TECH AND TRENDS FOR MUSIC MAKERS / BREAKING INDUSTRY NEWS
August 2022
STUDIO PROFILE: THE OUTLIER INN
LIVE MUSIC SPECIAL
THE FUTURE OF LIVE + KOKO RETURNS + MARTIN AUDIO AT HYDE PARK
Broken Record founder Tom Gray on the state of music streaming How Tileyard has changed the game for studio work with TYX The growth of production music and sync libraries
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LIVE MUSIC SPECIAL
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4 EDITOR’S LETTER Live is back and it’s about time, we say
Contributor spotlight
6 FRONT ROW Tileyard X breaks cover, reveals the next generation of studios
10 SYNC OR SWIM? The rise of production music and sync libraries
14 KOKO: BACK IN BUSINESS
ANDY PRICE Bylines for Guitar, NME and Uncut plus Audio Media International. He talks with Tom Gray on p24
A huge fire and a pandemic couldn’t stop the legendary London venue
18 THE FUTURE OF LIVE We reveal the venues set to make a big entrance this year and next
22 STUDIO PROFILE: THE OUTLIER INN How a Neve desk changed everything for the Catskill mountains retreat
MARK SUTHERLAND From the BBC to Billboard, Mark speaks with KOKO owner Olly Bengough this month for AMI.
24 INTERVIEW: TOM GRAY, BROKEN RECORD The Gomez man shows why he’s feared by major labels
28 COVER STORY How Martin Audio saved the sound at Hyde Park, London
33 CONVENTION DIARY
STEVE MAY The ex Sounds magazine man and inventor of the term ‘ Goth Music’ takes a look at Tileyard X on p6.
Where next after NAMM? Let us guide you audiomediainternational.com
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The return of live music at scale is a sight to behold T
he comeback of live has taken a while and not been without the casualties of lost venues, tour teams and the eco systems that support them. Coachella and Glastonbury may have been the headline comebacks but such is the backlog of gigs, there’s never been so much live music around from big ticket acts to emerging artists. The BPI notes that streaming was up by over 20% in 2021 and it’s helped catapult live music back with a bang in 2022. The team have been to many gigs this year from Austin, Texas to London’s Camden Town, Las Vegas and Hyde Park. We also had the chance to see HAIM and Taylor Swift resurrect a tour two years in the making at the O2 Arena. As part of the celebration of live, we take a look at Hyde Park and how Martin Audio helped Adele and the Stones deliver memorable sets. We also look at the future of live, taking a look at the UK’s most exciting arrivals and focus on the legendary KOKO. Literally rebuilt from the ashes of a 2020 fire, KOKO (formely Music Machine and Camden Palace) has been in action as a live venue since 1977 and as comebacks go, it’s a big one. Hit by extensive fire damage and then Covid, it returned against the odds and it wouldn’t be active today without the pure love of live that the world has missed. We hope you enjoy the issue and take a moment to think about the shows you’ve missed and head out in support of the venues and teams that have had a couple of years that few of us can imagine.
“ There’s never been so much live music around”
Richard Melville richard@audiomediainternational.com
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AMI HQ Audio Media International Unit 23, Tileyard Studios, Tileyard Road, Kings Cross London N7 9AH, UK All contents © 2022 Audio Media International Ltd or published under license. All rights resrved. No part of this publication may be used, stored, reproduced or published in print, online or via social media without permission of the publisher. All information correct at time of press. AMI cannot accept responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in the infomation provided.
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FRONT ROW
Tileyard X: the beat of change London’s new subscription recording studio will change the way you create, says Steve May Groucho Marx famously quipped that he wouldn’t want to belong to any club that would accept him as a member - but we suspect even he might have made an exception for Tileyard X. It may be just a few months old, but TYX is already changing the recording studio paradigm. The membership-based facility, the latest addition to the Tileyard London complex, offers an affordable, inclusive membershipbased recording solution to musicians, podcasters and content creators not yet able to commit to long term leases. It’s also proving to be a boon for artists passing through London, who have some creative energy to expend. The idea dovetails perfectly with Tileyard’s wider mission to support and encourage
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independent artists. Based in London’s Kings Cross, Tileyard is home to a wide variety of creative sectors. Grab a bite at the Vinyl Cafe and you could find yourself sitting next to like-minded souls from music, film, gaming and new media. “We’ve got some big names here,” says Jack Freegard, TYX MD, who has appeared to give us a tour of his game-changing new space. “They meet, share details; Instagram is the new phone number. Part of the magic of the old studios was the conversations that took place in corridors, those happy accidents where you meet someone and collaborate off the cuff. We want to be more proactive and foster that collaboration.” There are many different use cases for TYX, explains Freegard. “For a lot of the publishers
that are members, it’s a great way to get whatever their artists need 24/7. For producers who are having a bit of success, it often doesn’t make sense to spend £1,500 - £2,000 a month on a permanent room. Having affordable access to a space that is sonically sound as well as has good gear is definitely an advantage.” Inside the TYX warren are seven identical music production suites - “If you’re in Studio 6 one day and then Studio 2 the next, it’s all the same kit” - a Dolby Atmos studio, vocal booth, and an assortment of meeting rooms. Equipment access is included as part of the deal. There’s a microphone cabinet, with all the usual subjects, as well as a stock of synths, Fender Stratocasters and Precision Bass guitars. 4k cameras and lighting rigs? Yes, they’re available too, plus tech support if needed.
