Audio Media 2010-12

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AUDIOMEDIA
AUDIO-FOR-VIDEO BROADCAST INTERNET AUDIO LIVE SOUND MULTIMEDIA POST PRODUCTION RECORDING
T HE WOR L D S L E ADI NG P R OF E S S I ONAL AUDI O T E CHNOL OGY MAGAZI NE
WORLDWIDE EDITION
ISSUE 241 DECEMBER 2010 UK 3.80
9 770960 747024
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A NEWBAY MEDIA PUBLICATION
Tron: Legacy
Game over Play again?
Also:
Gear Of
The Year
Swag
Competition
MADI Special
And Much More!
Lexicon LXP Native Reverb
Coles 4050 Rupert Neve Designs Portico II Thermionic Culture The Rooster Product Sampler: Plug-ins Sound Devices USB Pre 2 PenteoSurround PostPro Doe-Ray-Mi-Casa: The Sound of Music Restored
GeoFocus: India What's Up UK: MediaCity UK Video Guide: Colour Grading Part 10 AES Show Report & Product Launches Recording News Post News Broadcast News AMSR News And More!
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I S S U E 2 4 1 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0
COVER STORI ES
TRON LEGACY 28
PAUL MAC talks to the Skywalker team about
the inspired sound that make the sequel a real
contender of the original.
GEAR OF THE YEAR 32
AUDIO MEDIA rounds up the very best gear of
in an easy ready-to-photocopy format to
send direct to Santa.
NEWS
RECORDI NG 6
Wisseloord gets resurrected, Avid shows off the
power of at AES with its latest Pro Tools, and SSL
sweetens Nectar with an introductory offer.
POST 8
BIAS hits a new Peak, Hannigan comes under
question at GameCity festival, and LipSync has
new projects under new ownership.
BROADCAST 10
Lawo gets in on Korea's window to the world,
while SOUND celebrates innovation in Voice 'L'.
AMSR 12
L-Acoustics can doctor as well as rock, Soundcraft
Studer takes the show to the stage, and Linkin
Park rides the Wave to tour success.
AES REPORT 14
Missing it doesnt mean youve missed out
AUDIO MEDIA reports on the top new products
unveiled at this years AES.
4
REVI EWS
PENTEOSURROUND
POSTPRO 38
BEN STILES puts the quite unique 'panorama
slicing' stereo-to-. conversion unit to test in the
musical arena. How will it fare?
SOUND DEVI CES USBPRE 2 40
Cold, hard cash shouts louder than honeyed
words, finds STEPHEN BENNETT as he falls to the
allure of Sound Devices new audio interface.
LEXI CON LXP NATI VE
REVERB PLUG I N 44
That great, top-notch Lexicon sound in-the-box?
SIMON ALLEN finds out if the plug-in matches up
to the reputation of its more traditional cousins.
PRODUCT SAMPLER:
PLUG I NS 50
Theres a plug-in for just about every effect going,
so where do you start finding what you want?
AUDIO MEDIA sieves out some of the best and
most interesting.
A U D I O M E D I A D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0
FEATURES
SWAG COMPETI TI ON 20
SWAG is back and this year winner takes all!
Thats right, were giving our enormous caboodle
of industry goodies away to just one lucky
prize winner in our easy-to-enter Christmas
competition.
GEAR OF THE YEAR 32
AUDIO MEDIA rounds up the very best gear of
in an easy ready-to-photocopy format to
send direct to Santa.
DOE RAY MI CASA 42
RICH TOZZOLI talks to Brant Biles about Mi Casas
work restoring the original Sound of Music.
MADI THE COMEBACK KI NG 46
The King is dead. Long live the oh, hang on a
minute. Theres still life in the ol devil yet! MADI
seems to be making a resurgence, so AUDIO
MEDIA checks out its latest incarnation.
c ont e nt s
REGULARS
WHAT S UP UK 16
Both cynicsm and support have surrounded
MediaCity UK since its inception. KEVIN HILTON
assesses the current attitude to the project.
GEOFOCUS: I NDI A 18
JIM EVANS uncovers the latest technologies that
were invested into this years Commonwealth
Games, held in Delhi, India.
FI NAL CUT: TRON: LEGACY 28
PAUL MAC talks to the Skywalker team about the
deathly frisbees and neon-lit motorbikes that
make the sequel a real contender of the original.
VI DEO GUI DE 54
KEVIN HILTON continues his look at the
development of colour grading, with a jaunt into
the new territories of DI: digital intermediates.
A
U
D
IO
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E
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WORLDWIDE EDITION
9 770960 747024
1 0
Tron: Legacy
Also:
Gear Of
The Year
Swag
Competition
MADI Special
And Much More! Lexicon LXP Native Reverb
RUSHES
COLES 4050 22
It's an 'odd bird' indeed, says ROB TAVAGLIONE of
the British company's first stereo mic; but worthy
of investment nonetheless.
RUPERT NEVE DESI GNS
PORTI CO I I 24
The name 'Portico' rests a mantle of high-repute
on the shoulders of any product carrying it. SIMON
TILLBROOK tests whether the Portico II can bear
the weight of its forebears.
THERMI ONI C CULTURE
THE ROOSTER 26
A labour of love, and a wake-up crow to all pre-
amps says ALISTAIR McGHEE, as he delights in its
top quality switchery pokery.
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l e a de r
REVI EW 44
LEXI CON LXP NATI VE REVERB PLUG I N
FEATURE 20
SWAG COMPETI TI ON
AUDIO MEDIA (Europe), 1st Floor, 1 Cabot House,
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expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Great care is taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this publication but
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2010 IMAS Publishing (UK) Limited. All rights reserved.
*Within Broadcast & Production
Managing Director/Circulation
Angela Brown
[email protected]
Group Publisher Europe
Raffaela Calabrese
[email protected]
Editor In Chief
Paul Mac
[email protected]
News/AMSREditor
Jo Fletcher-Cross
[email protected]
www.nbmedia.com
Regional Sales Manager
Bob Kennedy
[email protected]
+44 (0)1279 861264
US Sales Manager
Dave Carson
[email protected]
+1 615 776 1359
Subscriptions
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UK 43
European (airmail) 60
International (airmail) 72
Payable in Sterling through UK bank
Production Editor
Lanna Marshall
[email protected]
Design &Production Manager
John-Paul Shirreffs
[email protected]
European Sales Manager
Graham Kirk
[email protected]
Acting News Editor
David Mackenzie
[email protected]
One of the most potentially spiritual moments that a computer
user will come across in his or her professional life is the situation
that precipitates the question: "When it says 'please wait', how
long do I wait, exactly?"
The thing is, I caught myself looking at the screen the other day, trying to see
through that mundane message and sense what the computer was really doing,
on the inside. Was it having the computer equivalent of a cup of tea and a cigarette
round by the bins? Was it weighing up a progress bar against self-awareness?
Were its fingernails scraping slowly off the cliff-edge of logic while its legs were
dangling over a fiery chasm of unbreakable, infinitely nested loops... Or had my
broadband crapped out again?
The main questions are: What to do? And when to do it? Personally, I often
lament the fall of the CRT monitor from favour, simply because slapping the side
of a flatscreen is far less satisfying. Otherwise, you have to work out what your
endurance quotient is... you have to discover for yourself how long you're willing to
let this stalemate continue before risking, 1) having to start the process again and
finding out it takes exactly the same amount of time, or 2) Not being able to start
the process again because you've broken it.
Game theory has never been so valuable.
Now imagine what is going through a customer's mind when they hand over a
track to be mastered (online or otherwise), or a restoration to be completed, or a list
of effects to be provided, or some media to be transferred, or indeed request any
service that involves making the request... waiting... And waiting... And waiting.
I've said 'waiting' three times and you've only made it through the studio doors,
but the customer is already fretting over a precious creation. Keep the customer
informed, and the customer will come back, having had a comfortable experience.
If you sit him or her in front of a virtual 'please wait' sign, expect frustration, worry,
possible reboot... and a slap (unless you're a flatscreen).
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all, from the Audio Media team.
Don't forget to enter the Christmas SWAG competition.
Paul Mac, Editor
RUSHES 24
RUPERT NEVE DESI GNS PORTI CO I I
REVI EW 40
SOUND DEVI CES USBPRE 2
A U D I O M E D I A D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0 5
Paul Mac will be running the London Marathon on April 17th 2011 in aid of the National
Deaf Children's Society (NDCS). It would be fantastic if you would consider supporting this
endeavour with a small donation to the NDCS via www.justgiving.com/jogonmac.com
If you want to consider some generous corporate sponsorship, just contact Paul at
[email protected]. Please note, he no longer accepts pies as payment.
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streaming news @ www.audiomedia.com
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NEW PRODUCTS
Millennia Music has introduced the
AD-596 analogue to digital
converter, and the HV-35 mic amp.
The AD-596 is Millennias audi-
ophile-quality proprietary con-
verter design, based on the award-
winning
AD-R96.
Uniquely,
it features
the True-
Lock-Clock
system
for out-
standing
perform-
ance with
an external clock. DB25 connectors
handle analogue inputs and
digital AES outputs.
The HV-35 is based on the HV-3
series of mic preamps, and includes
additional features such as front
panel instrument input, 80Hz roll-
off filter, 48V phantom, and con-
tinuously variable gain control.
www.mil-media.com
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ASSET ACQUISITION
Prism has announced that it has
acquired certain assets of Imerge
Ltd., the home media server
business. Imerge brands will con-
tinue with current production,
as well as new product develop-
ment under Prism Sound.
Support for former customers of
Imerge will be maintained.
Prism Sounds Chief Technical
Officer, Ian Dennis, commented:
Imerge is a fine example of out-
standing technical innovation in
the UK, and we are proud to take
over the baton.
The acquisition takes Prism Sound
group into the home entertain-
ment sector for the first time.
www.imerge.co.uk
www.prismsound.com
PRODUCT APPLICATION
Studio 5/5 has been using SADiE
recorders and consoles to com-
plete the
sound design
for a number
of new theme
park rides and
attractions.
A SADiE H64,
PCM2, PCM8, and three LRX2s have
been used by the facility to create
sounds for projects such as The
Castle of Horror and Nightmare, the
worlds first 5D theme park shows.
www.sadie.com
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PRODUCT UPDATE
Metric Halo has announced the
release of version 5.4 of its MIO
software. While
enhancing sta-
bility and per-
formance of the software, Metric
Halo has also added new features
including infrared r/c support,
and a number of bug fixes encoun-
tered with V.5.3. V.5.4 can be
downloaded online.
www.mhlabs.com
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NEW PRODUCT
Blue Microphones has released the
2nd gen. Mikey portable recorder
for the iPod. With
improved circuitry
and enhanced
features, the Mikey
2G features two
custom-tuned
Blue capsules for
professional recording capabilities,
3.5mm line-input, and 230-degree
range of adjustment.
www.bluemic.com
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MILESTONE REACHED
Audio Network and YouTube have
recently cel-
ebrated the 100
millionth view
of videos featur-
ing music from
the Audio Network Production
Music catalogue, a sign of the suc-
cess of a partnership that provides
YouTube content producers with
access to free world-class music.
These tracks are used around the
world by broadcasters and produc-
ers from the BBC and MTV,
to National Geographic.
www.audionetwork.com
Nucleus Ships to Studio Centres
Following a successful reception at the recent AES, Solid State Logic has
announced it has begun shipment of its new Nucleus console.
With advanced DAW control based on concepts developed for the SSL
Matrix, transparent SuperAnalogue monitoring, high class analogue mic
pres, pro audio quality audio interface, and bundled SSL Duende Native
plug-ins, the Nucleus is well aimed for the professional project studio.
SSL describes the console as not only unique, but outstanding value
a 2+2 ch USB audio interface provides record and playback for your DAW,
while the mic pres are SSL SuperAnalogue identical to those on Duality,
AWS, and X-Rack systems, which gives Nucelus a professional standard
transparent mic record path. There are two combi XLR inputs, and digital
I/O via S/PDIF.
The bundled Duende Native Essentials includes new versions of the
SSL Channel EQ & Dynamics, and Stereo Bus Compressor VST/AU/RTAS
plug-ins.
Nucleus is now available at 3,000 (exc.VAT), from UK distributors
Sound Technology.
www.solidstatelogic.com
www.soundtech.co.uk
iZotope Releases Nectar
iZotope has announced that it is now shipping Nectar, a complete vocal
processing tool-kit announced at this years AES.
The product adds to the line of award-winning iZotope plug-ins,
including everything users need to quickly and easily find the vocal
sound they are looking for. Featuring 110 professionally designed vocal
production styles in 12 genres, powered by 11 processing modules
including Pitch Correction, Breath Control, Compressors, DeEsser,
Doubler, Saturation, EQ,
Gate, Limiter, Delay, and
Reverb; users can select
and customise a style
to suit. An Advanced
View allows access to the
underlying modules that
power the plug-in.
Vice President of
Product Management
for iZotope, Hart Shafer,
said, Nectar is designed
so professionals can work faster and beginners can get results quickly
end users can choose how much creative control they want over the
sound. Either way, the result is high quality vocals.
An introductory price of US$199 for Nectar will run until December 13,
2010, with an MRSP of US$299 thereafter.
www.izotope.com/nectar
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PRODUCT UPDATE
Smart AV has released the new
Tango Console Operating Software
version 2.5. This major new version
includes new functionality formally
DAW engines. Logic users can now
insert, control, and move plug-ins
directly from the Tango surface;
Nuendo users now have all major
Nuendo 5 features covered, and
Pyramix users can assign individual
channel strip features into different
automation modes.
Looking forward Smart AV has
stated it is already working on the
next big upgrade, which should
increase the number of supported
DAWs. An announcement is expect-
ed about this in the new year.
www.smartav.net
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CATALOGUE RELEASED
HHB has released the 2011 edition
of its renowned pro audio cata-
logue, available in both print and
digital versions.
Billed as "The
Essential Guide
to Professional
Audio
Technology
it has been
expanded to
188 pages and
includes editorial features on top-
ics such as loudspeaker placement,
loudness, and surround acquisition.
To complement the printed and
digital offering, the HHB Catalogue
2011 is also available in a conven-
ient and searchable format at www.
hhb.co.uk. To receive your copy for
free, all you have to do is fill in your
details at the HHB website.
www.hhb.co.uk/register
NEW PRODUCT
The Power Of 9
Avid has completed its recent run
of product launches by taking Pro
Tools 9 software for native and
HD to the AES Convention in San
Francisco last month. Significantly,
version 9 also replaces Pro Tools
LE in the Pro Tools software family,
and integrates broad hardware
I/O support and EUCON control
protocol integration. The actual
install is common across the
system options, so Pro Tools 9 HD
uses the same installation.
Automatic Delay compensation is now standard for the formerly SE
product level, along with a track count doubling to 96 mono or stereo
voices, an internal bus count increased by a factor of eight from 32 to
256, 160 aux track capability, Beat Detective, as well as the components
of the formerly optional Music Production and DV toolkits, including the
Time Code Ruler and AAF/OMF/MXF
interchange, and an oft-requested
MP3 export capability.
Pro Tools 9 is a native system
with ASIO and Core Audio support,
allowing it to function with Avid I/O
hardware, third-party I/O devices
and on computers with only built-in
audio interfaces.
www.avid.com
NEW FACILITY
Resurrecting Wisseloord
Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum, Netherlands, is being rejuvenated for a
new century by a confluence of creative minds, and with the cooperation
of major manufacturers of professional audio products. Originally built in
1978, Wisseloord is renowned historically as a destination studio for rock
n roll royalty. Producer Ronald Prent will be Creative Managing Director,
Darcy Proper will head the mastering department, and Paul Reynolds will
serve as Commercial Managing Director.
API is supplying
a 64-channel Vision
console to the studios,
which will also boast
one of the biggest
installations of PMC
BB5-XBDA surround
systems in Europe.
The mastering rooms
will feature PMC AML2s
for close-field work
and EgglestonWorks
Savoy Signatures for
main monitors. SPL is
supplying mastering consoles for the two mastering suites.
Prent has also specified over 100 channels of Prism Sound ADA-8XR
conversion for the studio (biggest ever installation) and will be installing
a 40-fader Avid Euphonix System 5 console. The acoustic design has been
undertaken by JV-Acoustics.
www.wisseloord.nl
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NEW LINE
UK-based Handheld Audio has
started distributing the new
Ultimate Ears custom moulded
reference in-ear
monitors. They are
designed for profes-
sional studio engi-
neers and producers for use during
recording, mixing, and mastering
original music content, as well as
FOH venue tuning, live recording,
and mixing. The product has been
developed and tuned in
collaboration with the Capitol
Studios engineering team.
www.ultimateears.com
www.handheldaudio.co.uk
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FACILITY UPDATE
Miloco Studios has joined forces
with producer/mixers Philippe
Weiss and Jean-
Francois Delort to run
their Paris-based SSL
studio, The Red Room.
The centre-piece of the studio is a
modified SSL 4056 G+ console,
featuring 24 E-Series and 32
G-Series EQs. The desk is comple-
mented by a custom TAD monitor
system and racks of top-end
analogue outboard.
www.miloco.co.uk/redroom
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SOFTWARE UPDATE
Propellerhead has announced
the immediate availability of two
maintenance updates
to their Record and
Reason software:
Record 1.5.1 and
Reason 5.0.1. These
free updates for own-
ers of Reason 5 and
Record 1.5 bring a number of bug
fixes and improvements to the soft-
ware and are recommended for all.
www.propellerheads.se
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CORRECTION
Last month, in our feature on loud-
ness, the product section may
have given you the impression that
Trinnovs Smart Meter product was
only available as an update to its
Optimiser product. This is not the
case. You can buy a Trinnov Audio
Processor and any software options
you need, including a standalone
implementation of Smart Meter.
Apologies for any confusion.
www.trinnov-audio.com
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NEW PRODUCT
BIAS has unveiled Peak Studio,
a new edition of the audio edit-
ing software for Mac
OS X. VP of Business
Development for
BIAS, Jason E Davies,
said, The combination of precision
sample editing, intuitive multi-
channel mixing, and a broad
palette of mastering and restora-
tion tools, makes Peak Studio a
compelling production suite.
www.bias-inc.com
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GAMING INSIGHT
A concert celebrating James
Hannigans videogame music was
held at this years GameCity festival
in Nottingham. Hannigans musical
canon was brought to the stage
under conductor Allan Wilson.
John Broomhall also held
interviews
throughout
the evening
providing
insights into
the music process for games.
Hannigan discussed interactive
music techniques with live demos
showing how music is structured
for in-game delivery.
www.gamecity.org
NEW APPS
Neyrinck has introduced two new
iPad apps, C-Control and V-Control
Pro, which are Pro
Tools controllers.
Designed to be
powerful and easy
to use, the apps
mean you can
now control Pro Tools from wher-
ever you are recording/mixing.
www.neyrinck.com
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PROJECT REPORT
Hackenbacker
has complet-
ed the audio
post for Any
Human Heart,
a new mini
series. With
an all star cast, the story follows
the life of writer Logan Gonzago
Mountstuart through the 20th cen-
tury. Hackenbackers Nigel Heath
commented, Were all very proud
of the way these films sound.
www.hackenbacker.com
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NEW INSTALL
NBC Sports has installed an SSL
C300 HD digital console in its post
production studio. The 48-channel,
230-input console handles HD and
SD distribution in both 5.1 sur-
round and full stereo. The studio
is used in production for Football
Night in America.
www.solid-state-logic.com
Onwards and Upwards for LipSync
Two of LipSyncs directors have completed a management buyout of
the company, taking full shareholdings from the companys founder
Jon Diamond. Peter Hampden, who founded the company alongside
Diamond in 1986, takes on the role of MD, while Norman Merry remains
as Finance Director.
It is a move described as an amicable decision, with Diamond leaving
the company to pursue his interests in production. Hampden thanked
Diamond for his efforts over the past 24 years, also commenting, As we
open a new chapter in LipSyncs history, we are in a terrific position to
move onwards and upwards in both post and production.
LipSync, whose previous credits include Nowhere Boy and Made in
Dagenham, have also announced their involvement as production
partner in two more period films, The Deep Blue Sea and My Week with
Marilyn. LipSync will provide full post on both projects, including VFX
and audio.
www.lipsyncpost.co.uk
A-loud To Touch
TC Electronics TouchMonitors TM7 & TM9 have
gone on display for the first time in Europe at the
Tonmeistertagung in November.
TC touts the TouchMonitor as the ultimate
loudness meter solution, featuring a
touchscreen, consistent loudness readout, and
compatibility with a range of broadcasting standards. The loudness
meter comes in eight configurations, but users will be able to expand
and customise it to suit.
The TouchMonitor Tm7 and TM9 will be available from January.
www.tcelectronic.com/touchmonitor
ROCKNET PERFORMANCE AUDIO NETWORKS
The Solution for World Class Events.
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WUPPERTAL | BEIJING | BERLIN | GLENDALE | LONDON | SINGAPORE | SYDNEY | VIENNA | ZURICH www.riedel.net
See you at NAMM, Hall A, Stand 6296
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PRODUCT APPLICATION
Junger Audios LEVEL MAGIC
loudness control technology is being
used by Arabic television broadcaster
Al Jazeera Sports to provide
automatic level monitoring across all
of its 19 playout channels.
Dubai-based Qvest Media FZ LLC
handled the installation, as part of
a project to implement a tapeless
ingest, editing, and playout platform
at the broadcasting centre in Qatar.
The system includes 18 B46
digital dynamic processors,
and Al Jazeera Sports has also
installed six Junger Audio MIX4
compact four-fader mixers.
www.junger-audio.com
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INDUSTRY AWARD
SOUND4s Voice L has won the
innovation trophy at this years
Satis-Le Radio show.The Voice L is a
livewire compatible voice processor
for radios and live studios,
with unique voice processor
3-bands, 192kHz audio processing
engine, 4-band parametric EQ, and
intuitive and tactile interface.
Having watched visitors at the show
interact with the Voice L, SOUND4s
Product and Project Manager,
Vincent Defretin, commented:
It is new and very rewarding, they
are like children in front of a new toy.
They rediscover their voice,
they are excited
The SOUND4 Voice L is available now.
www.sound4.biz
Riedel Gets A Sporting Chance
FOX Sports in Mexico has installed a Riedel intercom
infrastructure for its studio facility in Mexico City.
The comprehensive system includes a multi-node Artist
intercom system with VoIP connectivity to remote locations in
the US and Argentina, and features one Artist 64 and two Artist
32 mainframes to connect various studios and the master
control room. These are networked via a redundant fibre ring.
FOX Sports also chose a mix of 34 Riedel 1000, 2000, and
5000 series control panels, dependent upon the application.
A Riedel Performer digital partyline intercom completes the
installation by Comtelsat Mexico, Riedels Mexican partner.
The installation allows for cost-effective integration of
remote locations.
www.riedel.net
br oa dc a s t ne ws
MADI is the Pro Audio Industry standard for
multichannel audio and the perfect solution for
the transmission of multiple digital audio channels.
MADI avoids the technical problems of standard
multicore cables: shortness, aging, high weight
and costs, stray pick-up, cable loss, cumbersome
handling.
A thin cable transmits
up to 64 audio channels - lossless -
over distances of
up to 2000 meters!
Two MADI cables only will interface a full
64-channel application, a stage, a theatre, or a
conference hall.
Example
2 x optical cable
2 x 64 channels . up to 2000 m
Analog . AES/EBU . ADAT . TDIF
Worldwide Distribution
www.audioag.com
Phone: +49 (0) 8133 / 918170
What is MADI?
Mul t i channel
Audi o
Di gi t al
I nter f ace
Integrating MADI solutions into an audio network
not only increases more than just reliability. The
setup and cabling is simple, too. Routings are
remote controllable without any physical switching
or swapping of connections. MADI simplies and
speeds up any conguration changes. MADI saves
time and therefore costs.
Lawo In On Window to World
A Lawo mc266 has been installed in one of the key
production studios at Arirang, South Koreas cable and
satellite channel, as the broadcaster moves across to
HD technology.
The 16+8+8 fader, 32-frame size mc266 is the first Lawo
console to be installed at the facilities, where it will take
position in Studio D of the broadcast station, where news,
live talk shows, and general entertainment programmes
are made. The broadcaster is the countrys premier
domestically-produced English-language TV network,
fondly dubbed the worlds window into Korea.
Arirangs main audio engineer, Mr Choong-Hwan
Choi, said that competition to supply the console system
was tough. We were looking for a very reliable, high
quality system with an intuitive operational interface
Lawo systems have the advantage when it comes to
redundancy, and the powerful DSP capabilities within the
console. He commented that: The Lawo mc266 provides
complete satisfaction of our criteria.
www.lawo.de
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11
PREMIUM LINE
www.rme-audio.com
Engineered and manufactured in Germany
MADI . Made by RME.
ADAT on steroids or more?
Flexible . Aordable . Expandable
Up to 256 channels bidirectional
Full Bandwidth up to 24 Bit / 192 kHz
Fibre optics connections for up to 2000 m
Remote Control of all features via MADI
Complete system with all kinds of converters
for Analog, AES/EBU, ADAT, TDIF plus preamps
for analoge and digital mics, a MADI Bridge
and a MADI Router.
Do you think that virtual sound-checks are more common now?
Yes, I think a lot more engineers are picking up on it now, it really can make life easier and
more convenient for the band and the engineer. For me, I have been virtual sound-checking
since I rst got the RME PCI card versions which were loaded into a desktop. But with the RME
MADIface, it is even easier to take around and to move between bands. For example on this
tour, I had no production rehearsals, so I had a at SD7 and spent the rst sound-check setting
up and then recorded the show. The next day in sound-check and using what I had recorded
the night before, I was able to sit down and take my time and set up snapshots etc.
Of course, sound-checking bands never play as hard, have the momentum or adrenalin that
they have during a live performance, and they get bored fairly quickly too. So, it is almost
more benecial to sound check using the actual show les as they are playing at full tilt, and I
can sit and twiddle for as long is actually needed.
Paul Ramsay . FOH for The Who, Doves, Annie Lennox and Skunk Anansie
All the pieces of the puzzle. Virtual sound-checking and much more.
MADI LIVE
ALVA MADI Cable Drum
4-bre Optical Multicore . up to 300 m
M-Series
High-End AD/DA Converters . Up to 32 Channels
ADI-6432R BNC
Bidirectional 64-Channel AES3-id converter
2 x 32 BNC . Redundant power supply
Micstasy
8-Channel High-End Preamp / AD converter
HDSPe MADI
128-Channel MADI PCI Express Card
HDSPe MADIface
128-Channel MADI Card for notebook computers
Worldwide Distribution
www.audioag.com
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12
a ms r ne ws
PRODUCT APPLICATION
Linkin Park have used Waves
plug-ins for sound-shaping and
mixing tools on their fourth studio
release,
A Thousand
Suns.
Waves tools
were used
extensively
on the album, and helped create
the notable vocal effect on the
hit single The Catalyst using the
MetaFlanger plug-in.
www.waves.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PRODUCT UPDATE
Lake has announced an update to its
Lake Controller Software. The latest
version 5.6 includes developments
to the software, as well as firmware
for the LM 26
Digital Audio
Loudspeaker
Processor and
Lab.gruppens
PLM Series
Powered
Loudspeaker management products.
