the end user or owner of a system . It also makes it harder to differentiate your expertise to clients as they think they can do it all on their own or know it all because they know how to use an iPad .”
Erikson Audio Now Distributing Warm Audio
Erikson Audio , a JAM Industries company , is now the Canadian distributor for Warm Audio , which manufactures studio gear such as microphones , mic pres , compressors , and more .
“ We are
CATHY CANESTRARI OF ERIKSON AUDIO very happy to be adding Warm Audio to the Erikson Audio catalogue ,” comments Jeff Carman , Sr . VP at JAM Industries . “ The lineup of professional analog recording gear – at unheard of prices – is a perfect complement to our existing line card . Warm is an up-and-coming brand , and we are excited to bring that growth to the Canadian market .”
For more information , contact Erikson Audio : 514-457-2555 , FAX 514-457-0055 , info @ eriksonaudio . com , www . eriksonaudio . com .
InfoComm Show Introduces Emerging Trends Day & Center Stage
InfoComm International , in partnership with IMCCA , will host a day of emerging trends education on June 13 th , the day before the InfoComm 2017 show floor opens . The show runs from June 14-16 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando , FL .
The Emerging Trends Day is meant to offer insight into the future of the AV industry and will feature the inaugural class of Emerging Trends Fellows – experts chosen for their knowledge of a cross-section of critical technology areas .
In addition to Emerging Trends Day , InfoComm 2017 will feature a new Center Stage , located on the exhibit floor , where AV industry thought leaders will showcase case studies and real-world AV solutions to customers ’ enterprise technology challenges .
For more information , go to www . infocommshow . org .
16 PROFESSIONAL SOUND