PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Neilson/Clyne, Inc.
Tel: (615) 662-9600  
Fax: (615) 662-8484

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

XTA SIDD DP324 DUAL-CHANNEL DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSOR PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE AUDIO SOLUTION 
FOR A WIDE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS

— From cruise ships to the New Orleans Jazz Fest, the 
XTA SIDD DP324 proves it is the clear-cut audio system solution —

FARMINGDALE, NY, August 5, 2001 — The new XTA SIDD (Seriously Intelligent Digital Dynamics) DP324 Dual-Channel Digital Signal Processor has helped ensure success for a wide range of applications, from the high seas to dry land. The flexibility and versatility of the SIDD, which offers dynamics, EQ and delay processing in a single 1-rack-space unit, is unparalleled and provides the ultimate digital solution for a variety applications.

The annual New Orleans Jazz Fest has become a touchstone performance for music fans from around the world, and John “Klondike” Koehler, Owner of Greenfield, MA-based Klondike Sound, has been the sound reinforcement consultant for Jazz Fest for the past 24 years. As Audio Director for the show, Koehler is responsible for virtually every aspect of Jazz Fest’s sound, including site layout of stages, sound field containment, system optimization during the event, and every audio spec involved in every aspect of each system for the multiple stages. For the past three years, Koehler has employed the ubiquitous XTA DP226 processors as system controllers, with great success. At this year’s Jazz Fest, however, with on-site assistance from XTA’s Tom Bensen, Koehler added eight XTA SIDD systems and saw just how flexible the SIDD could be.

“I placed several of them as overall left-right system controllers for several stages,” Koehler explains. “They performed that task exceptionally well. But they were also just as good at other roles, such as two-channel discrete compressor/limiters. One of the uses they really stood out on was as dynamic EQ units for the house console at the Gospel Stage. We patched the SIDD through a stereo subgroup for the choir microphones. When you’ve got 80 singers up on the stage, channels can be tough to mix. The SIDD was very, very effective at smoothing out the mid-range peaks and the overall sound and dynamics in that instance.” In another overall application, the XTA SIDD system’s fine-tuned parametric filters made a tremendous difference as part of the system control on various stages. “They allowed the engineers to pre-tune the sound without resorting to graphic EQs,” Koehler comments. “The SIDD was a very good solution to a number of issues at a complicated, multi-stage show like Jazz Fest.”

Out on the high seas, Silversea Cruises Ltd.’s new flagship liner, the Silver Whisper, has taken the notion of luxury cruising to new heights, pampering a limited number of high-ticket clients per cruise. The 350 passengers on each cruise expect the absolute best from every aspect of the trip, from the food to the entertainment. The XTA SIDD helps ensure they get the maximum benefit from the ship’s sound systems. 

David Shapiro, Partner in New York City-based Audio Design International, designed and installed the sound system in the Silver Whisper’s sumptuous lounge, in which three shows rotate performances. “It’s a very multi-purpose room.” Shapiro explains. “It needed very sophisticated signal and dynamics processing to handle a wide range of shows. And, of course, on a ship, space is limited, so you want as much power as you can get from the least amount of equipment. The SIDD solved a lot of problems from one box, in just one rack space.” Along with a pair of XTA DP200s and a DP226 processor, Shapiro used the SIDD system as a processor inserted into the vocal chain’s subgroups. “It enabled us to get absolutely perfect parametric EQ and compression, out of a single unit,” he says. “This is a tough room, in that one person has to operate both sound and lights. So the SIDD system offered another advantage to us in that it was very, very simple to set up and very easy to operate. Overall, it’s a great piece of gear.”

The SIDD DP324 — Seriously Intelligent Digital Dynamics is the new dual-channel digital dynamics processor from XTA, which continues the tradition of innovation, quality and reliability of the highly successful DP series of processors. SIDD provides a comprehensive suite of dynamics tools including compression, gating, dynamic EQ and delay, complete with instant storage and recall of all user settings either via the front panel, MIDI or computer software. While only occupying just 1U of rack space, SIDD provides the engineer with total accuracy and total recall ability. Naturally, SIDD continues the renowned XTA combination of superb audio quality, reliability and innovation, offering unparalleled sonic quality, absolute accuracy and perfect stereo tracking. It’s based on the same hardware platform as the best selling DP226 loudspeaker processor, widely recognized as one of the top performing speaker processors on the market.

SIDD features true digital processing with 24-bit I/O and 40-bit internal processing for maximum sonic purity, utilizing XTA’s proven algorithms in the EQ and Limiter sections, coupled with brand new algorithms in all other sections. When combined together, they provide everything an engineer is likely to want at a desk’s insert point, eliminating the need for separate gates, equalizers and compressors.

XTA is a British manufacturer of signal processing equipment for the live sound, permanent installations, broadcasting, and recording markets and is exclusively distributed in the U.S. by Group One Ltd. of Farmingdale, New York. Group One is also the exclusive U.S. distributor for Celestion Professional Products, Milab Microphones, CADAC and SPL Electronics, as well as a number of prominent lighting products.

For photos or images contact: Sue Adamson
Group One Ltd.
Tel: (631) 249-1399
Fax: (631) 753-1020
Email: suea@g1ltd.com