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Introducing the new NTR active ribbon microphone from RĂ˜DE The finest ribbon microphone ever made. Hear it for yourself at rode.com/ntr
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REGULARS
ED SPACE All quiet on the Loudness War front? Column: Mark Davie
Editor Mark Davie mark@audiotechnology.com.au Publisher Philip Spencer philip@alchemedia.com.au Editorial Director Christopher Holder chris@audiotechnology.com.au Art Director Dominic Carey dominic@alchemedia.com.au Graphic Designer Daniel Howard daniel@alchemedia.com.au Advertising Philip Spencer philip@alchemedia.com.au Accounts Jaedd Asthana jaedd@alchemedia.com.au Subscriptions Miriam Mulcahy mim@alchemedia.com.au Proofreading Andrew Bencina
The enemy has become the saviour. On-demand music streaming is changing the quality of music in a bigger way than a simple battle over codecs. The Loudness Wars have been declared over… again. I’ve lost count of how many times this has happened. Bob Katz killed them off in 2012 when iTunes Radio made its replay volume control facility, Sound Check, the default setting. Only to watch the war wage on. Ian Shepherd, productionadvice.co.uk and Dynamic Range Day pioneer, has played the role of wartime correspondent. Documenting the ‘victims’ of the wars, mapping out with detail how the war can be won, celebrating small victories, and declaring the war’s end every time a music service added loudness normalisation to its arsenal. If this was a real war, it’d be hard to take his predictions seriously. Each time Shepherd phoned in victory from the front, the sound of his voice was being drowned out by the thousands of artillery shells still being lobbed in the background. But history will look fondly on Shepherd and his ilk, because he’s right. Times are a changing, the worst is behind us, and the war will end one day, perhaps sooner rather than later. A recent redrawing of battle lines would suggest the Dynamic Range battalion has gained enough territory to declare victory. How? You ask. Because YouTube has integrated loudness normalisation. It may sound like an incidental victory; a bit of a flanking manoeuvre compared to changes to audiospecific platforms. But YouTube is a bigger player than you might think. Probably, the biggest in on-demand streaming. According to the Nielsen US Music Report, of the 163 billion on-demand music streams the company tracked in 2014, 57.1% were video streams. Yep, you read that correctly. And despite survey respondents still quoting radio as the dominant means of discovering new music, on-demand streaming is only on its way
up (this year, the numbers climbed to a record four billion-stream week). And for kids, the barometers of pop culture, YouTube is far and away the No.1 place to discover new music. So what has YouTube done? Well, according to Shepherd’s latest tests, it is now loudness normalising to an integrated loudness level of roughly -13 LUFS. If you’re not up with your LUFS, then think about it like this. dB RMS — usually shown as a negative value corresponding to the average level of a track below 0dBFS — is roughly equivalent to momentary loudness in LUFS. Integrated loudness is the average of those averages; if peak level is an instantaneous reading, momentary loudness is relatively responsive, and integrated loudness is the sloth of the measurement kingdom. The momentary loudness, or dB RMS, essentially displays your dynamic range above and below the integrated loudness line to show loud and quiet parts. What YouTube is doing, is evening out the integrated loudness of every track to the same benchmark. So if your track aligns with the ‘dark side’ of the Loudness Wars, and forsakes dynamic range for maximum level, then YouTube just turned down your squashed file… a lot — undoing the whole point of the Loudness Wars, which is to blast away surrounding tracks by being more obnoxious, for a longer period. Now, the more dynamic material next to your track will be as loud as the squashed track, but the peaks and troughs will extend further both ways, sounding more open and ‘better’. In the Moroder piece this issue, Matt Gray outlined the four job card options for loudness he sends to his clients: leave the dynamics true to the mix; slightly louder but keep most of the dynamics true to the mix; loud as music in a similar genre; or competing with the loudest music in the same genre. Soon he might to turn them into a flow chart, where the last two options read ‘see Option 1’. Now the war is ending, who will you side with? Or will you just end up like Hiroo Onada, patrolling your lonely holdout 30 years after the war has ended?
Regular Contributors Martin Walker Paul Tingen Guy Harrison Greg Walker Greg Simmons Blair Joscelyne Mark Woods Chris Braun Robert Clark Andrew Bencina Brent Heber Anthony Garvin Ewan McDonald Cover Image Corey Sleap Distribution by: Network Distribution Company. AudioTechnology magazine (ISSN 1440-2432) is published by Alchemedia Publishing Pty Ltd (ABN 34 074 431 628). Contact (Advertising, Subscriptions) T: +61 2 9986 1188 PO Box 6216, Frenchs Forest NSW 2086, Australia. Contact (Editorial) T: +61 3 5331 4949 PO Box 295, Ballarat VIC 3353, Australia. E: info@alchemedia.com.au W: www.audiotechnology.com.au
All material in this magazine is copyright © 2015 Alchemedia Publishing Pty Ltd. Apart from any fair dealing permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process with out written permission. The publishers believe all information supplied in this magazine to be correct at the time of publication. They are not in a position to make a guarantee to this effect and accept no liability in the event of any information proving inaccurate. After investigation and to the best of our knowledge and belief, prices, addresses and phone numbers were up to date at the time of publication. It is not possible for the publishers to ensure that advertisements appearing in this publication comply with the Trade Practices Act, 1974. The responsibility is on the person, company or advertising agency submitting or directing the advertisement for publication. The publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions, although every endeavour has been made to ensure complete accuracy. 1/6/2015. AT 3
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COVER STORY
BLUR CRACKS WHIP Inside the Secret Hong Kong Reunion
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ISSUE 24 CONTENTS
MIKING THE MADNESS Flying Down Fury Road with Ben Osmo
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Mixing a Corona Tour from the Bar
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38
ARP ODYSSEY REBORN Triple the Fun of the Original
Amphion One18 Monitors
THROWING THE FIRST STONE Digital Mics on Show at Angus & Julia
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Audio-Technica R70x Flagship Headphones
CUBASE PRO 8 All You’ll Ever Need?
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REVIEW
AUDIO-TECHNICA R70X Open-Back Reference Headphones
For the first time ever, a pair of Audio-Technica headphones sport the ‘reference’ badge — but do they live up to the title? Review: Preshan John
When it comes to studio monitors, most of us know exactly what we want: clarity throughout the frequency range; a solid stereo image; neutral response; and good translation to the outside world. But what do we want from a pair of cans? AT’s last couple of headphone reviews have cogitated over the difference between ‘accuracy’ and ‘listenability’. Their findings have shown these traits are not necessarily mutually exclusive, with new models often striking a balance between the two. I can be somewhat fickle when it comes to headphones. Sometimes I do want to notice every squeak of a guitar string, or a vocalist’s every breath. But there are also times when I couldn’t care less about the details and would rather bask in an headphone’s un-flat, imperfect glory; where the bass goes doof, the highs sparkle, and the music is just fun to listen to. So with that in mind, let’s don Audio-Technica’s first ever stab at reference headphones — the R70x. LOVE HANDLES
NEED TO KNOW
The R70x’s all-black design isn’t ‘loud’, but it’ll still attract the odd sideways glance on public transport. The construction is lightweight and sturdy with a perforated, fixed-length metal headband. Aluminium honeycomb-mesh protects the drivers, while maintaining that open-back airiness. It’s a very comfortable pair of headphones — the soft circumaural pads provide a snug fit and the selfadjusting wing support system’s armatured pads feel (and look) like they’re cradling your head in a loving embrace.
PRICE $499
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CONTACT Technical Audio Group: (02) 9519 0900 or info@tag.com.au
PROS Easy to listen to Detailed sound Winged headband very comfortable
CONS Some may want pin sharp highs
SUMMARY The Audio Technica R70x headphones will comfortably alternate between critical listening and ‘Pink Floyd with a glass of red’-mode. They flatter most material but also maintain a strong amount of detail and articulation in frequency response and stereo spread. An affordable all-rounder, that’s a worthwhile addition to your monitoring options.
On to the listening tests and it’s important to add that, given the high impedance (470Ω), you’d do well driving these cans with a good headphone amp. The sound stage is not particularly wide for open-back headphones; nevertheless an instrument’s placement in the stereo spread feels precise and definite. And as you’d expect, the unsealed drivers do terminally bleed audio so you wouldn’t use them for tracking duties. The first thing to perk my ears up was the mildly suppressed high end that’s more akin to closed-backs. In fact, if I had to sum up the sound of the ATH R70x in one word, it would be, dare I say it, ‘warm’. I tend to subconsciously equate ‘reference headphones’ with a generous helping of treble, so this was a pleasant surprise and it helped avoid any ear-fatigue over extended listening periods. However as a result, there is perhaps a small sacrifice in detail and transient response above 10kHz. Bass is present and defined but not overbearing. Well-recorded vocal tracks present beautifully, without harsh sibilance or excessive thickness. My only niggle is that, after a while, I found myself craving a little more definition in the low-mids, more so when listening to dense mixes. On the whole though, the R70x sonic experience is very satisfying.
PEOPLE PLEASER
I asked a friend who knows little about pro audio to compare the R70x to AKG’s far more expensive K812 flagship open backs. After listening to a couple of songs on both, she felt like the K812 required ‘more concentration’ and ‘made everything separate’ whereas the R70x was ‘more relaxing ‘and ‘made everything stick together’. And I’ve got to say, I agree. While the R70x is indeed a reference headphone, it does a great job at being easy to listen to. And if you’re looking for accuracy, it delivers in that department too. Solo acoustic guitar and orchestral tracks really brought out the detail — every picked string sounded lifelike and the lows were delightfully smooth. So again, here’s the big question: What do you want from a pair of headphones? While many of us will reach for personal favourites when demanding either accuracy or listenability, it’s nice to have a faithful in-betweener that performs well on both fronts. And the AudioTechnica R70x fits the bill nicely.
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9/04/15 12:24 PM
STUDIO FOCUS:
WICK STUDIOS Glenn Scott and Dan Corless have made a rock solid commitment to the Melbourne and Australian music industry at The Wick. So solid, it’s in bricks and mortar. The pair had taken over the old Dane Centre rehearsal business in Melbourne’s Brunswick area. A old rock dog haunt, that had its heyday in the ’80s — John Farnham auditioned for Little River Band there, and Billy Thorpe used to rehearse in The Auditorium. “We had The Wick studio next door,” said Scott. “And the bloke that was running Dane kept complaining and saying he wanted to get out. So we called his bluff. We put an offer in front of him and said, ‘there you go, sign this, and you can have the money by five pm today.’ And he did.” They cleaned up the place, renamed it The Wick to link with the studio brand, and turned the business around. But it still had old Peavey PAs, and was only getting by. Then two years ago the place flooded, damaging everything badly enough to weigh up the costs of walking away or reinventing the business. They chose the latter, rebranding the complex Wick Studios. The first step: Building rooms that actually worked for rehearsals. “Most rehearsal rooms aren’t actually soundproofed,” reckons Scott. “So it turns into a war of attrition.” They wanted to build rooms that would stop the war, and ended up with 15 studio live rooms. Each room has fully-floating AT 10
double walls with an air gap, and each wall is built with two layers of 16mm Firecheck plaster with Green Glue between, and every sheet is sealed with Mastic. Acoustician Andrew Steel from Ultrafonic was behind the room design, treatment, and fresh air intakes. “And our foreman, Gianni, managed the build meticulously,” said Scott. The slab is still one piece, but walking from room to room, even with a cranked system next door, only a tiny amount of sub bass carries through the structure. Walls and floors are all hard, clean surfaces. To demonstrate just how dramatic an improvement the treatment had made, they left one room untreated for the launch party: like walking between a well-defined live room and the inside of a concrete silo. Although the metal bands used to love the raw Peavey power, Scott and Corless decided to over-spec the rooms with much louder and cleaner modern systems from Group Technologies. Across the rooms there are a range of boxes from Nexo, Coda Audio, Quest and RCF, with companion subs. The systems are unbelievable for a rehearsal space, and show The Wick’s commitment to not only local artists, but demanding professional outfits too. The two large rooms can accommodate a full band and monitor rig for pre-tour rehearsals. If that’s not enough, the main studio live room next door is big enough to house an orchestra, and can
be used for full-scale festival rehearsals — Corless has even hung a line array in there. They also bought a container load of Midas consoles, one for each room, which all have a Firewire port so bands can plug in a laptop and record pre-production rehearsals. In it’s own corner of Wick Studios is another recording studio with a Tascam M-series analogue console in it, PSI Audio monitors, a handful of outboard, and its own medium-sized live room. “In the ’90s, you had to beg to get into a studio. If they trusted you, they’d give you a midnight-to-dawn session deal. It let you bring in work, bands could afford to record, and that’s how we all cut our teeth. No one really does that anymore because most studios are owner-operated. So the mentor process is broken. We’d love it if this was full of young guys learning 24/7.” It’s taken over a year to build, but the results are worth it. There’s an entirely new common area big enough to host acoustic gigs with local beer on tap and a coffee machine. Free Wi-Fi throughout, a huge photography cyclorama next door, printing and photocopying services, and best of all, a team of professionals on the case, including American music industry veteran Lynn Robnett. Over the last eight years she’s worked for a management company called Panacea, owned by Eric Gardner, who looks after clients from John Lydon to Paul
Schaeffer and The Hoff. Robnett still works with Gardner to manage Sean Kirk, an Australian musician she signed to the company who’d recorded his record at The Wick, and Corless mixed live. Her plan: “I’m going to be developing talent and try get people signed overseas.” She’s living around the corner in Brunswick. Two days in and she’s already got a bike with two baskets on it. Right now, she’s on the lookout for young country girls looking for record deals. “They need a female Keith Urban over there!” So if you’re serious, it’s worth giving her a call. Even just to ask questions like, ‘What’s the Hoff really like?’ She says there’s a hunger for Aussie talent in America, and the cross-Pacific collaboration ideas are coming thick and fast. As well as recording and sending artists over to the US, a number of American producers have already shown interest in taking up residencies at The Wick to catch the talent first hand. It’s exciting times, and good to see such largescale investment in something so useful for the music industry. We’ll feature the completely refurbished main recording studio in another issue.
[Clockwise from far right] The main common area has everything a hardworking Melbourne band needs — beer on tap, and an espresso machine; The rehearsal rooms are soundproofed, acoustically treated, have great air circulation and have super punchy PAs; Glenn Scott, Dan Corless and Dave Neil survey their handiwork at the renovated Wick Studios.
23-25 Leslie St, Brunswick www.wickstudios.com.au
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LIVE NEWS
ZED NOW WITH POWER Allen & Heath has extended its well-known ZED series with the launch of ZED Power 1000, a compact 2 x 500W powered mixer with onboard FX, nine-band graphic EQ and USB recording/playback. The amplifier addition is a two-channel, Class D type coupled to a linear power supply designed with robustness, high peak headroom and smooth bottom end in mind. The two amplified outputs can be used as a stereo PA or mono plus monitor/ sub setup. The ZED Power 1000 has eight mic/line inputs, each with three band EQ, plus two stereo inputs. Two of the jack inputs can be switched to
accept a low level input from a guitar, allowing you to go without a DI. The USB connection allows playback to/from a computer for capturing stereo recordings of shows or playing tracks from a laptop. The mixer is also equipped with XLR main stereo outputs, 60mm faders, a flexible monitoring section and 16 high quality digital FX. ZED Power 1000 weighs in at a modest 10.3kg and has a robust carry handle built into the chassis for easy transport. Technical Audio Group: (02) 9519 0900 or info@tag.com.au
HILLSONG TUNES TO SHURE The recent sell-off of bandwidth by the Australian Federal Government meant a lot of work for some; checking for compliance and replacing equipment that is now unreliable or illegal to operate. For Hillsong Church, it was also an opportunity to evaluate the current market offerings in radio microphones and in-ear monitors before they replaced inventory across their several locations in three states. Hillsong services are verbally and musically dynamic, with worship leaders, singers and musicians all relying on their radio devices to get their message heard, and with clarity and reliability. Across Hillsong’s locations, the technical
team decided on a combination of Shure UHF-R, ULX-D, and QLX-D radio microphones, along with PSM 300, PSM 900, and PSM 1000 in-ear monitors. “We’ve gone to ULX-D in all campuses except Baulkham Hills, where we’ve stayed with UHF-R,” Facilities Project Manager, Steve Le Roux, elaborated. “Most main campuses run around 14 channels of IEM, six MC mics, and six vocal mics. Our 12 satellites usually run about six channels total.” Jands provided extensive support to Hillsong during the rollout, including RF engineering to ensure correct frequency allocation per site and region. Jands: (02) 9582 0909 or www.jands.com.au
MOTU’S CROSSOVER BOX MOTU is releasing a product that blurs the line between what’s a studio or stage-specific device. The new Stage-B16 is a flexible stage box, stand-alone mixer and audio interface. Housed in a 2U rack enclosure, it features onboard DSP with modelled vintage compression and effects, USB2.0/3.0 compatibility and conversion up to 192kHz. On the front you’ll find 16 mic inputs with digitally controlled preamps and phantom power, eight XLR analogue outputs, four channels of AES/ EBU connectivity and a headphone connection.
