CourtTV debuted in July 1991, under the joint ownership of Time Warner, Liberty Media, and NBC. The channel began by exclusively airing actual courtroom trials and gained popularity in 1995 with the airing of the O.J. Simpson trial. Three years later, criminal shows such as Forensic Files and Homicide: Life on the Street were added to the line-up. After being revamped in 2004, CourtTV was divided into two segments: CourtTV News (real trials shown during the day) and CourtTV Primetime (evening programming of shows related to criminal stories). In 2006, Time Warner became the sole owner of the channel. On January 1, 2008, CourtTV became truTV. Since the station is broadcasting more than just courtroom trials, this change was necessary so that the name would reflect the type of programming. The new slogan is, "Not reality. Actuality," to emphasize the real-life aspect of the channel. Currently truTV is available in over 86 million homes. Ironically, Forensic Files premiered the same year CourtTV aired the O.J. Simpson trial, however, it debuted as Medical Detectives on TLC. Even more ironic, some of the show's staff saw Simpson and had him pose for a picture in a Medical Detectives hat. In 2002, the show made the switch to CourtTV and has been there ever since. It also aired on NBC during the summer of 2002 and is broadcasted internationally in 142 countries. Currently, Forensic Files is in its 12th season, having reached the milestone 300th episode in late 2007! Be sure to catch new episodes of Forensic Files on Monday nights, at 9pm, and repeats at various times throughout the week on truTV.

Creative Sound Studios was privileged to be a part of two fantastic film projects. In November, Creative Sound was responsible for the audio postproduction on a documentary film entitled, Woven Ways. Produced and directed by Linda Helm Krapf, Woven Ways documents the lives of Navajo Indians and tells the story of their struggle to keep deadly uranium mining off of their reservation. This project brought about the opportunity for the CSS staff to once again work with composer/musician, Scott Eggert, who was previously at Creative Sound to record the soundtrack for the production, The New Earth. Eggert composed and performed all of the music for Woven Ways. The dialogue from on-location interviews was cleaned-up; ambience and SFX were added; and everything was woven together to create the perfect mix. Currently, the film is entered in 14 film festivals throughout the country, with hopes of being in 11 more.
*       *       * Filmmaker, Patrick Stewart, contacted Creative Sound Studios when he was in need of a studio in the area to record ADR for his full-length film, The Hollow Tree. The fantasy story tells of a boy named Timmy who runs away from home and ends up at a bookstore. The owner of the store reads a book to the boy about an orphaned brother and sister who are desperately trying to find their home. Timmy takes this to heart and learns a great deal about the meaning of "home."

Valley Preferred recently came to Creative Sound to record and produce a radio commercial featuring Olympic gold medal cyclist, Marty Nothstein. A couple months later, Nothstein returned to CSS and brought along fellow Olympic medal cyclist, Erin Hartwell. These two champions produced intros and promos for their sports talk radio show, "The Manny and Eric Show." SFX and music were added to make the voiceovers come to life. It is interesting to learn that the show's name originated from an incident when Marty was incorrectly referred to as "Manny" and Erin referred to as "Eric." Each week, Nothstein and Hartwell discuss happenings and controversial issues in sports, fitness and health, as well as worldly affairs. Tune in to WXLV 90.3 FM every Wednesday night from 6-7pm to listen to "The Manny and Eric Show." Visit mannyandericshow.com for more information and to listen to broadcasts.

