Minnetonka Audio Software?s SurCode for Dolby Pro Logic II was used by Lakeshore Records to become first label to release an iTunes recording encoded with Pro Logic II technology. Just recently released, the movie soundtrack to Pathology, an iTunes exclusive and MGM release, is a score album composed by Robert Williamson and Johannes Kobilke and mixed by Wolfgang ?Amadeus? Aichholz.

Touted as the largest pro AV trade show ever, InfoComm 2008 returned to Las Vegas, this time merged into a single event in conjunction with NSCA, to record success: 34,600 attendees and nearly 1,000 exhibitors. This year's show attracted AV dealers, independent reps, design consultants, systems integrators, rental and staging companies and AV buyers from business, government, education, health care, retail, entertainment and the worship market.

Read Mix magazine news article about a Study Released From Experian Consumer Research About Video Game Consumers for 2008

Read Mix magazine news article about Video Guitar Playing With Peavey and Jimmy Buffett via SharKart and Buffett 2008 concerts

Read Mix magazine news article about dSonic Pro Audio Used for Character Voices for the Atari Alone in the Dark Video Game

Blue Microphones is offering $200 cash back on purchases of its Dragonfly microphone through August 31, 2008. Customers can purchase any number of Dragonfly microphones between July 1 and August 31, 2008 from an authorized Blue retailer within the U.S. and Canada and become eligible to receive a $200 rebate per microphone directly from Blue.

SIA Acoustics LLC, an acoustical design firm based in New York City, has opened a new office near Hollywood, which is located at 3575 Cahuenga Blvd., Suite 254, Los Angeles, Calif. 90068. "Our West Coast expansion is the next step to allow us to better serve our music, film and architectural clients on the West Coast," states Sam Berkow, founder and partner of SIA Acoustics who will be managing the Los Angeles office.

Hollywood?s pro audio and music communities are in an uproar. As reported in recent stories in the Los Angeles Times and other media outlets, the widely acclaimed acoustics of Capitol Records? historic recording facilities in Hollywood face a very serious threat from the proposed construction next door of a 16-story condominium complex and underground parking garage that would accommodate 242 cars.

One of the highlights of the recent InfoComm show in Las Vegas was AKG's introduction of the C 214, a lower-cost (cardioid-only) version of its venerable classic C 414, a mic used on countless records over the decades. The new model is a single-capsule, single-diaphragm design that delivers the same sonic performance as its legendary multi-pattern, dual-diaphragm C 414B-XLS cousin, but at a $649 retail.

Recording engineer Larry Levine passed away May 8, 2008, at his home in Southern California. Levine was a staff engineer at Hollywood?s Gold Star Recording Studios

Interview with audio engineers and live sound crew on mixing audio for Matchbox Twenty 2008 tour. Tips, techniques and equipment applications from front of house (FOH) and monitor mix engineers.

I'm looking forward to joining forces with Odds On and making the desert bloom with music. James Caruso, Odds on Recording new chief audio engineer/in-house producer

Read Mix Report on New Recording Sessions Across the United States

Mix reviews the Roland RSS V-Mixer live mixing console in the July 2008 issue.

Norwegian record label 2L reports it has released the first album in the Blu-ray format, Divertimenti

Interview with audio engineers and live sound crew on mixing audio for Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z 2008 tour. Tips, techniques and equipment applications from front of house (FOH) and monitor mix engineers.

Pyramind Inc. a leading independently-owned and operated audio production and training facility in San Francisco, has tapped Paul Lipson as Vice President of Business Development. Lipson formerly served as the chief academic officer at Ex?pression College for Digital Arts in Emeryville, Calif., and continues in his role as president of the Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.).

Cream, a new large-scale recording studio complex in West London, recently opened with a custom ATC (Acoustic Transducer Company) 5.1 surround reference monitor system installed in the main control room. The system comprises three ATC SCM300 ASL Pro speakers for the left/center/right channels, a pair of SCM150 ASL Pro monitors handling the surround channels, and two SCM 0.1/15 subwoofers for LFE.

Read Mix Readers responses to Mix Talkback Question, Whether it was a project studio or a full-blown, multi-room facility, what was the most artistic place in which you recorded and why?

Through July 17, 2008, Sennheiser users are invited to submit audio clips that encapsulate their idea of the "Sennheiser sound," one of which will be chosen as Sennheiser's official acoustic trademark. The chosen finalist will take home 5,000 euros, as well as an optional 30,000 euros if Sennheiser acquires unlimited rights to use the winning logo.

