Monday, April 12, 2010

A message from the FCC

OPERATION OF WIRELESS MICROPHONES IN THE 700 MHZ BAND
IS PROHIBITED AFTER JUNE 12, 2010

Under a new FCC rule, anyone who uses a wireless microphone (or similar device) that operates in the 700 MHz Band will have to stop operating their wireless microphone (or similar device) no later than June 12, 2010. To see if this law affects your wireless microphone, check ourManufacturers Equipment list.

Why did the FCC make this rule?

Certain wireless microphones have operated in frequencies that are needed for public safety. When these microphones were first designed, the frequencies they used were in between the frequencies that television stations used to broadcast television programs. With the completion of the digital television (DTV) transition on June 12, 2009, television stations no longer use the frequencies between 698 and 806 MHz (the 700 MHz Band) for broadcast. These frequencies are now being used by public safety entities (such as police, fire and emergency services) and by commercial providers of wireless services (such as wireless broadband services).

The wireless microphones that had been operating in the old TV broadcast channels can cause harmful interference to these public safety and wireless consumer services. Therefore, all users of wireless microphones (or certain low power auxiliary stations) that operate on any of the frequencies in the 700 MHz band – including both licensed users (under Part 74) and unlicensed users – now have to stop operating in this band.

The FCC is only prohibiting the use of wireless microphones (and similar devices) that operate in the 700 MHz Band. You may continue to use wireless microphones (and similar devices) that operate on other broadcast frequencies. Microphones and other similar devices with cords are not affected by the FCC’s decision.

Similar devices to wireless microphones are also known as equipment for “low power auxiliary stations”. Typically these devices can transmit over distances of 100 meters. Examples of similar devices include wireless intercoms, wireless in-ear monitors (IEM”), wireless audio instrument links, and wireless cueing equipment. (aka “IFB”).

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Win a custom 808 Tubescreamer!!!


Wanna win a TS808 TubeScreamer? If you are a guitarist, or if you love someone who is a guitarist, this would be a great addition to their arsenal of effects pedals.

Here's how to win.
Suggest all your musician, concert going, promoter, event oriented friends to join Capsicum Pro Audio on Facebook. Also send them a link to our website http://www.capsicumpro.com.
After two weeks go to the Capsicum Facebook page and find your friends in our fans list and report them back to us...The one who reports the most people Wins....That's it!!
We will check to see if they are your friends.

Send us your address and we'll send you the goods!

Noah Waldron of Capsicum Pro Audio has been making these guitar pedals for a number of years now for some of his close musician friends and they all love em'.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Jackson Hole Mountain Festival

The weekend of March 27th 2010 was a great weekend for Capsicum Pro Audio. We were blessed with the opportunity to provide our services for the Jackson Hole Mountain Festival at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.



This was our 5th Mountain Festival and the smoothest one we have done yet. In the past we have consistently been faced with harsh weather. Last years (2009) Mountain Fest, Ozomatli and Chali 2na performed in a decent sized snow storm, with a very cold and wet load out. Regardless of the conditions we were still able to provide an excellent production.

At the 2008 Mountain Fest, with Michael Franti, we showed up at 8am the day of the show with 6 inches of fresh snow and 45 mph winds. The rest of the day was much the same with a temperature near 0 degrees for load out. The crew stayed in good morale regardless and Capsicum was able to provide a fantastic production.

This year our crew was greeted with nothing but sunshine and seasonably warm weather.
Setup was simple and a pleasure.


The evening started off with Jet Black Ninja Funk Grass Unit. They provided a very energetic show with a good mix of some of your favorites, but all funkgrassed up!
With a 30 minute break to strike the stage for Grace Potter, Capsicum staff double checked microphone lines, stage monitors, and the main front of house system.
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals kicked off the show at roughly
6:30pm and kept the energy high until around 8:30pm when the fireworks kicked off.
4,000-5,000 people from all walks of Jackson Hole life showed up for the event.

A special thank you goes out to Poppa Presents, World Famous Productions, and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for co-ordinating such a fantastic event.

Andy Calder of World Famous Productions had this to say about our services:

Infinitely experienced, knowledgeable, energetic, and friendly audio/stage/light production crew. Special thanks to Noah Waldron and Adam Klomp at Capsicum Productions for keeping that monstrous task moving on schedule! Sound was AMAZING this year!