MOTU’s web app software runs on your favourite browser on a laptop, and provides complete control over the Stage-B16 in whichever application you choose to use it. Or you can hook it up to a wi-fi router using the Ethernet port and control it wirelessly with a smartphone or tablet. A second Stage-B16 can be connected via Ethernet cable and more I/O can be added with the MOTU AVB switch (sold separately). Network Audio Solutions: (02) 9525 2088 or www.networkaudio.com.au
D&B MAKES POINT OF V SERIES d&b has injected some tech into the humble point-source speaker. Building on the three-way passive design of the ‘just below J’ V-Series line array modules, d&b Audiotechnik’s V7P and V10P point source boxes house two 10-inch drivers in a dipolar arrangement with a rear mounted 8-inch MF driver attached to a dual chamber horn. The exits from this horn design create another dipole around the centrally mounted 1.4-inch compression driver. In typical d&b fashion, the V series’ dispersion plots are super straight, holding the 75-degree wide dispersion of the V7P, and 110-degrees of
the V10P, constant down to around 350Hz. Both have 40 degree vertical dispersions. The V series’ LF venting arrangement also extends frequency response down 59Hz, meaning it can stand on its own. But for true extension down low in groundstacked applications, the new passive cardioid V-GSUB is an ideal companion. It shares the same specs as the VSUB and only requires one amp channel to drive it. National Audio Systems: (03) 8756 2600 or sales@nationalaudio.com.au
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SOFTWARE NEWS
WAVES’ GOES ALL EMO Plug-in developer Waves has introduced eMo D5, a 5-in-1 dynamics tool — that’s a gate, compressor, de-esser, leveller and limiter, all rolled into the one GUI. Made to be a Swiss army knife dynamics tool for both live and studio engineers, the eMo D5 boasts ‘zero latency’, low CPU consumption and pure sound quality. The plug-in is the first to utilise Waves’ new Parallel Detection technology that allows each of the five processors to respond to the original signal and to each of the other processed
signals simultaneously — the idea being users can have more control over the dynamics changes introduced by the processors, ensuring that the final sound achieves better clarity without overcompression. The eMo D5 plug-in also provides a combined gain reduction metre for the leveller, compressor and limiter for easier monitoring and level control. Sound & Music: (03) 9555 8081 or www.sound-music.com
NI’S REAKTOR BUILDING BLOCKS Native Instruments has released Reaktor 6 — the latest version of the modular DSP environment that’s been at the core of the Native Instruments brand since its release as Generator in 1996. Reaktor 6 delivers major innovations for instrument builders as well as being the most approachable version of the software for anyone interested in deep sound experimentation with the addition of the new ‘Blocks’ workflow. Blocks provides the speed and flexibility of modular synth
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patching combined with the benefits of working in the digital domain. Reaktor 6 comes bundled with 30 Blocks in several categories, each with a specific purpose (see NI site for more). The world of Blocks is expected to grow as the vibrant Reaktor community builds and shares new Blocks and Blocks patches – all available for free online at NI’s Reaktor User Library. CMI Music and Audio: (03) 9315 2244 or www.cmi.com.au
UAD SPRINGS AKG REVERB Universal Audio has released a plug-in version of the AKG BX20 spring reverb unit. The original, released in the late 1960s, was known for its thick and dense sonic character featuring the quick onset of a classic plate reverb and also the naturalsounding density and diffusion of a chamber with minimal flutter that’s typical of other spring reverbs. The AKG BX20 plug-in by UAD provides the sound and features of the original hardware, plus other features for added flexibility. You can now ‘stereoize’ tank A or tank B, giving you more
balanced stereo imaging. The Direct function allows you to mute the tanks direct signal, giving you more control and minimising conflict with the original source audio. According to UAD, the BX20 “envelops your sources in gorgeously dark, dense ambience that only spring reverb can provide.” The plug-in has been exclusively endorsed by AKG and is for use with UAD-2 hardware and Apollo interfaces. CMI Music & Audio: (03) 9315 2244 or www.cmi.com.au
REAPING NEW BENEFITS The popular and affordable DAW Reaper has just released its latest version for Windows and OS X. Reaper 5 features some valuable additions on top of the usual recording, editing, processing, mixing and mastering toolset. Among the most notable of these changes are VST3 plug-in support, allowance for up to 512 channels of I/O with ASIO, improved performance and lower CPU usage, and big improvements to video support. Version 5 also has much improved automation functionality in the
areas of MIDI/OSC learn support and FX parameter automation. Reaper contains hundreds of studioquality effects for processing audio and MIDI, and built-in tools for creating new effects. If you’ve never used Reaper before, you can try before you buy with a 60-day free trial. From then on, you can purchase the DAW from as little as $60USD, with the price including free software updates up to version 6.99.
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GENERAL NEWS
AVIOM ADDS DANTE Aviom’s new D400 and D400-Dante A-Net Distributors are designed to distribute power and digital audio data to an Aviom personal mixing system and provide users with an easy, affordable way to get into Aviom personal mixing for live performance or recording applications. The standard D400 has an A-Net input — ideal for those using an analogue input module or a digital console card as the front end of their system, while the D400-Dante has Dante I/O instead of
the A-Net input. The D400-Dante allows up to 32 Dante channels to be routed to the personal mixing system, which makes connecting to a Danteenabled digital console or audio network as simple as plugging in a Cat-5 cable. Up to eight personal mixers can be connected to each D400 or D400Dante’s A-Net outputs, and an unlimited number of distributors can be used when creating larger systems with more than eight performers. PAVT: (03) 9264 8000 or sales@productionaudio.com.au
AKG’S MINIATURE MICS According to AKG, and card-carrying theatre professionals, smaller is better when it comes to wearable microphones. The MicroLite series is AKG’s new line of miniature reference microphones. Ideal for broadcast, theatre and conference applications, the series includes lavalier, ear-hook and headworn options that provide comfort and flexibility, as well as moisture resistance and EMC protection. The LC81 MD is a cardioid lavalier microphone designed to be as inconspicuous as possible with a diameter of 4.8mm, length of 10mm and a weight of just 2g. The LC82 MD has
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an omnidirectional capsule, making it ideal for musicals, theatre, churches, and large-format presentations. The EC81/EC82 and HC81/HC82 are ear-hook microphones engineered for accurate, specific placement, and are available with both cardioid and omnidirectional capsules. A variety of accessories are available with the MicroLite series, including wire-mesh protection caps, foam windscreens, lavalier clips, and perspiration and makeup protectors. Hills SVL: (03) 9890 7477 or www.hillssvl.com.au
TASCAM 64-TRACK RECORDER Tascam has introduced the DA-6400, its new 64-track recorder ideal for applications such as live recording, event capture, multichannel playback, or even as a backup to critical DAW sessions. The DA-6400 records up to 64 tracks at 24-bit/48k to an internal, swappable SSD drive. 96kHz recording is also possible with a limit of 32 simultaneous tracks of recording. On the rear panel you’ll find SMPTE timecode, word clock, RS-422, parallel and
Ethernet connections. MADI, Dante and AES/EBU multichannel I/O cards are supported, and two audio interface slots provide input and output flexibility. Housed in a 1U rack unit and available with a single or dual/redundant power supply, the DA-6400 is a flexible and capable solid state recorder for professional remote tracking. CMI Music & Audio: (03) 9315 2244 or www.cmi.com.au
JBL 7 SERIES MASTER REFERENCE MONITORS The new 7 Series Master Reference Monitors from JBL Professional are in production and now shipping. For the 708i 8-inch two-way, and 705i 5-inch two-way installed monitors, JBL has engineered two entirely new high-excursion 5-inch and 8-inch woofers that give the 708i and 705i robust low-frequency output into the 30Hz range and peak system output of 113dB and 107dB respectively. JBL’s patent-pending Image Control Waveguide and crossover work in concert
to produce a smooth transition, detailed, spatial imaging and neutral response. Front-ported birch plywood install-ready enclosures include bottom and rear-panel mounting points. The speakers are powered by Crown DCi 8|300N eight and fourchannel installation power amplifiers, and the entire system can be externally controlled using Harman’s HiQnet Audio Architect software, a hardware controller or wireless tablet. Jands: (02) 9582 0909 or www.jands.com.au
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FEATURE
The only way for Blur to make a new album was by pretending they weren’t. Without any pressure to perform, The Magic Whip’s template was cobbled together in a secret Hong Kong jam session. But it took a pair of Stephens, Street and Sedgwick, to whip them into shape. Story: Paul Tingen
Artist: Blur Album: The Magic Whip AT 20
While band breakups can get messy, there’s also no easy script for getting back together. Besides being able to stand each other, the main challenge for reformed acts is to regain artistic credibility. Most sidestep producing any significant new material. The money’s in the touring and reissues anyway, so why taint a perfectly good back catalogue. Especially one that’s aged beyond criticism. Blur had walked this well-trodden path ever since the band officially reformed at the end of 2008. Until recently, all the band had released since then were three singles. An attempt at recording more new material with producer William Orbit — who had produced their last effort as a four-piece, 13, and had a hand in the band’s last album before the final split, Think Thank — was aborted. So when Blur announced their first studio album in 12 years, The Magic Whip, there was plenty of speculative buzz. Would this be down-in-thetrenches Parklife Blur, or another spinoff for Blur frontman Damon Albarn like Gorillaz, or worse, an opera? To heighten expectations, and perhaps waylaying any doubt of Albarn co-opting Blur as another side project, original guitarist Graham Coxon would be fully involved, having left after 13. Magic Whip also marked the return of producer Stephen Street, who played a central part in the making of the band’s classic mid-1990s albums, such as Modern Life Is Rubbish, Parklife, The Great Escape and Blur. The collective self-doubt of being able to produce any decent new material together initiated an incognito act — secretive Hong Kong studio jam sessions that The Magic Whip was later cut from. During the Hong Kong sessions, Blur pretended — even to themselves — that they were not, in fact, recording a new album. In short, as per Douglas Adams’ instructions for flying — ‘The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss’ — Blur’s album-making strategy involved trying hard not to make a new album, and missing. SECRET SESSIONS
Engineer and mixer Stephen Sedgwick was at the controls during the Hong Kong sessions, and also co-mixed The Magic Whip with Street. Sedgwick cut his teeth at the Pierce Rooms in London, where he came up under now famous names like Steve Fitzmaurice and Tom Elmhirst. At the end of 2004, Albarn came into The Pierce Rooms to work on the second Gorillaz album, Demon Days. Sedgwick stayed in touch with Albarn, and since 2006 has engineered and mixed most of Albarn’s projects at the musician’s private facility in West London, Studio 13. Blur’s first accidental step towards making a new Blur album, recalled Sedgwick, was a few days of unscheduled free time. “In April 2013, while already on tour, the band got the news that their Tokyo gig was cancelled. As a result they had five or six days to spare, so they decided to go into a studio and make some music. I researched studios in Hong Kong, and Avon Studios seemed like the best option. I really like working at a large analogue console — we have a Neve VR72 at Studio 13.
While Avon has a mix room with a Neve VR, I chose another studio with an SSL J-series, because it has a live room as well as a decent-sized control room. It made it possible for everyone to play together if they wanted.” By the time Sedgwick flew out to Hong Kong in May, he still had no idea what the band aimed to do. “There really wasn’t an objective, other than them all being in Hong Kong and wanting to go into a studio to see what would happen. The band had come into Studio 13 a few times in previous years, in 2010 and 2012, to record three singles, and each time there was a clear brief and time schedule for them to finish those songs. But in Hong Kong there was no pressure on them to produce something finished. It was easier for them to be creative together and get ideas down. “They just wanted to play together and record as many ideas as they could, without listening back, let alone editing, comping or creating finished structures. They wanted to keep the momentum going. I was recording into Pro Tools all the time. Damon had some sketches in his iPad they used as starting points. They would talk about them, then start playing and try different things to get something cool together. RATHER THAN TAKE STOCK AT THE END OF WORKING ON ONE IDEA, THEY PREFERRED TO GO STRAIGHT ONTO SOMETHING NEW. WE WERE THERE FOR FOUR DAYS, AND THEY WORKED ON FOUR SONG IDEAS A DAY,
so we ended up with a lot of material. On average each song session was 30 to 90 minutes long.” MARK OF SUCCESS
The band kept playing and playing, stretching Sedgwick to ensure everything went down properly. During the process, he managed to add a modicum of structure to the ballooning material. “There was a lot going on, and Damon could jump suddenly from one keyboard to another,” recalled Sedgwick. “It was quite hard making sure everything went down with good recording levels and that all the guys had good headphone balances. I always record everything when working with Damon knowing he may want to refer back to something he’s done earlier. I try to put markers in the sessions wherever I can. In this case, if the band had been recording an idea for 90 minutes but it only began to take shape in the last 40, I’d mark that in the Pro Tools session, either as a marker or in the comments boxes. Similarly if someone commented, ‘It sounded great 10 minutes ago.’ “That way whoever came back to the sessions would know how people had been feeling at the time. In the same vein, once the band settled in a groove I’d give them a click, which would also make it much easier to work with the material later on. While we rarely listened back to what we did, they very occasionally did a few overdubs. Graham might have two ideas for a section, and overdub a guitar part on the last few minutes. And Damon sometimes added extra keyboards. But we never stopped to listen back and edit. It was all about keeping the ball rolling. While they played, Damon would add some guide vocals with melody ideas. Many of the songs were being recorded as they were being written.”
CONTROL SAMPLES
In terms of the recording setup, two major adjustments were quickly made before the band settled into the session. “Before we went to the studio they had talked about wanting to play together in the live room,” recalled Sedgwick. “Which is why I had selected that SSL studio. But when we arrived, the band decided they wanted to be in the control room. There wasn’t a lot of space there, but enough for Damon with all his synthesisers, and for Alex [James, bassist] and Graham. Dave [Rowntree] set up his drums in the live room, and I had them all mic’ed up. But once they started to knock around ideas, Dave felt a bit isolated out there, and wanted to be in the control room too. So he grabbed a kick, snare, and hi-hat that were lying in the studio, set them up on the side of the desk, and started playing along with the band from there. Everyone being in the same room was a lot more vibey for the band.
Blur’s album-making strategy involved trying hard not to make a new album, and missing
“Of course having Dave in the control room made recording more difficult, but at that stage we were just thinking of getting ideas together, and not aiming for final drum takes. SO I JUST PUT ONE BEYERDYNAMIC M160 RIBBON UP AS AN OVERHEAD, AND THEN A SHURE SM91 INSIDE THE KICK DRUM, EXPECTING THAT ALL THE DRUMS WOULD BE REDONE AT A LATER DATE. BUT IT TURNED OUT THAT MAYBE HALF OF THOSE DRUM RECORDINGS MADE IT TO THE FINAL ALBUM, with
additional drums and percussion layered later on. Dave did play his live room kit on a couple of songs, for example the big drums in Thought I Was a Spaceman. I recorded those with a Shure SM91 inside the kick and an NS10 woofer just outside it, Shure SM57s for the snare top and bottom, the hats had a Mercenary Audio KM69, and Sennheiser MD421s on toms. “Damon’s vocal mic was a Neumann KMS105, which is super-cardioid, so it didn’t really pick up much spill from the drums, and Graham’s vocal mic was a Beyerdynamic M88 dynamic, which is also good with spill. Graham’s guitar amp was in the hallway, so we didn’t have the sound in the room, as it’s very loud, and I recorded that with a ribbon and a dynamic, in this case a Coles 4038 and another M88. I also recorded Graham and Damon’s acoustic guitars with the M88, which is AT 21
The lead vocals in There Are Too Many of Us, has distortion and reverb inspired by Damon’s iPad demo
a bit posher and brighter than a Shure SM57 or SM58, and Damon played some upright piano, on which I had two Neumann KM84 mics. All mics went through the desk, for simplicity. Alex’s bass was DI’d into the desk, as were Damon’s keyboards, which consisted of a Moog Little Phatty, a Teenage Engineering OP1, a Korg MS10, a Critter & Guitari Pocket Piano, his iPad, an Omnichord, and AN OLD RUSSIAN SYNTH CALLED A MAESTRO. YOU CAN FIND INFORMATION ON IT ON RUSKEYS.NET, A DATABASE OF SOVIET-ERA SYNTHS. It wasn’t easy to import Western
synths into the Soviet Union, so they were making their own. They have a really aggressive, cold sound you don’t get from other synths.” Despite still being unsure of the outcome of their brief stay at Avon Studios, Sedgwick wasn’t taking any chances. Before the return flight to the UK he copied the material over three different hard drives, which were each transported back via different means. Still, that could easily have been the end of the entire story. IT WASN’T UNTIL OVER A YEAR LATER THAT COXON EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN REVISITING THE MATERIAL. His idea was to do this with producer
Stephen Street, with whom he had worked on several of his solo albums. Albarn gave the green light, and so in the autumn of 2014 Street and Coxon set about what at first sight appeared to be a mammoth task. AT 22
PAST A BLUR
From his studio in South London, The Bunker, Street recalls, “When Graham first contacted me I was delighted to be asked and involved in what could potentially become a new Blur album. But the band and their management were very keen on us keeping it as quiet as possible, because at this stage we’d still only been given the go-ahead to explore and work with the material, and there was no commitment to create a final album. As a first step I told Graham I wanted a week to simply immerse myself in the material without anyone saying, ‘listen to this.’ I wanted to be completely uninfluenced by other people’s opinions, sit through everything and get up to speed. Also, I had not worked with Blur since 1996, and wanted to get back into the Blur world again. “Graham agreed and told me I had carte blanche to cut together whatever I felt was right. So I did a ‘Save As’ for each session, and laid the main instruments out in stereo pairs on my 16-channel Audient Zen desk, and started listening. Once I knew what was there, I started moving things around in the Pro Tools session. Some songs were more formed than others. There were songs that had a bit of vocal, then nothing, then some more vocal much later on. Sometimes Damon was singing ideas off the top of his head. A couple of
the songs Damon had worked on after they had come back from Hong Kong — Ghost Ship and My Terracotta Heart — had a bit more shape to them, but were still slightly rambling without intros or outros. Other sessions had no vocals and no clear shape whatsoever. But basically I listened to all the ideas and started putting some shape into them. “After Graham came back a week later, we spent another four weeks together working side-by-side on what was there. Obviously we started on the songs I’d already edited into a bit more shape, and then he pointed me to things that were not immediately obvious. For example, the sessions for Thought I Was A Spaceman and There Are Too Many Of Us appeared at first to be just them jamming around on a chord sequence without Damon singing, so I was a little lost. But at the start of these sessions he showed me Damon’s iPad Garageband demos, and suddenly they made more sense. Damon also had some nice key elements, like electronic percussion, in his demos. “Graham and I were not only selecting the best sections and creating song structures, but also playing around with the arrangements. For example, in the song New World Towers — originally titled Trellick Towers after a well-known 1970s West London high-rise flat close to where Damon lives — Graham plays this descending
STAYING OFF HIGH STREET Stephen Street is one of Britain’s best known and influential producers, who gained fame in the 1980s and 1990s for his work with quintessential British acts like The Smiths, Blur, Sleeper, and Morrissey. In more recent years he’s worked with Kaiser Chiefs, Babyshambles, The Courteeners, and many others. Street worked for many years at Olympic Studios in London, but five years ago, after Olympic’s closure, he built his own studio, The Bunker. He explains, “I had a studio in the basement at Olympic which I shared with Cenzo Townshend. We had an Audient desk in the control room and a small overdub room big enough to record drums. When I created the ‘new’ Bunker I didn’t want to just have a control room, but also a room where I can record vocals and do other overdubs. Next door to me is The Pool, a major
guitar line, and I wanted it to build a bit more before it went into that, so I worked in some repeats there. We also truncated and chopped up Alex’s bass in that song to be slightly spacious and dubby, a bit like on his solo material. I found a place elsewhere in the session where he was playing more freely, and it worked better with the guitar parts. Graham and I were like kids in a toy shop: ‘let’s try this, let’s try that!’ “Graham would also overdub new guitar parts, and on Pyongyang, because there was no melody on the chorus, Graham wrote one, which is still there in the final chorus of the song. It turned out Damon actually had a melody for that part, which is fantastic, but I was keen to keep Graham’s melody too. In the last chords of the song you can hear the two vocals going in and out with each other. “I thought Lonesome Street sounded a bit lethargic. IT WAS RECORDED AT THE SAME 101BPM TEMPO AS DAMON’S IPAD DEMO. TO SEE HOW THE SONG WOULD SOUND SPED UP, I SAMPLED EVERYTHING INTO FOUR AND TWO BAR SECTIONS, APPLIED ELASTIC AUDIO, AND RAISED THE TEMPO TO 110BPM OR THEREABOUTS. Those were the
things we had to come to grips with, cleaning things up and arranging them to the point where they sounded as close as possible to being releasable.” STREET’S BUS LANES
Street explains that in his attempt to make the songs sound as ‘releasable’ as possible, he continuously worked towards a final mix, which meant applying plug-ins and outboard as required, “trying to make it sound like a finished record, rather than a jam session that had been cut up.
