Pro audio manufacturer Behringer has recently received patent rights from the German Patent and Trademark Office for the design of its unique ULTRATUBE circuitry.

The innovative technology provides desirable tube-saturation harmonics at any given volume, avoiding the need of leveling the tube, at the same time enabling control of the amount of tube sound in the signal.

“I have a passion for classic vacuum tube technology,” confesses company founder and ULTRATUBE inventor, Uli Behringer. “Tube circuitries, however, are known for their critical level dependency. Either the level is too low and there is no tube effect or the level is too high and distortion occurs. The patent sets out to eliminate virtually all hiss, hum and noise while maintaining the desired effect of warm, silky enhancement usually generated near the level of tube circuitry saturation. That’s when the additional harmonics are generated, giving tubes their distinctive sound,” Behringer explains the principle.

A number of BEHRINGER products, like the legendary VINTAGER tube processor series and the VINTAGER AC112 guitar combo, already benefit from the ULTRATUBE technology. It provides a warm, punchy sound with plenty of harmonics and musicality, resulting in tube-like response and feel even at low volume.

Behringer Web Site

Richard Marvin considers himself the luckiest guy in Hollywood, as this week he begins scoring the third season of HBO’s highly regarded Six Feet Under. The 13-episode season will air in March 2003.

Marvin, whose credits comprise numerous film and television scores, including the highly regard U-571, scores 4-6 minutes of original music for each episode. “This show has spoiled me for other television. It’s so touching and real that everything else that I work on seems so commercial. The people involved are just fabulous; it’s a great experience. Alan Ball is very clear about what he wants – It’s almost like doing a movie every week; we’re using the same sort of approach.”

Just as he values the quality of the process, Marvin also values his creative tools. Running a Digital Performer-based Macintosh desktop system, Marvin uses the Mackie UAD-1 Powered Plug-Ins, Propellerheads Reason, Ableton Live and various plug-ins from Native Instruments to create the uniquely characteristic music for Six Feet Under which Marvin describes as “an interesting hybrid between ambient electronica and acoustic music with solo piano and orchestral violins”.

He first came across the Mackie UAD-1 when looking for a way to ease the processor demand on his system. “It’s working so great; it’s flawless – I’m using it all the time, every day. My favorite plug-in by far is Nigel. I just love it. I use it to fake guitars. I can put anything into it, really, and by tweaking it I can get a guitar sound that I’m happy with. There are so many variables to it, so many great qualities to the sound. I’ve used a lot of different things like Amp Farm, the MOTU Preamp, but this has a rich quality to it – it’s real believable. But I also use it on drum loops – it’s just so strange and easy to use. I simply pull up one of the presets to get started, tweak some of the controls and get really interesting sounds.”

Building on the success of his tenure with Six Feet Under, Marvin is looking forward to the numerous film and television projects now on his plate. He also looks forward to expanding his Mackie UAD-1 with the recently announced DreamVerb plug-in.

Mackie Designs Web Site

Propellerheads Web Site

Native Instruments Web Site

Pinnacle Systems announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the stock of Steinberg Media Technologies AG based in Hamburg, Germany. Steinberg specializes in digital audio software solutions for consumers and professionals (Cubase, Wavelab, Nuendo etc).

The companies expect to close the transaction in early January 2003 and have agreed on a total purchase price of approximately $24 million, consisting of $8.2 million in cash and $15.8 million of Pinnacle Systems common stock. At closing, Pinnacle Systems will acquire all products, software, and intellectual property rights, along with all other assets and liabilities of the company. Pinnacle will account for this transaction as a purchase in Pinnacle Systems’ fiscal Q3, ending March 31, 2003.

J. Kim Fennell, President and CEO at Pinnacle Systems said, “We are delighted to welcome Steinberg’s customers and employees into the Pinnacle family. Steinberg is a recognized industry leader in digital audio and this transaction significantly broadens Pinnacle’s digital media offerings. By adding the talent and technology of Steinberg to our company, we believe we can bring our customers an even stronger solutions portfolio.”

“Steinberg is pleased to be joining forces with Pinnacle Systems. Our customers and products will benefit greatly from the combined resources of the two companies and we look forward to bringing audio production expertise to the award-winning Pinnacle Systems’ product lines,” said Manfred Rürup, President of Steinberg Media Technologies AG.

About Steinberg Media Technologies AG

Steinberg Media Technologies AG is known the world over for its professional audio software. The company has been developing, manufacturing and selling software products for professional musicians and producers in the music, video and film industry since 1984. Steinberg products are also enjoying success in the fast-growing consumer market with music creation and other multimedia applications. Steinberg is today one of the world’s largest audio software houses.

About Pinnacle Systems, Inc.

Pinnacle Systems provides broadcasters and consumers with cutting-edge digital media creation, storage, and play-back solutions for use at Home, in the Studio and on the Air. Pinnacle Systems’ award winning digital media solutions are in use around the world for broadcast, cable and satellite television, video editing, DVD and CDR authoring, and the Internet. A recognized industry leader, the company has received eight prestigious Emmy Awards for its technical innovations and carries this commitment throughout all of its product lines.

Steinberg U.S.A. Web Site

Pinnacle Systems Web Site

The Middle Eastern music production industry leader Barry Kirsch Productions ‘BKP’ projected its creative edge through a different medium with the recent launch of its state-of-the-art fully interactive audio website, a regional debut for this genre of technical wizardry.

