The PSM®900 Wireless Personal Monitor System with SE425 (clear) Sound Isolating™ Earphones (P9TR425CL) is now shipping!*

Place your orders now!

The PSM®900 Wireless Personal Monitor System adds to the unmatched suite of professional wireless products and microphones that makes Shure the one-stop shop for all on-stage audio.

• PSM®900 Wireless Personal Monitor System without Earphones (P9TR) $1099.00
• PSM®900 Wireless Personal Monitor System with SE425 Earphones (P9TR425CL) $1330.00
• PSM®900 Transmitter (P9T) $649.00
• PSM®900 Body pack Receiver (P9R) $450.00

In addition, Wireless Workbench 5 (WWB5) now has PSM®900 frequencies included.  This update is accessed while in WWB5 (no new download required).  Wireless Workbench 5 is your wireless command center for frequency coordination of any Shure Wireless product. WWB5 takes the guesswork out of frequency coordination and provides a graphic display of your RF environment.

PSM®900 offers the most premium set of features and ease of setup ever available in a personal monitoring system.

Unsurpassed Audio Quality

Robust RF Performance

Category-Leading Feature Set

* Orders are shipping first come, first serve and in the order in which they were received.

Update: Shure PSM900 will now ship March 24.

That means the Shure PSM900 Pre-order Sale at JSS has been extended to midnight of March 23, 2010 CST

Be one of the first to get the new Shure PSM900. The units will ship first come first serve so get your order in now to ensure prompt delivery and to take advantage of our pre-order sale price.

Contact Jason Spence for pre-order SALE pricing at (615) 534-1190 Ext. 2 or Email Jason

The Shure PSM 900 wireless in ear monitor system is now available and ready to ship!

I am excited to report that I received word that I can start taking orders for the new PSM 900 and that the units will start shipping on March 1, 2010.

We design and build In Ear Monitor Systems. Call (615) 534-1190 Ext 2 or Email Me
to get started on your system today!

Although it is new to the market you will not be ‘rolling the dice’ on this new IEM system. I had the privilege seeing and listening to it at NAMM. My initial response was that it was extremely quiet, very tight low end and smooth high end. An already proven and rock solid RF technology based on the UHR wireless system, the PSM 900 will combine this reliability and a sound quality to propel this system to the new industry standard for in ear monitors.

I also had the privilege of testing the new Sennheiser 2000 series wireless system while mixing monitors on the 2010 CMA Awards. It was certainly one of the best sounding wireless in ear monitor systems I had ever heard to date. However, the price point on the system makes it out of reach for most users and a tough justification for most production companies. Mean while, there are rumblings going on about Shure’s new IEM system…

Let’s face it, Shure in my opinion has not come out with an in ear system that has sounded good since the PSM 600. Which I still use and spec the P6HW for a wired IEM system today, it still rocks!. Fast forward to NAMM 2010 and the debut of the PSM 900. I stop by Shure to take a look and listen. The RF, features and functions are no doubt impressive but how’s it sound? Since then I personally know that it has been used by Creed, Pete Townsend on the Super Bowl and many, many others. In the words of Frank Sgambellone (FOH for Godsmack, Monitors for Alter Bridge, & many more) “Shure’s knocked it out of the park with this one.”

The new Shure PSM 900 is $1099.00 and we’ll ship it to you for FREE!

The PSM 900 system is currently available to ship with the following components.

P9T Transmitter

P9R Body pack receiver

SE425CL Sound Isolating TM Earphones shown (not included)

Hear are list of Features and Functions that will set it apart from the rest of the IEM systems on the market. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to Email Me.

