Prosound News - April 2008 - (Page 26)

[26] got relatively clear skies, and we’re putting power onto the grid right now. So it’s a break-even, in a way, that we’re able to help out environmentally, and then help offset our costs, in general, when the studio’s not being used.” In central Virginia, Monkeyclaus studio, built largely of recycled materials by a collective of music and media professionals, is a manifestation of the group’s potential to effect positive change. “We’ve taken a long-range plan and started with the actual material and the behavior,” says Monkeyclaus’ Pete Agelasto. “Where I am, outside of Charlottesville, ‘green building’ has taken off. But they’re building houses that are 5,000 and 8,000 square feet and calling them green buildings. The behavior aspect, we thought, was so important.” As with Evergroove, financial incentives are important, Agelasto says. “Being in the creative industry, the tax incentive helps you, but I think the real creative incentive is, how can this be financed? How can this be used as a marketing point? How can this be given away so that other people are inspired? How can studios move into pop culture and make a statement that’s essentially pop culture in nature: ‘We want to get off the grid, we built this place ourselves’? I think those outweigh what the government can give you right now, but certainly any tax incentive is super-helpful.” Agelasto adds that “you’ve got to condition that [power] a little bit, because alternative energy can produce weird power waves for the transformers to deal with. But that aside, it’s the future, and we’ve all got to get there together.” Is solar-generated electricity realistic for studios around the country? “Depending on your location, it’s feasible,” says David Amlen of New York’s Legacy Recording Studios and past president of the Society of Professional Audio Recording Services (SPARS). “Maybe not 100 percent, because we do tend to use more than the average amount of electricity, but I do think it’s totally within the realm of possibility. Ecologically, I think it’s a great thing.” I do hope large studios can do this,” says Brad Smalling, “but we are a smaller studio, about 800 square feet. But there’s no good reason they can’t. The only [obstacle] I can see is the initial cost outlay, with large studios suffering slightly right now.” “I know that on the consumer level,” Amlen says, “a lot of states offer a rebate if you put in solar power, but the caveat is that you have to be the first of so many; if you’re not, you don’t get the benefit.” Solar power, Amlen reports, has not been a topic of conversation among his peers, but “it’s a really great, really cool idea.” To date, going solar has paid greater dividends than the Smallings had anticipated. “Since then, our business has boomed,” says Jenny. “We have been busier than ever.” “I think it’s a trend,” says Agelasto, “and I also think it’s economic reality for upstart and smaller studios that have got a base behind them. We just want people to realize, this stuff is attainable. Attitude and vision are part of the green movement. At Monkeyclaus, we’re trying to get stakeholders to the table. In that sense, rather than just getting off the grid, we’re trying to make a happening out of getting off the grid.” Evergroove Studio www.evergroove.com Monkeyclaus www.monkeyclaus.org Legacy Recording Studios www.legacyrecordingstudios.com Solar (continued from page 1) AES Celebrates 60th Anniversary March 11, 60 years to the day of its formation, the Audio Engineering Society celebrated its Diamond Anniversary in the city of its birth. The small, dedicated group of professional engineers introduced in 1948 has grown to more than 14,000 members and 169 sections in 48 countries worldwide. To mark the occasion, the AES New York Section hosted a standing-roomonly celebratory gathering at New York’s New School for Social Research. The event was highlighted by a screening of excerpts from the forthcoming AES Oral History Project. Tantalizing anecdotes by legendary Columbia Records engineer Frank Liaco; Louis Goodfriend, first editor of the AES Journal; inventor and AES officer Norman Pickering, and Les Paul, the godfather of multitrack recording, provided the audience with insights, revelations and, thanks to Paul, occasional laughs. Comprised of over 120 exclusive, hour-long interviews, the anthology was shot by Irv Joel and edited by Harry Hirsch, members of the Historical Committee. The AES will begin making interviews from the Oral History Project available, on DVD, later this year. Following a welcome from NY Section chair Noah Simon and remarks by AES executive director Roger Furness and incoming president Jim Anderson, revered audio guru (and former AES president) Floyd Toole discussed the trailblazing work of Harry F. Olson. A pivotal force in technology development, Olson presented the first technical paper at the initial AES meeting. Toole’s address illustrated how far the art and science of audio has evolved since 1948. As it begins its seventh decade, the AES is recognized as the leading forum for the exchange of critical information concerning the rapidly evolving field of sound recording, preservation and distribution. The organization’s focus encompasses education, health and hearing concerns and audio’s integral role in TV and radio broadcast, satellite, internet, motion picture, electronic games, wireless, live concert, house of worship and theatrical applications. The organization’s two annual conventions (U.S. and Europe) attract thousands of audio professionals and students eager to learn from the masters and to network with their peers. The AES Journal and an ongoing series of international conferences, seminars and Section meetings underscore the full spectrum of member interests and concerns. AES www.aes.org NEW YORK, NY—On greater returns with winter’s end, and sized the solar inverter, which converts the sunlight into the studio’s electricity, to accommodate another 14 panels, which would double their production. “Our local energy company, Xcel Energy, offers a pretty hefty benefit for people who decide to go solar,” says Jenny. “They pay $4.50 for every watt that you can produce, so that’s an incentive that brings the cost down a lot. We know it’s the right thing to do. Luckily, with the Xcel and federal rebates, it made it economically feasible as well.” Like Xcel Energy’s Solar Rewards Program, the state of Colorado is in the forefront of green energy promotion, the Smallings explain, offering substantial financial incentives to businesses and homeowners. “The initial system cost is about $16,000,” says Brad. “But if there is an electric company rebate in your area, you can assign your rebate to your installer—or to anyone, for that matter. Our installer knew that we’d get so much out of the rebate, so he took almost $11,000 out of the install cost. The check went straight to him. That’s what made this reachable.” In the first months of operation—during the shorter days of winter—the solar power system offset Evergroove’s electricity use by approximately 50 percent. With the increasing sunlight of spring and summer, not to mention the anticipated doubling of the number of solar panels, the Smallings may soon enjoy 100 percent emission-free electricity. Moreover, Brad adds, “I don’t have a booking until 4:30 today. During this entire time, we’ve psn April 2008 http://www.evergroove.com http://www.monkeyclaus.org http://www.legacyrecordingstudios.com http://fullcompass.com http://fullcompass.com http://www.aes.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Prosound News - April 2008

Prosound News - April 2008 Sound Business Contents Sound Retail Mojo’s Working at NY Noise Studio Showcase: Jungle Room Studios Software Tech Tracks Sessions Nomad Takes Root TCB at NYC’s JSM SoundScreen White Space Turning Gray Audio for Video and Broadcast Field Reports:Sony PCM-D50 Linear PCM Recorder; Holophone H4 SuperMINI Surround Microphone Sound Innovations: Earthworks Audio PianoMic System Frozen Liquid Live Sound Showcase: Jill Scott Centerstage Soundcheck Sound People View From the Top Product Spotlight Advertiser Index Company Index Classifieds Music, Etc.

Prosound News - April 2008

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