The outboard I used would mostly have been compression and EQ on the stereo pairs I had for the drums, guitars, vocals, keyboards, and bass bus. At my studio I used my Thermionic Culture Phoenix valve compressor on the drums, a dbx 160X on the bass, sometimes I had the Culture Vulture on the bass, and I had an old TLA EQ across the guitars and sometimes API EQs. “When Graham and I had taken the songs as far as we could, we took them to 13, to play them to Damon. Stephen [Sedgwick] was also there. Damon was like, ‘great, fantastic! You want me to finish it off now, record the vocals, and then do a final mix?’ I told him I wanted to see it through to the end product and work with him on recording the vocals, and Damon agreed. I felt we needed to get Dave back in to play some new drum parts, Alex to play some more bass, and Graham to finish his guitar parts. Our next stop was Assault & Battery Studio 2, where I spent a couple of days with Dave doing new drum overdubs. Alex, Graham and myself then also added final overdubs, for the most part at my studio. “So contrary to some reports that everything on the album emanated from the Hong Kong sessions, we did fresh overdubs on pretty much everything. If you cut and paste everything too much it sounds like it’s put together artificially. THIS ALBUM IS OBVIOUSLY VERY MUCH A PRODUCT OF ITS TIME, INSOFAR AS MANIPULATING AND EDITING AUDIO THAT IS ON A HARD DRIVE IS CONCERNED. TO DO IT WITH TAPE WOULD HAVE BEEN A NIGHTMARE. The facility to edit and pick the
nitty-gritty, best bits of those initial sessions is a key thing. Pro Tools is fantastic, it allowed us to keep a lot of the vibe the band had in the studio
recording and tracking facility, where I can record whole bands. “I’ve always liked Audient’s products, and five years ago they had just designed this 16-fader Zen desk, which gives me the best of both worlds. I don’t like mixing completely in-the-box, so combining the Audient’s 16 main faders, Pro Tools with all its plug-ins, and some good outboard equipment to record and mix through gave me the perfect situation. The Bunker has proved to be a good location for me, and in fact, the Blur record is the first time in a while I’ve finished a record in a studio outside of my own. The thing is, there aren’t the budgets anymore to do things in a big SSL room. For me to be able to work with the kind of artists I like to work with, often up-and-coming young bands, you have to keep the budget as controlled as possible.”
in Hong Kong. But you do need people playing loosely over the top to free things up, so that’s what they did in London.” STOPOVER TACTICS
Sedgwick also recalls the moment the project finally moved on to the next stage; to try make a good album, and not miss: “What Graham and Stephen played to Damon and I sounded fantastic. It was so close to being the record! But there were only bits of guide vocal and it obviously missed proper vocal takes. It was at that point Damon knew there was going to be a new Blur record. That would have been in the late autumn of 2014. After this, Stephen [Street] went out and added more overdubs with the guys, and we also did a string session at Studio 13. “The lead melodies were already there, whether they were Damon’s guide vocals on the actual Hong Kong recordings or whether he had them in his head, but Damon still needed to write the lyrics. Before Christmas he went back to Hong Kong to get inspired for the lyrics again! He’d been touring with a band for his solo project, Everyday Robots, in Asia and Australia, and at some stage he passed through Hong Kong. He had 24 hours there to immerse himself in the city again, get back into the same mood he was in when we recorded there and gather ideas for what he was going to write for the album. He retraced his steps from the hotel to the studio, and just hung out there to get his head back into that world. He wrote all the lyrics back in the UK, and in January, Stephen [Street], Damon and I went into Studio 13 to record the final vocals and overdub other bits and pieces. AT 23
Sedgwick recreated the distorted vocal sound from Damon’s There Are Too Many of Us iPad demo with a Sansamp and Kramer Pie compressor chain.
“When recording vocals at Studio 13, Damon always likes to record in the control room. I was using the studio’s Flea 47 microphone, which is obviously based on a Neumann U47, and has a really warm and present sound. That went into an Audio Maintenance AML ez1073 preamp, and then a Distressor to help set a good level into Pro Tools. On a couple of songs he used a hand-held Neumann KMS105 microphone for a louder vocal performance. Graham also did some vocals and backing vocals, and on him I used a Neumann U77, again going into an Audio Maintenance 1073. He also did some more guitar overdubs, playing via the studio’s Vox AC30, on which I had a Coles 4038 ribbon and an SM57 or M88 dynamic. He may also have overdubbed one acoustic guitar, with me using the U77 on that as well. Damon also overdubbed some more synths, and a piano and an acoustic guitar. On the strings I used two Coles 4040 mics as a stereo pair, through AML ez1073 mic pres, and the close mics were Neumann KM84s on the violins and AKG C414s on the viola and the cello, going through the Neve board mic pres.” STEREO STEPHEN MIX
With The Magic Whip closing in on lift-off and the vocal recordings and final overdubbing completed, the two Stephens joined forces for the final mix at Studio 13 over two and a half weeks. Street explains, “By the time I got back to Damon’s place in January for the final recordings, Stephen had already been playing around with the tracks to get them to sound the same as they had sounded in The Bunker. But because he has more faders on his Neve V76, he could split some things out over more channels, like spread the guitars out over six or eight. “Our starting point was the rough mixes from The Bunker, and then we refined that. Every time AT 24
we overdubbed we were saving rough mixes in the computer and on the desk, and bit by bit we got closer and closer to that final balance. By the time we had recorded the vocals at Studio 13, we had gotten pretty close to the final result. For each song we had every mix from The Bunker and every Studio 13 rough mix on two external drives, and every once in a while we would refer back to those to make sure we weren’t losing our way. Sometimes you get those instinctive balances in rough mixes that are integral to the song. That Sedgwick and Street share first names, and initials, is a curious and irrelevant coincidence, but Street pointed out a more significant similarity. Despite being a generation apart, the two Stephens very much have the same working methods in the studio; both like working outside of the box, with a hybrid plug-in/outboard approach. Street commented, “Stephen is very meticulous, and when he saw us working side-by-side, Damon joked he could see why he picked Stephen to work with, after having worked with me for much of the ’90s! IT WAS A JOY TO WORK WITH STEPHEN, HAVING WORKED BY MYSELF IN RECENT YEARS. IT WAS LIKE WORKING WITH CENZO TOWNSHEND AND JOHN SMITH IN THE NINETIES. Stephen would start work in the
morning on a mix, and after a couple of hours I’d come in fresh, and I’d have a few comments and would make some changes. Together we’d hone it a bit more and fine-tune the sound on the drums or the bass, things like that.” Sedgwick: “I have always worked on analogue desks, and the Neve VR is just a great desk to mix on. I like the physicality of reaching for faders and not having to look at a computer while I judge what’s coming out of the speakers. But I now like to use the best of both worlds. Some plug-ins sound great now, and the computer is great for the recall side of things, especially during writing
and tracking, when you can call up what you did before with all the plug-ins and levels there. With this project, what Stephen and Graham had pieced together in The Bunker already sounded pretty mixed. So it made sense to carry on from where they left off at 13. That’s why during the final mixes a lot more of the tracks remained submixed in Pro Tools than normal. Stephen brings things out in stereo pairs, puts outboard across those, and places plug-ins on individual tracks in Pro Tools. I continued with that working method, which meant that mixing was very fast. Some mixes only took four hours and in some cases we did two mixes a day.” Street: “When Stephen opened the sessions he initially kept any plug-ins I’d used at The Bunker, and if 13 didn’t have them, he purchased them so we could carry on from the mixes I’d developed already. I’m a big fan of the Universal Audio plugins. I think they’re really good, and have invested quite a bit in them. I use the Lexicon 224 and EMT reverbs, and recently bought the Ocean Way room reverb. I used it on the drums in Go Out, and printed it as a reference point. I also love the Waves Kramer Pie compressor, which I often use on vocals, and SoundToys’ EchoBoy is my go-to delay. The Samsamp is nice if you want things to sound a bit distorted. Sometimes using plug-ins is just convenience; you call it up and it’s there. But when it comes to key elements in the track like the drums, bass line compression, and vocals, I often still put it through some outboard as groups. Steve is exactly the same. So that is exactly what we were doing at 13.” DISPLACED ATMOSPHERE
One of the most notable things about The Magic Whip is how much the band and the two Stephen’s work with atmospheric sounds, including reverb,
Sedgwick: “Studio 13’s EMT 240 plate supplied most of the reverb you can hear on the vocals. I used the Distressor again on the vocals during the final mix. During recording I have it on the opto setting, doing very little, and during mixing I have it on a 3:1 or 4:1 setting to hold the vocal in place. On the guitar bus I had two Chandler Germanium compressors, and I also had a spring reverb called the Welter Rev 5 on some of the guitars, as well as on some of the synths. I had the Retro Instruments 2A3 on the drums, which is a Pultec-style EQ, and also the API 2500 and on some songs the Chandler Zener limiter. I had the Urei Blackface 1176 on the bass and on some songs the Tube Tech EQ for some added weight. “On the mix bus for the entire record we had the Cranesong Ibis EQ, then an Alan Smart C2 compressor, and finally the Manley Vari-Mu. The Smart added punch and the Manley ties things together in a really nice way.”
delays and distortion, particularly on the vocals, somehow managing to emphasise the urban nature of the music, and the sense of alienation and displacement that permeates many of the lyrics. Sedgwick explains, “The weird synth parts are mostly from Hong Kong, picked up by Stephen. But most of the effects, like reverbs and delays, were added by us later. The street sounds come from both Hong Kong and London and were mostly recorded by Damon on his iPad, which he always carries with him. Actually, the very opening sound of the album is a piece of firework called Magic Whip, which Damon set off and recorded on his iPad. I think he did it in Iceland.” Street: “The lead vocals in the song There Are Too Many Of Us, has distortion and reverb inspired by Damon’s iPad demo. He’d demoed that song in Garageband, singing straight into the iPad mic and added tons of distortion, which made his voice sound very otherworldly. I was keen for his final vocal to sound similar. Damon has a wonderful voice which sounds great when it’s recorded straight, but on this album we really wanted to put his voice in certain spaces, to make sure it carried the atmosphere of travelling and feeling
disconnected. I’m really pleased with the changes in vocal tone throughout the record.” Sedgwick: “Some of the effects were achieved using plug-ins, and some in the outboard I had on the stereo groups. Our general outboard mix setup did not change much from song to song. Studio 13’s EMT 240 plate supplied most of the reverb you can hear on the vocals. I used the Distressor again on the vocals during the final mix. During recording I have it on the opto setting, doing very little, and during mixing I have it on a 3:1 or 4:1 setting to hold the vocal in place. On the guitar bus I had two Chandler Germanium compressors, and I also had a spring reverb called the Welter Rev 5 on some of the guitars, as well as on some of the synths. I had the Retro Instruments 2A3 on the drums, which is a Pultec-style EQ, and also the API 2500 and on some songs the Chandler Zener limiter. I had the Urei Blackface 1176 on the bass and on some songs the Tube Tech EQ for some added weight. “On the mix bus for the entire record we had the Cranesong Ibis EQ, then an Alan Smart C2 compressor, and finally the Manley Vari-Mu. The Smart added punch and the Manley ties things together in a really nice way. We printed all the
mixes to ½-inch tape, at 30ips, because tape adds something you cannot get any other way. AS A REFERENCE WE ALSO SENT DIGITAL MIXES THROUGH THE UAD ATR102 MASTER TAPE MACHINE PLUG-IN, AND THIS ALSO SOUNDED GREAT AND DEFINITELY ADDED SOMETHING TO THE MIX. BUT WHEN WE PRINTED STRAIGHT FROM THE DESK TO THE STUDER, THE TAPE MACHINE WON OUT ALMOST EVERY TIME. The bottom end just sounded
fantastic, really tight and warm.” The Magic Whip went to number one in the UK, and has been Blur’s highest charting album in quite a few countries, including Australia and the US. The reactions from the critics have also always been overwhelmingly positive, suggesting that Blur, with help from the two Stephens, has managed to whip up something more than a magic blip. Undoubtedly the band’s paradoxical strategy of trying hard not to make the album, yet miss, added its own whiff of magic, with the two Stephens in particular responsible for getting the project to fly.
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FEATURE
Sound recordist Ben Osmo spent six months in Namibia miking up trucks, explosions, mad mutterings, and collisions. Feature: Chris Holder
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How do you mic up 20 tonnes of nitropowered War Machine? Good question. How do we send a guide music track to the flame-throwing guitarist on the back of the Doof Wagon, when he’s ‘fanging it’ across the Namibian wastelands? Erm… yup, that would be a good question as well. And we’ll need usable dialogue from eight actors stuffed inside the rusty cabin of a tanker that might be 3km away from your recorders. Uh huh. Can I get back to you on that one? Sound recordist Ben Osmo first started having these head-scratching conversations with Mad Max director George Miller more than 10 years ago. The production was put on hold when the Aussie dollar plummeted. Fast forward to 2013 and the technology began catching up to the vision for the movie. Still, when Ben and his team decamped to the South West coast of Africa for a gruelling six-month desert shoot, there were just as many unknowns as there were knowns. SCRATCHING PLAN A
Plan A was for Ben to be sitting in the sanitised comfort of an OB-style truck, making tweaks to finely tuned levels coming from DPA lavs on Lectrosonics packs, RF’ed back to base as the production would roll back and forth past him in the desert. Ben Osmo: “In the original brief the vehicles might drive 500 metres to a kilometre away from us. In other words they might travel 1, 2, 3km-max, then stop. We did the first test and our RF setup gave us a good solid range of about 4km… but they kept going! They had this endless flat expanse in front of them so they kept driving and kept shooting, at times they were 7km away!” Bang. All bets were off. The feet-up, OB swaggin’ wagon wasn’t going to do the trick. Ben needed to get himself closer to the action. What he needed was an audio production pursuit vehicle — if such a thing existed. Instead, he got a hard-riding Mitsubishi Delica bongo van. “The boys dubbed it the Osmotron.” In it Ben piled his Sound Devices 788 field recorders, his treasured Swiss Sonosax desk, his Lectrosonics receivers and more. Ben Osmo: “Fortunately the 788s record to CF cards and solid-state drives, because hard drives were not going to handle the bumpy ride. I also have CL8 digital interfaces on the 788s with the big rotary knobs. But here’s the thing: when we took off in the Delica for the first time it was so bumpy I simply could not touch a single thing. If I reached out to the CL8 pots I could just as easily have whacked up the gain to 11. There was no hope of making any fine adjustments. It was just a case of setting levels once in anticipation of the action and then hanging on.” The mental image I have is of Ben with his headphones on, bouncing across the desert at speed, hoping everything would hold together. So much for the glamour of ‘Hollywood’. Worse still, he was also supplying playback for the aforementioned Doof Wagon, so iOTA (actor/
muso and flame-throwing guitarist) and his drummer boys could have a guide track in their ears when the vehicle armada was on the march. Ben Osmo: “Again, the first time we tried this, I had iOTA’s temp music on my laptop running from ProTools via an MBox. No dice, the hard drive was skipping — even when I had the laptop cushioned on my lap. I thought I’d run the audio out my headphone output to see if that improved matters. But it didn’t. And I saved the music to iTunes but that didn’t help either. So in the end, playback was coming out of my iPod which I was waving around above my head trying to keep everything steady.” MIKING THE WAR RIG CABIN
At the risk of painting Ben Osmo as some kind of comedic Carry On Recording character in the desert, I should let him explain how he and his team solved the principal technical conundrum: how to mic and record eight actors in a fast-moving truck cabin where distance is an issue, ambient noise is punishing, and the fact your trying to send RF from a rusty steel cage is also a big problem. The solution deserves a round of applause: Ben Osmo: “There are eight principal cast inside the War Rig cabin and they were fitted with Lectrosonics SMV or SMQV transmitters with DPA 4063 lapel mics. There was an antenna hidden inside the cabin with a coax cable to the interior of the tanker. In the road case hidden in the tanker were two Lectrosonics Venues which had 12 outputs to 12 x UM400 transmitters. The RF output was multiplexed to a RF combiner/booster specially designed by RF engineer Glen English in Canberra. That one coax output then went up the inside of the War Rig and we hid a transmitter aerial on top of the truck above all the metal so we could have 360° line of sight. All this was in a ruggedised road case with a Meon UPS. In the back of the case was a cooling system, as it got to above 50°C and it was very dusty inside the tanker. We called the road case the ‘Sputnik’. There was a 10kW generator in each War Rig for special FX and the lighting departments and sound, so I was able to tap into it to run the Sputnik. I should pay special tribute to Greg Roberts from Lateral Linking for helping me get to this solution.” KEEP TRUCKING
Miking and recording dialogue was vital. George Miller needed to hear the performances and the editors needed a mix of the dialogue for the rushes. But everyone understood that none of it was going to make it to the final mix. The engine noise was deafening. But the vehicles were another story. Like additional lead actors in an ensemble cast, the various apocalyptic hot rods each had their own sound and their own personality… and there was no time like the present to record their sonic signatures. Ben Osmo: “Sam Sardi, who was our RF guy on team, came up with a cool idea of using magnets to place the lavs. I’ve used Blu-Tack on mics for years — it’s great as a little suspension mount. But Sam pulled magnets out of some old hard drives,
put Blu-Tack on one side of the magnet which held the DPA 4063 along with some gaff, which allowed for very quick positioning on the car. They worked a treat. “We would put mics in the engine bay and near the exhaust. On big, super-noisy trucks you could put a mic somewhere between the exhaust and the transmission to hear the transmission changing up and down. For some of those bigger trucks we used the DPA 4062 lav which has an extremely low sensitivity — it could handle more than 130dB. “My assistant, Oliver Machin, who’s an accomplished documentary recordist, also spent more than a month recording vehicles independent of the shoot. “Ollie did a great job. He travelled in the cars strapped in with stunt drivers. He’d have a stereo mic in the cabin, one in the engine, one for the exhaust, the transmission… He’d fill an eight-track recorder with each take at 24-bit/96k. There’d be a take for start up, take off, idle etc.”