Control Room A and the Euphonix CS3000 console have really been getting a workout with various music projects. Over the summer, The Difference returned to Creative Sound to record and mix their fourth album, Songs I Always Wanted to do With a Band. The album features cover songs, as well as originals written by each member of the band. The Difference is the Air Products corporate band and winner of the 2001 Battle of the Corporate Bands held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. All of the members are employees of Air Products. The band has done an extensive amount of volunteer and charity work to raise money for those less fortunate. Two other bands, Buck Wyld and TV Babysitter, recorded, mixed, and produced songs for their demo. Things were spiced up a bit with the a cappella group, InAcchord. This 18-voice ensemble is made up entirely of Muhlenberg College students. They perform unique arrangements of popular songs and even TV show theme songs. The group is kept together with percussive vocal beats provided by one of the members. The Dave Antonow Quartet recently recorded its jazz album, A New Day. The ensemble features jazz guitarist, Dave Antonow along with saxes, bass, drums, and keyboards. Antonow performs shows throughout PA and NJ as a solo artist or along with other musicians to form a duo, trio, or quartet. The spirit of jazz stayed in the air with the vocal styles of Frank Sinatra provided by Mark Mack. A lawyer by day, Mack entertains audiences either as a solo artist or backed by his orchestra. The Mark Mack Orchestra performs a collection of jazz standards on its recently released album, Street of Dreams. All of the instrumental tracks were laid down at Bennett Studios (of Tony Bennett fame) in NJ, and then Mack tracked the vocals at CSS. Lastly, Lehigh Valley Idol participants proved that big voices can come in small packages. Ranging from 8-years-old to teens, each contestant was given the opportunity to record vocals for at least one song. The sound that these singers produce is incredible, and many have a mature sound way beyond their age. The Lehigh Valley Idol program provides professional vocal coaching and performance opportunities while giving the contestants a glimpse into the music industry and the world of professional music making.

Project Potpourri

Creative Sound Studios has been keeping busy fulfilling the audio needs of clients all over the country. Service Electric Cablevision, St. Luke's Hospital, Fernwood Hotel and Resort, and Good Shepherd have recently produced numerous radio spots, as did DeSales University, Northampton Community College and Golfland SunSplash all the way in Mesa, AZ! Work was done on TV commercials for Dieter Brothers and Zoellner Arts Center. A series of safety videos for PPL required postproduction, and narration was recorded for and music added to trade show videos for OKI Printing Solutions. Also, Mack/Volvo Trucks needed narration recorded for various projects, such as, online learning programs and instructional and informational videos. Other clients include Olympus, Crayola, Hartford, Air Products, Warren County Hospital, Rodale, KNBT, Muller Martini, Kids Peace and more.

Podcasts for Victaulic

Victaulic, a leader in piping solutions, is headquartered in Easton, PA, however, expands way beyond the Lehigh Valley. With manufacturing centers worldwide, Victaulic provides support and distribution to many different countries. In an effort to help employees manage their valuable time in a hectic, fast-moving industry, Victaulic developed a scheduling and time management website. As part of this mission, interviews with people in the industry are being recorded and posted as podcasts for employees to download. These industry professionals are located all throughout the country and recorded directly into ProTools at Creative Sound through Source Connect or phone patch. Each podcast discusses a different topic in building and construction. To date, seven interviews have been completed with more on the way.

Creative Sound on the News

Recently, Creative Sound Studios has been making appearances on Channel 69 WFMZ-TV. One occasion was a story featuring a Lehigh Valley Idol winner who had her first Broadway audition. Another segment highlighted WFMZ reporter Eve Tannery and what she would do if she wasn't on TV. Tannery's dream job is to be a professional singer and her recording experience at Creative Sound was featured in the story.

The 1948 film story of composers Richard Rogers and Lorenzo Hart is scheduled to make its debut on DVD this spring. As part of the DVD production process, Creative Sound Studios was hired to record the director's cut with noted film historian Richard Barrios. Commentary was recorded in control room B, locked-to-picture for Richards visual and aural reference. Words and Music features a star-studded cast including June Allyson, Perry Como, Judy Garland, Lena Horn, Gene Kelly, Mickey Rooney and MelTorme. This was an incredible experience for all involved. It was just like stepping back in time (for a few hours).

