John Henry’s Ltd Audio Division used one of their dbx DriveRack units for monitor system management and EQ on the BBC’s “Strictly Dance Fever”, presented by Graham Norton.

As the popular Saturday night show – broadcast live - built up to its shimmying finale, a live band has joined the glitter, glamour and action in Studio TC1 of the BBC TV Centre in West London each week. This necessitates a full 20 piece monitor system plus four ways of hard wired IEMs in the mix, all controlled and processed by the DriveRack. The DriveRack is coupled to a Soundcraft Series 5 console being engineered by JHL’s Jim King.

The DriveRack system consists of a 480 master unit, a 480R remote control, and three 482 slave units, all flight-cased into one tidy on-the-road package – an ideal solution for situations like this where space is at an extreme premium.

The DriveRack 480, 481 and 482 units can be networked with an RS-485 buss allowing full control of each unit on the network from the 480R remote, the Master unit, and a Computer.

King operates the DriveRack – providing everything you need between the mixer and the amps - via its proprietary remote panel during the show, commenting, “It’s absolutely brilliant – you can call up any mix on the desk via the remote. It provides a great space-saving solution for applying some well loved analogue mixing techniques …. which would previously have taken 2 or 3 racks to achieve”.

He adds that it’s also much quicker and easier to do this using DriveRack, and that the crossover facilities are useful.

The DriveRack 480 and 482 provide a host of processing features including a 31-band Graphic Equalizer on each input in addition to Notch Filtering, and Delay. Each output also has a full complement with Signal Routing, Bandpass and Crossover Filtering, a 4-band Parametric EQ, a classic dbx Compressor/Limiter, and output Delay.

The DriveRack’s software comes with several onboard presets for use with different types of monitors, allowing the user to take full advantage of their unique acoustic properties. For “Strictly Dance Fever”, we used a mixture of EAW JH15 proprietary wedges, Clair Brother’s 12AMs and Funktion One Resolution wedges, plus HK DT108’s which are a favourite for brass sections. So DriveRack’s versatility has been invaluable throughout the series, flipping between different types of monitors and being able to select their characteristics with a few button presses.

King also likes the fact that you can locate the DriveRack anywhere – at the desk, onstage, wherever - because it’s so portable. On “Strictly Dance Fever” it usually stays close to the monitor desk, adjacent to the main mix desk – a Yamaha PM5D – engineered and operated by Clive Goodwyn.

Using a dbx Drive Rack for the monitor mix is now a standard JHL’s approach to large TV shows featuring a live orchestra and lots of mixes, and now has two complete dbx systems that are constantly working on indoor and outdoor shows and special events. They are currently mainly used for TV monitor mixes needing a careful balance of precision, power and flexibility.

JHL’s project manager for the show is Robert Harding who also handles the legendary “...Later with Jools Holland” series.
dbx DriveRack web site

It’s festival time folks and we’ve been busy.

The Wintershall open-air concert is perhaps a little known event on the festival circuit, but nonetheless, a very special happening organised and produced by Mr Peter Hutley, focused on supporting local charities, in particular the Heart and Stroke Trust Endeavour “HASTE”. This was the fifth Wintershall charity festival involving our team of technical giants and logistic management.

The main act for the event was introduced by Rory Bremner, a unique array of talent known as the Band du Lac led by Gary Brooker comprising, Mike Rutherford, Andy Fairweather Low, Dave Bronze, Henry Spinetti, Paul Carrack, Graham Broad and Frank Mead, special guests were Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Roger Taylor, Chris Barber, Katie Melua and a special appearance by The Drifters. Classics like “Whiter Shade of Pale”, ”With a Little Help from my Friend”, “Those Were the Days”, “Stormy Monday”, “Cocaine”, “I Can’t Dance”, the list just goes on, left everyone exhausted (look out for the DVD which will be available soon).

For the technical buffs out there our new digital Yamaha PM5D Consoles performed well allowing our sound guys to independently preset levels for each act during sound checks. JHL’s new sound system, the EAW KF730 SLAM Line array, is small but very powerful. It packs a six-driver, horn loaded KF Series design into an amazingly compact enclosure, setting a new record for output per cubic meter. On stage we used Clair Bros 12am monitors including Clair P4 side fills. QSC power amplifiers were used through out.

Earlier in the evening the show opened with a young local band Apathy with Chris Larsmon on bass guitar, Billy Crawshaw on guitar/vocals and look out for the drummer, Tom Brigg, he drove the band along and they rocked. They were followed by the Rich Robson Band, Christian rock at its best. His new album “Freedom” is due out this summer. The Fabbagirls started the handclaps and stirred the audience into action. They made a great job of going through the Abba catalogue and got the party started.

