Hot on the heels of its Best in Show TCM9150 Tablet Mounting System with folio case, On-Stage has unveiled six new products to its u-mount line at Winter NAMM 2014. Each of these models utilizes a tough protective Snap-On back cover to secure the tablet to a choice of mounting systems. The u-mount line was conceived to give musicians, moms, teachers, artists, engineers, retailers, and everyone else a versatile way to mount their tablet computers to everyday and not-so-everyday objects. It is a simple and affordable way to incorporate thousands of helpful apps into the workplace, workshop, airplane, library, classroom, dorm, or wherever else daily life leads. The Post and Bar design means versatility. With both the original mounting post design and the quick disconnect variations, releasing the cover from the mounting bar is fast and easy, and securing it back in the mount is just as simple. It is the best solution for remote audio mixing, on-the-go entertainment, video conferencing, electronic coupons, exercise diversion, and countless other scenarios. Likewise, these new u-mount models add a degree of protection and enhanced grip. The full-size Snap-On™ back covers are a tough combination of aluminum and high-strength velvet-textured plastic. The aluminum portions of the covers are available in purple, black, gun metal, or mauve. The mini models feature the same textured high-strength plastic throughout. Precision cut-outs provide access to all the tablet’s buttons and keep the microphone, cameras, speaker, headphone jack, and data/charging port 100% functional. The original mounting bar system is identical to the proven design found in the TCM9150. The brand new pull-and-release models feature a quick disconnect at the ball joint to make removing the cover from the mounting system a breeze. These quick disconnect models are available with an elliptical u-mount clamp for gripping mic stands and other round surfaces, or a flat u-mount clamp for hold flat surfaces such as table edges. TCM9160 Snap-On Case for iPad® 3&4, Original Mounting Post System TCM9260 Snap-On Case for iPad® Mini, Original Mounting Post System TCM9161 Snap-On Case for iPad® 3&4 with Quick Disconnect, Round Surface Mount TCM9261 Snap-On Case for iPad® Mini with Quick Disconnect System, Round Surface Mount TCM9163 Snap-On Case for iPad® 3&4 with Quick Disconnect, Flat Surface Mount TCM9263 Snap-On Case for iPad® Mini with Quick Disconnect System, Flat Surface Mount Be sure to stop by booth #5940, Hall B, to see the new u-mount line along with all the other new-for-2014 products from On-Stage Stands.    

Drumfire, one of the fastest growing percussion accessory lines in the industry, has introduced its newest hardware bag, the DHB6500. The DHB6500 joins the CB4000 Backpack Cymbal Bag and the CBT4200D Deluxe Cymbal Bag as a transport solution for drummers. With the DHB6500, Drumfire rounds out a comprehensive lineup of drum kits, sticks, thrones, bags, percussion mounts, dust covers and practice pads for beginners and working drummers alike. This heavily built DHB6500 hardware bag can handle all the hardware from a standard 5-piece kit with ease. Up to 8 stands or mounts fit into its large foam-lined main compartment, which features a collapsible divider to help organize and protect hardware. Tethered dual oversized zippers and a span of hook-and-loop closure secure the main compartment, yet provide a wide opening for easy packing/unpacking. A generous end compartment is sized to fit a standard round throne seat, while an additional external zippered side compartment holds drumsticks, keys, trap gear, etc. Constructed primarily of tough padded Cordura nylon material, the DHB6500 bag also features a rigid polymer reinforced spine with wheels and an integrated handle for easy transport of up to 100lbs of gear. Other features include non-skid pads on the bottom of the bag, an ID pocket, a heavy polymer skid plate, and a double carry strap with hook-and-loop binder. External dimensions are 38”L x 14”W x 10”H. The Drumfire DHB6500 offers drummers at all levels a tough, convenient hardware bag at an affordable price, $ 180.99 List, $ 109.95 MAP. Visit Drumfire at Winter NAMM ’14, Booth #5940 to check out the DHB6500 and all the other great gear from Drumfire.  