FRONT ROW
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“It’s always surprising how non-technical the people we work with are. Our inductions include a crash course in using the rooms.” If a producer has zero clue how to navigate around a studio, that’s fine. “Here they can just focus on creativity. That’s why we’ve designed the rooms that way. It’s familiar, it’s not imposing. It’s not like you walk into a studio and have to confront an 88-channel Neve console.” Studios mirror each other down TYX’s winding corridors, each one uniformly equipped. One USB-C cable and you’re good to go. “Each room has Neumann KH 310 A active studio monitors and a Prism Sound Lyra 2 audio interface. There’s an Arturia 88 key MIDI controller, a couple of Pioneer HRM-7 headphones and a TLM 103 Microphone. There’s networking between all of the rooms. We could potentially put a DANTE infrastructure in...” Turn a corner and you’ll find a shared sound recording booth, complete with Yamaha U3. “The original reason for building this particular room is that we have a lot of clients that do VO, so we wanted a super isolated space,” we’re told. “Then we realised that there was room for a Yamaha U3, so we put one in as well, it’s permanently microphoned up.” TYX has had something of a soft launch, but
The rooms are designed to bridge the gap between home and studio
“It’s always surprising how non-technical the people we work with are” it’s already being used by the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Pixie Lott, and Toddla T. When AMI visits, Roger Sanchez is currently between sessions for his new album, in the Dolby Atmos room. The Atmos configuration here is 7.2.4 -
“We’ve got Neumann KH420s with 870 subs either side, and KH 120 for the surrounds and height” - but it also functions as a stereo production suite. “There’s a REDLine 16 Dante Audio Interface, for ease of use because while we do have our own Mac in here, most people bring in their own laptops and it’s much easier for us to install RedNet control software, and the Dante controller, onto their system: just load the profile and they have access to the full Dante setup from an iPad. We also have a Prism Lyra 2 in case the RedNet doesn’t want to play nice.” Somewhat incongruous, in the corner of the Dolby Atmos room we spot an Imperative Audio VO booth. “Even though the room is completely dry, people like it. It gives them psychological support,” we’re told. It’s easy to be impressed by Tileyard X, the timeliness of the concept and the enthusiasm of the team responsible are infectious, yet TYX is still a work in progress. Production spaces are still being finalised. There’s a bespoke podcast desk on order. It’ll soon be possible to live stream HD and make 4k ISO recordings. During our visit, another studio, dubbed The Big Suite, was under construction. “It’s a semi-live room, big enough to get nice dry drum sounds…” When it comes to recording studios, we can already hear the beat of change. TYX memberships start from £199 per month. For more, visit tileyardx.co.uk
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FRONT ROW
“Why go anywhere when you can go anywhere?” The Horrors’ Tom Furse on how AI will revolutionise music production Founder member of The Horrors, synth polymath and passionate enthusiast for all things AI, Tom Furse spoke to us about how machine learning will re-define art in all its forms… “Why go anywhere when you can go anywhere?” laughs Tom Furse, The Horrors’ inventive co-founder and AI journeyman tell us, when asked about his recent swing away from live performing. Aside from his continuing role as a The Horrors’ principal sonic architect, Tom’s individual exploits have yielded two deep solo records, as well as a burgeoning passion for AI. Using his own system to manufacture dense visuals, such as his recent video for HAAi’s Baby We’re Ascending and his ‘Relics’ series of generative art pieces. AMI: Hi Tom, last year you announced you weren’t going to be touring with The Horrors anymore, in your Instagram post you mentioned that you’re more of a creator than a performer. Had that been an issue for a while for you, the need to write not marrying with being on the road?
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Tom Furse: Yeah, it absolutely had been an issue for quite some time, just because it’s such a different environment when you’re on the road. It’s great for all kinds of reasons, but if what you really want to do is make stuff, there’s pitfalls. It’s just really hard to find a quiet spot. I’d spend a lot of time with headphones on in noisy environments. I wasn’t always happy on tour. When Covid hit it was a bit of a lightbulb moment. AMI: But of course, you are still a member of The Horrors, and you’re working on album six? TF: Yeah, that’s slowly happening, we’re chipping away! AMI: Your own career beyond The Horrors has been pretty varied, one of the things that was interesting recently was your use of AI in your visual art and videos, not least the Baby We’re Ascending video you did with HAAi. AI seems like it’s quite a big area for you right now. How long have you been working with AI and what first attracted you to it?
TF: I’ve been using it for the last year. I just heard about it online, and I’d seen examples of AIgenerated visual art and thought it was pretty cool. Then I heard an episode of the Interdependence podcast with Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst that really got me interested. I heard about an approach that married image synthesis with natural language input control. I really wanted to give it a go. So I did. It required the navigation of a virtual coding environment, it wasn’t like a nice easy user interface. It was a little bit tricky. But, I just started messing around with it and I haven’t stopped since. I’ve always loved exploring the element of surprise in music, with generative approaches. But, that’s more an illusion of surprise. This is much more strange and psychedelic. It’s quite something. AMI: Have you used generative and AI-based approaches in music before? TF: No, not really because they don’t really exist yet. I went looking for it, and everything I found was pretty wanting to be honest. The processes I’ve used before have been based on logic and maths systems. You can set quite complex patterns, but it’s in reality a very simple computer, ones-and-zeroes approach. AMI: Do you think that we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg really with what AI can do, particularly in a musical context? TF: Oh, God, yeah. It’s a hard thing to capture because I think historically what people have been trying to do is train AI on like MIDI files, but they don’t necessarily convey what is interesting or good about the songs. Or, the style of a song or a sound. It’s not terrible data but it’s quite raw data. It doesn’t really capture the essence of stuff, which is what the visual art-aimed AI approaches do. One of the best-selling vocal albums of 2026 or 2027 will probably be made not using a real vocalist. People will start making things like Chet Baker techno records. Whatever the maddest thing you can imagine will be possible. We’re seeing this already with image synthesis. People will be mashing up stuff. If you think about how postmodern culture is now, we’re all primed for this. Read the full interview with Tom at www.audiomediainternational.com
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INDUSTRY EXPLAINER
SYNC OR SWIM
The growth of production music and sync libraries While the traditional rewards for musical success have dwindled in the 21st century, musicians and songwriters have discovered that signing up with sync agencies can provide a more stable path to monetising their music. In this feature we’ll take a closer look at the legal structure of sync rights, speak to those working every day on securing placements and illuminate the best ways to increase the chance of getting chosen. Earlier this summer, Kate Bush’s 1985 epic Running Up That Hill became an unlikely chart-topper, thanks in no small part to its centrality in the latest season of Netflix’s uber-hit Stranger Things. While the sudden re-awakening of a track that many assumed had long passed its time in the sun was gobsmackingly great for most Bush fans, it highlighted the point that getting songs featured on a successful television (or film) project has become the modern musician’s holy grail. No surprise then, that sync licensing – providing music to another party to be considered for use backing film, television, trailers, adverts, games and more – has been growing year-on-year across the last decade. Platforms such as Music Gateway, MusicBed, Epidemic Sound and Soundstripe offer artists the means to upload their tracks to be pitched to Music Supervisors; the people responsible for selecting tracks to fit the right mood for their projects. Or be part of a royalty-free repository for creatives. While some of these companies require the artist to sign over the exclusivity rights to the sync platform itself (so their dedicated teams can cherry-pick from an ever-growing library of what is labelled ‘production music’) others are more guidance-based, and help with pointing artists towards the right people to personally negotiate the use of their songs.
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FIGHT FOR YOUR SYNC RIGHTS With this in mind, it’s hugely important that prior to signing up with a sync agency, artists clearly know the rights situation behind the song (s) they want to upload. Are they the only performer on the recording? Is there a co-writer lurking in the wings who’ll want a cut? Artists need to be sure on who owns both the master recording rights and the composition rights. The former pertains to the ownership of the specific recording of a song, while the latter regards the rights to the actual song itself – and its constituent musical elements. If you’re signed to a label, you’ll want to remind yourself of who currently owns what. If you’re unsigned, and a self-publishing artist, then the rights are yours. Beyond these two essential copyrights, a publishing administrator is the title given to the person or company allocated the role of looking after the interests of the track. While they don’t own any rights per se, they will take a percentage cut of any income that the track generates as commission. This role is given to whichever library or company an artist signs to manage their sync affairs. Exclusivity is another big area that can result in confusion for many. If an artist agrees to exclusively grant a sync company the rights to their
INDUSTRY EXPLAINER
The world of sync can be confusing but for many artists it’s a crucial way of financing albums and tours every year
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INDUSTRY EXPLAINER
track, only they can then license its use in other media. That means, if someone approaches the artist directly and enquires about using a song for their movie, the artist would then need to direct them on to the company they’ve elected to represent their music. While this might seem like a drawback, exclusivity allows sync companies to fight for the best possible deal, as they’re the only ones who can be negotiated with.
