Audio Pro International (API) Issue 13, November 2008

Issue 13 November 2008

LIVE • COMMERCIAL • RECORDING • BROADCAST

SPEAKER MANAGEMENT: THE LATEST SYSTEMS ON THE MARKET

ALCONS AUDIO

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DON ZIENTARA

MASTERING STUDIOS

ROCKET MAN SSE’s Miles Hillyard looks back on an explosive year

E Series.

Touring Class.

High Calibre Audio Amplifiers

www.mc2-audio.co.uk

WARRANTY

Built for a life on the road, E Series amplifiers combine audio quality and assured reliability. Featuring a lightweight aluminium construction, robust digital power supply, advanced protection technology and intelligent limiter, E Series amps deliver their full power across the entire audio bandwidth. Discover the complete range at www.mc2-audio.co.uk

audioPRO INTERNATIONAL

CONTENTS

ISSUE 13 NOVEMBER 2008

REGULARS: STUDIOS 48 PEOPLE 52 NEW PRODUCTS 54 MIXDOWN 66 hris Stone’s keynote speech at the 125th AES convention was an interesting and thoughtprovoking dissertation on the trends in the modern music industry. Titled, The Artist Owns the Industry, it addressed the growing free music downloading epidemic and its effect on the industry as a whole.

With iTunes leading the pack of music retailers and retail chains dissolving into obscurity, the knock on effect is positively changing the role of recording studios. Major labels are rapidly losing revenue to indie start-ups that offer a wider variety of music and are able to take bigger risks on unknown bands. Stone points out the importance of not only offering recording services, but also providing additional promotional and marketing and label services.

This may be easier said than done, considering shrinking recording budgets across the board. And while many new bands and established acts are still using the DIY approach, musicians still need recording studios for their space, acoustics, high-end gear and, most importantly, experience.

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The point is not to give up and close shop, but to expand services and offer added value for money.

The point is not to give up and close shop, but to expand services and offer added value for money. A young band entering the studio is a veritable gold mine of revenue opportunities. Website creation, brand development and digital distribution are all services that they need and can easily be offered with a small initial investment.

The recording studio is the starting point of the industry. Without recorded music an artist cannot get airplay and promotion and without these foundational elements they will never get out on tour and use all the lovely loudspeakers, mixing consoles, and mics created by manufacturers in the business. The music business seems to be currently living off artists who have become their own living tribute bands, with new acts dropping on and off the charts in weeks, if not days. An investment in an artist’s future can lead to a small business venture with miles of opportunity. The talent is there.

NEWS 4-6 COVER FEATURE

MILES HILLYARD

SSE’s senior project manager talks about what it takes to succeed in the chaotic festival sound business.

EVENTS AES, EVENTECH 8 An extensive AES post show report alongside new product announcements and features for the forthcoming Eventech Ireland.

FEATURES SPEAKER MANAGEMENT 19 A look at some of the best loudspeaker managements systems on the market.

Andrew Low Editor andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk

MASTERING STUDIOS 26 We look at the gear and the people behind the most influential albums made in the last five decades.

The latest

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INTERVIEWS DON ZIENTARA 30 An Interview with the man behind Washington DC’s punk rock revolution.

If you would like to receive your own copy of Audio Pro International, please email our subscriptions department on: audio.subscriptions@c-cms.com or call 01580 883848

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NEWS

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A news

NEWS

Ohm launches new Pro focus for out-of-the-box PA D&M Holdings TRS sound system offers plug and play live solution A COMPLETE plug and play live solution is now available from Ohm, including speakers, DSP amplifiers, patch panel, power distribution, flight cases and all necessary cabling.

The basic three-way system, consisting of three

TRS-118H bass bins and two TRS-112H mid/high cabinets per side, is powered by three lightweight DSP amplifiers, which are housed in an eight unit chassis complete with patch panel that features routing for signal inputs, speaker outputs and remote Ethernet DSP control.

Power distribution, housed in the matching 8U case, has a three-phase input with six C32 outputs, each having its own voltage and current meters. Trip switches are provided for the input and each of the outputs along with both UK and European mains connections. Both the power distribution unit and the patch panel have USB gooseneck LED lights.

The use of the eight-Ohm single driver speakers considerably simplifies the amplifier requirements, allowing the complete system to be powered using only three amplifiers. An ingenious cabinet design ensures that the sound pressure levels are very similar to dual speaker units. The bass cabinet is horn-loaded and the mid/high utilises a single piece molded horn mounted with a 12-inch mid and a 11/2 compression driver providing a long throw for bigger outdoor events.

“We’ve found that as budgets have become tighter on the smaller tours, big road crews have become somewhat unfeasible,” explained Ohm’s Clive Kinton.

“Equipment now needs to be used by fewer people and single drivers are lighter, smalller and less power hungry.” ohm.co.uk

New sales and marketing group announced for the Americas

D&M HOLDINGS has announced the formation of a new operational group to oversee the sales and marketing of its professional products in the Americas. Named the Business and Professional Group – Americas, it unites all D&M Holdings’ professional businesses under one sales and marketing banner throughout the region. The group will manage the Allen & Heath, Calrec Audio, Denon DJ, Denon Professional, and Marantz Professional brands.

“In today’s complex technology and business environment, staying close to customers is a major key to success,” said Bob Weissburg, president of D&M Holdings, Americas.

“Creating a regional sales and marketing group for D&M’s professional companies enables us to work more closely with our

John Wilmer

customers, dealers, and distributors. As we grow our presence in the professional market, customers will reap real benefits from our stronger resources and expanded product range.”

The company also announced several executive appointments, including Jim Wilmer, who has been promoted to director of sales at Calrec.

“We now have a strong leadership team in place, with decades of senior-level experience in the professional market,” Weissburg added. dm-holdngs.com

BBC revamps Radio Theatre V-Mixing system installed in technical refurbishment A ROLAND RSS M-400 VMixing system has been installed in the historic Radio Theatre in London’s Broadcasting House – one of the final components in an extensive technical refurbishment of the BBC’s largest radio studio.

As part of a larger building programme, the Radio Theatre has been refurbished and fitted out for a wide range of audience shows, primarily, but not exclusively, for output to

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radio, including light entertainment productions, comedy, Christmas specials and one-off events. The venue for many historic recordings since the 1930s, when it was known as the BBC Concert Hall, today the theatre’s 312-seat auditorium has been equipped with extensive PA and lighting facilities and includes an 80track digital recording facility.

Supplied by Total Audio Solutions, a Roland RSS M400 has the job of mixing for

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two PA systems in the theatre – a d&b compact line array and a distributed speech system. More than 100 mic inputs are sent from the stage via MADI to the main control console for the on-air broadcast mix. From the stagebox, a smaller selection of 40 inputs is transferred by the RSS S4000 digital snake stage to the M-400 console, where they are used for the frontof-house sound mix and also provide up to eight

FOH at the Radio Theatre, now with shiny new RSS M-400

foldback mixes if required.

The system is suitably compact and portable for an environment that has limited space. Events manager Mark Diamond commented: “If necessary, we can strike the

system really quickly. Some OB vehicles use the same snakes and M-400 consoles, but we can turn up at very short notice and provide broadcast splits fast.” rolandsg.co.uk

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NEWS

New moves for DiGiCo New distributor announced as the SD8 gets its first taste of the road DIGICO has made two announcements as its brand new SD8 console is taken out on the road for the first time on Art Garfunkel’s latest European tour.

Garfunkel’s 12-date European tour is using the SD8 for monitors. Audio Lease’s Steve Sunderland chose the new digital live console for the tour as a result of the many features contained in its compact format. Audio Lease has only sent out a single truck for all the kit on the tour, so the equipment chosen had to take up as little space as possible,

but still deliver.

“Being a one-truck tour, space is at a premium,” said Sunderland. “With the SD8 we don’t need to carry big racks of outboard gear.

“I was amazed that there is now a DiGiCo console at a price that means we can use such a technically advanced desk in these kind of venues.

