Yesterday, in the morning of May, 28, 2009, a 7.1 earthquake struck in the northern coast of Honduras and was felt throughout Central America. This caused several deaths and structural damages. This is a relevant event for Web Design in Honduras because it puts focus on all forms of media, and puts them all to a very real test. The media is something we want to take advantage of in business and one we want to use in case of emergency to find firsthand accounts quickly. Much the same way you might want to instantly communicate an emergency, it would be convenient to publish a press release or other business publication for immediate release.
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After years of using programmed drums, 2Active Audio has taken a huge leap into the recording world, filling in the last gap required for commercial music recording: Real drums! For this, our sound engineer has designed an 8 microphone setup which is very complete and involves some of the finest microphones available for these purposes. Quality was the number one priority.

These are the microphones that will be used:

• 2 Rode NTKs
• Matched pair of Rode NT5s
• Shure Beta 57a
• AKG D112
• Rode NT2-a
• Sennheiser MD421-II

Overheads

A pair of Rode NTKs in a stereo X/Y configuration. A high pass filter will be engaged at the DAW console. Height will depend on the drummer’s style, but should start about 24 inches from the snare. These microphones should center precisely above the snare and point towards the edges of the kit. SM2 shockmounts will be used on a stereo microphone mounting bar, allowing two microphones to hang from only one stand. The overhead microphones will capture the entire kit, primarily toms and cymbals.

Bass Drum

A Sennheiser MD421-II will be used inside the drum, pointed near the beater at a 45 degree angle. This will add attack and crispness with lots of isolation for a more aggressive beater sound. An AKG D112 microphone will be placed in front of the bass drum for that more natural sound we’re used to. Both will be balanced to taste at the console.

Snare Drum

I’ve decided to stick to tradition and keep the old 57 on here with one small change. I’ll be using the Beta 57a instead of the SM57 because the Beta 57a adds a little more peak to the treble and also has a tighter cardioid pattern which will help isolate the snare. The 57 will be aimed from the hi-hat across the snare top to add more attack. I find that I prefer attack and presence rather than body from a snare. A Rode NT5 might be used at times below the snare at 180 degree phase to capture the snare buzz and add more pressence.

Hi Hat

A Rode NT5 condenser microphone will be placed above the hi-hat, aimed between the bell and the edge of the top hat. This will capture the loud transients with the warm response of the NT5.

Room Ambiance

The versatile Rode NT2-a will be used for this purpose with the figure 8 pattern and the hi pass filter engaged. It should be placed about 5 feet in front of the snare drum and should be thought of as a mid-field microphone as a complement to the overhead Rode NTK pair. The height will be equal to that of the snare and the mic should point towards it at a slight upward angle. The back of the microphone should aim towards the wall.

Preamp IO

The microphones will go into a Toneport UX8 recording interface with 8 XLR inputs and selectable phantom power. The high pass filters and -20 db PAD are available on each preamp. 25 foot Mogami studio cable will be used on all mics to reduce noise. Rode NTKs will use their own power supply and proprietary cable.

Room Treatment

Auralex foam will be placed in troublesome areas. Bass traps are used in the corners of the room. Bath towels will be placed on stands and chair backs to absorb excessive reverberation. The drum set will be placed on a thin carpet. Mahogany and cedar furniture will be present in the room and drapes will cover two walls. Diffusers will be used around the set if smaller reflections are required and to break up the early reflections.

Websites and automobiles actually have a lot in common. We will utilize this analogy to show many similarities and also point out several differences that, ideally, should also be similarities.

Many sites are coded poorly under the hood, but might still look fine on the outside. Many vehicles have a nice looking exterior but have a poorly maintained engine. What good is it if you have a great looking car but the engine runs inefficiently? Your website is the same. You need a properly coded site in the same way you need a fine tuned engine. A fast car will let you get to your destination quicker and a fast website will let your visitors spend less time loading content. These are aspects that are overlooked by many.
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Here at 2Active Design, our websites are valued at a certain cost depending on the desired features. This value could be monetary or the equivalent in goods or services. This trade relationship can be a great alternative in there tough economic times when businesses choose to barter instead of a monetary payment or as a partial payment.

A website is the most valuable marketing tool for a business and we want you to have one even if you cannot afford one. Many of our clients provide valuable goods or services that are as good as cash here at 2Active Design. This is a perfectly acceptable trade and we will consider exchanging a website for goods or services.
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Being born and raised in Honduras, I have grown with the Honduran market and advertising. After college in the United States, I have a clear understanding of both markets. Because of this experience, 2Active Design is able to differentiate between both markets and cater to their specialized needs.

First and foremost, Honduran business tends to have Spanish speaking employees and a great deal of decision making is done in Spanish. However, they want to work fluidly with the English speaking client-base and even other languages if necessary. Honduras has always depended greatly on investment from other countries and it would be quite limiting to work with clients in only one language. It is very desirable to have employees that speak at least two languages. Why should their website be any different?
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You have a great new website, but only a small group of people know it exists. Get the world to know about it with competitive SEO and Web Marketing!

How to be competitive when it comes to Web Marketing:

• Have a website with valid code and a solid markup (Web Design and Development)
• Generate relevant content at least once a week (Blogging)
• Create links to your content in popular social networking sites (Web Marketing)

2Active Design uses a CMS system with optimal code made focused on search engine rankings. I’ve done extensive research over the years on how Google, Yahoo, Live Search and others rank websites. I’ve also studied the top SEO firms to gain inspiration and learn best practices in the industry. Soon I learned that I could even outrank them! This is all due to the fact that the CMS system used is coded so well and that the content generation is ongoing and contains quality copy-writing. While perfect code can get your foot in the door, quality writing is what will keep you there and take you way beyond your competition.