I thought I’d pull out my old Nagra 4.2 reel-toreel recorder to see how a bit of tape compression at 15ips would sound on the crash and explosion
Between Ben and Ollie they accounted for some 90 percent of all the vehicle sound in the final mix. Ben reflected on the fact that they weren’t too literal in the mix. Sound Designer, David White, along with re-recording mixers, Wayne Pashley and others, were happy to layer sounds from various vehicles and pitch them up/down as necessary to get what they needed. MIKING UP EXPLOSIONS
Mad Max: Fury Road is big on explosions. Cars are harpooned and explode. Canyons are detonated. When you see a gasoline explosion plume that rises hundreds of metres in the air, you never question its authenticity. It looks real and sounds real. Ben Osmo: “You never quite know if you’ve got enough headroom when you mic up a crash or explosion. Normally they’re a one-take affair. I’ll use a dynamic kick drum mic, like an AKG D112 — the condensers can’t really handle the big explosions. Saying that, condensers are useful if you place them far enough away. Some of the wavelengths of these explosions are so low that the further you are from ground zero the better. AT 27
OSMOTRON After the crew’s walkie talkies died a few times Ben was asked to apply his superior RF setup to the task of providing comms. “I allocated half a dozen channels to George so he could talk to PJ the First Assistant Director and the cast. We hid speakers in the war rig cabin. It was important for George to be able to talk to John Seal the cinematographer. The focus pullers wanted to hear what was going on as well. So I was providing at least half a dozen mix minus monitor mixes to different people for different requirements. On such an unusual shoot these kind of comms allowed decisions to be made far more quickly.
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“I’ve got a beautiful little Sonosax desk. It was made in Switzerland, has beautiful preamps and very delicate limiters if you need them. I’ll try and run crucial audio through those pres if I can. “When we were back in Sydney doing the Citadel scenes, we also shot another perspective of the final War Rig crash. I thought I’d pull out my old Nagra 4.2 reel-to-reel recorder to see how a bit of tape compression at 15ips would sound on the crash and explosion. I’ve gotta say, the guys in post do a lot of the work with those explosions.” A DAY IN THE LIFE
In the isolation of Namibia there was a little bit of Mad Max to be seen on and off camera. It’s hard to imagine a more desolate place to shoot a movie and when you’re commuting in and out of the desert every day for six months, you must question your own sanity at times. Ben Osmo: “We all lived in a little town about 100km from base camp. The sound guys would pile into a mini bus and be on site around 6.15am for a 7am start. Oliver Machin was in charge of setting global sync which would take some time. “After breakfast we’d drive from base camp to the technical base camp which might be another 3km away but would only have a handful of the essential vehicles for the shoot. If I knew iOTA and the drummers were there then we’d rig up their in-ears and I’d also rig up a couple of guide track mics on them. I also put a mic on iOTA so he could converse with George
Miller if necessary — even though he didn’t have any dialogue he occasionally needed to communicate with the director. We’d do a sound check with all of them before they were good to go. “There’d be a detailed call sheet that meant we would know prior to the day which vehicles would be involved in the shoot. From that basis we’d busy ourselves with the job of miking up certain vehicles in the armada. “Almost every day we’d have to rig the sputniks (the ruggedised road cases with the RF receivers/ transmitters) into one of the War Rigs (there were four in use, each in different stages of disrepair). “The cast would be pre-rigged at their trailers by the costume department with one of our guys helping out. We’d pre-rig mics into Max’s leather jacket. The same with Charlize, the Furiosa character, but she’d wait until she was on set to hook up her transmitter.” DUSTING OFF
The conditions were extreme and tested the limits of the gear but Ben was pleasantly surprised by the reliability of his equipment, given how much of what he was doing would ‘void warranty’. “We lost a few DPAs that strayed a little too close to the exhaust, and a few needed rewiring after they became involved in a fight scene. But otherwise they performed faultlessly.” Sennheiser 416 and 816 shotguns, all with some hefty Rycote blimp protection, survived the ordeal. Ben’s military-grade ‘Sputnik’ cases withstood
LEFT TO RIGHT: PETE COSTELLO, DAVE KELLY, BEN RUUT, NIK BUCHANAN.
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OSMOTRON INVENTORY 4 x Sound Devices 788T + 4 x CL8 1 x Sound Devices 744T 6 x Lectrosonics Venues in a ruggedised road case 2 x Lectrosonics Venue Fields 1 x Mackie 1604 mixer 1 x Meon and Meon Life UPS 4 x Lectrosonics IFB transmitters 3 x video monitors Ben Osmo (left) looking relaxed in the Osmotron production pursuit van. Lectrosonics Venue receivers (below left) in their rugged roadcase, receiving input from the ‘Sputniks’ out in the field. Ben Osmo’s assistant Oliver Machin (below) spent weeks making ‘wild’ recording of the Fury Road vehicles including the Max’s Ford Falcon XB GT. Other location sound recording was done by the ‘Action Unit’ led by Derek Mansfelt.
some serious abuse, cooking in 50° temperatures in the tanker but only shut down when the cooling system shut off thanks to power outages. “One time the generator power went off. The UPS kept it going but the heat rose. The delicate part of the Sputnik was the specially-made RF combiner systems. They needed repairing.” Dust was kept at bay in the Osmotron and, thanks to the Delica air con, the gear mostly whirred away without missing a beat. “The 788s needed the air conditioning. At times I would wipe the tops with iso wipes to get them cooler.” MENTAL EFFORT
That was the gear, but what about the stresses and strains on the human beings? Ben Osmo: “It was hard going for everyone. I did feel quite homesick towards the end. I’m a singer/songwriter and I play guitar and flute. So I teamed up with a few of the other crew and we jammed on a Sunday night at a local pizza joint and let off a bit of steam. A lot of crew and cast came along; it had a great family feeling. “It was quite hard being cooped up in my van but it was 10 times harder for the camera people and other sound crew in the dust and heat and, at times, the cold. But it was enormously rewarding.” And the results? Ben Osmo: “I was at the Sydney film premiere in May and that was the first time I’d seen the final cut. I think some of the mixing decisions were very courageous and it sounded quite extraordinary. AT 30
There were times when the Max and Furiosa characters would be talking to each other in the war rig, almost at a whisper. Pedants might insist that it’s utterly unrealistic and you wouldn’t be heard over the engine noise. But I say, you instantly felt the isolation and claustrophobia. You were in the truck with them and it sounded great.”
One of the war rigs on the salt flats: Mark Wasiutak the key boom operator was actually the boom operator on the first Mad Max nearly 40 years ago. He would ride in the Hero truck with the camera guys, mic up the slates and the road noise. Hidden lavalier mics were everywhere else.
FEATURE
Will anyone show up to the digital mic party? The Angus & Julia Stone tour might be the warm-up gig the industry needs. Story: Mark Davie Show Photos: Michelle Pitiris
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“It’s like the party’s at seven o’clock. Right now it’s four o’clock. You’re dressed, standing at the door, but the party hasn’t started.” That’s Sennheiser Australia MD Bjorn Rennemo Henriksen’s high school movie take on the state of digital mics. It’s been well over a decade since Beyerdynamic sent out the invitations with its AES3-outputting MCD100. So if we’re only a few hours away from the main event, we should probably be seeing more adoption of the digital mic-specific AES42 standard by now. But that’s not really happening. The number of microphone manufacturers jumping onboard the digital microphone standard is best described as a handful. Neumann, and its parent company Sennheiser, have been left holding the bag. With Schoeps — the only other real participant — looking more interested in the Ravenna AES67compatible, Audio-over-IP digital standard. So far other big players like Shure, Rode, Audio-Technica, EV, DPA — the list goes on — are looking like no-shows. And early adopter, Beyerdynamic, has backed away from the category completely. It’s hard to say exactly why AES42 hasn’t really hit its stride. When you look at what Mode 2 (second generation) digital mic systems are capable of, they’re essentially next-level tools for ‘getting it right at the source’. The beauty of a digital mic system is it eliminates the typical mic cable separation between analogue microphone, analogue preamp and digital converter, and the problems associated with trying to match each piece of gear’s performance to suit the others. Instead of a preamp trying to cater to all kinds of microphone outputs and impedances, and likewise with converters for preamps, the dynamic range of a capsule can be directly matched to its appropriate preamp and converter. Delivering a noise-free digital presentation of what the capsule’s hearing direct from the XLR end of the microphone, without any induced noise or high frequency loss on its way to whatever rack, console or interface you’re sending it to. It sounds so simple, and convenient, especially since digital conversion inevitably happens in many recording/live chains anyway. The AES42 spec is basically an AES3 signal strapped with a 10V phantom power supply. What’s more, Mode 2 microphones can accept both control and clock signals, so you can alter the mic’s sensitivity at the source, affecting its response and pattern, as well as make some DSP adjustments, like de-essing and compressing in the microphone. It hasn’t really taken off though. Partly due to manufacturers’ cold feet, partly because of entrenched analogue workflows, difficulty of interfacing with pre-existing gear, and a general chicken-or-egg conundrum: ‘You make a digital mic first.’ ‘No, you make a digital interface first.’ What the whole AES42 revolution needs is more users outside of the field-recording business. LIVENING UP THE CATEGORY
Which is where FOH engineer Adam Rhodes and monitor engineer Ben Shapiro come in. The pair are uniquely qualified, and well-connected enough,
to integrate digital mics into a live show. The pair were offered a system to trial in Paris by an influential friend, the head of Neumann software design, but decided to hold off making the leap until they arrived back in Australia for the nationwide Angus & Julia Stone tour. Other than operating FOH, Rhodes has been a Sing Sing studio stalwart for over 20 years. So Neumann mics like the KM184 cardioid pencil condenser have been his stock in trade. Likewise, Shapiro has made a living out of mixing ears for fussy people: “I mixed Gotye for a couple of years, and Crowded House for a long time before that. The biggest problem with doing monitors for a guy like Wally [Gotye] is he’s so good with the micro details; I can’t keep up. It pushes you to do better work.” The pair chose to take baby steps, opting to integrate just four Neumann KM184D mics into the setup: Two as overheads, one on ride, and the other on hi-hats. The choices were partly due to where the range of Neumann digital mics is most suited, and partly because they’re the least critical components if something falls over — they’d still have all the drums miked up without them. Integrating AES42 microphones into a live setup at the moment isn’t that easy. Most console manufacturers have optional digital input cards you can add to a stage rack, but they’re typically only AES3 inputs. Digico is the only manufacturer with a digital mic-specific AES42 option in the live market, but as yet, hasn’t integrated all the control features at the console end; trim and phantom power only. Digico is talking the talk, but it’s another case of coming to the party ‘when the demand’s there’. To get full control over AES42 features, you have to use an inline interpreter like the Neumann DMI-8, or the RME DMC-842, both of which spit out eight channels of AES3, and a bit more in the case of the RME. Naturally, the Neumann mics came packaged with the DMI-8, which allows software control of all the internal mic features. Integrating it into the system was the job of JPJ freelancer, and tech guru Boz. Boz’s proximity was priority one for Rhodes and Shapiro, and why they waited to get back to Australia before diving in. Both couldn’t emphasise enough his importance to the system working, and their peace of mind. “It’s easy for us to say what we want to bring,” said Shapiro. “Boz took all the information away and packaged it together. We can mix anything you like, but we can’t do it without that guy.” See the ‘How Boz’ box for more detail on what Boz did to hook everything up. THAT EXTRA SIZZLE
Using digital mics obviously has to be more than just a gimmick, it has to sound as good as, or preferably better, than its analogue counterparts. Both Shapiro and Rhodes noted that while the sonic integrity of the digital Neumann’s held up, the ability to tailor the mic to the source was the real kicker. Shapiro: “I used to use the KM184s with Crowded House and The Oils, they’re my favourite. And to have a better version of that with zero noise
floor is phenomenal for in-ears. You can change the voltage and re-bias the capsule, slacken it off to reduce the amount of sensitivity and distortion. It’s very difficult when you’re running in-ears, everything’s so clinical. You want to lo-fi things, but with great information from the source. It’s not the same result if you use low-grade mics. The full Neumann console lets you de-ess and limit them, and focus the pattern exactly where you want. It’s just the future.” Rhodes: “When we first turned the overheads on, the sensitivity was way too hot. I took them back 12dB, which made them incredibly usable, and haven’t trimmed on the console from then on. With the Neumanns, when Danny [drummer]’s playing a shaker it’s not pulling in the whole stage. They can be really localised because of the sensitivity adjustment. I can hear the sizzle cymbal all the way to the end, which often disappears after you hear the first little bit. The first few times I thought it was feedback.”
I used to use the KM184s with Crowded House and The Oils… to have a better version of that with zero noise floor is phenomenal for in-ears
CLOSING IN ON THE SOURCE
That ability to dial in a mic’s sensitivity to match its source wouldn’t go astray elsewhere on stage. Angus & Julia Stone’s most popular song, Big Jet Plane, perfectly showcases not only a perennially catchy melody, but the delicate, whispery vocals of the siblings. Specifically Angus. “It’s probably the hardest gig I’ve ever done,” said Rhodes. “He has great tone, and his vocal is beautiful to mix, because it sits in with the band so well, but it’s uber quiet.” And because Angus stands directly in front of the drums, his vocal mic can act like a “third overhead,” said Rhodes. He can barely compress his vocal mic, because it will only bring up the rest of the stage. A Shure KSM9 hypercardiod mic alleviates some of the issue “because if he moves away,” said Rhodes. “He can’t hear himself in his ears.” Sometimes you just can’t do much, and Rhodes is pretty philosophical about that. When Angus trails off, “I think it’s me that has to accept it more than anyone else,” reckoned Rhodes. “I don’t know if audiences even notice.” The other new weapon on stage is the Shure Beta 181 side address condenser microphone up against Angus’ Vox amplifier grille. “I never AT 33
HOW BOZ MADE AES42 WORK
At the FOH position, Boz brought the impedance back up to the standard AES 110Ω spec with a couple more inline gadgets, and injected it safely into the input card of Rhodes’ local rack where he can control signal trim from the console: “When you’ve got an analogue mic coming in, your preamp acts like a pre. But when a digital mic is presented, it behaves like a line trim. They pretty much sit at unity once you’ve got the microphone’s internal gain set up.”
BIG LOSS FOR HIGH ROLLERS? One of the touted benefits of using digital mics is no high frequency loss when using analogue mic cables. But is it a valid point over a typical run? In this circumstance, the Neumann KM184 has a very low output impedance of 50Ω. Coupled with the capacitance of a quality mic cable like Canare L-2T2S of 70pF/m, and you would need to have a cable length of over two kilometres to bring a 3dB low pass filter corner frequency into the audible frequency range. That is to say, high frequency loss isn’t really going to be an issue over a regular cable run unless you have a much higher output impedance or a really dodgy cable. Of course, digital mics do provide plenty of other benefits like noise-free transmission.
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FOH Avid Profile
AES 3
The four Neumann KM184D mics (OHs, hi-hat, ride) were hooked up to Neumann’s DMI-8 AES42 interface with regular ol’ XLR mic cables. The standard is to use an AES specific 110Ω cable, but years of working with AES in the studio gave Rhodes confidence in the regular cable substitute: “You only start to get clock errors over long runs of 50m or more. The guys in white coats would turn their noses up over the impedance, but I used to plug a short mic cable from S/PDIF to AES between two Sony machines and that worked fine.” Boz: “We made provision for 110Ω cables. But we tested it with regular mic cables, and it’s been flawless.” James Waldron, Sennheiser Australia Product Manager: “Part of that’s due to the output driver stage Neumann has built into the mic; its current capability and ability to drive slightly ‘incorrect’ impedances.”