The update can be downloaded from
Lakes website.
www.lakeprocessing.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
THEATRE UPGRADE
Allen +
Heaths
iLive
digital
mixing
system
has
been
installed FOH at Chinas iconic
Schenzhen Grand Theatre, as part
of a major analogue to digital
refurbishment. The top multi-
purpose venue purchased two
iDR10 MixRacks and the iLive-176
Control Surface through distributor
Sanecore Group.
www.ilive-digital.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PROLIGHT + SOUND
Tickets for Prolight + Sound 2011
are now available. Next years show
will be held from April 6-9, 2011,
in Frankfurt am Main; and will be
complemented by the concurrent
Musikmesse. Tickets can be
purchased online at a discounted
rate to door prices.
www.prolight-sound.com
LIVE APPLICATION
The Show Goes On With Soundcraft Studer
A move to Londons National Theatre for the Broadway blockbuster Fela! in
November provided the opportunity for a soundscape re-work, with a Studer Vista
5 console selected as the hub of the control centre.
Tony award-winning Sound Designer Robert Kaplowitz said he had hoped
to have the Vista 5 on Broadway, but was pleased to include it for the London
production as it enabled them to take the show a step further. He said, At the
National we are more in the house, and the VSP helps us bring the audience right
into the show.
Also taking to the stage is the Soundcraft Si3, which was recently provided by
Northern Light as part of a tender to supply an advanced technical infrastructure
to the new 35 million Aylesbury Waterside Theatre. It was deemed of paramount
importance that sound was evenly dispersed to every 1,200 seat in the multi-
cultural arts centre, and this was reflected in the choice of FOH mixing console.
Northern Light Project Manager Simon Cooper suggested the Si3, because
while retaining that analogue feel, this solution offers a lot more processing power,
all built into the desk.
www.soundcraft.com
www.soundtech.co.uk
From Doctor
To Rock
A new L-Acoustics K1
audio system has been
supplied by ADLIB Audio
to BBC Worldwide for its
stage show of Doctor
Who Live. With a cast
including monsters,
daleks, and cybermen,
not to mention the
intergalactic showman
himself alongside a 16-piece orchestra, choir, and special effects; the sound of the
show forms a complex element. However, Richard Rowley, Project Manager for XL
Events, considers the new K1 system to be perfect for the job.
The L-Acoustics K1 line source system has also been on tour with Supertramp
to celebrate their 40th anniversary. The system has proved versatile enough that
configuration can change depending on the venues requirements across 35
concerts. Supertramp FOH
Engineer Karl Newton was
delighted to learn that the
band had already specced the
K1 system for the tour, great
sound is their prime objective
when performing live I love
mixing on K1; its by far my
favourite system now.
www.l-acoustics.com
NEW PRODUCT
Audio Technica has released its new
MTU301 Body-Pack Transmitter.
The MTU301 allows users the
freedom and flexibility to transmit
audio while moving anywhere within
the SpectraPulse coverage area.
The unit includes on/off switches,
mute switch, and LEDs to indicate
power/mute, and link status,
as well as a battery warning.
The MTU301 is the latest application
in the companys award-winning
SpectraPulse Ultra Wideband (UWB)
wireless mic system, which offers
secure wireless operation for the
installed sound market. It will be
available to purchase early 2011.
www.audio-technica.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PRODUCT LAUNCH
Yamaha launched two major
software products at InterBee 2010
in November the Yamaha Console
File Converter, and the M7CL Version
3.5 operating system. The Console
File Converter can be used to convert
file formats between Yamahas digital
mixing consoles, meaning enormous
flexibility in how to deploy resources.
Features include three conversion
options, and parameters that exist
on the target console, but not on the
source console, set to default values.
The M7CL Version 3.5 update offers
numerous new functions that will
improve workflow and response
times, including new alternate
functions for the selected
channel and a new Outport Port
Setting window.
Both products will be available from
winter 2010 as free downloads
from Yamahs website.
www.yamahacommercialaudio.com
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13
Super FPGA
Technology
Waves Ready
I/O
8 Segment
Meter Strips
15 Wideview Touch
LCD Screen
MADI I/O
for Recording
Powerful
Tiger SHARCS
Digital Stage Rack
D-Rack
Dual D-Rack CAT5E
Connectors
Two
Solo Busses
All-new
Flexi Channels
www.digico.biz/sd9
DiGiCo UK Ltd. Unit 10 Silverglade Business Park, Leatherhead Road, Chessington, Surrey KT9 2QL. Tel: +44 (0) 1372 845600
The new DiGiCo SD9 stunningly redefnes what the world can expect from a compact digital mixer.
With the accompanying D-Rack the SD9 provides you with a complete, integrated system including
mixing work surface, digital stage rack and CAT5E digital multicore, with the ability to simultaneously
record 56 channels direct to your favourite multitrack software or DAW.
And all at a price that makes it the perfect solution for touring bands, schools, conference centres,
smaller theatres and a host of other applications requiring high performance, great fexibility and
exceptional performance for your budget.
The future is here. A compact, world-class
digital mixing system at an exceptional price.
worldmags
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14
BE FIRST TO DISCOVER
TRULY GROUND-BREAKING
TECHNOLOGY ONLY AT
BVE 2011
From audio and video production to delivery workflow,
BVE 2011 is the event for everyone working in
production, post and delivery.
Renowned for its training, workshops and
masterclasses, enjoy over 180 free seminar
sessions
Attend The Audio Room theatre and discover the
pros and cons of compressed audio in broadcast,
question the experts on recording sound and learn
about 5.1
Benefit from the new radio day - Tuesday is
dedicated to everything radio, from creating a
programme through to the latest technology for
radio broadcast
Meet and do business with over 240 exhibitors
including Solid State Logic, Calrec, Audio Technica,
Sonifex, Sennheiser, HHB, Soundfield, Lawo,
HarmanPro/Studer, Prism Sound and SADiE
REGISTER TODAY FOR FREE ENTRY WWW.BVEXPO.CO.UK/REGISTER
PRIORITY CODE EBAM1
MEDIA SPONSOR ENDORSED BY SHOW PARTNERS
9106 BVE Audio Media 186x129:Layout 2 1/12/10 12:38 Page 1
Show Report AES 2010
AKG introduced the Perception
Wi rel ess System, whi ch comes
complete with bandwidths up to
30MHz and low-current transmitters.
Its designed for musicians and entry-
level audio technicians. API introduced
its new Channel Strip, which includes a
512C mic pre, 550a EQ, 527 compressor,
and the 325 line driver. Each process
can be switched in/out, and the
compressor can be switched pre-
EQ. Audio Precision demonstrated
a new multi-tone analyser that
returns 19 key audio
measurements in 1.2
seconds. The multi-
tone anal yser i s
available in the v2.7
rel ease of APx500.
Audio-Technica launched
t he BP893 Mi croEar set
omni-directional condenser
headworn (ear-mounted)
mi c r o p h o n e wi t h
ergonomically moulded
ear pi ece and one -
inch boom. It requires
11V to 52V and has a
recessed HPF swi tch
in the power module.
Avids Pro Tools version 9
was unveiled, replacing
Pro Tools LE in the Pro
Tools software family,
and integrating broad
hardware I/O support, EUCON control
protocol integration, and more.
beyerdynamic launched
two new variations for the
MC900 series studio mics.
The MC 910 and MC 950
offer new pattern options
(omni and supercardioid
respecti vel y). Chameleon Labs
introduced its new TS-1 MKII small
diaphragm tube condenser mic.
Driven by newly-designed
vacuum tube electronics,
the MKII power supply
features an adjustable tube
heater voltage control.
Crown showed VRACK,
a modul ar ampl i f i er
management system. It
features I-Tech 12000HD
amplifiers, a flexible input
panel, a captive suspension
system, and HiQnet control.
dbx showed the DriveRack PA+,
a loudspeaker management system
with an updated library of settings,
a USB connection, full-time RTA,
front panel mute, faster Auto EQ
Wizard, and an Auto Level Wizard.
Drawmer unvei l ed the HQ, a
combined precision high-quality
monitor pre-amp/volume controller
and DAC, designed to act as a central
hub in a studio, mastering room, or
any high-end listening environment.
DW Fearn debuted the VT-12 vacuum
tube 70dB microphone preamplifier,
designed to accommodate the low
output level of ribbon and dynamic
microphones, though it can also be
used with condenser microphones.
Elysias showed the new xpressor 500
stereo compressor
avai l abl e i n API s
500 series format.
Features include an
auto fast attack mode,
switchable release characteristic,
and a warm mode switch. Focal
Professional showed its new SM9
flagship three-way monitor. One of
the innovations within the SM9 is the
ability to switch between two-way
If You Missed San Francisco... AES Convention Highlights
The recent AES convention in San Francisco was widely agreed, among exhibitors, to be a success. Expectations were
low after the London AES showing and a year of economic woes, but San Francisco was a great draw, and there was
no shortage of gear stories if you could get past the Avid stand to find them, that is...
worldmags
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15
Show Report AES 2010
and three-way operation. Grace Design introduced
the m903 Reference Headphone Amplifier.
Its a stereo reference headphone, amp, DAC, and
stereo monitor controller in a 1U, half-rack enclosure.
iZotope announced Nectar, a new plug-in that
includes a complete vocal processing toolkit,
i ncl udi ng pi tch
c o r r e c t i o n ,
breath control ,
c o mp r e s s o r s
DeEsser, Doubler,
Saturati on, EQ,
Gate, Limiter, Delay,
and reverb modules. JBL Professional showcased its
PRX600 active portable loudspeakers. They use JBLs
Differential Drive speaker technology, dbx Type IV
limiting, and Crown class-D amplifiers. JoeCo showed
the Blackbox Player, a 1U device for replaying backing
tracks live, amongst other things. 24 channels of
24-bit/96kHz audio can be controlled with front
panel, footswitch, keyboard, or MIDI commands.
Korg rel eased i ts
AudioGate software,
which enables the
realtime playback of
DSD/SACD files on
any computer system.
It also demonstrated
proof of concept multi-track DSD software. Lexicon
launched the PCM92 stereo reverb/effects processor.
It features 28 mono and stereo reverbs, delays, and
modulation effects, flexible routing configurations,
and over 700 presets. Lynx released the LT-USB USB
2.0 L-Slot interface for the Lynx Aurora 16 and Aurora
8 converters. This add-on card provides up to 16ch
I/O of 24/96 or eight channels at 192kHz. Millennia
Music & Media Systems showed its new 500-series
compatible, single slot, HV-35 mic amp. It features
an inst. input, gain boost for ribbon mics, 80Hz HPF,
phantom, -15dB pad, and polarity flip. Neumann
showed the first result of it's assimilation of Klein
& Hummel proffessional monitors with the KH120
just the beginning of the Neuamnn assault on
the monitor market. PMC announced the shipping
of its new AML2 Active Reference Monitor, which
inherits the AML Series design
and adds an EQ tilt, an
enhanced power supply,
and a revised cabinet
structure. RTW displayed
the new TouchMonitor
series of professional audio
signal metering products.
They all feature hi-resolution
touch-sensitive screens and a redesigned GUI for
ease of use. Sanken showed the new CS-2 compact
shotgun microphone with the companys proprietary
rectangular diaphragm and a new high boost
switch, which compensates for HF attenuation due
to windscreens. Shure launched its new
SE315 Sound Isolating Earphone, a single
driver earphone featuring full a detachable
cable. Its available in clear or black versions.
Solid State Logic presented Nucleus, its
new DAW controller and SuperAnalogue
audio hub for professional project
studios. Also new was an updated
AWS console, and the MADI-X8
eight-port MADI router system.
Soundcraft launched the Compact
Stagebox for Vi and Si consoles.
Standard provision is 32 mic/line ins,
eight line outs, eight channels of AES/EBU
out, and two expansion slots, in 4U. TASCAMs
DR-680 portable recorder has been updated to
version 1.20, adding two modes for recording
with mid-side microphones). Telefunken
launched the new CU-29 Copperhead
R-F-T series mic with vintage New Old Stock
(NOS) tube; the AR-70 large diaphragm tube
mic, and the new M80 wireless dynamic
capsule head for handheld transmitters.
Universal Audio launched the
new 4-710d pre-amp, which
i ncorporates four channel s
of Tone-Bl endi ng Twi n-Fi ni ty
Preamps, 1176-Style Compression,
and A/D Converters. Vintage King
Audio and Retro Instruments
debuted the Retro Powerstri p
Recording Channel, a channel strip
designed to capture the tone of a tube
mixing desk.
UK Sales
01992 703058
e-mail [email protected] or visit www.shuredistribution.co.uk
worldmags
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When it was announced Abbey Road Studios was up for sale, petitions were quickly raised against it.
KEVIN HILTON ponders the role the studios have played in our musical and cultural heritage.
Goodbye, Abbey Road?
T
he Beatles are held in great affection by most
Brits, and there was a wailing and a gnashing
of teeth when the news broke that Abbey
Road Studios, where the Fab Four recorded most
of their records, had been put up for sale by its
owner, EMI. Except it wasnt. It almost had been,
but not at the time BBC Radio 2 presenter Chris
Evans led a campaign to save the studios for the
nation and Andrew Lloyd Webber showed interest
in buying it.
The story that the only recording studio most
people have heard of was to be sold broke in the
Financial Times on February 15, 2010. The paper
is respected and usually well informed, but much
of the piece headlined EMIs long and winding
road leads to Abbey Road sale sign read like a
press release.
Soon the news was all over the media.
Chris Evans picked up the story the following day
on his breakfast show and ran with it, devoting,
with a few exceptions, his Friday programme to
recordings made at the studios.
The immediate fear was that the building at 3
Abbey Road, NW8, would be turned into luxury
apartments or offices. That was understandable;
these days the actual bricks and mortar of a
property, or often just the land on which it stands,
are worth more than what goes on within it.
But this overlooks the fact that there are few
studios left in the UK big enough for orchestral
recording sessions. Despite the rise of the project
studio and laptop technology, mainstream
artists and producers still want strings and brass
on recordings, making for an ongoing demand
outside the needs of classical labels.
Through all of this EMI maintained a non-
committal stance. A statement finally came on
Sunday, February 21: In response to recent press
speculation EMI confirms it is holding preliminary
discussions for the revitalisation of Abbey Road
with interested and appropriate third parties.
The future of Abbey Road Studios was further
cemented on Monday,
February 22, when English
Heritage awarded the
building Grade II Listed
status. Thi s i s usual l y
granted to preserve a
property of architectural
importance, but in this
case Abbey Road has been
listed for its outstanding
cultural interest and to
ensure that recording
artists for generations
to come can continue to
make and record music in
the same rooms as musical
icons of years gone by.
That seemed to be it.
But exami ni ng t he
chronol ogy of events
and other activity just
before and during this
medi a rol l er coaster
raises more questions.
Cyni cal obser vers of
the music business are
convinced that Abbey
Road Studios had been on
the market unofficially for
years; all that was needed
was the right offer.
Like other big record
compani es EMI has
been struggling since
the late 1990s, hit hard
by t he downl oadi ng
revolution and the rise of
lean independent labels
and artists going out on their own.
EMI was thrown a lifeline in 2007 when it
was bought by equity investor Terra Firma.
In its statement EMI says the new owner made
the preservation of Abbey Road a priority, even
though the studios had been losing money for
several years. In the middle of 2009, EMI received
an offer of over GB30 million to buy Abbey Road.
This was rejected because EMI believed it should
continue to own the studios.
In July last year an Abbey Road branded online
mastering service was launched, giving artists the
chance for their recordings to be mastered by
the studios engineers. Abbey Roads operations
have expanded over the years beyond recording
and mastering; an interactive division was launched
for DVD authoring and the studios have been used
for the Channel 4 TV series Live from Abbey Road.
There is also Abbey Road Live, a location recording
and distribution service.
The same day that Abbey Road was listed
by English Heritage, EMI announced a range
of branded merchandising based around the
studios, making them even more of a commodity.
This includes t-shirts, laptop cases, and notebooks
bearing the Abbey Road name, slogans such as
Eight Track Mind and images of the TG12345 MkII
recording console.
The most puzzling thing in all this is that Listed
Status was applied for in 2002 by an unnamed
party. Roger Bowdler, Head of Designation at
English Heritage, admitted in an interview on
Radio 4s PM programme on Tuesday, February 23,
that talk of the studios being sold concentrated
some minds and resulted in the pending listing
being confirmed.
A spokeswoman for English Heritage told
me that Listed Status provided an extra layer of
protection. She added that while this doesnt
prohibit a change of use for the building there
would be a lot more scrutiny of an application.
But it would probably be difficult to find another
use for it, she said.
Abbey Roads importance in the history of
recording is unquestionable. Even without The
Beatles it would be a shrine because Sir Edward
Elgar and the London Symphony Orchestra
recorded Land of Hope and Glory in its Studio 1,
and Pink Floyd created Dark Side of the Moon in
Studios 2 and 3.
But Led Zeppelins groundbreaking first album
was laid down at Olympic Studios, EMIs other
studio asset. I didnt hear Chris Evans shout when
it was closed in February 2009.
Some good has come out of this saga
the future of an important artistic resource in the
UK has been secured but some suspect that
a lot of very murky things have gone on at the
same time.
A U D I O M E D I A M A R C H 2 0 1 0
14
what s up
UK
KEVIN HILTON addresses the cynicism that still surrounds work at MediaCity UK,
despite the impressive promises that progress seems to be hinting at.
[email protected]
A Very British Take
T
heres a general view that the British like to
think the worst about something before it
happens. But there is the opposite side of
the national character that will support something
regardless of whether its needed, popular,
or even possible.
Both these positions have been taken over
MediaCityUK (MCUK), the high-tech radio, TV, and
educational town-within-a-town being built at
Salford Quays in Greater Manchester. The developers
of the site, Peel Media, have a vision of a self-
contained city with broadcast studios, production,
and post-production facilities, offices, apartments,
shops, and a hotel, all served by a new Metrolink
tram station.
The BBC shares this belief in the project, which
was initiated largely to create a new northern
headquarters for it. The broadcaster has already
taken a substantial proportion of floor space at the
location, in readiness for moving BBC Childrens
and Learning, BBC Sport, Radio Five Live, and parts
of BBC Future Media and Technology to Salford by
the spring of 2011. The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
will also leave its present home at New Broadcasting
House on Oxford Road, Manchester, to move into a
purpose-built studio at MCUK.
Another believer is the University of Salford (UoS),
which will move its media undergraduate and post-
graduate courses to the Quays.
The naysayers take the view that until commercial
broadcast companies committed to Salford Quays
it would not be a wholly convincing proposition,
although this overlooks The Pie Factory film sound
stage complex, a joint venture between Peel Media
and local post-production facility Sumners.
Movi ng Towards Val i dati on
Some necessary validation came in August when
betting industry TV programming and data provider
Satellite Information Services (SIS) announced that
it is moving its London facilities to MCUK from now
until 2013. These include SISs production, studio,
play-out, teleport, engineering support, and master
control room departments.
This new relationship was further cemented in
November when SIS and Peel Media formed a joint
venture to run MCUKs studio, post-production, and
technology support facilities. It will also work with
the BBC, UoS, and other media partners to develop
new technologies and services.
On September 14, the BBC Philharmonic
Orchestra held a test concert in the big orchestral
room. This is located in the commercial studios
complex, Block D, which also contains seven HD/5.1
TV studios and a multi-purpose
audio studio (MPAS).
Sound sui tes for the bi g
production studios A, B, C, and D
feature Calrec Audio Apollo consoles
with Hydra 2 routing. Studios E
and G will have Artemis desks,
but what will go into Studio F is still
under review.
The t est concer t i n t he
Phi l harmoni c studi o ran for
90- mi nutes, wi t h breaks to
adjust acoustic panels, which
gave everyone the opportunity
to hear how the room sounds.
The Philharmonic control room and
MPAS both house new Studer Vista
9s, with Geithain monitors in the
former and a Genelec rig in the latter.
MPAS will be used for a variety of
productions, including radio drama,
for which it has a staircase, various doors, different
floor surfaces, and a dead area. The official launch of
these facilities will be in Spring next year.
The fit-out of the orchestral room and MPAS
was sub-contracted to IPE, with acoustics for both
designed by Sandy Brown Associates. The lead
systems integrator for Block D is TSL. It is almost
certain that TSL will also be working on the fit-
out of the UoS facilities but this has not been
confirmed as negotiations were continuing at the
time of going to press.
The University will have four floors at MCUK,
housing HD TV and radio studios, digital media
and performance labs, post-production suites and
dubbing theatres. The facilities will be used by
a range of students, including those on the BSc
(Hons) Audio Technology, BSc (Hons) Professional
Sound and Video Technology, and MSc Audio
Production courses.
Ever yone' s A Cyni c
All very impressive but in typically British
fashion cynicism remains. What about the media
organisation that is much more a part of Manchester
than the BBC wi l l ever be?
Granada Television has been reticent
to commit itself to MCUK, despite
being linked to the place early on,
but, again, there are indications that
this could change.
Rumours are circulating that
Granada will take some space at
Salford Quays and may even do it
the big honour of moving some
production of Coronation Street to
the site. The soap celebrates its 50th
anniversary this year and is a flagship
production for the broadcaster.
For those into conspiracy theories
the removal of the famous red
Granada TV sign on the roof of the
Quay Street broadcast centre gave
credence to the rumour that the
company was preparing to move.
Not so, it seems. A statement explains, During
routine maintenance of the Quay Street building
the roof signage and its fixtures were found to be
extensively corroded. As a result, the signs were
taken down for health and safety reasons.
On the general subject of future accommodation
ITV issued this comment: We are examining a
number of options regarding ITVs Manchester base
to ensure that we have a fit for purpose production
complex in the North West. Sources add that a deal
to move to MCUK has not been done and theres
nothing more to say right now.
Whether Granada moves in or not, every day
MCUK is looking less like a building site and more
like a new age media centre. Whether that will satisfy
its detractors is something else entirely.
16 A U D I O M E D I A D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0
The naysayers
take the view that
until commercial
broadcast
companies
committed to
Salford Quays it
would not be a
wholly convincing
proposition
Loudness Metered - Loudness Managed
For simple and effective answers to
your loudness issues call Aspen Media
01296 681313 or visit www.aspen-media.com
RTW Metering Loudness
Jnger Audio Managing Loudness
worldmags
worldmags
17
Maselec MMA-4XR
4 channel microphone
pre-amplifier
RECORD | MIX | MASTER
Contact us now to arrange YOUR demo
[email protected] www.prismsound.com
UK +44 (0)1353 648888 USA +1 973 983 9577
ORPHEUS
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a testament to the success of its product range.
Whether it be multi-track recording, mixing, cd-
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PrismMASTERMusictechA4ad:Layout 1 09/11/2010 14:45 Page 1
worldmags
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18
The Commonwealth Games
For live reinforcement and worldwide broadcast purposes, this years Commonwealth Games in Delhi
featured the latest in audio technologies, reports JIM EVANS.
B
ringing together more than
nations from around the
world, the Common-
wealth Games in Delhi, India,
opened its -day athletic competition
with a large, multi-array JBL VerTec
line array system powered by Crown
I-Tech HD amplifiers to support the
opening ceremonies.
The system successfully filled the
Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, occu-
pied by more than , spectators and
nearly , athletes. Audio production
companies Norwest Productions (Aus-
tralia) and Sound.com (India) collabo-
rated to implement Auditorias sophisti-
cated event system design in the field.
Scott Willsallen of Auditoria, having
already completed major games ceremo-
nies such as the Athens Olympics,
Doha Asian Games, and the Mel-
bourne Commonwealth Games,
was contracted by the organising com-
mittee for the Delhi Common-
wealth Games to design and manage the
audio system for both the opening and
closing ceremonies.
Twenty-five distributed JBL VerTec
arrays lined the stadium to ensure eve-
ryone from the floor seats to the upper
levels fully enjoyed the entertainment,
which included performances from
traditional Nagada drummers, who
drummed to the beat of the countdown
to the official start of the event. Eight of
the arrays featured three JBL VT
full size line array elements, and con-
tained three VT mid-size line array
elements, with each also including a full
size VerTec arrayable subwoofer.
One hundred and two Crown ampli-
fiers, including I-Tech HD amplifiers,
powered the JBL VerTec rig. Harmans
HiQnet System Architect system soft-
ware was used for configuration, remote
control, and monitoring of the system.
Norwest (Sydney, Australia) teamed
with a regional, Mumbai-based sound
production company, Sound.com, to
supply the entire audio package and
crew for the Delhi games opening and
closing ceremonies.
The VerTec V DSP tunings are
excellent. The only additional tuning we
had to do was some minor notch filter-
ing to tidy up the response in the venue,
stated Willsallen. It was all very subtle
filtering. If it came down to it, we could
have run the show very successfully
without any additional EQ filtering.
On the field of play, JBL SRXM
speakers were used for the performers
monitor system, while JBL CBTJ
column speakers and JBL SRXS sub-
woofers were used to ensure that ath-
letes on the field could experience the
events sound. On the main stage, JBL
VRXM monitor wedges were utilised
for musical performances.
Norwest Productions and Sound.com
combined their resources and skills to
deliver an excellent audio system, which
met the performance requirements of
my design and worked within the project
budget, concluded Willsallen.
All the action from track and field
was broadcast throughout the world in
high definition for the first time over
digital fibre networks using more than
Optocore devices. The network was
commissioned by SIS Live who were
awarded the multi-million dollar con-
tract to supply production and coverage
facilities and services to the Games.
Working with Zoom
Communi c at i ons ,
South-East Asias larg-
est broadcast services
company, coverage was
provided for differ-
ent sports and outside
races across venues
in Delhi.
SIS Live and Zoom
Communications both
rented large consign-
ments of Optocore dig-
ital and analogue net-
work interfaces from
UK sales and hire production company,
SSE Audio Group.
In addition SSE provided SIS LIVE
with a large number of Yamaha YG/
YS modules and Yamaha LS-
consoles; the cards were used in
conjunction with both these, and the
Yamaha MCL digital consoles that have
also been deployed. Optocores multiple
console emulation mode, allowing up
to four different consoles to control
various devices on an Optocore network,
is unique, since they are the only net-
work manufacturer to offer this facility.
Alongside the Yamaha consoles, Opto-
core devices interfaced with the main
stadiums Lawo mc consoles to provide
an entirely redundant audio network for
all broadcast audio and monitoring.
Said SSE Managing Director, John
Penn, The original enquiry from
ZOOM Communications for a large
quantity of Yamaha LSs with Optocore
interfaces, was directed to us because
in addition to hire, we have the added
advantage of being a sales organisation.
No other rental company has this level
of stock.
Stated Optocores International Sales
Manager Mike Case, We are delighted
to be associated with the XIX Common-
wealth Games. In addition to the fact
that this is one of our largest consign-
ments, we are gratified that these pres-
tigious broadcast production companies
worked together on a common Optocore
backbone to boost signal transport and
maximise workflow.
MEDI A MATTERS
Indian broadcasting has flourished since
state TVs monopoly was broken in .
The array of channels is still growing.
Private cable and satellite stations
command large audiences. News
programmes of ten outper form
entertainment shows. Many -hour
news channels are up and running, and
more are planned.
Doordarshan, the public TV, operates
services including its flagship DD
channel, which reaches some
million viewers.
Multi-channel, direct-to-home (DTH)
TV has been a huge hit. Five operators
Dish TV, Tata-Sky, Sun Direct, Big TV,
and Airtel Digital TV have attracted
millions of subscribers. State-owned
Doordarshan Direct offers a free-to-air
DTH service.
Some industry sources say the
number of DTH subscribers could reach
million by . The cable TV market
is one of the worlds largest.
Since they were given the green
light in , music-based FM radio
stations have proliferated in the cities.
But only public All India Radio can
broadcast news.
worldmags
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19
geo focus India
The Jawaharial
Nehru Stadium
W
ith a 60,000-plus
seating capacity,
Jawaharlal Nehru
Stadium in New Delhi was
the biggest venue used
for the October 2010 XIX
Commonwealth Games.