I SYNC, THEREFORE I AM It stands to reason that when thinking about creating music with sync purposes in mind, a change in mindset will likely be needed. While you may compose in a style that is wholly unique, with madcap saxophone, adventurous vocals and intermittent kazoo solos, when amassing a hearty stable of sync-able tracks, watering down anything too zany will definitely increase your chances of getting placed. Some sync agencies advise that you thematically aim for much more broader concepts (love, regret, grief, heartbreak, summer beach time etc). Keep in mind that what you’re doing here is making music with a commercial objective. Despite this tendency towards more songwriting generality, another aspect that allegedly improves the sync-potential is individuality. This might sound diametrically opposed to the first point, but going too far into ‘bland’ territory is just as alienating as being musically off-road. Striking a balance between the two is what’s really needed. While it goes without saying that your track should be mixed, mastered and ready for the ears of a discerning 21st century audience, it’s also advised that you retain stems and not to lose your DAW project files. Often, you’ll be asked to provide shorter versions, re-mixed and re-arranged versions (particularly when your track has been synced for advertising) or expanded, instrumentally augmented versions. At this stage, it’s best to not be too precious, and be flexible with how you can make your music fit the project.
In June, Kate Bush was earning $300,000 a week thanks to Stranger Things
SOUND AND VISION Lucas Friedmann is the Creative Director of London Sync, and spoke to us about how his company has taken a more curated approach to the sync world. “London Sync first launched in December 2018. I am a music producer and a composer but I have also spent the last 25 years as a broadcast editor for television, and so London Sync has been able to draw on my first-hand experience of what music is being used in TV production. From advertising/promos and sensitive documentaries, right through to Saturday night entertainment shows, like The Masked Singer, we have been able to produce albums for the industry which we knew would be helpful to our clients, with very little guess work.” Unlike Epidemic, London Sync work one-on-one with music supervisors and creatives, and use their expertise to cherry-pick the best songs for the project. Lucas explains how their relationship typically works with the wider media world. “Generally speaking our clients will send us a brief with what they are working on and what music they are looking for. We then look through our catalogue and select the tracks we feel are best suited to their project.” Friedmann explains. “We like to make our music available to anyone that needs it, and wants to use it, so there isn’t really any scope to be selective about which projects we work on. We target productions from all ends of the spectrum, across multiple genres, so our music has a wide level of exposure. If a client uses your music then they will purchase a licence for the track/tracks. If the programme is for a major broadcaster like the BBC, then our music is covered under the annual blanket agreements that the broadcasters have with PRS. We use a digital detection service to detect our placements in TV programmes, and we receive live updates when our music is used.” We ask Lucas whether he feels that monetising music via sync is one of the most lucrative routes for musicians to pursue; “When you are writing for a production music library, as long as you receive strong guidance from the library as to what genres are worth pursuing, then there are lots of opportunities to make money, from a number of different sources.” Friedmann confirms, “Production music is easy to licence for clients and they know they won’t have any issue with rights further down the line, which paves the way for multiple placements of your tracks. In the sync world, not only are there opportunities to make money out of television, film, advertising and various social media platforms, but we can also stream your music on Spotify and YouTube, like any other piece of commercial music.” Re-focusing your music on sync isn’t a route for everyone, admittedly, but if you navigate it effectively, it’s one of the few remaining cast-iron routes to financial gain via music. ”The lines between production music and commercial music are becoming increasingly blurred” Lucas tells us, “So there’s never been a better time to experiment with where your music is licensed, and how.”
“It’s best to not be too precious, and be flexible with how you can make your music fit the project”
GOING VIRAL Founded in 2009, royalty free music service Epidemic Sound was established with its sights set firmly on alleviating the pain points of the creator economy. Offering royalty-free music, sound effects and more. Lars Torsensson at Epidemic Sound explains that in his view, production music platforms such as Epidemic are increasingly the way forward for musicians looking to earn from their work. “We anticipate that sync will become more and more meaningful for music creators in the future, both when it comes to monetising their music as well as reaching new audiences.” Lars explains. “At Epidemic Sound we remunerate our roster of music creators via both a fixed up-front payment when the track is finished, combined with a variable upside via 50% split of streaming revenues and participation in our soundtrack bonus pool which is set at $2m for 2022 (which is distributed based on popularity among our users).” Epidemic Sound also maintains a firm grip on the types of media that their song stable ends up being synced with. “We work closely with hundreds of music creators that provide high quality music for our catalogue in line with our users’ needs. Users with a subscription can download as many tracks as they wish and include in their productions without any extra administration, but they do need to adhere to our terms and conditions which limits usage of our music within certain types of content that Epidemic Sound or our music creators may find problematic, e.g. pornographic content or promoting political parties.”
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VENUE PROFILE
LIVE MUSIC SPECIAL
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VENUE PROFILE
BY MARK SUTHERLAND
BACK IN BUSINESS When Arcade Fire played KOKO on April 29th, they joined a long list of legendary artists to rock the storied venue in Camden, North London. But for the venue itself, Arcade Fire’s show was possibly even more significant than the times that the Rolling Stones, Prince, Madonna, AC/DC, Blur or Amy Winehouse strutted their stuff on the stage. Because it meant that KOKO was finally back in business. For CEO Olly Bengough, it was vindication for 18 years of blood, sweat and tears. He first took a 50% stake in the venue in 2004 alongside Loton Corp, then took sole ownership in 2016. KOKO closed for refurbishment in 2019 but, in 2020, a fire and the subsequent water damage destroyed its roof before the pandemic intervened
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STUDIO PROFILE VENUE PROFILE
LIVE MUSIC SPECIAL
and meant that KOKO – formerly known as The Music Machine and Camden Palace – was suddenly far from the only shuttered venue in London. Bengough, however, stayed the course and the all-new KOKO is a stunning live venue, and so much more. As well as the celebrated main theatre, it now boasts a private members club, an in-house studio, a pizzeria, vinyl listening rooms, a rooftop bar and several other performance spaces, all lavishly appointed. It might still be in Camden, but its days as a sticky-floored indie fleapit are clearly behind it. It even smells nice. KOKO is also re-embedding itself into the London live circuit, once again pulling music fans to Camden against the tide that has seen the scene shift east and south in recent years. The likes of Gabriels, Lianne La Havas, Jorja Smith and Pete Doherty have all played since the re-opening, while Flume, Yola, Jessie J, Cat Burns and Beth Orton all have dates scheduled. AMI sat down with Bengough to learn how his KOKO dream finally became a reality…
KOKO remains one of London’s most legendary venues with a clear plan of how to succeed in 2022
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AMI: How difficult have the last couple of years been? Olly Bengough: It’s been really difficult for everyone in the live industry. It’s been the most difficult era since people can remember. But on a positive note, you can see that everyone has missed it and it’s incredible to see how great the appetite is for live. AMI: Trying to do the refurb and fix the fire damage during the pandemic must have been tough… OB: I’ve had so many challenges along the way, the pandemic and doing construction through that was massive. But my team stuck together and sometimes that pushes you to look at things differently. We found a new venue called the Fly Tower during that period, so being delayed allowed us to see new spaces in the project and build new elements in. In some ways it’s added to the creative dimension of the whole new space. We’ve turned it into a positive.