AES 3id – 75 BNC coax 75 - 110 BNC-XLR Impedance Converter
The show was already using all 48 analogue inputs on the Avid stage rack, so Boz couldn’t add an optional AES3 digital input card to the rack and pipe the mic signals to Rhodes’ FOH position that way. Because the Avid stage racks transmit over a 75Ω BNC coaxial cable, the tour was already using an 8-way coaxial core. So Boz used inline impedance transformers to convert the two stereo AES3 signals into AES3id; a lower voltage AES variant for running over long distances via 75Ω coax. He then sent it down two cables in the coaxial core to FOH.
Monitor Avid Profile
AES 42 Regular Microphone Cord
AES 3 Neuman DMI-8
110 - 75 XLR-BNC Impedance Converter
Mic Feature Control Laptop
thought I’d need to change from Shure SM57s on guitar amps,” said Rhodes. “But Angus has his guitar amps right next to the drum kit, so when he’s playing lighter parts and the beat’s quite large, trying to get a nice clean guitar sound out of the 57 was challenging. I’ve tried lots of condensers, but they just look straight through the amps and I can hear people whispering out the back. Whereas the 181 is so localised and picks up all the detail and warmth.” One of the other challenging aspects of the gig is the extended dynamics in the performance. “In the bigger songs I have to use so much energy to get the drum kit through,” explained Rhodes. “Then when I pull everything back, the drums are overpowering me, and I’m chasing everything around.” Rhodes thought about why he’d never have that issue in the studio, and figured it was “because I’d run parallel compression and stick funky mics on the kit that I’d over-compress.”
Boz Y-split the AES3 output of the Neumann DMI-8 by wiring up both DB-25 connectors on the rear — one has a Tascam pinout, the other Yamaha. One AES3 set went straight to the AES3 inputs on Shapiro’s Avid Venue Profile local rack at monitors. The other was sent to Rhode’s Profile FOH rack.
Now he parallel compresses his entire kit, running it through two stereo buses with Avid’s Smack compressor on both. One is set to unity, and is just there for time alignment, then he smashes the second bus and brings it in underneath to taste. He also sticks a Shure SM58 ‘crush mic’ in the middle of the kit just above the kick, and pushes all the buttons in on his 1176 plug-in for a crushed kit sound to play with. “As a young guy in the studio,” recalled Rhodes. “Ross Cockle was always on me about watching my VU meters and keeping the energy constant. This way I can still keep the drum kit upfront and powerful without soaking up the whole energy of the PA.”
They can be really localised because of the sensitivity adjustment. I can hear the sizzle cymbal all the way to the end… I thought it was feedback
MONITORING LUXURY ITEMS
It’s best-of-the-best gear all round it seems. The tour uses top of the line Shure wireless products, the whole band is on Ultimate Ear 11 in-ears, and AT 35
IN MARGARET’S COURT The Melbourne leg of the Angus & Julia Stone tour went through Margaret Court Arena. It was only the third concert in the renovated room, so we asked Rhodes what he thought of it, and how the room was responding to the d&b J line array system. Rhodes: “It has a fundamental of about 56Hz, right down the middle. It seems to do more damage than good every time I try deal with it. If it becomes detrimental to the show I can get rid of it. But it’s a really sad spot to be losing weight. I wouldn’t mind if it was 50 or 60Hz, but because it’s between the two, it screws me if I pull either one because the PA’s crossing over at 60Hz. I’ve been playing with it on the sub, and on the hang, and on both, but it just becomes detrimental to the whole balance. It’s even happening just from the bass amp on stage. So it’s not a battle I’m going to win, it’s something I need to embrace. The whole spectrum from 70Hz up is great. Well, when I say great, there’s a 200Hz resonance, and something around 930Hz. But that’s all just required a little work on the graphic to fix. It’s a lot easier than Rod Laver I’ve got to say.” JPJ System Tech Doug Pringle set the PA for Rhodes. But was typically self-deprecating about his involvement. Doug: “I find acoustics in rooms this size easy
compared to a pub. It’s normally a low end resonance when you get this big. But otherwise, it’s sound guy 101; point the speakers at the audience and you’re most of the way there. With line arrays, the principle is almost that easy. You point the top speaker at the back of the audience, point the bottom speaker at the front of the audience. If you overcomplicate it, it might just sound like mud. “My job is to time align and gain match the system. I’ll EQ anything obvious and get every other part of the room to sound like where the FOH guy is, but I mostly leave the EQ to the FOH guy. There was more high frequency shooting out of the side fill speaker, but I haven’t EQ’d anything else. The speakers are all the same brand, so they’re designed to sound the same to begin with. “Of all the PAs, the d&b J is absolutely my first choice. The original amps we’re using, the D12s, only have four bands of EQ in them. Someone asked the d&b engineers, ‘Why so little?’ They replied, ‘Well, that’s all you should need to match the zones of the PA up to each other. If you’re using more than four bands, something else is wrong.’ Same with halfdegree angles. If you’re mucking around with half degrees, you’re doing the wrong thing.”
Shapiro’s monitor rack had a few more luxury items for Boz to interface. Shapiro runs a Crane Song Spider eight-channel digital output preamp. It’s sent dedicated splits of certain channels like vocals and a couple of guitars, and pumps AES3 back into Shapiro’s local rack. “It has tape emulation built in, but it’s much more effective than the plug-in,” said Shapiro. “It also has the Fat switch, which adds second and third harmonic distortion. So for guitars, it sounds fatter in the ears.” He also has two Bricasti M7 reverbs, typically the preserve of high-end studios. “If we were doing wedges and conventional monitoring, I wouldn’t bother,” said Shapiro. “But the band wants super high-end ears and they’re very fussy about reverbs. They basically want the album, with all the effects and delays.” He uses the Bricastis to put them in a space, triggering different reverbs via MIDI to go along with his scene changes. Replicating the album wasn’t just about approximating the effect, it was a directive. Shapiro tracked down the engineers who recorded the last albums and found out what gear they used. Then using Waves plug-ins, he transformed his Profile into a studio console. “All my drum channels are SSL, Neve for vocals, and API for guitars,” he said. “It took a lot of research and rehearsal time.” He also has an Apogee Big Ben clock to sync all
the digital bits ’n’ bobs, and a UAD Apollo interface in his rack. “It’s just for when I work offline,” explained Shapiro. “I record every show, so if I need to work on reverbs or something, I just roll the rack into my room, plug the hardware into my computer and dial up some mixes.” He also uses Shure shotgun microphones on each side of the stage to give some ambience to the band’s ears.
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DIGITAL DIVIDENDS
Like every part of the tour setup, the digital mics had to do the job better than anything else can to become part of the package. Every piece of gear on the tour is chosen for a reason. Shapiro, for instance, likes the sound of the Digico over the now long-in-the-tooth Profile, and knows the Soundcraft Vi6 and Yamaha PM5D inside out. But he chose the Venue system because of its depth of automation and the ease of plug-in integration. Two things that helped him fulfil the objective, which in this case was to recreate the album. The infusion of the Neumann digital mics’ pattern control and sensitivity adjustment gave Shapiro and Rhodes complete control over the drum sound without drawing the entire stage into the mics. And it’s the small things that can make all the difference when there’s 10,000 people in the house.
www.gibsonami.com www.krksys.com AT 37
FEATURE
MIX FROM WHERE YOU’D RATHER BE
Warning: I’d like to premise this story by reinforcing the importance of a professional team when trying to execute a tour this complex. It should not be taken lightly. This tour was prefaced by months of meticulous planning by tour producers, production managers, brand reps, band management, and the band themselves. It took professional crew, being paid proper wages, working with a professional touring package and an amazing, understanding artist and client to complete the task at hand… Don’t try this alone. AT 38
Chris Braun takes Corona Australia’s ‘From where you’d rather be’ tagline to heart, and mixes via tablet on the beer brand’s Portugal. The Man whistle-stop tour. Feature: Chris Braun Main Photo: Maclay Heriot
Doing the numbers on this tour didn’t leave a lot in the remainder column: 17 show days, 26 shows, 1 band, 4 crew, 3 vehicles, 4 states and a whole lotta sweat! The challenge: String multiple shows into single days, in venues typically not set up for live performances, to a tight schedule, with a fair bit of gear (even though the package was stripped back). The project was a promotional tour by Corona Extra Australia, produced by Monster Children. The premise was to fly in Alaskan band, Portugal. The Man, to play a number of shows around the country in venues and locations that matched Corona Australia’s ‘from where you’d rather be’ ideal. The tour rolled down the road less travelled to some amazing places. Picture amazing water views nestled between sandstone buildings, manicured gardens, picture-perfect lawns and generous long tables ready for punters to assume an afternoon beer pose — ideal places to catch a truly talented band that rarely makes it to the country. Now put that ideal spot at the end of a long staircase going down a hill, around bends. Oh, and make sure the ground isn’t flat. Then you get the full picture of what the crew faced on most days. Often, the more unique the venue or view, the more difficult the load-in. The client’s brief for the production was simple, yet required a unique solution. The rig needed to be set up quickly, deliver a high impact show, packed down, loaded out, moved to the next venue… sometimes twice in a day. In Sydney we even had to rinse and repeat the routine three times in one day! I immediately called the boys at Monitor City and we put together a production package that comprised of: FOH (East coast: Monitor City) (West coast: CCA) 4 x Nexo PS15R2 2 x Nexo PS8 2 x Nexo RS18 subs 6 x K&M speaker stands Monitors 6 x Sennheiser G3 IEM Control (Supplied by BLOC Audio) 1 x Midas Pro1 console 1 x Wireless iPad mixing package 1 x Klark Technik DN9650 recording interface 1 x Mic and DI package Lighting (Supplied by SWS) 12 x Pixeline Micro W LEDs 1 x ChamSys control system (supplied by Wot Productions) 1 x Wireless tablet system Backline (supplied by Deluxe) 1 x DW Collectors Series drum kit 1 x SWR Redhead bass combo 2 x Fender Deluxe Reverb guitar amplifiers 4 x Keyboard stands
TIME TRIALS
WALK UP GIG
Of all the brief ’s challenges, the biggest issue we had was achieving the best result in the time allocated. Generally speaking, we had one hour, to an hour and a half, between arriving at a venue to the show going up. In that time, we needed to liaise with the venue, bump in and set up all the staging, PA, control, lighting and backline. Usually while swimming through a growing crowd who’d arrived early to secure a primo position. It meant there were no soundchecks and little time to do the normal pre-show checks before the band hit the ‘Go’ button. All aspects of the production package had to be light, effective and most of all, reliable. One of the early decisions I made was to limit all control to a side-of-stage operating position. There was no time to lay multicores, and in many venues, taking up that much space just wasn’t realistic. Both audio and lighting consoles were set up side-of-stage with the notion they’d be wirelessly operated out front from tablets. I’d never relied on tablets to mix before, but I’ve gotta say, it worked an absolute treat! Mixing full shows on the Midas iPad app was a breeze.
Prior to the tour starting, we had a single-day production rehearsal. Full credit to the band. Stepping of a sleepless flight from LA, they walked into a room full of crew they didn’t know, backline they’d never used, and absolutely owned it. The goals for the day were to establish a template for IEM and FOH mixes, get them comfortable on stage, and address any possible backline issues. With the potential for the band to arrive at venues 10 minutes before going on stage, they needed to be able to confidently put their ears in, pick up a guitar and know that everything was going to work as planned. As good as the Midas Mixtender app is, it’s still quite limited in what you have access to. You can control all your mixes, EQ, graphics, POP groups and VCAs. You can’t wirelessly edit dynamics, change scenes or even tap in your tempo for the delay unit. The only thing I genuinely missed having access to for this tour was the tap tempo for my delay unit, but we solved that the old fashioned way. I had the system tech tap in a 4/4 tempo at the start of each track, allowing me to remain out front looking like a nerd at a gig on my iPad. AT 39
LIGHT WORK
THE CORE ISSUE
The band and crew linked in together very quickly, which showed in each gig. Our lighting tech, Josh Evans, actually had access to a complete mirror system of the lighting console on his tablet. However, he ended up spending nearly every show rocking out side of stage with the band and got pulled into being the fifth member of the band, dropping cues with Jason the drummer. Mixing wirelessly had some disadvantages, but it also came with a couple of clear advantages; set up time was the real winner. Having to only hook up the console and broadcast network — a standard Apple Airport Express gave me venuewide coverage — kept the messing around to a minimum. I could also change IEM mixes from the tablet and, with the aid of my own cue pack, solo individual sources and mixes to my in-ear monitors and make level and EQ adjustments without having to leave the bar… I mean the mix position. One of my main concerns going into the tour and relying on the iPad for most of my mixing was redundancy. What would happen if the network failed or I wandered out of range? The good news is, nothing. You can lose reception, have drop outs, and the consoles won’t react to losing communication with the iPad. The biggest issue was being in the crowd, finger on a fader, and someone walking past, bumping into you, inadvertently pushing your arm and potentially cranking a channel. Not ideal.
Without the possibility of wireless tablet mixing, the schedule would have been drastically different. Given the bump out happened while the venues were still full of people, allowing for multicores to be run and packed up in each venue would have easily added an hour to each stop. Pulling a multicore out through ‘jolly’ patrons would have been a nightmare. All in all, the tour was a huge success and after six weeks straight mixing on an iPad, I’m happy to say I’d do it again, but will always take a console over a screen.
CREW
All the tech aside, huge credit and thanks have to go to my crew who put up with some less than ideal situations, four to six loads a day, soaring temperatures and did it all without question. While the tech made the job easier, the sweat and tears of the crew made it possible! Production Manager & Audio Engineer – Chris Braun Lighting Operator – Josh Evans System Tech & Truck Driver (East Coast) – Jeff Cregan (Monitor City) Backline (East Coast) – Jackson McIvor System Tech (West Coast) – Alan Carol (CCA) Backline and Audio Tech (West Coast) – Justin Martin (CCA) Special thanks to Sally Quade, Portugal. The Man, the team at Monster Children, Corona Australia and Clint Sagol.
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QUICK MIX
The
with
Gerard Albo Interview: Christopher Holder
Who have you been touring with/mixing recently? I’m currently out with Anastacia. After some health setbacks she’s back at the top of her game. Can you name some other bands that you have worked with? I’ve recently done some work with Morten Harket (A-Ha) and looking forward to getting the new Avid S6L in time to go out with all of A-Ha on a festival tour later this year. I do quite a lot of live broadcast mixing, and I spent five years mixing FOH for Amy Winehouse, then Patti Smith, A-Ha and others. From your accent you’re obviously French? That’s right but I moved to the UK around 15 years ago and I live on the south coast of England. My first live mixing job was in the UK. You’re touring Australia with an Avid Profile but I gather you’re an S3L convert? Going back a few years, I was actually one of the first to use the Profile, or the Venue as it was known then. I loved it right away. It was exactly what I was looking for. What with the plug-ins, it felt more like a computer DAW than a live mixer, and that suited me. At the time I only had eight channel faders because we couldn’t afford the space to carry the sidecar, so I was mixing 40 channels on eight faders. It got me thinking at the time that what I was loving most was the software and that I would actually be just as happy with the software and just a few knobs. So, effectively, that’s how long I’ve been waiting for the S3L, since 2006! You don’t crave the tactile aspects of a large console? If the show’s already programmed, you don’t really need to have 40 faders. You recall your scene and do some tweaks. You don’t need all the hardware or instant visual access to all 60 channels. The S3L surface is flexible enough and customisable enough to make it easy. So each snapshot will bring what you need under your fingertips? That’s definitely one way of doing it. Personally, I like my faders to not move around, I like to know where to find them. But, for example, I like to put a graphic EQ across my vocal, and that will be what I turn to if I need to tweak the vocal when Anastacia’s talking between songs — I can leave my parametric settings alone. On the S3L I’ve got the footswitch set so it brings up that graphic EQ when I hit it. AT 42
Sure, compression is a great tool for vocals, keyboards and bass, but leave it off the drums
What’s your FOH philosophy? So much of the music we listen to — whether it’s on the radio or recorded — is really heavily compressed, while the beauty of a live show is in its dynamic range. So why compress? I certainly don’t put compression on the output bus and I don’t compress the drums — I don’t like the sound and you don’t need to. Sure, compression is a great tool for vocals, keyboards and bass, but leave it off the drums. And, finally, where’s the professional reward on a tour like this? Life on the road requires your full concentration and a lot of commitment. On this tour we’ve got a great bunch of guys and we encourage each other to stay fit and eat well. You can’t be drinking and taking drugs on tour, it just doesn’t work. So there’s a discipline to life on the road. But there are times, and often they’re at a big festival, when everything clicks and you experience pure joy — 60 minutes of adrenalin and a huge endorphin hit. It’s at those times you have to remind yourself to really soak it up and enjoy it. All that hard work, preparation and looking after yourself has paid off. That’s the reward.
S3L CASE
I’ve been working with a great flight case company, building my ideal S3L ‘command module’. Admittedly, it completely defeats the point of having something light and portable, because now I need people to help carry this setup! Still, it is compact and self contained — you simply open the lid, pull the screens up and switch it on. For festivals it’s super convenient. I have a footswitch that’s assigned to my vocal graphic EQ. And I have a gooseneck as my talkback mic. I rang a good friend at Sennheiser in Paris and mentioned the gooseneck and how I’d really like to go hands-free. He kindly sent me one through and now it’s integrated into my case. I have a switch, like an old fashioned confidence switch, and that goes into an XLR input. I hit the switch and it’s assigned to be routed into the monitors and in-ears. I also have a Mac Mini in my case so I don’t have to bring a laptop to record a gig. You have to be careful, the Avid AVB network interface isn’t compatible with OS X Yosemite yet, only Mavericks.