The stadium hosted athlet-
ics events and, most impor-
tantly, served as the venue
for the Games opening
and closing ceremonies.
The stadium is equipped
with an audio system from
Electro-Voice.
The EV loudspeaker spec
at Nehru Stadium comprises
132 customised XLC127DVX
(line-array), 120 Sx300PI, 300
EVID 6.2, and 60 ZX5-60PI
surface-mounted systems,
all driven by a combina-
tion of 135 P3000RL and
TG amplifiers to deliver an
average of 107dB and a
peak of 115dB. The entire
system is remote-controlled
and supervised from a sin-
gle laptop in the stadium
control room, all via EVs
IRIS-Net software platform.
The systems Auto Gain Con-
trol increases or decreases
the sound levels consistent
with changes in the level of
ambient crowd noise.
All external speakers are
manufactured to exceed
the IP55 standard for
weather resistance, while the
systems speech intelligibil-
ity surpasses the approved
standard of 0.55 RASTI.
VI TAL S TAT I S T I C S I NDI A
FULL NAME Republic of India
CAPI TAL New Delhi
MOST POPULATED CI T Y Mumbai (Bombay)
POPULATI ON 1.2 billion
(UN, 2010)
MONETARY UNI T 1 Indian Rupee =
100 paise
MAI N EXPORTS Agricultural
products, textile
goods, gems
and jewellery,
software services
and technology,
engineering goods,
chemicals, leather
products
GNI PER CAPI TA US $1180 (World
Bank, 2009)
I NTERNET DOMAI N .in
I NTERNATI ONAL +91
DI ALLI NG CODE
A
llen & Heaths Indian distributor,
Sun Infonet, recently completed a
series of training sessions in three
key locations Bangalore, Ahmedabad,
and Calcutta targeting customers who
are ready to move from traditional ana-
logue to digital solutions.
I thought there was a very good
knowledge of digital and IT solutions,
and several engineers who had operated
competitor digital consoles were keen to
come and compare their experiences,
comments Allen & Heaths Product Man-
ager, Leon Phillips.
The seminars were split into three
areas ZED, GL, and iLive/iDR attract-
ing over 100 attendees selected from
Sun Infonets customer base comprising
live PA owner/operators, dealerships, and
installation contractors with broadcast
experience.
Digital mixing is in its infancy in India,
explains Sun Infonets Director, Neeraj
Chandra. However, enthusiasm is high,
particularly in the territories we were
targeting with our roadshow, and cus-
tomers were very keen to get their hands
on iLive as well as Allen & Heaths other
new products to try them out for them-
selves. Sales growth for Allen & Heath
consoles in India over last two years has
been phenomenal, and the roadshow
demonstrates Allen & Heaths commit-
ment to servicing its Indian customers.
Allen & Heath Hits Road
VI TAL S TAT I S T I C S I NDI A
FULL NAME Republic of India
CAPI TAL New Delhi
MOST POPULATED CI T Y Mumbai
(Bombay)
POPULATI ON 1.2 billion
(UN, 2010)
MONETARY UNI T 1 Indian Rupee =
100 paise
MAI N EXPORTS Agricultural
products, textile
goods, gems
and jewellery,
software services
and technology,
engineering
goods, chemicals,
leather products
GNI PER CAPI TA US $1180 (World
Bank, 2009)
I NTERNET DOMAI N .in
I NTERNATI ONAL +91
DI ALLI NG CODE
worldmags
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20
A Wisse Choice
Wisseloord Studios is a new
concept with an old soul (or
so says the website). Based in
Hilversum, in the Netherlands,
Wisseloord is being rebuilt
and re-styled to the highest
standards, and will re-open
brighter and more full of creative
enthusiasm than ever before
during 2011.
And if the quality of the two
long-sleeved t-shirts Wisseloord
Studios kindly donated to our
SWAG pile is anything to go
by, the promise of a top-notch
facility is not to be taken lightly.
Warm and cosy, with perfectly
embroidered detailing on the
sleeves, these tops come top of
our picks of decent stuff to wear
this winter. A wisse wardrobe
choice for an audio loord.
www.wisseloord.nl
Despite these times of drab austerity, a rocky outlook
for the economy ahead, the forecast for a miserable and
grey Christmas, expectations for a dry turkey and soggy
spattering of spuds dont be disheartened. Santas a
defiant and persistent red-swathed fiend if nothing else,
and has managed to swindle, bribe, provoke and cajole a
whole heap of audio goodies out of manufacturers from
right across the industry; and were wrapping them all up
for one lucky Audio Media reader to enjoy in time for the
(much improved) new year. Okay, were blaming Santa
for the swindling and bribing, but we at Audio Media are
taking full credit for the provocation and cajolement of at
least a few of these donations.
Empty pockets and cash-strapped measures that seem
to pervade as far as the North Pole aside, manufacturers
have once again generously donated goodies to fill our
Santa sacks of SWAG. Theres no Scrooges in the offices this
lot came from, because among our horde is a collection
of t-shirts, polo shirts, fleeces and jackets in a one-tone
suits-all wardrobe that Dior would be proud of, i.e., black
caps, mousemats, mugs, and USB sticks. Weve also got
pens, notebooks, stickers and balloons, cable ties and
key rings, bottle openers and bags. Theres also a few
more unusual items featured but in short, its a sack of
goodies guaranteed to please even the hardiest Christmas
humbug. Well even chuck in some extra tinsel, if you like.
Wi n A Santa Sack of SWAG
To win a Santa sack full of SWAG isnt all that difficult.
You dont even need to put down that glass of mulled
wine, or rouse yourself from your armchair stupor.
Theres no challenge, no trick, not even a necessity to move
a finger (well, maybe just one to type with). All youve got
to do is answer one delightfully easy question (below).
All correct answers will be placed in our special red and
white fluffy Audio Media hat and a lucky winner drawn at
random. A big box of SWAG will then be winging its way
to said winner via sleigh, of course before you can wish
happy Christmas to all (and to all a good night).
Thats all there is to it. It is Christmas, after all, and
we wouldnt like to make things too complicated we
certainly dont want to be tucked behind our desks New
Years Day marking essays about the impact of brandy-
filled mince pies on the modern audio facility.
So, chomp down on those mince pies and be darned
to the consequences (theres some XL-sized t-shirts in the
SWAG bundle after all) the one and only question you
need to peruse this season is:
What was the name of the family featured in The Sound
of Music?
(see page 42 for our Sound of Music feature)
Send your answer to [email protected] (thats
three as in schwaaag), along with your name, address, and
tel no, by January 1, 2011 and good luck!
RULES:
If you work for 1. Audio Media, you cant enter.
The deadline for entries is January 1, 2011. 2.
E-mail your answers to: [email protected] 3.
The Editors decision is final. 4.
Here Comes The
Swag!
Wipe away those gloomy frowns, pack away the barren and drooping tinsel, and
discard those unwanted socks with the flashing reindeer nose embellishment
we know what makes an audio pro happy at Christmastime. So, banish the bleak
mid-winter and let them bells ring out: SWAG is back!
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21
Auralex Chopping board
Incase youre stuck for somewhere to chop
a bit of fruit for your cocktails this season,
Auralex has thoughtfully sent us this neat
bamboo chopping board. Solid, smooth,
and splinter-free, its not only made from
sustainable materials, but is totally unique
and guaranteed to provide a perfect cutting
surface for your lemons every time.
AKG leather jacket
Unleash your inner bad-boy with this black leather AKG
jacket, with thanks to Sound Technology. Hard-wearing
and lightly padded, with deep pockets and a tough
zip-front now theres no excuse not to run riot in
the studio in the new year. Black is back, and this
year its bad to the bone.
Olympus Hand Sanitiser
T h o s e me a n ,
mi s e r a b l e l i t t l e
beggars get everywhere sneaking round the
buffet table, creeping under the mistletoe
Thats right, its germs. Theyll delight in
passing on the winter lurghy as quick as you
can reach for a tissue. This Christmas, Olympus
has sought to banish the sniffles with this
pocket-sized hand sanitiser. So now theres
no excuse not to hygienicise your mince pies,
and Christmas cracker, and well, just about
everything really.
A Bag for all Outfits
For the busy man or woman about the world, weve got a bag for every
occasion. Firstly, the Olympus PEN bag, a bit funky for your shopping trips
perhaps, and uniquely crafted from images from the companys PEN video.
Very nice, we think.
Second up is a limited edition Crumpler laptop bag from Avid. Its top
quality and well-made with plenty of pocket space, and perfect for carting
your laptop around in style.
Thi rd i s t he Tur bosound spor t s
bag or weekend bag. Its huge,
its enormous. You could probably fit your
Golf or Hockey sticks in it at a bit of a
squeeze. Infact, if you did a different
sport every day of the week, thered
probably be space in here to carry
kit for all of them.
There's also two more bags to
complete your week, with thanks to Rde
and Source Distribution (PreSonus).
SWAG Highlights
These are just a few of our top unusual picks from this years stash:
A very big thank
you to all the
manufacturers/
distributors who
so generously
donated SWAG for
our competition, so
heres Christmassy
greetings and
thanks to:
AEA Mics Allen & Heath
API Auralex Audio-
Technica Avid DACS
DPA Mics eMerging JBL
JoeCo Korg UK Meyer
Sound Midas/Klark Teknik
Novation Olympus
Optocore RANE
SADiE Sonic8 Sonifex
Sonnox Soundcraft
Studer Sound Technology
Source Distribution
Source Elements SSL
TC Electronic Telos-
Omnia-Axia TL Audio
Turbosound Wisseloord
Studios Zaxcom
THE original 3rd party
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Mark went looking for an interface to equip his British
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The ADA-8XR has been designed without compromise,
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modular construction offers users 16 A/D, 16 D/A or 8 A/D
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We tried them and
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Prism_ADA8-AM_AD:Layout 1 19/08/2009 15:53 Page 1

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22
A
s the lncreaslngly lnterestlng rlbbon mlcrophone
market reaches full maturlty, we wlll soon see lts
true saturatlon: wlth products at every prlce polnt
offerlng every slngle avallable feature to satlsfy every
lmaglnable need. Case ln polnt: the new (oo from Coles,
a unlque product from the dlstlngulshed 8rltlsh flrm
wlth a hlstory of maklng robust, future-classlc rlbbons,
Coles flrst stereo mlc ls an odd blrd, fllllng a narrow, but
potentlally deep, nlche. Plle thls mlc under Plbbon>Pro-
Grade>Passlve>Stereo ... wlth a (magnetlc) twlst.
Features
es, the (oo ls a stereo rlbbon mlc, but | cant help but
thlnk of lt as dual mono rlbbon, wlth stereo llnklng: thlnk
of lt as you do your favourlte dual mono compressor.
As such, you can use the (oos two transducers as
completely separate mono mlcs, each slde wlth lts own
superb shockmount, on separate sound sources, ln a
wldely spaced stereo palr, or, as prlmarlly lntended,
connect the two mlcs, vla strong magnets on the lncluded
two-slded shockmount, swlvel thelr rlbbon elements to
preclsely po degrees apart (wlth the helpful callbratlon
marks on the mounts), or vary to taste. Achleve some
8lumleln or M/S placement ln a neat, tldy, and compact
package that ls very easy to alm and place. Cabllng can be
routed wlth the (oo klts enclosed plastlc cable cllps.
Speaklng of the klt, lt lncludes the two halves of the
(oo, one stereo shockmount, two protectlve pouches,
two aforementloned cable cllps, and a plastlc carrylng
case (some (oo dlstrlbutors are encouraglng users
to buy a second shockmount, not normally lncluded
ln the package, and | couldnt agree any more, for
maxlmum versatlllty as descrlbed above, lts a must).
The (oo largely uses the same guts as the Coles (o(o, so
youll flnd extended frequency response of zo Hz-zo kHz,
oo lmpedance, and less than one percent dlstortlon
at :zd8 SPL.
I n Use
| began my (oo testlng wlth the klt conflgured as a
wldely spaced palr on drums vla Larthworks :oz( pre-
ampllflcatlon. | placed each slde of the (oo about three
feet back from the klt, almed at rlde and hat, respectlvely,
and at about po degrees and seven feet apart: | was totally
lmpressed. The results were wonderful klck depth, gutsy
punch on the snare, toms all popplng out, and cymbals
nlcely tamed, yet plenty brlght.
Top end on the (oo ls deflnltely extended here as
compared to typlcal/standard rlbbons | regularly use,
but nowhere near approachlng shrlllness, lts sounds are
[ust sweet, smooth, and oh so LQ-able. Translents were
[ust rlght: totally deflned, but llghtly corralled, [ust llke
youd expect from a Coles rlbbon. Servlng as overheads
ln 8lumleln (vla Grace m8o: preamps), the (oo ls great,
you can keep them all woody and strong through the
low mlds, or notch them approxlmately (d8 at zooHz,
and add zd8 at :okHz, and youll swear youre hearlng
SDCs that have been to the gym! On stereo drum room,
| couldnt go wrong wlth thls (oo klt, elther. One slde at
slx feet behlnd the klt and the other out front ls lovely,
[ust strap on an ::;6 (or ::;8) and you have the easy cure
for an anaemlc drummer.
On vocals, a (oo slde behaved llke most passlve
rlbbons do: sensltlve to ploslves, reslstant to slbllance,
graceful on hard consonants, and helpful wlth harsh
frequencles and dynamlc peaks. There was no audlble
dlfference between the front and rear lobes, and slde
nulls were smoothly transltloned wlth nlce off-axls
pleasantness. wlth a pop fllter and some adept worklng
the mlc skllls, a seasoned vocallst can lean ln for some
sexy proxlmlty effect and back off for some room and
alr on crescendos, thats a dynamlc versatlllty that
condensers do capture, but (oo does so wlth more
muslcallty. oull do best wlth thlnner volces that need
some body, as barltones can get a llttle murky and
wlll llkely need some low mld scooplng and hlgh-end
sweetenlng.
On plano, | heard the (oo ln a whole new way. | trled
a 8lumleln pattern (wlth Grace m8o:s) about three-and-a
half feet out from my amaha uprlght and loved the
soundstage (nlcely allve wlth anlmatlon, depth, and
lmaglng), but heard way too much zoo to (ooHz and not
enough harmonlcs on the hlgh end. After LQ (notchlng
out the o stuff and shelf boostlng the top) lt all became
much nlcer, but my cllents stlll couldnt flnd enough
excltement ln the (oo and we went wlth condensers.
Conversely, for solo plano the (oo would be [ust what
the doctor ordered, especlally after a llttle low/mld clean
up. The (oo ls qulte sensltlve to preamp lmpedance as
testlng wlth my Manley TNT preamps multlple settlngs
proved, showlng sensltlvlty, nolse, and LQ dlfferences so
that may be a way to mllk exactly the tone one needs out
of such a sensltlve appllcatlon.
wlth care, acoustlc gultar also ylelded good results.
|n 8lumleln wlth AMS-Neve (o8: preampllflcatlon, the
bottom end was super-thlck and welghty, low mlds
were a blt overbearlng at about zoHz, hlgh mlds were
a llttle subdued, and top end was smoothly flatterlng,
lf a llttle softer than reallty. |n the Mld/Slde mode, my
gultar sounded even better, wlth lmproved bottom end
deflnltlon and more excltement up top plus a gorgeous
(and manlpulate-able) stereo lmage. | trled the good
old L-C-P thlng on acoustlc gultar, too, wlth an Avantone
8v-: and a 8erllner U;; gettlng sparkly top end L/P, wlth
the (oo capturlng resonant lows and holdlng down the
bottom at Centre, gleanlng fantastlc results.
Summar y
|ve extenslvely used the Coles (o(o rlbbon mlcrophone
before now, and lt sounds absolutely great. The (oo
sounds nearly ldentlcal to me, and lts llterally twlce the
mlc! |ts also much smaller, llghter, and way easler to use ln
stereo appllcatlons wlth lts nlfty magnets, easy rotatable
elements, and superb shockmount. Add lts ablllty to
separate lnto two mono mlcs and you have a no-bralner
here... unless the cost ls [ust too much to [ustlfy. 8ut that
breaks down to s:,zo llst, per mono mlc, conslder that
and the sz,oo llst prlce lsnt so bad, as you also galn a
stereo 8lumleln, stereo M/S and spaced stereo tool wlth
the durablllty and the prlde galned by lnvestlng ln a Coles
product. Por those reasons, the (oo ls what | confldently
call a good deal.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I N F O R M A T I O N
GB637.50, matched pair GB1,180.00 (exc.VAT)
A Coles Electroacoustics Ltd., Pindar Road, Hoddesdon,
Hertfordshire, EN11 0BZ, UK
T +44 (0) 1992 466685
W www.coleselectroacoustics.com
22
The classic British ribbon
microphone builder unveils its
first stereo model: a great yet
odd bird worthy of investment,
says ROB TAVAGLIONE.
COLES 4050
Stereo Plbbon Mlcrophone
T H E R E V I E W E R
P O8 TAvAGL | ONL o wn s
a n d o p e r a t e s C a t a l y s t
Pecordl ng l n Charl otte NC.
robQcatalystrecordlng.com
worldmags
worldmags
23
FAT BUSTARD VALVE MIXER
GET CULTURED
THERMIONIC CULTURE
ENGLAND
ROOSTER DUAL VALVE PRE-AMP
PHOENIX S/C STEREO VALVE COMPRESSOR
I ABSOLUTELY love The Rooster! The ATTITUDE control with the choice of triode or pentode is what makes the unit something
special. Who needs compression when you have distortion? Producer/Engineer Peter Katis, Interpol, Longwave
14 Channel Valve Summing Mixer With Master EQ, Stereo Width/Depth & Attitude
I adore this box, my track counts are getting smaller whilst my sounds are getting heftier and deeper
Mike Crossey - Engineer Producer working on the new 'The Enemy' album.
The best sounding stereo valve compressor just got better, additional side chain filters for optimum stereo bus work
FREE FROM SOLID STATE ADDITIVES 100% FULL FAT AUDIO CONTENT
Tel: UK +1440 785843 Fax: UK +1440 785845 [email protected] www.thermionicculture.com
Stocking Dealers include; Funky Junk, London 0207 609 5479 KMR Audio, London 0208 445 2446
StudioXChange, Herts 01462 677333 Studio Care, Liverpool 0151 707 4545
International Distribution by
SOS THERMIONIC AD NOV 10 30/11/10 18:03 Page 1
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The Rupert Neve Designs Portico ll is a U channel strip
with mic/DI preamp, equaliser/de-esser, and compressor
sections. It has the familiar RND layout of functions and
bulletproof build quality, with much of the internal signal
path based on the Portico console. volt power
rails allow higher gain levels and headroom before
audible distortion is evident.
The Grand Tour
The rear of the Portico ll has XLR inputs for both mic
and line singals. These are a balanced 'TLA' (Transformer
Like Amplifier) design accepting a maximum +dBU
input signal level. The line output XLR of the Portico
ll is based on the output stage of the console.
This is a balanced and floating high voltage discrete Class
A output that can deliver up to +dBU.
Link TRS sockets allow you to connect two or more
Portico units together, if desired, and side chain insert
TRS sockets are available for use with the Portico ll
compressor section.
There are also DI instrument In and Thru TRS sockets on
the front o fthe unit a feature seen on many standalone
DI boxes, but rarely on such channel strip units.
This first (mic pre) section has two input gain controls.
The large control is a -step rotary, with dB per step ( -
dB). The small (Trim) control gives dB of continuous
fine-tuning, and is the only adjustment available when
the 'line' switch is engaged.
V phantom power and phase reverse switches are
provided, along with a mute switch to cut the preamp
output overall. Like all other switches on the Portico ll, with
the exception of the power switch, they are illuminated,
making your setup easily visually referenced.
The Portico ll has a Bessel (most linear phase response),
Hz to Hz HPF with a dB/octave attenuation.
There are switches to either place the filter in your signal
chain after the preamp stage, or onto the compressor
sections side-chain input.
The main four-band EQ section can be switched wholly
in/out or in LF, LMF/HMF, and HF sections. It can also be
placed pre or post the compressor section. The HF and LF
EQs have four fixed, stepped, frequency selections each,
in shelf or peak mode. The two mid sections have swept
frequency and Q controls. The HMF frequency selector is
also used as a reference for the de-ess function. This is a
new Portico feature based on the Portico II limiter and has
its own decated Off-Max control.
This is a fabulous compressor on the Portico ll, with
a comprehensive set of controls and features, most of
which are standard compression fare. Two, however,
are worthy of closer scrutiny. First, you get to switch
between RMS level sensing mode (attack and release
follow average signal level) and Peak mode (attack is a
very fast .ms). With this mode, in particular, you can
then use the handy Blend rotary control to balance the
original signal and the aggressively compressed signal as
per parallel compression.
Second, you get a button to switch between Feed
Forward (FF) and Feed Back (FB) compressor modes.
FB is the mode associated with vintage-type units
where the signal after the gain changing element
(such as a VCA) is what dictates the attenuation. Feed
Forward mode uses the signal before this gain stage to
control attenuation.
FB tends to be described as delivering a smooth sonic
feel, where Feed Forward tends to be more aggressive,
with a pumping feel.
Finally next to the segment gain reduction and
output peak meters of the Portico ll, we have a switch
that selects either Silk or Silk+ modes, with an associated
Texture rotary control that determines the amount of the
sonic shaping introduced to the signal.
Silk adds some subtle vintage distortion to the signal,
with a focus on lower mids, while with Silk + introduces
a 'vintage Class A console' circuit emulation with more
high-mid presence.
I n Use
The Portico ll is a wonderfully versatile box of tricks.
The preamp alone is sonically very clean, with a subtley
extended top end that gives a very pleasant presence.
Beyond this, the array of options is almost daunting
in its variety. As you become familiar with each section
of the Portico ll, you appreciate more and more just
how well thought through each one is. At no point did
I find myself wishing for a few more frequency options
or a wider range of bandwidth control, for example.
Every stage just oozes quality and attention to detail.
The Portico ll lets you transport an input signal
through to its destination transparently with no real
audible artifacts, or aggressively push it right into your
face and make you pay close attention. There is a huge
amount of real flexibility here.
Concl usi on
The Portico ll carries on the great Portico name. This is, for
me, the best I have heard in the Portico range of devices,
and there are some very good pieces already there.
The price is quite high but is fully justified by the sheer
quality and flexibility that the Portico ll offers.
The Portico ll is one rack mount channel strip that you
really do need to audition for yourselves.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GB2,166.00 (exc.VAT)
A Rupert Neve Designs, Inc.
W www.rupertneve.com
A UK Distributor: Sonic Distribution Ltd., 3 Hunting Gate,
Hitchin, Herts, SG4 0TJ, UK
T +44 (0) 845 500 2500
W www.sonic-distribution.com/uk
24
The magic of the Portico Series
continues with the Portico II.
SIMON TILLBROOK takes the
new unit to audition whether it
will uphold the great
family name.
RUPERT NEVE PORTICO II
Rack-Mounted Channel Strip
SIMON TILLBROOK is the Principal
Music Tutor at Islington Music
Workshop in London. The rest of
his time is spent as a freelance
engineer, mainly in the USA.
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I
ts not compulsory for gear made by small enthusiastic
companies to be well finished but its mostly the case,
and Thermionic Culture's The Rooster (a valve pre-
amp with EQ and attitude ) doesnt disappoint in that
respect. A passing engineer picked it up and spent way
too long just playing with the toggle switches on off
on off on off. Stop it, Mark. But lets be honest if youre
reading this publication youre probably someone who
gets a lot of satisfaction from a good toggle switch.
And its not as you might think mere switchery pokery
you cant knock a TC phantom power toggle switch by
mistake (or as my children would say on accident).
The heavy duty construction and high standard of
finish proclaims a labour of love as much as a product,
and to be in this market means youll be stacking this up
against other high quality pre-amps, many from the other
side of the Atlantic. But this home-grown contender is
not just a balanced mic pre-amp it also offers DI and
line inputs, and some interesting tone shaping options
including the mysterious attitude.
Most of Thermionic Cultures gear sports VU meters,
whereas the Rooster has some basic led metering to get
by with. Its probably space more than cost but I would
have preferred needle-based metering. Once you get
into the EQ youre going to have to put your thinking cap
on. To be fair Bass Lift, Mid/Hi Lift, Bass Cut, and Mid
Cut shouldnt be confusing (even with some selectable
turnover frequencies), but I did feel slightly that the
process was one that I would need to use regularly to
get the best out of. I think this is actually a feature as,
for instance, the Bass Lift shelves at the lower end of the
boost function but moves to a more tipped up curve as
the amount of boost increased.
The real fun though is in the attitude. Sadly, the
Rooster is unable to reduce the actual attitude of your
talent, youll just have to live with that the Roosters
attitude is purely additive and only works on the sound.
Basically attitude is all about distortion, you get two
controls: one six position amount knob, and a mode
switch that allows you to run the distortion valve in Triode
mode (mostly second order harmonics) or in Pentode mode
(third order harmonics) depending on the effect youre
looking for. However, the amount of attitude interacts
with the input stage control, changing the overall gain of
the device. This means that setting the gain of the Rooster
is a subtle business involving a few trips round the loop.
Input gain control, output gain control, EQ and attitude, input
gain control, output gain control... Repeat until happy.
I n Use
I started with an AKG ULS and some vocals.
The first thing that impressed me was that the Rooster was
commendably quiet (yes I know you can build and buy
quieter solid state devices), but what really struck me was
the beguiling quality of the top end. One day someone will
write a review of a valve-based device without using the
word warmth. But in the words of Aragorn: not today .
But in any case I tend to be more concerned about how
a pre-amp copes with the tricky business of the top end of
a voice. And I accept that there may be a wrestling match
here between telling it as it is, call it WYHIWYG and, in
the opposite corner, WYHIWYW the age-old conflict
between what you get, and what you want. Many years
ago a colleague of mine braved the elements to record
one of Wales mightiest waterfalls it was a staggeringly
good recording capturing everything from the thunderous
bottom end to the splashiest transients. I was quite jealous
when I heard it. Imagine my secret joy when he proudly
played it to the producer who dismissed it almost instantly,
much preferring the standard cinema waterfall from the
most hackneyed FX CD. I felt the top end of the Rooster
had a liquid quality that burnished the vocal to a silvery
shine without ever raising its voice... Thats the box 'flat',
as it were.
Love I t Or Hate I t
I lent the TC Rooster to Nic Palmer from MachineRooms
in Cardiff. Nic is no stranger to valves. MachineRooms
has a TLA desk, and is also home to some crazy Lazy
Lizard Labs kit that is made in a secret location in Wales.
So secret that only Welsh people can pronounce it.
I kid you not. The reaction?
Well, as my boss once said to me: Presenter X is the
most popular presenter in our crucial target area Y.
The problem is hes also the least popular presenter in
target area Y. Yes, The Rooster is Marmite, and Nic is
strictly marmalade he does want to make it cry or sing.
He loved the build and played with the toggles but found
the controls not as intuitive as they could be and the gain
dance too frustrating for the sound he was getting.
Well that took the wind out of my sails so I gave it
to Clive The Voice Roderick, a man who not only has a
fine set of chords on him but also knows the hot end of
a soldering iron. A very rare combination in my
experience. He pronounced the Rooster delicious as
he fiddled with the toggle switches. So where does that
leave us in a world that demands a neat resolution?
Forgive me if I resort to stating the obvious you need
to hear it for yourself. Its definitely able to sound you
just have to decide if its the sound you want.