NSCA Executive Director Chuck Wilson presented awards to winners of the Educator of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, and Volunteer of the Year at the Annual Meeting of the Membership and Industry Forum on June 18, 2008 during InfoComm 08.

Three-time Emmy Award-winning re-recording mixer Rick Ash has joined Widget Post in Los Angeles. Ash, who won his most recent Emmy last year for his work on HBO Films? Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, arrives from Todd-AO where his credits include more than 100 feature films.

Voice Over There, the mobile ADR/voice-over trailer, will hold demonstrations on Thursday, June 26 in Burbank at TV Pro Gear, located at 1630 Flower Street, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A second demonstration is scheduled for Tuesday, July 8 in Hollywood at Larson Sound Studios at 6520 Sunset Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Yamaha Corporation Japan has announced that its Board of Directors, at a meeting held on June 19, 2008, has decided to make an offer to the founders of NEXO S.A. (headquartered in Plailly, France) to acquire all of their shares of NEXO. In June 2005, Yamaha purchased a 10.22% interest in NEXO, a leading brand in the field of high-output speaker systems for professional use in large concert venues, halls and theaters, and entered into a strategic alliance with the company.

An exciting new era has begun for Radical Entertainment, a videogame developer in Vancouver, British Columbia that?s affiliated with Vivendi Games, and whose titles include Scarface: The World Is Yours, The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and The Simpsons: Hit and Run. The company recently opened a dedicated 7.1 surround post-production suite on its premises, which is said to be the first of its kind in Canada.

On June 24, the Los Angeles City Council will conduct a critical public hearing regarding a proposed condominium development in Hollywood that will severely impact the operation of Capitol Studios' historic, in-demand subterranean echo chambers designed by Les Paul. The hearing takes place Tuesday, June 24 from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) in Los Angeles City Hall, at 200 North Spring Street, in Edward R. Roybal Hearing Room #350.

Former Mix and Electronic Musician associate publisher Carrie Anderson (pictured) passed away on June 10, 2008, following injuries from an automobile accident near her home in San Jose, Calif. A memorial service is planned on June 24 at 3 p.m., at Saratoga Federated Church, 20390 Park Place, Saratoga, Calif.

API (Automated Processes Inc.) has established a new line of analog signal processing products under the name Arsenal Audio, which launched at Summer NAMM in Nashville. Arsenal Audio products feature robust design standards, and each unit is hand assembled.

Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH showcased its new MR816 FireWire audio interfaces and CC121 Advanced Integration Controller at the Summer NAMM show in Nashville. The new hardware units are expected to ship in Q3 of this year.

Digidesign, a part of Avid Technology Inc., announces Pro Tools Version 7.4.2 software, which provides Mac OS X 10.5.3 (Leopard) compatibility for Pro Tools HD, Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools M-Powered users. All registered Pro Tools 7.4 users may download the free Pro Tools 7.4.2 software update from the Digidesign Website.

At InfoComm 2008 this week, Roland Systems Group is demonstrating a Version 1.5 software update for the RSS M-400 V-Mixer Digital Console in booth #C2870, located in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The upgrade offers increased flexibility in compressor and gate assignment; the addition of eight Matrices; Direct Channel Output Assignment for increased flexibility when using personal mixing systems and recording splits; Tap Tempo for delay settings; the addition of numerous shortcuts for faster access and rapid setup; and user interface enhancements for accelerated workflow and ease of use.

At InfoComm 2008, Digigram is presenting the LX1616ES PCI network soundcard with DirectSound and ASIO drivers. At InfoComm, Digigram is also introducing PYKO, a range of professional IP Audio endpoints and an advanced software solution for building digital audio networks.

Chris Stone, who co-founded New York City's Record Plant 40 years ago with Gary Kellgren, has been named keynote speaker for the 125th AES Convention in San Francisco.

Available with 16, 24, 32, 40 or 48 mono mic/line input channels, the new APB DynaSonics ProDesk-4 includes four stereo line-only input channels, each selectable from two different input sources and controlled from 100mm faders with stereo EQ and access to all aux buses. All mono input channels also include internally illuminated Mute and PFL switches, 6-segment channel metering, 48-volt phantom power switch with LED, mic/line, pad and polarity reverse switches.

