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JAZZ IN PARADISE
Held every year since 1986, the festival features performers from the "smooth jazz" genre. According to show producer Art Good, the festival has increased in popularity, expanding from one weekend to three, and has spawned some peripheral events around Catalina Island. This year’s addition was an Internet simulcast, courtesy of WebRadio. Performers included David Benoit, Jeff Golub, Chuck Loeb, Gabriela Anders, Chris Botti, Jonathan Butler and The Rippingtons. "We’ve provided the sound reinforcement for this festival since its beginning," Siniscal explains. "It’s probably one of the best live jazz events around. The performers are some of the best, and the room can’t be beat." A-1 Audio Rentals handles all the events on Catalina Island, which, in addition to the JazzTrax Festival, include the Blues and Surf festivals. The client’s expectations influenced equipment choices. "Jazz musicians and their audience are critical listeners," he continues. "They tend to be purists, so things like poor sound quality, coloration and mediocre equipment are not tolerated." A-1 tapped the 48-input Yamaha PM4000 console for front-of-house mixing duties, using an average of 40 inputs per act. With various artists and their engineers coming and going throughout the festival, the PM4000’s popularity ensured everyone would be familiar with it. "They could step up to this board and not be intimidated, and thus get a good sounding mix," he notes. "It’s a proven product–clean sounding, and very reliable. The VCAs are a great convenience feature. There’s no ‘take two’ in any live event, but when you’re out on an island and running an intense festival, you need something that won’t break down." A selection of processing equipment from BSS, Yamaha and Lexicon completed the FOH position. "Just the basics, really," Siniscal explains. "Mostly gates and limiters, a bit of reverb here and there. The horn players like to wail on their solos, so we just hold them back a little when they get excited." Coverage, rather than volume, was a priority. A-1 provided a PA system comprised of Meyer Sound MSL-3A and UPC-1C cabinets, coupled with a pair of Meyer 650-R2 Concert Series sublows, driven with Yamaha H5000 amplifiers. "The ballroom has a nice-sized proscenium and there are no poles to obstruct sight lines," Siniscal explains. "It does have high ceilings, but is surprisingly clean-sounding–it’s not a cavern. There are lots of nooks and crannies, some draping and some art deco embellishments that really help diffuse any unwanted reflections. However, it is rather spread out, so we wanted to cover evenly." On stage, monitors were a combination of A-1 custom 2 x 12 and Yamaha WF112M Waveforce cabinets, with a Soundcraft B800 console providing an average number of eight mixes. Microphones included AKG C451, C414, Shure SM57, SM58 and BETA 58, Sennheiser 421 and 441. "Again, this setup considered clarity over volume," Siniscal notes. "The musicians’ biggest request was that they be able to blend with each other." He concludes, "This venue and this style of music doesn’t require tons of reinforcement and processing. Overall, the acts and the audiences went away happy. The festival has a good vibe, and we like to keep it that way." The Avalon Casino has a history as a major performance venue through the decades. Built in 1929, restored, and maintained by the Wrigley Foundation, the circular building–constructed entirely of poured concrete–is considered to be one of the greatest examples of Southern California art deco architecture. Located on the 12th floor and encircled by an outdoor promenade, the ballroom has spectacular views of the island and its beaches. "You’ve got it all here–great music with a wide range of performers, a spectacular location, and a beautiful venue," notes Larry Italia, national sales & marketing manager, Commercial Audio, Yamaha Corporation of America, Pro Audio & Combo Division. "Yamaha has enjoyed a very good relationship with the festival and A-1 Audio Rentals for many years. We’re happy to support such a high-quality event." For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Pro Audio & Combo Division, Commercial Audio, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail info@yamaha.com; or visit www.yamaha.com/proaudio on the Web.
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BUENA
PARK, CA–Pristine surroundings and the finest in smooth jazz were
the hallmarks of the