Now for the geeky stuff:
Capsicum provided a JBL Vertec Line Array powered by Crown I-Tech amplifiers Processing was handled by a Dolby Lake running V4 presets for the Vertec 4888s.
The system was tuned, and time aligned using SMAART.
At FOH a Soundcraft GB series console was used for Grace Potter and a Midas Venice 320 for Jet Black Ninja Funkgrass Unit.
10x JBL SRX712m bi-amped stage monitors, powered by Lab Gruppen 10000Q, and 2x Dolby Lake Processors to handle crossover and E.Q. The monitor console of choice was a 40 channel Soundcraft K2.

The stage for this event was an SL260 provided by MSR (Mobile Stage Rentals).

We are so blessed to be able to do this for our jobs. Events like this one make for a very special year for us at Capsicum Pro Audio

http://www.capsicumpro.com

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Cleaning Your Microphones (Good advice from Shure Microphones)


Here are some great tips for cleaning your microphones. Not only is it good for the performance of the microphone but also for the hygiene of others! At Capsicum we believe it is very important to clean our microphones regularly for the sake of our clients and to protect our investment in our microphones by ensuring their performance,
Dynamic Microphones: 
The best way to clean a microphone is to remove the grille. Most vocal microphone grilles simply unscrew, e.g., SM58, BG3.1. If the grille doesn’t slide off easily, gently rock it back and forth while pulling it away from the cartridge. Do not pull sharply or with excessive force, since that could damage the cartridge or separate it from the microphone housing.
Once the grille is removed, it can be thoroughly cleaned without damaging the mic. Since most of the offensive material on the grille comes from the human body, plain water should be a sufficient cleanser. Adding a mild detergent (dishwashing liquid) to the water will act as a mild disinfectant and remove odors absorbed by the foam windscreen.
To remove lipstick and other material stuck in the grille, use a toothbrush with soft bristles. In some models, the foam windscreen can be removed from the grille, but this is usually not necessary since water will not damage the grille. Most Shure microphone grilles have a nickel finish that makes them resistant to rust, and replacing the foam windscreen can also be difficult and time-consuming.
The most important thing to remember is: let the grille dry completely before reattaching it to the microphone! Microphones don’t like water, and although dynamic mics can withstand small amounts of moisture, a soggy foam windscreen will introduce more than is acceptable.
Air drying is the best way to dry the grille, but a hair drier on a low-heat setting can be used. Care must be taken not to get too close to the grille as excessive heat can melt some windscreen material.
Cleaning must be done more carefully for microphones that do not have removable grilles, e.g., SM57, 545.
Using a damp toothbrush, hold the microphone upside down and very gently scrub the grille.
Holding the mic upside down will prevent excess moisture from leaking into the microphone cartridge.
This technique is also useful for cleaning the foam that covers the diaphragm inside an SM58.
Again, keep the mic upside down, and be very gentle.
In live situations with multiple acts, it may be desirable to clean the microphones between acts. Use a diluted solution of mouthwash (Listermint, Scope) with water. Using a toothbrush and holding the microphones upside down, scrub the grille of the microphone.
At the very least, this technique will make the microphones smell more pleasant to the performer. Also make certain the sound system is turned off before the cleaning begins!
Condenser Microphones 
Due to the more delicate nature of condenser microphones, never use water or any other liquid for cleaning purposes. Even a small amount of moisture may damage a condenser element.
For microphones with removable grilles like the Beta 87 or BG5.1, the grille and foam windscreen may be washed as described above.
Again, the grille and windscreen must be completely dry before reattaching it to the microphone. To clean a microphone with a permanently attached grille like the SM81 or BG4.1, use a dry, soft bristle toothbrush and gently scrub the grille.
Keep the microphone upside down so that loosened particles fall away from it. Take care not to let stray bristles get caught in the grille. This technique also works well for lavaliers and miniature gooseneck mics.
For condenser microphones that will be subject to harsh conditions, such as vocals and theater applications, it is advisable to use a removable external foam windscreen.
This will protect the microphone from saliva and make-up, and can be removed and cleaned with soap and water after the performance. Remember, never get water near a condenser element!

A special thanks to Shure Microphones for writing this article. They make some of the best!

http://www.CapsicumPro.com