Shure Microphones endure Venezuela’s tropical terrain while supporting parrot communication study

When Dr. Karl Berg became part of the world’s most extensive parrot research project as a doctorate student at Cornell University, he faced the challenge of recording 1,000 hours of the bird’s communication at a wild parrot research center in Venezuela. In a climate that averages a stifling 95 degrees with 99 percent humidity, Berg’s focus was to discover important interactions and behavioral traits among parrots in their normal habitats. To properly analyze communication habits, he needed to obtain digital recordings from inside the parrots’ nests. Berg turned to the Shure SM57 and SM11 microphones, confident the mics’ rugged design and quality would withstand Venezuela’s tropical climate conditions.

Shure PSM 1000 solves In-Ear Issues for Red Hot Chili Peppers

Over his 20 years of mixing the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Rat of Rat Sound has had to deal with a wide range of audio issues. During the current multi-year tour in support of the album “I’m with You”, the band encountered severe interference issues with its IEM system, which Rat addressed with a switch to the Shure PSM 1000 system and its diversity reception design.

“The troubles we were having with our existing in-ear systems were primarily due to the LED stage we have on this tour,” explains Rat. “We experienced a whole new level of interference issues. When you have the artists actually standing on an LED surface, it means the beltpack is only three feet away from the RF noise, while the transmitting antenna is maybe 30 feet away. The result was a lot of dropouts from a system that had previously been very stable. We couldn’t even do frequency scans from the stage.”

Shure has announced National Open Mic Night for aspiring performers

In celebration of the company’s 87th Anniversary on April 25, Shure Incorporated announced today its inaugural National Open Mic Night, a week-long observance that will unite and encourage singers, musicians, and spoken word artists to take the mic and perform at venues across the United States from Sunday, April 22, to Saturday, April 28. A total of 23 bars, restaurants, and coffee shops, from New York City to Chicago to Los Angeles, have confirmed their participation.

“We hope this event becomes an annual occurrence that serves as a great way for us to commemorate our Company’s anniversary,” said Terri Hartman, Director of Marketing Communications for Shure Americas. “Our goal is to bring together artists and venues in a cohesive way, and to celebrate their talent.”

10th Shure Montreux Jazz Voice Competition now accepting entries

Shure Incorporated today announced that entries are being accepted for the 10th Shure Montreux Jazz Voice Competition. It will occur during the Montreux Jazz Festival, which takes place June 29-July 14, 2012, in Montreux, Switzerland.

The competition provides aspiring jazz singers the opportunity to perform in front of a professional jury and international audience. In past years, famous artists such as Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau, and Patti Austin presided over the jury.

Wire Rope introduces new Shure KSM353 Shock Mount

Shure Incorporated unveil an innovative new shock mount for its KSM353 ribbon microphone that uses advanced materials and design to deliver excellent isolation with a refreshing dose of style that was shown at the recent Audio Engineering Society conference in New York.

After more than 18 months in development, the mount had to provide exceptional isolation, securely mate to the microphone, and complement the simple metallic styling of the KSM353 ribbon microphone. The KSM353’s 1.5-pound weight and lack of a secure attachment point posed distinct challenges to achieving these goals.

“Shock mounting a heavy microphone is a delicate balancing act,” said Chad Wiggins, Director of Wired Microphones at Shure. “If the support straps are too compliant, the mount is floppy and bottoms out. If they’re too tight, the mount won’t isolate well. And, for a ribbon microphone, you want the movement of the mount to be perpendicular to the movement of the ribbon, which complicates the design.”

Unique Squared Mobile Studio is powered by Shure

Atlanta’s Unique Squared Pro Audio and creative director “AJ” Amond Jackson gave birth to Unique Squared Mobile Studio – a full-service recording studio in the back of a tour bus. And being a bus, it is on the road all time to music festivals and conventions across the country, giving established as well as up-and-coming artists the chance to lay down tracks with top-of-the-line audio gear, including the Shure KSM42 Vocal Microphone.

Shure announces rebates on SM57, SM58, PGX Wireless System and PGX Digital Wireless System

Shure Incorporated announced some significant fall rebates on four of its products: SM57, SM58, PGX Wireless system and PGX Digital Wireless system. If you buy one of these between October 1, 2011, and December 31, 2011, you are eligible to receive up to $30 cash back. The rebate is open to customers who purchase from Shure Authorized Distributors in the United States and Canada.

Shure’s line of SM Microphones provides high quality audio and rugged dependability, regardless of the environment. The SM57 and SM58 offer clean sound and extreme versatility. The SM57 is most often used as an instrument microphone, ideal for live sound reinforcement and recording; while the SM58 is considered the industry standard for live vocal performances.

The PGX Wireless and PGX Digital Wireless systems combine superior wireless technology with rugged reliability, providing performers and sound engineers at any skill level with the sound quality they need, without the hassle.

Shure announces Fantastic Scholastic Recording Competition

Shure announces its eighth annual Fantastic Scholastic Recording Competition. The entry registration is open until October 21st for university and college students. Shure’s Fantastic Scholastic Recording Competition gives to contestants the possibility to record a musical composition as the professional musicians and engineers do, using the same high quality Shure gear or equipment. Shure announces that a random drawing on October 24th will narrow down the entry registrants to 10 competing schools. Each contestant that will step up in the “final” will receive a microphone kit from Shure that will be used to complete the recording project entry. The microphones used in all of this will be KSM313, two KSM32, two KSM44A, one KSM42, two KSM141, four SM57, two SM27, one Beta 52A, one Beta 57A, one Beta 91A, three Beta 98AMP, two Beta 181/S each with an additional Omni capsule, one SM7B, one VP88, and one A27M.

Shure PSM 1000 Personal Monitor System is now shipping

Shure Incorporated has announced that the new PSM1000 Personal Monitor System is now shipping. “The Shure PSM 1000 Personal Monitor System outperforms other in-ear monitor systems in many ways,” said Matt Engstrom, Category Director for Monitoring Products at Shure. “With best-in-class audio and RF performance, networking connectivity, and a diversity bodypack receiver, PSM 1000 delivers on the demanding requirements of sound professionals.”

Shure Gives On-Air Voice to Kevin Smith for Bi-Coastal Smodcast Internet Radio Podcasts

Shure Incorporated today announced that the production engineering team behind SModcast Internet Radio (SIR) selected Shure’s industry-proven SM27 Multi-Purpose and 55SH Series II Unidyne® Vocal microphones for use in its weekly “Jay & Silent Bob Get Old” and “Plus One Per Diem”broadcasts. Offering reliable and unparalleled speech and vocal performance, the Shure microphones play a critical role in bringing live shows to stage as well as live broadcasts and studio-recorded radio podcasts, or “SModcasts,” to air. Hosted by Kevin Smith and respective co-hosts Jason Mewes and Jen Schwalbach, the shows entertain an average of 300,000 nationwide listeners per week.

Ming Chen, Head of Technology for SIR, said, “We used another brand’s microphones when the podcast network first started four years ago; and since switching to Shure’s SM27 and 55SH microphones, our listeners can tell a huge difference in audio quality. With more than 80 episodes under our belt, Shure’s microphones have boosted the production value of our content, setting a new bar for podcasting today.”