Guns N? Roses Opt for True ?Power in Paradise? with the Pulsar EX RT UPS

[FunkyMonkey]

July 27, 2007

Guns N? Roses Opt for True ?Power in Paradise? with the Pulsar EX RT UPS

Press release
Source: Jennings & Associates Communications, Inc.

In the fast-paced, competitive music business where a ?powerful? performance is key, MGE Office Protection Systems is delivering solid power protection solutions and receiving standing ovations.

Among the lengthy list of heavy metal rockers that have come and gone over the years, one band has stood the test of time and continues to deliver the edgiest music without a hint of softness, reminding us of classic favorites like ?Paradise City? and ?Welcome to the Jungle.? Guns N? Roses, fronted by vocalist Axl Rose, continues to make their mark on the rock scene since their debut in the 80?s.

Through years of equipment struggles and power issues, the band?s technicians have sorted through the mire of faulty solutions and have finally turned to MGE Office Protection Systems for protection of their sensitive equipment. Chris Whitemyer, long-time guitar technician for Guns N? Roses, trusts MGE Office Protection Systems? Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPSs) to safeguard the operations of all amps, special effects and wireless capabilities to ensure a flawless performance on and off stage.

Working one-on-one with eclectic lead guitarist Robin Finck, it is Whitemyer?s duty to assure smooth equipment operations at all times, including the set-up and stringing of all guitars, as well as maintenance of pedals, cables, amplifiers, cabinets and cases. Having heard about MGE Office Protection Systems from a friend who worked with well-known recording artist Seal, Whitemyer decided to give MGE?s power protection solutions a try and has never looked back.

Opting for the Pulsar EX RT 3200 Rack system, Whitemyer was impressed by an integral feature that is unique to MGE Office Protection Systems: the UPS system?s cold start ability. This feature is beneficial because it allows the UPS to be turned on to start up immediately with nearly no lag time. Before choosing the Pulsar EX RT, Whitemyer had never used a system that had the capacity to cold start. In addition, nearly all the UPSs he worked with prior to the Pulsar EX RT had produced an irritating hum. This kind of unwanted feedback could make it difficult to fine tune the sound of the instruments, thereby affecting the overall quality of the music. He is happy that MGE?s Pulsar EX RT encompasses the necessary cold start feature without producing a hum and believes the product is the best on the market. Whitemyer says, ?This unit has worked for Robin and me all over the world. It?s worked when others have failed. It?s now our good luck charm that we go nowhere without.?

Taking a cue from Whitemyer, keyboardist Darren ?Dizzy? Reed and guitarist Richard Fortis have also turned to MGE Office Protection Systems? solutions for the protection of their equipment. Reed, considered one of the last original crew members or Guns N? Roses, selected both the Pulsar EX RT 2200 and 3200 UPSs to ensure the power protection of their sensitive keyboard equipment. Fortis, who replaced Paul Tobias as rhythm guitarist, chose the Pulsar EX RT 2200 to safeguard against any power issues that could cause costly equipment damage.

MGE Office Protection Systems proved to be the optimal choice during the ?Rock in Rio? concert series in Rio de Janeiro. During an important rehearsal for their 23-song set in a generator-powered studio that they had rented, the crew turned off the generator to fill it with gas. Attached to Whitemyer?s workstation, the Pulsar EX RT system lit up the studio as the crew waited for power to be restored. He recalls, ?The crew decided to turn the generator off while they put gas in it, shutting off all power to the studio with no windows. If not for the MGE cold start, we would have had a few rock stars freaking out in the dark.?

Equipment dependability is an essential component to the business of rock n? roll and if equipment operations fail due to power issues, it can be quite costly ? financially and in fan base. Temperamental rock stars are known for their outbursts and destructive behaviors when things don?t go smoothly. Whitemyer mentions a time in Portugal when due to problems with equipment operations, the replacement of two broken basses ended up costing $5,500. Prior to the use of MGE Office Protection Systems UPSs, the high risk of broken guitars, major temper tantrums and disgruntled fans was a constant issue.