It’s very difficult to justify £50,000 to £100,000 worth of console for tours like this, so with the SD8 DiGiCo has filled a vast gap in the market.”

In a separate announcement, DiGiCo

DN’A’s headquarters in Athens: from where Greece will learn the beauty of digital consoles

revealed the appointment of a new distributor in Greece. DN’A Systems will now handle the entire catalogue in the region..

DN’A, although a newly established company, was specifically created to handle the digital sector of the Greek pro audio market.

Furthermore, DN’A’s general

Neutrik fits out Dubai Mall World’s largest shopping centre employs OpticalCon system NEUTRIK’S distributor, Nicolas Kyvernitis Electronics Enterprises, has supplied the new OpticalCon fiber optic product to US Telecom, a systems integrator involved in the construction of the world’s largest shopping centre, Dubai Mall.

The OpticalCon system features a durable all-metal and dirt

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protected chassis with cable connector for increased dependability. Based on a standard optical LC-Duplex connection, the system’s original design has been significantly improved so that it affords a safe and rugged connection. Due to compatibility with conventional LC connectors, it offers the choice of utilising a cost effective LC connector as a permanent connection, or Neutrik’s sturdy OpticalCon cable connector for mobile applications.

Located next to the Burj Dubai (the world’s tallest skyscraper) the mall, which on completion will cover an area of 5.9

million sq ft, will feature an Olympic-sized ice skating rink along with the world’s largest aquarium, and will have leasable space of 3.77 million sq ft, with ten to 15 separate smaller malls inside it. This will result in a total of nine million sq. ft. of shopping retail space, or 1,200 stores.

“We are happy to see Neutrik’s solution used for such a prestigious project,” commented Chicco Hiranandani, business development manager at NMK. He added: “Fibre optics has disseminated into various fields such as audio, video and communications for obvious reasons. Neutrik has seen this opportunity and has produced rugged and reliable products to cater to such requirements.” neutrik.com

manager, Takis Tsonopoulos, sales director, Yannis Tatsis, digital and concert sound technician, Aris Koyntouris, and installation technician, Alexios Gkanas share many years of industry experience.

“DiGiCo is the top digital console, so this appointment is very important for us,”

explained Tsonopoulos. “We want to steer the Greek audio community towards digital and teach traditional analog users, nervous about using digital products, that DiGiCo is a very friendly console and will make their everyday life easier and more productive.” digico.org

Surtech offers Veropower repair Service available even if Surtech did not originally supply the unit SURTECH DISTRIBUTION now offers repair service to UK customers for Eplax’s Veropower pluggable power supply units. The new service is available even if Surtech did not originally supply the unit.

The repair service is available for the PK, VP, EC and GK Veropower ranges of pluggable power supplies.

The company has been the exclusive UK distributor for Vero Electronics since February last year. Fixed repair charges have been established for each model within the covered ranges, so customers will know exactly how much the repair will cost before dispatching the unit to Surtech. The company has trained

technicians performing the repairs and assure customers that they will benefit from reliable and cost-effective service and speedy turnaround, while saving the time, effort and money involved in purchasing a replacement unit.

“As the sole UK distributor of Veropower pluggable power supplies in the UK, we decided to launch this repair service as part of our continued drive to add value to our customer offering, said Mike Johnson, sales and marketing director, “There is a large number of Vero PSUs installed throughout the country, as they have been a highly successful product.” surtechdist.co.uk

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A news

NEWS

Alcons introduces LR7 Micro pro-ribbon line-array claims industry’s best throw-to-size ratio ALCONS has unveiled its new eight-kilogram LR7 micro line-array enclosure – a passive two-way line-source loudspeaker system, designed to be used in a vertical array, either in stacked or flown configuration, for either portable or permanent installations.

The LR7’s frequency response of 74Hz (-3dB) to beyond 20kHz enables fullrange deployment without the immediate necessity of additional bass systems.

Loaded with the RBN401 pro-

ribbon driver on a ‘Morpher’ lens, which allows up to 94 per cent frontal radiation, the system features a 90 or 120degree dispersion choice with seamless coverage due to the ribbon’s all-natural cylindrical (Isophasic) wavefront.

The Morpher is mounted in an ALrad waveguide, which utilises the stiffness and heat transfer capabilities of aluminium. Mounted on the RBN401, the ALrad extends the cooling surface even further, reducing powercompression for increased

SPL over time.

The LR7’s transient response and unusual high peak power handling (800W/200mS) allow for excellent intelligibility and throw, while offering maximum gain before

MPG and BPI join forces Producer of the Year in line to receive Brit Award THE UK’s Music Producers Guild and the British recorded music industry trade association, the BPI, are co-ordinating their respective awards events this year to recognise the enormous contribution that recording professionals make to the success of the UK’s music industry.

As a result of this unique collaboration, the winner of the Music Producers Guild’s Producer of the Year award will also receive the Brit Award for Best Producer.

Both awards will be presented at the MPG’s awards ceremony, which will take place at Cafe de Paris in London on February 12th – one week before The Brit Awards 2009, which takes place on Wednesday February 18th at London’s Earls Court Arena and broadcast live on ITV1.

“We are delighted that the BPI is joining us in championing the role of the record producer by

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presenting our Producer of the Year with a Brit,” said MPG chairman Mike Howlett.

“Recording professionals do sterling work for the UK music industry and are often the driving force behind the hit records that we all enjoy.

It is only right that they should get the recognition they deserve, not just to mark their vital role in the creative process but also to inspire the next generation of 100,000 music students in the UK who will be the producers and engineers of the future.”

Robin Millar, MPG founder and one of the UK’s most successful record producers, with 44 number one hits and 150 platinum, gold and silver records to his credit, has lobbied hard to ensure that producers are included in major music award ceremonies. He added: “Recording professionals work tirelessly behind the scenes to support artists, especially at the early stages

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Robin Millar of their careers, and it is often their expertise and guidance that helps bring a project to fruition. The contribution they make to the success of our industry cannot and should not be underestimated.”

The inaugural 2009 Music Producers Guild Awards aim to highlight and reward the creative talent and technical ability of the UK’s music producers, engineers, mixers, re-mixers and programmers.

Nominations are open now and can be accessed online via the Music Producers Guild website: www.mpg.org.uk.

feedback, up to directly under the array.

The Signal Integrity Sensing pre-wiring ensures complete cable/connector compensation between the LR7 and ALC. Typical (short to

medium throw) applications for the LR7 include compact main system for theatre, AV or corporate events where minimal sightline obstruction is required. theribbonnetwork.net LR7.info

Jim Douglas 1947 – 2008 SOUND Image’s Jim Douglas, a former monitor engineer and confidant to Ted Nugent and Paul McCartney, has passed away aged 61.

Douglas’ career began in the 1960s, working with Jack Bruce in the early days of touring. He went on to work with Electrosound in the 1970s as a monitor engineer and crew chief with some of the largest music tours of the day.

He found his way off the road during the 1980s, joining the management team at Electrosound in charge of operations. His time on the road brought him respect from the team and allowed him to push company operations to a new level. Douglas is said to have been the strong rudder that steered Electrosound through the 1980s and into the 1990s when PRG acquired the company in 99.

During 2000 Douglas met with Dave Shadoan and was recruited as director of tour sound at Sound Image. He soon established himself as an integral part of the Sound Image management team and was instrumental in bringing many of his industry friends into the company, along with many established sound engineers and their clients.

“Our friend Jim was a gentleman, father, husband and friend,” noted Dave Shadoan, president of Sound Image. “He filled you with a sense of confidence; the kind of confidence you can only feel from someone who truly knows their business and can still be a gentleman while doing it.

Jim was an example of what we should all aspire to be – a man of high integrity, strength, dedication and always there when you needed a hand.”