What does that little green asterisk mean? If you've ever taken advantage of our web based voice-casting service you may have noticed a little green asterisk behind some of the names. The legend tells you that these are "Source Connect" voices, but what does that really mean? It means that your projects are no longer restricted to a local voice talent pool. In fact, this new technology makes voices available to you in real time, in full fidelity, from our studios to literally more than 1200 voices and studios around the world. Source Connect is the newest technology connecting talent and studios together via VOIP (Voice over internet protocol). No longer necessary are expensive line charges as required with ISDN technology. The codecs Source Connect uses are new, fast and sound better than ever before. It's like having the talent in the studio with you...without the visuals (we all know that the talent never looks like their voice).

Creative Sound Studios recently received a lesson in the music and instruments of other cultures from the Circle of Stones Ritual Theatre Ensemble. This theatre group based in Emmaus, PA combines rituals with theatre, incorporating the audience into many of its productions. For three days, four extremely talented musicians came in and recorded tracks for the soundtrack of the production, The New Earth, to be released on CD. Most of the songs consisted of percussion instruments, while some featured different flutes, the lyre, and Tibetan singing bowls. A few of the songs feature the wonderful singing of Pana Columbus and incredible overtone singing (singing two or more pitches simultaneously) of Scott Eggert. Featured musician, River Guerguerian educated the staff on all the various instruments and their spiritual role in the music of other cultures. Both the musicians and the staff at CSS are pleased with the results of the initial tracking sessions and cannot wait to get back into the studio to mix and complete an amazing soundtrack!

CSS would like to welcome Ptolemy to the studios. Ptolemy is a five piece rock band now rehearsing for the concert debut of their "Ghost in London" CD, a rock opera set in 19th century London, performed as a concert, film and play all at once. A rather lofty technological undertaking, it has been a great experience working with the band and watching this project come to life.

Creative Sound Studios recently installed a Euphonix CS3000 mixing desk in Control Room One. This digitally controlled, analog audio desk consists of 56 faders, 24 buses, 16 channels of dynamics, moving fader automation, the ability to save and recall projects, and much more. It is integrated with the ProTools|HD 2 Accel system in that room and gives them 32 separate inputs into ProTools and 24 separate outputs. The board is now fully commissioned and has been christened by the band New Kind of Talk, a jazz group that recently tracked a number of songs at the studio. On a side note, this particular board has an interesting history. It was previously owned by Big Yard Studios in New York City and has been used to record mostly rap artists including the well-know artist, Shaggy.

Staying on the cutting edge has been a primary goal throughout the more than 30-year history of the studio, and that goal continues to move them forward. Creative Sound now offers Forensic Audio Services to attorneys, private investigators, or others who might need these specialized services. These services include audibility analysis, enhancement, authenticity analysis, sound identification, event sequence analysis, dialogue decoding, noise reduction, audio transfers, and of course, expert witness testimony. Creative Sound has been doing the post-production audio for forensic television programs like Medical Detectives for TLC and Forensic Files for CourtTV for over 10 years. Now, they can offer the types of services seen on these shows to clients in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.

As always, Creative has seen a wide range of projects come through their doors in the last couple of months. Radio commercials for clients such as PPL, St. Luke's Cancer Center, Camelback Ski Area, KNBT, and Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Center, to narrations, on hold messages, and sales videos for clients such as Crayola, Jamba Juice, INFOnxx, Rodale Books, Penn Treaty, and Bowe, Bell & Howell, have all kept the staff at Creative Sound on their toes!

Creative Sound is now offering its large, 600 square foot studio to local and regional bands for rehearsal space. The room can be booked for rehearsal time at fifteen dollars per hour anytime the studio has not been previously reserved. The studio's drum kit is here for bands to use, or they can choose to bring their own set. The rehearsal space does not include a PA and two weeks notice is required for all bookings. For pictures of the space, visit the facilities page.