Responding to calls for an affordable and portable broadcast boom arm, On-Stage Stands has introduced the MBS5500 Studio Webcasting Boom Arm. Now broadcasters, bloggers, and budding DJs can turn any desktop into a true microphone station. Mics can be positioned precisely for consistent high fidelity sound without taking up tabletop space. The all-steel MBS5500 adds a level of professionalism to any studio or field setup. The MBS5500 is a pro-level articulating mic boom intended for broadcast and webcast applications. Two pairs of springs provide just the right counterbalance for popular broadcast microphones, digital recorders, video cameras or other devices, including the new line of u-mount Snap-On tablet covers. Perfect for the professional or home studio environment, the MBS5500 allows for quiet, easy, and repeatable positioning, even while on-air.  The MBS5500 Studio Webcasting Boom Arm ships with two mounting options: The c-clamp mounts to table edges and other surfaces up to 2” thick; it is easily removed for portable applications. The flange mount is meant to be screwed or bolted to dedicated production tables, walls, and podiums for permanent installation.  The boom arm is secured in the clamp or flange mount via a threaded knob that tightens to lock, or loosens to swivel or remove.  Both the clamp and flange mount are diecast from zinc and built to last. Thanks to the lower arm’s trapezoidal frame and the upper arm’s parallel construction, the MBS5500 stays put as needed, but responds smoothly and precisely to user adjustments. The hollow square tubing even acts as a cable conduit in permanent installations for a clean look and snag-free operation. Fully extended, the upper and lower arms combine for 38” of reach. The swiveling solid steel mic stem uses industry standard 5/8”-27 threading compatible with most mic clips and shockmounts. Large locking knobs work together with counterbalancing springs for easy and stable mic positioning. What’s more, the MBS5500 is compatible with the u-mount line of tablet mounting devices. Whether used as an articulating screen mount for video chats, an on-air internet reference device, or as a hands-free platform for recording videos, this combination of MBS5500 and tablet offers a new level of productivity and creative possibilities. List: $129.99, MAP: $59.95.       

Jim Hennessey Jim Hennessey was working for Kaman Aerospace when he was transferred to the Ovation Guitar division. Jim worked closely with Charlie Kaman on several projects and later worked in the advertising department for Ovation. Jim expanded his duties to run the endorsement program and helped sign over 300 artists to Ovation in the 1970s. After leaving Kaman, Jim formed The Music People in 1979, which began as a distributor but later became a manufacturing company as well. Jim’s creative thinking led the company to produce a long line of music accessories including the On Stage Stands brand and the Hennessey brand of products.

On-Stage staked out a booth at Music China in Shaghai for the sixth consecutive year. Company President Jim Hennessey, Director of Business Development Tom Tedesco, and General Manager of the company’s Ningbo, China office Tina Zhang welcomed Chinese dealers, worldwide distributors, and prospective OEM customers from Oct 10-13.   “We met with several current and prospective partners, and we are close to signing agreements with three new international distributors,” Tedesco offers. Tom Tedesco presently fills the role of International Sales Manager in addition to his daily duties developing the company’s business. The team also met with its suppliers, finalizing new product line offerings to be launching at this year’s Winter NAMM. “Providing our customers with superior products at competitive prices is the cornerstone of our business model,” says Tedesco.   “The On-Stage brand presence is stronger than ever in China,” explains Jim Hennessey. “The reason for this is two-fold: First, our Chinese distributor, Great Wall, is doing very well marketing and selling our products. Second, our packaging is very recognizable internationally, and our signature purple and black boxes are getting some new recognition in China.” The On-Stage booth was conveniently located next to the Great Wall booth, helping increase traffic in both booths and highlighting the relationship.   The On-Stage brand family is now available in 80 countries worldwide, thanks in part to the company’s annual exhibitions at the Music China show.  

On-Stage Stands is pleased to announce that our new LS7720QIK will be in stock and ready to ship to dealers this December. The LS7720QIK is the first lighting stand to utilize the u-mount mounting system. With its patented elliptical enveloping clamp, the u-mount system is the fastest, most secure way to erect and dismantle lightweight portable lighting arrays. Based on the company’s well-regarded lighting stands, the LS7720QIK takes their proven T-bar design and adds a pair of brace-less, virtually instant-mount side bars. Thanks to their u-mount inspired clamp design, these side bars can be moved freely up, down, and around the stand. Without obstructive bracing, more fixtures can be mounted in limitless configurations. The LS7720QIK offers bands, dj’s, and lighting designers a level of creative freedom not previously possible in lightweight portable lighting stands. In addition to the creative possibilities, the LS7720QIK drastically reduces set up and tear down times. Because the side bars are freely attachable and removable, and because there are no braces to set, fixtures can remain clamped during transport. One bar can be loaded with wash lighting, for example, while another holds spots, yet another (sold separately) can hang FX lights. An entire modular light show can be set up in minutes! Unlike o-clamps, the versatile u-mount clamp securely fastens on to each side arm support bar in the LS7720QIK system and is compatible with 1 - 1/2” and 1 - 3/8” tubing. The clamp’s elliptical design ensures round-to-round contact, spreading force evenly around the stands primary pole. No flat-to-round contact means no concentrated pressure points that can cause dents and slips. With a 1.5” diameter, aluminum construction, and thick 4mm walls, the unique side arm support bars of the LS7720QIK are up to the task of supporting any modern LED fixture as well as conventional par cans. The LS7720QIK itself is built on the proven tripod design of other On-Stage Stands models like the popular LS7720BLT and the super-sized LS-SS7770. An aluminum base and trunk keep the LS7720QIK lightweight, while a steel upper shaft provides an especially strong rigid mast for the included t-bar and u-mount side-bars. The 3-section stand reaches up to 10’ in height and boasts a 110lb capacity. The new benchmark for portable tripod lighting stands, the LS7720QIK will list for 179.99 and carry a MAP price of $119.95.  Ships to dealers this December.        