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EVENT REPORT: AES

Golden noise gates It was back to the West Coast for 2008’s AES convention and, while the elements weren’t too kind, it was a great time to be indoors as the industry convened for another triumphant show…

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Jim McTigue discussed mistakes made in product development

Event: 125th AES Convention Venue: Moscone Centre, San Francisco Date: October 2nd to 5th Exhibitors: 407 Visitors: 17,892 Verdict: AES maintains its position as the premier US pro audio show with strong figures and a host of exciting product launches.

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araphrasing the fictional heavy metal band, Spinal Tap, Harman Professional executive VP of sales and marketing, Michael MacDonald opened a packed AES press conference with a pleasing analogy: “Questioned by a reporter about Spinal Tap’s shift from stadium venues to clubs and whether this was an indication of the band’s declining relevance, a band member remarked: ‘It’s not that we’re becoming less popular it’s that our audience is becoming more selective’.” To clarify, he explained: “While numbers may be a little down, the relevance of the convention remains strong.”

While its true that figures this year were in fact down slightly against 2007’s New York show, comparisons with the East Coast event are probably unfair. The 17,892 visitors present at the Moscone centre in San Francisco last month was actually up by 447 on the figure from 2006 and although exhibitor numbers had dropped by a negligible 13 to 407, in real terms, the show was as busy as ever.

“The 125th Convention reflects the overall optimism of our industry,” noted AES executive director Roger Furness.

“Despite economic concern, we filled the North Hall of the Moscone Center with crowds that were both exuberant and highly motivated.”

His sentiments were echoed by incoming president Jim Anderson, who added: “Certainly everyone is concerned about the economy, but equipment was being bought, people were taking advantage of masterclasses, tutorials and other educational opportunities to improve their skills, and most importantly, networking was on overdrive. This was an extremely positive event.”

Exhibitors were in high spirits too, not least Paul Foschino, a senior manager at Sony Electronics: “The show seemed busy from day one, right on through to the end. Our booth was crowded with interested customers, dealers and press nonstop. It’s the best show to introduce a new technology or highend product to the market.” Foschino’s opinion was shared by many manufacturers this year, which chose to take advantage of the event to do precisely that.

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Sony took the opportunity to introduce five new system packages in the Sony UWP series of UHF synthesised wireless microphones. Foschino said that the company had “substantially advanced the series” with significant improvements designed to provide ease of operation, extremely stable audio reception and interference-free multichannel operation. The Sony UWP Series is ideal for professional news gathering, AV and presentation production, entertainment, live event, HOW and corporate applications.

Audio Technica unveiled a pair of new microphones – the AT8022 X/Y stereo mic and the BP4025 X/Y stereo field recording mic. Both are stereo condenser mics, designed for broadcast, professional recording and for use with audio and video equipment. Each mic features an innovative coincident capsule configuration that allows for a smaller housing while producing a stereo image with the spatial impact and realism of a live sound field. Both mics also feature a compact, lightweight design, useful for applications such as cameramounting. The AT8022 is designed for use with either consumer or professional gear, while the BP4025 is intended purely for professional use.

The Professional Monitor Company (PMC) showcased a range of high-precision monitor loudspeakers, including the IB2S three-way midfield cabinet, the MB2S medium-format cabinet and the so-called ‘ultimate-performance’ BB5 XBD-A large-scale reference monitoring system, which offers extended bass response from PMC's transmission-line design.

Offering a wide array of electronics and cabinet variants, the BB5 XBD-A has been designed to provide seamless integration into a freestanding or soffit configuration without loss of performance.

Bricasti Design launched the Model 10 remote console, designed for use with its highly acclaimed Model 7 stereo reverb processor to allow adjustments to be made at the room’s ‘sweet spot’. The company has also enhanced Model 7 software to include two new soundstages, each of which was calculated off-line over the course of several months based on a specified acoustic model.

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“Festival sound is fast and furious, so we stand behind Yamaha.’’

Phil McDaniel Entertainment Sound Specialists

With an ever-increasing workload, Mansfield-based Entertainment Sound Specialists (ESS) is one of the UK’s major concert sound providers. With festivals and one-off shows filling the calendar, ESS need industry standard consoles that are fast, flexible, reliable and the first choice for sound engineers.

To tick all the boxes, ESS chose Yamaha PM5D and M7CL consoles.

Ready to make the switch to the world’s leading digital consoles? Visit www.yamahacommercialaudio.com or call us on 01908 366700.

CONNECT WITH EXPERIENCE

EVENT REPORT: AES “Version 2.0 expands the user’s sonic options three-fold, and brings new levels to the depth of sound and wrap-around quality that M7 users have applauded,” said co-founder and system designer, Casey Dowdell.

Reverb specialist Lexicon debuted its latest reverb and effects processor – the surround sound enabled PCM96.

Designed for the modern studio, the unit can function as a control-only insert or FireWire streaming audio plug-in within any Mac VST or Audio Units compatible software.

The PCM96 Surround uses multimode filters at several spots in the audio flow to provide more exact shaping of the reverb. It also features a new Pitch algorithm and an ‘infinite’ switch that allows the reverb to run indefinitely.

Focusrite had two very significant announcements to make, the first of which was well received by Pro Tools users and concerned the company’s celebrated Liquid Mix product – now available on the HD3 platform. With the same eq and compression emulations as the original Liquid Mix, Liquid Mix HD equips users with more than 60 emulations for use during recording and mixing, employing the proprietary dynamic convolution technology. Each Liquid Mix HD plugin has one compressor and eq emulation, which can be selected from a vast variety of high-quality vintage emulators or modern classics. Focusrite also unveiled the Saffire PRO 40, what it calls “the best sounding interface in its class, attentively designed with today’s project studio in mind”.

While no product launches took place at the Digidesign booth, a sneak preview of the developer’s Pro Tools 8 audio production software ensured a constant stream of visitors this year. The new version offers an updated user interface, over 70 plug-ins and virtual instruments, fully integrated MIDI and score editors and an expanded array of editing features.

The new Pro Tools 8 software will be available for Pro Tools HD, Pro Tools LE, and Pro Tools M-Powered. For professionals, additions include new Elastic Pitch function for transposing music in real time, ten inserts per channel, enhanced controller integration with Digidesign and MAudio control surfaces, ICON integration enhancements that dramatically increase speed and efficiency and HD QuickTime support for Mac OSX. A new Satellite Link option has also been added to Pro Tools HD 8 to allow users to control up to five Pro Tools HD systems.

This year’s keynote speech was given by celebrated recording industry figure Chris Stone, founder of Record Plant Recording Studios. His speech – entitled The Artist owns the Industry – examined trends and opportunities in the modern music recording industry. Stone theorised that the music industry is alive and well, but the problem is that only a select group of savvy people are aware of how to take advantage of it with a contemporary music business model.

Stone discussed the monumental effect that the internet has had on the industry and the DIY culture that has developed among artists. As artists retain an ever-increasing amount of control and ownership of their music, the roles of major record labels and high-end recording facilities are shrinking, while those of technology vendors and online music stores are growing.

This, he noted, is having a very tangible and positive effect on the audio technology production and retail industries.

The 125th AES technical programme boasted a vast array of educational events. Among the highlights was Thursday’s workshop entitled Engineering Mistakes We Have Made in Audio.

Chaired by Peter Eastty of UK-based Oxford Digital with panellists Robert Bristow-Johnson of Audio Imagination and Jim McTigue of Impulsive Audio, six leading audio product developers shared enlightening and at times amusing lessons they have learned from actual mistakes they have made in the product development arena.

John Vanderkooy of the University of Waterloo, Ontario gave a superb

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Record Plant founder, Chris Stone’s keynote speech addressed how to take advantage of the modern music business model

masterclass on basic acoustics and understanding the loudspeaker. The basic propagation of sound waves in air for both plane and spherical waves was applied to the operation of a simple, sealed-box loudspeaker and topics such as the acoustic impedance, compact source operation and diffraction were covered. Live demonstrations were given with a simple loudspeaker, and a microphone and measuring computer used to illustrate the basic radiation principle of a typical electrodynamic driver mounted in a sealed box.