"As some of you may know, I will be retiring at the end of February to have a baby and I'll be staying home to raise our new little one. I wanted to take this time to express how much I've enjoyed working with everyone at the studio and with all of you, our clients. I have every confidence in our new engineer, Amanda, to take my place. I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to work with all of you and I wish you all continued success."

-- Holley McEllroy
Engineer at CSS since 2000

"I graduated from Lebanon Valley College in May 2006, with degrees in Music Recording Technology and Music Composition. Two summers ago, I had the opportunity to intern here at Creative Sound Studios and had a great experience. I am excited and privileged to begin my career here and look forward to meeting and working with everyone."

-- Amanda Marsteller
Engineer at CSS

"I don't know if you can help me, but I have this old recording..." This is a call Creative Sound gets often. An individual calls with a cassette recording of when their children were young, or an old reel they found in their attic, and they would like to preserve it by transferring it to CD. A task easily performed in either of Creative Sound's two main control rooms, however not as easily scheduled because these transfers can often take a couple of hours, and most people don't want to pay hundreds of dollars to transfer the recording of Grandma talking about her dishes. Therefore, Creative Sound has come up with a solution: a brand new edit bay dedicated to transferring audio from various mediums to CD. By keeping these types of jobs out of the main control rooms, it is now affordable for people to preserve their family heirlooms. The transfer room is $25 per hour and contains a reel-to-reel machine, a cassette player, and a record player. Clients can also bring in their own machines to interface with the system. If clients would like their material cleaned up using EQ or special noise-reduction, they will need to book time in one of Creative's main control rooms, but straight transfers can now be done in the new, dedicated suite. So don't throw away that old reel just because you can't play it anymore! Pass it on to the next generation by transferring it to CD!

Ever conscious of the needs of their clients, Creative Sound has added another service to their already impressive repertoire: CD Duplication. The addition of a new CD publishing machine now allows Creative Sound to produce high-quality CDs, complete with a unique design printed right on the disc. For orders over 500 discs, high-quality, laser-printed, full-coverage, glossy labels may be substituted depending on the turn-around time required. The artwork can be submitted by the client in Photoshop, PDF, or any image format or it can be designed at the studio. The duplicated discs come in clear, slim-line cases. Other case options are available, however the costs may vary. Visit their website and click on Services, then CD Duplication for all the details.

The staff at Creative Sound is accustomed to seeing a wide variety of jobs come through the door and the last couple of months have been no exception. A couple of videos for Mack Trucks Re-Manufacturing called for narration, music, and SFX. The videos included tours of the re-manufacturing plants, so clean-up of the ambient was required. The videos will be used at trade shows across the country. More prompts were recorded for Rodale Books' IVR system. Our lovely Carole Silvoy has recorded every single title Rodale Books has to offer as well as their greetings and special messages - whew! A phone interview for Men's Health Magazine was recorded for use in a podcast. Peter Thomas was recorded for an United Way video, and as always Peter Thomas' voice can be heard weekly around the studio as the narrator of Forensic Files. Creative Sound is currently posting the 252nd episode! In the most recent episode, Allentown's local 19th Street Theater was the backdrop for a recreation used in the show. The show's eleventh season is set to start in September.

Tune to a local radio station lately and you are sure to hear a commercial produced by Creative Sound Studios. In the past months, the number of radio commercials they have produced has increased a great deal. In the last three months alone they have done work for The Morning Call, KNBT, Lehigh Valley College, Camelbeach Water Park, Fernwood Hotel & Resort, Good Shepherd Hospital, ProLog, OnlineGifts.com, Allegiant Air and Lehigh Valley International Airport. The increased number of spots has resulted in increased opportunities to use the Source-Connect plug-in for ProTools. They have been able to record talent from Florida, New York, and even the west coast, all from the comfort of the Creative Sound control rooms and without the added waiting time of ftp delivery.

