Friday, October 23, 2009
Storch Begins Phil Kean Designs New Construction
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Best Concert Video (ever)
The Police Certifiable may be the best DVD concert ever. Forgetting the performances (which are great), the audio and video quality are top rate. Also great is the camera work; unlike many concerts, the cinematography is smooth and consistent. There are none of the fast cuts or jumpy camera work that plague many other concert performances. All in all a 10 for performance, audio, video and watchability.
January's Heavy Rotation
Dave Brubeck recently received a Kennedy Center Honor for his contribution to the arts. At 89 years old, he was also nominated for two Grammy Awards at the most recent 52nd Grammies. "Time Out", first released in 1959, was his breakthrough album and features his most famous song, "Take Five." A classic jazz album, available now from Amazon for $6.99!
Storch Project Featured on Auralex Website
Auralex Acoustics is one of the premier providers of acoustical consulting and products for both the professional and home theater markets. We are pleased they have chosen one of our acoustically correct theaters to showcase on their website.
Joe Kane visits Storch Entertainment
Joe Kane, the world's (yes, the world's) foremost video expert conducted a one-on-one training class at our offices recently (the photo shows Joe in our conference room). We are proud to announce that Storch now offers the Joe Kane Productions-approved Samsung video projection monitor. This unit, according to Joe, "is the world's only VIDEO projector", as it is manufactured and calibrated specifically to reproduce only the highest quality video images. Joe is in high demand among video manufacturers and Hollywood production engineers alike to provide training and expert advice regarding all things video, we are happy to have had him pay us a visit. Please call or email if you would like to experience first-hand our theater featuring this new projector. Aside: This is the same projector used by Paramount and Dreamworks in their film-to-video editing suites.
Storch Project Featured on Middle Atlantic Website
I actually installed this rack while working for another company about 10 years ago, but thought it interesting that Middle Atlantic is showcasing it as a project still worth noting. We continue to use this type of rack in our current installations.
November's Heavy Rotation
Paul Weller's first album, released in 1992 and now available in a double CD with a lot of extras, contains elements of both of his former projects-The Jam and the Style Council. The "Modfather," as he is frequently referred to, shows with this album that Weller is the king of Brit soul.
Storch Wins Second Golden Hammer
Storch Entertainment is proud to announce our second Golden Hammer Award. Presented by Phil Kean Designs, the Golden Hammer is awarded to partners who exhibit note worthy service, attitude and cooperation. We are thankful to Phil, Rob, Amy, Kerry and the rest of the team for this honor.
Storch Project Featured on Screen Research Website
Screen Research made their name by producing the finest acoustically transparent video screens available. SR screens are endorsed for sound quality (specifically, the lack of negative impact on sound quality) by THX and picture quality by ISF.
Professional Quality Sound, part 2
After installing our first Genelec theater system, we can only say - WOW! The sound quality (and quantity) is so far above consumer oriented speakers, it's easy to understand why most professional studios employ Genelec speakers. Our experience was revelatory-the high frequencies are detailed and "airy" without being harsh, and the bass (holy moly, the bass!) is not only tight and deep, but visceral-we felt the low frequencies as much as we heard them. Lastly, the quantity of sound-the Genelec system never, never ran out of steam. I play music and concert videos loud and have shut down many systems. The Genelecs never suffered from any compression or distortion even at very loud, concert-level volumes. This high level of performance made me curious at exactly who uses Genelec speakers. The list includes: 20th Century Fox, ABC, CBS, CNN, Disney, Dolby Labs, Discovery, ESPN, Fox News and Sports, The Library of Congress, Lucasfilm, MTV, NASA, NPR, Pixar, and The Superbowl to name a few.
October's Heavy Rotation
Just in time for Halloween. We have a Halloween party every year and I must have 6 or 7 Halloween-themed CDs. This is the best of the bunch and includes the themes to: The Exorcist, Halloween (the movie), Jaws, Poltergeist and a lot more.
Professional Quality Sound
What do George Lucas (in his personal home), The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Grammies and American Idol have in common? They all use Genelec loudspeakers. Genelec speakers are used in the most critical listening environments where millions of dollars are riding on the quality of the sound. Professional recording engineers trust Genelec to reveal all of the important details and nuances in their mix. Storch Entertainment is pleased to offer this same experience to you. From small computer speakers to large home theater and media rooms, Genelec offers astounding performance.