       Berlin, CT – For Immediate Release: The Music People, Inc. Again Recognized as Top Workplace in CT Survey The Music People, Inc. is proud to announce that it has again been included as a Top Workplace in “The Hartford Courant and FOXCT Top Workplaces 2013” list. It is the talent, hard work, and professional attitude of TMP employees that shape the excellent work environment, and the company thanks them for making it so. TMP’s success is tied directly to personal relationships with and between its employees, dealers, and consumers. This continued recognition affirms the company’s practices and core principles. “This award is extra special because it is voted on by our team. We have a dynamic set of personalities and skills that gel well together. There are a lot of companies, but it’s the employees that separate the average ones from the great ones. The fact that we have won this award again makes us proud that our whole team thinks The Music People is a great place to work.”  – Jim Hennessey, President & Founder Headquartered in Berlin, CT, The Music People is a leading manufacturer of MI accessories such as microphone and instrument stands. In-house brands include On-Stage Stands, DrumFire, HotWires, u-mount, and other top brands. The company is also one of the largest suppliers of pro audio equipment through its TMP Pro Distribution arm. To learn more about the company or to inquire about job openings, please visit www.onstagestands.com or www.tmppro.com .   The Top Workplaces are determined based solely on employee feedback. The employee survey is conducted by WorkplaceDynamics, LLP, a leading research firm on organizational health and employee engagement. WorkplaceDynamics conducts regional Top Workplaces programs with 37 major publishing partners and recognizes a list of 150 National Top Workplaces .  Over the past year, more than 5,000 organizations and 1 in every 88 employees in the U.S. have turned to WorkplaceDynamics to better understand what’s on the minds of their employees. The Hartford Courant and FOXCT published the complete list of Top Workplaces on September 15 th . For more information about the Top Workplaces lists and WorkplaceDynamics, please visit www.topworkplaces.com and www.workplacedynamics.com .    

The original PolyTune revolutionized tuning. And, the world’s first polyphonic tuner struck a chord with guitarists. But we don’t wanna dwell on the past – it’s all about moving forward and we’re stoked to present PolyTune 2. It’s got everything that made the original PolyTune such a smash hit, plus some essential new features and we believe it’s the evolution of a revolution! PolyTune 2 at a Glance PolyTune® Technology – Tune All Strings Simultaneously Retina-scorching Bright Display Ultra-precise Chromatic Strobe Tuner Evolution Of A Revolution The original PolyTune turned the tuning game upside down, and if you've watched Tore's vid above, you'll know exactly why this will be your next purchase, guitarists and bassists alike!   But, why not let rock royalty Scott Ian tell you why you need PolyTune 2?   And, if you want to find out more about exactly why PolyTune 2 rocks - check out the site by clicking the button below. Beware: not buying it will be virtually impossible after you've seen just how cool it is!

