April
2006
CHANGES..................................
First
of all, a heartfelt “thank you” to all who have helped
make 2005 the great year it was. With success, often comes change.
It is in that spirit that we must look ahead and focus our attention
on the brands we manage or distribute in the Americas. Effective
January 1, 2006, we shall no longer represent Digigram and Earthworks.
These are two wonderful companies that we are sure will continue
to meet with success in the years ahead. We bid them both good fortune.
Optocore
Forms Strategic Alliance with APB and Powersoft...
Beginning
this year, we have formed a unique alliance of the Optocore,
and the RF Pro distributed brands with Powersoft and APB. Optocore,
Inc., originally located in Tucker, Georgia, will now be moving
its base of operations to the Totowa, NJ facility where APB and
Powersoft are currently located. We will transition all of our distributed
business activities and brand management into one common facility,
with Optocore, APB, Powersoft, and RF Pro working together under
one roof. The ability to operate independent businesses with common
staff and shared resources will make us unique in the industry.
We are excited about working together with old friends at Powersoft
and APB and believe we will even have some fun doing so. The inclusion
of Optocore into the fold is a strong addition to the overall business
group.
We shall also expand our management role of Optocore to include
all of North and South America.
At
the AES in NYC in October, 2005, Optocore, Powersoft, and the RF
Pro brands were together in one booth. We shall do the same at all
major trade shows we attend, most notably NAMM and NSCA.
www.optocore.com
Powersoft
Audio USA Gains Momentum
We
are pleased and proud of our successes and major gains in the market
since we announced the formation of Powersoft
Audio, USA. Powersoft is a well-known Italian manufacturer of
the highest quality power amplifiers. They have had a very successful
12-year history in Europe and have expanded their worldwide presence.
Their commitment to the American Pro Audio market with the formation
of their US division means they have taken a serious step in their
global market expansion plan. Their K-Series is
the flagship product line of the company with three single
rack space amps, the K-6, K-8 and K-10. Highest power
is an unbelievable 6000 watts per channel
at two Ohms for the K-10. Each K-Series amp weighs only 26 lbs,
and like all Powersoft amps, are Power Factor Corrected, highly
efficient and produce very little heat. Other unique products include
the Q-Series, which are single rack space, four
channel amps, weighing only 22lbs!
Industry
veteran John Lee, former owner of Crest Audio, is the US president
and will be directing the worldwide marketing for Powersoft. “This
is such an exciting opportunity, and I am very pleased to be a part
of the Powersoft Team” he said. “With the combination
of Powersoft and APB-Dynasonics, my company, G-PAC - aka Global
Professional Audio Connection, has a well rounded base of both amplifiers
and consoles. In addition, we are independently owned and are able
to respond to the needs of our customers worldwide” he added.
I will
continue my role as VP and GM of RF Pro, and I will also direct
the US Sales and Marketing effort of Powersoft Audio, USA as VP
of Sales and Marketing.
For
more information on the exciting Powersoft line, please visit:
www.powersoft-audio.com
EM
Acoustics Forms EM Acoustics, USA
In
an effort to further their commitment to the USA, EM Managing Director,
Ed Kinsella announced the formation of EM Acoustics, USA.
“We have been growing in leaps and bounds, and feel this move
will further solidify our goals of establishing EM as a major US
brand”, said Kinsella.
With the addition of Sales and Marketing Director, Chris Hinds,
the company has made tremendous inroads into the world pro-audio
arena.
Designed and manufactured in the UK, EM has already made its mark
in London’s West End Theater Scene and in Britain’s
premier pro audio circles, where they are distributed by the Autograph
Sound, one of the UK’s most well known and prestigious Professional
Audio Companies.
EM made its official debut to the NY Theatrical community at the
BSMC - Broadway Sound Master Class, in June, 2005 at the Tribeca
Film Center in NYC. However, they have already had instant success
in the US, being embraced by BMP (Big Mo Productions) of Parsippany,
NJ.
“We have never heard a sub (woofer) like the Quake”,
said BMP President Greg Rosenkrans. “Their efficient design
and high output has allowed us to get more spl from fewer boxes.
We have a 24-box L’Acoustics Kudo rig, and need only 8 Quakes
beneath them. These things rock!”, he added. In addition to
the Quake, Big Mo have had great results with the rest of the EM
range, including the EMS-121 and EMS-81 passive 2-way 12 and 8 inch
cabinets, as well as the M-12 2-way passive/biampable floor monitor
and the EMS-215 dual 15 inch sub.
Ed
Kinsella, EM’s Managing Director, and chief design engineer
has produced a full line of phase coherent, passively crossed-over
speakers that rival loudspeakers costing many times the price. Their
entire product range may be found at their website - www.emacoustics.com
Meanwhile.............
APB
Dynasonics - The vision of industry veteran, Chuck
Augustowski, and his team of talented and dedicated console design
engineers - John “JP” Petrucelli and Taz Bhogul, (The
“A”, “P” and “B” of the company’s
name) made their industry debut at AES in NYC this past October.