Introducing Creative Sound Studios merchandise! Haven't you always wished for a hooded sweatshirt with the Creative Sound logo, or a mouse pad picturing your favorite studio, or a clock to help keep you on schedule? Well, now you can have all these and more! Visit creativesoundstudios.com and click on Online Store to get apparel, hats, housewares, and even stamps!

At the end of 2004, we announced the arrival of the very impressive ProTools HD|Accel 2 systems that were installed in both control rooms. These systems allow us to produce true High Definition audio, with sample rates up to 192kHz and the ability to mix up to 192 tracks in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. Now, your project won't only sound magnificent, but it will look incredible here at the studio as well. Creative Sound has installed a new High Definition projection system in Control Room 2, which allows us to project your video on our new 82" screen. Within the next month, Control Room 1 will get the same treatment. The new LCD projectors will give us breathtaking images in both rooms. A stunningly high contrast ratio of 5,500:1 delivers blacks with a richness and sharpness you'd expect to see only at the cinema and it fully supports all HD formats. Now, you can truly preview your project in high definition, both audibly and visually.

Creative Sound has begun work on a new series entitled Seasoned With Spirit. The series, set to air on PBS, follows Native chef Loretta Barrett Oden as she explores the cuisine of Native Americans from all over the United States. The production company, Resolution Pictures, has contracted Creative Sound Studios to carry out the audio post-production for the program, which entails clean up of on-location dialogue, adding ambient sounds, and performing the final mix of the program. Creative Sound has currently completed four episodes, one of which was filmed before Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. "It was chilling to see all these places that no longer exist, but I'm glad Resolution Pictures got a chance to film it before it was gone," said Helena Schwoyer, who engineered the project. With yet another television series under its belt, Creative Sound continues to be the studio of choice for producers and film makers who want the very best in audio post-production here in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.

We've had an exciting secret that we can finally let out of the bag! Last July, Hydrogen Whiskey Studios and THQ Inc., contacted Creative Sound to record legendary WWE ring announcer, Tony Chimel, for their new video game, Raw vs. Smackdown 2006. Creative Sound was just what the game developers were looking for and they even flew an engineer and a producer to the studio all the way from sunny California. Over four hundred prompts were recorded for the game, which debuted in time for Christmas 2005.

Hello Helena, Thank you for checking in, and yes, everything arrived and sounds phenomenal. Richard raved about your facility and says that he was treated so well. I cannot express my thanks for taking care of everything since I was unable to attend. I definitely hope that the opportunity arises again for us to work together! Best, Jamie
(Independent producer for 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)

Creative Sound was recently host to a BBC interview with Chris Martin of CFMartin & Company, commonly know as Martin Guitars. The BBC will use the interview in a radio program about the history of the guitar, a subject that Martin knows all about. Chris Martin is the sixth generation in a legacy of guitar making that dates back to 1796. Creative Sound was contacted by the BBC to record Martin's side of the interview and because the audio files would be needed right away, the studio suggested the interview be done via Source-Connect. This would allow Martin to be at Creative Sound and his voice to be recorded in the studio in London. Martin would be able to hear the interviewer as if he was sitting right next to him. The production company in London acquired Source-Connect and the connection was tested. "It was great to hear these British accents as clearly as if they were standing in the studio!" said Helena Schwoyer, President/CEO of Creative Sound. In the end, the production company in London had some technical difficulties, so the interview was recorded at Creative Sound and the files delivered via FTP to London. Creative Sound is one of the 350 studios worldwide with Source-Connect capabilities and has had the opportunity to be on both the sending and receiving side of recording using the brand new plug-in. They have also been able to introduce the technology to a number of studios in order to record a voice-over from afar.

