Product Reviews

Tech21 SansAmp Character Series Blonde

by Jacob Roberts

OK, let's just say I am skeptical of any guitar pedal that proposes to emulate tubes and/or sound like any particular amp. It's a bit gimmicky to me. So I have to say my first choice regarding a new pedal would not have been the Tech 21 Blonde. However, after hearing the buzz surrounding the entire Tech 21 Character series I decided to give the Blonde pedal a try and am most happy I did.

First of all, I can't get over the amount of power in each knob. Truly, each knob does something from 0 to 10... you hear it. That means I have been able to dial in tones ... unique tones at that... to my liking, and with extreme precision. I have no idea what the "Character" knob really does, but I sure like where it takes me.

As a result, I have been able to dial in the most warm and fat R&B tone one could ask for and then grit the thing out like a 70's Bassman. Recently, I set up this pedal to be a lead boost... but not just any lead boost. Many times when you introduce some level of lead boost for sustain and volume you get an unwanted sizzle along with it. The Blonde has given me the warm sustained "buttery" lead tone with harmonic character that I have desired for years to go with my Marshall.

A friend of mine leads a large praise and worship band where he runs the Blonde pedal direct and raves about the results. I have actually done the same, and can attest the sound translates very well. In other words, I could easily do a gig without an amp.

And if you need more information or desire to add one of the Blonde pedals to your rig, please call 800-747-7301 or visit our online store now. 

What is Edge Blending?

Simply put, Edge Blending is the practice of using two or more projectors to create a single seamless image. Here is an example:

Why use Edge Blending?

The challenge in any kind of video staging is to create a visual experience people don't see everyday. While the use of basic projection techniques is a good start, standard aspect ratios can create the impression to people in the audience that they are simply "watching television". The ability to create visual images on a wider canvas makes for a more compelling visual experience that make people take notice.

What is involved with creating a seamless Edge Blend?

Most people think that if you have two projectors and send the left half of an image to one projector and the right half of an image to the other projector, that you can just butt the two projected images next to each other to create a seamless image. In practice, however, this doesn't work very well because it is nearly impossible to line the projectors up side by side to form a seamless image. The seams are visible, and create a distraction for the audience who can see the lines between the two projectors.

So because of this obstacle a process called "edge blending" was created. It actually occurs in two steps. The first is called "data doubling" and consists of duplicating content on the projectors used. Using two projectors as an example, the right edge of the left projector shares the same information with the left edge of the right projector, like so:

Obviously, the area in which the two projected images overlap is going to be brighter than the areas projected uniquely be each projector, which will create a brighter "hot spot" at the overlap point. To compensate for this, we introduce the second step of the Edge Blending process, which is called "feathering the edge". In this manner, the data-doubled portion of the left projected image is manipulated to gradually fade to black, while the data-doubled portion of the right projected image is gradually faded in from black. If you were to graph the light output in this manner, the left and right projected edges would look like so:

Such that where they overlap, it would appear like this:

Thus reducing any "hot spotting". Here's a diagram of what we're doing with a 3 screen edge blend - the first image shows an example of 3 full projectors at 800x600 resolution each and the second shows how they are overlapped:

The results of this are better visualized with live imagery. Below you see three projected images with the data-doubled and blended areas outlined for each projector. Next, the image is broken apart to see how they were joined to create the complete seamless image.

What is required to create an edge blend?

In the past, the process of creating this kind of edge blend required the use of special equipment, such as video scalers or multi-channel video processors. At the low end, this requires an additional investment of around $1,500 per projector. At the high end, you could spend $50,000 or more depending on the quality of the image you are trying to create.

The ProPresenter Edge Blending Module makes use of the Matrox DualHead2Go or TripleHead2Go to output 2 or 3 separate images that have the data-doubling and edge-feathering already done. The module itself has an easy-to-use interface and takes away a lot of the complex math and calculations usually necessary to accomplish a good edge blend across multiple projectors.

What are the limitations?

Because the Edge Blending Module makes use of a Matrox DualHead2Go or TripleHead2Go, you are limited to up to 3 projectors at this time. Projector placement is limited to horizontal at the moment (you cannot create a top, middle, bottom edge blend with the Edge Blending Module).

Also, like any edge blending solution, you cannot create a projected resolution equal to the total output width of the DualHead or TripleHead2Go. Because of the data doubling, usually 100-250 pixels, your finished image horizontal resolution will be 10%-20% less than the output of the computer itself.

