ASSIGNMENTS

Rostrum Records

Rostrum Records announced Edith Bo as the Head of A&R. In this role, Bo will be responsible for setting and overseeing the overall direction of A&R strategy, including scouting and signing new artists and ensuring their creative vision is executed. Additionally, she will be responsible for developing strategic branding partnerships and will be working closely with Rostrum’s marketing team to create and implement innovative solutions for artists. This appointment comes on the heels of Rostrum Records announcing its 20th anniversary of developing and empowering the next generation of independent artists. For more, contact robert@therobertavery.com.

Audio-Technica

Audio-Technica has announced the appointment of Matt Markgraf to the position of Strategic Partnership/ Alliance Manager. In his new position, Markgraf will be responsible for leading A-T’s global planning and implementation of aligning partners for certifications and integrations with various brand partnerships. Markgraf comes to A-T from Industrial Training Services, where his latest title was Director of Strategy & Client Success. He has experience in strategic planning, product development, and project management to align with long-term company goals and vision. For more information on this hiring, contact pr@clynemedia.com.

Head of A&R, North America

Nuclear Blast

Nuclear Blast has announced the promotion of Shawn Keith to Head of A&R, North America. Keith joins Nuclear Blast after co-founding SharpTone

Records in partnership with the parentlabel in 2016. Focused on diverse alternative genres, SharpTone has signed established acts like Story Of The Year, We Came As Romans, and August Burns Red. Before co-founding SharpTone, Keith served as Vice President at Sumerian Records for 8 years (2007-2014). Keith’s emphasis on creative freedom, dedication, and a fierce work ethic is a crucial factor in the evolving expansion of heavy music. For more, conact erica@bigpicturemediaonline.com.

The Beatport Group appointed Sofia Ilyas to the position of Chief Community Officer. Ilyas will oversee the company’s diversity, inclusion and social action efforts. Additionally, she will head corporate communications, set the strategy for emerging growth markets and manage the company’s numerous partnerships with DJ and producer community organizations around the world. Prior to joining Beatport, Ilyas was a Director at the innovative headphone company Nura, where she spearheaded PR and marketing strategy, delivering industry-first campaigns and partnerships within the music-tech and headphone sectors. For more, contact jv@spinlab.net.

Gibson has announced the promotion of Beth Rasnick to the role of Chief of Staff to the CEO, Gibson Brands. In her new role, Rasnick will act strategically as representative for the Office of the CEO internally and externally, collaborating with the Gibson leadership and extended leadership teams to determine business strategies and action plans. Throughout nearly a decade at Gibson, Rasnick has held diverse key positions spanning finance, accounting, treasury, business acquisitions and divestitures, transformation initiatives, and corporate strategy. She is an emerging player of rhythm guitar, which she has learned from her father. Contact Lcoffey@primeprgroup.com.

Epic

Epic Records announced the appointment of Ezekiel Lewis to President. Lewis has served as the company’s Executive Vice President and Head of A&R since 2020. Throughout his tenure, he has worked with the record label’s new artists and helped develop the careers of Epic’s GRAMMY® Awardwinning roster. Prior to joining Epic Records in 2017, Lewis served as Senior Vice President of A&R at Motown Records from 2011. In 2010, Lewis founded Bar Music Group, a music publishing company responsible for a roster of successful songwriters and producers. For more, contact melissa.victor@epicrecords.com.

EMEA

Videndum Media Solutions

Videndum Media Solutions announced the appointment of Simon Beesley to the position of Sales & Business Development Director EMEA for the Pro Audio Group. In his new role, Beesley will be responsible for sales and business development in the region for the company’s professional audio portfolio of brands, which includes Audix and Rycote. Simon Beesley joins Videndum with a broad spectrum of experience in the professional audio and broadcast marketplaces. For more, contact margaret@msmediainc.com.

Shure has named Sam Sabet as its new Chief Technology Officer. Sabet joins Shure after serving as Senior Vice President of Engineering and Head of Product Development and Delivery at Crestron Electronics. Educating the next generation is also a passion for Sabet, as he has served as an adjunct professor for Monmouth University, Southern Methodist University, and New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he continues to teach a number of graduate-level courses. In the past 12 months, Shure has averaged a new product introduction or enhancement announcement every month. For more, contact kaitlyn.trevisan@havasformula.com.

There are two compact DM3 mixers just out by Yamaha: the DM3-D features Dante audio networking interfacing for connecting to a wide range of compatible audio devices and the DM3 Standard comes without Dante and, other than that, both models are identical. There are sixteen mono, one stereo and two FX Return channels inputs to mix. From each mix channel there are six Mix Sends, two FX Sends, and one stereo and two matrix outputs.

With an ultra-compact chassis, the DM3 Series operates at up to 96kHz sample rates, has low latency and is fast to set up. There are 18 onboard effects and an intuitive user interface that uses a large, 9-inch screen with multi-touch controls and multi-language channel names using the DM3 Editor or DM3Stage Mix apps. There are custom fader banks and MonitorMix support for personal monitor mixing, or live sound applications, making it great for simple presentations and conferences to live bands and multi-performer events. The DM3 is also makes an ideal sub-mixer for a Dante-compatible main console.

The ultra-compact 22-channel DM3 Series is a full-specification music production tool for recording and editing with an 18in/18out USB audio interface and DAW Remote functionality.

The Yamaha DM3 Standard and DM3 Dante mixers sell for $1,699.99 and $1,999.99 respectively.

usa.yamaha.com/products/proaudio/mixers/dm3

I could be wrong: the new Baby Audio BA-1 synthesizer was inspired by the Yamaha CS01, a 32-key synth that came out in the mid-'80s. Another underappreciated synth from that time and, as I remember them, the new Baby Audio BA-1 has it beat on so many different levels immediately!