  The Music People was recently featured in The Hartford Courant newspaper. Touching on the company’s history, rise, and continued growth, the article offers an inside look at one of Connecticut’s best. Read the entire article below, or click here  for the original posting at courant.com.   Music Equipment Middleman Grows In Tough Times     (Will Parson, Hartford Courant )     By MARA LEE [email protected], The Hartford Courant   BERLIN — When Jim Hennessey founded The Music People! in 1979, keyboard stands and guitar stands weren't branded. You bought a $5 stand, and that was it.   Hennessey, now 78, started his career as an apprentice at Pratt & Whitney, and eventually did advertising and sales promotion at Ovation, the guitar-manufacturing business started by helicopter pioneer Charles Kaman. Hennessey proposed adding an accessories program there but was turned down.   He and another Ovation employee struck out on their own, with funding from a New York man who could use a loss for a few years for tax purposes.   Hennessey said it wasn't feasible to make guitar or keyboard stands in America because of high manufacturing costs, so he designed products and had them manufactured in Japan, or tweaked others' designs. Manufacturing later moved to Taiwan, then to 40 factories in China. And now, Jim said, "Sharon wants me to go to Vietnam." Sharon Hennessey, 47, his daughter, joined the company soon after graduating from college.   Until 1979, accessories, under the On-Stage Stands or Hotwires brand, were all The Music People! did. But in 1985, they began distributing microphones and other audio equipment, and that now accounts for 45 percent of TMP's $40 million in annual revenue.   Shure, a giant manufacturer of microphones and headphones, has used TMP as a distributor for more than 15 years, according to Jim Schanz, Shure's director of sales for Eastern U.S. and Canada.   "They have access to small to midsized companies that we may not have a direct relationship with," Schanz said, and "they're able to inventory our products and ship them in a very timely manner."   John Hennessey, 44, the youngest of Hennessey's four children, joined the company in 1991. He said retailers also get TMP's deep knowledge. "We are audio engineers who understand the product," he said. "Sometimes distributors are known as box movers. We are not that."   Jim Hennessey agreed, and said some of the salesmen are musicians. "They still play out," he said.   The Music People! has 61 employees, with nine working in warehouses in Kentucky and California and five in China. The company started selling in China in 2011, because it's going to be the world's largest consumer market, and hundreds of millions of people in China already have disposable income.   "There is a market for American engineering, American-branded products [in China] and they're willing to pay a premium for it," John Hennessey said. About 10 percent of TMP's sales are outside the United States.   In addition to selling accessories that Jim Hennessey designed or tweaked, TMP manages contract manufacturing for some bigger companies.   Sharon Hennessey said TMP makes it profitable by doing extremely high volume, and by pushing out their competitors at large chains like Guitar Center.   The company has quadrupled its sales in the last 11 years, and more than doubled sales from 2009 to 2012.   "When people have job insecurity they fall back on what makes them feel good," John Hennessey said, so if they play music, that's something they'll spend on. Since it's a lot more affordable to buy a new guitar strap, drum sticks or stand, TMP benefits.   With the growth came the need for more people. The Music People! moved to a larger warehouse in Cheshire in 2012 and opened the Kentucky warehouse in 2011. In 2012, TMP added nine jobs, and received $90,000 in a grant from the state's Small Business Express program. The company's growth comes in bursts after it integrates new staff, and 2013 is expected to be pretty flat. "Our biggest hurdle is finding people," said Sharon Hennessey. The company is looking for a project manager, a product manager and a salesperson. "We really do rely on people to self-manage themselves," John Hennessey said. "Not everybody has that." In 2012, TMP decided to stem a race to the bottom in prices through online retailers by enforcing a minimum advertised price for brands it owns and distributes. "There wasn't a lot of faith we were going to pull this off," Sharon Hennessey said, because stands are low-priced, commodity items. "We walked away from some business," she said, even cutting off one retailer that had moved $250,000 worth of their products in a year. But, she said, the bottom feeders aren't the people that you can count on to buy some products when you're overstocked or forecast demand for products three months out. Schanz said TMP's initiative was greatly appreciated, as those retailers undercut Shure's dealers and often don't support warranties. Jim Hennessey works from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and said he has no plans to retire. He excitedly shows off an iPad holder that he designed, which attaches to a microphone stand; the product will be launched soon. In addition to the performance market, he thinks it also could snap onto a grocery cart, a baby stroller, a wheelchair or a hospital bed. "I wasn't the first guy out there with an iPad holder," he said. "We did what we always do — we made it cheaper." Read the entire article on Courant.com

     On-Stage Stands adds to its growing offering of microphone stands with the new MS7325 Stackable Round Base Mic Stand. First introduced at Winter NAMM, the MS7325 will ship to dealers this July. “ The funny thing about round base stands, compared to tripods, is that they take up less room on stage, but more room in the truck, the closet, and anywhere else you are not actually using them. The MS7325 solves that problem,” says a company spokesperson.   The carefully shaped notched base allows five MS7325 stands to be stacked for storage and/or transport. The base is made of die-cast steel and features five rubber feet that isolate it from rumble and prevent wobbling. The stand is also equipped with a clip-on cable holder, a durable polymer height adjustment clutch and industry-standard 5/8”-27 threaded end to fit most microphone clips.   Strong and durable like a round base, lightweight and space-saving like a tripod, the MS7325 is perfect for tight spaces on stage and in recording studios, classrooms, churches, or even the trunk of a car.   Other product specifications include 33”-60” height adjustment and a 10” base weighing at 7lbs. Always affordable, the stand lists at $49.99, with a MAP of $29.95.