Editor/Publisher: Gary Khan
Editor: Mike Castronovo
President: Mary Mazurek
V.P.: Mike Castronovo

Volume 19 Number 4
April, 2004

EARS meets at Etymotic Research, Inc

1012 Higgins, Grove Village, IL
847-228-0006
Tuesday, April 27 7:30pm

EARS meets on April 27 at Etymotic Research, Inc. On our typical "last Tue per month at 7:30pm", our trusty Prez has arranged for us to gather at the Etymotic Research training center in a joint meeting (not that kind, jeez!) with our egghead peers of the AES Chicago Section. Their President and founder, Dr. Mead Killion, a world-renowned researcher who just happens to live and work right here in Chicagah-land, will make a presentation called "Lost On the Way to the Brain". As audio professionals who must critically listen for frequent and extended periods, protecting and evaluating your hearing health is a serious issue. This veteran is a classically trained musician, producer and recording engineer has an amazing amount of patented inventions and procedures. This includes a specialty in hearing devices and pioneering developments with in-ear monitors - now increasingly common world wide in studios as well as on stage! Interested members can even get they¹re hearing tested (privately and anonymously if you wish) using his own super accurate methods for FREE and without any sales pitch! We're not talking the Sears "Associate" version here, folks! He will also present recorded examples during this presentation. His facility has it's own design lab, anechoic chamber, precision surround playback room and piano in the presentation room! We'll be in the Etymotic Research meeting room at 1012 Higgins, Grove Village, IL. The phone is 847-228-0006. You can hit www.mapquest.com for directions from "wherever yer at" and "Ety's" website www.etymotic.com for cool info about him and the Co. So Be There - you'all hear what I'm sayin'- huh, eh?
- Gary Khan

Meeting Recaps:
Our January meeting featured an exclusive look behind and above the scenes at Chicago's renown Symphony Center, formerly Orchestra Hall. '04 Grammy nominated engineers Bill Maylone & our host, Chris Willis led a detailed and informative discussion on how they approach recording live performances of varied kinds with specific mic and placement choices in this venue. We then toured the recording facility and where led high above in the catwalks of the stage's "fly" by our union access volunteer, Brian Young. Several EARS veterans showed up during this well attended meeting, despite the chilly night. Many of us stayed late in this private tour as the house was opened only for us and explored to areas closed to the public.

For our next meeting in February, we returned to veteran EARS comrade, Rick Barnes' Rax Trax Recording. We addressed a recent barrage of equipment thefts, suffered by 5 separate EARS comrades from here to Vegas, by discussing ways to avoid such calamities. We were drawn in by 2 of the recent victims' recounts of their experiences and gathered peer advice on how to attempt recovery of stolen gear and deal with insurance companies. Sadly, we learned how overworked law enforcement types question the possibility of the high value of our tools. By comparison to families and more common violent crimes like rapes and muggings, they fail to see any urgency in our plight and, like insurance companies, the true value of our special gear.

Although topical and necessary, these bastardly, dastardly deeds became too depressing for many who then consoled and commiserated with each other in the well-stocked lounge area, heh-heh! Of particular note were the frustrating experiences of fellow classical recordist, Steven Lewis. Happily, he recovered most all his gear, though essentially through his own tenacity. This included 5 of the 9 mic's stolen, including a very rare pair of vintage M-50's, unique Schoeps Stereo mic and the 2 Schoeps 221's. He thanked local EARS vet, Tim Powell, ex-Universal Recording staffer Bill Bradley for essential leads and Gary Khan for hurriedly getting the word out to EARS via email.

We were regaled by the passionate "heroics" of Gary and Dina Cobb's ARS studio manager who risked personal life and limb defending his staffer but was questioned by the responding officers even as the offenders sped out of the lot - Arrrghh!

