Is This A Low Cost Solution For Simulcasts?

There’s an intriguing article by Karissa Bell in the 4/7/2014 edition of Mashable.com that reports on a new service from Livestream.com that provides dedicated simulcasting capability for Google Glass.

Granted, we’re not talking Met HD simulcast quality here, not even close, but Glass’ apparent audio quality limitations could be overcome by paring the device with Neumann, the product name for a popular binaural recording device that comes in the shape of a dummy head.

Neumann+Glass=Simulcast
Neumann with Glass could be awesome

Groups like the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra have been recording using a Neumann device for quite some time so it isn’t as though that technology is unproven. Consequently, if the streaming limitations don’t cut the benefits of using a high quality binaural audio source off at the knee, this is entirely feasible.

And you never know, it may open a door for the hard core sect of audiophiles that prefer their music via perfectly tuned cans but would like to get a taste of the live concert experience without leaving the comfort of their vacuum tube amp driven audio den.

If you’re in the mood for a wackier potential application, orchestras could upsell a Neumann Glass pro tempore as part of a subscription package or membership for patrons who love their favorite seat and the unique concert experience it delivers but just can’t get to the hall.

About Drew McManus

"I hear that every time you show up to work with an orchestra, people get fired." Those were the first words out of an executive's mouth after her board chair introduced us. That executive is now a dear colleague and friend but the day that consulting contract began with her orchestra, she was convinced I was a hatchet-man brought in by the board to clean house.

I understand where the trepidation comes from as a great deal of my consulting and technology provider work for arts organizations involves due diligence, separating fact from fiction, interpreting spin, as well as performance review and oversight. So yes, sometimes that work results in one or two individuals "aggressively embracing career change" but far more often than not, it reinforces and clarifies exactly what works and why.

In short, it doesn't matter if you know where all the bodies are buried if you can't keep your own clients out of the ground, and I'm fortunate enough to say that for more than 15 years, I've done exactly that for groups of all budget size from Qatar to Kathmandu.

For fun, I write a daily blog about the orchestra business, provide a platform for arts insiders to speak their mind, keep track of what people in this business get paid, help write a satirical cartoon about orchestra life, hack the arts, and love a good coffee drink.

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