STUDIO PROFILE
VENUE PROFILE
The roof terrace is great for pre gig drinks and spotting arrivals
Olly Bengough has led KOKO for almost 20 years
AMI: Why was it important for the venue to have so many different spaces? OB: The vision is, we live in a new world where everyone is looking for unique experiences. Koko will allow artists to create one-off, limited-edition events through the physical space and one-off digital events. Artists can take their fans on a journey that’s never been done before. That’s the vision – to allow artists creative freedom and a dynamic new way of entertaining and monetising their audience. They can play seven different, beautifully designed venues under one roof in one day. Their fans will get the incredible opportunity to watch them perform in the theatre or the Fly Tower or Ellen’s, which is a small hidden speakeasy, the penthouse, the radio station or the roof terrace. Fans will be able to experience a new type of innovative storytelling that only creates a deeper connection with the musicians. AMI: Are you hoping lots of artists will go for more ambitious projects rather than just playing a gig in the main room? OB: Artists can now create limited edition experiences online and offline. I don’t think anyone’s ever brought that to musicians in the way we do. It allows them to create one-off events and that’s got to be great for the musicians, because there aren’t enough spaces that really allow them to do all of that under one roof. The fact that they can decide how far they want to take their creative expression is great for them. That will lead to them creating different ways of monetising and connecting with their fans. AMI: How important is the venue’s history to the new KOKO? OB: We’ve always broken musicians at an early stage of their career and then what’s amazing is, they then come back when they become stadium acts like Prince, Ed Sheeran or Madonna. We’ve got to focus on doing what we always do, championing and empowering future musicians, and curating the ones coming through well. Then when those artists have a good connection with us, of course we’d love having
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“That’s the vision – to allow artists creative freedom and a dynamic new way of entertaining”
them back. We’ve built a radio station which helps us to promote new artists. We’ve got smaller venues they’ll be able to play and it’s really important that we talk through, what does a new act in London need in the future? What facilities? They might need a smaller venue so we’ve built one, they might need some green screen or promotion, so we built a radio station. AMI: Is this the future of live music venues? Will they all have to be multi-purpose in future? OB: No, I love basic spit and sawdust venues. But what has definitely changed is, everyone is looking for these multi-tiered experiences. The fans of tomorrow are looking for places where you can eat and drink, in beautifully designed spaces, listen to music with incredible audio and have an independent feeling. We live in a world where everything is so tech driven and actually you need a break from that and to feel like you’re part of something authentic. We’re bringing in an innovative approach that hasn’t been done before. But I don’t think you have to take that approach, you can have both. AMI: Ultimately, what will constitute success for KOKO five years down the line? OB: For me, success is working with a lot of talented creatives to host amazing musicians and find incredible new ways for those musicians to tell their stories to music fans. If we focus on that, hopefully eventually people will recognise KOKO as something truly unique that’s never been seen before. That’s what success looks like.
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COVER STORY
LIVE MUSIC SPECIAL
THE UK’S MOST EXCITING NEW VENUES 18
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COVER STORY
As the live world returns with gusto, it’s easy to miss a slew of new UK venues which are set to transform the way we experience music. It’s time to shine our spotlight on some of these upcoming premiere destinations for live music…
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ockdown took a colossal toll on the live sector. Venues sealed their doors, sound engineers were unable to find work, bands and artists found themselves without connection to their fans and millions of gig-lovers sat alone, endlessly rewatching concert videos on YouTube, longing to bounce along with their fellow music lovers once again. Since the re-awakening of the live sector, venues have been met with unprecedented demand as we surge back to the barriers of our favoured nightspots. While we’re grateful that those all-important grassroots and reliable tour-circuit venues are able to deliver what they’re renowned for, it’s easy to not pay full attention to the news that, across Britain, a growing array of new, future-proofed venues are preparing for launch. From large, sci-fi like techno-domes, lavish, multi-faceted entertainment complexes and back-to-basics bars and rooms on the grassroots scene.
Can you imagine the crushing disaster of spending two years building, soundproofing and forward-booking a brand new venue in the heart of one of London’s most up and coming locales, only to be told – after two weeks – that your venue would need to close for the foreseeable, and all your staff would have to remain at home. This was the situation following the untimely March 2020 launch of Lafayette in King’s Cross, London. Sporting a state of the art sound system, and double the size of its sister venue, London Bridge’s The Omeara, the twin-floored Lafayette has come into its own following its satisfying re-opening last year. With a capacity just over 600, the venue has gathered acclaim from all corners of the industry. Over the coming year, it looks set to solidify its position as the area’s hottest spots for intimate, connective gigs. Elsewhere in the capital, Denmark Street has a long-standing reputation as the city’s most important for musicians of all stripes. Bursting with guitar and music shops, the regular haunt of the melodicallyinclined greets throngs of amateur and professional musicians every day. In the coming months, the street will also serve as the new home of HERE – one of the numerous entertainment and media venues that parent company Outernet London will launch in central London.
HERE will be a 2,000 capacity space, and will be the largest live events venue to be purpose built in central London since as far back as the 1940s. Live music will also be a central component of The Lower Third – the new name of what was formerly known as the beloved, (and sadly missed) 12 Bar Club. To find out more about these intriguing developments, we spoke to Karrie Goldberg, one of the partners operating the two venues, and asked first when this development project was originally conceived? “Robert Butters and I were approached in Feb of 2021 to look at the project.” Karrie explains, “We very quickly finalised our deal, signed the lease in June, and began straight away on design and build concepts for HERE and The Lower Third with Archer Humphreys. We ultimately started construction in November. We anticipate a construction hand over in the next few weeks at which time our A/V will be installed. Roughly eight months all together.” The flagship venue HERE, aims to deliver a broad range of entertainment, as Goldberg details; “There’ll be DJs, live electronic, rock, R&B, jazz, comedy and we’re even looking at ballet, classical and drag shows. Similarly for The Lower Third, but more focused on original and emerging artists, giving them an incredible venue to launch their careers.” Lafayette is an important and intimate venue, ideal for emerging artists on the circuit
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COVER STORY
LIVE MUSIC SPECIAL
In terms of HERE’s sound, Karrie explains that the six-month journey to determine what kit would be used was somewhat epic “We fell in love with the new d&b audiotechnik system. The system, albeit with smaller sized cabinets of an 8 inch line array, will deliver a high-impact, high-SPL sound equivalent to a dual 10-12 inch cabinet. We did a demo and found we were tickling 108-110dBA with around about a 10-12dB LF contour before any sub limiting kicked in at all.” Karrie explains that the team worked with a wide range of consultants. This included Nicolas Matar. “He was with us the day we signed the lease and someone well-known for his incredible sounding rooms (Cielo and Output) which led us to doing extensive acoustic treatments to the room to give it a really warm sound.” Aiming to reinvigorate this area of central London, Goldberg tells us that HERE and The Lower Third should fill a vital hole. “It was very clear from the outset that central London was in dire need of a killer venue of this capacity. So many legendary bars and music venues have shuttered over the past ten years, leaving a big hole in the market. While we will never be able to replace The Astoria or Marquee, we do have a unique opportunity to provide a space for all those that have been displaced. That, combined with the history of Denmark Street and its current shop owners, gives us a once in a lifetime chance to really bring music back to Denmark Street.” Set to launch this summer, we can’t wait to see – and hear – the results.