It has a second modeled oscillator and FM polyphony, but keeps the original's basic sound and analog-modeled filter with all the attendant issues like any actual hardware filter. It keeps the original's envelope generator and LFO sections and adds a sync-able LFO to BPM mode. Because it is a software instrument, you get over 500 presets that you can tweak quickly to your purposes and then save them. While the original synth was monophonic only and mostly used as single-note melody lines or high string lines, the BA-1 is switchable to polyphonic, has a resizable GUI, and you can change the front panel's color. The original plastic synth was only a boring gray color.

I do like the Re-Gen button that, when pushed, acts like a randomizer, parameters change but are musically usable in the same general category as the originally selected patch. So, if you have a sustaining pad selected, clicking on Re-Gen keeps it usable and does not turn it into space junk.

Check out Baby Audio's BA-1 for a cool little synth that has many presets to take you back. The BA-1 v1.1 synth sells for $99 MSRP and comes with even more new presets.

babyaud.io/ba-1

To celebrate over 90 years in the microphone industry, the CAD C98 Cardioid Condenser Gooseneck Instrument Microphone is specifically designed for drum sets, conga/ bongo drums, timbale, Cajon, tablas—really any acoustical percussive instrument.

You get a medium cardioid polar pattern to reject sound leakage from other loud instruments on stage as well as cymbals and other drums within a kit if you use the C98 on tom-toms, for example. Frequency response of the electret capsule is rated at 50Hz to 20kHz and the C98 will handle high SPL from drums.

In my tests, both the gooseneck design and included drum rim mounting bracket (that also clamps on RIMS or Dynamount systems) made it easy to get the C98 pointed at exactly where I want it—even in the tightest positions around a kit, all without using a mic stand.

We got great sound using it on a Ludwig Acrolite snare drum and it brought out a monstrous low end on an 8 X 12 rack tom, yet it was not overly boomy on the kit's 16 X 16 floor tom.

With a full 2-year warranty, the C98 is now available at $119 MSRP.

cadaudio.com/products/new-products/c98

Shure has an all-black wireless system with two SM58 industry-standard vocal microphones. The easy to set up Limited Edition Black BLX288/SM58 Wireless Dual Vocal System comes with two all-black SM58 vocal microphones and one dual-channel wireless receiver. Derived from the BLX system, presenters and vocalists can enhance their stage presence and rely on the warm and clear performance of Shure wireless audio.

The two SM58 capsules have black grilles and are available in frequency bands H9, H10, H11 and J11. The system operates up to a range of 300 feet, providing musicians and presenters extended stage space, and can run up to 12 channels per frequency band. BLX transmitters get up to 14 hours of power from a single pair of AA batteries. This system retails for $649, but check the link below for the latest!

shure.com/en-US/products/wireless-systems/blx_ wireless/blx288-sm58-wireless-dual-vocal-system

EXOVERB MICRO is Dear Reality’s latest reverb plug-in for stereo productions. This is a darling of a reverb plug-in that uses the same reverb engine as Dear Reality's EXOVERB but comes with just the eight most popular "greatest hits"—two each of Rooms, Halls, Plates, and Ambiences.

In Pro Tools, when I set up both EXOVERB MICRO and EXOVERB so that I could switch it back and forth from the same source, it has remarkably the same sound with MICRO having a much simpler GUI and without EXOVERB's abilities to precisely tweak a reverb.

You have the same intuitive triangular-shaped "playing-field" surface with a joystick controller to get where you want immediately. Now both Pre-Delay and Decay are separate parameter boxes and adjustable by mouse rather than by turning controls down in the parameter box at the bottom of EXOVERB.

I'm using EXOVERB MICRO in my mixes for adding ambiences—touches and colorations to individual tracks, "wet/dry" style. Sometimes it is this added "touch" that brings a three-dimensional quality in the most unusual way on instruments and voices. I love it!

Dear Reality EXOVERB MICRO sells for EUR/USD $25. dear-reality.com/products/exoverb-micro

The SusEx Pedal is wireless and uses BLE MIDI (Bluetooth Low Energy) to send continuous MOD Wheel controller data. It also has 1/4-inch jack to connect a second keyboard at the same time. This pedal can sense where your foot is positioned on it automatically and then allow seamless switching between a basic footswitch control for Sustain and continuous control modes for expressions or cutoffs. It is the first pedal to have both a footswitch and continuous controller in the same body.

Musicians who work live performances will love that the SusEx Pedal eliminates the need for multiple pedals on stage by offering a natural way to play multiple parameters without stomp switches or navigating—moving back and forth between multiple single-parameter pedals. The SusEx Pedal frees both hands using a smaller device that complements your keyboard and/or DAWbased music production setup.

Black BT HubBLE App (iOS/Android) sets up to two SusEX pedals that can run at the same time and connect to any keyboard workstation with only USB MIDI. The SusEx Pedal will be shipping as of July 2023. Orders can be placed for $149.99 on the company site.

blackbt.com

BARRY RUDOLPH is a recording engineer/mixer who has worked on over 30 gold and platinum records. He has recorded and/or mixed Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hall & Oates, Pat Benatar, Rod Stewart, the Corrs and more. Barry has his own futuristic music mixing facility in North Hollywood called Tones 4 $ Studios. He is a lifetime Grammy-voting member of NARAS and a contributing editor for Mix Magazine. barryrudolph.com