At InfoComm 08 in Las Vegas (booth #C3475/demo room N101) Klein + Hummel is showing its new KPA Series of audio power amplifiers, which are designed to drive large, demanding reinforcement applications. The KPA Series operates at levels as high as 6,000 watts into 2 ohms, down to models providing 1,100W into 8 ohms.

To kick off the second season of the Sundance Channel's acclaimed original music series Live From Abbey Road, Mary J Blige, the "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul," will discuss her extraordinary way of combining hip-hop and soul, and perform hit songs, such as her lead single "Just Fine" from her latest album, Growing Pains.

Thanks to today?s Web technology and networking capabilities, professional songwriters, lyricists and composers are facing a double-edged sword that?s becoming ever sharper. The growing ease and convenience with which musical content can be uploaded, shared, distributed, showcased and consumed worldwide is simultaneously posing a growing threat to the rights and livelihoods of those who create the music in the first place.

After 15 years of service to audio and video professionals and project studios in the San Francisco Bay Area, Cutting Edge Audio & Video Group is moving toward a larger market presence. The Cutting Edge experience will go national via the Internet with a new Web/e-commerce site, CuttingEdge-SF.com, which will debut in July.

Read Mix live sound news article about Yamaha upgrading its Live Sound Digital Consoles With Virtual Circuit Modeling (VCM)

The Backstreet Boys are currently on their Unbreakable Tour using Sennheiser SKM 565 G2 wireless handheld mics, along with Sennheiser ew 300 IEM G2 personal monitoring systems. Monitor engineer Doug Deems found that the SKM 565 G2, an ME 865 super-cardioid condenser capsule atop the SKM 500 RF handheld, was the overall best fit for the group.

MV Pro Audio, based in Santa Barbara, Calif., has added three new independent sales firms to the MVPA team. "A number of worthy candidates were drawn to us by the innovative, top-selling product lines we distribute," explains MVPA's executive vice president Dino Virella. "But it was our trademark blend of music technology and haute cuisine that really got their juices flowing."

PowerFX, an online distributor of loops and samples, unveils All Them Beats ($69), which packages more than 430 MIDI rhythm and beat files, and more than 1,000 ACIDized WAV loops and REX files. The library organized into three categories, including Regional, which features Brazilian, African, European and other regional beats; Genres, which showcases jazz, rock, country and blues styles (Chicago shuffle, Texas shuffle); and Greatest Breaks, which includes "Funky Drummer," the "Amen Break" and "Walk This Way," among others.

Dave Rat, founder of leading touring and installation company Rat Sound Systems based in Oxnard, Calif., recently led a 4-hour discussion at Full Sail University in Orlando, Fla. that involved more than 200 students who are pursuing careers in live sound production.

Primera Technology Inc. has unveiled its new Rent & Rip Program for personal CD collections. Under the terms of the program, customers can rent a Primera Bravo SE Disc Publisher along with the company's PTRip software for $299 per week.

ReverbNation, an online marketing and promotions platform for musicians, announces Gig Finder, a search application designed to help musicians locate clubs and venues that fit their style and capacity requirements. Gig Finder is the latest in a series of six tools available for free in the ReverbNation Artist Toolbox.

Read the Mix CD Review of Grupo Fantasma: Sonidos Gold (Aire Sol Records/High Wire Music) 2008 Album Release

Read Mix's CD review of Paul de Benedictis: Quintets (Mnemonic) 2008 Album Release

Native Instruments' limited-time "Komplete Your DAW" offer allows owners of selected professional music workstations to purchase the Komplete 5 bundle with a discount of 30 percent from now until July 31, 2008. Komplete 5 combines 11 Native Instruments software programs, including Reaktor, Kontakt, Absynth, Guitar Rig, Battery and others.

Blastwave FX announced the release of TitleWave, the Production Elements Drive. TITLEWAVE is a compilation of Blastwave FX?s six imaging elements libraries, including 10,000 stereo and 1,300 5.1 surround production elements.

Rational Acoustics LLC in Putnam, Conn., announced the launch of its new Website and official debut as a company in the professional audio industry. Founded by industry veterans Jamie Anderson, Karen Anderson, Calvert Dayton and Adam Black, Rational Acoustics will focus on providing a range of training classes and product sales within the specialized field of acoustic test and measurement and system alignment.