Sonos
We just received our first Sonos music player. WOW! This is a great music player that allows streaming access to any MP3 files on your computer (or network). Even more fun, though, is its ability to play practically any Internet music source including: last.fm, pandora, Rhapsody, Internet radio, Sirius, Napster. WOW, again! We've been playing with this unit for a few days and love it. I especially love the remote: I am using my iPhone to control the player. It provides real-time feedback of the artist, album, volume level, etc. Very cool!
Storch Featured on Triad Website
Triad Speakers has many dealers throughout the U.S. and has decided to feature Storch Entertainment among a select few on its Showcase page. We have been consistently impressed with the no-nonsense quality and engineering of every Triad product and are thrilled to be recognized as a premier partner. THANKS, TRIAD!
Storch Wins Golden Hammer
Storch Entertainment Systems was recently awarded the Golden Hammer Award for Outstanding Service by Phil Kean Designs. Thanks to Phil, Rob and the team at PKD for your support.
July's Heavy Rotation
Goth country, Goth Appalachian? One reviewer has said "Bonnie "Prince" Billie (aka Will Oldham) has always threatened to make a completely devastating album and this is it. Brooding and strikingly intimate, I See a Darkness picks through the abandoned camps of Bob Dylan and Neil Young, finding lonely tales and ragged melodies strewn about. The magic comes in the light Oldham is able to shine on these songs, rendering them both gorgeously baroque yet starkly modern." A cover of Johnny Cash's "I See a Darkness" is definitely worth a listen!
June's heavy rotation
A classic rock spectacle now on DVD. The DVD quality is stupendous. The picture was meticulously reengineered from the original 35mm film with additional digital remastered surround sound. The result is a reference quality DVD that is a must own for any Who fan!
New Product Announcement - super WAP
Until recently, I have had a love/hate relationship with my wireless network. It was great in the 3 rooms closest to the wireless access point (WAP) but dropped its signal around the corner into the kitchen (what could I expect for $59?). Also it didn't stretch past my front porch which made using my iPhone in the yard very slow. This is no longer an issue since I installed Pakedge's "super WAP." Pakedge makes the most powerful WAPs (indoor and outdoor) allowed by the FCC. They also precisely implement the wireless standards for the highest performance available. We are now able to be able to offer Enterprise Class wireless networking as one of our installed services.
Equipment Rack
Storch Entertainment installs all but the smallest of our systems in an equipment rack. When we mention "the rack," we are often asked, "what's that (and why do I need it)?" Pictured is a typical rack that contains all of the equipment required to provide music throughout a home. In addition to music, this rack contains all of the components for the surround sound system located in a family room. This type of rack allows us to assemble, wire, test and program the systems in our offices prior to installation in the house. After installation, if service is required, the rack rolls out for access to the rear of the components. Put simply, a rack allows us a simpler and more reliable installation with fewer loose ends than if we built the system on site.
April's Heavy Rotation
A classic rock album. It's worth discovering again if only to bring back memories of high school. Simple recording and not overproduced or compressed. Still sounds great.
March's Heavy Rotation
"Let's face it, we'd all play that way if we could." I'd say that pretty much sums up Stan Getz's talent. A Musical Biography features a compilation of Getz's music and includes The Girl From Impanema, perhaps the best known of his work and the song that exemplifies the Bossa Nova style. This album also features collaborations with Astrud Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Chick Corea. This is a great disc to get an introduction to Getz. The quote regarding Getz's style was none other than the great John Coltrane.
February's Heavy Rotation
My daughter loves the Pretenders. Maybe it's a girl-power thing, or maybe she just likes rock and roll better than kid's music. In any case, we've been listening to a fair amount of Chrissy Hynde's music recently. Her (their) latest album, "Break up the Concrete," is a great return to their original sound and style: Straight up rock and roll. Buy it today and play it for your three year old!
January's Heavy Rotation
Joe Jackson's latest album "Rain," produced by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering, is a great example of a superbly recorded modern pop album. The music is great, as is typical of Joe's work, but the recording really deserves the prize. Too many albums these days are the victims of compression, limiting, poor equalization, etc. This album is a sonic standout!
December's Heavy Rotation
Recently on a regular visit to Park Ave CDs, I heard a jazz album playing in the background. I couldn't stop listening, it was great. With that said, I'd like to recommend Everybody Digs Bill Evans (click image for link to review).
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