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Over in Stratford, a whole new type of live music experience is being envisaged. The Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corporation intends to transform an undeveloped site into, what they dub, the ‘MSG Sphere London’ – a whopping entertainment and live music complex. Early visualisations of the final venue resemble something out of a Mad Max movie; a colossal dome which extends high above the surrounding buildings. While still awaiting the go-ahead from the powers that be, the team behind this extraordinary project explain that, once completed, the venue will feature adaptive acoustics which will deliver crystal clear audio to every attendee, as well as what is claimed to be the largest and highest resolution LCD screen in the world. This future-aimed locale will also allow entertainment seekers to immerse themselves even more fully into the performance by the use of haptics. “MSG Sphere would host a wide variety of events.” The company state on their official website, “While our focus is on music and entertainment, this state-ofthe-art venue would attract a diverse range of content – including concerts, residencies, immersive experiences, family shows, corporate events, award shows, product launches and select sporting events.” While much of what is being proposed now sounds astonishing, time will tell if the group make good on their promises. If so MSG Sphere is likely to become one of London’s flagship destinations for live events, and a magnet for those craving spectacle.
The MSG Sphere London is arguably the most futuristic venue plan we’ve seen
COVER STORY
“As the UK’s first all-electric arena, Co-op Live will also harness sustainable and green technology from the get-go”
It’s not just London that’s about to witness the launch of new state-of-the-art venues - up in Manchester, Co-op Live intends to sit among the most advanced, and greenest, venues in the world. We caught up with the project’s driving force, the Oak View Group, to learn more. “Co-op Live is aiming to open in late 2023, bringing the best global acts to the city and delivering a transformative live entertainment experience for both artists and fans.” The team explain, “Manchester is world-famous for its incredible contribution to music and consistently ranks in the top five globally for ticket sales. We wanted to build on this legacy and cement the city as one of the world’s largest live entertainment markets – Manchester is a natural home for Co-op Live.” The venue has its sights on bringing over 120 events and 1.3 million visitors annually into the city. Hosting everything from megastar live concerts to pivotal award shows. A state of the art sound system will work in tandem on some smart building design. “In terms of technology, our arena is purpose-built for music and has been designed to create the best experience for both artists and fans, including an intimate bowl design with no branding when artists take to the stage, offering a unique black box experience. A ceiling height that has been lowered to 24m to improve acoustics and create intimacy. A seating configuration also brings fans 15m closer to the action than ever before, when compared to other UK arenas, and impactful soundproofing and external lighting technology that respects people living nearby.”
As the UK’s first all-electric arena, Co-op Live will also harness sustainable and green technology from the get-go, establishing itself as a venue that is defined by consideration for the ecological plight currently facing all of us. “The venue will have rooftop solar panels, rainwater harvesting; heat source and smart building solutions, sustainable transport solutions; sustainable food sourcing and zero waste to landfill.” explains the team, concluding that “The construction project, the single-largest in the city, is generating a significant boost to the regional economy and over the next 20 years will create an additional impact of £1.5 billion in the local area. The construction phase is supporting thousands of jobs, including apprenticeships for local people, and the venue will support a further 1,000 roles once open.” Also receiving financial backing from none other than Harry Styles, Co-op Live is set to launch at the tail end of 2023.
The likes of Outernet Live, the MSG Sphere and Co-op Live all have their sights firmly set on the future, but the nucleus of all of these exciting new developments remains the age-old, exhilarating thrill of live music. While these larger venues promise overwhelming and memorable experiences, on the local level, those existing grassroots venues continue to face the most uncertainty as the future casts its shadow. In the next instalment we’ll catch up with the Music Venues Trust to hear how they’re aiming to re-model the venue-ownership landscape to ensure a much brighter future for venues of all shapes and sizes.
Outernet replaces a venue hole in central London close to the former Astoria
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STUDIO PROFILE
The natural light and wood of the live room creates a cosy 70’s feel
THE OUTLIER INN Exit the city, head to the mountains. How a great escape worked for Josh Druckman The Outlier Inn is not your average recording studio. Set over 12-acres and located in the Southern Catskill Mountains 90 miles outside of New York, the Outlier Inn property doubles up as a wellness retreat, with a farm, lake and various types of accommodation. The studio was founded and is run by Josh Druckman, whose background is in computer music, having studied algorithmic synthesis at Columbia University in New York City. He moved out to the Catskills after running his own studio in New York. “I operated the studio for a little over a year before I closed it because the costs of operating it were just so high,” he says. “It forced me to just say yes to everybody that walked in the door and after a year of recording music that I was not into, I moved out of the city and up to the country, which is where my family was originally from, but I had never lived up here. I was 26 at the time. I kind of impulsively bought a little house and a property not knowing anyone and I set up a little electronic music studio in my house. And then over the years that little studio kind of grew into what it is today.” The facility now features two studios, A, with its large, woodpanelled live room and Studio B, which offers a control room and isolation booth, having attracted a wide range of clients, from the likes of Parquet Courts to The War On Drugs and Delicate Steve to
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Solange Knowles. At the heart of Studio A is a 72 channel Neve VR with flying faders. Monitoring comes in the form of ATC SCM110ASLs, Yamaha NS10Ms and an eight-channel Hear Back system. The studio also boasts floating FX such as EMT 140 Plate Stereo Tube, Lexicon 480L, Roland Space Echo 501, Fulltone Tube Tape Echo and a Morley Electrostatic Delay.