TOM TRIGGERS
I have Roland piezo triggers on the toms that open the gates via the sidechain input. When a really hard-hitting drummer hits the snare or adjacent tom then all your gates open. But if you set up the gate too tight to compensate, you can miss some sensitivity. I want the sound to be as clean as possible and, with triggers, you can hit as hard as you like because they’re only opening the gate when that toms actually hit. The trigger just goes into a DI, which comes into the desk (it’s not routed anywhere) and is used as the key on the sidechain of the tom gate.
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REGULARS
Apple Notes Don’t just walk around your Mac and tap the aluminium hood, here’s a few tips to keep your rig trucking along. Column: Anthony Garvin
It’s been a while since we got into the nuts and bolts of maintaining and running a Mac-based DAW system. So for the next few issues (provided Apple doesn’t drop a bomb on the news desk), I’m going to roll through some tips and tricks for keeping your studio Mac humming and your workflow efficient. Today we’ll start from the ground up; a walkthrough of some of the utilities and tools included with Mac OS, which are indispensable for maintenance and good workflow. DISK UTILITY
For many, a ‘Repair Disk Permissions’ operation is the most common use for Disk Utility, and it’s an operation that’s frequently recommended by support teams the world over as the first step in troubleshooting software issues. Beyond this, Disk Utility is the tool to both erase/create partitions and ‘Repair’ a chosen partition’s file system structure (though it can’t be done on the boot drive, so more on this later). Outside of these common uses, my favourite feature of Disk Utility is its ability to resize partitions, meaning you can add another partition on any disk, without having to erase the data already contained on it. This is very handy, for example, when trying out a new OS. To do this: • in Disk Utility, select the disk of interest in the left hand column (not the partition, but the disk above it). • Head to the ‘Partition’ tab on the right hand side. • Resize the partition by dragging the bottom right corner of the partition graphic upwards. • You can now use the + button to add one, or more, partitions. THE RECOVERY PARTITION
By booting your Mac whilst holding down Command+R, you’ll boot into Recovery mode. Apart from using Recovery Mode to install a new OS, it can also be helpful in other ways: • It’s not possible to ‘Repair’ (not to be confused with ‘Repair Disk Permissions’) the partition that your OS resides on whilst it’s booted. But AT 44
you can in Recovery Mode. So if you’re having trouble with your boot drive and want to attempt a ‘Repair’, here’s the place to do it. • It’s also not reliable to resize the OS partition whilst it’s booted. Again, doable in Recovery Mode… well, almost always in my experience. TARGET DISK MODE
Almost as old as the Mac itself (you could targetdisk some Macs with SCSI interfaces), this is no doubt a trick that has saved many of us in the past. By holding down T as the Mac boots, it effectively transforms into a hard disk drive that you can connect to any other Mac, or PC if necessary (with some additional software installed). Nowadays Target Disk Mode can operate over Firewire or Thunderbolt, or between the two with Apple’s Thunderbolt-to-Firewire adapter. If you’re desperately trying to recover a file on a corrupted boot drive, or struggling to add another partition to the disk containing the boot partition, then Target Disk Mode is your best bet. Now that we have our drives in good shape, let’s move on. AUDIO/MIDI SETUP
Audio/MIDI Setup (Command+Shift+U in the Finder will bring up the Utilities folder, where AMS resides) serves two purposes for me: • Troubleshooting audio devices. In the Audio window of AMS, you can check output volume levels, sample rates and even sync sources for Digital I/O. If your system is giving you grief in any of these departments, it’s often the quickest way to find out what’s going on. • Improving connectivity between MIDI hardware and software. In the MIDI window, by using the ‘Add Device’ button, you can name a virtual device that represents each MIDI hardware device. Once you virtually patch them into your MIDI Interface device, software like Pro Tools and Logic will then ‘see’ the hardware, rather than a non-descript port name. A must if you have more than one MIDI device connected to
your DAW. Unfortunately Ableton Live does not currently support this feature. Quick Tip: If you Option click the volume in your menu bar, you can toggle input/output devices without opening system preferences. QUICKTIME
Speaking of Ableton Live, another wish-list item for me is exporting MP3 or M4a files for emailing reference mixes. Without being able to do this in Live itself, or going through the motions of loading it into your iTunes library, the simplest way to do this is via QuickTime: • From the Finder, right click your WAV or AIFF file and choose Open With QuickTime • In QuickTime, head to File Export Audio Only… • Your audio will now be exported as a 256kbps .m4a file. Quick Tip: In QuickTime, if you need to find out more info about an audio file, hit Command+I to ‘Get Info’ on a file — like the same command in Finder, but with more audio-centric info. TEXT EDIT
Why mention Text Edit in a column like this? These two chestnuts: Serial Numbers and User Logins. It’s just not possible to make meaningful sound on a computer without having numerous logins to access and authorise your software. Storing these in Text Edit, and syncing them to iCloud, means they’re all in one place, backed up and available on any computer where you’re logged into iCloud — all in a file format that is, and will be, readable by just about anything for years to come. Don’t overlook Text Edit’s tables and tab features to help keep that list super-tidy (or perhaps that’s my OCD kicking back in). That covers some of Mac OS’s core tools. Next time, we’ll continue along this path and take a look at some third party software that helps your Mac DAW run like it should.
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REGULARS
PC Audio It’s flexible, easy to upgrade and can be adapted to your changing requirements — all hail the desktop PC! Column: Martin Walker
Well the computing marketplace is once again being shaken up and thoroughly stirred, with Apple iPad sales expected to drop by 20% in 2015 as jumbo smartphones take over. New models are skinnier than your average ‘haughty couture’ stick figure, with PC maker Lenovo releasing its LaVie Z laptops, claimed to be ‘the world’s lightest 13.3-inch notebook PCs’. They have more computing power than Apple’s new Intel Core M MacBook — as well as two USB 3.0 ports, a HDMI video output and integrated SD card reader compared with the single USB-C port connectivity of the MacBook — yet match or undercut its price. However, as I discussed in Issue 108, choosing a PC notebook suitable for extensive audio use can be a minefield for the musician. Old fashioned they may be, but the good old desktop PC is still the best bet for guaranteed high audio performance and longevity under fire. You can upgrade the majority of their internal parts as and when the need arises (no soldered-in RAM like the latest Mac Mini range that prevents their memory being increased after purchase). Desktop PCs also offer plenty of ports to plug in a wide range of peripherals simultaneously; including USB and Firewire audio interfaces, external drives for backing up your precious audio material, and even smaller noteboooks/tablets for use as touch-based MIDI controllers, MIDI synth editors/librarians, and the like. All these can be connected via low-cost generic cables that cost a few dollars, rather than the expensive custom white extras offered by Apple. For more elderly card-based audio interfaces, desktop PC motherboards are still available with PCIe and even ancient PCI expansion slots, and if you favour one of the latest Thunderbolt-based audio interfaces, these can be plugged in via a PCIe expansion card as well. Flexibility has always been the strength of the humble desktop PC, which can adapt via upgrades to suit changing requirements. You’ll never get that sinking feeling if you find you need more ports, since cheap expansion cards are available to add a clutch more of whatever variety you need. And in the unlikely event that a component (graphics card, power supply, hard drive...) fails, you can nearly always replace it too. AT 46
PICTURE THIS: SCREEN REFLECTIONS
Enough already I hear you cry — we get the picture! Ironically though, the picture is one area that can cause a few problems for the desktop musician. Ideally your loudspeakers should be perhaps four or five feet apart, and your ears a similar distance away from them. Even when you ditch the dinky notebook format, with its closeup screen, in favour of a larger screen placed a bit further away. It can still end up sitting in front of your loudspeakers, resulting in lots of acoustic early reflections that compromise your stereo image. In this scenario, you’ll notice a significant improvement in the acoustic detail of your mixes if you invest in an even larger graphic monitor that can be placed further back in between your loudspeakers rather than in front of them. I faced this scenario myself a few months back — the last couple of years I’ve had a 23-inch widescreen monitor mounted on a heavy duty tilt/ swivel stand that allowed me to pull it to about two feet away for detailed editing, and then push it back to just in front of my monitor speakers when mixing, but I knew I could do better. So I replaced it with a very affordable 27-inch widescreen monitor in a fixed position right back between my loudspeakers, and the difference was remarkable. When a client next visited my small studio he was convinced I’d done a lot of extra work on his mix, but it had always sounded that good — we just hadn’t been able to hear its unadulterated excellence while the monitor screen added its dose of sonic confusion. STORAGE: SINGLE CASE OPTIONS
The desktop PC is also very flexible when it comes to storage requirements. It pays to adopt at least one SSD for speedy booting and application launch times, and for those that can afford it, several larger SSDs if you want a totally silent computer. However, for those with smaller pockets, modern mechanical hard drives in conjunction with a decent acoustically-lined case are well nigh silent too, and there’s usually plenty of space inside the typical desktop case for at least four such drives.
Many of us still rely on CD/DVD drives for audio CD burning and video duties, but Blu-Ray drives are also easily fitted for those with more expansive storage requirements. Once again, you can change your mind as you please, and still end up with a single case containing all the storage you need rather than a slimline notebook with a rat’s nest of cables emerging from it to cope with your peripheral requirements. The one thing that undermines the ultimate longevity of the desktop PC in my opinion is Intel’s insistence that each new CPU family it releases must be accompanied by a fresh motherboard with a revised CPU socket. Although an experienced user can change the motherboard, it’s a major undertaking, and only really worth doing if you get at least an additional 50% of processing power in the bargain. Yet even here the PC musician is in a much better position nowadays than a few years ago, since the amount of computing power available in a modern machine is more than sufficient to run huge audio projects. Since it’s likely to be the single most expensive component in any PC by a margin of three or four, just make sure you choose your desktop CPU wisely within your available budget, and it ought to last you for at least several years (mine is coming up to three years old now with little or no sign of running out of steam). DESKTOP: STILL THE ONE
So there we are. The humble desktop PC may seem a little passé to some, but for the musician it still does its job well, is incredibly versatile, adaptable, repairable, and can be upgraded in a host of ways at relatively low cost. I do feel sorry for those who end up having to buy a new computer to gain more processing power, only to find their perfectly good audio interface has to be abandoned in the process. There’s quite enough built-in obsolescence in the world today without discarding audio gear simply because this new machine lacks the relevant socket to plug it in. So stick with the desktop format, and carry on using what you already have!
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REVIEW
AMPHION ONE18 Studio Monitors & AMP100 Amplifier Passive studio monitors are a rarity these days, passive radiator designs even more so. Amphion shows why active isn’t necessarily best.
NEED TO KNOW
Review: Brad Watts
PRICE One18 (Pair): $3900 Amp100: $1800 Cables: $500
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CONTACT Federal Audio: 0404 921 781 or www.federalaudio.com.au
PROS Brutally honest Wide sweet spot Unflatteringly precise midrange Healthy bottom end Passive
CONS Not cheap Passive
SUMMARY Amphion’s studio monitors comes from a hi-fi background, where active designs don’t get a look in. But far from repurposed audiophile fare these passive radiator, sealed enclosures, with a low crossover point and metal drivers, focus in on the midrange.
It’s a bit of a rarity to come across passive monitors these days. In a world where convenience is king, almost every new studio monitor design has an amplifier jammed into the design specification. But don’t get me wrong. There’s a lot going for amplifier integration within monitor cabinets. Besides the convenience, you know the amp is designed specifically for the drivers, and you know powered monitors will sound the same should you need to jump to the same monitor in another studio, plus you’re not sullying your signal path with inferior and extended length speaker cable – there’s a line level signal straight from your DAW or console to the monitors. However, there are issues with the powered monitor concept. Perhaps most apparent is the precious cabinet capacity being impinged upon by the addition of amplifier components, along with the associated and somewhat space hungry heatsyncs and power supplies. There’s also inevitable compromises required when designing an amplifier to fit within the confines of a nearfield monitor cabinet. In order to meet these constraints many manufacturers use Class D amplifiers. While far superior to the Class D designs of yore, this style of amp is still not regarded as the ultimate choice for monitoring amplification. On the plus side, a Class D amp makes it very easy to introduce a digital input to the monitor. All that’s to say, you may prefer a different amplifier topology, but with a powered monitor you’re stuck with the manufacturer’s choice of amp. Then there’s the issue of the vibrations from the drivers gradually shaking each and every solder joint and component in the amplifiers to pieces. Or, if one amp decides to pack it in, your monitors are rendered useless until they’re shipped out to the repairers — there’s zero chance of switching out the amplifier with a spare to get you through the mix. PASSIVE PASSION
It’s clear there are both disadvantages and advantages with each style of monitor design, but as I’ve mentioned, if a passive monitor is required there are fewer choices these days. Filling a section of this gap is a new monitor range from the farflung Republic of Finland. Amphion has been in the audiophile market for some years now, with an established range of speakers for the audio aficionado and those looking for quality surround and theatre systems. The range includes bookshelf and floor-mounted designs, along with specific centre speakers for surround setups. Recently introduced to the Australian market, the Amphion studio monitor range includes no less than five quite distinct models; the One12, One15, and One18, along with the larger Two15, and Two18. The ‘One’ series utilises 4.5, 5.25, and 6.5-inch low-end drivers respectively, with the ‘Two’ range providing dual low-end 5.25 and 6.5inch drivers. While the dual designs will certainly require larger spaces, it’s the One18 which will no doubt be the initial source of reference for potential buyers of the Amphion monitors. It’s this model I was given the opportunity of auditioning recently,
Not that these monitors sound like NS10s, perish that thought entirely, but the midrange accuracy and flat response tends to put these speakers into that same workhorse category
along with Amphion’s 100W per side amplifier. Now when I say recently, this was no ‘quick listen’. Let me assure you I left these monitors playing at low volume for a good 48 hours or so to give them a bit of a burn in (I didn’t know if they were straight off the docks or not), and then enjoyed a wholesome couple of weeks listening to all my favourites — again, and again, and again. Without wishing to give the game away to hastily, I quickly became fond of the Amphions. So let’s have a look at the specs of the One18s more thoroughly. As initially mentioned, the One18 uses a 6.5-inch Seas aluminium bass driver and 1-inch titanium high-end driver. At first I’d imagined the driver choice to be somewhat overbearing for my tastes (I predominantly prefer traditional paper-cone drivers and silk-dome highend due to a bad experience as a lad). However, the One18s didn’t seem to ‘wear’ my listening stamina like titanium-endowed monitors I’ve used in the past. And, as it transpires via various conversations with Amphions founder, Anssi Hyvönen, there are plenty of reasons for this. According to the Amphion brains-trust, (aka Anssi), the philosophy behind the One and Two series designs is to have every possible physical attribute of the monitor as close to optimal as is possible. These tolerances primarily take into account alignment of upper and lower drivers. OFF-AXIS SOUND, RIGHT ON
I quizzed Anssi about the One18’s waveguide design and the reasoning behind it’s size (the waveguide covers a similar area to the bass driver). I’ll let Anssi explain what he describes as ‘controlled dispersion’. Anssi Hyvönen: “The strange fact surrounding speaker design is the utmost focus on measurements. What happens on-axis at one metre tells you nothing about what happens in your room in a real life situation. Regardless of what the manufacturer tells you about the latest technology, we are inevitably listening to the sum of reflections from the room. We never listen only to the direct sound. What we are trying to do, not only with the waveguide, but also with the passive radiatorequipped closed box, is a speaker which works in a more stable manner and ‘pressurises’ your listening
Rear panel of the infinite baffle design, with its passive radiator.
environment more evenly than a traditionally vented speaker — where dispersion characteristics of the tweeter and woofer are very different (and therefore their off-axis/reflected sound’s response is very uneven). “At Amphion we’re focused on getting an even response, not only on-axis, but also from the off-axis. This way we can achieve a more correct balance. Our waveguide makes the dispersion more uniform throughout a wider frequency band. It’s important to realise that the only correct way of producing sound is via a point source. Nature never has two or more separate sound sources to produce the one sound. So in order for human hearing to think that we are dealing with music, instead of some technocratic caricature of the sound, we must get a number of things right. One is point source. The other is phasing and timing. The other key factor is the low crossover point of 1600Hz.” Apart from the large waveguide, thde other interesting aspect behind the One18 sound is the use of a passive radiator on the rear of the cabinet. This is basically a speaker cone without a transducer. As the ‘active’ low-end driver pushes and pulls, the radiator reacts in sympathy. It’s almost like having two low-end drivers. This concept provides a far more controlled bass response, without relying on porting. That’s right, these cabinets are sealed. Anssi’s balancing act of design certainly pays AT 49
dividends. While the One18 doesn’t sound pretty when compared with your usual range of studio monitors. The sound is not hyped in either low or high end. In fact, at first they can seem a little flat — even bland. That said, after settling in to the One18 sound I did warm to these monitors. There’s a lot of focus on midrange, which makes a lot of sense given the range holds much of the detail. It also makes a lot of sense considering the raft of midrange-centric playback mediums one must mix for these days. It didn’t take long to become impressed with the accuracy, and what’s more, they kept this level of accuracy even at low volumes, which is where I prefer my master volume knob set. ‘Honest’ is a great way to describe the One18. You have to work a bit to balance up that midrange, but once you do, that mix translates to other mediums admirably.
always work, but it did reinforce my opinion. These monitors would easily replicate what you may love about your ageing Yamaha stalwarts, albeit with terrific bottom end. I could go further into specifics and specs, but to get a solid handle on how beautifully honest the One18 is, you must audition a pair as soon as possible. Put them with your favourite amplifier, or avail yourself of Amphion’s ‘Amp100’ bespoke design, which I’ll add, is a Class D design — an approach Amphion feel is where further accuracy lies. I did try the One18s with my modded Quad 405 and my favourite Rotel, but returned to the Amphion amp pretty quickly. So save your pennies, because you won’t have a lot of change from four grand per pair, but I assure you your mixes will translate.