Paul Young & Los Pacaminos brought a flavour of Tex-Mex to the evening and the band looked swell in their Stetson cowboy hats and played some hot numbers. Next on was The Jones Gang. Kenney Jones and his band started out at a blistering pace covering old favourites from Small Faces and The Who also new songs by The Jones Gang who also have a new album out soon. The star studded audience really started to get in the groove. After Band du Lac the evening finished with a crescendo of fireworks and a laser show.

Download and view the two page, full colour PDF report on Wintershall 2005. (494KB)

JHL have recently serviced a massive rental requirement for Destiny’s Child who had specified a full compliment of the new Roland FANTOM range of keyboards and modules, the specification included:

1 x Fantom-X8
3 x Fantom-X7’s
3 x Fantom-X6’s
3 x Fantom-XR modules

"The Fantom-X Series are the world's first "Giga-Workstation" keyboards, giving musicians nearly 1GB of wave memory when fully expanded and powerful 128-voice polyphony. The synthesis section's new waves include a gorgeous 88-key split stereo-sampled piano, plus room for 4 SRX expansions. The sampler can be upgraded to 544MB of RAM, which provides enough recording time to use it like a digital recorder. The Fantom-X Series is also the first line of workstation keyboards with a color LCD screen. Between these features and their sleek new looks, the Fantom-X Series is poised to become the workstation of choice."

Pictured Left: EAW 730 Array

Pictured Center: Kenton Forsythe (EAW's Executive Vice President) & John Henry (JHL's MD)

Pictured Right: Pepin Clout (JHL), Steve Badham (EAW), Kenton Forsythe (EAW), John Henry (JHL), (front) Simon Panos (JHL). Picture taken at BBC Studios, Maidavale.


John Henry's Ltd., sound reinforcement rental specialists have invested in a significant EAW KF730 Compact Line Array system to add to their already extensive inventory of EAW cabinets. The new system comprises twenty KF730 mid/hi cabinets and eight SB730 subs plus the relevant flyware.

"The KF730 SLAM (Small Line Array Module) packs a six-driver, horn-loaded KF Series design into an amazingly compact enclosure, setting a new record for output per cubic meter.

The full-sized mid/high horn fills the entire face of the enclosure, ensuring broadband 110° horizontal pattern control. The unique Phase Aligned™ LF design extends horizontal pattern control into the LF and a bi-amplified powering configuration (passive mid/ high) reduces total system cost and complexity."

Specialists in providing audio support for front-line television programmes in cramped studios, John Henry’s Ltd (JHL) often need to work on a small footprint.

After flirting with Yamaha’s digital platform over the years, they have now jumped right in — purchasing their first PM5D from their preferred suppliers, Marquee Audio. The desk immediately took up residency on the set of Strictly Come Dancing filming at both TV Centre and the Blackpool Tower Ballroom, where Clive Goodwin was senior sound engineer and Jim King mixed monitors (see above pic).

Says JHL’s special projects manager, Pepin Clout, "We’ve used some of the smaller boards for some years now — the O3D, O1V and O2R’s. We contemplated buying a DM2000 — but it wasn’t quite right for our applications." When they received the preliminary spec on the PM5D from Marquee Audio, however, all that changed.

"Marquee has supplied us for many years and has consistently proved to be one of the most helpful sales companies in terms of support."

JHL initially took a console on approval, which in addition to Strictly Come Dancing went onto the Shooting Stars Hospice fundraiser ball at the Dorchester and the Graham Norton Sound of Music special. That’s all it took to convince them.

"This desk is perfect for the Strictly Come Dancing type of show," states
JHL’s Robert Harding, who project managed the TV shows’ sound design, "There we have multiple inputs – 24 personal microphones, two presenter microphones plus back-ups, along with track, VT and live band feeds with up to 13 separate output mix zones. We find that with 48 analogue inputs to start with it’s fine for most applications. The control surface is very user-friendly, the display is big enough to be easy to read and with its inbuilt effects, dynamics and memory saving facility it offers the extra flexibility that our projects demand."

Pepin adds that the Dorchester Ball was a classic example of where the desk’s lack of real estate came into its own. “We were given a small footprint on which to work, so we used everything in the desk, and no outboard at all.

"The PM5D goes much further than other boards we have auditioned — in fact on Sound of Music we used it as a full-blown monitor board and will be doing the same on the Later Hootenanny with Natasha Bedingfield."

"Everywhere we’ve taken it we’ve had a good response from technicians and clients alike. Radio 1 liked it very much when we used it on a recent live session with three bands playing back to back."

After finishing on Strictly Come Dancing the PM5D moves immediately to another show spawned by the hit series — Strictly Come Ice Dancing at Pinewood Studios — and then onto another new show, Can’t Sing Singers.

(Taken from Marquee Audio press release.)