Now pass the Marmite and Ill tell you my Branston
Pickle and Christmas cake story.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GB2,173.00
A
Thermionic Culture
W
www.thermionicculture.com
A
UK Distributor: Unity Audio Ltd., The Elms Barn,
Baythorne End, Halstead, Essex CO9 4AB
T
+44 (0) 1440 785843
W
www.unityaudio.co.uk
26
The Rooster certainly crows,
says ALISTAIR McGHEE
but sound being a subjective
thing, will its crow please all?
THERMIONIC CULTURE THE ROOSTER
Valve Pre-amp
Alistair McGhee began audio life
in Hi-Fi before joining the BBC
as an audio engineer. After ten
years in radio and TV, he moved
to production. When BBC Choice
started, he pioneered personal
digital production in television.
Alistair is now Assistant Editor,
BBC Radio Wales, but is allowed
out occasionally.
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THE LIQUID CHANNEL - Typically 1699.99
Every mic pre and compressor combination in history, inside a single 192kHz 2U device.
The Liquid Channel transports classic front-end processing into the digital age, removing
the need for endless patching and adding reliability to your studio environment.
ISA430 MkII - Typically 1899.99
The ISA430 MkII represents the pinnacle of Focusrites analogue channel strip
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ISA428 MkII - Typically 1199.99
Four of Focusrites prestigious transformer-based microphone preamps, featuring the
same classic circuitry and renowned audio quality found in the original, alongside
a class-leading A-D converter option, all at a new level of affordability.
ISA828 - Typically 1799.99
The ISA828 eight channel microphone pre-amplifer provides eight original ISA
transformer-based preamps in a single robust 2U chassis, offering the Focusrite
signature sound at its lowest cost per channel to date. The same eight channel A-D
converter option is also available.
ISA One Analogue and Digital - Typically 399.99 and 599.99
ISA One is ideal for both engineers and demanding performers alike, featuring the classic
ISA transformer-based pre amp, a simultaneous DI, an output for routing to an amp, an
independent XLR output on the rear and, on the Digital option, routing to the digital output.
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*Terms and conditions apply. Speak with your nearest Focusrite pro-dealer for details.
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You wouldnt buy a new car without taking it for a test drive. Equally, you shouldnt have to buy
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S
ince Clu, Tron, and Yori last did battle with the MCP, the
original film of Tron has sat in the public consciousness,
waiting for the next wave of cult-status-retro-desire to
sweep it back into the mainstream. This time around, the
game has been seriously upgraded, and our new action
hero is Kevin Flynns son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund), who goes
to find his missing father now Clu 2.0 (Jeff Bridges).
Joseph Kosinski Directs, with the bulk of the sound credits
going to the awesome talent pool at George Lucas
Skywalker Sound.
If you check the sound crew on Tron at IMDB, youd be
forgiven for thinking that this was one of the biggest crowd
of audio post people ever assembled for a film. This is a little
bit misleading. The project has been going on for some
time since Steve Boeddeker put together the initial visual
effects test light-cycle sequence in 2008.
Addison Teague, one of two Supervising Sound Editors
on the film, notes that this gave the main production a
welcome boost from the start: When they green-lit the film,
he [Joe Kosinski] had Steve Boeddeker continue to create all
these sounds because he wanted to be putting the sounds
with the picture as he was making the film. So this went off
and on, but Steve created this really amazing library over
the course of a year before I even started I came onto the
film in March of this year.
Over time, there have been a quite a few project visitors,
which in some ways could be a problem consistency
of knowledge, and so on; but in others, can be a boon.
Its not ideal to work that way, notes Teague. But the
process evolved and there was a lot of experimentation
along the way. Sometimes it would work out really well
because youd hit a dead end with one thing, and youd
have a new Editor come in with a fresh perspective.
I would typically choose those particular mini projects for
someone new coming on if I knew we needed a new start
or a new take.
In the most recent times, editorial has been a minimal
crew, with Josh Gold and Kysten Mate as the mainstays.
We probably could have used an extra set of hands all
the way through, comments Gwen Whittle the other
Supervising Sound Editor, But theres all those budgetary
concerns, so you go the fattest theyll let you go.
The Retrospecti ve Angl e
One obvious question to start with is how much the original
movie has influenced this new one. Teague makes the point
that Tron: Legacy is actually a sequel, not a remake, and so
their work was very much in the spirit of the original, but
not simply a new version of it.
Fundamental to this is the idea that the game world
in the new film is an evolved version, which was a gift to
everybody involved in the film evolved movie-making
technique and technology is well-suited to creating an
evolved Tron world.
The first thing that we were told when we spotted the
film, reports Teague, Was that Joe was really looking to
the sound to help ground his visuals, and so we needed
the sound to be very realistic. This was a curveball for all
of us because, being fans of the original film that had
really groundbreaking sound design to match the visuals,
we figured that was what we were going to do with this
as well.
And so the team went about finding real-world sounds
to attach to the film elements a strategy designed to help
the audience buy into the fictional world by giving it reality
handles to hold on to.
Once we accomplished that,says Teague, Then it was a
matter of going in and trying to find layers of sound design
that would coexist with these realistic sounds, and give it
that Tron feel.
The discs were an interesting one, because we went
down tons of roads with them. Again, in trying to find that
physical sound that grounds it, I turned to YouTube and did
a search for flying remote control toys, just to see if I saw
anything that could physically move air in a rotating way.
The toys provided a foundation element, and then
came the layers of electronica that Boeddeker and
Sound Designer/Re-Recording Mixer Chris Boyes had
been developing for the film. The goal was to find that
combination of something that feels like its turning, but
then when it gets thrown through the air also has an electric
energy... like a hi-tech frisbee.
As you might expect from a process that necessarily
leaves a long trail of mutated audio elements in its
wake, individual elements become lost in the whole.
When asked about contributors to the energy of the discs,
Teague responds: I wish I could tell you theres a lot of
experimentation in this film. When you manipulate sounds,
you can only take things so far before they start to fall
Cool motorbikes, deathly
frisbees, suits that light up,
and living inside a computer
game. Whats not to like? The
long awaited Tron sequel is
here, with a souped-up game
world more deadly than
the last. PAUL MAC talks to
Skywalker Sounds Addison
Teague and Gwen Whittle
about living up to the legacy.
Tron: Legacy
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>
apart, and then you have to tone back a little bit. In the
Tron world, that sort of deconstruction of sound was very
appropriate, so wed find that there were a lot of happy
accidents. Youre always trying to push things, and come up
with new processes that you havent used before, but when
sound would start to fall apart in a digital way, we came up
with a lot of really fun textures and those became a huge
palette to work with on any given shot.
Musi c + Ef fects
A lot of music for Tron was provided by French
electronic duo Daft Punk. The pair, according
to a quote from Joe Kosinski, are huge Tron
fans. The development of the music took
place over three years and, in Kosinskis
words: Its so integral to the film, so tied to
the picture. Its a combination of orchestral
music, electronic music, granular music, a
layering blend that sometimes blurs the line
between music and sound design in a really
interesting way.
For the Skywalker team, one of the most
significant musical features was its early
arrival. The guide tracks were of the actual
music, so instead of just working to picture,
the team knew how the music would fit.
It was both a challenge and a real pleasure
to have that ahead of time, says Teague. The challenge he
speaks of was the opportunity to bring music and effects
closer than most movies ever manage, at the Editorial stage.
It completely informs you as to what is going to be there
and what will work,he continues. We were able to go down
roads where we would orchestrate the effects to really work
with the music. At times they blended together a little too
much, so then you could re-group and come at it with a
different angle.
The light cycle is a perfect example. That was the first
thing that was done for this film for the visual effects test
that was shown in 2008 and it was very motorcycle based...
It had no music, so it allowed Steve to just go crazy with the
sound effects and not worry about it really detail it out.
The light cycle sequence in the movie is completely
music driven. We went down one road where we actually
tried to pitch the light cycles so that they
co-existed with the music, because we knew
anything that clashed with the music tonally
was just going to get dropped.
However, we ended up circling right back
around to the motorcycle sounds. What we
found, and it was a really odd lesson, was
that its one thing to make things co-exist,
but when you get into a mix and each thing
needs to have its moment, if the sound
effects co-exist too much with the music
then they cant really have their day, they
cant really have their moment and they dont
quite have their punch.
Tal k Tal k
Youd think that maybe getting good
production sound for something like Tron
would not be as difficult as from more
challenging and less controlled sets. Not so, apparently...
Whittle explains that the light suits the actors wore for
the film were the cause of much trauma. The suits have
lights in them. They were real lights, practical lights... and
each suit had its own really migraine-inducing whine;
and when the actors would move close to each other the
whine would change. That any of the production dialogue
is useable is a miracle.
Credits/Info
Skywalker Sound
www.skysound.com
Addison Teague
Supervising Sound Editor
Adam Kopald Sound Effects Editor
Bil Martel Production Sound Mixer
Brad Semenoff Apprentice Sound
Brian Chumney Foley Editor
Cheryl Nardi Dialogue Editor
Christopher Boyes Sound Designer
and Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Christopher Scarabosio
Sound Effects Editor
Corey Tyler Foley Recordist
Doc Kane ADR Recordist
Donald D. Brown Boom Operator
Gary Rizzo Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Greg Zimmerman ADR Recordist
Gwendolyn Yates Whittle Supervising
Sound Editor
Jonathan Null
Supervising Foley Editor
Josh Gold Sound Effects Editor
Juan Peralta
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Julian Howarth
Sound Effects Recordist
Juniper Watters Sound Assistant
Ken Fischer Sound Effects Editor
Kysten Mate Sound Effects Editor
Mac Smith Sound Effects Editor
Michael McGee
Production Sound Mixer
Michael Silvers Dialogue Editor
Sean England Foley Recordist
Steve Boeddeker Sound Designer
Stuart McCowan ADR Editor
Teresa Eckton Sound Effects Editor
Tomy OConnell ADR Recordist
Warren Hendriks Sound Effects Editor
What we found,
and it was a really
odd lesson, was
that its one thing
to make things
co-exist, but when
you get into a mix
and each thing
needs to have its
moment
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We took those mi grai ne
inducing production tracks and cut
them. Thank god I had help with
that, because it was pretty scary.
A wonderful woman named Marie
Ebbing put all the whine stuff
through this process called Nova,
then shed send them back to us...
If new whine tracks came in, wed
give them to her and shed give it
back to us. Then Gary [Rizzo] pre-
mixed it, and she took another
level of schmutzey stuff out of it,
and then when we finalled we took
another level of stuff out.
One of the scenes in particular,
theres no music, theyre in this
pristine white room with no bands,
no nothing its just naked. The fact
that we could use it is a testament
all those people who put all that
effort into it.
Gwen estimates that they
recorded ADR of about 75 percent
of the film, and used about 60
percent of that. The reason for the
excess was simply that they didnt
know whether the production
sound was definitely going to
work, and opportunity to get
actors in was limited.
We got lucky that the main
actor, Gary Headland, loves ADR,
says Gwen. He got excited which
is really rare, as you know. And Jeff
Bridges, whos been acting for life,
is really, really good at it... In case
the production was not useable,
we had incredibly good viable
options, which was nice.
I was particularly interested in character
dialogue for Trons digital world, and what that
meant for those working on the dialogue sound.
Sometimes a signature, or a design strategy
denotes an environment. It turns out that the
treatment is even more tied to the concept of
an other world. Everyone in the game world is
a computer program, explains Whittle. Joe, the
director, wanted to have it so, depending on how
high up in the computer program you were, youd
be less processed. The programs at the bottom
rung were more processed and had more digital
distortion on them they sounded less human.
Normally in a dialogue job youre trying to
make everyone sound as natural as possible, in
this one you were trying to find ways to make them
sound messed up and flangey and 'underwater'
and with little digital artefacts on them.
Apparently Josh Gold, one of the Effects
Editors, did much of the work on this aspect.
For one character,says Gwen, He did each syllable
in different ways. Its completely bizarre.
The problem comes as the characters go up
the chain; if you process the higher levels ones too
much you stop being able to understand them.
So we had to back off on that a little bit, so some
of them have just the littlest edge... You might not
even notice it unless youre really listening for it.
We used PhaseMistress, we used Pitch n Time,
Crystalizer, even a de noiser thing thing that makes
people sound a little bit underwater and sort of
hazy we used that in the opposite way that most
people normally do. A lot of the stuff was pitched
way low, like four semi tones down, just to make
them very, very manly, and then wed put stuff on
top of that.
Skywalker Sound grew out of filmmaker George Lucass desire to create anything he
could imagine by any means necessary. Phil Benson, the recently appointment
General Manager at Skywalker, knows what needs to be done to realise
that ambition, and is currently offering Skywalker clients the
benefits of a new collaboration tool to make the production
process less fraught, and more productive.
In headline, the studio has developed an exclusive,
remote collaboration technology that allows a director to
work with multiple vendors from a single location without
sacrificing the quality of either the image or sound that
need to be reviewed.
Benson: In practical terms, what this means is that
on his project Tron: Legacy, while Director Joe Kosinski is
physically at Skywalker Ranch for the final audio mix, he
will also be able to play back and manipulate full-resolution
2K 3D imagery that is streaming from a visual effects facility
400 miles away.
The system essentially allowed Joe to be in three places at once. We created a
system that has the ability to stream uncompressed stereoscopic 1080P HD video along
with up to eight channels of uncompressed audio with a virtually
unperceivable delay.
The system operates over a private high-speed network from
Skywalker Sound to various points in Los Angeles (and soon globally)
and also incorporates the ability for two-way communication both
via video conference, as well as transport control and on-screen
notations which can be added at either end.
The Skywalker Sound engineering team used both off the
shelf electronics and custom hardware to do the heavy lifting,
encoding the dual streams of uncompressed HD video into the
JPEG 2000 codec, and bundling the resulting data with the
eight audio channels prior to being beamed across a private
1GB network to the final destination with very low latency
under 150 milliseconds.
Tron: Legacy is the first production to use this technology.
RE MOT E CONT ROL
Normally in a
dialogue job youre
trying to make
everyone sound as
natural as possible,
in this one you
were trying to find
ways to make them
sound messed up
and flangey and
underwater
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3D? Yes, We ve been Doi ng That
For A Whi l e. . .
At a time when many of the big film releases are
coming out with both 3D and 2D versions, its a
good time to ask about the concept of 3D sound.
Has anything changed? Havent we been mixing
films in 3D for some time now?
For Tron, the 7.1 format was selected for its
additional rear channels from a number of options.
Joe listened to a number of formats on this film,
says Teague, Because he was really interested in
embracing as much additional 3D sound as he
could. We arrived at 7.1, which adds a couple of
channels in the back.
Teague also notes that the new 3D is generally
different to the old 3D, and as such, doesnt require
novelty panning to match equally outrageous
visual effects. The old 3D was more about coming
out at you and poking you in the eye, and the new
3D is more like an aquarium youre looking into
something. Its more about depth... Of course, it
depends on the content of the film; theres the
occasional thing, the visual cue that wants you
to bring something out into the theatre, but a
lot of it is just the depth in the front, and thats
something that weve been trying to do for a long
time anyway.
Whittle concurs the old rules still apply: 7.1
instead of 5.1 may make it more 3D, but I think it
just fills up the room in a different way... We didnt
do anything specific for 3D. I mean at a certain
point it gets distracting to go behind you too much.
Even if it is 3D, the screen is still in front of you.
The idea that actually mixing to 3D picture
might be common some time soon could be a little
too progressive. There are many logistical issues
to start with, and also endurance: It gives you a
headache, says Whittle. Its really good to check
it, but your heads going to explode if you mix all
day with those glasses on, especially if you wear
glasses to begin with and you get the 3D glasses
on top... its hard.
Teague: We didnt mix anything to 3D picture.
Ive done a couple of 3D films and typically the
director knows what the 3Ds gong to do, so they
can always keep that in mind.
You have to think thats coming at some point.
The mixers say they cant see the faders if they
have the glasses on. Theres the fatigue standpoint
too, I mean, the main reason we dont do it is that
technically, they dont have the picture ready.
We can do it on these stages were completely set
up for 3D projection in a mix stage environment,
but normally the pictures not quite ready.
Thats usually why its after the fact.
There is, however, at least one nod to a notion
of 3D as a creative, dynamic effect. A shift from
more subtle 3D visuals to more drastic ones marks
the films transition from the real world into the
game world. The moment when Sam gets pulled
into the world, says Teague, Is an exception in
terms of sound. I talked about the aquarium feel
as opposed to the poke you in the eye feel, and
that first moment right when we go into the more
aggressive 3D, is a moment that really comes at
you. So that was fun to take the sound, and play
with the surrounds a bit at that moment.
Its apt that a film with its roots so firmly in
technical advances both fictional and real
should be on the leading edge of the cinema
experience. Using a level of 3D as a creative
mechanism is another advance another lead.
This is something Skywalker Sound is familiar
with, from the lengths it is prepared to go to
for the aural experience to be a memorable and
fulfilling one, to its constant reappraisal of what
it takes to participate in modern production
workflows.
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We cogitated, considered, and co-operated with investigations to bring you the 24-bit pick of this year's
product launches. We've chosen gear on criteria as diverse as innovation, practicality, cost, and coolness
though we can't be drawn on which is which. Simply photocopy it and hand it over to Santa.
Audio-Technica HBPS-1
The new HBPS-1
headphone and
microphone set is
positioned to sell
well. With a dynamic
microphone, there's
no need to rely on
power availability,
and a high priority
has been put on comfort for those long sports
and live broadcast sessions. A removable cable
and switchable left-right configuration round
off the package.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
There's a lot to be said for listening to customer
need and responding. The HBPS-1 doesn't need
power and costs less. It's niche is quite big...
Reviewed Audio Media November 2010
www.audio-technica.com
Avid Pro Tools 9
Pro Tool s 9
(including Pro
Tool s 9 HD)
is a big break
f r om Avi d' s
past. Now the
software includes Core Audio and ASIO support
(use any interface), and is the first release for
the new Native and HD Native options (single
installation). It's also the first Eucon compatible
version since Avid bought Euphonix. More new
features plus many 'catch-up' bits and bug
bashes round off the sea-change.
EDITOR'S COMMENT
The biggest thread in three months of Pro Tools
announcements has been the move to open
the platform up and play nicely with others in
the DAW world. There's still more to do, but so
far, so great.
To be reviewed...
www.avid.com
Cedar DNS One
Thi s software-
based dialogue
noise suppressor
recreates CEDAR's
DNS process as a
Pro Tools plug-in.
The plug-in runs
on Mac OS X and
Windows, and features a user-interface that
allows users to control hundreds of channels
of DNS from a single Pro Tools host. DNS will
remove rumble, general background, whistles
and camera noise from contaminated audio.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
When will they make it a plug-in? When will
they make it a plug-in? When will they make
it a plug-in? Oh... they did. It's a good day in
no-compromise noise reduction.
Reviewed Audio Media, March 2010
www.cedaraudio.com
DiGiCo SD9
The SD9 from DiGiCo is a complete integrated
system that includes the mixing surface,
a D-Rack digital stage interface, and CAT5E
digital multi-core, with the additional ability
to simultaneously record 56 channels direct to
multi-track software or a DAW. The new D-Rack,
which is an integral part of the SD9 system and
connected to the work surface by a digital
CAT5E cable, has 32 microphone inputs, eight
line outputs, and eight modular outputs.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
Who knew that state of the art processing
and power could get to be this compact, this
convenient, and come in at such a low cost?
DiGiCo makes this stuff look easy.
Previewed Audio Media, September 2010
www.digico.biz
Focusrite Octopre
Dynamic MkII
The Focusrite OctoPre MkII Dynamic features
eight channels of mic pre-amplification.
Each channel has a VCA-based compressor
that has been tuned by ear to model the
sound of the Focusrite Red 3. The compressor
can be used to provide a clean, controlled
sound, or the behaviour of the VCA can be
transformed using the 'more' switch. The unit
also has on-board 24/96 converters and optical
output.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
The component parts of the Octopre dynamic
are not new, it's just that the package is
so elegant, so useful, and so obvious, that
it deserves this 'pick' every bit as much as
innovation and originality.
Reviewed Audio Media, April 2010
www.focusrite.com
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KMRA
U
D
I
O
email [email protected] web www.kmraudio.com
kmr audio, 1375 high road, whetstone, london N20 9LN
020 8445 2446
KMR are Europes leading supplier of high-end recording equipment.
We stock a huge range of audiophile gear - available to audition in
either our North London demo rooms or the comfort of your own studio.
If you like your supplier to know one end of a Lundahl transformer
from a T4 opto-compressor, our highly experienced staff will help you
choose the best equipment for your needs. Combining a passion for
great recording kit with good old-fashioned service and competitive
pricing, we look forward to hearing from you.
TALK
TO US
REAL
PRO
AUDIO
FOR
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apogee
apple
avid
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crane song
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lavry
lynx
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shadow hills
shinybox
soundfeld
soundman
towersonic
1011 KMR - 210x297.indd 1 12/11/10 10:05:18
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GE AR OF T HE Y E AR 2010
Fostex FM-4
The FM-4 is a
four- channel
p o r t a b l e
mi xer for al l
location work.
Each of the four
balanced XLR
inputs can accept mic or line level inputs and
feature 12T and 48V phantom power, an ultra-
low noise pre-amp with custom transformers,
and switchable hi-shelving EQ and mid sweep
EQ. Metering is done on an organic LED display
with both VU and peak level indication.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
The FM-4 has a beautiful display, all the right
knobs and buttons in all the right places, a good
build quality-versus-weight quotient, and a
reassuringly analogue signal path that makes
the grade.
Reviewed Audio Media, January 2010
www.fostexinternational.com
Genelec 8260
These new moni tor s
r epr es ent Genel ec' s
first foray in into coaxial
dri vers. The spear i s
actually a three-way, with
a t weeter / mi d- r ange
coaxi al combi nati on,
which apparently offers
better performance over
more traditional mid/woofer designs and,
according to the designers, blurs the line
between cabinet and driver one is part of
the other. The 8260 comes with DSP inside and
Genelec's GLM software.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
Genelec never stops the progress, and the 8260
is another jump. From cabinet, to electronics,
software, and drivers, Genelec keeps driving
forwards.
Reviewed Audio Media, September 2010
www.genelec.com
Harrison Consoles Mixbus
Harrison Consoles' Mixbus is a virtual analogue
console integrated into a full-featured DAW.
It features True Analogue Mixing, based on
Harrison's 32-Series and MR-Series console
designs, plus Harrison's proprietary digital
mixing technology; with precision DSP
algorithms for EQ, filter, compression, analogue
tape saturation, and summing. There are four
stereo mix busses, featuring tone controls,
compression, side chaining, and analogue tape
saturation.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
MixBus is a surprise product from a respected
brand. It has crept, almost virally, onto the
desktops of audio pros who recognise a great
new tool (and bargain) when they see one.
Reviewed Audio Media, January 2010
www.harrisonconsoles.com
Lexicon PCM
Native Reverb
This bundle is
a reverb plug-
in emporium
for VST, Audio
Unit, or RTAS
c o mp a t i b l e
DAWs. The bundle contains seven Lexicon
reverbs with hundreds of studio presets.
It has a graphical real-time display illustrating
the frequency stages of each algorithm, and a
visual EQ section for easy adjustment of both
early and late reflections. Presets can be stored
in a DAW independent format that allows
custom presets to be transferred between
any DAWs.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
Putting such a revered reverb collection into
plug-in form could have been the biggest
mistake ever. However, Lexicon has rightly
taken a no-compromise approach and done
justice to the legend.
Reviewed Audio Media, March 2010
www.lexiconpro.com
Midas Venice F
The Venice F was launched
at this year's PLASA show
and stood out for being
a new analogue release.
But there's a twist. Even
though the Venice F uses analogue wizardry
from the XL3, XL4, and Heritage, one of its
big straights is the inclusion of a 64-channel
(32x32) Firewire interface, which could be used
for multi-track recording or even for computer-
based effects processing. The console comes in
16, 24, and 32 frames with six aux sends, four
groups, stereo masters, and a 7x2 matrix.
EDITOR'S COMMENT
Far from abandoning its impressive analogue
legacy, Midas is busy making sure it stays
relevant. The Venice talks digital, and sings
analogue.
To be reviewed...
www.midasconsoles.com
Nagra LB
T he L B i s
t h e l a t e s t
t wo- channel
recorder from
Na gr a a nd
features many
of the well-known Nagra traits such as a
lightweight aluminium body, transport dial,
and high-quality pre-amps. In addition the unit
features two colour displays, one dedicated
to the on-board editing system, ethernet and
Bluetooth connectivity, and an internal 2GB
Flash memory, amongst other things.
EDITOR'S COMMENT
The Nagra LB goes further than anyone yet with
just a two-channel product. As always, the build
quality, audio quality, and ease of use should be
admired close-up.
Reviewed Audio Media, September 2010
www.nagraaudio.com
PenteoSurround
Penteo R/T
The PenteoSurround Penteo PostPro is, simply
put, a stereo to surround up-mix processor
that uses the unique algorithm developed by
Penteo. One of its big selling points is that
the unit, by using a system of 'panorama
slicing', will automatically maintain folddown
compatibility in its output.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
My over- ri di ng experi ence wi th the
PenteoSurround processor has been the
endorsements willingly offered by many
respected name in high-end post. Sometimes,
the buzz is justified.
Reviewed in Audio Media, December 2010.
www.penteosurround.com
PreSonus Studio One
PreSonus says its goal in developing Studio
One was to "wipe the slate clean and apply
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decades of collective
s o f t w a r e a n d
hardware experience
to bring the DAW
back to the musician
and producer." This
translates as an easy
to use program for
Mac and PC, with drag-and-drop MIDI mapping
and plug-in management, auto-configuration
with PreSonus hardware, and unlimited tracks
and plug-ins per track.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
Presonus often demonstrates a unique take
on products that focuses on the real needs of
sound people. Presenting a new DAW is a brave
move done for all the right reasons.
Reviewed in Audio Media, February 2010
www.presonus.com
RME Fireface UFX
This unit combines several RME technologies
and features into a single unit. At its heart
are 60 channels of I/O, four mic pre-amps,
two MIDI interfaces, dual headphone outs, a
hardware remote, USB stick/drive connection
(with a recording update to come), DSP-based
reverb, and an updated TotalMix FX software.
The mai n DAW connecti on comes i n
two flavours Firewire and USB (USB3
compatible).
EDITOR'S COMMENT
This box really does have a bit of everything,
and even the promise of more to come. RME's
reputation for reliable, fast DAW interfacing,
high-quality audio, and feature-rich gear
remains.
Reviewed Audio Media, November 2010
www.rme-audio.com
RSS S-0808
The S-0808 is the world's first battery operated
and remote-powered 8x8 digital snake, with
inputs that offer remote controllable pre-amps.
The unit is an 8-in/8-out compact, lightweight
digital snake that supports multiple power
options including battery power, embedded
power over REAC, and power over Ethernet.
It offers TRS and Hi-Z inputs.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
The S-0808 takes the incredibly popular digital
snake technology and makes it useful and
affordable for a very large number of people.
Who wouldn't want the advantage of single
cable, eight-channel transmission sitting in
their bag, ready for use at a moment's notice?
Reviewed in Audio Media, September 2010
www.roland.com
Rycote Invision USM
Thi s i s a uni ver s al
mi c s us pens i on f or
l a r g e - d i a p h r a g m
recording microphones.
An a l t e r na t i v e t o
elasticated suspensions,
the desi gn i s based
around the 'u'-shaped Lyre suspension mount
used in Rycote's InVision suspension range for
smaller-barrelled microphones. The mount will
accept round and flat-sided large-diaphragm
instrument microphones from 18 to 55mm in
diameter. Attenuation of unwanted vibrations,
handling, and stand-borne noise is up to 12dB
better than traditional elasticated designs.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
The difference that such a seemingly simple
product as InVision can make to the very
fundamental act of audio acquisition is
spectacular. Who needs elastic now?
