TC Furlong Inc. is Celebrating 50 Years in 2023

Founded in 1973, TC Furlong Inc. has come a long way over the past five decades. What started as a small loudspeaker repair, design, manufacturing and rental business run from TC’s garage has grown into a leading provider of professional audio solutions for clients in Chicagoland, the Midwest, and across the country. We are proud to celebrate our 50th anniversary in business serving clients in the live event industry!

Since the start, we have always strived to be at the forefront of the professional audio industry, adopting new technologies and staying ahead of the curve. We’ve been leaders in state of the art gear like frequency agile wireless microphone systems, digital mixing consoles, and complex intercom systems, and have evolved to meet the needs of our customers. Today, we continue to provide a wide range of professional audio and event services, including gear rentals, equipment sales, live event system rentals, sound system design and alignment, repairs, project and production management, CAD drafting, and others.

TC Furlong has built an enduring reputation for delivering exceptional customer service and support. Our clients appreciate and have come to rely on vital programs like our Warranty Support Advantage and 24×7 Emergency Audio Response hotline.  We pride ourselves on being the ones who can take the call and save the show!

As we celebrate our 50th anniversary in business this year, we look back on a rich history of quality, innovation, reliability and growth. We also look forward to the future, with a strong foundation and a clear vision for the next 50 years. We’d like to thank each of our clients who helped us get this far. Here’s to another half-century of success!

Keep an eye on our blog and social media channels for more insights into the past, present, and future of the company during our anniversary year.

Repair Service: Microphone Retermination

Have you noticed one of your lavalier or headset microphones beginning to intermittently cut out, or make loud popping or buzzing noises? Or maybe you’re looking to upgrade your wireless microphone systems, only to realize that the new beltpacks utilize a different type of connector from your existing systems. In either case, your first instinct might be to order brand new mics and get rid of the old ones. However, reterminating your microphone (i.e. cutting off the old connector and replacing it with a new one) may be a more affordable and sustainable option.

Due to their exposure to sweat and makeup, and the comparative fragility of the tiny components used to build them, lavalier and headset mics certainly have a more finite lifespan than the average handheld dynamic mic. Even the most expertly built, durable lavalier mic will be “sweated out” over a long enough period of use, rendering the mic capsule itself irreparable, and requiring a replacement. That said, many “broken” mics that are sent to us for evaluation are in much less dire straits; maybe there’s a loose solder joint in the connector itself, or maybe the microphone cable is damaged. In either case, the fix can be as simple as cutting the cable near the connector and replacing it with a new one (unfortunately, if the cable is damaged closer to the mic element, a repair may not be possible, as splicing an additional length of cable in is impractical at best).

At TC Furlong Inc., we have the capability to reterminate lavalier and headset mics to any common connector type including TA4F, LEMO, Sennheiser Evolution, and more. We’re also happy to share that we’ve recently upgraded our repair arsenal with tools to reterminate mics with Microdot connectors. Microdot, a connector most commonly associated with DPA microphones but increasingly adopted by other manufacturers, allows a single mic to essentially be reterminated on the fly by swapping out small adapters for use with different wireless systems. Because it’s such a tiny connector, we previously had to send Microdot-terminated mics elsewhere for repair, but our new specialized tools allow us to complete these reterminations in-house, saving you time and money in the process. Turnaround time for our retermination service is usually just a day or two.

Microphone retermination is just one of the multitude of repair services we offer. If you have gear in need of repair, reach out to our technician Scott Helmke at shelmke@tcfurlong.com.

We also sell lavalier and headset mics, wireless microphone systems, and a variety of other gear from most manufacturers of professional audio equipment. Get in touch with our Sales Team at sales@tcfurlong.com to request a quote.

We also have hundreds of lavalier and headset mics available in our massive rental inventory. For rental quotes, please contact our Project Managers at rentals@tcfurlong.com.

New In Rentals – Meyer Sound MJF-210 Monitors

The latest addition to TC Furlong Inc.’s extensive inventory of loudspeakers are some brand new Meyer Sound MJF-210 monitor wedges. With balance between power and size, the MJF-210 is a high-performance monitor that will meet the most rigorous demands of your live production.