Among the multitude of paper sessions this year was Detecting Changes in Audio Signals by Digital Differencing

by Bill Waslo of Liberty Instruments. Waslo presented a software application which has been developed to provide an accessible method, based on signal subtraction, to determine whether or not an audio signal has been perceptibly changed by components or processes through which it has passed. The objectives of the software, its capabilities, effectiveness and the algorithms involved were discussed.

As the expo drew to a close on the fifth day, the verdicts of organisers and management indicated that the show had been a resounding success. Convention co-chair John Strawn concluded: “All our Committee Chairs noted the professionalism and enthusiasm evidenced by event participants and attendees alike. From an SRO audience for opening day ceremonies and Chris Stone’s keynote address to packed houses for most of our broadcast, platinum, educational and special events, the 125th convention will stand as a water mark against which future conventions will be measured.” aes.org

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EVENT REPORT: AES

TEC Awards The 24th Annual TEC Awards were held at the Westin Francis Hotel in conjunction with the AES Convention.

Held by the Mix Foundation, every year the TEC Awards honour the achievements of individuals and companies for technical innovations used during the production of audio for recordings, films, TV shows and live performances.

The sold-out event honoured winners in 26 categories for technical and creative achievement in the industry, as well as giving Asleep at the Wheel founder, Ray Benson, the Les Paul award, which recognises musical artists every year for their contributions in furthering the art and science of sound.

This year T Bone Burnett was inducted into the TEC Award’s Hall of Fame. The musician and producer took a 14year break from his own music to produce highly acclaimed projects including the Grammy-winning soundtrack for the film, Oh Brother Where Art Thou. He also worked on Tony Bennett and KD Lang’s album A Wonderful World, in addition to production on the soundtracks for Walk the Line, The Big Lebowski and numerous other projects. Allison Kraus and Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant presented the award on the night.

Creative Awards were given to the production crew that created the surround sound production of James Taylor’s One Man Band CD and DVD and the team responsible for producing the Foo Fighters’s song The Pretender.

A TEC Award for Television Sound Production was given to the producers of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, while the 50th Annual Grammy Awards were recognised in the category of Remote Production/Recording or Broadcast. Other Creative Awards were given to the acoustical team for Red Bull North America’s Red Bull Studio for Studio Design Project and Halo 3 for Interactive Entertainment Sound Production.

Technical Achievement awards were also given to companies that innovated in the design and manufacturing of professional audio equipment. Rupert Neve Designs took home two awards in the categories of Microphone Preamplifier Technology for its Portico 5015, and Large Format Console Technology for the 5088 16-channel, eight buss, expandable analog mixing console.

Yamaha’s PM5DV2 took home an award in the category of Sound Reinforcement Console Technology. The new V2 software for Yamaha’s PM5D digital console adds 30 new features to the board, including virtual soundcheck; a new effect library program; security features such as read-only and studio manager for protecting templates and basic scenes; load lock, which stops internal data from being overwritten by a memory card or studio manager and output isolation.

The TEC Award for Wireless Technology was given to Audio Technica’s SpectraPulse Ultra wideband system.

SpectraPulse is unique because it bypasses the RF spectrum and offers users added security. It can use up to 14 simultaneous channels without RF competition or frequency hunting/coordination.

Digidesign won the Workstation Technology Award for Pro Tools 7.4. With added features like the time-manipulating power of elastic time manipulation, Digidesign has added increased flexibility and creativity. Additional features of 7.4 include support for Avid video and shared storage solutions.

Other awards were given to Euphonix’s MC Mix Controller, which won the award for Small Format Technology; Royer Live Series in the Microphone Technology/Sound Reinforcement category; Meyer Sound’s UP Junior for Sound Reinforcement Loudspeaker; Universal Audio’s 2-LA-2 for Signal Processing Technology/Hardware; Apogee’s Duet for Digital Converter Technology and ATR Master Analog Tape for Recording Devices.

There was a tie between Earthworks PM40 Piano mic and Telefunken USA’s Ela M 260. Both companines shared the award for Microphone Technology/Recording. mixfoundation.org

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(Top to bottom) Yamaha’s Marc Lopez (centre) with Jeff Watson (left) and Howard Page. AudioTechnica’s Jackie Green and Phil Cajka.

Al Schmitt (left) and Digidesign’s Adrian Haselhuber. T Bone Burnett (left) and Alison Krauss.

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EVENT REPORT: EVENTECH IRELAND

A different kettle of fish Scattered Media’s forthcoming Eventech Ireland tradeshow is its latest region specific B2B event. Andrew Low looks at the companies, products and features at the inaugural event…

Event: evenTech Ireland Venue: RDS, Ireland Date: November 18th and 19th Prediction: Ireland’s first region specific event for the entertainment and installation market

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cattered Media’s Eventech Ireland is scheduled for November 18th and 19th at the RDS in Dublin, and is a dedicated B2B regional networking forum for the entertainment and installation markets.

Following the success of Eventech Scotland and Singapore, the Ireland event has seen the addition of some of the biggest names in pro audio and the organiser has made every effort to haul on board key decision makers from Ireland.

“Eventech Ireland has been our fastest sell out and all exhibitors are very optimistic about the show being a success in Ireland,” says Iain McLean of Scattered. “It’s going to be a very pivotal show for us, the exhibitors and the visitors.”

One of the major features of the show is a central feature bar, which will operate as a showroom and networking area.

Designed by Dublin’s AVL systems, it will display the latest ideas and usage of entertainment technology for the bar and club environment and numerous new products.

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The Dutch loudspeaker manufacturer, Alcons Audio will be showing its latest pro-ribbon line array, the LR7 micro proribbon. With a 6.5-inch woofer and a four-inch pro-ribbon driver, the LR7 features a 15-degree vertical projection configuration and 16 ohm impedance. Its ribbon isophasic wavefront enables the choice of 90-degree or 120-degree horizontal projection, making it ideal for AV projects where compact line array throw and imaging are needed.

Alcons will also be showing its Digital Drive processor (DDP), the LR14 ultra compact line array system and the VR8 ultra compact pro-ribbon monitor on booth E5.

RCF’s loudspeakers will be on display at its Irish distributor’s booth, Sound Production. “Sound Production will mainly be featuring our commercial audio products, which will include the new Easy Line Solutions model ES 3160, Move portable speaker series and the DXT voice alarm system,” says the company’s Phil Price.

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EVENT REPORT: EVENTECH IRELAND Also on display will be RCF’s new ART 7 series and the TT+ Touring and Theatre range.

FOH Audio is exhibiting models from Powersoft’s K Series, Q series and L series amplifiers. The K Series is Powersoft’s flagship series of amplifiers, including five models that range from two 2,500 Watt per channel at four Ohms to two 9,000 Watts per channel at two Ohms in a single unit size. The company is boasting the K series is a milestone of switch mode amplification, which provides high power with low weight and high efficiency. Other products from FOH will include a selection of Fohhn speakers, including the new Linea Live.

Adam Hall will be showing its line of pro audio and installation equipment on booth E8, including LD Systems and Palmer Audio Tools. The booth will feature speakers from LD Systems range of installation, portable PA, powered speakers and a new 15-inch subwoofer. Its speakers are available in passive and active options in plastic and wooden housing in eight-inch to 15-inch models that provide from 150 to 600 Watts. Its active and passive subwoofers are offered at up to 1,000 Watts of power.

Wireless systems from LD will also be on display, including the WS1000 receiver and the MEI1000 in-ear monitoring system. MEI100 features a corrected frequency response and 160 possible frequencies, which allows ten systems to be operated simultaneously without intermodulation. Hearing protection is ensured by way of a limiter at the input, preventing distortion up to an overload of +12 dB. Adam Hall is giving pride of place to Palmer’s products for the installation market. Of these, the Line split box is a 19inch single unit with a quality transformer, which solves ground loops and signal split problems.