Only two things in ProPresenter cannot be projected using the Edge Blending Module - DVD content played directly from the DVD itself or content using the Web view. Neither go through the GPU (where the software does it's rendering work) and therefore cannot be manipulated and mapped to this custom resolution. The DVD issue is due to a limitation placed on us by Apple with regard to Digital Rights Management (DRM) that is not legal to circumvent. The Web View is displayed using the industry standard WebKit and therefore drawn in a custom window that we're not able to manipulate.

System Requirements?

This software module enables ProPresenter to create a seamless edge between 2 or 3 projectors, blending them perfectly to create one wide image. A Matrox DualHead2Go or TripleHead2Go is required for this module to work. Either can be purchased through us.

The Edge Blending Module requires a newer video card and machine to run and depends on the combination of hardware and version of the OS X you're running. Rather than provide a confusing matrix to determine whether a system will work, we do this on the fly in the program testing and confirming whether or not the Edge Blending Module will work on that computer. So just check either the "About ProPresenter" window or the "Registration" for the "Edge Blending Capable" status, as seen below:

Audio Technica 2000 and 3000 Series I-Band!

Earlier this year, the FCC mandated that all users of 700MHZ wireless microphones - those with frequencies from 698-806MHZ - stop using them as of June 12.  Did everyone stop using them?  Many did, but of course not - preferring to risk legal penalties, save money, and expect that the interference from 4G wireless devices won't affect them.

Sooner or later, 700MHZ wireless systems will stop working due to interference.  AT&T and Verizon both have plans to deliver broadband Internet services over the airwaves (especially to rural areas) in the 700MHZ band.  They've paid for the radio spectrum; you can bet that they'll use it.  It's much less expensive to put up towers than it is to runs miles of cable from pole to pole to pole up and down the roads of the United States. 

To further complicate matters, Google, Microsoft and others have banded together to seek the use of the "White Spaces" -- the spaces between the current television broadcast channels where many wireless microphone systems operate. 

As of today, there's no guarantee that the White Spaces proposal will be approved by the FCC, but manufacturers are testing those devices.  The proposed devices are not allowed to interfere with existing wireless traffic (like licensed wireless microphones and other radio traffic), but initial tests have not been pretty.

Read more: The future of wireless microphones - a solution to the uncertainty!

Why a 3-way? The Mackie HD1531 High Definition 3-Way Powered Loudspeaker

Many loudspeaker systems are 2-way; they have a low frequency device coupled with a high-frequency device. Most professional systems are 3-way (low, mid, high) or 4-way (low, mid, high, sub). Why? In the simplest sense, the less a speaker component has to reproduce in terms of frequency response, the better it can do its job.

Imagine a typical 2-way speaker. One woofer and one horn take care of lows and highs, so many loudspeakers have lots of “bump” and some “sizzle.” Sound system operators often equalize their system so that music sounds good, again by adding “bump” and “sizzle.”

While that may work in your car or home stereo, it doesn’t always work well in the pro audio realm. Without the third component to cover the mid-frequencies, vocal clarity and accuracy can suffer, especially with less expensive speakers. And without midrange definition, your words can get lost.  That's not what you want, especially in the worship setting.

The new Mackie HD1531 is the new 3-way option in its High-Definition Powered Loudspeakers. The addition of the mid-frequency component gives back clarity and accuracy (even if you exaggerate low and high frequencies otherwise) since there’s a device specially designed to cover the very important midrange frequencies that give your words intelligibility and clarity – when spoken or sung.

Good mid-range definition doesn’t stop with vocals. Accurate midrange helps every aspect of every instrument – from guitar, to drums, to keyboards, to bass guitar and more. The HD1531 delivers up to 1800W of peak system power via Mackie’s new Class-D Fast Recovery™ amplification. Mackie’s new high-definition audio processing combines the power of precision crossovers, time correction and acoustic correction for striking clarity and performance.

System tuning and custom speaker components by EAW create an optimized system that can be easily configured for your application using the integrated 3-band EQ with a sweepable mid. The sleek, all-wood cabinet design is pole-mountable and flyable, providing flexible mounting options for portable or installation uses.

In addition to extraordinary clarity and definition, the HD1531 is capable of delivering very solid low-frequency sound and surprisingly high overall output.

This is the first time that we've seen a 3-way active-powered loudspeaker with these performance characteristics available at this price point.

Mackie HD1531 High-Definition 3-Way Powered Loudspeaker $1199.99 each – in stock! Click here to order today.