The Spectra-T and Spectra-C Series Mixing Consoles received accolades
and were an instant hit. These consoles are well thought out and
brilliantly designed to fill the void in the market for affordable,
high quality, feature packed analog mixing
consoles for the live sound and fixed installation market.
We are pleased to represent them in the NY metro region. For more
info, please visit their site at www.apbdynasonics.com
PRAM
Technologies - We are very pleased to announce our
association and cooperative effort with Lake
Technology. Now recognized as the leader in DSP
Speaker management and EQ/ Filter technology, Lake has been appointed
the worldwide distributor for PRAM. Teaming PRAM and Lake together
is a natural fit, as PRAM is the only professionally packaged and
engineered, long range wireless control platform allowing simultaneous
control of both serial and Ethernet
based protocols. Considering the amount of “legacy product”
using serial control in the market, PRAM provides a platform for
putting control of both Lake and older technology serial devices
under one wireless network. Other non-professionally packaged, dedicated
Ethernet-to-serial systems that claim simplicity, actually add complexity
to a production environment. Such systems would require a second
wireless network to be in place to address Ethernet-based control
protocols and the logging on and off each network to address another.
PRAM does both - simultaneously!
Of course, as the Lake Representative from Virginia to Maine
in the east, and in the fine state of Louisiana too, and president
and co-owner of PRAM, I see nothing but success and a bright future
for this wonderful association. Please visit our sites at www.pramtech.com
and www.lake.com.au
for more information.
Trantec
Wireless - The UK-based wholly owned subsidiary of
TOA, one of the world’s largest Japanese Electronics manufacturing
companies, Trantec continues its commitment to the high-end production
wireless market with the introduction of the 6001 and 6002, single
and dual channel receivers. Easy front panel soft key programming
allows the user to set up and store user files, frequency files,
and configurations that may be easily recalled at the push of a
button. Spanning the same three 72 MgH bandwidth splits as the S6000
8-way rack system, the 6001 and 6002 join the family of Trantec
products offering leading edge technology and performance at competitive
prices. In addition, Trantec is pleased to announce the arrival
of the S6000-HTX handheld transmitter. It will be an open system,
in that many of the widely used and specified mic elements may be
easily interchanged simply, via the systems universal slip-ring
assembly. Leading broadcast companies are looking at and seriously
evaluating Trantec as a solution to the challenges that will continue
to be presented through changes in band allocation and DTV broadcasting.
Trantec
6000 systems are currently being utilized by a major US broadcaster
for live News and Sports programming, as evaluation continues to
optimize installations in large-scale multi-studio facilities. The
versatility of the S6000s networking and frequency file management
capabilities allows for leveraging of transmitters amongst multiple
studios, and also provides frequency, signal strength and battery
level monitoring from multi-point control room and maintenance locations
for all networked systems.
This
ability to network, monitor, and control racks of RF systems in
different locations from anywhere within a broadcaster’s computer
network is ideally suited for the changing needs of progressive
broadcast engineers. Trantec systems have gained acceptance globally,
and are used by major broadcast facilities and production companies
the world over, including the UK, France, plus other European and
Asian nations.
Meanwhile,
16 channels of the S6000 continues its successful run on the latest
production designed by Tom Morse, “Drum Struck” at the
Dodger Theater Complex, in NYC. The S6000 was also the lead performers’
wireless mics in the musical production of “Good Vibrations”,
featuring the music of The Beachboys, as well as in the production
of “The Immigrant”. In the famed West End theater district
in the UK, Trantec is widely used on many of the top theatrical
productions. 32 channels of Trantec S6000’s are also on a
world tour of the acclaimed musical hit, “Blast”, which
began its journey in Japan, where RF challenges are even more demanding
and precise than here in the US.
Also
we are most pleased to announce that 4 channels of the S6001 were
recently installed by Andrews Audio Consultants of NYC, for distance
learning in the Zankell Hall facility at Carnegie Hall.
You
will find Trantec Wireless at www.trantec.co.uk
Cadac
- Demonstrating their engineering commitment to digital development
technology, the M and D Series products are a preview of what’s
to come from the leader in desks designed for the needs of Legitimate
Theater. Already in use on the production of “Sweet Charity”
and the smash hit “Jersey Boys”, the M16 is providing
flawless performance and unparalleled digital processing atop an
analog J-Type mixing platform. Meanwhile, the S-Type continues to
gain recognition as the definitive analog solution for the discerning
ear where high quality and performance are a must, while needing
to meet a budget. These products were displayed and demonstrated
at the recent AES in NYC, where they were well received by visitors
worldwide.
Visit Cadac at www.cadac-sound.com
Thank
you.
Tom
Bensen
V.P. and Gen. Mgr.
RF Productions of NY, Inc.
www.rfproinc.com
mobile 917 873-3602
Business
Office:
70 Bogart Avenue
Port Washington, NY 11050
Tel 516 767-2903
Fax 516 767-2661
Tech/Operations
Center:
249 Ferris Avenue
White Plains, NY 10603
Tel 914 686-3525
Fax 914 686-3374
Optocore/Powersoft:
20 West End Avenue
Totowa, NJ. O7512
Tel
973 785-2005 Powersoft
Tel 973 785-4774 Optocore
Fax 973 785-1105 Both companies