Who designed and built Studio A? It was designed by Wesley Lachot. His firm, Wes Lachot Design Group, is based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. I had worked in a studio that he designed. As I walked into the control room and heard the sound coming out of the speakers, I knew that that was what I wanted. So it took me a couple of years to save up and get all my ducks in a row, but there was really no doubt who I was going to hire when it came to designing the studio. Then the building was done partially by local contractors who have helped me build all of the things here over the last 15 years on the property and then the acoustic finish work was done by a firm that works pretty much exclusively for Wes. They’re called Brett Acoustics and they’re based in Durham, North Carolina, so I’m really happy that I decided to go with them. You can just hire Wes and kind of do everything yourself or you can hire him and his team. I’m really happy that I not only hired his acoustic
STUDIO PROFILE
contractors, but I also hired his wiring guy, Thom Canova. Canova Audio is also based in North Carolina and so I hired kind of the whole team. The process is so meticulous and every little detail, every quarter of an inch is critical and you’re only as good as the weakest link. That really proved to be true and so having multiple layers of redundancy to kind of double check and triple check the whole build process along the way was really, really helpful. It was an existing structure, so we were limited by the dimensions that we had, but fortunately, I had the dimensions that afforded having grown up using consoles, I knew that I The Neve VR needed work and a lot me the ability to get everything that I wanted. wanted one just as a workflow choice. of love but it delivered in the end So I was able to not only get the control room, I I was like, OK, I can get a 72-channel, fullywas able to get two more ISO booths which made automated Neve console. Which for running a four ISO booths in total and a nice-size machine commercial studio, it’s kind of the only name that room, which was able to accommodate all of the people know that are not studio heads. I didn’t power and guts of the studio. And then I was able understand how it could be so cheap. to get a really nice utility room and a locker. So I was very confident because I had Tell us about your experience with the experienced Wes’ room at Strange Weather. Neve and how you got it working I was very confident that, acoustically, I was I really didn’t understand why this desk, which was going to get the results that I desired. My main half a million dollars when it was new was all of a concern was that, aesthetically and vibe-wise, sudden $25,000. I now understand why these the room was going to seamlessly integrate desks are on the cheaper side. The maintenance with everything else that I already had going on on these consoles is very intense. What happens here because studios can be very clinical or with them is that they were not vented properly Star Trek-like, or kind of like a dentist office. from the factory. There was a design flaw where That was not the vibe that I was looking for the engineers thought that the heat would just and I talked to Wes about this before he came up kind of dissipate through the top through the and he said, “Well, you know, my main concern is console but there’s so much heat generated that acoustics first and foremost and I will try to give it’s not able to escape from the modules. you the vibe that you want. But you know, it’s got to sound right”. I had never met him in person and he was a little stern So whereas electronics components like to operate at like 70 to 74 about it. degrees Fahrenheit, this console runs at about a 118 or a 120 degrees He came up here and he’s kind of a rock star in his own right and he Fahrenheit. deserves to be, because he’s a badass studio designer. I showed him And so before I bought the console I discovered that there’s one guy around the property and he was kind of stone-faced and I was talking in LA who created a cooling modification for this console, where you about the vibe and everything and then I showed him the live room have a dedicated exhaust system, which sucks the heat out of the which is all barn wood and rustic and he looked around and I’ve got a console. You go in and you physically cut the ends of the modules to black sepia tone photograph of The Band on the wall and as soon as he allow the cool air to be drawn in from the front and the hot air to be saw the photo he took his glasses off and his face lit up and said, sucked out the back. “Okay, I get it now”. So once I discovered that I decided to go for the VR and I He said, “Okay, I know what you want. Instead of using of one type of incorporated that modification into my studio. So now, instead of acoustic fabric for your studio, we’re going to go with an open weave running at a 118 degrees, my modules are running at 80 degrees. And kind of burlap look and we’re going to use rough cut barn wood on the of course I had to do a full recap of the console. I got the console a acoustic treatments and that’s going to get you the vibe that you want. year before I installed it and that year was filled with technicians I expressed the desire to have as much natural light as possible in coming from LA, from Nashville and from New York City to work on the studio so that when you’re sitting at the console, you’ve got light this console. streaming in from both sides and also from the back. You can sit at the My decision to get a console was proven correct on the very first console and you’ve got light coming through to the ISO boost on the session that I had up here because when you don’t have a console and side and then you look straight through the live room and you’ve got when you’ve got a workstation with a computer and you’ve got the big windows at the back and you can see the animals grazing, so we engineer, there’s only one person that can run it, so you’ve got the also went with like sepia tones in the control room. engineer working the mouse and then the band on the couch with So the whole studio and the control room has like a ’70s, warm, their phones and are basically half checked out of the process. The naturally-lit vibe. Of course it’s going to be like a spaceship because of first session that I did here with the console, the entire band was up at the gear, but it’s like a spaceship from the 1970s. the console for the whole session playing around with faders and playing around with mixes. There’s plenty of room for the band and it really engages the bands To get a console or not to get a console, that was the question. There’s so much more in the process. So rather than just being checked out plenty of reasons not to get a console or plenty of reasons why having on the couch, they’re all up at the console. So the first session I was a console these days is not necessary, but being a child of the ‘70s and like, OK, I made the right decision to get a console...
“Studios can be very clinical. That was not the vibe I was looking for”
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INTERVIEW
THE WHOLE REPORT JUST ACCEPTS THE STATUS QUO Founder of the #BrokenRecord campaign, Gomez guitarist and recently elected chair of the Ivors Academy Tom Gray gives us his less than favourable take to the Competition and Market Authority’s recent market study report into music streaming
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INTERVIEW: ANDY PRICE
easoned musician and Gomez guitarist Tom Gray has been one of the industry’s biggest advocates for more proportionate streaming pay for artists. Recently elected chair of the Ivors Academy, Gray has been at the forefront of the conversation due to the #BrokenRecord campaign, which has worked to highlight the inequalities that leave musicians with the smallest rewards for their work, and successfully lobbied the UK government for action. We spoke to Tom the day after the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study delivered a report into the current situation, but firstly – congratulations are in order…
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diversity and quality in the senate and the board. That they chose me to chair it is obviously a great honour. I’m a sociable, talkative type and this is another great communication role. AMI: I’m assuming that taking the chair of the Ivors dovetails with the Broken Record campaign? And underlines just how pivotal fixing this unfair system is… TG: Well exactly, I think the job came up and I thought if I could bring these things together it would add more weight to both roles.
AMI: Firstly, congratulations on being made the chair of the Ivors Academy back in February of this year. How have you been finding the role so far?
AMI: On that topic, we saw recently that the CMA published their update paper of their big report into music streaming. What were your biggest takeaways from that report and their findings?
Tom Gray: Yeah it’s been good. I’ve been involved in the Ivors for years and we’ve done so much work to progress and develop the organisation in that time, I’m lucky to have been able to take on the mantle when we’re in such a brilliant, healthy shape. We’ve got real
TG: I think fundamentally the report indicates that there is a real problem with competition in this market – literally throughout the report that’s precisely what it says. But then it says, ‘we’re not going to do anything about it’. It’s quite depressing reading.