Creative Sound recently got the chance to work with Jim Birdsal. You might not know the name, but you would definatly recognize the voice. He's one of the legendary voices of NFL Films, and he can now be heard on our local radio stations plugging the sports section of our own regional paper, The Morning Call. Creative Sound recently produced two radio spots with the legendary Birdsal for the paper. Done in the NFL Films style, these spots highlight the paper's sports coverage. This isn't the only big voice The Morning Call has used for its commercials. Peter Thomas, a legendary voice who can be heard regularly as the narrator of Forensic Files, has provided his services for a number of Morning Call radio commercials highlighting various investigative stories for the paper. This latest commercial highlighting the sports section had Creative Sound calling all over the country to obtain this legendary voice to give this particular spot the NFL Films style. With access to great voices and the ability to accommodate even the most demanding projects, Creative Sound proves once again to be the MVP studio in the Lehigh Valley.

It's that time again. No, not Halloween, not even Thanksgiving -- it's Forensics Week on CourtTV! This may not mean much to you, but here at Creative Sound, it means "Put on another pot of coffee!" During this time, both control rooms at Creative Sound will be tirelessly working on episodes of Forensic Files. As a pioneer in the field of fact-based, high-tech, dramatic storytelling, Forensic Files delves into the world of forensic science, profiling intriguing crimes, accidents, and outbreaks of disease from around the world. Creative Sound is responsible for the audio post-production of the program which includes cleaning up the narration and interviews, doing foley, adding sound effects, and mixing the show in Dolby Prologic. Put your sleuthing hats on, it's time to find that evidence!

Creative Sound is now equipped with ISDN-like capabilities. A new plug-in from Source-Elements, which debuted at this year's NAB conference, allows Creative Sound to establish an audio connection between ProTools systems anywhere in the world. This allows direct-to-the-timeline recording with real-time, broadcast-quality audio using their broadband internet connection. The quality is higher than ISDN and better yet, it's more cost effective because it does not require expensive ISDN lines, hardware, subscription fees, or minute-by-minute line charges. Your talent base just got a lot bigger! All the control rooms at Creative Sound boast ProTools High-Definition Accel 2 systems. These systems allow them to record the highest quality audio available, giving you the highest quality product! Their rooms also include Tannoy Monitors powered by Crown amplification giving you a true-to-life sound you can depend on. If it sounds good here, it'll sound good anywhere! Neumann, AKG, and Sennheiser are just a few of the names that grace the mic cabinet. Creative Sound is the premier recording studio in the Lehigh Valley and they are ready and able to make your project sound extraordinary!

Creative Sound Studios has worked for some pretty big names companies such as NBC, Discovery Channel, Kodak, and even the Department of Defense and big names are still coming to Creative Sound for a wide variety of audio production. This month alone they have recorded narrations for radio, CD-ROM, and even video games, as well as sweetening for television and video. One such project was a video for Crayola entitled Crayola's Amazing Race, a spoof on reality shows that will debut at a Crayola New-Products meeting. Employing their vast music and sound effects library, Creative Sound brought this light-hearted parody to life. Also, talented voice-over artists, listed on Creative Sound's website, were utilized to record both a new on-hold message for PPL Gas & Utilities' phone system, and a narration for a DeWalt instructional video. In addition, international names such as INFOnxx, the world's premier provider of directory assistance and enhanced information services, and ScanSoft, the world's foremost supplier of speech and imaging solutions, both continue to rely on Creative Sound to make their products sound spectacular.

Creative Sound has a long history of exceptional audio production. Opening their doors almost thirty years ago in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Creative Sound rapidly became the foremost recording studio in the Lehigh Valley. They were then the first studio in the region to become non-linear, moving to Digidesign's early ProTools package in 1990. By 1995, they had outgrown their city location and built their current facility in lovely Orefield, PA. Still less than an hour from Philadelphia, and an hour and a half from NYC, the studio thrived in its new location and they added another control room in 2001. Today, Creative Sound is flourishing and they will be celebrating their 30th Anniversary next year.