PSM®900 Technology

CueMode (patent pending): Hear what the performer hears, with the touch of a button! With CueMode a monitor engineer can, with a single bodypack, flip through and audition up to 20 different mixes to check levels, balance or anything else needed to keep the show running smoothly. IR sync makes it easy to set up the different mixes the engineer wants to link to, and once set up the channels are easily stored, replaced or deleted for quick and efficient set up.
Scan and Sync: PSM®900 systems utilize Scan and Sync technology, which vastly improves efficiency and ease of setup. Group Scan analyzes the RF environment for interference and identifies the group with the highest number of available compatible frequencies. Sync communicates the results of the scan to the TX over IR link and assigns the identified group and channel. Channel scan can then be performed to find the next clear channel to use, which can then be synced to the next TX in your set up. The whole operation can be done within a few seconds, and results in the clearest channels to use for your monitoring set-up.
Robust Front-End RF Filtering: A feature of the bodypack RX, and based on the premium filtering technology of UHF-R® wireless microphone systems. PSM®900 systems use an extremely precise RF filter that rejects potential RF interference from signals outside the RX’s bandwidth BEFORE traveling to the RX itself.
Active RF Gain Control: Just like how too much audio input gain can distort an audio signal, too much RF signal can cause distortion or dropouts on a wireless PSM® system. Active RF Gain Control automatically reduces the receiver sensitivity for 31dB of additional RF dynamic range before an overload can affect the system, reducing dropouts due to receiver overload and preserving audio quality.
RF Mute Switch: A convenient on/off switch for enabling RF transmissionlocated on the front panel of the receiver. When switched to the off position, the user can perform set up operations, such as adjusting audio level and signal flow, or other actions without disturbing the current RF environment.
Audio Reference Companding (ARC): Companding is the process of compressing the audio signal prior to transmission and expanding it after reception. All pro audio wireless needs companding to deliver a wide dynamic range. Audio Reference Companding is a more efficient, level-dependent companding scheme. Instead of companding across the entire dynamic range like most wireless systems (causing a whooshing audio artifact known as “breathing”), companding only occurs at high audio levels. These levels are high enough to make the companding artifacts inaudible. The result is an improved wireless sound quality that sounds more natural, with less noise and greater dynamic range than other wireless systems – no artifacts, lower noise floor, clearer sound at all audio levels.
MixMode® Technology: Shure MixMode® Technology enables you to balance the level of two separate channels while simultaneously listening to both signals in both ears. Use the controls on your bodypack to set your own levels and create the mix you want—without affecting anyone else’s.
Separate Level and Clip Indicators: With personal monitor systems, audio signal can be too hot as it comes out from the mixing board and into the TX, and/or when it is sent from the TX to the RX, making it difficult to tell why the signal is distorted when it gets to the artist’s ears. PSM 900 TX’s have separate clip indicators for both level input and TX output to help determine if the signal needs to be adjusted at the board or at the TX.
Loop Out: Handy L/R outputs on the back panel of the receiver that can be used with MixMode to daisy-chain signal from one unit to another, out to monitor wedges, recording devices, or any other audio input.

The Shure KSM313 ribbon microphone will blow you away!

Are you a guitar player looking to get into ribbon microphones?  Look no further. This microphone captures acoustic and electric guitars equally well and it also responds beautifully on percussion, drums and vocals.
The KSM313 features a “Dual-Voice” ribbon assembly that lets users choose from two different sound signatures.
Addressing the front of the mic delivers a warm, full sound that is ideal for many instruments while addressing the rear side offers a bright, articulate sound that complements vocals.

Traditionally ribbon microphones were not durable enough to handle high SPL applications and/or transient spikes due to the fragile foil ribbon element.
Not so anymore with the new Roswellite ribbon material Shure uses on their KSM313 and the KSM535. This material offers higher tensile strength and more resilient shape-memory properties than traditional foil ribbons allowing them to withstand very high sound pressure levels over extended periods of time without damage.

This versatile microphone performs well both in the studio as well as on stage.
So there it is: two ribbon mics in one.  It also comes with a unique mounting device and a mahogany storage box.

I had the opportunity to listen to the KSM313 on a session at 615 Music recording studio here in Nashville. They were using the mic of choice, an Shure SM57 for recording electric guitar and that sounded solid. I had them put the KSM313

in front of the guitar cab and then the guitar tone opened up. The engineer could not believe how much better it sounded. There were more extended high frequencies, yet it retained most of the fat low end. So from now on my first choice will definitely be the Shure KSM313 ribbon.

If you are interested in purchasing or listening to the Shure KSM313 ribbon microphone please contact:

John Castellanos
Account Manager
(615) 534-1190 Ext. 6
Email John

This past week JSS owner Jason Spence visited Anaheim California for the 2010 NAMM convention. There was no shortage of gear and gadgets to see and hear and the convention seemed to be well attended by both manufacturers and visitors. Highlights included the debut of the new PSM900 wireless personal in-ear monitor system from Shure, the ProCo RA1 REAMP, new microphones from Audio-Technica and Neuman, and the recently released Fireface UC from RME. In the coming days we will be posting our videos from the NAMM show so stay tuned. We are offering special pricing on all microphones and many other products including the Fireface UC. Pre-order the ProCo RA1 and be one of the first to receive this very cool, inexpensive devise that anyone with a recording system should have and can afford. Of course by pre-ordering the RA1 we’ll knock a couple bucks off for you!

Email your order or questions to sales@jss.net or call us anytime (615) 534-1190

Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau 700 MHz Public Safety Spectrum

The 700 MHz Band comprises 108 megahertz of spectrum from 698-806 MHz and is designated for commercial and public safety uses. Currently, this spectrum is occupied by TV broadcasters in Channels 52-69. Congress has directed that TV broadcasters transition to digital broadcast technology and vacate the spectrum in order to accommodate wireless commercial and public safety uses of the spectrum. The Digital Television and Public Safety Act of 2005 (DTV Act) set a firm deadline of June 12, 2009, for the completion of the DTV transition. In July 2007, the Commission adopted the 700 MHz Second Report and Order that adopted a regulatory framework for the 700 MHz public safety band to facilitate the establishment of a nationwide, interoperable broadband communications network for the benefit of state and local public safety users.

What does this mean? It is no longer legal to operate a wireless system in the 700MHz bandwidth.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that manufacturers are offering rebates of up to $1000 toward updating your wireless system but TIME IS RUNNING OUT. Take advantage of these rebates before it’s too late.