Again, the word went out EARS ASAP with my thanks to Tim Powell, yet again, for alerting me! I called the Cobbs after another conversation with Tim to find they had just been hit again as I called. Seems some brazen bastards pocketed a Neumann M-149 (s/n 00443) during a studio "tour" but the idiots forgot to grab the power supply. Here¹s the kicker - these mutants actually had the brass camarones to return and try to grab the supply! The staff attempted to hinder their escape but they apparently broke out a door. This happened just before we spoke.

We concluded this somber but informative discussion with a tour of Rick¹s newly upgraded Control room "A" with a gorgeous SSL 8048 desk and Euphonix CS-2000 in C/R B.

While we're on this sad subject, let's recap the following as*holian recent occurrences.

EARS was able to step up by widely spreading the word among members and contacts. Other Victims included friendly pro rep, Brad Lunde, now in Nevada but without discounts to the Bunny ranch since we know we all get screwed for free in this biz! The list of gear was heinously long but you can reach him at brad@transaudiogroup.com Credos to Danny Leake for alerting us to this one.

I'm quoting another victim who contacted us below: "I am sending out a letter to let you know 4 microphones were stolen on 2/1 from Studiomedia Recording at about 6:00 PM. (2 Neumann U87's (serial #'s 32496 & 44711) & 2 Neumann U89's (serial #'s 455 & 457). If you could help pass the information on to as many people as possible we would much appreciate it. If anyone has any information about those mics please contact: Mike Stuckmyer at Studiomedia Recording by calling 847-864-4460 or emailing s2domedia@aol.com

Finally, ANOTHER victim reached out and is summarized below from the (much) earlier email sent to y'all: "Car broken into 2-12-04 2- SM-57 engraved with DePaul University TTS, 1 Rode NT-4 (sn 04571), 1 Boom Stand and a boat load of cable all tagged with DePaul University TTS contact: Paul Cox lightguy911@mac.com

Finally, in March we were joined by many AES members as we toured the new "Audio Technology Center" which hosts the 4 year, Bachelor accredited degreed, Sound Engineering program of Columbia College pioneered and anchored by the esteemed and dearly departed Malcolm Chisholm for so many years!

Our host was Doug Jones, the program¹s head cheese and veteran studio designer (i.e. Steve Yates studio, both major Chicago Trax locations, etc., etc.). He updated us on their educational program and was then prodded by yours truly to elaborate on the design features and issues for this seriously powerful facility!

We were then split into 2 tour groups as we perused the 2 Studios, multiple Production suites and 3 Control Rooms featuring numerous (and networked!) ProTools DAWs, 48 tracks of T-dats, 2- 24 track Studer and Otari analog MTR's. Desks included a Focusrite Control 24, 64 input (class A, discrete!) API Legacy and a one-of-a-kind, custom BBC Neve 50 series with extensive automation that was the prototype for the renowned "V" series. Both the API & Neve sport GML Flying Faders! This rockin' facility even uses an Ethernet-based 16(!) channel cue system with both mic and cue tielines for any studio from any control room.

Finally, they augmented the 3 EMT plates and Lex 960 & 300 (both with LARCs) with a massive SIX SECOND echo chamber adapted from a former bank vault complete with 16 ton door! LA-2's, 1176's, 2290's and rare vintage mic's completed the system.

I should probably report on received emails from EARDRUM recipients who sent a hearty EARS cheer to da' Prez for lining up more meetings at exclusive locations rarely, if ever, accessible to the public or even us as pro's as individuals!
- G. K.

Calling for articles Although I've got some juicy plans for some articles, your ideas, comments and articles are most welcome! Please remember to research and verify your assertions, where appropriate, and not make subjects too narrow in scope or personal for interest to our members and peers. Thoughtful reflections on our craft (in the tradition of Tim Powell's legendary "where's the beef"), business and technical resources and tips (like those of Mike Konopka's "cub tech tips") are usually most well received but experiences like Danny Leake¹s October AES recap was as well. Nuff said!
- GK

If you have any ideas for stories, wish to contribute an article, or want to include any upcoming events, please contact:

Gary at ears@ears-chicago.org. Or write to:
Peagasus Recording P.O Box 578903, Chicago, IL 60657.