Reviewed in Audio Media, March 2010
www.rycote.com
Schoeps Super CMIT
The Schoeps Super CMIT is based on the
analogue CMIT 5 model, and uses technology
EXCELLENCE
IN THE FIELD
3-2-35 Musashino, Akishima, Tokyo, Japan 196-0021 Email: [email protected] www.fostex.com
FM-4: 4 Channel Mixer with EQ
FM-3: 3 Channel Mixer
Robust, high specification, professionally engineered portable mixers,
(and new FM-1 mic preamp), specifically designed for location film &
TV production, electronic field production and ENG applications.
FM-4 : FM-3 : FM-1
Portable Location Mixers & Preamp
FM-1
Portable Mic Pre-Amp
for ENG Applications
A high quality mic preamp
with powerful microphone
gain limiter. Compact, rugged
and simple to use.
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f r om I l l us oni c .
In addition to the
capsule behind the
interference tube, it
has a second, rear-
facing microphone
capsule. Based on a determination of
persistent, discrete arrival (or not) DSP suppress
diffuse sound and focuses on discrete sound.
This increases the reach of the microphone,
without colouring the sound.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
Schoeps has taken a staple ingredient in the
recordist's armoury and, with some original
thought, has made it more versatile and more
valuable than ever before.
Reviewed in Audio Media June 2010
www.schoeps.de
sE Electronics Gemini 5
With the whole twins thing going on, you'd
have thought that taking
out one of the two valves
would have done for the
'Gemini' name. But no, the
double whammy with this
big-guy is the dual tube
and FET electronics paths
via the power supply unit.
The two outputs can be
tracked simultaneously, so stacking a variety
of coincident mics is no longer an issue.
The microphone has a single cardioid polar
pattern and comes with suspension, PSU, flight
case, and cable.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
This mic has is a very practical solution to the
persistent problem of "Which mic? Both mics?
Many mics?" A single capsule, two signal paths.
Good job.
Reviewed Audio Media, July 2010
www.seelectronics.com
Soundcraft Vi1
Soundcraft's Vi1
is a small, low-
cost console in
the Vi digital
des k r ange.
It comes with 32 channels of analogue input to
27 analogue outputs, plus digital inputs, four
Stereo FX returns, and six digital outputs in one
chassis. Input to mix capacity is 46 channels,
but a stagebox increases that to 64. Channels
are routable to 24 multi-function busses.
Up to eight of the busses can be configured as
Matrix mixes.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
The Vi1 speaks volumes to a customer whose
needs are 'smaller', but who is just as demanding
as everyone else. Vistonics, Lexicon effects, and
BSS EQ are just a few highlights.
Previewed in Audio Media September 2010
www.soundcraft.com
SSL AWS... Updated
The AWS 900 was
al ready a great
console, but SSL
has gone to town
on it. On the AWS
948 the number of inputs have basically been
doubled with a new dual path channel strip
that can work in stereo mix, in-line mix, and
in-line tracking modes. In addition, the new
A-FADA mode enables the analogue motorised
faders on the AWS to follow automation data
from a DAW; there are metering upgrades, LCD
scribble strips, SD card project storage, and a
chassis re-style... amongst other things.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
This takes the AWS success story to new heights
with some very innovative features and useful
frills. Not so much an update as a whole new
console?
To be reviewed...
Steinberg Nuendo 5
Nuendo 5
includes an
ADR toolset,
e x t e n d e d
compatibility,
i mp r o v e d
editing features, and a new scrubbing engine.
It also offers new VST3 plug-ins, Surround
Panner V5, and an extended automation system
with 'flexible passes' technology. MediaBay
has been rebuilt with network collaboration
for multi-seat projects, while Clip Packages
organise individual clusters of audio clips into
one file, to be used again and again great for
sound design elements.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
Steinberg is well aware that competition in
audio post is fierce, and has responded with
yet more features, more innovation, and more
professional credibility than ever before.
Reviewed Audio Media, July 2010
www.steinberg.net
TC Electronic System 6000
MkII
The System
6000 MkII has
u p g r a d e d
software and
ha r dwa r e,
and can now be controlled and updated over
a network or via wi-fi. There are two versions
Reverb 6000, offering dozens of pristine
reverbs, delays, and boundary effects for mono
to multi-channel working; and Mastering
6000, with a selection of precision tools for the
mastering engineer.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
The new System 6000 takes the power, depth,
and all-seeing original, and steps it up a few
gears. It has hands on control and an engine
that deserves to be heard.
Reviewed in Audio Media, June 2010
www.tcelectronic.com
Thermionic Culture Fat
Bustard
The Fat Bustard is a high-end 12-channel
summing mixer (plus two aux ins) made for the
adventurous creative. The 'varislope passive
EQ' controls with single knob control for each
band and a mono-summing bass EQ stage
start the ball rolling. A innovative frequency
selective stereo width section, separate
monitor controls, and two large VU meters
complete the front panel, while inside there
are 5965, 6SN75, and 12AU7 valves for some
thermionic character.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
'Summing mixer' might be a rather tame phrase
for this creative beast. The Fat Bustard will not
only enrich your aural senses, but it will reach in
and tickle your hair cells.
Reviewed Audio Media, November 2010
www.thermionicculture.com
Waves SoundGrid
SoundGri d i s an Audi o- over-Ethernet
networking and processing technology that
provides low latency, high channel-count
Waves audio processing using standard Intel
CPUs and 1Gbps Ethernet networks. Real-time
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audio processing is performed on standard
Intel-based plugin servers, running a Waves-
customised real-time version of Linux with a
standard Mac or PC running the SoundGrid
Host application. Audio is interfaced with
SoundGrid by integrating a SoundGrid-
programmed FPGA (Xilinx Spartan 3) into a
mixing consoles I/O ports. Yamaha and DiGiCo
have already implemented SoundGrid for their
products.
EDITOR'S COMMENT:
Super-fast, expandable processing with
redundancy options and more. It's a big idea,
and one that makes sense to a lot of people.
To be reviewed...
www.waveslive.com
L AS T Y E ARS WI NNE RS
Some things we included in last year's list have taken
a little while longer than expected to either come to
market or get picked up by the masses. Just in case you
missed the 2009 Gear Of The Year or are concerned we've
missed something important, here are last year's lucky
winners...
ADAM S3X-H Allen & Heath XB-14 Audio Ease
Speakerphone 2 Calrec Apollo DiGiCo MACH 2 DPA
4099 Euphonix MC Transport Focal CMS65 Focusrite
Liquid Saffire 56 Izotope Ozone 4 JoeCo BlackBox
LittleLabs VOG Mackie Onyx-i Series Marantz PMD661
Neumann TLM 102 Novation Automap V3.1 Radial
Phazer RME HDSPe Series SADiE 6 SE Electronics T2
Sennheiser G3 Sonnox Restore Sound Devices 552
Soundfield UPM-1 TASCAM HS-P82 Telefunken U-48
Trinnov Stereo Optimizer Ultrasone Pro 900 Waves
Vocal Rider Zoom H4n
I ZOTOPE NE C TAR
Nectar is a brand new vocal processing toolkit announced at
this year's American AES convention. One interface includes
an emporium of vocal-specific effects and processes. Review
coming soon...
www.izotope.com
F OC AL MONI TORS
Focal used the AES convention to show off its new SM9
monitor, a single unit that can be a three-way or two-way
monitor depending on user selection. It incorporates the
best of Focal monitoring technology along the way, and
promises to be a treat for the lug-holes.
www.focalprofessional.com
S S L NUC L E US
SSL says "Nucleus re-defines the professional project studio
with a perfect blend of advanced DAW control, transparent
SuperAnalogue monitoring, high class analogue mic pres,
pro quality USB audio interface, and bundled SSL Duende
Native plug-ins." We've already cleared a space next to the
keyboard.
NE UMANN KH120
Following Neumann's absorption of the studio products
part of Klein & Hummel, the company has been working
hard to bring a professional monitoring line to market that
can live up to the new brand. Based on the KH technology,
the first product to emerge is the Neumann KH120 A
near-field active monitor. More once we've heard it...
www.neumann.com
S ADI E 6
While SADiE 6 was announced some time ago, the software's
transformation into a sparkly new DAW fit for the Native
age has been ongoing. Now the full launch is imminent and
we wait with baited breath to find out what's been going
on in SADiE R&D all this time.
www.sadie.com
ONE S TO WATC H
There are a few products, several launched at the recent AES convention in San Francisco, that don't quite make it into a December 2010 issue we'd rather leave them until the Mid-Year
Gear Picks. Here is a taste of things to come...
Raise Your Standards
www.apogeedigital.com
Ultimate sound quality
Logic and Pro Tools compatibility
Total I/O fexibility
Welcome to the New Standard
in Recording Technology
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The PostPros unique selling
point is that it can effortlessly
create mixes that downmix
seamlessly back to the original;
but how does it stand up as a
general contender in terms of
sound quality and ease of use?
BEN STILES finds out.
T
he final Dolby mix of a feature-length
documentary, with the original composed score
recorded in stereo . format, presented itself as
the perfect real-world opportunity to discover
what claimed to be a sonic box of delights the Penteo
PostPro stereo to surround up-mixer.
The ability to create . surround imaging, as well as
other less well known formats, from a stereo source is
still a relatively new phenomenon, despite other products
already being available on the market. Penteos claims
as to how it creates a surround format from . tracks,
and the resultant quality of the final product were both
intriguing and, if qualified, highly useful to a dubbing
mixer like myself. The algorithm, according to Penteo,
creates . audio by panorama slicing the stereo mix into
its original left-to-right components, and then re-maps
those components into their respective positions in a .
field...[the] process does not alter any phase components
or levels. Our surround masters down-mix back to stereo
with absolutely no sonic artifacts impressive stuff.
Ive worked with score that has been written and
recorded in both . and true . before, of course, and was
interested to see how a score composed and recorded in
the . format then up-mixed would benefit from the
process, and how much deviation from that upmix would
be exposed in the stereo fold-down. It represents a real
change from the common practise of simply pulling
some of the . music towards the rear speakers, often
with a true . reverb having its send routed through the
surround speakers, but only working with two discrete
channels of original audio.
The context of my review is largely based around
musical score, although I did have the chance to put a few
stereo effects and atmospheres through the PostPro too,
but ostensibly focuses on my experience with music.
First Impressions
There are two flavours of the PostPro unit Rack-mounted
or desktop unit. I used the latter. It was a small affair,
probably six inches wide, two inches tall, by eight inches
deep. It uses an external PSU transformer, and comes
with D-sub break-out cables for interfacing with whatever
DAW or playback gear one might have. Booting the unit
up ( which is essentially a PC board with internal hardware
and copy-safe, encrypted software) the front panel shone
the green light of its block digital display, reminiscent
of early rack modules, EMU synths and such. The actual
usability of the PostPro doesnt rely on any high-def or
colour display; it features a simple menu system with five
function buttons, scroll arrows, and an OK button. In short,
I found it easy to use, with no sub-menu operation to
create unwanted settings that are difficult to locate.
The desktop units physical operating noise is also low,
enabling in-studio operatio, although the unit has PS
and VGA outputs so could easily be located in a machine
room with remote monitoring and keyboard. The I/O
on the unit I used , the PostPro D (D for Digital) had
breakout cables terminated at the unit end with a D-sub
(-pin) connector and with XLR input using the AES/
EBU standard at kHz/-bit and had a separate input
for sample rate conversion from ./kHz etc, also on
D-sub (-pin).
The downmixed version of the unfolded surround mix
is available on XLR, again in AES flavour. At review time
there was no HD audio (kHz or above) input and the
units internal operating sample rate is kHz. This might
concern some, but given this is unit primarily aimed at
the kHz-dominated post-production market, it's not
a problem for most. Word clock can be locked to the
incoming digital audio or provided via reference on a BNC
connection, but must be at kHz regardless of the audio
input. Analogue I/O is available on the PostPro A unit,
again using XLR as the input connector interface.
Form And Function
The function keys (F-F) access menus under the
following topics respectively: Operating mode, Front/
Rear Balance, Centre Boost Control, Miscellaneous
Options and Channel Soloing (including both fronts solo,
and both rears solo), and Set-up/Clock Source. Im not
going to detail every option under each menu; given
the context and purpose of the PostPro unit, you can
probably guess what most concern themselves with.
A dedicated hard centre and centre boost controls are
useful in making or taking space in a mix for dialogue
or voice-over, and/or locking vocals/dials to the centre
speaker only technically speaking, increasing or
decreasing centre divergence.
The F menu contains probably the most important
selection the stereo input source to output preset
type. These are Hard Centre, Penteo music, Stereo Plus
(essentially the same as Penteo music but contains the
whole, original mix in the left and right speakers, whilst
still extrapolating the panorama to the rears and centre);
Quadraphonic Mode, an L/R/Ls/Rs/. mix a now
near-defunct format mainly used in exhibit centres; |
Three Fronts Mode, a.k.a LCR mix and Triangle mode: a
centre with summed totals of left and right placed in the
rear surrounds.
To append this, the Left/Right balance and centre
Boost under function buttons and make for a highly
flexible, one-pass upmix process. Menu function
also has an LFE toggle so sub- Hz frequencies can
be sent to the dedicated LFE/SW channel, or be left
to be expressed by the five main panoramic channels.
This, along with the bass-redirect option also in F (which
BEN STILES is a Dubbing Mixer at
Spool.
stereo-to-5.1
conversion unit
>
PenteoSurround
PostPro
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penteosurround i postpro
>
redirects frequencies below Hz from the centre
speaker to the left and right channels) ensures
that listeners on home cinema systems can still
appreciate the full glory of the upmix, even with
some compromises on the frequency capabilities
of their systems particular speaker set-up, at least
in relation to theatrical . set-ups.
In Use
As I was predominantly up-mixing musical score, I
chose the Penteo Music mode, giving the widest
and most balanced panoramic spread (in as much
as I didnt want the whole mix to be present in the
LR speakers). After some time spent playing with
settings to my taste, I balanced the front and rear
speakers, as the Dolby system
I mixed through already had
a -dB offset on the rears.
Centre Boost was left at
dB, as this was orchestral. I
had the LFE channel active
and had bass redirect off.
There was a minor amount of
input reconfiguring to match
the the PostPros output channel order, which
was different to that of the Dolby hardware in the
studio. Penteo claims that the processing delay on
the PostPro is Milliseconds I found this to be
true, give or take milliseconds or so (probably
due to other latencies in my recording setup, but
were between friends so whos counting?)
The results, based on pieces of score were
more than pleasing. The depth and breadth
of the score now felt encompassing but not
overpowering, with the high notes of the
piano glimmering in the rear left surround and
complementing the strings natural panorama well.
The centre gave an accurate rendition of those
sounds occupying the previously phantom centre,
without sounding stark or forced. I found no holes
or slumps within the surround image, but noted
that with this material the derived LFE channel
seemed to lack a certain clarity and consistency
as one would usually expect to find. The careful
use of a compressor over the LFE channel helped
produce a firm and driven bass LFE.
For a slightly filmic effect, a tiny amount of
concert hall convolution reverb was placed
almost exclusively on the the rear channels,
and this helped create a haunting and ethereal
quality, albeit one that was not consistent with
true orchestral mixing per se, and produced an
intersting downmix, given that the channels with
reverb were now laid across the whole of the
front left and right speakers and not benefitting
from the seperation of the . rear-enabled format.
The PostPros modus operandi only allowing
one to make changes that can be transparently
reproduced in the stereo downmix, without
artifacting of frequency or phase or perception
of volume, obviously introduces some limits
To ensure the . downmix remains accurate,
the unit, for example, reduces the gain and
imaging content in other channels as you affect
any given channel, especially with regards to the
perceived weight or volume of the panoramic
spread. Thus, unconventional sonic surgery inside
the PostPro is not possible; though, again, given
the market, it's probably not a vital option.
On checking the downmixed stereo (which has
been buffer-delayed to remain in phase with the
. output) and Stereo LtRt (the LtRt done through
the Dolby DMU can have notoriously strange
steering effects on input material moving through
the Y axis, i.e., sounds moving front to back/back
to front), the mix still sounded great and felt
right. The only real technical issue I encountered
was when the original stereo mix was sent to the
PostPro it contained peaks up to -. dBFS; in two
or three places I heard what appeared to be a clip
not a harsh digital squaring, but an audible click in
the mix. Using AES format for transfer is usually :
and Ive only experienced issues using that format
with poor quality or long cabling or clocking
errors, none of which were at play here. I found
that, after a few tries at different output levels
from ProTools, the clicks disappeared when peaks
were at -dBFS on the signals
sent to the PostPro unit.
This was not a major issue
as such, and the resultant
recorded . mix was boosted
by dB to achieve relative
unity with the original.
The levels are all as per
your DAW I/O, as the PostPro
itself has no metering or level detection on input,
something to bear in mind. Also absent from the
Penteo was a real-time LtRt encode and output
of the . output, necessitating another level of
encoding outside of the box.
As a brief aside, on atmospheres and effects
run through the PostPro, again the results
were superb and brought to life atmospheres
and effects (such as an aeroplane passing from
left to right onscreen)
that had previously
suf f i ced but now
seemed dull and less
expressive in their
stereo, unprocessed
form compared to
the . upmix. I think
f or at mos pher es
and generating .
compl i ant sound
l i br ar y mat er i al ,
t he Post Pr o wi l l
do wonders and I
am aware that the
manufacturers have
already put this unit
to commercial use
doing just that to the
many stereo . sound
libraries out there.
One wor d of
c a u t i o n wo u l d
concern using bi-polar
panoramic effects by
this, I mean effects
t hat move har d
left to right or vice
versa through the
panorama, as sounds
that are detected by
the PostPro at the
extremes of Pan-pot
position, will be placed
in the rears meaning
the result can be a
sweeping surround
sound that appears
to start in the rears,
moves across the front speakers, then back again
to the opposing rear channel which may not, and
probably isnt, the desired stereo imaging.
Conclusion
For ease of use, and its ability to only create
mixes that can downmix back to the original, the
PostPro is a heavy-weight contender in the world
of . surround mixing. Its not the most user-
configurable device, and certainly some other
devices and software have more control over the
resultant . surround image, but that comes at
the risk of creating a mix that cannot fold down to
a . stereo version accurately or without artifacts,
and certainly not without a lot of user input in
deciphering what has changed in the downmix
from the . surround mix. Id be surprised if the
PostPro doesnt become more of a familiar name
especially, but not limited to, in film and TV post-
production.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

$
US$8,495-10,995
A
Penteo Surround UK, 35 Bedford Gardens,
London, W8 7EF
W
www.penteosurround.co.uk
E
[email protected]
The depth and breadth
of the score now felt
encompassing but not
overpowering
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40
The search for a rugged,
top-quality interface is over for
STEPHEN BENNETT, who finds
that in this case, his wallet
speaks louder than words when
it comes to expressing the sheer
delight that is the USBPre 2.
S
ound Devices is well known for lts fleld
recorders and mlxers, and the companys name
crops up wlth lncreaslng regularlty ln lntervlews
wl th award-wl nnl ng l ocatl on recordl sts.
Deslgned to wlthstand the abuse of llfe outslde the
comfort of the studlo, Sound Devlces products are
rugged and brlstllng wlth easlly accesslble controls ultra
lmportant on a llve set where you dont want to waste
valuable tlme messlng about wlth menus and parameter
access. The US8Pre z takes the companys phllosophy
l nto the fl el d (ho ho) of computer
lnterfaces and, whlle lts prlmarlly deslgned
to get hlgh quallty audlo lnto and out of a
computer, has a few extra trlcks up lts sleek
alumlnlum sleeve.
Hardware
Housed ln a solld alumlnlum caslng
remlnlscent of those D| boxes that could
often be seen reslstlng breakage under
the wheels of Land Povers ln many a
magazlne advertlsement ln the :p;os, the
US8Pre z lmmedlately glves the lmpresslon
of robustness, and oozes confldence that
lt could easlly survlve belng dropped lnto
a rucksack alongslde an Uzl on a locatlon
recordlng trlp to Afghanlstan. The swltches
and knobs feel solld and smooth (though |d
have preferred the rotarles to be stepped)
and the whole unlt ls welghty enough
to stay put when brlstllng wlth connected cables, yet
llght enough to add llttle welght to that theoretlcal bag.
Also, though lts only the slze of a qulte blg portable hard
dlsc drlve, Sound Devlces hasnt sklmped on dlsplays,
controls, or connectors, as each vertlcal face of the US8Pre
z ls packed wlth them.
The front panel ls domlnated by two z-segment LLD
meters ln a nlce sweeplng curve, whlch can dlsplay both
peak and vU lnformatlon, whlle two nlcely machlned galn
controls set lnput levels.
An asslgnable output knob controls headphones by
default, whlle AUX and XLP output levels are ad[usted
uslng a neat push-pull rotary control. A slmllar control
also allows you to monltor elther through any DAw
software or dlrectly from the lnputs to allow zero latency
hardware monltorlng.
varlous LLDS determlne the state of phantom
powerlng, the status of the low cut fllter and the :d8
pad, and whether the dual mono optlon ls engaged the
latter dlsabllng channel two and routlng lnput one to
both recordlng channels.
The source for each lnput channel ls selected by a
small button and dlsplayed by an assoclated LLD, whlle
buttons and status LLDS allow you to choose a mono
headphone output and whether the meters are readlng
preamp lnput or DAw playback.
The US8Pre z has an unusual LOOP mode
where the computer audlo left channel ls be
lnternally routed to lnput z useful when
uslng the lnterface for measurement, as ls
support for natlve sample rates below ((.:
kHz as these provlde better PPT resolutlon
for low-frequency audlo measurements.
The rear panel sports two Mlc/Llne
swltchable balanced XLP outputs, S/PD|P
lns and outs on Tosllnk (ADAT) optlcal
connectors, and a prlseable rubber cover
for the unlts D|P swltches theres more
on these later. The left panel houses the
Mlcrophone lnputs on balanced XLP, two
balanced quarter-lnch llne lnputs, and
two PCA/Phono consumer-grade AUX lnputs,
whlle the rlght hand panels sockets cover
AUX outputs, S/PD|P dlgltal connectlons on
PCA connectors, and a US8 z socket that
both provldes power to the US8prez and
allows lt to be used as the basls of a computer-based
recordlng system.
In Use
To lnstall the software you flrst need to no, walt theres
no software supplled, no drlvers to be downloaded,
no DvD to lose. The US8Pre z ls a class compllant US8
devlce, and as such needs no extra asslstance to appear
as an lnput and output devlce ln your software of cholce.
Thls ls a really, really nlce thlng, and | moved the unlt
between varlous OSX, wlndows, and Llnux-based
machlnes wlthout worrylng about what OS revlslon
was runnlng or lf the correct drlver was loaded.
Anyone who has had to borrow a computer ln the fleld
after thelrs has crashed and wasted tlme trylng to locate
the correct drlver DvD (or even an |nternet connectlon for
Stephen 8ennett has been
lnvolved ln muslc productlon
for over 25 years. Now based ln
Norwlch he spllts hls tlme between
wrltlng books and artlcles on
muslc technology, runnlng hls
own Chaos studlos and worklng
ln the Llectroacoustlc Studlos
ln the School of Muslc at the
Unlverslty of Last Anglla. Hes also
a fllmmaker wlth several muslc
vldeos and short fllms to hls credlt.
www.stephen[amesbennett.co.uk
audio interface
To install
the software
you first
need to no,
wait theres
no software
supplied, no
drivers to be
downloaded, no
DVD to lose.
>
Sound Devices
USBPre 2
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sound devi ces i usb pre2
> download) wlll appreclate thls partlcular feature.
8ut how, | hear you cry, do you access the
functlons that have no physlcal front panel
controls! well, thats where the rubber panel on
the back comes ln. Prlslng thls off reveals two rows
of :o D|P swltches that allow you to set varlous
US8Pre z functlons, along wlth a handy dlagram
on the bottom to tell you what they all do. whlle |
understand that havlng these D|P swltches means
that Sound Devlces can dlspense wlth dedlcated
software whlle stlll allowlng lt to bulld a portable
unlt, the drawback ls that you can only really
ad[ust them uslng somethlng llke a [ewellers
screwdrlver. |ts dlfflcult, however,
to see how else the company could
have crammed ln so many hardware-
based ad[ustabl e parameters.
|n practlce, most of the D|P swltch
settlngs wont need changlng ln
the fleld, but |d have preferred that
the (8v phantom power settlngs
at least had been on dedlcated
front panel controls, as lts all too
easy to plug ln a vlntage condenser
or rlbbon mlcrophone wlth the
power already on whlch, ln my
experl ence l s not somethl ng
you want to do too of ten.
The rubber cover ls also somethlng |
can see belng easlly mlsplaced, but
thls small problem could be easlly
solved by Sound Devlces attachlng
lt permanently to the US8Pre z vla
a small rubber tle.
The Real World
Once connected to the computer, the US8Pre
z ls avallable as two lnputs and outputs ln your
chosen DAw, wlth the physlcal lnputs (mlc, llne,
or dlgltal) belng selected from the devlce ltself.
| had no lssues runnlng at reallstlc buffer slzes
under Cockos Peaper .;z on wlndows, or Apples
Loglc Pro p on a Mac, the latter happlly recordlng
two channels of z(-blt/((.:kHz audlo whlle
playlng back z tracks at the same rates wlth a
buffer slze of z (.8ms latency).
The hardware monltorlng ls extremely slmple
to use, unllke the complex routlng software found
wlth some other two-channel lnterfaces, as you
[ust need to balance the dlrect lnput level wlth
the slgnal comlng back from your DAw wlth the
dedlcated balance knob.
The headphone ampllfler ls partlcularly nlce,
wlth plenty of galn whatever the lmpedance of
the headphones | threw at lt.
Dropplng the US8Pre z lnto my studlo ln place
of my favourlte two-channel audlo lnterface, the
Metrlc Halo ULN-z, lmmedlately showed that
the converters are deflnltely up to the standards
youd expect from Sound Devlces, provldlng a
stable stereo fleld, extended frequency range,
and allowlng both a palr of PMC T8z and ATC
SMC o monltors to do thelr stuff wlth no fuss at
all |d be happy to have thls lnterface as my maln
monltorlng controller.
The mlcrophone pre ampllflers
technlcal speclflcatlons are lmpresslve
on paper and dldnt dlsappolnt aurally.
whlle dlfferent ln tonallty to the ones
on the ULN-z and the Pocusrlte |SAzzo,
they are deflnltely of the same callbre
and a bargaln at about half the prlce
per channel of those devlces, so
|ve no doubt about Sound Devlces
clalms that the converters on the
US8Pre z are the same as on thelr ;
serles fleld recorders. The mlcrophone
preamps handled both whlspered
volces and snare drum recordlngs
wlthout excesslve nolse or belng
easlly overloaded, and provlded
enough galn on my generlc rlbbon
mlcrophone for drum overheads.
8oth lnput channels feature
an analogue llmlter clrcult to prevent the ADC
overloadlng, whlch can be set vla the D|P swltches
on a per channel basls. Any llmltlng that occurs
ls dlsplayed on the maln meter and lt lsnt
partlcularly detrlmental to the slgnal as long as
you dont push lt too much | [ust left lt on. ou
can set the US8Pre z to automatlcally select DAw
meterlng vla a D|P swltch, but | found lt more
convenlent to manually swap between these from
the front panel button.
The HP mono control, whlch allows you to
route a mono slgnal to the phones and ls perfect
for mono compatlblllty testlng, ls augmented
by a D|P swltch allowlng you to choose lf you
want elther DAw or Llve lnputs or both mono.