[Pictured - two PM5D’s set up at the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool / Jim King]

Yamaha PM5D - www.yamahaproaudio.com/products/mixer/pm_m/pm5d/index.htm

Leading London production company John Henry’s Ltd. (JHL) have updated their already massive monitor system inventory with a major purchase of 40 PowerLight PL236 amplifiers. Their UK distributor, Shure Distribution UK, filled the initial order and provided the product in newly commissioned monitor racks.

As JHL’s Special Projects Manager Pepin Clout observed, “all our front-of-house amplifiers are QSC, so it made perfect sense to maintain that continuity. That said, we conducted an extensive market evaluation of all available product, which effectively confirmed our decision that QSC amplifiers continue to be our best investment, based on sonic transparency and performance, power-to-weight ratio, and reliability.”

JHL are active not only in live television broadcasts, but are well-established in the concert touring, corporate, and showcase arenas, putting rigorous demands on their amplifier stock, day in and day out. The amp racks are designed with the flexibility to drive a monitor rig one day and an installation the next.

The new PL236 racks barely had time to be checked in before they were sent out for a shooting of the high-profile TV show Later…With Jools Holland. The show, which features back-to-back performances on multiple stages, found the amps pressed into service powering a total of 86 floor monitors.

Hardly cooling off after the Jools Holland shoot, the amps went immediately to the Shooting Stars Ball fundraiser at London’s swank Dorchester Hotel (pictured).

QSC Audio Products, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of power amplifiers, loudspeakers, signal processing, digital signal transport, and computer control systems for professional audio markets worldwide.

(Taken from the QSC press release)

THE POWERLIGHT 2 SERIES
The PowerLight 2 Series is a high performance line of amplifiers designed exclusively for the touring and live sound professional. Four models range in power from 900 watts to 1850 watts per channel, all in two-rack space chassis that are only 14" deep and 21 lbs.

More info at http://www.qscaudio.com/products/amps/powerlight2/powerlight2.htm

Recently, Vic Firth held "meet and greet" parties for its UK and Italian artists, along with its music distributors from each country. During each party, Vic displayed his new products, as well as listened to the artist's ideas and concerns. Food, drink and music provided the perfect atmosphere for Vic to show his appreciation to his worldwide family of artists.

The UK party, held on November 30th along with Vic Firth distributor Arbiter (represented by Nick Moulin & Darren Bramley), was held at the world famous John Henry Studios in London. Ian Croft, representing the UK's "Drummer Magazine" was on hand as well.

Pictures from the UK party - www.vicfirth.com/news/VFartistpartyUK.html

Leading London-based rental company, John Henry’s Ltd has acquired the rental division of Sensible Music Ltd. The deal, struck between John Henry and Jeff Allen, owner of Sensible Music, will see the expansion of John Henry’s backline and audio rental fleet consolidating its position as the UK’s largest multi-disciplinary rental organisation.

The companies have enjoyed a friendly rivalry and good working relationship over the years. Commenting on the deal, John Henry said: “We had been in discussions for quite some time. Jeff was looking to concentrate on his growing studio and events operations and we were best placed to incorporate the rental business into our portfolio”.

Jeff Allen added “Being near neighbours and sharing similar goals made the decision a logical progression for us both”. Sensible Music’s studio and events divisions are unaffected by the takeover.

Just arrived from the USA the new “Peterson StroboStomp”.

The new StroboStomp gives the user Virtual Strobe tuning technology in a all in one stomp/DI box! Pay us a visit to try out this innovative gem!

We also stock the V-Sam & VS II Peterson Tuners

Due to a very busy and hectic schedule recently JHL have invested in some interesting and diverse products to add to our rental stock, this includes;

360 Systems “Instant Replay” (Places 1000 Audio cuts at your fingertips!)

Access Indigo 2 Keyboard

David Gage ¾ Double Bass case

Gracie PS-A Performer Acoustic/Electric guitar stands

Hammond 2101 Rotary Horn Leslie Speakers

Hammond 2121 Stationary Speaker/Horn Cabinet

Hammond “New B3” Organ

Hammond 122 Leslie Cabinet

JHL Custom Switched 220/230/240 – 115 volt 2Kva Transformers

JHL Custom Fixed 230 – 115 volt 2Kva Transformers

Kurzweil 2600 XS sampling 88 note weighted 128 MB/Orch ROM1-1 keyboard

Mackie SRM450 Self powered Speaker Cabinets

Pioneer CDJ 1000 Mk II Digital cd/vinyl turntables

Tama Maple Fusion/Rock Cherry Black Drum Kit

Voyager by Bob Moog “Big Briar” Keyboard

Yamaha GT2 Grand Touch Grand Piano

These items are also available to purchase from "The Pro Shop" our sales division.
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