"It is true that you may fool all of the people some of the time;you can even fool some of the people all of the time;but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time."

President Abraham Lincoln

I was browsing the web the other day and came across this photo of Hillary taken at a NC campaign stop. I had a flashback of another campaign some 16 years ago at another campaign stop right here in Greensboro. The Clinton proclivity to give speeches from the back of a truck is no coincidence, it's pure planed political theater.

Travel back 16 years...
We received a call from the advance team of then Governor Clinton in the early stages of his campaign for President. North Carolina had become a battleground state early in the contest and this was to be one of the first of many stops in our state. Bill Clinton, after having spent the day glad-handing around the area, was scheduled to have a rally out at the airport at the end of the day as he left the state. His chartered jet was to depart from the old terminal so they could accommodate the large crowd that was expected to attend the event. We were asked to provide a large elaborate stage and sound for an expected crowd of around 6,000 to 10,000 and direct broadcast feeds for the assembled press.

Less than a week before the event they called again and canceled all of the elaborate arrangements. It was a well publicized event locally and had not been canceled, but, gone were the staging, large sound system and press feeds. In their place was a request to rent our Entertainer System delivered with an enginer. Now anybody that is the least bit familiar with CareySound knows that our most popular rental package is perfect for two to three hundred people. But 6,000 to 10,000? I don't think so. They were insistent that they knew what they were renting and that it was all they were going to need.

Being professionals we felt that it was our duty to point out that their new plan had a few problems. There were going to be a whole bunch of people show up expecting to see Bill and hear him speak. They were bound to be a might ticked off when after having braved the crowds and the long hours of waiting (Bill was pretty famous for never showing up on time) and only the first couple of hundred would be able to hear or see him. That's when we got our first leason in Clinton political theater.

It was explained to us that it would make for a better show if they pretended that they had no idea that anybody would show up. After all, Bill was just as little ol' governor from a little ol' southern state and it would look great if it appeared that it was a spontaneous outpouring of support for a humble candidate that brought in the teaming masses instead of the planed event that it really was. So the game was afoot.

Showtime
Our chief engineer, Rick Earl, showed up with the Entertainer System. The campaign staff came up with a truck to use as a totally authentic looking impromptu stage. Several thousand people started showing up. The press arrived to fight for he best camera position and look for the press audio feed (that didn't exist). I stood by at the shop with a van full extra speakers and amps. The campaign staff placed a desperate call to us for more sound to accommodate all of the "unexpected crowd". I drive through the ever tightening gauntlet of law enforcement officers with sound reinforcements. Rick and I scramble to set up more gear. Bill finally arrives and mounts his soap box and then shakes EVERYBODY'S hand on the rope line. What a guy. Just like one of us. The puppet master from his staff with a suitcase full of cash shows up to pay us. Ah - now that's showbiz.

Electro-Voice is boosting the fundraising success of its “Musicians for Minneapolis: 57 Songs for the I-35W Bridge Disaster Relief Effort” CD release with a celebrity guitar auction on Ebay, running April 29th – May 9th. Guitars from legendary artists including Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, and Dick Dale are available.

This auction is being held to raise money for the families of those who were either wounded or lost their lives on the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 1st, 2007. Listing details below. All proceeds from the sale of these instruments will be donated to Minnesota Helps: Bridge Disaster Fund™.




ABOUT THE PROJECT

Shortly after 6 p.m. on August 1st, 2007—during the height of rush hour—the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge in Minneapolis collapsed. Media coverage was almost instantaneous and Minneapolis became the nation’s focus.

Help was immediate and came in many forms: the selflessness of victims helping victims; the courageous police, fire, and rescue teams; emergency blood donors; and funds from private citizens and corporations around the world.

Like countless others, Electro-Voice also wanted to help in hands-on way. As a Minnesota-based professional audio equipment manufacturer with a large global parent company (Bosch) that has made social responsibility one of its core values for over 120 years, EV sought to help its neighbors by doing more than just writing a check.