The MJF series boasts flat amplitude and phase responses, full-range bandwidth with exceptional impulse response, along with Meyer Sound’s own Intelligent AC system for automatic voltage selection, EMI filtering, soft current turn-on, and surge suppression. Ultra-low distortion gives vocals and instruments stunning accuracy, with low distortion and no signal coloration at high output levels and at low frequencies. A wide 70° vertical coverage allows the performer to move freely up and down the stage while remaining in the sweet spot.

Constructed of premium birch plywood, the MJF‑210’s cabinet is coated with a slightly textured black finish and includes protective rubber strips on the bottom of the unit that prevent changes in position due to vibrations. A hex-stamped steel grille lined with acoustical black mesh protects the drivers.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS
• Self-powered system guarantees simplified setup and operation
• Small lightweight footprint with no external amplification occupies less truck space
• Low profile cabinet preserves onstage sight lines
• Wide vertical coverage permits the freedom to move upstage and downstage
• High peak power ensures excellent transient response
• Flat frequency and phase responses yield high gain before feedback

APPLICATIONS
• Main vocal monitor
• High output instrument monitor

For more information about adding a few of our new Meyer MJF-210s to your next job, other Meyer Sound loudspeakers, or anything else from our vast rental inventory, please contact our Rental Team at 847-367-9588 or rentals@tcfurlong.com.

TC Furlong also sells Meyer Sound products along with other major audio brands.  For questions about purchasing a MJF-210 or anything from our list of over 100 professional audio manufacturers, contact our Sales Team at 847-367-9588 or sales@tcfurlong.com.

New in Rentals – Yamaha PM3

The latest addition to TC Furlong Inc.’s extensive inventory of digital consoles is the Yamaha RIVAGE PM3. As the most compact control surface in the RIVAGE family, the PM3 allows our rental customers to harness all the capabilities of Yamaha’s flagship console series, with a footprint only slightly larger than the CL5.

The super-compact PM3 surface retains the 38 faders – three bays of 12, with two masters – found on the PM10, PM7, and PM5. It boasts a single, multi-gesture touch-panel display, along with a streamlined Selected Channel section for simple, intuitive operation. Coupled with the Yamaha DSP-R10 engine, the PM3 is capable of handling up to 144 input channels, with 72 mix buses, and 36 matrices.

Yamaha’s first professional live sound console, the PM200, was released more than 40 years ago. The PM series has provided fertile ground from which numerous sound reinforcement milestones have grown ever since. Many of those innovations have become benchmarks that professionals depend on to this day. In 2016, The RIVAGE PM10 launched a new generation of PM consoles that have already become standards in large-scale live sound applications because of their unequaled sound, operation, functionality, reliability, expandability, and more. Now the RIVAGE PM3 digital mixing system expands the digital mixing options available for an even broader range of applications.

For more information about adding the RIVAGE PM3 system, other Yamaha consoles and peripherals, or anything else from our vast inventory to your next rental, please contact our Rental Team at 847-367-9588 or rentals@tcfurlong.com.

TC Furlong also sells Yamaha along with other major audio brands.  For questions about purchasing a PM3 system or anything from our list of over 100 professional audio manufacturers, contact our Sales Team at 847-367-9588 or sales@tcfurlong.com.

Meyer Sound & TC Furlong Inc. Equip Krannert Center with No-Compromise Solutions for Performance and Education

Originally posted on the Meyer Sound website: https://meyersound.com/news/krannert-center/

Situated on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts serves not only as a world-class venue for visiting artists and student ensembles but also as a hands-on learning facility for the school’s sound design programs. Last summer, the Center took a major leap ahead in furthering both missions with installation of a multi-faceted Meyer Sound solution that encompasses Constellation active acoustics, surround sound systems with Spacemap control, and a main reinforcement system based on LINA line array loudspeakers.

The new systems, supplied by Chicago-area integrator TC Furlong, Inc., were installed in the 674-seat Colwell Playhouse, one of four venues in the expansive Krannert Center.