Palmer’s Press Patch Box A will also be exhibited, which has two line inputs. The first input is split on to the upper row of outputs, ie on to the odd channels, while the second line input is split on to the lower row of outputs, or the even channels. Other Palmer products will be the two-channel isolation transformer, Stagebox 243 and various DI boxes.

Sennheiser Ireland will have its wireless range on booth C2.

The SR 350 IEM G2 rack-mount twin transmitter, an addition to the company’s range of in-ear monitoring systems and the MKE 1 professional clip-on mic. It will also have the EM 3732 twin receiver with 90MHz switching bandwidth, choice of five frequency ranges and transmitter synchronization.

As part of its distributed range, Sennheiser will also have mics from Neumann, Lab.gruppen amplifiers, Klein + Hummel speakers, RSS by Roland products and Rane.

A name that needs no introduction, Neumann has been developing the highest quality mics since 1928. Sennheiser will have many of its studio mics on display, from the new TLM 103 D to the legendary dual-diaphragm U87 condenser.

Lab.gruppen amplifiers on display will include the fourchannel FP6000Q SP and FP10000Q SP models from the FP+ series. These feature the company’s patented class TD output stage, which enables them to utilise the efficiency of Class D while maintaining the sonic characteristics of class A/B designs. There will also be the PLM 10000Q, which integrates networked signal distribution, drive processing, power amplification, load verification and performance monitoring in a single unified hardware/software set-up.

Klein+Hummel manufactures the SMS series of surface mount loudspeakers, the K8-AESI16 Digital Audio Input Device and the KPA series of audio power amps. Sennheiser will also have the K8 digital audio distribution system.

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Alcons’ LR7 array unit. Not quite pocketsized, but close

Also with Sennheiser is RSS by Roland’s live mixing and recording solution. The V-Mixing system, which consists of a digital snake with up to 48 inputs, the 48 channel M-400 digital mixing console and splits for recording to software or internal stereo wav recording to USB flash drives. The VMixing system was designed for ease of use with superior sound quality and all digital benefits, such as instant recall, digital effects and remote controllability.

Finally, Sennheiser will have Rane’s Serato Video-SL software plugin and the new Mongoose remote audio Cobranet interface. Mongoose converts audio to or from digital at the wall plate and transports it over CAT 5 cable.

Rea Sound is now well established in the pro audio and lighting market, representing some of the biggest brand names in the respective industries, including Martin Audio, Nexo, Allen & Heath, DiGiCo and ETC Lighting on booth D3.

Martin’s W8LM array and the Omniline system are already widely used throughout Ireland.

Sennheiser’s second generation wireless systems

With the introduction of some exciting products, Rea Sound has been able to supply a host of install, hire and event companies with products that, it says, work hard for them.

First up is the new Allen & Heath I-Live console. Made for live events, MK Audio, Fastlane Audio and Production House all bought an I-live immediately after using the console.

Also with Rea is Martin Audio’s W8LM mini line-array system, which has been used by some of the country’s top contractors in the most prestigious theatres.

The first Martin Audio Omniline speaker system will also be on show with Rea. It has been installed in Ireland at Magheralin Parish Church and has attracted a lot of attention from around the world, from Europe to America. The eight-aside system provides great coverage to the whole Church for both live voice and playback.

The new Nexo Geo S12 cabinet, with the RS12 Cardiod Sub can also be seen at REA’s booth. The cabinet has been popular due to its versatility in mounting methods. Fastlane Audio, Alex Fernie (Galway), Loft Sound and Keltic Kaos have all purchased various formats of this popular system and have been impressed of the quality and output of the sound.

With the addition of the new DiGiCo SD8 to its distribution portfolio, Rea Sound is now able to provide any one of the most popular digital consoles around. The digital market has been a growing sector throughout the industry and Rea now offers Allen & Heath, DiGiCo or Yamaha.

Trantec will be showcasing its extensive wireless portfolio, including many of its industry standards. The S4 series is the ideal starter or a step up to the S5 and both are available racked and ready. The company will also be exhibiting the S6000 mic for professional applications, and the SD7000 digital system. eventech-ireland.com

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LEGAL

Credit crunched: How to handle insolvency Your company may be staring into the financial abyss, but it’s important you follow the rulebook on insolvency, says Tahir Basheer, partner at media law firm Sheridans…

RECESSION is here, according to the OECD. The respected think tank believes the UK economy will shrink for the rest of 2008.

With bankruptcies and financial chaos already a nightly news staple, it’s difficult to be optimistic. Recessions hit smaller outfits hard. Bigger firms have deeper pockets, better credit lines and more assets to fall back on. Moreover, large companies often take a ‘like it or lump it’ approach towards paying bills when times are tight, since they know suppliers are desperate. As contracts dry up and invoices go unpaid, it’s all too easy for a small company to drift towards insolvency.

We looked a couple of issues ago at recovering debts and keeping cash flowing. But the unfortunate truth is some readers of Audio Pro International will see their companies struggle in a protracted economic slowdown.

If you face insolvency, it’s vital to seek legal advice as soon as possible – you may be able to salvage something if creditors support a rescue plan.

Moreover, even as a company faces its imminent demise, the directors and staff

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have legal responsibilities; failure to follow the proper procedure could trigger criminal proceedings.

So what should you do if your company faces insolvency?

Understand what ‘insolvency’ really means A company is insolvent if it is unable to pay its debts. Section 123 of the Insolvency Act 1986 states that a company is deemed unable to pay its debts if it fails to comply with a statutory demand for a debt of over £750, as it shows the company is unable to pay its debts when they fall due, if it fails to pay a judgment, decree or order of the court in favour of a creditor, is simply unable to pay its debts as they fall due, or is found to be in a situation where the value of its assets are less than the amount of its liabilities, taking into account any contingent and prospective liabilities.

Read that again Technical definitions are important because you need to determine objectively when a company becomes

insolvent. Certain transactions can be set aside if entered into within a specified time before insolvency.

Seek legal advice – immediately There are often alternatives to compulsory or voluntary liquidation. A rescue or restructuring may suit your creditors as well as the business.

Administration, administrative receivership, company voluntary arrangements and schemes of arrangement should all be explored.

Put together a rescue plan with upto-date financial information Rescue mechanisms rely on agreements or arrangements with the company’s creditors, who need figures demonstrating the company can become profitable again. Involve all major creditors, since any creditor owed more than £750 can liquidate your company.

Check your personal exposure In liquidation, any debts you personally guaranteed will be liable for repayment.

Do you have the funds?

Insolvency abuse Flouting your legal obligations could result in criminal proceedings, even after the company has ceased trading.

Do not trade in a way that will prejudice creditors if it appears there is no reasonable prospect the company can avoid insolvent liquidation. This amounts to ‘wrongful trading’, and a court may order any present or past directors of the company to contribute to the assets of the insolvent company.

Do not remove assets from the company or trade in a fraudulent manner. Company directors can be made to contribute to the company’s assets if they’ve misapplied, retained or appropriated any money or property of the company or breached their duties. If not a director, you may still be liable for fraudulent trading – a criminal offence.

For more information, contact Tahir Basheer at Sheridans: +44 20 7079 0103 tbasheer@sheridans.co.uk sheridans.co.uk www.audioprointernational.com

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Tübingen’s pride: the Top Ten discoteque relies on no fewer than three HK Audio DSM 2060 digital speaker management devices

High-level management In its parting speech to the live sound business, Dolby announced that it had observed an “accelerating shift towards integrated speaker processing”. Is this case, or is the current crop of standalone units just too good to be disregarded?

Rob Hughes finds out…

BSS Implementing the first pro audio application of Precision Audio’s Whiseworks NTM crossover filters, BSS’ flagship loudspeaker management processor (LMP), the Omnidrive Compact Plus FDS366T allows operators to push loudspeakers extremely close to their operating bandwidths without risk of over-excursion.