The very next morning EV began receiving e-mails and phone calls from various partners and friends in the music industry. They wanted to know how they could help. A benefit album, a celebrity memorabilia auction, and a benefit concert were planned, whereby all proceeds would be donated to Minnesota Helps: Bridge Disaster Fund™. Autographed guitars began showing up at EV’s door from the likes of Megadeth, Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Dick Dale, and others. Likewise, some of the most recognized names in the music industry began sending songs for use on the benefit album. Fast forward two months and EV had amassed enough material to fill 3 CDs—a total of 57 songs—nearly 4 hours of music!

Sales of the CD continue to grow, and now the celebrity guitar auction—including instruments from artists on the benefit CD—is set to add more valuable funds to this worthy cause. Please check out the Ebay auctions and good luck bidding!

AUCTION ITEMS

Click here to go to auction site.

(2) Autographed Les Paul guitars from Ozzy Osbourne/Black Label Society guitar phenom ZAKK WYLDE

(1) Dean bass signed by all members of MEGADETH

(1) Custom Minarik DICK DALE flame guitar, autographed by the Guitar Legend himself, serial #45

(1) Ibanez RE350DX guitar signed by guitar virtuoso STEVE VAI

(1) Schecter guitar signed by the members of MINISTRY

(1) Les Paul guitar autographed by the members of Twisted Sister

(1) Washburn guitar signed by Nick Catanese of Black Label Society/SPEED X

(1) EV Raven microphone autographed by the members of FISHBONE

(1) EV N/D967 microphone autographed by the members of STATIC-X

(1) EV N/D767a microphone autographed by the members of STATIC-X

(1) EV N/D767a microphone autographed by Herman Li of DRAGONFORCE

For information go to www.electrovoice.com/musiciansforminneapolis .

We have ben keeping you up-to-date with the latest news in wireless microphone usage and here is a another discussion courtesy of Sound & Communications on the "white Space" topic that impacts al wireless microphone users. We first broached this subject last year in our news item titled "Industry News Flash" that can be found by clicking here.



Current Broadcast is on “White Spaces” Issues - Part 1, March 13, 2008

Mark E. Fritz, C-EST, systems engineer with ESCO Communications, Inc., interacts with Microphone Industry Coalition spokesman Christopher P. Lyons, of Shure Inc. The guests define the “White Spaces” issue and address how it might affect integrators’ businesses. They also examine short- and long-term consequences of the issue and related technologies.

In the FINAL day of the Sale we have made our final markdowns. One Item is marked down so low it's FREE. Check out the final list by clicking here.

We are in the final 14 days of our biggest end of year SALE ever and we have marked down most of the items to an amazing 50% off of the already low prices we started with. You can see all of the latest price slashes by clicking here. When we move to the new store it is al over so act TODAY.

I have just posted the latest updated price list that you can find by clicking here. There isn't much time left to take advantage of the largest sale of used equipment in CareySounds history. Everything listed has been reduced even further and we have found some new items after digging through the rest of the building. Don't wait - come by today.

We have been running an experiment with a new FAX system that automatically distributes all faxes through our email system and it has working great. Effective immediately our new incoming fax number is:

(336) 232-1337

Lynn signs the new lease and makes it official, CareySound, after 14 years on Church Street, is moving to its new home at 301-E Pomona Drive on the 2nd of March. Let the countdown commence. A lot a new and exciting things are happening at CareySound and events are moving quickly.

There is not much of our old gear moving to the new building with us and the closer we get to moving day the cheaper its going to get (as if it's not already cheap enough).Things are selling quickly. Stay tuned to the website for new announcements.

KlarkTeknik/MIDAS is having a drawing at next weeks NAMM show in Anaheim and you can join in the fun. Anybody can enter and you don't need to be present at the Trade Only show to win. They published forms for the sweepstakes in the last Pro Sound News magazine but since it is an industry only publication you probably haven't seen it. Here is a link to the super secret web site version of the entry form. The prizes are:
Grand Prize: Venice 320
Second prize: Venice 240
Third prize: Venice 160
12 runners up get a DN100

We are moving to a new building and we are not taking any old inventory to the new location. After all - if stands to reason that if you have a new building that you should fill it with new stuff. Right!? This is your chance to grab that piece of gear that you've seen in the building at prices even lower than you'll find in the Trading Post or on EBAY. Just look for the huge dumpster in front of the building if you don't think I'm serious about emptying the building.