The other D|P swltches are used when the US8Pre z ls
ln stand-alone mode and belng used as a
dedlcated pre ampllfler.
We Stand Alone
ou can get the US8Pre z to boot ln stand-alone
mode by holdlng down the Meter Source button
whlle attachlng the US8 cable to the computer
or, alternatlvely a US8 PSU or hub (v, oo mA
maxlmum) can be used (though not when
connected to a computer). ou can even use
one of those nlfty US8 battery packs, whlch then
makes the US8Pre z truly portable though |
hope that Sound Devlces conslders maklng a
matchlng cllp-on battery pack.
|n stand-alone mode, the US8Pre z behaves as
an excellent two-channel preampllfler, allowlng
you to route llne and mlcrophone slgnals through
the rear XLP sockets, or S/PD|P or Tosllnk on PCA
or optlcal connectors. when used as an lnterface,
the US8Pre z obtalns lts sample rate settlngs from
the host DAw, but ln stand-alone mode, you need
to use the D|P swltches to select the deslred rate.
|n both modes, the maxlmum sample rate ls
:pzkHz dependlng on the operatlng system you
use there are no llmltatlons ln stand-alone mode.
Connectlng lt up to my ULN-z vla the S/PD|P
connectlons went smoothly and | have no lssues
wlth clocklng or any other dlgltal nastles that can
manlfest when connectlng devlces together ln
the dlgltal realm.
Conclusions
|ve been searchlng for some tlme for a rugged
hlgh-quallty portable computer lnterface, and
also for a couple of hlgh quallty mlcrophone
preampllflers wlth dlgltal lnterfaces to augment
my Metrlc Halo ULN-z. The US8Pre z has ended
my search ln a neat and relatlvely lnexpenslve
package. |t seems llke a cllche, but after my
extenslve testlng for thls revlew, | bought one of
the flrst productlon unlts. we revlewers dont get
them for free, desplte what people thlnk, so thls
probably says as much on how | feel about the
quallty of the lnterface as the words |ve wrltten
ln thls revlew.
The US8Pre z ls a well bullt, well speclfled,
and well connected lnterface and stand-alone
preampllfler that wont embarrass ltself alongslde
your more boutlque devlces. Probably lts nearest
rlval ln the quallty stakes ls Apogees Duet but,
excellent though that devlce ls, lt cant compete
on features and connectlvlty. Sound Devlces
deserves to do well wlth the US8Pre z now how
about an elght-channel verslon!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

GB529.00 (inc.VAT)
A
Sound Devices, LLC. 300 Wengel Drive,
PO Box 576, Reedsburgh, Wisconsin 53959, USA
T
+1 608 524 0625
F
+1 608 524 0655
W
www.sounddevices.com
A
UK Distributor: Shure Distribution UK, Unit 2, The
IO Centre, Lea Road, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1AS
T
+44 (0) 1992 703058
F
+44 (0) 1992 703057
W
www.shuredistribution.co.uk
The
microphone
pre amplifiers
technical
specifications
are impressive
on paper
and didnt
disappoint
aurally.
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42
In an interview originally
commissioned by Sonnox,
Rich Tozzoli talks to Brant
Biles about Mi Casas work
on the restoration of
The Sound Of Music and the
studios application of
the Sonnox toolset.
>
M
i casa multimedia, located in the
Hollywood Hills of Southern California, has a
demanding client base that ranges from 20th
Century Fox and New Line Cinema to Stevie
Wonder and The Rippingtons. Living their theme Hi Def
Audio for Hi Def Video, they are one of the leaders in
surround sound audio mixing and production for motion
picture, music, and HD video. Founded in 1997 by producer/
synthesist Robert Margouleff and engineer/musician Brant
Biles, Mi Casa delivers the highest quality audio, regardless
of its original condition.
Rich Tozzolo: Where did work on the Sound Of Music
restoration start?
Brant Biles: We worked from the original Mag print master
that was created in 1964. A few years ago Fox put out a 40th
anniversary of The Sound Of Music and a company called
Chase did the restoration.
At that time, it was deemed that the original Mag was
unplayable. There was too much vinegar damage and
too much instability in the geometry of the Mag itself.
Vinegar damage is something that happens as Mag sits
and ages. The chemicals that compose the tape itself
break down and turn into vinegar. It actually crystallises
on the Mag making things unplayable and irretrievable.
So along comes this gentleman Nicholas Berg, who
is one of the most studious and diligent analogue-to-
digital transfer engineers Ive ever met. He is someone
who truly cares about the art. So he told Fox he could
get this original master to play back. He went ahead and
built his own head stack assembly with a pressure plate
he designed that pressed down on the back side of the
Mag, to make sure as it travelled over the playback
head that it had continuous pressure all
the way across the surface of the head.
He did things like wash the Mag and
spray it with this special silicone
and so on. But the quality that
came off that transfer, versus the
previous release, was night and
day. It was just astounding.
RT: How about the audio?
BB: Well, the Sound Of Music was mixed originally in a
format you would call 6.0. It had five channels across the
front and a mono surround. So we had that as a starting
point, but we were asked to do a 7.1 mix on it.
We also had a 24-track music stem available to us,
and I was able to go in and take some of the orches-
tral elements and work with them. So it will be a true
7.1 mix with the five in the front represented properly.
The two side channels have supplementation by the
original music stem, and then the rear has a little bit
of that pulled into it but also the mono sitting back
there. So its a true 7.1 mix from a 1964 film and its
outstanding.
RT: How did you get the 24 tracks of music?
BB: Multiple Mag stripes were made. So you would have
something like Reel 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, and so on. For example,
the first six tracks on the Mag would be orchestral record-
ing. The next three on set number two might be a mix-
down of that with a Julie Andrews solo vocal on track 8 and
a solo guitar on track 9. Then there might be another sub-
mix that had just the kids singing on it. This is an element
that Fox still has in their library, and its the multi-track of
the instrumental and orchestral recordings with the vocals.
The problem is, how do you take an analogue source,
such as the original print master and layer the strings
and violas, violins, cellos and so on, on top of it, with-
out it flanging and phasing? We went ahead and used
a Bricasti reverb to decorrelate it from the original
print master and kind of make those side channels
and extra pair of room mics if you would. It actually
worked out brilliantly. The whole team at Mi Casa made
this happen.
RT: Tell us a little bit about your usual restoration
process.
BB: Well, when doing restoration, we first use a
number of tools to go through and fix things that
are egregious, such as dropouts,
Doe-Ray-Mi-Casa
The Sound Of The Sound Of Music...
Brant Biles of Mi Casa.
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the sound of musi c
>
clicks, and pops. Once you go ahead and do a static noise reduction pass,
you all of a sudden unveil the differences from cut to cut. When examin-
ing one shot to another shot, there might have been a layer of noise on top
of the scene, which made the transition from shot to shot unnoticeable.
But once you remove this first layer of the onion, suddenly all these other
artefacts come out.
The thing thats great about the Sonnox tools is that they have auto-
mateability inside the Pro Tools environment. That is the key to the
lock. Beyond that, its really about sound quality. The people at Fox,
when they are sitting here listening, are almost in disbelief that it can
be cleaned up that accurately. At the cut, you drop into a certain noise
reduction curve and it just cleans it right up.
What weve learned is that if you have a constant noise background,
it doesnt really bother you. Its when things shift instantaneously that
it really perks your ears up and you realise something happened there.
Thats where Restores automation is just fantastic.
RI DI NG T HE N C URVE
As well as the usual restoration tools that help bringing the oldies into the naughties,
Brant Biles and Mi Casa have a couple of tricks up their sleeves, armed only with the
Sonnox SurEsser plug-in.
Brant Biles: I cant tell you how great that is. So often, with these older films, the
dialogue that comes off a playback track might have all this -kHz spiking and sibilance.
The SuprEsser can track that incredibly well and literally just suppress it. But it doesnt
do it to the point where youre actually degrading the overall sonics of the mix. It just
lightly steps on the dialogue sibilance, and things that might make your ear turn.
Also, there was a thing back in the day called the N-curve, which was a theatrical
playback curve which started cutting off about kHz. In the theatre, it would drop dB
at kHz from kHz. Its quite a severe cutoff. It was applied in the B-chain of theatrical
audio playback systems for older movies.
The interesting thing is that when you pull up these old print masters; there is audio
data above that frequency range which sounds nice. If you can get it to sit in its proper
proportion to the rest of the timbre of the mix, you can actually improve the top end
of these movies quite a bit.
Thats because youre not being limited by this playback curve. So these issues of
upper mid-band spikes might not have been heard in the original playback because of
that curve. But in an attempt to keep the original top end of the mix, these elements
unfortunately come out and make themselves very apparent. The SuprEsser software
does an amazing job of keeping it at bay and making sure that it doesnt get out of
hand.
Overall, our workflow is different for every single project we do. Its kind of like
walking down a road that you build yourself. Sometimes you back yourself into a corner
and sometimes its a glorious path. But the thing that I absolutely love about this whole
suite of Sonnox Restoration plug ins is the automateablilty, and the fact that you can
quickly go in there and surgically set it up to hit specific points. All the while, youre not
affecting the rest of the audio. That is truly invaluable.
www.sonnox.com
www.micasamm.com
The original interview transcription and article was edited for use in Audio Media
magazine. Thanks to Sonnox and Rich Tozzoli for getting the words and the pictures
together.
>
ONE VOICE. A SINGULAR PASSION.
Using professional monitors in an acoustically correct studio
is ideal for recording, mixing and mastering but there are
times when portability, sound isolation and freedom from your
environments acoustic limitations are the priority. At KRK, our
passion is monitoring, whether the monitor is on the console or
on your head. Being able to discern the most subtle diferences in
pitch, timbre and tone helps you to get it right every mix, every
take, every performance. KRK Headphones provide a precise
listening experience that takes you from personal studio to
commercial studio to on-the-go track evaluations and they allow
you to evaluate and enjoy your music with the consistent voicing
philosophy and honest reproduction top producers, studio
musicians, performers and engineers have come to trust.
Whether you are listening to some tracks, or tracking your next
recording, the KNS series gives you the famous KRK sound in an
extraordinarily comfortable closed-back around-the-ear design
with highly isolated surround pads. Having One Voice that
consistently gives you accurate reproduction of your music or mix
will help you achieve just what the artist intended especially
when the artist is you.
Record. Mix. Monitor. Enjoy.
worldmags
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44
All of the Lexicon promise of
great sound quality, but in plug-
in format? SIMON ALLEN tests
the top-notch in-the-box LXP.
W
hen you hear the name lexicon
you automatically associate it with being
very high end and the best in the business.
This is partly down to Lexicons extensive
history of hardware units that established it many years
ago. We all have come across some of its products at
some point, and many of us have our favourites. I have
used many of Lexicons hardware units in live sound
reinforcement and in the studio, such as the two iconic
L units we have at City Studios. With second-hand
hardware units available at reasonable prices at the
moment, which have already stood the test of time and
will continue to do so; it raises many
questions. Will a software version have
the same sound, will the price be
competitive even compared to second-
hand units, and will it stand the test of
time in the same way?
Overview
Firstly, it is important to note that this
is not a software version/emulation of
Lexicons old LXP- hardware unit, or the
LXP and multi-effects units even
though the name might imply something
of the sort. Also, laid out similarly to the
LARC remote controllers, you dont need
earlier experience with Lexicons products
to fully get to grips with this plug-in,
anyone can find their way round.
This LXP bundle comes in VST, AU,
and RTAS formats, making it suitable for
any DAW. It can be installed on either
Windows XP or later and Mac OS . or
later for PowerPC or Intel Macs. Installation
requires iLok authorisation. I tested this on City Studios
(www.citystudios.com) Pro Tools HD rig on the Mac and
installation was very simple and easy.
The LXP plug-in bundle has four of Lexicons classic
reverbs: Room, Hall, Chamber, and Plate. Each one can
be run as mono, stereo, or mono in and stereo out. I tried
using the plug-in as a traditional AUX set up and also as an
inserted effect on the tracks and it works well both ways.
There are over excellent presets that come with the
bundle and they are organised into small, medium, and
large, except for the Hall plug-in that has small spaces,
small halls, medium halls, large halls, and huge halls.
Of course, as with most DAWs you can save your own
presets and take them with you to another studio which
is very handy.
I like the layout of the LXPs GUI window very much.
It is very clear, no unusual terminology, and really
quick to use. Too often a plug-in is let down by its small
controls that you have to squint at the screen to use, or
the button you want to press is slightly offset to where
the graphic suggests.
On the GUI there are navigation buttons that bring
up different parameters relating to the name, which are
controlled by the soft row buttons and
rotary knobs. Presets can be managed
by some control switches and viewed in
categories then individual presets. The LXP
also shows level meters for ins and outs.
Lastly, on the GUI is a realtime display
that has four modes; off, frequency, multi-
band, or impulse. This is a really great tool
that aids when trying to help build the
right colours in a mix. With this display
off it helps reduce CPU power, which is
handy when working in processor hungry
sessions. The frequency display I found
most useful was a simple frequency
spectrum in real time. Multi-band shows
five ranging frequencies in time, and the
Impluse is a great visual representation of
the reverb tail true to what you are feeding
the plug-in with, rather than a static image
that most reverb plug-ins offer.
In Use
The first part to answering those questions
that I asked myself when I came across this plug-in is
simple. A major advantage of having this plug-in is the
ability to access a great sounding reverb from within
the box immediately without having to wire in some
hardware. Ok, in most permanent studio set-ups its not
too time consuming to access hardware, but lets be
honest in the real world its not always comfortable.
For example, you need to remember patching, and send
and return levels, not to mention anything else you
might decide to use in the chain incase you visit the mix
again another day.
SIMON ALLEN is a full time sound
engineer and record producer.
Previously studio manager at High
Barn Studios in Essex, he is now
based at City Studios in Cyprus
where he is Senior Engineer and
heads up the new music studio.
native reverb
plug-in bundle
>
Lexicon
LXP
A major
advantage of
having this
plug-in is the
ability to access
a really great
sounding reverb
from within the
box immediately
without having
to wire in some
hardware.
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45
lexi con i lxp
>
In the real world, even those of us who are
lucky enough to mix with hardware and analogue
equipment still end up doing some mixes in-the-
box. Whether its because youre pushed against
the clock, you know that you want to access the
mix again another day quickly, transfer the session
somewhere else, or simply that your client is
difficult and you know its going to be simpler to
have the sessions available for many alterations.
Basic modern DAW benefits! With the LXP you
can now have a really fantastic reverb with the
touch of a button.
This is crucial, as often I find it is the reverbs
when doing in-the-box mixes that frustrate me.
Even if you manage to get that reverb you were
looking for, it probably took you a while to make
the necessary adjustments. With the LXP I found
the presets to be really useful and nearly all of the
time one of them would suit with just a couple of
minor alterations.
It is apparent that even with the humongous
hall reverbs the LXP offers, they do sound huge
without taking over and swamping the mix.
Its this clarity and space that gives it that typical
Lexicon sound, immediately giving your mix its
picture. It is this clarity of the reverbs and the
picture that they lent to my mixes that I really
liked about this plug-in. For example, I was
surprised at how easily I managed to make a rock
track sound bigger without that wishy-washy
reverb sound. I found drums became crisper, but
yet hi-hats and voices with esses didnt spark off
that cheap zinging sound too often found with
many digital reverb algorithms.
For me, the most special thing that I heard
when using the LXP is its coherent behaviour
and sound across all algorithms and presets.
It is really nice to use many auxiliaries loaded
with different presets for different elements
of your mix that in the end all come finally
together. With the LXP you could have a plate
on drums, room on guitars, and chamber or hall
on voice, for example, and nothing will stick out.
There are sonic colours in each algorithm that sit
well together.
The only unfortunate point I found with the
LXP is while running the LXP plug-in in Pro Tools
HD, I found it needed a surprising amount of
delay compensation. This indicates it is quite
processor hungry but at least that retains our
conception of Lexicons high quality image.
Conclusion
This is a true success when it comes to sound
quality. You really can have that Lexicon sound
in-the-box. It isnt an emulation of Lexicons
existing products, and it has its own reverb sound
that cant be found in other units. I admire Lexicon
for this, as it promises a degree of endurance.
Will we see the LXP around for as long as weve
seen the L? No one knows yet, but I think
Lexicon has brought out the right product to test
this. It is inevitable we needed a decent reverb
plug-in with a known name for a good price, and
this is it. With its own sound colour, it is an excuse
to buy into even if you could choose to have a
classic unit second hand or one of Lexicons new
hardware units. Being a plug-in for most DAWs it
now also automatically acquires the benefits of
DAWs such as user presets, speed of use, and so
on. Still, if you are looking for that classic Lexicon
sound in plug-in form, you might not be able
to find your favourite Gold Hall preset, but you
will have confidence in the Lexicon sound that
will add a great image to your mixes that is
coherent throughout the algorithms.


GB480.00 (exc.VAT)
A
Lexicon, Harman HPAV, 8760 South Sandy
Parkway, Sandy, Utah 84070
T
+1 801 568 7567
W
www.lexiconpro.com
UK Distributor: Sound Technology, UK
T
+44 (0) 1462 480000
W
www.soundtech.co.uk
E
[email protected]
Its this clarity and space that
gives it that typical Lexicon
sound, immediately giving your
mix its picture.
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W
hile career comebacks, reunion tours,
and popularity resurgences are not uncommon
in the music industry, such comebacks are
unheard of in the realm of digital transports
that is unless youre former superstar MADI. No, its not
the diminutive form of Madeline; instead a nearly 20-year
technology, reappearing in modern technology at an ever-
increasing rate. In 1991, the Multi-channel Audio Digital
Interface (MADI) was introduced by the Audio Engineering
Society, hence its official standard name AES10. While
the original incarnation of standard AES10-1991, defined
56 channels at 48 kHz with support varispeed (+/- 12.5%),
it was later amended to support 64 channels at 48kHz
without support for varispeed. In 2003,
the standard was amended to the current
AES10-2003 double rate support for 32
channels of 96kHz audio.
MADI was originally conceived to
route digital audio through broadcast
facilities via commonly available 75
coaxial cabling utilised for video distri-
bution, where the typical MADI physi-
cal media is coaxial cable connected
at the device via BNC connectors. For
longer distances and electrical isolation,
fibre optic connections are often found.
While MADI is unidirectional, i.e., data
flows in only one direction, it is very
common to find TX (transmit) and RX
(receive) connectors to provide up to 64
x 64 channels via two coaxial or fibre
optic cables on a single device. MADI is
a self-clocking protocol, meaning its clock is embedded
in the data and does not separate clock and data lines.
Given MADIs genesis from the Audio Engineering
Society, there are also many similarities to two-channel
digital transport commonly called AES/EBU (technically
AES3, created in 1985), thus 28 or 32 AES3 streams can
be easily transported via MADI.
A Sudden Resurgence i n MADI
The widespread adoption of digital mixing consoles due
to their ever-decreasing price points and footprints has
further driven the digital audio industry and has certainly
elevated the need for a convenient medium for point-to-
point connections of large quantities of digital audio sig-
nals. MADIs 64-channel capability fits the needs of small
to medium-scale consoles. Additionally, its support for
both copper (coax) and fibre connections provides solu-
tions for integration into broadcast facilities (via coax), as
well as long distance options via fibre. This, coupled with a
new generation of lower cost MADI devices from the likes
of RME and other manufacturers, effectively brought new
life to what once was considered a dying standard.
One of the challenges of utilising MADI is that it is
inherently point-to-point. This is a blessing and a curse.
The simplicity of connecting an RX to a TX is powerful
and very similar to point-to-point convention analogue
audio wiring (the tried and true XLR cable). The down-
side is it can be costly to perform
splits, sending the signal to
multiple locations simultaneous-
ly, routing particular channels to
various locations, or merge or
combine channels from various
MADI input devices into a single MADI
stream. To accomplish this requires
additional MADI devices called routers
and mergers respectively. While these
are prolific in broadcast facilities, they
are often specialised and quite expensive
pieces of equipment. Additionally, MADI
is not a network like Ethernet-based
standards such as Audio Video Bridging
(AVB) whereby the transport medium is
inherently multi-point and routable (in
the case of AVB by configuring routing
through the Ethernet switches).
When using MADI, it is important to
be aware of the non-standard mecha-
nisms for transmitting control data to the physical
media. While AES10 clearly defines audio data format
for standardised inter-device communication, there is
an additional side channel of data available. Over the
years, various manufacturers have implemented non-
standardised uses of the data such as proprietary con-
trol of microphone preamps and other MADI-connected
gear. Thus, utilisation of such control capabilities may
vary between manufacturers equipment.
The simplicity of point-to-point connections cou-
pled with the high audio channel count capabilities
will continue to make MADI an important part of the
digital audio world for years to come. From near
extinction to prominence in that sense MADI is the
comeback king!
Twenty years ago MADI
ruled the roost, but then its
reign slowly dwindled. Now
theres been a resurgence
in the old technology.
AUDIO MEDIA examines its
comeback, and the latest
products to feature MADI
technology in its latest guise.
>
The Comeback King!
MADI
Lee Minich is President of Lab X
Technologies, an engineering
design firm specializing in digital
connectivity including MADI
and Audio Video Bridging (AVB).
Lab Xs MADI solutions have
been incorporated into various
manufacturers products including
the Avid Venue MADI module and
others. Visit www.labxtechnologies.
com for more information.
Lee Minich of LabX Technologies.
46
worldmags
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47
Never in the history of loudspeaker design have the benefitts of a coaxial
driver been so seamlessly combined with directivity control elements.
The result is a true breakthrough in audio monitoring.
Jussi Visnen, the Lead Acoustic Designer
behind our 8260A Three-Way DSP Monitoring System.
THREE WAY REVOLUTION. WWW.GENELEC.COM/8260A
AWARDS 2010
QUALI TY & I NNOVATI ON
Winner
Monitoring
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>
48
The MADI (Multi-channel Audio Digital Interface)
protocol (AES 10) was originally developed jointly
by SSL, Sony, and Studer to provide improvements
and updates to existing digital interface standards,
such as AES/EBU and ADAT. MADI enables higher
channel counts at higher sample rates, while the
incorporation of coaxial and fibre (optical) con-
nectivity enables transmission over much greater
distances up to 100m on 75 BNC copper cables
and 2,000m if you use the fibre connections. The
MADI standard has been introduced by many
manufacturers into stand-alone products and also
incorporated into consoles and other audio equip-
ment, especially in the live and broadcast markets.
Here are a few examples...
St udi o and St and- Al one Product s
SSL ( Sol i d St at e Logi c)
As one may expect from one of
the originators of the pro-
tocol, SSL incorporates
MADI i nto several
of its products. The
MadiXtreme 64 and
128 PCIe cards allow MADI
communication with the com-
panys Alpha-Link range of multi- channel
I/O. The MADI-X8 is an eight-port MADI router
allowing you to route one source to many destina-
tions, or any combination of individual channels
to any destination. It features source aggregation,
where a single 64-channel output consists of any
combination of channels from various inputs.
The MADI Opti-Coax is designed to convert up
to 64 audio channels bi-directionally between the
MADI Optical and MADI Coaxial formats, and is
equipped with both MADI SC and BNC connectors.
RME
RME has bitten hard
on the MADI
the bullet and
has a r ange
of s ol ut i ons
designed to meet various con-
nectivity needs. The HDSP MADI PCI and
PCIe cards offer up to 64 channels of 24-bit audio
at various sample rates via BNC and fibre con-
nectors. The PCIe version is able to work at lower
latencies and offer higher sample rates, supports
the HDSP time code option plus up to three cards
can be used on the same computer. To partner
these, the M-16 and M-32 AD and DA interfaces
convert analogue to MADI/ADAT and vice versa,
while the HDSPe MADIface is a 64-channel solu-
tion for those with Expresscard slots. The ADI
series allows conversion between MADI and AES/
EBU and ADAT formats, while the MADI Bridge
is a 64x64 channel MIDI router. The MADI con-
verter provides connectivity between optical and
BNC MADI connections.
www.rme-audio.de
Avi d
Avids HD MADI interface allows you to send
and receive up to 64 audio streams between Pro
Tools|HD and other MADI devices. It features up
to 24-bit, 192kHz sample rate support and routing
flexibility through optical and coaxial connections
via its two MADI interfaces. The HD MADI inter-
face integrates completely with Pro
Tools|HD for full input, out-
put, and routing
control.
www.avid.
com
Lab X Technol ogi es
Lab X Technologies has issued a production
license to Avid for use of its MADI IP for the
companys Field
P r o g r a mma b l e
Gate Array (FPGA)-
b a s e d MADI X
Module. Featuring
both optical and coaxial con-
nections, the MADI interface can deal with bi-
directional transfer of up to 64 digital audio chan-
nels, and will be incorporated into Avids range of
Venue consoles.
www.labxtechnologies.com
( RSG) Rol and Syst em
Group
RSGs S-MADI REAC/MADI
bridge provides bi-directional
conversion between the MADI
format and Rolands REAC-based
devices such the M-48 Personal Mixing
System and their Digital Snakes.
www.rolandsystemsgroup.net
Lynx St udi o Technol ogy
Lynx Studio Technology has recently introduced
the LT-MADI L-slot card that drops into its Aurora
8 and Aurora 16 A/D and D/A converters. Each card
features two MADI optical and coaxial ports with
bi-directional support for up to 64 channels at
44.1 or 48kHz; 32 channels at 88.2 or 96kHz, and
16 channels at 176.4 or 192kHz. Up to four Aurora
converters and LT-MADI card combi-
nations can be combined for up
to 64 channels of input
and output.
www.lynxstudio.com
Long Live MADI!
Nothing demonstrates that MADI is alive and kicking as well as a long list of current MADI adoptees. Here, we take a look at those new
products that have taken to the technology in its current incarnation.
>
The S-MADI-REAC Bridge is a bi-directional protocol converter
between REAC and MADI. It bridges between MADI-equipped
digital audio mixers/systems to any REAC-based devices so you
can now distribute and monitor multiple channels of pristine
24-bit audio to a whole new audience.
NEW S-MADI-REAC BRIDGE
(Great news, which ever way you look at it)
Call 01792 702 701 or visit www.rolandsystemsgroup.co.uk
to
to
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madi - the comeback ki ng!
>
49
Ri edel
Riedels Artist matrix intercom platform can sup-
port the companys MADI client card that provides
tight integration of the Artist with digital audio
router systems. All Artist intercom control panels
can be connected directly to the router matrix via
standard AES3 signals, and you can distribute
multi-channel audio signals without laying addi-
tional cables. Multiple MADI-108 G2 client cards,
each adding eight audio channels, can be used
up to a maximum of 64 channels. The MADI con-
nection from the client card to the audio router is
handled via coaxial or optical cabling.
www.riedel.net
Di Gi Co
DiGiCos Little Red Box
and Little Blue box
expand the com-
pany s di gi t al
console connec-
tivity. The Red ver-
sion is specifically
designed to allow you to
connect two SD9 digital mixing
consoles to your D-Rack or MADI
Rack (DiGi-Rack or MiNi-Rack).
The main SD9 then controls all gains and rack out-
puts, whilst the secondary console acts as a receive
only module for the inputs on the same rack and
can be used to control either front of house or
monitors. The Little Red Box is powered via USB
with a second USB thru socket. The Blue version
allows you to connect an SD9, D-Rack, and MADI
console, (SD8, SD7, or even a D-Series) enabling
the sharing of a D-Rack between two or three con-
soles. The SD9/MADI switch allows you to select
between the SD9 or whatever console you have con-
nected via MADI to control the D-Rack. It is also
powered via USB with thru and both can be rack
mounted or velcro mounted onto your console.
www.digico.biz
Consoles
Di Gi Co
DiGiCo incorporates MADI connectivity as the
basis for audio connectivity directly into its DST
theatre mixing system as well as the SD9, SD8,
SD7, and D-Series live digital consoles the con-
trol surface and various DiGiRacks being connect-
ed by either optical fibre or coaxial MADI cables.