This photo was taken in India, the place many of us reach when calling technical support with a question. Not the case at JSS. Whether a Royer ribbon microphone, a Yamaha digital mixer, or a Shure wireless system, we at JSS have the answer for the issue. Call us today and let us help you. (615) 534-1190. Our years continue to accumulate as we continue to use the gear, not just sell it.

Jason Spence
Audio Engineer/Owner
www.JSS.net

The musicians I am familiar with are always looking for “their sound.” For vocalists, this usually means finding the right microphone for their voice. I generally try to recommend a versatile microphone to my clients that are vocalists and in most cases that ends up being Shure’s KSM9 Vocal Condenser Microphone.

The real difference between the Shure KSM9 and any other high-end handheld condenser microphone on the market is the dual-pattern feature. The Shure KSM9 features both supercardioid and cardioid polar patterns. The benefit to having this feature is that you can find the most natural response for your vocalist. The cardioid polar pattern is more susceptible “proximity effect” than the supercardioid pattern. Proximity effect refers to the change in frequency response of a microphone with a directional polar pattern (cardioid) as the source of the sound is brought closer to the microphone. Explained, when you are using a cardioid pattern and you bring your sound source (vocalist) closer to the microphone, you gain bass response. If you are not in favor of having the additional bass response, you can simply change the capsule to the supercardioid pattern. This dual-pattern feature is also an extremely useful tool for monitor engineers. As the KSM9 provides supercardioid and cardioid the microphone gives the engineer more options on where to place the stage monitors to reduce feedback and provide proper coverage to the musicians.

The KSM9 is the premium choice of live hand-held vocal microphones. Apart from the dual-pattern feature, the Shure KSM9 is available in a Champagne or Charcoal Black finish. Also, the sound quality of the KSM9 is truly unmatched. In fact, even as a live microphone, the KSM9 is often used in recording studios on anything from vocals, to acoustic guitars, to electric guitar cabinets. If you are looking to improve the quality of your live performance or your studio recordings, choose the Shure KSM9. If you have any questions regarding microphone selection, please feel free to contact me directly. Thanks for reading!

Forrest Colegrove
Account Manager
Cell (615) 663-4481
Office (615) 534-1190
Nashville, TN
www.JSS.net

Procell Alkaline vs. NiHM & NiCad

Recently while mixing a taping of a multi act television show, the runner was sent out to bring back batteries for the Shure UHF-R and Sennheiser e300 wireless systems we were using. Upon her return, she was very proud of the deal she had found on the batteries we needed. I painted on a smile, congratulated and thanked her for her successful efforts. Then I turned and sighed with disappointment because the deal she had found was unfortunately on nickel-cadmium batteries as opposed to alkaline batteries. We made it through three days, around eight bands and only lost one RF mic. Thankfully it was not the lead singer that was in the camera shot the majority of the time. Because we were not clear to only get alkaline batteries we would really have to be on our toes about keeping the batteries changed between acts.

Rumors of battery life indicators on wireless systems being released in the near future that can monitor the drain of other types of batteries, such as nickel-cadmium (NiCad) or nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) exist but for now the wireless systems in the market account for the drain characteristics of an alkaline battery. Even if new technology on RF systems can consider other types of batteries and their drain characteristics, I’ll stick with a good ol’ high-drain, industrial Procell alkaline battery and here’s why.

The slope of the discharge curves between various batteries directly impacts the performance of your wireless system (Fig A). The discharge curve is calculated by the time of discharge versus the voltage drain of a batteries life. In other words, how long do you have before the battery will no longer power your wireless component.
The discharge curve slope of a NiCad and NiMH battery is quite steep (Fig A). What this means is that when this type of battery drops below the voltage your wireless system needs to continue to operate, it happens very fast. This is not a desirable discharge curve for our wireless system components. You may be in the middle of a show and loose your lead singers microphone without warning.

Fig A

There are two reasons I use Procells over other alkaline batteries. The Procell alkaline battery’s major advantages are a high energy density; the ability to operate continuously at relatively high discharge rates (in your wireless system) over a wide temperature range; and a shelf life in excess of four years. The second reason is cost. The cost of the alkaline battery, on a service life basis, is lowest in medium to high drain applications.

If your production has a tight budget or you just want to be more efficient – here are some simple tips to get more life out of your batteries.

(1) Turn it off after sound check (2) Use your batteries from the previous show for sound check (3) Always meter your batteries (4) Let JSS help determine your battery usage to. This will allow you to purchase at the highest quantities/lower cost without haaving them ‘on the shelf’ too long (5) RECYCLE! I feel extremely guilty for the amount of alkaline batteries I’ve tossed into our landfills around the world, thousands I’m sure. In an effort to remedy that, we at JSS are committed to not further damage our environment. If you bring JSS your used batteries we will apply a discount to your next battery purchase at JSS. If you don’t bring them to us, we urge you to find a recycling center near you that accepts them. Even if you didn’t purchase them from us, we’ll still gladly accept and dispose of them properly.

Jason Spence
Audio Engineer/Owner of JSS
(615) 534-1190
www.JSS.net