Creative Sound recently completed post on a Forensic Files special featuring the Lindbergh Baby kidnapping. In this one-hour special, MedstarTV and Forensic Files commissioned a brand new investigation into the seventy year-old crime and attempted to solve this long-disputed mystery by re-examining the physical evidence from the case utilizing today's technologies. The special presented Creative Sound with some of the same challenges as the normal half-hour Forensic Files episodes, which Creative Sound has posted for over eight years. These include general clean-up of the narration and on-camera interviews, replacing and adding ambience, sound effects, and foley, and the final mix in Dolby Prologic Surround. This special also required special attention regarding the original interviews and news footage from 1935, which needed a fair amount of noise reduction.

Creative Sound Studios was recently featured in Post Magazine. Post is one of the premier news and feature magazine for professionals involved in all facets of post production, audio, animation and graphics, compositing, video and film editing, and other related services. Post covers the studios, equipment, and tools making waves in movies, commercials, TV shows, and high-end multimedia projects. In the article, written by Mike Joseph, Creative Sound's wide variety of clients, impressive facilities, and state-of-the-art equipment make for impressive reading. The full page article which outlines all facets of Creative Sound Studios can be found in the March 2005 issue.

How much did you know about the last car you bought before you signed up for that 60-month payment plan? Did you know the size of the gas tank? What about cubic area of the trunk? Or the all important, "How far can I go with the fuel light on before I'm stuck on the side of the road?" Well, the people at S.N. Automotive Consulting, Inc. think you should know what your hard-earned money is buying, before you sign your name on the dotted line. They've created a product called Motormouth, a series of CDs which are marketed toward car dealerships and are intended to be played during the demo ride. Each track is about ten minutes long and outlines the features and benefits of a particular vehicle, things like the engine, the interior amenities, the safety, the gas mileage, and much more. They've come to Creative Sound to continue the project with over 70 models from Nissan, Chevy, Toyota, and Hyundai. Leslie Brosse, their Director of Marketing says "Not only does it inform the customer, but it teaches the salesperson. With all the models available on the lot, itÕs hard for the sales people to know all the features of all the cars."

Casting the right voice for your project can be daunting but Creative Sound has made it easier! Their on-line voice casting page takes the guesswork out of choosing a talented voice-over artist. They've done all the work for you by carefully screening every demo that comes through their door and by only offering you the best of the best. If you chose a voice from their casting page, you can be assured that you are getting a top- notch talent. The on-line casting page is!a real hit with producers who can listen quickly to a wide variety of voices from the comfort of their offices. As always, the staff at Creative Sound is always there to help you choose a voice talent to fit your project. The page can be found by going to Creative Sound's web site and choosing "Voice Casting" from the menu.

The members of Air Products & Chemicals' corporate band, The Difference, are hard at work on their third album and Creative Sound is once again privileged to be working with these talented individuals. This time around, The Difference will be including some original music as well as the covers they do so well. All the members of The Difference have day jobs at Air Products & Chemicals and like their previous albums and most of their live performances, this third album is a not-for-profit endeavor. All proceeds will go to charity. The Difference's history of charitable giving is inspiring. They've helped to raise over $100,000 for The American Diabetes Foundation, Special Olympics, Leukemia Society, American Heart Association, Camelot for Children, as well as many local charities and nonprofit organizations.

Creative Sound Studios has recently finished work on the 200th episode of Forensic Files for MedstarTelevision/CourtTV. Forensic Files is beginning its ninth season on CourtTV and is one of the channels highest rated programs. As a pioneer in the field of fact-based, high-tech, dramatic storytelling, Forensic Files delves into the world of forensic science, profiling intriguing crimes, accidents, and outbreaks of disease from around the world. Not only are the stories from all over the country, but the production is too. Peter Thomas, one of the most recognizable voices in the business, sets the stage for each episode, laying down the narration in Naples, Florida. Music is scored by Alan Ett Music Group in Studio City, California, and then it all comes to Creative Sound where engineers Helena Schwoyer and Holley McEllroy pull all the elements together and give each episode its signature sound. The final mix is encoded in Dolby Prologic Surround.