The 2021 project is the first in a series of upgrades planned by Rick Scholwin, who doubles as both the Center’s director of audio services and Chair of the university’s sound design program.

“When I accepted this position, my goal was to support artists with technology that is the best available in the world,” says Scholwin, “while also giving students hands-on experience with systems that are on the cutting edge and will be current long into the future.”

At the foundation of the complete audio makeover is a Constellation acoustic system comprising 99 distributed loudspeakers, 27 microphones for sensing ambient acoustics, and 21 D‑Mitri digital audio modules. Three processors are devoted to hosting the patented VRAS algorithm for generating natural acoustical environments across the hall’s three discrete zones.

The self-powered loudspeaker complement for Constellation and immersive systems includes Meyer Sound Ashby‑8C, UPM‑1XP, UPJunior-XP, and UPJ‑1XP full-range models along with UMS-1XP subwoofers.

“Everybody on campus is excited about the new acoustical flexibility and rightfully so,” comments Scholwin. “The Colwell was designed principally for theater and spoken word events, with a reverberation time of a little over one second. But now we can, for example, emulate the acoustics of Krannert’s Great Hall, with a 2.8 second RT for orchestral music, we can extend that even further for choral works. Now we are blowing the doors off the programming possibilities. We can do opera in here, or host a bluegrass band with one microphone and let the active acoustics fill the room as if it were the Ryman Auditorium.”

For advanced theatrical sound design, the self-powered loudspeaker systems can be instantly configured to work with the Spacemap sound design software, enabling both immersive effects and dynamic panning of discrete sounds across any and all locations. “If we want to fly a bumblebee around the room, we can do that easily,” says Scholwin.

The Colwell Playhouse’s new direct reinforcement system, which functions separately from Constellation, is anchored by twin arrays of eight each LINA line array loudspeakers, with each array flown under two 750‑LFC low-frequency control elements. Two ULTRA‑X40 compact loudspeakers serve as the center cluster, and three additional 750-LFC elements on the floor augment the low-frequency thrust.

The new systems made their debut at the post-pandemic return of the Krannert Center’s highly regarded Ellnora Guitar Festival. Artists supported by the new systems included The Punch Brothers (neo-bluegrass), Katie Pruitt (Americana), Adam del Monte with Sonia Olla and Ismael Fernández (flamenco), Isaiah Sharkey (multi-genre), and Cedric Burnside (blues). Other performances hosted by the venue include drama (The Neverland), dance (Tango Argentina), and Afro-Cuban Jazz (Jane Bunnett and Maqueque).

In addition to supporting a diversity of performance genres, the new systems afford extraordinary learning opportunities for the school’s BFA and MFA sound design students, says Scholwin. “This is a merging of professional arts technologies and education at the highest level. They will leave here with an in-depth, theoretical, and practical knowledge of large-scale immersive systems. They can master all they need to know to step into high-level positions.”

Krannert Center Director Mike Ross played a pivotal role in securing funding for the new systems, and he is elated with the outcome. “What I’ve experienced in the Colwell Playhouse has been utterly inspiring. In addition to greatly enhancing live performances in support of our public engagement mission, the new systems will be a tremendous asset in support of our educational mission, vis-à-vis training students pursuing sound-related career paths in the performing arts.”

Other key contributors to the project on behalf of the Krannert Center were Assistant Audio Director/Video Director Alec LaBau (also on the university’s sound design faculty) and Theatre Audio and Media Specialist Keith Norton. Handling logistics and technical coordination for TC Furlong, Inc., were General Manager Jeff Cech and President TC Furlong.

First opened in 1969, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts was made possible by a large donation from University of Illinois alumnus Herman Krannert and his wife, Ellnora. The facility was designed by architect Max Abramovitz, also an alumnus of the university.

Interested in Meyer Sound solutions? Reach out to our Sales Team at 847-367-9588 or sales@tcfurlong.com for more information, pricing, & design support.

We also provide Meyer Sound products in our rental inventory, and our experienced Project Managers can help design an optimized system for your next show. Reach out to them today at 847-367-9588 or rentals@tcfurlong.com to get started.

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