THE NEXT NS10
With this in mind, I couldn’t help imagine these monitors could be the next NS10. It’s perhaps ironic that the One18 looks very much like the aforementioned workhorse (and savagely honest) monitor. Not that these monitors sound like NS10s, perish that thought entirely, but the midrange accuracy and flat response tends to put these speakers into that same workhorse category. For a bit of a giggle I went so far as to place the One18s on their sides, NS10 style, and was even more encouraged as to the NS10 comparison. Yes I know, horizontal alignment of two drivers doesn’t
The One18 has a particularly wide waveguide, for a more even dispersion across a wider range of frequencies.
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REVIEW
STEINBERG CUBASE PRO 8 DAW Software
Is Cubase the musician’s DAW? Chord pads and charts, an EQ that talks in notes, and templates that come in on the beat. With VCA faders, 73 included plug-ins, Wave Meters and a new audio engine, it’s got some mix tricks too. Review: Mark Woods
GETTING ON BASE
NEED TO KNOW
If you’re interested in Cubase, but have a more pressing need for a small interface, you’re in luck. Steinberg has bundled the entry-level Cubase AI 8 with the new Steinberg UR series of USB interfaces. This noticeably cut-down version of Cubase, combined with the interface, provides the basic sound quality, tracks, instruments and processing needed to produce finished tracks and it’s a great bargain for beginners. The UR242 USB audio interface is a fourin/two-out device and it’s hard to fault. Presented in a solid steel box, all the connections and controls feel high quality and it connects easily to a computer via USB. Audio is 24-bit with sampling up to 192k, >100dB dynamic range, flat response, negligible distortion. Inputs are via two Yamaha-designed and fine-sounding D-Pre mic/line pre-amps with pads and 48V, plus two separate line inputs. There are two analog outputs on the rear panel and a decent headphone amp. Input 1 switches to become a Hi-Z unbalanced (DI) input for direct connection of electric guitars or basses. On-board DSP allows for low-latency monitoring and includes a simple reverb plus EQ, dynamics and modelling. Compatible with most other DAW software and including support for iPads, the UR 242 is a pro-quality interface for any type of music production. Different models offer more or less channels. Price: $299.99
PRICE $699.99 CONTACT Yamaha Music: (03) 9693 5111 or www.yamahamusic.com.au
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PROS Fast & stable operation VCA faders Musical features like Chord Pads Render-in-place MIDI to audio Superior & plentiful plug-ins
CONS Can’t remove pop-up tips
SUMMARY Cubase Pro 8 is the complete package. It’s incredibly MIDI savvy, yet has all the trappings of a real mix environment, like VCA faders and next-gen features like Wave Meters. What’s more, the two halves are intertwined seamlessly with tools like MIDI to audio rendering-in-place. And with a wealth of included plug-ins, you may not need to leave the Cubase sandbox.
Steinberg has been there from the beginning and Nuendo has been a worthy contender in the professional DAW stakes since Cubase was a MIDI sequencer. Over time Nuendo has outgrown stereo music and embraced multimedia megaproduction while Cubase has evolved into a specialist music-making environment par excellence. Cubase Pro 8 is the top version of the latest range and it’s aimed at professional studios and producers. Some of the numbers are impressive: unlimited tracks, up to 256 physical inputs, 32-bit/192k audio, 256 group channels, eight virtual instruments, 3000 preset sounds and 73 audio plug-ins. Should get you going. I’ve been exploring Cubase Pro 8’s new features in combination with Steinberg’s UR242 USB audio interface. Installation on both PC (Windows 7) and Mac (OS X Yosemite) was easy enough with the now familiar registration/activation process. Once installed, Cubase Pro 8 opens with an introductory page called Steinberg Hub where you can check the latest news from Steinberg, or access tutorials, help and links to the user forum. You can turn it off but it’s a handy way to keep in touch with Steinberg and will no doubt be their future access point to subscription-based or cloud services. The other part of the Hub is the Project section, and as well as your recent projects, there are template options for starting new projects. For engineers there are timesaving templates with preset channels and routing for a quick start in a range of typical recording scenarios. For producers/composers/musicians there are musical genre-based templates that open
with a drum loop ready to go when you hit play. The graphic detail in the new Project Window is sharp with strong contrast that helps labels and icons stand out. The crisp look works on a laptop, but with so much on display I’d recommend a big monitor, or two. The pop-up tips are helpful until you know how things operate, then it’s just a distraction. A ‘turn tips off ’ checkbox wouldn’t go astray. The big new feature of the Project Window is the dockable Media Bay. It sits on the right of the screen and has tabs to provide access to either your media files, or the controls of your chosen VST instruments — of which there’s quite a few included. Old favourites like HALion Sonic SE, Padshop, Loopmash, and Retrologue are still thrown-in while Groove Agent SE4 and Allen Morgan’s drum construction kit are new. RENDER FINALLY IN PLACE
The virtual rack of VST instrument controls in the Media Bay puts them close at hand and makes for easy tweaking. Comprehensive MIDI functionality has always been a feature of Cubase, but it’s taken until version eight to deliver the Render-in-Place function that turns MIDI and/ or audio parts into a new audio track, rather than separately bouncing and re-importing them. This speeds up workflow no end, and there are handy options for rendering with or without effects, etc. New feature, Virgin Territories, means Cubase doesn’t blindly connect the dots between automation events, leaving you free to adjust parameters in those territories without having to
jump between automation modes. Improved MIDI tempo detection drafts a tempo track from a MIDI track, with adjustments for offbeat correction and tempo smoothing. In Pro 8, the Chord Track has been joined by Chord Pads. These virtual pads play any chords and can be assigned, triggered or simply dragged onto the project window. If you get stuck, the Chord Assistant points you towards, and auditions, other harmonically-related chords via circle-offifths and chord-proximity displays. You can build sophisticated chord patterns or accompaniments with ease. COMES IN WAVES
The MixConsole in Cubase Pro 8 introduces VCA faders. Like a group bus they control the volume of multiple channels from one fader but they don’t own the channels as much as groups do. While the channel volumes are controlled by the VCA fader, the channel outputs can be routed to different destinations, and independently automated and edited. The VCA channel can also be automated, and groups of VCA channels can be controlled by another VCA channel. This creates a new and powerful level of automation; the creative possibilities are endless, which is only as useful as they are easy to set up. By simply right-clicking any group of selected channels and choosing VCA Fader from the Add Track menu — instant virtual voltage control at your fingertips. Borrowed from Nuendo, the Wave Meters option replaces the traditional level meter above AT 53
each audio channel with waveform displays running up the screen. They provide a musical view that can be useful, particularly on percussive sounds, and can save you having to look at the Project window to check upcoming events. In a sign of the times, the Edit button on VST channels can be clicked to open the channel settings or held to edit the VST instrument. The pop-up hint was helpful here, letting me know the button had dual functions. The MixConsole also offers Direct Routing that allows channels to be routed directly to any of eight chosen destinations. WHAT’S FOR LUNCH?
The lunch-box-style Channel Strip window is packed with an inviting selection of processors: basic HP and LP filters (with selectable slopes from 6-24dB/octave), gate, dynamics, de-esser, envelope shaper and saturation. The EQ window offers four bands of parametric EQ, and when your cursor hovers inside the EQ window, as well as the usual Hz and dB read-outs you get the nearest musical note and how many cents either side of it you are. You can’t lock the cursor onto the exact note, so the centre point is always at least a few cents off, but the idea of EQ points being centred on musical notes has an instinctive appeal and I found it could be helpful in choosing where to EQ. Eight insert points connect you to the bundled software, an area in which Cubase Pro 8 AT 54
excels. Not only is there lots of it, it’s great quality. The distortion options are especially impressive. Quadrafuzz has returned as Quadrafuzz v2, and while it’s still based on its original four-bands-ofdistortion and ‘lots of presets’ concept, it’s now got modern looks and expanded functionality including the ability to get different types of distortion, and different delays, on each frequency band, as well as a potentially crazy sample-andhold function. Steinberg’s VST Amp Rack and Bass Amp simulators’ real-life GUIs and sounds make a pleasure out of the potentially frustrating task of auditioning guitar tones. If that’s not enough choice there are four versions of Yamaha’s GA Classics simulators and a few other fuzzy odds and sods. And that’s just in the Distortion category. The FX, EQ and dynamics categories are equally well populated with goodies including updated versions of the Multiband Expander and Envelope Shaper. Third party plug-ins have never been better or cheaper, and all engineers have their favourites, but with what’s included here, you may not need them anymore. Other new tricks include VST Connect SE3, an integrated plug-in that facilitates real-time remote collaboration over the internet. It uses the camera so you can see who’s at the other end and makes it easy to send MIDI and audio back and forth. Connect SE3 works with video and 320kbps
stereo audio. Steinberg Connect Pro can be purchased separately, which opens up to 16 tracks of encrypted, uncompressed audio. PRO ELEMENTS
Pro 8 sits at the top of the Cubase range and retails in Australia for $699. Below that there’s Artist 8 ($399) aimed at bands/project studios and Elements 8 ($129) pitched at home recordists. For the features and the amount of processing power you get, Pro 8 seems good value for money to me, and certainly not beyond the budgets of most project studios or serious home recordists. But if you can get by without every bell and whistle, then Artist 8 or Elements 8 cost less to buy and still provides large channel counts, instruments, processing and plug-ins. And, of course, can be updated later. Cubase Pro 8 feels solid and fast. Some backstage tweaks to the core engine, and an updated version of ASIO Guard is credited with easing CPU loads and I’ve had no problems/glitches/crashes on either the PC or the Mac versions. It’s aimed at professionals but it’s not beyond anyone else wanting state-of-the-art features. Professional engineers will appreciate its power, convenient workflow and great plug-ins. Serious musicians and big MIDI users will appreciate its complex creative possibilities. Amateurs can enjoy playing where the pros play.
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REVIEW
KORG ARP ODYSSEY Analogue Synthesizer A 3-in-1 ‘reissue’ of one of the hugest synths of the ‘70s. Review: Peter Wavell
NEED TO KNOW
It was perhaps one of the more bizarre announcements of 2014. But when Korg announced it had teamed up with David Friend, co-founder and former president of ARP Instruments, to re-launch the classic early-’70s analogue monosynth, the ARP Odyssey, there was very little scepticism in the synth world. In large part, this was because the company had already proved with its MS20 Mini and MS20 Kit that it could accurately and successfully recreate vintage synths. The burning question was, would this (like
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Moog’s recent modular synths) be a clone of the original or would it (like the MS20s) be an emulation with changes and enhancements? When the Odyssey finally appeared at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, California in January 2015, it proved to be very much the latter, with improvements and limitations in almost equal measure. Most noticeably, it’s based upon a minikeyboard, which means that it won’t be of much use as a ‘live’ instrument for the many players who are accustomed to standard-width keyboards.
PROS Looks and can sound like a real ARP Odyssey Includes all three Odyssey filter revisions New Drive switch is a great addition Switches & sliders much better than originals Incredibly light and manageable with exquisite carry-case
CONS Mini keyboard unsuitable for some players MIDI specification too limited for many players
SUMMARY Recreating classic synths from the ’70s and ’80s has become more than a hobby. Hot on the heels of its own MS-20 resurrections, Korg’s re-release of the ARP Odyssey as a mini-version is pitch perfect. Though the miniaturisation places performance restrictions on some players, the sound is genuine ARP. In addition to a full-sized Odyssey (wink, wink), I wonder what’s next?
Korg’s ARP Odyssey is available in three liveries that echo the Mk1 (white face), Mk2 (black and gold) and Mk3 (black and orange ‘Halloween’) versions of the original. Each model also carries all three of the Odyssey’s filters: the 4023 from the Mk1, the 4035 from the earliest Mk2s, and the 4075 from the later Mk2s and Mk3s.
Of course, the world has changed considerably since the 1970s, and mini-keys are no longer the preserve of toys — many lower-cost synths are now equipped with them because their owners use them as triggers rather than a means to play multiple notes per second during fiendishly complex keyboard solos. Nonetheless, it still seems a strange decision on Korg’s part, and one that’s going to limit the size of the market, although, to be fair, they may also pick up additional sales where space (or, rather, the lack of it) is a significant problem. The second limitation is the new Odyssey’s MIDI specification. In short, it responds only to MIDI Note On/Off messages, which means that you can neither record nor replay performances that include pitch-bend or modulation. This seems to be a strange omission, and it demonstrates that, when designing the instrument, Korg’s engineers were concentrating less on the performing musician than they were on the sound designer for whom performance features are less of an issue. DI-VINYL LOOK
These issues aside, Korg’s version is a beautiful recreation of the original instrument. The new version is dressed in the same wrap-around vinyl case of earlier Odysseys, but it’s available in three liveries that echo the Mk1 (white face), Mk2 (black and gold) and Mk3 (black and orange
‘Halloween’) versions of the original, all of which have the ‘Wow!’ factor that’s missing from so many modern instruments. This beauty is more than skin deep. In particular, the faders (which are a constant source of frustration and failure on vintage Odysseys) are really smooth, and they make experimentation and sound creation a thing of joy. Also beneath the sexy exterior, Korg’s engineers have echoed what they did when designing the new MS-20s (which offer both the Korg35 and later OTA filters) by incorporating all three of the Odyssey’s filters: the 4023 from the Mk1, the 4035 from the earliest Mk2s, and the 4075 from the later Mk2s and Mk3s. Of course, this means that the new Odyssey is not a clone of any version of the original, and opening it up to look at the board reveals that it’s built using modern components and manufacturing techniques. But while the filters are not the perfect recreations Korg claim they are — contrary to what you might have read on various forums — pretty damn close (even at high resonance) and they succeed in emulating the brightness of the 4023, the warmth of the 4035 and the slightly muted character of the 4075. The other thing to note about the physical design is the provision of the pressure pads that were introduced on the later Mk2s rather than the simple pitch bend knob of the earlier Odysseys. You can
use the three pads to bend notes up and down, and to control the modulation depth, just as you would with a more conventional two-wheel arrangement or X/Y joystick. However, just as on the original synth, you need to apply a lot of pressure to obtain the desired effects, and I suspect that many players will, for the most part, ignore these. FILTERING THE TRUTH
So, what of the sound? I compared a new model sporting the Mk3 livery to an original Odyssey, and I found it to be remarkably similar. It goes without saying that all of the features and functions are copied precisely from the original, so all I had to do was set the faders to the same relative positions (those on the new model are slightly shorter than those from the 1970s) and set the switches to the same positions, and play. In most cases, the sound was so close that a little adjustment was all that was needed to bring the sounds of the two instruments into line. Of course, the further you push your sounds into extreme realms of noise and effects, the more difficult it is to obtain exactly the same result, but even patches that used the more advanced functions such as FM, sample and hold, and the trigger/gate options attached to the dual envelope generators could be imitated to a very creditable degree, so Korg’s engineers should be applauded for this. AT 57
SECOND OPINION Korg pulls yet another rabbit out of its hat with a new analogue recreation, the Arp Odyssey. The synthesis world gave a resounding collective cheer with the MS20 recreation last year, and that applause has been echoed with this release. I simply cannot conceal my affection for Korg’s moves in this area, and hope the company has plans for other reincarnations soon. I don’t share Peter Wavell’s dislike of mini keys, but then I’m not officially a keyboard player. I’m more your guitarist cum studio serial tinkerer kind of bloke, so the teeny ivories don’t upset me. I actually prefer the extra ‘reach’. Plus I’ll suffer the 14% size reduction for an analogue synth that won’t break down and stay in tune (with MIDI). However, I am somewhat aghast that Korg
In addition to the three filter options, the new Odyssey offers a second ‘bonus’ function that wasn’t present on any previous version. The Drive switch boosts the signal between the filter (VCF) and audio signal amplifier (VCA) sections and, depending upon other factors, this can result in anything from a mild thickening of the sound to a significant rasp as the VCA input distorts and clips the signal. Some 1970s synths allowed you to overdrive their filter inputs or VCAs by accident, but it’s a great effect and nowadays you have to wonder why it was never offered by design in the early days of analogue synthesis. You also have to wonder why Korg implemented it as an on/off switch here, when a variable amount of drive controlled by a fader would have been more flexible. PLAYING THE NEW ODYSSEY
Now it was time to put the new Odyssey through its paces. Ignoring the size of the keyboard, I was pleased to find that it retains the correct duophonic attributes of the original. This means that if you play two of more notes, VCO1 is allocated to the lowest, while VCO2 is allocated to the highest. This has much more significance than simply being able to pass two notes down a single filter/amplifier signal path. When playing, it’s very common for the last note and the next to overlap slightly as your fingers release one and press the next. On other synths, this can result in a note transition that’s slightly uneven or out of time with the music. On the Odyssey (both original and new) the result is a smoother transition as one of the oscillators plays the new note, to be joined a fraction of a second later by the second. This made playing the Odyssey a very different experience from playing its only significant competitor at the time, the Minimoog. I was also pleased to find I was able to create a feedback loop by routing one of the Odyssey’s outputs back into its external signal input. This input was originally provided so you could use the Odyssey as an effects unit, filtering signals from other instruments and adding effects such AT 58
as tremolo. But early on, players found that if you looped the synth’s output back into this input you could create a whole new range of effects, from gentle overdrive through to complete uncontrolled mayhem at high feedback levels. Due to the choice of I/O sockets, the new Odyssey makes it particularly easy to experiment with this, and the results can be amazing, especially when modified by the Drive. I don’t like miniature keys so, to play the new Odyssey, I connected its MIDI In to the MIDI Out of a six-octave workstation. This was great, and allowed me to play Odyssey sounds over a wider range of keys than had ever been possible in the 1970s. But the lack of performance control proved to be more frustrating than I had imagined. (Like coffee and chocolate, you only realise how important pitch bend and modulation once they’re taken away from you.) So, given the limited MIDI spec, I think that I would be very tempted to use the new Odyssey as the sound source for simpler, sequenced lines, where the lack of pitch-bend and real-time control over the modulation depth are far less likely to matter. In addition, it’s going to be a great source of high quality samples, whether to play polyphonically from a suitable sampler or workstation, or as one-shot effects recorded specifically for the purpose. The other way to use it (and to overcome the MIDI limitations) would be to take the MIDI stream from the remote keyboard and convert this into analogue control signals. As well as an expression pedal input, the new Odyssey has a full complement of six CV, Trigger and Gate sockets (three In and three Out) so, with a suitable MIDI/ CV converter, you could convert things such as pitch bend, modulation and aftertouch into appropriate changes in the CVs presented to the analogue synth. If you’re thinking of using the new Odyssey live, or even just transporting it from studio to studio (or bedroom to bedroom) you’ll be delighted by the case in which it arrives. It’s light, it’s attractive
hasn’t integrated some 21st century MIDI implementation with the Odyssey. Actually, make that 20th century MIDI implementation. No pitch bend over MIDI? Why Korg, why? On another MIDI topic, and I had this beef with the MS20 mini also, is why is there no continuous controller information transmitted from the sliders and knobs? I understand that this is a recreation, but to leave this functionality out is akin to the adage of cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face. Apart from that, how could you not love a complete revisit of a 40-year old synth? Korg is certainly doing it right, and I sincerely hope there are more projects like this on Korg’s drawing boards. An OSCar next please Korg. I just sold mine... – Brad Watts
and, while it might not stand up to the loving care of the baggage handlers at Kingsford Smith, it’s more than adequate for throwing onto the back seat of your car. It would be great if Korg’s initiative caused other manufacturers to consider supplying synths this way — it’s a huge improvement over a cardboard box, and an even bigger one over wrapping your instruments in blankets! ODYSSEY, NO SHORT TRIP
Given its size, the Korg Odyssey may look like a bit of a toy but, sound-wise, it’s every bit as capable as a vintage Odyssey, and more. Notwithstanding the miniature keyboard, it can be a soloing synth, a bass synth, an imitator of orchestral instruments, a percussion synth, and a creator of extreme sounds and effects almost without peer. I can live with its two significant limitations — the miniature keyboard and the MIDI spec — you’ll find it to be an excellent synthesiser that can at times sounds indistinguishable from its forebears. If you can’t, you’ll have to hope the powers-that-be at Korg relent and offer a full-sized version (as they did with its MS20 Kit) sometime in the not-toodistant future.