Creative Sound Studios has upgraded both of its control rooms to include Digidesign's ProTools HD|Accel 2 systems. These systems offer unparalleled sonic quality and a smooth and fast working environment. With these new systems, Creative Sound can now record at sample rates up to 192kHz and mix up to 192 tracks. Couple this with their 600 sq. foot studio, 200 sq. foot control rooms, and sonically transparent iso booths, Creative Sound is a premier place to record ensembles, bands, and solo musicians. Local and nationally known bands alike have enjoyed the pleasure of recording at Creative Sound. Lock-to-picture capabilities and a strong background in audio for video work also make Creative Sound the premier post production studio in the Lehigh Valley. With clients like Forensic Files (CourtTV), Medical Detectives (TLC), Penske Leasing, Mack Trucks, Crayola, and others, Creative Sound has proved itself time and again. Furthermore, with the addition of the new ProTools|HD systems, the studio is ready and able to meet the expanding needs of their clients producing projects in High Definition.

Air Products & Chemicals' corporate band, The Difference, is scheduled to return to Creative Sound Studios in January to record their third studio album. These talented musicians were the winners of the First Annual Battle of the Corporate Bands, held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which earned the band a place in the Hall of Fame along side a vintage Les Paul guitar. The band travels all around the Lehigh Valley and beyond, playing for charity events and fundraisers. Last year they got the chance to rock the crowd at a NASCAR Busch Series event at Nazareth Speedway with their rendition of the National Anthem. Creative Sound enjoyed working with the band on their first two albums and is looking forward to working on this upcoming one.

Orefield, PA - Creative Sound Studios has recently finished work on Independent Dream Machine's latest film, A.K.A. Executive Producer, Zeke Zelker, calls the film "a high energy comedy that blends the entertainment industry with the human struggle for acceptance." In their new Dolby 5.1 surround suite, Digidesign ProTools 24|MixPlus3 running on an Apple G4 along with Digidesign/Focusrite's Control 24 were utilized to edit and mix A.K.A. The film features bands such as Aztek Trip, Zen for Primates, The Tumblers, and The Push Stones. Creative Sound Studios owner/engineer Helena Schwoyer says "...it's a great showcase for regional musicians and talent...it really shows off all the talent right here in the Lehigh Valley."

Creative Sound Studios is a full-featured audio post production environment. Studio designer Jimmy Mahr designed the spacious floor plan to include two 400 sq. ft. control rooms, a 600 sq. ft. studio, a machine room, offices, and a full kitchen. They offer complete audio post for Television and video with Dolby Digital 5.1 mixing and Dolby Prologic Surround mixing and encoding. A large selection of library music and sound effects allows for top-notch radio and television commercial production. The 600 sq. foot studio serves both control rooms for tracking, foley, and ADR. Narration/VO recording and editing as well as Jingle Packages including original music make Creative Sound a one-stop shop for all audio needs. At the state-of-the-art facility, both control rooms house ProTools 5.1 24|MixPlus systems running on Apple G4's. Both rooms are equipped with Tannoy Monitors powered by Crown amplification. Neumann, AKG, and Sennheiser are just a few of the names that grace the mic cabinet. For a complete equipment listing, visit www.creativesoundstudios.com.

Creative Sound has been in business for over 30 years, making its beginnings on 6th Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania before moving to its current location in Orefield, Pennsylvania, just north of Philadelphia. Recent and current projects include audio post for Forensic Files, which is beginning its 5th season on CourtTV. Creative Sound has been there from the beginning, over 140 episodes ago and 32 planned for this season. Forensic Files is produced in Dolby Prologic Surround. They've also completed a number of one-hour specials for TLC titled Medical Detectives, as well as recording Harry Rinker for HGTV's Collector Inspector. Creative Sound also keeps busy with local radio and television commercials as well as corporate videos from businesses like Penske, Mack Trucks, Crayola, and Stanley Tools.