EDA Marketing of Snelville, GA has signed on to be our new manufacturers rep for BOSCH. EDA, known for their representation of high-end A/V gear for the last 10 years, has formed a new division, EDA Pro Group, to handle the new responsibilities. Former ATGI Rep Tommy DuBose, has joined this new group and will be covering our territory.

What this means to you -
Tommy DuBose comes to the table with the necessary experience to help us make a smooth transition to a new rep firm and to continue our exceptional service to our accounts. Welcome to the CareySound Team.

‘WHITE SPACES’ REMAINS LEGISLATIVE HOT TOPIC
From Sound & Communications Newsletter
Responding to news that the FCC has rescinded its October deadline for issuing new regulations governing use of the hotly contested "white spaces" within the TV spectrum, individuals active on the legislative front, such as Shure Inc.’s Sandy LaMantia, lauded the continuing efforts of a growing bipartisan group on Capitol Hill lending its support to wireless microphone interests. "I want to thank all of the legislators in Washington who are calling for a thorough evaluation of these most complicated issues," LaMantia said following the release of a letter signed by three members of the House of Representatives from Nevada urging FCC chairman Kevin Martin to give mindful consideration to the debate. 
The letter's authors, Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Jon Porter (R-NV) and Dean Heller (R-NV), are the architects of the latest bipartisan push to ensure that meaningful and comprehensive interference protections are given to wireless microphone operation as the FCC presses forward on a path toward issuing new rulings for white spaces use.

“We feel that the Commission is well-served to rely on its engineers to develop a tight interference-free solution to the white spaces issue before allowing new products on the market," Berkley, Porter, and Heller said in their letter to Martin. "The recent report released by the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology confirms our most serious concerns—that technology to permit safe cohabitation of unlicensed devices with wireless microphones just doesn't exist.”

Ok - so why is this such big news and why should you care?

Using wireless audio systems has always been tricky and it isn't getting easier. The federal government continues to force us to "improve our lives" and this time it's High Definition Digital Television. Although there has never been an allocated slot for professional wireless audio, using the 'white space' (frequencies not used by local TV stations) was allowed as long as the output power was infinitesimally small as to not interfere with licensed use. But the mandated transition to Digital HDTV not only requires ALL of us to spend money on a new TV receiver it also is profoundly changing the wireless audio landscape in a couple of important respects.

First off our existing systems relied on, for the most part, a generous amount of unused radio wave space in both the UHF and VHF ranges. At the current moment, the transition to digital stations is taking up twice the space as stations broadcast both in analogue and digital. Although it would seem that when the analogue signals go off air there will be more room than before, the opposite will be true. The FCC is not going to just abandon that space to us audio guys, they are going to auction it off to the highest bidder for their exclusive use and we will no longer get to share the space with the new owners like we did with TV stations. Besides even if we could share the space we can't rely on that 'dead space' still being clear at show time.

Secondly, the remaining space that digital TV will occupy will be greatly reduced and the bandwidth (amount of space) needed for all of that digital data takes up all of their allotted space. It use to be that in a pinch we could ride along in the same bandwidth as the local station in an area of their space they were not using.

In the early days having a wireless audio system used to be a luxury that was used by a only a few and it was unusual to have more than one system being used at the same time in the same vicinity. With the advances in wireless technology and scale of manufacture, the use of wireless systems are ubiquitous with all manner of audio productions now that very high quality systems have become so reliable and affordable. Wireless is now assumed in audio and is no longer a novelty.

Unfortunately the ending of this story has yet to be written. Protecting our investment in wireless equipment is going to become more difficult. A lot of us are going to find that our current hodgepodge collection of wireless microphones are destined for the landfill. My final bit of advice - It is more important than ever to seek help from knowledgeable professionals. This is not the time to wing it.