All D Series consoles are equipped with up to four,
56-channel MADI ports providing a maximum
of 224 inputs and 224 outputs. You can split each
Stage Racks 56-channel MADI stream from the
racks Auxiliary MADI Out and route the MADI
stream to any MADI compatible recorder or third
party converter.
www.digico.biz
Yamaha
Y a m a h a s
digital con-
soles can be
upgr aded
with MADI
c o n n e c t i v -
ity via the MY16-
MD6 4 MA DI
Interface card and associated MY16-EX expansion
card using Yamahas proprietary mini-YGDAI
format. Each MY16-MD64 card adds 16 channels
of MADI input and output connectivity to a range
of Yamaha professional audio devices that accept
mini-YGDAI cards while the MY16-EX expansion
cards, when used in conjunction with the MY16-
MD64, increase the MADI channel capacity to up
to 64 channels. The cards incorporate failsafe
redundancy, with automatic switching from opti-
cal to coaxial if one connection fails. The cards
communicate seamlessly with other companies
MADI devices and can be used as the basis of a
complete recording solution for computers run-
ning Steinberg DAW software for recording and
production.
www.yamahaproaudio.com
Avi d
Avids well-respected live sound system, Venue, can
support up to two MADI option cards each capable
of sending 64 channels of 24 bit, 48kHz audio to
other MADI devices, and include all stage input
when one MADI card is installed in an FOH Rack
or Mix Rack. The MADI card comes with automatic
input signal detection and simultaneous optical
and coaxial outputs for redundancy, while neat
Signal Present and Optical Source LEDs are useful
for troubleshooting connections.
www.avid.com
Soundcraf t
Soundcrafts Vi series of consoles can incorporate
64 channel MADI cards in both stageboxs and local
racks to provide a recording or monitoring solu-
tion in a live venue. The Si series can be upgraded
to provide up to 64 direct channel outputs by fit-
ting an optional MADI interface card into one of
the option slots on the rear chassis. The MADI
stream can be fed to MADI-based audio multi-track
recorders when recording live shows or as a stage
splitter to feed the inputs to another console with a
MADI interface. Soundcrafts MADI interfaces are
based on the Studer D21m I/O system cards.
www.soundcraft.com
St uder
Studers Vista 5 compact Digital Broadcast
and Live Console can also be fitted with MADI
cards for monitoring, recording, or communica-
tion with other MADI-equipped devices, while
the OnAir 2500 digital
console also sup-
por t s MADI .
The D21m
series
inter-
f a c e
system is
based on a 19-inch
3U rack that can house up
to 12 audio interface cards and one
or two HD (high-density) cards. Connected to the
DSP core by standard CAT-5 twisted twin cables, it
can support Studers 64 channel MADI I/O card.
www.studer.ch
Al l en & Heat h
Allen & Heaths iLive consoles can be expanded
via the MADI 64 option card. This provides two
64-channel MADI links, which can be indepen-
dently routed in blocks of eight connections or
configured as a primary and redundant pair. There
is bi-directional patchbay routing for the MixRack,
with 64 inputs and 32 mixes. MADI channels can
be configured as microphone preamp digital splits,
channel direct outs, insert points, or buss in or
output feeds. The cards AUX connector can be
used as a through connection of the MADI-1 inputs,
or a split of the MADI-1 outputs it can also func-
tion as word clock I/O for iLive-T systems with-
out DARS (AES Digital Audio Reference System).
The xDR-16 expander provides additional connec-
tivity to the iLive series and up to two expanders
can be added to a standard iLive system, giving a
total of 32 ins and 16 outs, and the ability to fit two
audio networking cards which include MADI.
www.allen-heath.co.uk
Mi das
Several of Midas consoles can incorporate MADI
via the Klark-Teknik DN9650 network bridge,
including the XL8 and the PRO series. The DN9650
can support up to 144 channels of sample rate con-
version and independent synchronisation between
MADI interfaces, including black burst, word clock
and AES3. The minimal configuration require-
ments are set using a standard web browser and an
auto-configured Ethernet interface. The DN9650
can also act in conjunction with Midas digital
snake system.
www.midasconsoles.com
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P R O D U C T S A MP L E R
Plug-ins
Auto-Tune 7 corrects
intonation and timing
problems in vocals
and solo instruments.
It does so without
distortion or artifacts,
whilst preserving
the expression of the
original performance.
The latest edition of Antares renowned soft-
ware features an entirely new time correction
and manipulation system, integrated with a
Graphical Mode interface to allow timing to be
edited alongside pitch.
www.antarestech.com
Designed for both Pro
Tools and Avid picture
systems, Dynamics III
is a plug-in suite that
includes a compressor/
limiter, expander/gate,
and de-esser. The suite
offers simple ways
to apply dynamics
processing in mono,
stereo, and a range of
surround formats. It also integrates easily with
control surfaces and consoles to provide hands-
on control of functions.
www.avid.com
SignalTools is Avids
suite of Pro Tools and
Venue compatible multi-
channel metering and
analysis tools. SignalTools
includes the redesigned
SurroundScope plug-in
and introduces the new
PhaseScope plug-in.
SurroundScope graphically represents signal
levels for each audio channel in the multi-
channel sound field. PhaseScope compares the
output phase of any two streams of a multi-
channel output.
www.avid.com
CEDAR Audios DNS One is a dialogue noise
suppression plug-
in for ProTools. It is
designed to save on
ADR costs by rescu-
ing otherwise unus-
able dialogue. A new
user interface allows
control of hundreds
of channels of DNS
from a single ProTools host. The plug-in can
run as many instances of DNS One as your host
system can handle, and up to 126 DNS2000s
and DNS3000s.
www.cedaraudio.com
FabFilters Pro-L is a brickwall limiter for mixing
and mastering engineers. It is feature-packed,
with linear-phase
oversampling,
advanced dithering
and noise shap-
ing, customisable
look-ahead, attack,
release, and chan-
nel linking settings.
FabFilter combines
precise output and
level meters with a real-time level display to
provide vital information instantaneously.
www.fabflter.com
The
Brainworx
bx_XL mas-
tering limiter
aims to pro-
duce loud,
clear mixes.
The plug-in
converts ste-
reo signals
into mid/sum and side/difference signals and
splits the mid/sum channel into two bands.
This allows the limiting of three individual
channels to increase loudness and improve
clarity of stereo mixes, with less distortion and
improved punch.
www.brainworx-music.de
AmpliTube3 is the latest upgrade of IK
Multimedias guitar and bass tone modelling
plug-in. The software
contains over 160
pieces of gear, with
51 stompboxes and
effects, 31 amplifier
pre-amp and power
sections, 46 speaker
cabinet models, 15
stage and studio mics,
and 17 post amp rack
effects. Packages such
as AmpliTube Fender
can be added at a
later date.
www.ikmultimedia.com
Discord3 is the lat-
est evolution of
Audio Damages
Discord series of
multi-effects.
The plug-ins pitch-
shifter consists of
three separate algo-
rithms for vintage,
clean, or granular
effects. The vintage and clean algorithms have a
buffer size control from 32 to 2048 samples for
fine-tuning the pitch shifting effect. The plug-in
also supplies effects for delay and modulation.
www.audiodamage.com
Audioeases
Speakerphone 2
provides over 500
presets to recre-
ate speakers and
their natural envi-
ronments. These
include 400 speaker
impulse responses,
53 Altiverb rooms
and outdoor spaces,
23 microphones, 12
DSP modules, and 106 covers including blankets
and car boots. The plug-in can add dial tones,
operator, static, and a wealth of ambiences on
either the caller or receivers end.
www.audioease.com
Teres a sofware plug-in for just about every efect imaginable. Even stalwart analogue processor
manufacturers are collaborating with developers to create endorsed emulations of their gear. With this
boost to plug-in street cred, we take a look at the latest, greatest, and most coveted processors on the market.
Its time to start that letter to Santa.
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P L U G I N S
The 6030 Ultimate
Compressor is a
single plug-in with
ten emulations, each
of which build on
McDSPs compres-
sion algorithm code
base. The 6030 is
based on a modular
format, with a combi-
nation of newly designed modules, and emula-
tions of existing gear. The 6030 aims to provide
a custom made dynamic range control module
that is right for any style and application.
www.mcdsp.com
The SurCode for
Dolby E Stream
Player plug-in
delivers real time
decoding for
post production.
Minnetonkas
plug-in auto-
matically decodes
Dolby E and performs a real time downmix to
stereo using Dolby E metadata parameters.
SurCode integrates the Dolby E format into
existing workflows across platforms and appli-
cations, providing more choice for video post-
production professionals.
www.minnetonkaaudio.com
Solid State Logics Vocalstrip provides four
processing tools selected to bring power,
character, and clarity to vocal tracks from a
single interface. The plug-in draws on SSL pro-
fessional engineering expertise to combine EQ
and dynamics sections with vocal processors to
combat the challenges involved in producing
great vocal recordings.
NuGen
Audios
Visualizer
audio
analysis
suite pro-
vides a
selection
of tools that give users a visual representation
of various elements of their mixes. The suite
includes a vectorscope, stereoscope, correlation
meter, level meters, spectrum analysers, and
spectrograms. Visualizer is intended to enable
users to work faster and make fewer mistakes.
www.nugenaudio.com
Sonnox Post is
a new plug-in
bundle aimed
squarely at the
post production
inudstry.
The bundle
includes Oxford
DeClicker,
DeBuzzer, DeNoiser, Oxford EQ, Dynamics,
Reverb, Limiter, and SuprEsser. Sonnox bills the
new offering as "an uncomprimising plug-in
solution for audio post production." UK Native
price is 1562, HD price is 2,180.
www.sonnoxplugins.com
MOTUs MasterWorks
EQ collection is
inspired by British
large console EQs,
and aims to emulate
the most sought after
classic equalisers.
MasterWorks gives
users a birds eye
view and hands-on
editing of all seven filters, each of which is
indicated by an individual colour. It is now
available for RTAS, Audio Units, and VST3 host
software on Mac OS X.
www.motu.com
Sonnox Broadcast
is a collection of
Oxford plug-ins that
provide high qual-
ity processing and
precision control for
broadcast produc-
tion. The collection
includes the Oxford
EQ and Dynamics plug-ins, the Inflator, Oxford
Limiter, and SuprEsser for fixing problematic
frequencies. Sonnox Broadcast is intended to
dramatically improve the audio quality of any
programme.
www.sonnoxplugins.com
The Tilt plug-in is a joint development effort
between Softube and Tonelux. Its design was
first featured on the Tonelux MP1a discrete mic
pre-amp module. The plug-in is intended to
make tracks sit better in a mix or sound warmer
or cooler. It can also be used in a live situation
to tweak the whole mix in order to adjust for
ear fatigue.
www.softube.se
The Transient Designer
plug-in is based on
SPLs analogue pro-
cessor that established
the concept for level-
independent dynamic
processing. Two
controls allow users
to completely reshape
the attack and sustain
characteristics of a
sound. Attack can be amplified or attenuated
by up to 15dB, while sustain can be amplified or
attenuated by up to 24dB.
www.spl.info
RX 2 is iZotopes
audio repair
toolkit, with a
suite of plug-ins
that help users
to remove noise,
hiss, buzz, and
hum, eliminate
clicks and crack-
le, visually select
and suppress unwanted sounds, and resynthe-
size missing audio. An advanced version of RX
2 is also available, with the additional benefit of
an adaptive denoiser, deconstruct module, and
third party plug-in support.
www.izotope.com
The PCM Native Reverb plug-in bundle is
Lexicon Pros collection of seven Lexicon
reverbs with
hundreds of
versatile studio
presets. Each
algorithm can
be run in either
mono, stereo,
or a combina-
tion of the two.
Input and output meters are provided along
with a graphical EQ section for easy adjustment
of both early and late reflections.
www.lexiconpro.com
POD Farm 2
Platinum is a pre-
mium tone plug-
in from Line 6
that delivers POD
tone with exten-
sive model counts
and simple yet
powerful workflows to any DAW. It features a
comprehensive collection of more than 250
models, with vintage and modern amps, cabs,
studio-standard effects, classic stomp boxes,
and colourful pre-amps. Up to 10 models can be
placed in any order in each chain.
www.line6.com
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P L U G I N S
Voxengo
Elephant is a mas-
tering limiter AU
and VST plug-in. It
features a variety
of limiter modes
that can be deeply
customised, and
a comprehen-
sive set of level
metering tools,
including headroom estimation and K-metering.
Elephants built in linear phase oversampling
helps users to maximise loudness and achieve
high quality peak limiting.
www.voxengo.com
The C6
multi-
band com-
pressor is
based on
the Waves
C4 unit. In
addition to
the famil-
iar features of the original piece of hardware,
the C6 delivers a further two floating bands
and a sidechain feature, for vocal and instru-
ment shaping. It helps users to target problem
frequencies, and is recommended for de-essing
and de-popping in the studio and on stage.
www.waves.com
The Sound Design
Suite is a collec-
tion of plug-ins
selected by Waves
for sound designers
and post produc-
tion facilities. Waves
consulted with film
and gaming profes-
sionals to identify
over 30 of the most
valuable plug-ins for their needs. Film sound
professional Scott Gershin describes the collec-
tion as the basic building blocks that all sound
designers should have.
www.waves.com
TC
Electronics
PowerCore
Assimilator
learns the
sound of
your favou-
rite mix and
applies it to
your own. Assimilators user interface provides
two complete sets of curves and a morph page.
On the morph page, you can morph between
two complete curve sets by moving a single
fader. Assimilator can be used for film sound and
mastering, as well as creative use.
www.tcelectronic.com
Universal Audios dbx 160 plug-in is an emula-
tion of the companys VCA compressor. The UAD
powered plug-in version of the dbx 160 captures
all of the sonic nuances of the original. Like the
hardware unit, LED threshold indicators are
provided in the plug-in, as well as the input,
output, and gain change VU meter for which
the unit is known.
www.uaudio.com
Virsyns
Matrix 2
plug-in is
inspired by
Sennheisers
VSM 201
Vocoder,
with an
additional filter module to model the VSMs
analogue sound. Virsyn extended the plug-ins
filter range with two additional filters for the
high end, as well as two filter banks for stereo
operation. Matrix 2 comes with a redesigned
user interface, some additional presets, and an
internal noise generator for whisper effects.
www.virsyn.de
Take a closer look . The options are yours to explore. www.ultrasone.com
THE headphone company
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video guide
A Sound Pros Guide To Video
Colour Grading Part 10
>
KEVIN HILTON sees the digital
intermediate into the new
Millennium, with his continuing
trail through the development
of colour grading.
GLOSSARY
Raster
The lndlvldual frame on the
front of a cathode ray tube,
whlch ls made up of parallel
scan llnes. |n most cases a raster
scan subdlvldes an lmage lnto
a sequence of horlzontal strlps,
whlch are called scan llnes.
Lach scan llne can be transmltted
as an analogue slgnal because lt
ls read from the vldeo source.
|t can also be further dlvlded lnto
dlscrete plxels for processlng by
a computer system. Arranglng
plxels by rows ls known as
raster order, or raster scan order.
Analogue televlslon has dlscrete
scan llnes (dlscrete vertlcal
resolutlon) but not dlscrete
plxels (horlzontal resolutlon).
PLPLPLNCLS
A 8rlef Hlstory for Colourlsts,
w w w. f l n a l c o l o r . c o m /
hlstory(colorlsts.htm
The Complete Film Dictionary,
second edltlon by |ra Konlgsberg,
:pp; Penguln Peference
C
hanglng technologles and dlfferent ways of dolng
somethlng often brlngs new players lnto an
establlshed product area. Thls has happened ln
all aspects of post-productlon equlpment development,
but most dramatlcally wlth teleclne and colour correctlon.
8ecause fllmed materlal ls now stored and worked on as
data, the methods for transferrlng lmages from fllm and
then manlpulatlng them have changed to meet the need
for hlgher resolutlons and networked operatlons.
All thls comes under the general headlng of dlgltal
lntermedlate (D|), the modern, flle-based
equlvalent of the optlcal lntermedlate
method of processlng negatlve fllm.
The prlmary and most obvlous
dlfference between the two ls that D|
enables the data to be passed over a
wlde network wlthln a post faclllty, wlth
materlal avallable to be worked on by
several operators slmultaneously.
No less slgnlflcant ls the change ln
the equlpment and operatlonal methods
used to do thls. As long as fllm ls used
to shoot feature fllms and Tv drama,
there wlll stlll be a place for machlnes to
transfer lmages from cellulold lnto data.
The teleclne machlne was the workhorse
for thls, but the demands of hlgher
resolutlon and error-free converslon lnto
dlglts made clear the llmltatlons of the
older technology.
TK manufacturers addressed thls
by addlng dlgltal outputs and flle
converslon processors to a new breed
of teleclne machlnes. Thls created what
was orlglnally termed a dataclne, a new hybrld word
for a hybrld devlce that could stlll run as a standard
teleclne, convertlng :6mm and mm lnto elther standard
deflnltlon or hlgh deflnltlon vldeo, or DPX (dlgltal plcture
exchange) data flles.
Getti ng I nto The Spi ri t
The flrst full dataclne came on to the market ln :pp6.
The Splrlt was the result of collaboratlon between Phlllps
8TS and Kodak, and pre-dated Clntels C-Peallty by a
year. C-Peallty was halled as the flrst full bandwldth,
multl-standard dataclne. |t ls stlll a key part of Clntels
product range, but ls now descrlbed as a fllm scanner.
These devlces are lncreaslngly found ln post-productlon
facllltles, elther alongslde tradltlonal teleclnes/dataclnes
or as replacements for those machlnes.
A fllm scanner converts fllmed lmages lnto dlgltal data
that ls stored on a computer drlve or, more commonly
these days, a networked server. Thls ls done frame by
frame, worklng from the fllm negatlve. Once they have
been scanned the lmage flles can be found and called
up on a vldeo monltor. They are avallable to all operators
worklng on the productlon ln the dlfferent departments.
whlle the plcture edltor and vlsual effects artlst ls able
to carry out thelr part of the pro[ect, the colourlst can get
on wlth correctlng and balanclng the colours prlmary
correctlon and then the creatlve [ob of secondary
correctlon, manlpulatlng the colours to match the tone
of the narratlve or settlng.
As wlth teleclnes, two maln scannlng systems are used:
flylng spot cathode ray tubes and CCD (charge-coupled
devlce) systems. wlth the CPT method, an electronlc
beam ls used to form a raster (see glossary) on the front
of the tube. Thls scans the fllm, wlth the llght lllumlnatlng
each frame spllt lnto red, green and blue (PG8) by dlchrolc
fllters, whlch have dlfferent absorptlon coefflclents for
llght polarlsed ln dlfferent dlrectlons.
Lach llght wave ls then changed lnto an
analogue electrlc slgnal uslng photocells.
These ln turn are converted lnto dlglts.
The CCD process ls based on a xenon
llght scannlng lmages, wlth the output
passed over three trlllnear sensors one
each for P, G, and 8. Llghtwaves plcked up
by the enormous amount of plxels on the
sensors are converted lnto electrlc pulses,
whlch agaln are dlgltlsed and saved.
The essentlal dlfference between
teleclne machlnes and fllm scanners,
also known as lnput scanners, ls that
the TK was deslgned for vldeo transfer,
wlth the converslon happenlng ln real-
tlme at z(-frames per second, whlle
fllm scannlng, at least ln the early days,
operates at slower speeds ln non-real
tlme. |mprovements ln technology have
lncreased scannlng speeds ln recent years,
for example the Northllght z, produced
by PllmLlght, scans at up to slx tlmes the
speed of the orlglnal Northllght machlne.
The saved lmages are then stored at hlgh resolutlon wlth
full-negatlve range.
Masters At Work
Once the grade, edlt, and effects work ls completed
the lmages are composlted by the onllne edltor and
then mastered. To convert the flnlshed productlon
back to fllm the dlgltal lmage flles are passed through a
fllm recorder.
Pllm scannlng became a vlable process durlng the
late :p8os and early pos. London faclllty the Computer
Pllm Company (CPC) used equlpment deslgned by one
of lts co-founders, Dr Mlke 8oudry. An Lngllshman who
was brought up ln Australla, 8oudry studled electronlc
englneerlng and physlcs and was later a research
physlclst at Phlllps.
wlth hls glasses, unruly whlte halr and moustache,
8oudry very much fltted the percelved lmage of a boffln.
Through hls research work he came lnto contact wlth the
fllm world and ln :p8 establlshed CPC wlth co-dlrectors
Nlck Pollack and Andrew 8erends. Later optlcal house
Peerless Camera Company, owned by Kent Houston
and fllm dlrector and Monty Python team member Terry
Gllllam, took a o percent stake ln the company.
CPC concentrated on tltles and effects sequences for
feature fllms and Tv dramas, among lts credlts durlng lts
A film scanner
converts filmed
images into digital
data that is stored
on a computer drive
or, more commonly
these days, a
networked server.
This is done frame
by frame, working
from the film
negative.
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video guide A Sound Pros Guide To Video
Colour Grading Part 10
earller days were the openlng sequence of 8rltlsh
detectlve serles Polrot, numerous commerclals
and speclal scenes for movles lncludlng Lrlk the
vlklng (:p8p), dlrected by and starrlng another
Python, Terry 1ones.
The equlpment used to do thls at CPC was
deslgned by 8oudry and comprlsed three
separate components: scannlng, processlng,
and the flnal recordlng back to fllm. |n the flrst
part of the process fllm was scanned frame by
frame to produce hlgh-resolutlon dlgltals lmages,
albelt not ln real-tlme. Scannlng was carrled
out at CPCs faclllty on 8erwlck Street, Soho, ln
a controlled envlronment, whlch was strlctly
monltored to prevent dust enterlng the system
and compromlslng the plctures.
|n :pp; CPC merged wlth
Pramestore, another London post
house noted for lts vlsual effects.
Members of CPCs P&D team later
developed a fllm scanner that
became the PllmLlght Northllght.
Future I nsi ght
Ma[or manufacturers saw the
way the market was golng and
began to produce new products
to meet the growlng demand for
fllm scannlng and D| operatlons.
Last man Kodak l aunched
l ts Cl neon system l n :ppz.
Thls comprlsed a fllm scanner,
elther the Genesls or Genesls
6, a control workstatlon, and a
fllm recorder.
A ma[ or pro[ ect for thl s
comblnatlon came the followlng
year when Kodak technlclans used lt to dlgltally
restore Dlsneys Snow White (:p;). The old footage
was scanned lnto the system, maklng Snow whlte
the flrst fllm to be converted lnto dlgltal flles and
then manlpulated to upgrade the lmage, after
whlch lt was recorded back on to fllm. The work
was done at (k resolutlon and :o-blt colour depth.
Clneons dlgltal workstatlon features were used to
both remove dlrt and scratches and restore the
faded colour lmages.
Desplte thls and some other early success,
lncludlng Academy of Motlon Plcture Arts and
Sclences Sclentlflc and Technlcal Awards, Kodak
pulled out of thls slde of the buslness ln :pp;
when lt dlscontlnued the Clneon. |ts legacy llves
on, however, because the flle formats used ln the
system, lncludlng the .cln (for Clneon), are stlll ln
general use today.
The Clneon lmage flle format ls slmllar to the
ANS| (Amerlcan Natlonal Standards |nstltute)/
SMPTL (Soclety of Motlon Plcture and Televlslon
Lnglneers) DPX flle format and was developed
speclflcally to hold scanned fllm lmages.
DPX and Clneon flles are
sl ml l ar because both have
varlable header lengths and use
the same format for lmage data.
The dlfference comes ln how
the header of each ls formatted.
DPX flle headers are flexlble,
whlch enables varlable lmage
headers to be used accordlng to
how and where the lmages are
used. The Clneon format was
deslgned solely for dlgltal fllm
and ls not lntended to be used ln
any other lndustry or sector.
The Real Kl one Wars
Teleclne ploneer Clntel entered
the fllm scannlng market ln :pp6-
;. Around the same tlme that
C-Peallty was announced the
company lntroduced a (K pln
reglstratlon scanner called Klone.
Descrlbed as a very hlgh resolutlon fllm scanner
only slx or so were sold, lncludlng one to Pushes
ln London.
The Clneon fllm scanner and Splrlt and C-Peallty
dataclnes gave the slgnal to other manufacturers
that there was room for new technologles and
products. Thls made the late :ppos and early
zooos a fluld and sometlmes turbulent perlod ln
the hlstory of what had once been consldered a
sedate, stable part of the broadcast-fllm lndustry.
The startlng polnt probably came ln :pp6 when
Pank declded that Clntel no longer fltted ln wlth
lts corporate actlvltles. The teleclne company
was sold and became Clntel |nternatlonal.
The newly lndependent operatlon lald out lts stall
wlth C-Peallty, but the technologlcal leap lnvolved
caused problems four years down the llne.
Clntel went lnto recelvershlp ln 1uly zooo
and was bought soon afterwards by a group
conslstlng of some of lts exlstlng management.
Lxecutlves admltted that the C-Peallty had
been launched wlth no relatlon to real market
demand. Thls, comblned wlth the strength of
the competlng Phlllps Splrlt, put a great flnanclal
straln on Clntel.
That same year, desplte lts strong posltlon ln
the teleclne/dataclne and camera markets, Phlllps
declded to sell lts broadcast products subsldlary
to Thomson. The sale lncluded the Splrlt and the
newly launched Spectre vlrtual dataclne.
A New Pl ayer I n Town
8ut Clntel and Thomson were no longer the only
players ln the fleld. |n :ppp Sony unexpectedly
entered the fray wlth the PvS :ooo teleclne, whlch
was soon renamed the vlalta. Thls machlne
worked ln multlple formats (:6 mm, S:6 mm,
mm, S mm) and multlple standards (6o: SD, HD,
and data). |t was based on a fleld array CCD and
had lntegrated prlmary colour correctlon.
Around the same tlme another new teleclne
appeared from |nnovatlon TK (|TK). Thls perhaps
made more sense as the company was founded
by former Clntel Deslgn Lnglneer Stuart Hunt
and establlshed lts reputatlon by produclng
enhancements for hls old employers TK machlnes.
Durlng :pp8 Hunt played down rumours that he
was worklng on a full teleclne, but eventually |TK
took the plunge wlth the Mlllennlum Machlne.
The new Mlllennlum would provlde even
greater opportunltles for the developers of fllm
transfer and colour correctlon systems, as wlll be
shown ln the next edltlon of vldeo Gulde.
>
Di gi tal i ntermedi ate speci al i st Assi mi l ate has
introduced the latest version of its Scratch system, which
is designed for grading, conforming, producing dailies, and
general finishing.
New features of Scratch . include enhanced tools
for stereoscopic D working. Among these are S-Lock,
which enables colourists to maintain a left eye-right eye
dual-view configurationand makes stereoscopic grading
more intuitive.
Also included are support for REDlogiFilm Gamma, and
auto-synchronisation of Broadcast Wave files.
Scratch has been used on a wide range of features
films, most recently The Rabbit Hole with Nicole Kidman
(pictured) and Fair Game, starring Naomi Watts and Sean
Penn. Version . is available now, and users of previous
systems with maintenance contracts can upgrade by
downloading from http://www.assimilatesupport.com/
akb/Download.aspx.
