January 21, 2010 – For Immediate Release
ELKHART, Indiana – With artists like Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, U2 and Metallica deploying Crown amplifiers live in concert this year, 2009 proved to be another landmark year for Crown International. Crown reaffirmed itself as the leading provider in high-end amplifiers for the touring market with the introduction of I-Tech HD and laid the groundwork for success that will carry throughout 2010.
Nowhere was Crown more influential than the concert for the 25th anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in October. There, audio installation company Firehouse Productions used 96 Crown I-Tech 12000HD amps for rock and roll legends Metallica, Stevie Wonder, U2 and more. System engineer Mark Dittmar selected the Crown amps for their ability to provide high amounts of power and clarity efficiently and for Linear Phase FIR filters that offer unrivaled crossover performance for sonically pure tunings.
“With the lineup of rock and roll legends that we had for the 25th anniversary concert, we knew we needed a sound system that was versatile but powerful at the same time,” Dittmar said. “With the combination of Crown and JBL, we had more than enough power and clarity, and the whole system was extremely efficient.”
This wasn’t the first time that Firehouse turned to Crown at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At the induction ceremony for Jeff Beck, Run DMC, and Metallica last April, Firehouse used a series of I-Tech HD powered amplifiers to power a PA system in delivering songs from high-profile musicians, including Jimmy Page, Ron Wood, and Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Another established superstar that turned to Crown this year was Taylor Swift. Sound engineer Russell Fischer used a combination of 80 I-Tech HD amplifiers at all 52 concerts of the tour. As a loyal Crown customer that has been turning to Crown since the DC series, Fischer was very familiar with the sonic integrity that Crown is famous for, and he was very satisfied to experience the reliability and sonic quality that came with the I-Tech HD series.
“We at Crown have been satisfying the power-needs of musicians for decades, and 2009 was no different,” said Brian Divine, Director of Touring for Crown. “We were used in some of the most high-profile concerts of the year, we came out with some great new products, and we were able to satisfy all of the needs of our existing customers. We are very excited about the success we had this year and we are looking forward to bringing it through to 2010.”
Another leading performer experiencing success with Crown on tour is Bruce Springsteen. In 2009, he turned again to Crown for power on his Working on Dream Tour. Sound reinforcement company Audio Analysts provided Springsteen with a series of 36 I-Tech 5000HDs and 18-Tech 12000HD amplifiers for his 45-show tour. With decades of experience with Crown amplifiers, Springsteen was very familiar with Crown’s precise algorithms, and with the new generation of amplifiers, he wasn’t disappointed.
“We are proud to say we have been working with Bruce for the last 17 years,” said Albert Leccese, Vice President of Engineering for Audio Analysts. “Bruce works very hard to deliver an exciting, high-energy performance and he has the highest expectations for his band and everyone else involved in the show’s production, including his sound company. The Crown I-Tech HD is a testament to this attitude, which validates our continued support for our clients. Audio Analysts strives for innovative technologies that reinforce our efforts to supply our clients with the best equipment at a fair price.”
Crown is a unit of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com). Harman International designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment products for the automotive, consumer and professional markets, and maintains a strong presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia, employing more than 11,000 people worldwide. The Harman International family of brands includes AKG®, Audioaccess®, Becker®, BSS®, Crown®, dbx®, DigiTech®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson®, Revel®, QNX®, Soundcraft® and Studer®. Harman International’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NYSE: HAR.”
Harman HiQnet™ is the world's first connectivity and control protocol that integrates all product categories in the signal chain for professional audio systems of all types, size, and applications. Harman HiQnet no longer requires the user to manage multiple disparate operating systems or be responsible for programming individual signal processors, speaker controllers, wireless microphone systems, and mixing consoles. HiQnet was developed by engineers from across the Harman Pro Group and is coordinated by the System Development and Integration Group (SDIG), a team of dedicated systems specialists based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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For additional information, contact:
Philip Weiss
Griffin Integrated Communications
(212) 481-3456 Ext. 23
Pweiss@griffinpr.com