However, with MGE Office Protection Systems? Pulsar MX RT, equipment dependability for Whitemyer - as well as Reed and Fortis ? is no longer an issue due to key elements that the system provides. The Pulsar MX RT provides the band?s sensitive equipment with true on-line double-conversion UPS topology with built-in automatic bypass. Created for a number of industries, the units are designed for robust operation including the ability to add extended battery packs for multi-hour backup times. On-line operation also assures the highest level of power conditioning and optimized battery life as well as compatibility with engine generators for even longer backup requirements. The modular systems are easy to configure and include a number of standard features available only as options on other systems.

As of March 2007, Guns N? Roses current line-up includes Axl Rose on vocals, Robin Finck and Bumblefoot on lead guitar, Richard Fortis on rhythm guitar, Tommy Stinson on bass guitar, Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman on keyboards, and Brain and Frank Ferrer on drums. Despite the changes that have been made to the line-up, the band is more powerful than ever with the valuable support from the best power protection solutions in the industry. From Spain to Switzerland, Guns N? Roses performed over 70 concerts in 2006 with an impressive attendance average of 150,000 fans per concert. True legends of the rock n? roll community, the band is set to do a worldwide tour in 2007 after the release of their anticipated album Chinese Democracy. All along the way, whether in studio rehearsals or under the lights of their next high-powered performance, Guns N? Roses can rely on MGE Office Protection Systems to lead them away from the power outage ?jungle? and into the operational smoothness of ?paradise city.?

http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/003520.html

[Will]

the band is set to do a worldwide tour in 2007 after the release of their anticipated album Chinese Democracy.

That caught my attention...and the article is dated with yesterday's date (so it's been published after the tour). Interesting, but Mysteron recently said there are no plans for another tour this year, if I remember correctly.

[chineseblues]

the band is set to do a worldwide tour in 2007 after the release of their anticipated album Chinese Democracy.

That caught my attention...and the article is dated with yesterday's date (so it's been published after the tour). Interesting, but Mysteron recently said there are no plans for another tour this year, if I remember correctly.

Well he said that #1 priority was the album, so if there is a wold tour in the works now, it would mean everything needing to be done with the album is done.

[LittleFly]

Holy fuck, my company was just bought by MGE! This is awesome!

Maybe I'll process their service contracts and warranties now, how freakin cool would THAT be 

[kingcanute]

I find it hard to believe that GNR had an average attendance of 150,000 fans per concert.

[Demon Wolf]

^^Probably added a zero too much there.

[Genesis]

I find it hard to believe that GNR had an average attendance of 150,000 fans per concert.

Maybe an average of all the concerts or something...

[estrangedpaul]

the band is set to do a worldwide tour in 2007 after the release of their anticipated album Chinese Democracy.

That caught my attention...and the article is dated with yesterday's date (so it's been published after the tour). Interesting, but Mysteron recently said there are no plans for another tour this year, if I remember correctly.

Earlier in that paragraph, it also says "as of March 2007" so I presume its just referring to the Australia-NZ-Japan world tour. The comments about the album sounds like a general company line that most people associated with GnR say. Lets hope its true this time.

[Niko]

I find it hard to believe that GNR had an average attendance of 150,000 fans per concert.

the thing is they played in a lot of big festivals in 2006, so its a chance that the average attendance is that 

[CheapJon]

I find it hard to believe that GNR had an average attendance of 150,000 fans per concert.

the thing is they played in a lot of big festivals in 2006, so its a chance that the average attendance is that?

naah, more like 15,000 per show

[Will]

Official figures (from GN'R's press release) for the 2006 European tour are: 700.000 fans for 32 concerts. That's 21.875 average. Maybe 150.000 fans was the biggest attendance out of all the shows, I don't know, but even that seems a little big. I think the biggest was like 80.000. But in the end, it doesn't really matter...all that matters is Chinese Democracy being released (to me).

[Verse Chorus Verse]

They spelled Fortus wrong.

[CheapJon]

Official figures (from GN'R's press release) for the 2006 European tour are: 700.000 fans for 32 concerts. That's 21.875 average. Maybe 150.000 fans was the biggest attendance out of all the shows, I don't know, but even that seems a little big. I think the biggest was like 80.000. But in the end, it doesn't really matter...all that matters is Chinese Democracy being released (to me).

and with the north american tour it maybe ends up around 15 thousand per show?