Scratch . is keenly focused on the critical and ongoing
trade-offs our customers make between time, project
quality, and budgets, comments Steve Bannerman, Vice
President of Marketing at Assimilate. By significantly
streamlining workflows and enabling increased
productivity, Scratch allows artists and post-production
facilities to be more creative and competitive in todays
challenging landscape of shrinking budgets and rising
customer expectations.
news
But Cintel and
Thomson were
no longer the
only players in
the field. In 1999
Sony unexpectedly
entered the fray
with the FVS 1000
telecine, which was
soon renamed the
Vialta.
worldmags
worldmags
56
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'- O''O O OU OO OO' ''
Solid State Logic
S O U N D | | V I S I O N
20
EUPHONIX
+++EUPHONIX+ + + + EUPHONIX+ + + + EUPHONIX+ + + + EUPHONIX+ + + + EUPHONIX+ + + + EUPHONIX+ + + + EUPHONIX+ + + + EU-
EuCon: Connect and Control
EuCon, Euphonixs proprietary high-speed
Ethernet control protocol not only provides
deep integration with software applications,
but also enables the control surface to switch
between multiple workstations that directly
support the protocol. EuCon recognises each
software application and intelligently switches
control to match your favourite applications
including Logic, Soundtrack Pro, Final Cut,
Cubase, Digital Performer, Pyramix, Sonar,
Maestro, MIO Console, and Nuendo, as
well as applications such as Pro Tools that
support HUI. EuCon for the Artist Series
works on Mac OSX; EuCon for the Pro
Series works with Mac OSX and Windows.
EuCon can manage multiple networked
workstations and works with any application,
mapping keystroke commands to the
displays and dedicated soft keys of
Euphonix control surfaces.
Music and Audio Post-Production
Euphonix provides audio production solutions
at every level from top professional studios
to personal home studios. Euphonixs
products the System 5, S5 Fusion, MC Pro,
System 5-MC, and Artist Series are perfect
for every level of audio production.
All Euphonix control surfaces are
ergonomically designed, giving users
simpli ed control of all aspects of the project.
Euphonix improves the quality of any project,
enhances the sound, speeds up the process,
and provides users with tools to allow
creativity to reign.
System 5
The agship digital audio mixing system
Euphonix System 5 features high quality
EQ and compression on every channel,
surround capability, hundreds of DSP
channels, and high resolution metering
using on-screen displays.
System 5 is easy to set up and use
with a highly intuitive control surface that
is simple, yet powerful enough, to get the
job done. System 5 includes all the
professional surround monitoring and
machine control functions needed for even
the most complex project.
Its modular design can be tailored to any
application, from commercial and project
music all the way through large systems
for live venue music recording and mixing.
The complete mixing solution includes
control surface, I/O, DSP SuperCore, router,
monitoring, full automation, and machine
control. With the EuCon Hybrid option,
System 5 easily controls multiple music
DAWs as well as its own DSP channels
simultaneously.
S5 Fusion
The competitively priced S5 Fusion is a
complete digital mixing system package.
What makes S5 Fusion really powerful is
the coupling of Euphonixs processing DSP
SuperCore engine with EuCon Hybrid, a
technology that allows the console surface
to control its own DSP channels as well
as channels from multiple external DAWs
simultaneously. S5 Fusion boasts pristine
sound quality, powerful automation features,
and extensive surround sound mixing
capability that easily satisfy the rigorous
demands of music production.
MC Pro
Thanks to EuCon, the MC Pro is truly the
rst universal workstation controller; its
surface instantly changes to match the
current active application. It has faders,
knobs, jog wheel, full-sized keyboard,
touch-screen, and a professional monitoring
section. It works equally well with audio and
video applications. The 56 programmable
LCD SmartSwitches send out keyboard
commands and can be tailored to your way
of working no more keyboard shortcuts
that are impossible to remember.
System 5-MC
Take an MC Pro and add the powerful
System 5 channel strip modules to make a
System 5-MC, the most powerful and elegant
DAW mixing and editing controller available.
When you need the editorial control and the
speed of the MC Pro, its right there at your
ngertips in the centre of the console.
When its time to mix, the System 5 channel
strips, with moving faders, eight touch-
sensitive knobs, and the high-res touch-
screens come into their own and let you fully
blend all the tracks for the perfect mix.
The whole surface connects to multiple
workstations via EuCon to control any
application. Switch to a new application, and
the whole surface changes to match. The
Layouts feature lets you store your favorite
track layouts on the surface for instant recall.
Euphonix consoles and control surfaces provide
unrivalled integration with the industrys leading audio
and video applications.
Euphonix:
Reach a New Level of
Creativity
+++CLASSIC CONSOLES+ + + + CLASSIC CONSOLES+ + + + CLASSIC CONSOLES+ + + + CLASSIC CONSOLES+ + + + CLASSIC CON- Its a Classic
T
he artistic Audio is one of the few areas of technology where older designs are not only revered by discerning people, but actively sought out and traded for high prices on the second-hand market. No one is going to lust over a 1970s TV camera and, while classic cars are admired, not many of us would want to drive an Austin Riley on their daily commute. Technology moves on and improves or does it? The rst problem you come across when trying to put together an article on classic consoles is how to dene exactly what a classic is. I could have spent many hours on research and pondered over what should or should not be considered a classic, but instead I chose to sidestep the issue completely and ask someone else. Mark Thompson runs Funky Junk in London (www.proaudioeurope.com), supplier of classic and not so classic hi-end gear to the famous and upcoming alike. Offering consultancy, a repair and restoration workshop, a retail shop, and sophisticated demonstration facilities with an acoustically accurate control room, Funky Junk has become Europes premier focus for those interested in classic consoles so he should be in a decent position to dene exactly what a classic console is.
Generally, if you were to describe a console as classic it would be built before 1980 using discrete components (i.e. no integrated circuits) and it would be made in a kind of sub-modular way, says Thompson. The classic EMI, Helios, and Neve consoles of the 60s and 70s were made so that the EQ was a separate module and the routing was a separate module and so on and the same applies to the classic German ones such as the
Neumann and Telefunkens. In other words, the individual modules including the mic preamps and the line amps were all cassettes that plugged into a mainframe. Of course, it is a slightly semantic problem as certain SSLs, for example, are often described as classic but if you take the example of cars, an old Rolls or Ferrari might be described as a classic, but the same epithet might also be applied to a more modern car but the word then has a different connotation. It might be a classic of design or a modern classic but thats very different from a true classic car! American humorist Carol burnet described comedy as Tragedy plus time so might classic just actually mean certain design criteria plus time? Not according to Thompson. The state of the analog(ue) audio art was probably reached in the 1970s and you have to bear in mind that this was on the end of a 60 to 70 year development period so its not surprising that the state of the digital art has not yet been reached! Im of the opinion that all the developments since the 1980s have been solely with the aim of reducing manufacturing costs and generally improving the ease of manufacture, rather than improving audio quality with one or two minor exceptions.
These are usually to do with
automated processes and I dont just mean console automation.
Rupert Neve
In about 1965, a serious young man turned up at Penny & Giles, which was then a military equipment manufacturing company, with a box full of bits and said Can you make me one of these? They were the
parts for a plastic conductive fader and the young man was Rupert Neve (www. rupertneve.com). These components are now part of a multi million-dollar business and no serious console would sport anything else. Similarly, many of Neves audio designs have never been superseded to this day, and Rupert Neves own company is still making modules brimming with circuits which rst saw the light of day in the 1960s and which are still regarded as offering the ultimate sound quality. Of the classic Neves, the 8078 is considered by most to sit at the zenith of Neves mastery of the audio signal path and arguably at the zenith of desk design. Used on countless records in the 1970s, its a hand wired 40-channel design that would be totally uneconomic to manufacture today. Only a handful remain in lucky studios such as Konk in Londons Tottenham Lane and the Village Recorder in Los Angeles. The consoles 31105 four-band combination pre-ampliers/EQ are much sought after and often found racked separately its a trend noted by Thompson. Ive recently been hunting out a vintage API for a name band and have recently supplied classics to a number of other people. While the consoles in the 70s were rather large, these days, people with Pro Tools are happy with the limitations of routing and other facilities common on classics but want desks with smaller footprints. Were now cutting down classic Neves and even modern classics like SSLs to smaller channel counts. Neves 8048 console was the last of the 80 series hand wired desks and features the Neve 1081 EQ module again much extracted, racked, and copied these days (www.ams-neve.com).
Stephen Bennett asks what
makes a classic console
classic, and to what they owe
their lasting appeal.
6 CLASSIC CONSOLES
+++PROTOCOLS+ + + + PROTOCOLS+ + + + PROTOCOLS+ + + + PROTOCOLS+ + + + PROTOCOLS+ + + + PROTOCOLS+ + + + PROTOCOL
Technology Snapshot:
Digital Network & Transmission Protocols
P
rotocols dont you love em?
Just as youve got used to one,
along comes another younger,
better, faster, and sexier standard to knock
the socket on the back of your desk into
touch. With the increased popularity of
digital consoles in the live and broadcast
worlds, faster and more capable interfacing
has proliferated. However, its common for
many manufacturers to have different ideas
of what constitutes the perfect connection
for their digital audio gear.
Protocol Genealogy
The great granddaddy of connection
protocols was, of course, MIDI (Musical
Instrument Digital Interface). Its hard to
imagine in these days of digital cooperation
what a revelation the ability to connect and
control the equipment from many different
manufacturers was. Its proved amazingly
resilient to the developments in audio
technology, and is still used to control
DAWs and other software and hardware
directly from control surfaces. Of course,
MIDI is an 8-bit data-only protocol, so
when you want to distribute digital audio
along with your data, things need to be
speeded up a bit. S/PDIF (Sony/Philips
Digital Interconnect Format) and the AES/
EBU (Audio Engineering Society/European
Broadcasting Union) protocols were
created to distribute stereo audio data at
varying sample and bit rates, while Alesiss
ADAT connection allows for the transfer of
eight tracks at 48kHz down a single bre
optic cable.
All are well
established
but todays
multi-channel, high data rate world requires
new improved protocols to get the audio
from A to B via C, and possibly D.
The advantages of using digital
transmission for multi-channel audio
over the long distances used in live and
broadcast applications are that the signals
are immune to radio frequency and mains-
borne interference because the systems
dont need to use thick, expensive, audio
grade multi-core cables usually just a
simple CAT 5 cable will do. Lower cost
is also a factor, with some companies
implementing the less expensive solutions
(or their own propriety protocols) in their
cheaper consoles and other hardware.
Most of these technologies are based
on bog-standard Ethernet hardware and
audio transmission, and can often work
together with existing distributed networks.
However, the need for asynchronous multi-
channel data transfer requires software and
hardware that needs to be able to cope with
these transmissions without drop-outs and
at useable low latencies.
Physically, most of the available systems
are similar, but differ in their software
implementations, with some using standard
networking protocols, some proprietary,
and some standard transmission
protocols. They are usually available
directly via consoles, on computer-based
cards or as stand-alone rack mount
hardware. Data is sent via standard CAT 5
Ethernet cables or bre optics. On either
end of the system lurks a mixing console
and/or stage or distribution boxes, or
hardware interfaces for
direct connection of
line, microphone, and
digital signals.
MADI
MADI (Multi-
channel Audio
Digital Interface)
is an obvious
successor to the
basic stereo interfaces described above.
The AES document AES10-2003 describes
the protocol that has features in common
with AES/EBU, and is capable of coping
with up to 64 channels of 24-bit audio at
sample rates of up to 96kHz over various
cable types and over long distances.
Use of optical bres makes transmission
of large numbers of channels a doddle, and
several companies feature MADI in their
consoles including Studer, AMS,
Neve, Fairlight, and Lawo.
REAC
Rolands S-4000 series of digital
snakes use the REAC (Roland Ethernet
Audio Communication) protocol (www.
rolandsystemsgroup.net/en/0111d.htm).
The REAC speci cation provides a high
quality, redundant digital audio transfer
system that can be easily installed or
integrated for any audio snake application.
REAC is a plug and play system that is
easy to con gure and requires no complex
setup via computer operation. Running
over Ethernet, REAC has extremely low
latency and is capable of transferring up to
40 channels of 24-bit linear audio at 96kHz
while generating a latency of only 0.375ms.
CobraNet
Cirrus Logics CobraNet (www.
cobranet.info) was the rst successful
implementation of multi-channel audio
transmission over Ethernet. Sixty four
channels of uncompressed audio can
be transmitted over a single CAT 5
cable, and Cobranet is particularly useful
in networked or distributed systems.
However latency in CobraNet is relatively
high (1.33 to 5.33ms) which may make
it unsuitable in live situations. CobraNet
is a licensed technology and OEM
implementations are available for use in
third-party products such as Yamahas
MY-16 compatible digital consoles,
D&R broadcast digital consoles, and
SoundCrafts Vi Series.
Getting sound from one place to another is a lot more complicated than it sounds. Luckily,
quite a few clever people have done the hard work for us, and there are now a good choice
of systems and protocols for the digital journey. Stephen Bennett picks out the gems
8
PROTOCOLS consoles 2010
14
CALREC AUDIO

THE INTERNATIONAL CONSOLE BUYERS GUIDE
15
+++CALREC AUDIO+ + + + CALREC AUDIO+ + + + CALREC AUDIO+ + + + CALREC AUDIO+ + + + CALREC AUDIO+ + + + CALREC AU-
In 2006 Calrecs Blue n High-Density Signal Processing changed the way broadcasters regarded DSP. A truly revolutionary technology, it provided vastly superior levels of signal processing in a fraction of the space of conventional systems. Blue n was the worlds rst implementation of Field Programmable
Gate Array (FPGA) technology for total
DSP processing, providing enough processing on one DSP card to power
an entire mixing console running surround-sound productions. Blue n2 is the next generation of Calrecs FPGA technology, and has
been designed for surround operation
at both 48kHz and 96kHz from the outset. It gives the Apollo console a staggering 1020 channel processing paths, and the Artemis console up to 640. It provides up to 16 Main and up to 48 Group outputs (from a pool of 128
resources), up to 96 track busses (64 on the Artemis), up to 48 Aux busses (32 on the Artemis), 12 dual layers, a six-band parametric EQ, more than 70
minutes of assignable delay, and up to
three independent APFL systems. As with all Calrec designs, the facilities do
not share resources so that they are available to the user at all times It is the DSP powerhouse for the next generation of Calrec consoles, and provides enough processing muscle to cope with the biggest, boldest 5.1 projects.
Hydra2 links the Apollo and Artemis consoles to their 8192 routers, and on to more complex networks if required. Offering up to 512 bi- directional channels of I/O per copper
or bre connection, Hydra2 offers true
one-to-many routing and allows the construction of large-scale distributed
mixing networks with multiple control surfaces and routers/processors. The Hydra2 control software makes connecting resources very straightforward. Audio interfaces and consoles may be added and removed
without the need for manual intervention
the control software recognises the changes and informs all parts of the network so that new resources are made available to console operators instantaneously.
require closing the system down to reboot,
Calrec provides on-line redundant hardware
for ALL critical systems as standard. Takeover is automatic and seamless, and all
these elements are hot-pluggable for easy
replacement. DSP, router, router expansion,
processing, and PSU cards all have spares
as standard, and are all contained within a
solitary 8U rack. With this rack, Calrec is also
helping to reduce weight, space, and power
consumption for its customers. Unusually, multiple control surfaces can
also be connected to the same rack to allow multiple operators access to the same
processing resources. It is also possible
to have a separate submix created in a separate location which feeds audio directly
into the same buss output as the main mix
without ever leaving the same system. This gives broadcasters increased exibility
without the need for additional hardware.
Using these innovative new technologies,
Calrec consoles provide unparalleled processing power and a signi cantly smaller physical footprint than any other
product in the broadcast audio market.
This technologys exible architecture means
that the control surface can be updated to
display anything Calrecs customers require.
The DSP architecture is similarly designed
to upscale to handle any possible changes
in multi-channel audio broadcast standards,
for example 7.1 surround. Today, broadcasters need more and more digital audio channels at ever-higher
resolutions. They need more and more processing power to handle the increase,
and more assignable, more ergonomic
control surfaces to deal with the increased
workload that HD broadcasting demands. Naturally, Calrec already has the answer
to all of these concerns.
+++AVID+ + + + AVID+ + + + AVID+ + + + AVID+ + + + AVID+ + + + AVID+ + + + AVID+ + + + AVID+ + + + AVID+ + + + AVID+ + + +
Top 10 Reasons Professionals Choose
ICON Audio Mixing ICON customers make their living working
on world-class entertainment media, so they need the best for less. Here are
the 10 reasons they choose ICON: 1. Affordable and Accessible Pro Tools and ICON have put high quality
recording and production into the hands of
more producers, musicians, and post pros
than ever before at previously unheard of
prices. With unmatched editing, automation,
and recall capabilities, not to mention costs
that dwarf old-school studio time, they are
todays sound solutions of choice. 2. Plug-In Power and Performance Forever changing the sound industry, plug-ins allow ICON consoles to remain
untethered to a single equaliser or dynamics type. The sheer horsepower
of Pro Tools|HD and available plug-in
selection have opened the door to endless creative possibilities.
3. Extend Life Expectancy The Pro Tools session format lives on, allowing mixes to be recalled from as far
back as the mid 90s.
4. Core Creative Curriculum Based on its position as the industry standard for recording, editing, and interchange, the educational world has made
Pro Tools an integral part of its core creative
curriculum. Command|8, C|24, and/or ICON consoles with Pro Tools not only excite students about learning
how to record, edit, and mix, but lead them
to more nancially rewarding real-world
opportunities after school.
5. Customise Your Mixing World Pro Tools has evolved into an extremely
powerful mixing solution that has virtually
de ned the idea of customisation. Appealing
to the heart and soul of the mixer, the tactile
ICON surface adds to that by allowing you to
slide any channel wherever you want it, layout
any group of faders in any order, and custom
map any group of knobs and faders to layout
a plug-in. Maps created on ICON can also be
exported for transportation and sharing. 6. Sound Quality Even with all its exibility and functionality,
Pro Tools|HD preserves the highest order
of sonic integrity. Delivering pristine clarity,
quality, and delity, Pro Tools|HD provides
a 48-bit mixing architecture, high-resolution
24-bit/192 kHz audio interfaces, and nearly
300dB of dynamic range that make clipping
and distorting the internal summing bus
nearly impossible.
7. Speed and Control Through Automation
Pro Tools with ICON gives you the speed
you need with moving faders, touch-sensitive
knobs (and encoders), and automation
of nearly everything. Choosing to tie your
automation to the audio regions offers you
the perfect system for dealing with big song
or movie changes. Incorporating time-tested
Big (Six Figure) Mixing console features like
Auto-Join, Join, Capture, Snapshots, Punch
Capture, Preview, Suspend Preview, Punch
Preview, and Touch-Latch allows you to work
without a mouse or even a Pro Tools screen.
Its the perfect mix of traditional technology
and automation innovation.
8. Ultimate Recall Everything can be recalled in a matter of
seconds, from settings and automation
moves to alternate takes and multiple versions of every mix. And the best part is,
you can take it all with you wherever you
want to mix, send it over the Internet to other
people, and have them return it back to you
mixed even further. Its a game-changer
that buys back a signi cant portion of your
creative life by letting computers do what
they do best remember huge, detailed
pieces of data with unparalleled exactness. 9. Work Lean and Green Yesterdays console is never powered down.
It just goes on consuming a tremendous
amount of power, which, even in a passive
state, requires a copious amount of cooling.
ICON and Pro Tools, on the other hand,
are extremely energy ef cient.
10. Pro Tools + ICON = Integrated Console
ICON gives you the deciding advantage over
any other console. With an editor/recorder/
composing/video playback tool that is completely integrated with touch-sensitive,
con gurable, and customisable surface,
ICON lets you do things other non-integrated
consoles just wont let you do. The bottom
line is, todays client is more tech-savvy and
cost-conscious than ever before, so you need
the kind of work ow that helps customers get
the most out of their paid studio experience.
Avid Digidesign ICON integrated console system
and VENUE live sound environment provide the
most creative, exible, and comprehensive set
of tools for the music, post, broadcast, and live
sound industries.
Consoles For Studio & Live Sound
14
AVID
24
LAWO
+++LAWO+ + + + LAWO+ + + + LAWO+ + + + LAWO+ + + + LAWO+ + + + LAWO+ + + + LAWO+ + + + LAWO+ + + +
Power, Flexibility, Intuitive Operation, and Modern Design The mc Series With more than 8000 by 8000 crosspoints and even more in networked systems, the mc series is prepared to handle all requirements for OB vans and studios. Transferring snapshots from an mc66 to a mc56, loading a snapshot from a console imported providing a completely different DSP capacity or fader count, underlines the principle of the mc software architecture. We understand that exibility is one of the major contributors to cost savings, due to easy and fast adaptation, whatever the production. The Lawo-developed Dual Star Technology has found its way into mixing console design. With this technology, Lawo has established a further milestone in reliability and redundancy for mixing consoles
and HD cores. The mc series impresses with its precise signal processing. Changes to the DSP path are possible without any clicks, and even delay settings can be made noiselessly during runtime. A completely new decentralised control operation function Iso Bay Access gives you maximum control, even during two-man operation. Intelligent use of colour and style, and the open design of all the audio modules, gives the user a fantastic overview, even in critical live situations. The assign-at-destination concept inspires with its particularly short learning curve, and mc operation is virtually self-explanatory. With modern LED technology to colour code fader modules and channel strips, even with the maximum 200 faders, youll never lose control. For modern productions that require 5.1,
the mc console is the ideal answer. Up to eight channels (7.1) can be controlled with one fader, which couples all channel parameters and eight-segment metering. Thanks to Lawos hyper-panning, a surround group can be rotated through 360, and the Reveal function opens up a surround or VCA group over dedicated faders, enabling direct access to all the individual channel parameter settings. Further key points are: Dynamic Automation with TC-Cut, Audio-Follow-Video, GPC with Camera Mic. Thanks to comprehensive plug-in integration with the Lawo Plug-in Server, it is now possible to use the live mixing facilities of the mc series, while easily accessing the widest range of outboard FX. This innovation opens up completely new possibilities in audio production, offering undreamed-of exibility for live and studio sessions.
mc90
Optimum Control and Maximum Flexibility The mc90 offers a modular central control section to position the most signi cant modules there where you need them. In addition, external control devices can be integrated smoothly. No compromises regarding exibility.
mc66 Inspired by your Needs Due to its lightweight construction, low power consumption, and compact dimensions, the mc66 is ideally suited for OB vans, studios, broadcast, and live/ theatre applications. Sizes from 24 to 104 faders are available. With remote fader bays, the desk can easily be split into two parts for ef cient use and transportation.
Lawo specialises in the manufacture of digital mixing consoles and routing systems
for radio and TV broadcasters, and for the live domain. High quality standards and innovative technology are supported
by 40 years of experience in the eld of professional audio technology.
Lawo
Networking Audio Systems
Lawo develops and builds digital audio mixing consoles for radio, broadcast, production, and live applications, together with the necessary software. Lawo also builds matrix systems and audio networks, carries out project engineering, and acts as main contractor for radio OB vans. Throughout its history, the company has always kept learning and looking ahead, making it a pioneer in digitising radio and TV. After the rst analogue consoles, Lawo developed the hybrid PTR, analogue signal processing with
digital control. Milestones of the 90s were the development of the fully digital mc series, the takeover and re- launch of the diamond console, and the presentation of the mc series. The latest developed products are the mc consoles of the third generation, ideally suited for broadcast and production studios, OB vans, and the theatre/live domain. Over the years, Lawo has also developed a range of routing systems for applications of almost any size as well as solutions for networked systems.
without the need for additional hardware.
consumption for its customers. Unusually, multiple control surfaces can
also be connected to the same rack to allow multiple operators access to the same
processing resources. It is also possible
to have a separate submix created in a separate location which feeds audio directly
into the same buss output as the main mix
without ever leaving the same system. This gives broadcasters increased exibility
Delivered to over 140,000
professionals in print and
digital format.
The Buyers Guide is
the place to be seen.
THE INTERNATIONAL
BUYERS GUIDE
A SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL PUBLICATION FROM THE NEWBAY MEDIA GROUP A
U
D
IO
M
ED
IA AUDIO-FOR-VIDEO BROADCAST INTERNET AUDIO LIVE SOUND MULTIMEDIA POST PRODUCTION RECORDING
In associ ati on wi th:
AUDIO MEDIA
PRODUCED BY
L
IV
E
S
O
U
N
D
T
E
C
H
N
O
L
O
G
Y
20
10
T
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E
IN
T
E
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N
A
T
IO
N
A
L

B
U
Y
E
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S
G
U
ID
E
A SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL PUBLICATION FROM THE NEWBAY MEDIA GROUP
A
U
D
I
O
M
E
D
IA
In associ ati on wi th:
AUDIO MEDIA
PRODUCED BY
L
IV
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01-live-sound-application-2010-cover.indd 1
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call Graham Kirk on +44 (0) 1480 461555
[email protected]
www.audiomedia.com
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Aspen Media 16
Avid 25
BVE 14
DiGiCo 13
Focusrite 27
Fostex 35
Genelec 47
KMR Audio 33
KRK 43
Midas 52
Prism Sound 21
Radial 59
Richmond 19, 39
Riedel 8
RME 10-11
RSS by Roland 48
SADiE 17
Sonic Distribution 2-3, 31, 37, 45
Soundcraft 60
Sound Devices 15
Ultrasone 53
Unity Audio 23
Waves 9
58
A D V E R T I S E R S I N D E X
Lghts, Cmera, Acton:
ACDC Falling Down
Is this the future of Christmas lights? Gone will be the lit-up fleet of reindeer dangling from wires
above the high street, gone will be the lines of little flashing bulbs of pink, green, and blue. In
their place will be a lightfest that challenges the things we think see right before our eyes
making us question our own sense of reality.
Such is the case with this architectural projection mapping project recently undertaken at
Rochester Castle in Kent. On this ancient site were pitted the thrashing tones of ACDC against
the ingenuity of Iron Man, as the Great Keep of the castle was brought to life
usi ng the latest D animation techniques. Before
the eyes of the audience, the castle was
seen to morph and shift and warp in time
to the music, spilling gold between the
towers and thumping out building blocks of red, before eventually collapsing into a giant heap
of rubble.
Lighting has never been like this before, and needs to be seen to be believed. The effects
are jaw-dropping, and the audience were left quite stunned.
This raises the bar just a tad for this years Christmas lights switch on
http://vimeo.com/
hed A Lttle Lght
The shadowy but ever-present connection between film and game sound is being brought to the crisp white page by Rob Bridgett in
his new book.
From the Shadows of Film Sound explores the connections between film sound production, and that of the newly emerging video game audio
production culture. A fresh take on past writings as well as previously unpublished writings are brought together in this one volume, that could
well prove the perfect Christmas gift for sound students as well as long-in-the-tooth sound artists working on the front line of development, or
simply those intrigued by game and cinematic sound.
www.arkhivesound.com
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Soundcraft T: +44 (0)1707 665000 E: [email protected]
Soundcraft US T: 888-251-8352 E: [email protected]
Mixes the show
without maxing the budget
Introducing the latest addition to Soundcrafts tour and install-proven Vi Series
digital live sound console range. The new Vi1 delivers the acclaimed Vistonics
operating interface along with 64 channel/24 bus mixing capacity, built-in FX and
dynamics, legendary Vi sound quality and optional MADI stagebox interface
all at a price that wont max out your budget.
Find out more about the digital mixing consoles that live depends on at
www.soundcraft.com
#28357 - Vi1 Ad Award AM_Layout 22/11/2010 11:30 Page 1
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