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INTERVIEW
Although they’ve done some homework when it comes to looking at competitiveness, the broad outline of the report effectively follows a major label story of what the industry is. It accepts that piracy was the cause of streaming, it accepts that streaming is a replacement for record sales. It accepts all of these things as assumptions without doing any of the work. That’s where it’s centred. Those assumptions are so built into the report, that we’re going to struggle to change it. AMI: It seems that the report was perhaps more consumer-focused as opposed to artist focused? TG: Well we knew that going into it, it’s still trapped in that consumer-first ethos. I think that the CMA is going to have to engage with the actual world of working people at some point. The other thing that they haven’t picked up on or dealt with is the fact that there are so many kids using online publishing services such as Distro Kid and Ditto – are those people artists or are they consumers? Also it assumes things were always this bad, without any evidence. So there are these big overarching assumptions that are baked into it, which don’t have any basis in fact. They kind of are the major labels’ own narrative – their telling – of how the industry is. I think that’s fundamentally not great. Creators haven’t controlled the conversation here for years, so the consensus that’s repeated in countless periodicals and reports leans on this. It’s false.
major labels. We haven’t had a tip to artists since really the 1990s. That’s pretty phenomenal when you consider just how many changes in technology we’ve had since then. AMI: It seems like support and awareness for #BrokenRecord has certainly increased among musicians, many of which were probably unaware of how unfair their deals and relationships were. TG: One of the most curious parts of the report mentioned that artists are paid this amount, something like 16%, across the board. That doesn’t make any sense. I know people who made contracts in the sixties who are on 2% or 3%. What is the assumption based on, that states artists get 16%. Is that how much labels are paying to artists, or is it based on an assumed figure of what the rate of pay is now. What is that 16%? It’s completely misleading. AMI: Since the inception of #BrokenRecord, what’s the biggest movement you’ve seen from the ‘big three’ (Sony, Universal, Warner) in response? TG: Well we had the wave of debt cancellations [Sony Music announced the cancellation of the debts of thousands of artists who were signed before the year 2000, triggering Universal Music Group and Warner to follow suit] which was the biggest win we’ve had. The report doesn’t even mention the fact that that’s caveated though. If you were optioned after 2000 on your contract, then you *don’t* get your debt cancelled. So in other words, if you were successful, you still owe. It’s curious to me that they don’t actually make note of that fact. It’s very undercooked.
“It assumes things were always this bad, without any evidence”
AMI: Perhaps they wanted to veer clear of recommending an overhaul of the system? TG: Well I don’t think it is audacious to propose that, that’s what the DCMS Select Committee effectively said. It’s why the CMA were asked to act in the first place. They were literally told to look for a way to help. They keep saying there’s not enough profit. But a lot of companies are making more profit than they’ve ever made, and that isn’t in the report. I wonder if they’ve really scrutinised the books of many of these labels. The whole report just accepts the status quo, and looks for a way of keeping it in place.
PHOTO: KENNY MCKRACKEN
AMI: Do you think that the UK government has been particularly averse to dedicating too much effort and resources to the music industry? Do you think the music industry is perceived as something of little to no concern by the Conservatives? TG: It’s hard to say – I don’t think the music industry has ever felt it’s been of any concern to any government, to be fair. One of the reasons why we’re in such a bad situation is because we’ve had so little attention. We haven’t had change in regulation since 2003 and those changes were just there to serve the
AMI: What do you think is the reason behind them towing the industry line here? TG: Probably because that’s what will give them a quiet life to be fair. There might be pressure in the system – whatever the reason, they’ve come up with the wrong answer. AMI: One of the great things about the #BrokenRecord campaign is just how it’s increased awareness amongst artists who might not have been aware of just how they’re paid and how poor a lot of their deals are. Do you think in the future more artists will just boycott the label system entirely? TG: Yeah, if they can access money more readily and more easily, then yes they would. The problem is that pool of money and the risk associated with it. The report doesn’t refer to the fact that a lot of the risk is really put against the artist. It isn’t recoupment of the whole of the recording of their album and other associated costs. The label isn’t absorbing as much of the risk as they’re
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INTERVIEW
“The CMA is literally, actively saying ‘these companies own too much of it, and that’s fine’.” AMI: I know you’ve mentioned that a shift towards something resembling a broadcast model would be a better fit for streaming, in an ideal world Tom, how would you like to see streaming platforms reconfigured?
making out in the report, that’s another thing. It’s all about status quo. This is the way it’s always been done. AMI: Though streaming is clearly here to stay, do you think that fans of music could do more here to apply pressure? Switching services perhaps to the platforms that pay more? TG: Maybe, but I think the truth is we need to win the political fight. This is crazy. We’ve literally got a report in front of us now which proves our point, which is that there’s very little competition in the market - ‘artists are getting buggered and that’s ok thank you!’ Let’s not forget, the CMA are heavily implicated in allowing many of the mergers that created these behemoths. They even signed off on Sony buying AWAL a few months ago, I mean, the CMA is literally, actively saying ‘these companies own too much of it, and that’s fine’. That remarkable figure that 98% of ownership of some of the rights of the top one thousand singles, with 92% combined share of the recording rights is just staggering. That’s not a competitive market by any stretch of the imagination. The American anti-trust services are far more progressive than us, I would take the British CMA report to their anti-trust people. That’s possible. If you’re coming at it from the angle of trying to achieve a different result, that report is damming. AMI: I guess that’s the point though, they’ve purposefully avoided thinking about artists in this dynamic... TG: 2% of the profit of one of these global corporations is millions and millions and millions of pounds. It’s life changing-money. It lauds the fact that artist have managed to get 1% more across the board. It’s just hilarious, it’s actually quite comical.
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TG: I’ve always said that some part of it should, I’m not saying that’s necessarily the solution. But some portion of the money should go directly to performing musicians. If there’s so much resistance to even that, what they’ve done is that they’ve built a system that’s quite hard to push over. They’ve established the rules. A lot of the resistance isn’t just based on them wanting to keep their money, but they also just want to keep the stability of the system that they’ve got. It’s classic organisational conservatism. It’s very hard to push that over in any way, even just by a few percent difference, people get protective. It’s pretty absurd. AMI: It’s hard to imagine what their long-term vision of the future is going to look like, if the system doesn’t change are we facing a world where making music is just completely unviable. Will music dwindle as an art form? TG: I think it’s already dwindling as an art form. I think that you’ve got a lot of people trying to make music, but back in the day if you wanted to earn a living as a jazz musician then you could make a career out of that. Being some kind of musician is harder today than it was, and everyone is chasing the commercial dollar. You have to get the money in. Will we ever have another Kate Bush? Probably not. Who is going to fund someone to stay in the studio and make magic. AMI: When they could just have a few thousand duplicates of the thing they know sells well… TG: Or just make an AI spit it out… AMI: So, what’s next on your agenda Tom and what are your big objectives for the second half of the year? TG: I think we’re going to be arguing the toss over this report. Then for me it’s just about trying to corral whatever this government is going to look like in a few months, engage with them, but also focus more squarely on that political change. That’s been my modus operandi anyway, the CMA report was kind of a fluke, all in all I can’t believe we got it.
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Hear more – make contact sales@pmc-speakers.com www.pmc-speakers.com 27
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COVER STORY
YOU CAN ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT... As The Rolling Stones and Adele took to Hyde Park for the classic British Summer Time shows, we went behind the scenes and found out just how Martin Audio delivers one of the ultimate outdoor concert sound systems without pissing off the neighbours...