Developed by Neville Thiele, the crossover uses a notched response to achieve a very steep roll-off rate outside the pass-band. Similar to the industry standard Linkwitz-Riley crossover shape, it eliminates phase difference between adjacent bands throughout the crossover region, preventing polar pattern shift as frequencies move across it. It also maintains a flat magnitude response when acoustically summed.

The primary advantage of a steeper roll-off slope is that it enables system designers to open up the bandwidths of drivers and get more efficiency over the frequency range. This has recently led to the unit becoming the FOH processing of choice on tour with Audio Analysts, Adlib Audio, Britannia Row, On Stage Audio and Promix/Electrotec Las Vegas, among others.

“The electrical summation between bands is razor flat,” says Martin ‘Ferrit’ Rowe of Promix/Electrotec. “They allowed me to put more power to the devices without fear of overload or over-excursion. We were setting off alarms in the car park.”

YAMAHA APPROACHING speaker processing with the idea that a complicated process, normally involving a substantial array of equipment, can be squeezed into a single rack space unit, Yamaha has developed a device that offers both pristine sound quality that ranks with its most advanced mixing desks and a broad range of processing functions.

Along with high-resolution 24-bit, 96-kHz audio, the SP2060 has all the major functions involved in speaker processing built in, including: delay, peq, crossover, compression, limiting and an all-pass filter, which can be used to make minute adjustments to phase without altering gain. Yamaha’s large-scale integration (LSI) processing provides a dynamic range with a signal-to-noise ratio of over 110 dB, while analog stages benefit from Yamaha’s experience in high-end console design.

Detailed programming of the unit on a PC is enabled by the DME Designer software – also used to configure Yamaha’s top-of-the-line digital mixing engines. This allows programming of large-scale sound systems that use multiple devices such as SP2060 with the DME series and also enables integration and collective management of outputs.

ADAMSON AIMED AT either the touring or fixed installation markets, Adamson’s M Series processor is a complete four-input, eight-output digital loudspeaker management system equipped with the very latest in available technology.

32-bit (40-bit extended) floating point processors, the highest quality 24-bit analog converters available and high-bit DSP prevent noise and distortion induced by truncation errors of the commonly used 24-bit fixed-point devices. This results in lofty audio performance figures. The device has a typical un-weighted dynamic range of 115 dB, crosstalk of less than -100 dB and distortion of just 0.002 per cent.

FIR (Finite Impulse Response) linear phase or brick wall crossover filters are implemented in the system. FIR gives a linear phase response at the crossover frequency, which is preferable to conventional IIR (Infinite Impulse Response) filters. >>

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Phase correction filters are also added for precise phase adjustment. Two individual crossovers per output are available. Butterworth, Bessel and Linkwitz Riley filter types provide slopes from six to 48 dB per octave.

The M Series Processor can be controlled or configured in real time on the front panel or with the M Series Processor Software accessed via an Ethernet network or RS-232 interface. A complete set of parameters includes I/O levels, delay, polarity, six bands of parametric eq per channel and full function limiters.

Precise frequency control is achievable with a single Hertz resolution and inputs and outputs can be routed in multiple configurations to meet any requirements.

MARTIN AUDIO CAREFULLY optimised double precision signal processing coupled with 24-bit conversion gives Martin Audio’s DX2 a dynamic range in excess of 117 dB, a sampling rate of 96 kHz and a bandwidth over 32 kHz. The digital inputs feature sample rate conversion, allowing sample rates from 32 kHz up to 192 kHz. Utilising the SHARC DSP platform, the DX2 has a comprehensive range of digital processing available on all inputs and outputs. Inputs feature gain, variable delay and eight bands of eq. Each output features gain trim, variable delay up to 650 ms, fully configurable limiters, high and low pass crossover filters, polarity select and a further nine bands of parametric eq.

Inputs and outputs can be configured to accept either proaudio level analog signals, or digital AES/EBU signals to interface seamlessly with industry standard digital consoles, signal processors and amplifiers. Password protected locking ensures tamper free operation, with full or partial locking available, depending on the level of security required, allowing for a wide variety of venues and climatic conditions.

VMB ARKEOPS is the latest generation of VMB processors, which have been continually developed for the last ten years. VMB assures that the device uses absolutely the best converters available, ensuring very low distortion and a huge 120 dB dynamic range.

dbx’s 4800 system processor features Advanced Feedback Suppression (AFS)

The Akeops allows the user to apply a filter to compensate for absortion losses caused by distance, relative humidity and temperature. Different distances can be calculated and compensated for at the outputs, each of which offers both an RMS compressor/limiter and a peak limiter. The first stage uses a RMS detector algorithm to obtain a high quality compression. The sound system can then gradually reach maximum power while maintaining clear sound, before the second stage is activated for a mechanical control and maximum speaker excursion.

The device allows speaker response data in magnitude and phase, according to the frequency imported. It allows data imports from acoustic measurement systems such as audio precision, Linear X LMS, Smaart Live, CLIO, DAAS 32, MLSSA, Acoustilyzer and CALSOD, among others.

Arkeops was recently put to use alongside a VMB Lynx sound system on the Park Stage at Glastonbury 2008 and has also been featured in a number of sizeable installations, including Mirror, a large nightclub in Valencia, Spain.

KLARK TEKNIK THE SIGNAL processing specialist has expressed concerns that, because the practicality of the digital system controller has in recent years helped make it one of the fastest developing areas of signal processing, the audio performance of certain units has been overshadowed by functionality. The company insists that, where its own processor, the Helix, is concerned, no compromise has been made on either its >>

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Ideal Graphic eq offers true sum-to-flat response, so that adjustments impart uniform boost and cut with greater selectivity. Dolby Lake Processing includes classical crossovers, which are selectable up to 48 dB per octave, and linear phase crossovers to limit lobing and off-axis cancellation, capable of slopes exceeding 180 dB per octave.

feature set or sound quality.

The DN9848E has no preset routing and can be preprogrammed to perform virtually any system-control task. Limiters and compressors on all outputs and compressors on all inputs provide steadfast speaker control and protection, while ninety-six bands of fully parametric EQ allow for room and system eq. The device is equipped with enough processing power onboard to potentially allow every function to be available simultaneously.

Seven DN9848Es were recently installed within the impressive Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport to drive speaker systems across the World Duty Free retail area. Brian Lumb, the MD of Pro Audio Systems, which carried out the installation, comments: “It was essential that each of the processors had four inputs and, in some cases, more than six outputs. The DN9848E is one of the few models available that provides this.”

SP2060 has all the major functions involved in speaker processing

APEX OFFERING simultaneous use of 256 filters, Apex’s Intelli-X 48 boasts a 30-band constant-Q graphic eq, with eight-band parametric and tow-band shelving eq available on each input signal and also on the output. Two crossover filters with variable slope and types, including Butterworth, Bessel or Linkwitz-Riley, can be activated on each output channel, and comprehensive control of system set-ups can be achieved by combining delays on each input channel, together with the output channel delay and driver alignment delay per output.

The Intelli-X features a two-stage zero-overshoot limiter that preserves sonic transparency for light overshoots, but acts more aggressively if the signal overshoot is too high.

The first limiting stage has user-adjustable threshold, attack and release time and allows for short-term overshoots while reducing the average power output and keeping distortion low on sustained overshoots.

The threshold of the second stage is indicated in dBr, relative to the threshold of the first stage and can be set so that the brick wall limiter acts just before the amplifier clipping point, making it possible to perfectly match speaker and amplifier capabilities.

LAB.GRUPPEN WITH PRODUCTION of the Dolby Lake Processor (DLP) coming to an end, scores of sound companies, for which the device has become a touring standard, will be turning to Lab.gruppen’s powered loudspeaker management system to allow them to continue to benefit from the technology.