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Audio-Technica’s System 10 PRO rack-mount digital wireless is so simple to use, so dependable, and so automatic, you never have to think about it. Set it up anywhere, turn it on and it’s good to go. System 10 PRO delivers an interference-free operation in the 2.4 GHz range far from TV and DTV channels and is packed with new thinking and innovative features. The durable half-rack chassis houses two receiver units that can be operated locally or released and mounted remotely (up to 120 metres) via CAT5 cable. Up to five chassis and 10 receiver units can be linked and used simultaneously in a stable, easy to set up system featuring 24-bit/48 kHz operation, clear, natural sound quality and three levels of diversity assurance: frequency, time and space. More info on System 10 PRO and Audio-Technica wireless? www.audio-technica.com.au SYSTEM
CAMERA
SYSTEM
STOMPBOX
SYSTEM
PRO
SYSTEM
AT 59
REVIEW
KORG KRONOS
Keyboard Workstation Korg’s analogue synth recreations are a gorgeous reminder of the past, but its Kronos workstation shows what’s possible when you focus on the future.
NEED TO KNOW
Review: Brad Watts
PRICE 61-key: $4499 88-key: $5999 CONTACT CMI Music & Audio: (03) 9315 2244 or sales@cmi.com.au
AT 60
PROS 9GB Berlin piano Nine engines of gorgeous sounds Touch ’n’ drag navigation a doddle
CONS This spot intentionally left blank
SUMMARY There’s nothing left to the imagination with Kronos, because it’s all in the workstation. With system-wide touch ’n’ drag navigation, new sample-loading functions, and virtual patch cables, it makes getting around the nine synth engines and 21GB of onboard samples not just easy, but inspiring.
On many occasions these pages have been plastered with my affection for Korg instruments. From the lowliest, almost toy-like analogue devices such as the Monotron units and Volca range, to the faithful vintage reproductions such as the MS-20 mini and recent Arp Odyssey, all the way through to the no-holds-barred, full-flight workstations, Korg instruments always exude gloriously lush sonics. In my view, Korg has its finger well and truly on the pulse of contemporary synthesis. Not only does the company create progressive and advanced synthetic instruments, it also unashamedly reinvigorates the vintage machines from 40 years ago — all to the rapturous applause of analogue diehards the world over. TOP OF THE STABLE
At the upper end of the Korg synthesis stable is the new Korg Kronos, and it’s the 73-note version of this monster that’s inveigled its way into my man-cave for some appraisal. The most recent Kronos workstation iteration adds a swathe of new features to the previously established model, and it’s these I’ll primarily focus on. The key-bed is Korg’s RH3 weighted hammer-action keyboard — the same ivories used in Korg’s top-shelf piano models. It’s positively delightful to play. Korg’s keys have come a long way since the company stopped using Yamaha key-beds. The Kronos comes in three keyboard styles: both the 88- and 73-note models use the RH3 key-bed, while the 61-note model uses the ‘Natural Touch Semi-weighted’ key-bed with its more synth-like action. Aesthetically there are some changes such as a more legible silk-screening, and the rather saucy wooden end-cheeks. They’re real timber! You can tell because they’ve been shaped and chamfered. There are also gold-plated I/O jacks on the rear, if that type of thing excites you. And that’s fine if all your cable jacks are gold plated too, but kinda pointless if they aren’t. Google ‘galvanic corrosion’ and you’ll see what I’m alluding to. The Kronos includes no less than nine discrete synthesis engines. Kicking off the list is the SGX-2 piano engine (upgraded from the previous SGX1). This engine originally boasted German and Japanese grand pianos, but now adds a 9GB Berlin grand with dedicated soft pedal samples, and all-new sympathetic string resonance — the most lavish piano I’ve heard from a workstation. For a brief roundup of the sound engines, there’s the EP-1 MDS electric piano engine, the PCM sample-based HD-1 synthesis engine, CX-3 Tonewheel Organ, AL-1 ‘High-Fidelity’ analogue modelling, the MOD-7 Waveshaping VPM synth, STR-1 ‘Plucked Strings’ physical modelling, and the sensational MS-20EX and PolySixEX Legacy analogue modelling engines. There’s so much scope with this vast range of synthesis engines that it’s no wonder the Kronos is often referred to as the most powerful synthesiser on the planet. Of course, sampling is also possible, either internally for recapturing sounds or even sequencer tracks, or for banging in external sound sources. The sampling system also offers direct ripping of
audio from audio CDs, and loads a multitude of sample formats including Korg format, Akai S1000/ S3000 data (with advanced program parameter conversion), SoundFont 2.0, AIFF, and WAV formats. Sampling is aided by the speed of a solid state drive, with the capacity to store a massive 62GB of sample data. That’s in addition to the 21GB of preset waveforms. A new ‘Load Required Samples’ command now loads any required samples for a song or combination in a single step. Far superior to wading through each program and loading them. TOUCHING INCLUSIONS
New to the current model Kronos is a system-wide ‘Touch and Drag’ system of editing via the eightinch colour TouchView screen. This is especially useful when editing the more analogue-style synth engines as you can drag virtual patch cables around on the screen — much like the snapping interconnects in Propellerheads’ Reason. Equally as cool is the new ability to edit programs while in combination or sequencing mode, all while still hearing the other programs used within. There are also new banks of sounds tied to popular song titles which are squarely aimed at the cover band fraternity, my favourite of which was ‘Take On Me’. It’s quite a hoot spinning through these presets. Speaking of which, programs and combinations can be arranged into set-lists for fast retrieval from the touchscreen. They can also be colour coded for more intuitive selection — ideal in performance situations. While you’re arranging your program ‘slots’ you can add comments to each program or set-list using a standard USB qwerty keyboard. In fact, anywhere text can be inputted into the system can be facilitated with a ‘proper’ keyboard. Finding programs has also been made easier, with the option to find sounds on a per song basis rather than simply by program name, and a new system wide search.
There’s so much scope, it’s no wonder the Kronos is often referred to as the most powerful synthesiser on the planet
TOTAL EFFECT
Some new effects make the upgrade. The new Vintage effect category includes 12 effects based on the CX-3 and EP-1. Classics such as the Small Phase and Vox Wah, are now available as insert, master, and as total effects. Korg supply a freely downloadable editor for the Kronos, covering all parameters. It’s utterly comprehensive and even includes support for functioning within your DAW. Both VST and AU plug-in formats are supported, and, both MIDI and audio can be sent to and from your DAW via a single USB cable saving unnecessary cable clutter and negating analogue cabling completely. Of course the Kronos doesn’t come cheap, with the 61-note model weighing in at $4499, through to the 88-note model at $5999. But when you consider the massive waveform library and compare the Kronos to previous and exorbitantlypriced workstations such as the Oasys, the Kronos is a keenly priced and incredible package. Most powerful synthesiser on the planet? I’ll back that claim wholeheartedly.
AT 61
REVIEW
ARX AUDIBOX BLUE DI Bluetooth DI Pair a device. Stream audio. A simple, potential life saver.
NEED TO KNOW
Review: Christopher Holder
PRICE $325 CONTACT Total Resource Corp: (03) 9874 5988 sales@trc.com.au trc.com.au
AT 62
PROS Well built Easy to use
CONS No mono sum button No battery compartment
SUMMARY The ARX Audibox range encompasses a bunch of units you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else, and the Blue DI epitomises the approach: smart, solid and guaranteed to get you out of a fix.
Anyone who’s paired Bluetooth devices will know just what a trivial exercise this is. I had the Blue DI passing audio in moments
QUALITY VERSUS CONVENIENCE
BYOD has a very specific, collaborative, meaning in IT circles, but there’s, of course, another meaning, and anyone involved in live sound will know the hassle of people bringing their own devices. Often, minutes before a presentation, awards ceremony, or religious service, someone looking harried will approach you brandishing something from their pocket or bag. What’s it going to be today? Is it a USB stick? Is it an iPod? It it a smartphone? Is it a notebook computer? “I’ve got a song/Powerpoint/movie/photos on my [insert device name here]. Can I leave that with you?” When it comes to audio, for some time the iPod looked like it would be the dominant device. In fact, many of us were tempted to buy ‘pro’ docking stations. But as is Apple’s wont, it changed sync connections. But the point remained: how can we professionally present audio from devices in a quick and easy manner without resorting to the minijack headphone output of the device? Maybe the first question should be: what’s wrong with the minijack headphone output? Well, if it’s a recent Apple product, not much at all. Anthony Garvin, in his Apple Notes column of AT106, conducted some informal frequency sweep tests and was astonished to find the internal headphone DAC of his 2013-vintage Apple MacBook Pro performed remarkably well, with less than 0.2dB of variation between 20Hz and 20kHz (@ 16-bit/44.1kHz), and a -82.5dB noise floor. He repeated the tests on a recent iPhone and iPad and came up with very similar results. Admittedly, that’s Apple products and we don’t have comparable tests for Samsung or HTC devices. But it makes for interesting reading nonetheless, and the implication is clear: there’s potentially nothing wrong with the minijack output from the device… at least sonically.
GETTING (UN)CONNECTED
So really the issue is the connector — minijacks are a pain and, because they’re ‘mini’, can be unreliable, and are obviously not a long-term connection solution. A minijack lead will normally have RCAs at the other end which are another connector minefield. And often they’ll have unbalanced jack adapters attached to those because your mixing console doesn’t have RCA inputs. Another problem. Or worse, you have them plugged into XLR adapters, which are just asking to lose connection with the RCA at the slightest provocation. ARX has added the Blue DI to its Audibox range of hardware problem solvers. The premise is fiendishly simple yet clever: pair your device with the Blue DI and it will take the streamed audio and send it on to your mixer via mic-level balanced XLR outputs. This means you can pair any Bluetooth device thrown at you — laptops, smartphones, tablets, and certain MP3 players such as the iPod Touch — just so long as they’re within range (~12 metres). Anyone who’s paired Bluetooth devices will know just what a trivial exercise this is. I had the Blue DI passing audio in moments. The DI is active and stereo. As such it needs 48V phantom power flowing down both cables. There’s a 12V input as backup, but no battery compartment. Once you’ve paired your device this precludes any other nearby device hijacking the connection. Saying that, if you don’t have a device connected, beware of the snotty-nosed kid with a device in the back row doing his best to stream deathcore noise through your PA. The Blue DI happily talks Bluetooth v2.1 EDR, 3.0 and 4.0 but not early versions.
At the heart of Bluetooth audio streaming is the ‘advanced audio distribution profile’ (A2DP) which defines how multimedia audio can be streamed. The profile includes mandatory support for the low-complexity SBC codec; optionally supports a bunch of MPEG flavours (it can, in theory, stream MPEG audio straight from your device to the receiver unit without additional compression); and is capable of support for manufacturer-defined codecs, such as apt-X (which is making its presence felt in consumer land). This means that if your music is 16-bit/44.1kHz the Bluetooth encoder on your phone will compress it using the SBC codec to send it down the low-bandwidth Bluetooth pipe. If your music is already compressed, then you’re going to have your audio compressed twice. So when you ask, how good is the audio quality? The answer is: depends. It’s as good as the data compression(s). The other answer is: it’s good enough. The Blue DI is about convenience more than about being the last word in quality – if that’s your concern there are other ways to skin the cat. But if you’ve got a guest laptop plugged into a projector and you need the audio output for the PA, then you’ll be glad you’ve got the Blue DI in your bag of tricks. If you’ve got a speaker with an iPhone who wants to stream music during his/her presentation, well, now you can do that without running any leads to the lectern. They’re only two examples, and you’re already thinking of a bunch more while reading this. And that’s what ARX Audibox is about, it’s a range of well-priced, well-constructed boxes that will save your skin at some point. The only request I’d have for ARX is a ‘sum mono’ button, so I could get what I need from the Blue DI from one channel. Otherwise it’s just the type of box we’ve come to expect for the Australian manufacturer: tough, no nonsense, and innovative enough to wonder why no one else is doing something similar.
AT 63
REGULARS
LAST WORD with
David Claringbold
Photo: Alkis Avramides
Dave Claringbold has spent some 20 years working at the Sydney Opera House, most recently as Director of Theatre & Events. He has recently announced his resignation as he pursues other challenges and over the next two issues reflects on his role in turning the technical fortunes of ‘The House’ around. Pictured is David in the mid ’80s recording some soundscapes for a Baz Lurhmann theatre production in his Darlinghurst squat.
AT 64
I first came to the Opera House in 1990 as a Casual Sound Desk Operator Grade 3. I’d come from a club and pub live sound background as well as working in the better recording studios around town, producing artists I’d got to know by doing live gigs. Sounds terrible to say, but when I was first working there, I didn’t really give a shit. The reason? No one else did. I was shocked to see how bad things were technically from a sound perspective. At that point it was all about the lighting and staging and the Opera House was focussed on the classical art form. The sound department had a bit of gear but certainly no systems. When I left in 1993 I swore I’d never return. But I did. In 1996 I took on the role of Concert Hall Audio Supervisor. I recall that as I was taking part in meetings and conversations at that time, I had a choice to make: either I was a part of the problem or I was going to be part of the solution. The turning point was around the time the announcement came that Sydney won the Olympics and a new chief executive was installed, Michael Lynch. I had built a good working relationship with Michael so when he shared his vision for the Opera House as being a creative organisation, I was able to be blunt with him: “You’d better think again.” When he asked why, I told him that there were no systems; no capabilities from a technical or human standpoint to deliver on that sort of artistic vision. I’ll never forget his response: “Well I know we spent enough money on the f**king concrete. What do we need to do?” That was the start of a new beginning. I bought eight Meyer MSL4s, a couple of subs and a multicore. It doesn’t sound like much but Michael Lynch was showing some faith in me. We chose the Meyer PA because they were self-powered as well as industry standard. One of the earliest gigs we did in the forecourt was Buena Vista Social Club. And it energised the crew and the sound department; it showed we were capable of staging events and opening the Opera House to a new audience. There have been many big technical investments over the years, but one of the highest profile was the upgrade of the concert hall in 2009. When I took on the position of Technical Director in 2006, getting the concert hall ‘fixed’ was a high priority. It was beyond belief that we were reinventing the wheel in that venue every day. Pulling down complex lighting and audio rigs all the time. It was crazy.
I remember sitting in a meeting with a previous technical director and saying: we need a proper sound system in the concert hall, we need to carpet the hall and we need to put up acoustic drapes because it’s damaging the presentation of the venue. He just thumped the table and shouted, “No one’s going to pay for that!”. Which was just blinkered thinking because the Opera House brand was already paying — no one wanted to play there; no one wanted to go there. Our artistic vision was to present the best artists in the world in the best venue in the world. And the technical department had a part to play in that. Choosing a new PA for the concert hall meant undergoing an intensive period of evaluation. Shootouts are intriguing scenarios. It was really important we showed every supplier the goodwill of inviting them in or at least giving them the opportunity to compete — to come in and have their day. We engaged Bruce Jackson as an independent ‘arbiter’ as well, knowing how sensitive the process would be. There had to be a winner and that was d&b with J series main hangs, along with its Q and T series covering the rest of the hall. And that was a big part of d&b’s success: back when I first heard d&b, prior to it taking off in Australia, it was a real eye-opener. The sonic signature was just so consistent across the range, and that’s what impressed me most. Then in the shootouts, the way that system rigged and the measurements we got from it, well, it made us think, “This is something special”. Did we put some noses out of joint? Of course, but I’ve got to think about the venue and what’s best for it at that time, and think about how the system dovetails with what we’re trying to achieve and the artistic aims of the Opera House. In fact, I’ve been really determined we don’t appear to be a closed shop to any one brand or any one integrator. Obviously there will be people over the years who will bitch about the decisions we’ve made, but it’s always been about making the right decision for the venue and the crew who are using the equipment. Next issue David will reveal how to get a board to sign off on big technical upgrades, and how to breed a culture of excellence among your technical staff.
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