[acompleteunknown]

Ever wonder what kind of software the guys in the band use to protect their equipment?  Wonder no more...

http://www.wwpi.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2784&Itemid=44

[Chief]

well this is an interesting article.. hopefully there will be a lot fewer equipment problems now.

[FunkyMonkey]

GNR mention in this somewhat related article...

WANetics Helps Justin Timberlake and Hilary Duff Tours Spend Less, Get Better Connected

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) September 29, 2007 -- Justin Timberlake and Hilary Duff are two artists whose musical tours now include an IT professional as well as the other musicians and show specialists.   

"The teams working behind Justin Timberlake and Hilary Duff are innovators," said Janet Rogers of WANetics, LLC, the Chicago-based company supplying on-the-road Internet-based communications for the shows. "Audiences have never seen anything like these featured shows. And those working behind the scenes have never been so well connected. The tours manage their communication costs by traveling with their own systems. Instead of using the network and phone system provided at each venue, Timberlake's and Duff's enormous entourage of musicians, dancers, crew, and drivers tour with a system designed by our company."

A single show can include thousands of dollars worth of Internet connections, phone lines and usage. Communication is constant, and often costly. In years past, a major tour would require up to two dozen phone lines and up to half a dozen Internet drops. With conventional technology, the bill would often be in excess of $5,000 a show.
   
Instead, the Justin Timberlake and Hilary Duff tours are accompanied by a technician from WANetics. Each tour group uses a single Internet drop at each venue. The system distributes this one signal wirelessly to each of five offices (production, promoter, tour management, accounting, crew) using a frequency that travels comfortably through walls but does not interfere with WiFi. Within each tour office is a single road case that contains a laser printer, WiFi, customized storage for phones and cables, and an advanced Power over Ethernet switch. This switch provides a network connection as well as power to each phone.

While a group tours, the system knows the tour schedule and keeps the auto-attendant and greetings up-to-date and communications in step. WANetics technology can be found this season in other tours including Genesis, Incubus and Guns 'n Roses.

Complete article: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/9/prweb550173.htm

[user FKA webmoster]

GNR mention in this somewhat related article...

WANetics Helps Justin Timberlake and Hilary Duff Tours Spend Less, Get Better Connected

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) September 29, 2007 -- Justin Timberlake and Hilary Duff are two artists whose musical tours now include an IT professional as well as the other musicians and show specialists.   

"The teams working behind Justin Timberlake and Hilary Duff are innovators," said Janet Rogers of WANetics, LLC, the Chicago-based company supplying on-the-road Internet-based communications for the shows. "Audiences have never seen anything like these featured shows. And those working behind the scenes have never been so well connected. The tours manage their communication costs by traveling with their own systems. Instead of using the network and phone system provided at each venue, Timberlake's and Duff's enormous entourage of musicians, dancers, crew, and drivers tour with a system designed by our company."

A single show can include thousands of dollars worth of Internet connections, phone lines and usage. Communication is constant, and often costly. In years past, a major tour would require up to two dozen phone lines and up to half a dozen Internet drops. With conventional technology, the bill would often be in excess of $5,000 a show.
   
Instead, the Justin Timberlake and Hilary Duff tours are accompanied by a technician from WANetics. Each tour group uses a single Internet drop at each venue. The system distributes this one signal wirelessly to each of five offices (production, promoter, tour management, accounting, crew) using a frequency that travels comfortably through walls but does not interfere with WiFi. Within each tour office is a single road case that contains a laser printer, WiFi, customized storage for phones and cables, and an advanced Power over Ethernet switch. This switch provides a network connection as well as power to each phone.

While a group tours, the system knows the tour schedule and keeps the auto-attendant and greetings up-to-date and communications in step. WANetics technology can be found this season in other tours including Genesis, Incubus and Guns 'n Roses.

Complete article: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/9/prweb550173.htm

so that ALSO says they will be touring this season, and this was posted today

[zombux]

earlier this year, they said GNR will be making 70 shows this year. this seems similar to me