The PLM 10000Q combines networked digital signal distribution, drive processing, power amplification, load verification and performance monitoring in a single piece of hardware, complete with software interface that allows multiple units to be controlled from a single computer. The device contains two Dolby Lake Processor modules, each offering gain, delay, crossover slope, eq and limiting. DLP algorithms provide raised cosine equalization, linear phase crossovers, LimiterMax loudspeaker protection and Iso-Float ground isolation.

Raised cosine eq is the basis of the DLP’s Lake Mesa eq and Ideal Graphic eq. Mesa eq offers asymmetric filtering to match the responses of many loudspeaker systems, while the

XTA’s 4 Series is built around a completely new processing platform

HK AUDIO WITH HARDMAN Filter Technology (HFT), HK Audio’s DSM 2060 digital speaker management system is equipped with practical functions for both touring and fixed installations. The unit is designed to exceed standard requirements and offer audio quality of a level normally obtainable from considerably higher priced products.

The DSM 2060’s two inputs and six outputs can be configured separately for FOH and monitor use in touring applications, also allowing for a great deal of flexibility in fixed installation projects. Users can apply up to six parametric eqs, plus two shelving filters to each input and output channel. For setup of delay zones and time alignment in multi-amped systems, the device offers input delays up to 400 ms and output delays up to 80 ms. For speaker and driver protection different limiters can be applied to each output in steps as fine as 0.2 dB. The fourth and eighth-order HFT filters unique to the DSM 2060 create crossover slopes of 36 dB and 52 dB and achieve absolutely minimal phase shift and group delay, even at maximum slopes, thereby maintaining a natural-sounding signal. As a result, HFT produces a very smooth response in the crossover region and faster roll-off rates, which in turn minimise distortion, permit lower crossover frequencies and safely expand the effective frequency range of the drivers.

When Dirk Bamberger, owner of the award-winning German discotheque Treffpunkt, opened Top Ten in Tübingen, south of Stuttgart, he enlisted Prolite Event to carry out the sound system installation. The company specified three DSM 2060s to tame an extensive array of HK Audio’s Contour series loudspeakers.

XTA CULMINATING in the flagship 4in/8out DP448, XTA’s 4 Series is built around a completely new processing platform, running at a native sample rate of 96 kHz, which the company says has been “advanced to maintain the expected quality and useability, as the demands placed on professional audio systems continue to steadily increase”.

The range uses high-end 24-bit converters on the inputs and outputs, running at 96 kHz to give a bandwidth of over 30kHz and a dynamic range in excess of 116dB. With two or four fully balanced inputs, and up to eight fully balanced outputs, it is possible to design four two-way monitor systems, or DP226 configurations with an additional stereo processing channel, from a standard 1U rack unit can be designed. Any output may be fed from any input, or combination of inputs to forming a completely flexible matrix.

Prominent audio companies Audile and SSE both used

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XTA 4 Series devices across a number of the biggest festivals in the UK this summer. Between them, they handled stages at Reading and Leeds, V2008, Glastonbury, Bestival and many others. Rob Ashworth, director of Audile, which used DP448s to control Funktion-One systems comments: “We strongly believe that an audio system should be transparent, from the signal entering the drive to sound exiting the speakers. The sound of a particular music style is shaped on the mixing console, so a correctly specified and set-up system will cope with any style. Our gear is chosen for its transparency and XTA drive is the best there is.”

DBX THE FLAGSHIP of the popular DriveRack series, dbx’s 4800 system processor is designed primarily for live performance applications and features unique algorithms such as the proprietary Advanced Feedback Suppression (AFS), alongside the more familiar processing functions and control tools required for live sound reinforcement situations.

Providing four analog AES/EBU inputs and eight analog AES/EBU outputs, the DriveRack 4800 – also available with optional CobraNet card – features Harman Professional’s HiQnet protocol. This can be used to monitor and control signal routing as well as the processing of multiple DriveRack 4800 units from various locations, all using standard Ethernet equipment including routers and wireless access points.

Harman Professional’s System Architect software enables user assignable signal routing and control groups, as well as customised control panels for fully configurable systems. The software allows full and simultaneous control over the DriveRack 4800 and any other HiQnet-enabled Harman Professional products, such as Crown I-Tech amplifiers, JBL DrivePack loaded speakers, AKG WMS 4000 wireless microphones and the Studer Vista 8 mixing console.

SABINE NOW OFFERING microphone preamp options and blank front-panel models, the revamped Sabine Navigator series takes advantage of Analog Devices’ powerful SHARC processors to handle all DSP. This negates the need to compile any files or settings, since all functions work simultaneously. Users are able to set feedback control filters and compressors on every input and output with no loss of performance.

One of the pioneers in the field of digital signal processing, Sabine’s research into digital filtering technology ensures excellent sound quality and reliability across all DSP functions, including eq, automatic mixing, routing, crossovers and gain management. The FBX Feedback Exterminator is one of numerous innovations developed by the company’s engineers. Blank front panel versions include Sabine’s new Automatic Mic Mixing function, with independent control of mic priority, attack, release, threshold and gain on each channel. Combined with the FBX Feedback Exterminator, this provides more gain before any feedback can interfere than conventional automatic mic mixers.

VMB assures that Arkeops uses the best converters available

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Main picture: sound modelling with Adam Hall. Inset: Ian Thorpe of Ultrasonics Audio Services and his wife Rebecca

Going his own way Mick Fleetwood has returned to the road with his new blues band to celebrate the original incarnation of Fleetwood Mac. Andrew Low checks out the gear that will accompany the tour…

M

ick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac has resumed his position behind the drumkit for a European tour with his band The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band. The band will visit select European and UK cities and has employed LD Systems pro audio gear for the live shows.

The tour is a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the original incarnation of the original Fleetwood Mac band, which was an allmale blues band. UK-based Ultrasonics Audio Services has supplied the gear for the tour. Ultrasonics director, Ian Thorpe, has decided to use two LD systems LD Sub 15s and an LD152 as the drum monitor system for Fleetwood himself; LDSP1800 amplifiers power the speakers.

Further LD systems gear will be used for the tour in the form of a LAX16D mixing console used as auxiliary returns for the support act at FOH. Ultrasonics chose to use the LD drumfill system for Fleetwood’s tour after success with the speakers on Journey South’s 44-date UK tour.

The LD Sub 15 was designed with high power Kappa 15-inch drivers with an output power of 500 Watts. It delivers a maximum SPL of 129dB with a frequency range of 40Hz to 180Hz. Sub 15 was designed for use with the LDE122 loudspeaker, but can be used with other speaker configurations, passively or combined with an active crossover network.

Fleetwood’s drum monitor, the LD 152, is a continuation of the company’s LDE 122. It was designed as a multifunctional, high-quality loudspeaker cabinet and features Eminence Kappalite 3015 and PSD2002 drivers, with an RMS of 500 Watts, an SLP of 103dB and a frequency range of 45Hz to 18kHz. At a weight of 23kg, the loudspeaker can be used as a stage wedge or in conjunction with the

patented Adam Hall SM707 adjustable angle speaker stand.

With over 30 years experience working in live sound production, Ultrasonics has recently invested over the last year to bolster its existing hire stock. As such, it added the LD 152 multifunctional loudspeaker to its road kit, which was used for on-stage monitoring for the UK tour of Oh Boy, It’s the Non-Stop Sixties Show. It also used LD102 active DI boxes on the tour.

LD Systems has been part of the Adam Hall Group for the past seven years. Its R&D facility is located in Neu-Anspach, Germany, where all the quality control and final development of its products are carried out before being sent off for manufacturing in selected Far East facilities.

LD has a range of active and passive PA speaker systems, offered in passive and active options in plastic and wooden housing. It offers eight-inch, 10-inch, 12inch and 15-inch models that provide from 150 to 600 Watts of power.

Additionally, up to 1,000 Watts is available for the active and passive subwoofers.

All of LD systems loudspeaker cabinets are equipped with highquality components and speakers from Eminence USA or with chassis and tweeters custom designed for LD loudspeakers.

