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T O O L R E I N V E N T S I M M E R S I V E T O U R A U D I O — PA G E 3 6
Volume 42 No. 2
KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES
BY CLIVE YOUNG
SYMPHONIC HISTRIONICS—The Who, seen here at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY, last year, have brought the rock for more than half a century. They’re backed by a symphony on their current Moving On tour, which starts another U.S. leg in April, but some things never change—singer Roger Daltrey still swings that Shure SM58 like a medieval flail and Pete Townshend cranks his d&b audiotechnik M2 wedges just a tad. Find out more on page 38.
The holidays are over. NAMM is over. Those new year’s resolutions? They’re probably over, too. But the rest of the year still stretches out before us, ripe with potential and ready for the taking. That’s the compelling attitude of many of the industry leaders we spoke with to com-
pile this year’s “Companies to Watch” overview. Many built up momentum in 2019, and the year ahead will provide the opportunity to capitalize on those efforts. Case in point? d&b audiotechnik. “2019 was a milestone year for our Americas subsidiary,” said Laurence (Larry)
industry has taken notice, introducing a slew of new products and services or remarketing existing offerings to address the voracious appetite of content creators eager to get in on the action. Podcasters building highend facilities—such as Gimlet (now part of Spotify) and Stitcher, whose facilities were both designed by Walters-Storyk Design Group— typically choose to integrate the kind of gear that is commonly found in broadcast or production facilities. Smaller
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February 2020
Focusrite Acquires Martin Audio
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Known for its recording gear brands, Focusrite took a major step into the live sound market in late December with the acquisition of loudspeaker manufacturer Martin Audio. Focusrite paid £39.2 million ($51.2 million) for the business.
enterprises or individuals just getting into podcasting will appreciate the availability of tailored, affordablypriced podcasting solutions. Of course, many microphones, preamps, mixers, interfaces and monitoring solutions are appropriate for podcasting even if they’re not specifically marketed as such. Since it’s not possible to cover every product here, let’s focus principally on the product introductions at the 2020 NAMM Show, where
June Audio Returns to Utah
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After 20 years away, June Audio has returned to Provo, UT, with a newlybuilt, Wes Lachot-designed multiroom facility housing EDM production suites, live rooms and a considerable collection of instruments, backline and accessories.
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EQUIPPED
BY
By now, you have likely seen some of the impressive revenue and audience figures
associated with podcasting, a segment of the entertainment business that has truly exploded over the past couple of years. The pro audio
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NAMM Ushers In New Podcasting Gear BY STEVE HARVEY
ET Al
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www.prosoundnetwork.com
Companies to Watch 2020, Part One
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