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COVER STORY
LIVE MUSIC SPECIAL
F
estival sound stalwarts Martin Audio once again bring their astounding MLA loudspeakers to this year’s British Summer Time festival. But just how does the company meet the challenge of presenting pristine clarity across the span of Hyde Park? Despite its status as one of London’s most cherished green spaces, and a celebrated spot for numerous iconic rock concerts over the past five decades, Hyde Park was all too frequently met with accusations of poor sound quality. From nearby noise complaints resulting in FOH sound levels being turned down to barely perceptible levels, to erratically balanced live mixing – Hyde Park’s live sound was regularly sneered at by the gig-going masses for its inconsistency. This frustrating state of affairs culminated when 2012’s BT London Live headliners Blur were greeted with shouts of “turn it up!” from the sound-starved masses, with some even taking to social media to say that they left the show after half an hour of quietness. It was clear that to make Hyde Park a viable space for music that met the demands of 21st century audiences, a complete re-think of the park’s sound was needed. Enter Martin Audio. The London-based loudspeaker company was approached when a new Hyde Park festival, dubbed ‘British Summer Time’ by promoter AEG, prepared to stage its first concerts in 2013. Martin Audio were engaged primarily due to a radical new technology pioneered within their line arrays. The company’s Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Arrays (MLA) promised a level of intelligent sound coverage and consistency across the site, while also mitigating noise pollution. Martin Audio’s James King takes up the story. “Along with our sound rental partner, Capital Sound, the Summer of 2013 was our first British Summer Time festival and MLA has always featured on the main stage since that time. MLA was selected by AEG and production site managers for the site, Loud Sound, for
its promised properties of being able to raise SPL levels onsite while mitigating off-site noise.”
DEVASTATINGLY PRECISE So what lay behind the success of the MLA deployment at Hyde Park? King expands on how the level of optimisation that the Multi-cellular speakers bring revolutionised the experience. “Our Display 2 optimisation technology is unique, patented and devastatingly precise.” James tells us, “Our proprietary software simulates the output of the loudspeaker at any point in space, using an acoustic model accurate to +/-1dB. Using this model, we can calculate and view the output of an array at hundreds of virtual microphone positions around the venue, all on the user’s laptop PC. Once the user has defined where the audience is – and importantly where it isn’t – powerful numerical optimisation algorithms derive splay angles and DSP FIR filters to precisely control the
“Our Display 2 optimisation technology is unique, patented and devastatingly precise.” coverage of the system, as well as the user’s desired SPL profile. Once the filters are uploaded into the speaker array, the incredibly consistent coverage is realised whilst noise leakage controlled, right from switch on.” What this means, is that excessive noise is reigned in – while the audience gets the full impact of a cranked-to-the-max live show wherever they’re standing. “Each MLA enclosure has 6 individual acoustic elements or cells, meaning an array can have up to 144 cells in total, each with its own onboard amplifier and DSP. These can be optimised by our Display 2 software to deliver the sound across the audience to meet the
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COVER STORY
LIVE MUSIC SPECIAL
How Display 2 works STEP 1 Venue entry
STEP 2 Set coverage parameters
STEP 3 Calculate splay angles
STEP 4 Optimisation and upload
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sonic goals required for any space.” James continues, “Display 2 understands the venue and the goals and not only recommends the mechanical angles within the array for best results, but can use its optimisation algorithm to further finesse coverage, consistency and control.” James explains that this year’s BST festival has precipitated some changes to the system design “This was because Capital Sound had earlier in the year invested in Wavefront Precision line arrays to give them more flexibility on different tours and events. Wavefront Precision arrays again utilise Display 2 and enjoy similar acoustic properties to their MLA brethren, allowing for a sonic consistency across the site”, James confirms. Learning from each successive year since 2013, the hard-stop during the pandemic didn’t affect Capital Sound’s approach too much, as James details. “Even though the event hasn’t taken place since 2019, there was so much experience and data from previous shows that set up was relatively straight forward this year. So much so, that upon switch on of the PA everyone was already very satisfied with the results needing only minor finesse.”
PERFECT PARTNERS Though it’s Martin Audio’s technology that lay behind the night and day improvement in sound at Hyde Park, the team are keen to emphasise the importance of tech supplier Capital Sound to proceedings.
COVER STORY
One of the loudest bands on earth demand best in class sound:The Who in action
“Our relationship with Capital Sound is absolutely critical. Even though Martin Audio always supports Capital with planning and set up, the vast majority of the system prep and all operation is in the hands of our partner, so the success of BST since 2013 is very much their success as well.” Says James, “Capital Sound nailed it out of the gates in 2013 and to their credit they have always wanted to find improvement rather than simply resting on their laurels. Given the historical issues with the site, this became a proving ground for MLA and its capabilities and we owe Capital Sound for always being a dedicated supporter of the technology. The fact that Capital Sound invested again into Wavefront Precision is testament to their ongoing loyalty to our optimisation capability”. This year’s British Summer Time festival series has seen the extraordinary likes of Elton John, Adele and The Rolling Stones headline, each of which have very particular sound requirements. For The Rolling Stones’ pair of headline performances, the band – now over six decades into their storied career – have never sounded better than they do here, and while the band’s legendary Hyde Park show in 1969 might be more iconic, in terms of pure audio finesse, the band are working in almost entirely different space.
NOISE CONTROL Attending The Rolling Stones’ July 3rd headline day, we were lucky enough to experience the full impact of the MLA setup. Strikingly apparent from early in
the day was how sound remained consistently impressive regardless of where we stood within the span of Hyde Park. As the day progressed, The Dinner Party, Courtney Barnett and North Shields’ favourite son, Sam Fender put in solid sets, and though we found ourselves near the back of the park during Barnett’s performance, those 11 delay towers carefully situated at key spots around the space meant that the pulse of Barnett’s rhythm section, the frazzled jangle of her guitar and centrality of her vocal felt like we were experiencing the music right in front of our faces – even from nearly a mile away. While we resumed a more central spot for Fender’s ebullient set (between Delay 4 and 5), the sound remained consistent, albeit raising in volume as the day progressed. By the time The Rolling Stones emerged, the audience had built themselves into a fever pitch. Thankfully, the volume coming out of the MLA towers masked the screams. Launching into a raucous Get Off Of My Cloud, it seemed every element of the band’s honed sound – from Keith and Ronnie’s guitars, drums, bass and Jagger’s unmistakable vocal – punched out with significant heft. As James re-iterates though, we needn’t worry about irritating the residents of the nearby tower blocks that circle the park. Martin Audio’s ‘Hard Avoid’ technology aggressively works to keep this booming sound directed squarely at those who have paid to hear it. “Areas such as behind and below the array, ceilings, balcony edges or in the case of BST beyond the venue perimeter can also be programmed in” James says, “Vertical coverage can even be fine-tuned electronically in-situ to cope with changing environmental conditions and last-minute changes in rigging height, without having to re-rig.” Hearing the era-defining likes of You Can’t Always Get What You Want, Gimme Shelter and I Can’t Get No (Satisfaction) being belted out by some of music’s most foundational legends, at a location that is hugely iconic without suffering from any compromise in sound quality is something to behold. And, it’s testament to Martin Audio’s sublime technology that events such as this are now free from the issues that had plagued the park for so long. With headliners playing at volumes that now exceed 100db, MLA has all but ensured Hyde Park’s future as a place where memories are made.
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