The Flash 6 powered site uniquely delivers over 175 male and female voice-over talent samples on demand in different languages from all over the world, allowing companies and agencies the ability to find their perfect brand representative voice from the comfort of their offices.

According to BKP founder, Barry Kirsch, this Web site forms part of their growing pioneering endeavors towards providing clients with more freedom and creative options for their marketing communication productions. “BKP is at the forefront of delivering an international standard of audio solutions to the marketing industry across the region,” said Kirsch. “Our new interactive site is the latest tangible example of our total commitment to retaining this position in an increasingly competitive market sector.”

The website was designed by octOpus, one of the UAE’s most innovative communications consultancies. Stuart Cameron, Managing Director of octOpus, believes that communication is all about ensuring that the correct message gets to the correct people through the correct environment at the correct time. “Following the initial and misguided euphoria that heralded a new beginning through e-commerce solutions,” said Cameron, “clients now seem to be tentatively re-assessing the business benefits that can be provided by an e-presence. The new BKP site is a perfect example of this new realism. BKP, in conjunction with ourselves at octOpus recognised that both agencies and clients would appreciate the opportunity to quickly review voice options in the comfort of their own premises.”

The website will provide more options and save cost and time for agencies and clients looking for the perfect voice, as voices can be sampled, stored, and downloaded directly to the visitors’ computers for reference and subsequent review by other parties.

Other than voice-over talents, the website also provides information on the full range of products and services offered by BKP; From original and library background music to sonic branding, sound design radio and TV production and post production.

Kirsch was responsible for many of the best-recognised jingles and sonic brands produced in the region over the last 15 years, including the one currently used by Emirates Airlines. Kirsch explains, “Sonic branding is one of the most effective means of defining or enhancing a company’s image and reinforcing the overall ideals of a brand. As such, it has become one of the fastest growing areas in the overall BKP offer.” With the site being the first of its kind in the region, BKP affirms it’s no background sing-along, and it stands as an achievement that both Kirsch and Cameron are rightfully proud of.

BKP Music Web Site

SRS Labs, Inc. announced today that SRS Labs’ Circle Surround® (“CS”) technology is currently being used by ESPN to deliver 5.1 surround sound to its viewers nationwide during live sporting event telecasts. SRS Labs’ subsidiary, SRSWOWcast Technologies has provided ESPN with professional Circle Surround equipment for telecasting the programs in Circle Surround. ESPN will use CS during ESPN’s National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) games and the network will display the Circle Surround logo before and after each CS-encoded telecast.

Circle Surround is an optimum surround encoding solution for television because it enables networks to encode up to 5.1 channels of discrete program material for transmission over existing stereo production/distribution infrastructure with no modifications. Circle Surround technology is also the only surround sound format that can encode 5.1 channels of surround sound for transmission using any two-channel medium.

“ESPN is happy to deliver the Circle Surround 5.1 technology to our viewers to further enhance the viewing experience for our fans,” said Donald Colantonio, Jr., ESPN coordinating director, remote production.

“We are pleased ESPN will use our Circle Surround professional audio encoder on NFL and NBA telecasts and look forward to working closely with them on additional events,” said Thomas C.K. Yuen, chairman and CEO of SRS Labs. “Circle Surround is a high quality, powerful technology that is universally compatible with current production/distribution infrastructure — making immediate delivery of 5.1 channel content possible to audiences around the world.”

Yuen continued, “This new relationship also provides tremendous brand exposure for SRS Labs through the display of our CS logo to millions of viewers. As a licensing company, our ultimate goal is to license our technologies to manufacturers of home theater products. Televising CS-encoded material is an important element in this strategy.”

An important point for telecasters is the fact that CS encoding is backward compatible with other matrix surround decoders subject to the limitations of the specific decoder. This flexibility means that CS-encoded sports programming is compatible with any system viewers may own, from the use of a television’s internal speakers to a full home theater installation. However, for the ultimate experience in surround sound playback, it is recommended that home theater enthusiasts use a surround sound receiver that includes either Circle Surround or our premium Circle Surround II decoding, available from manufacturers such as Kenwood and Marantz. CS II not only creates up to 6.1 channels of superior sound, but also includes SRS Labs patented techniques to provide dialog (center channel) enhancement and high quality bass enhancement.

About the CSE-07

The CSE (Model CSE-07) Circle Surround Pro Encoder enables audio professionals to encode up to 6.1 channels of discrete program material (Left, Center, Right, Left Surround, Center Surround, Right Surround, LFE) for transmission via any consumer stereo medium. It delivers a remarkable “home theater” audio experience at bandwidths as low as 44 kpbs. CS-encoded material is backwards compatible with the standard consumer audio formats (from mono to Dolby Pro Logic II(R)).

About SRSWOWcast Technologies

SRSWOWcast Technologies is the Internet and broadcast subsidiary of SRS Labs, Inc., one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and patented audio and voice enhancement technologies. With exclusive Internet and broadcasting rights to SRS Labs’ intellectual property portfolio, SRSWOWcast Technologies develops and licenses audio and voice technology solutions for Internet streaming, on-demand material, online radio, as well as for traditional television broadcasting and cable transmission.