In addition to its loudspeaker line, the company has also recently developed a range of wireless components, including the WS1000 wireless receiver and the MEI1000 in-ear monitoring system.

Continued growth of the company has led to the launch of a new line called ‘powered by Eminence’ in the United States with its partner Eminence speakers. ld-systems.com adamhall.com

“Ultrasonics chose the LD drum-fill system for Fleetwood after success with the speakers on Journey South’s UK tour.”

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Pipers at the gates of dawn

Mastering engineers are the final guardians before an album or movie goes to the production plant for mass replication. Following an era of decline, the survivors are the very pinnacle of technology. Audio Pro takes a snapshot…

M

ost experienced mastering engineers list their ears as their greatest asset. It is obvious that one needs to hear music to master it properly, but more importantly the mastering engineer’s role is to listen to the client’s brief and use the gear to bring that vision to life.

Since Audio Pro is not an audiological magazine, the crux of this feature will be the gear used in famous mastering studios around the world, rather than an insight into what nestles behind the conchae.

Mastering is a completely separate science from audio recording, which employs specialised gear, different directives and an altogether different type of engineering.

The truth is that even a band of seasoned professionals recorded by the best engineers at a high-end studio can produce an album with cracks, buzzes and imperfections. In the words of Stephen Marcussen: “Every knob in the studio is an opportunity to mess something up.”

In its basic form, mastering uses eq to clean frequencies, making a project clearer and bigger than the original. Compression is used to sonically connect tracks and give the project a uniform texture.

Mastering studios need accurate monitoring in an acoustically stable room and carefully selected gear to bring out the best sound possible.

Digital Domain, Miami, Florida BOB KATZ is a highly respected mastering engineer and equipment designer. His studio, Digital Domain, has seen work from the likes of Gram Parsons, Foghat and John Mock, and albums from Apple Jazz Records and the Six Degrees record label.

With such a varied scope of artists and musical genres, Digital Domain requires its digital and analog equipment to be of the highest

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quality and transparent. The studio has a variety of high-end outboard gear including Weiss (EQ1-LP, DS1-MK2, SFC2, DYN-LP), ZSystems, Waves L2, Sony, TC Electronic 6000, Crane Song (HEDD192, STC-8, Trakker) and Millenia Media NSEQ In lieu of printing to analog tape, Katz relies on Crane Song’s HEDD to add analog characteristics to digital signals. For up-sampling and down-sampling, he uses the Weiss SFC2, which processes at 96kHz and adds “a sense of robustness” to digital processing.

The second most important thing to Katz’s ears are his monitors.

Digital Domain’s main control houses Lipinski Sound L-707 loudspeakers, designed by Andrew Lipinski, who is recognised by the US National Bureau of Standards for his perfect hearing abilities. The two-way, bi-wired speakers are mounted on 150-pound sand-filled stands and anchored to a concrete slab. Additional JL Audio 12-inch Fathom subwoofers, crossed over at 65Hz, 24dB octave are also in place for LF reproduction. Pass Labs X250 amplifiers power the satellites in the room, while a 100-Watt power amp drives the subs. digido.com Super Audio Mastering, Devon, UK SUPER AUDIO Mastering’s Simon Heyworth’s main goal is to make sure that the work brought in by a client sounds the best it can possibly sound before it leaves his studio. He admits that sometimes all that is needed to master a beautifully recorded piece of music is one dB of compression, while other projects need further processing to bring out their full potential. “Mastering is not always about fixing things, rather, it is about providing a service and providing a master format for the reproduction factory,” he explains.

Heyworth does not believe that analog gear need always dominate a project. “Last week I had a totally digital project come in very loud,” he explains. “I used very small bits of analog and retained all the levels incorporated in the digital signal path. The feedback from the client was that it was even clearer and the digitisation was gone, making it sound more human.”

Super Audio Mastering is a round building with granite walls decorating the interior. The studio’s control room has a Classics Studer A80 and A820 and a unique Ampex 102 ATR with high flux heads and Aria electronics, all with both half inch and quarter inch replay and recording heads.

While the gear used on each project varies greatly, Heyworth uses a mixture of analog and digital equipment.

The centrepiece of the studio is an SPL MMC1 mastering console. DCS ADA, Meitner converters and Pacific Microsonics HDCD are also used for both surround and stereo imaging. He also uses analog equalisers and compressors by Avalon, Manley, Millenia and SSL’s XLogic Superanalogue multichannel compressor.

Digital gear at Super Audio includes outboard and plugins from Weiss, Waves and a fully loaded TC Electronics 6000 multichannel processing platform for adjustments in stereo and surround, with a Sonic Studios HD for DAW mastering.

The control room is also equipped with TDL stereo and M&K surround monitoring to provide an accurate and full range audio response. superaudiomastering.com

Bob Katz with the gear that creates a ‘sense of robustness’

Marcussen Mastering, Hollywood HOLLYWOOD’S Marcussen Mastering has a notable client list and head engineer, Stephen Marcussen, has worked with some of the biggest bands and artists in the business, including Johnny Cash, Kiss, Nirvana, Ozzy Osbourne, Paul McCartney, Prince, Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs among many others.

Marcussen firmly believes that if you can’t hear you can’t work. As such, he feels that state-of-the-art monitoring is key and uses B&W’s Nautilus 802 monitors in a control room designed by George Augspurger. The 802s have twin bass drivers housed in a more narrow and compact cabinet than earlier models, which adds detail and imaging to the sound.

Marcussen’s B&Ws are augmented by Velodyne subwoofers and additional Quested two-way, nearfield H108 monitors.

His control room also houses a Maselec MTC 6 surround console, which he uses in conjunction with Maselec eqs. His analog gear also includes outboard from Prism Sound eqs, and Manley and SSL compressors.

Although he admits to not having had success printing to analog tape, he uses tube eqs and works with eq applied in appropriate places. The studio also has Nuendo, Pro Tools and Sonic Solutions on its in-house workstations.

In addition to mastering for big bands and giant Hollywood movies such as Walk Hard, Marcussen also sees work recorded in project and home studios. In his opinion: “No one can benefit more from a proper mastering studio than a project studio.

“Mastering can help everyone at every level. Sometimes an album is recorded in a studio that is not acoustically treated or it might not have accurate monitoring and I can help the client by letting them hear the music in a controlled environment and translate it to a car stereo or a living room.” marcussenmastering.com

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environment. “Mastering studios were very intimidating 20 years ago. We tried to make Metropolis relaxing and sonically comfortable. We have big monitors with great bandwidth in a realistic environment,” concludes Murray. metropolis-group.co.uk

Metropolis Mastering, London The engineers at Metropolis Mastering have seen some monumental recordings come through their doors. From The Verve’s Urban Hymns to remastering for Elton John and The Smiths, the studio’s client base is an endless list of superstar musicians with loads of chart topping albums and singles.

Among its acclaimed engineers is Tim Young, who won a Grammy for the mastering of The Beatles’ Love album.

Metropolis technical director Chrispin Murray feels that the success of the studio lies partially in the PMC monitors in each room. He explains: “We have had a few sessions where people have come in and said, ‘I didn’t hear that in my recording’ and stopped the session to go back and remix.

Also, early ADA converters had something wrong with the DC and we detected and corrected that in our mixes.

“The PMC monitors and our acoustic design have helped us remain a leading studio and in some instances pushed the industry as a whole to another level.”

While the rooms at Metropolis are packed with gear, some common elements between the rooms are Maselec consoles and eqs, Summit eqs and Manley Variable Mu compressors.

The studio also relies heavily on Prism’s ADA converters.

“They don’t over flatter everything,” points out Murray.

“But they are very clean, open and produce amazingly wide stereo that is brilliant to work with. We also tend to use them as the main clock for the room. The master clock on their DA converters gives you that little bit more.

“Whatever we do we try and put together a little bit more.

It is the culmination of these small elements that make the finished product sound that much better.”

Another bit of kit frequently used is the TC Electronics 6000 and Waves L2 Ultramaximizer plugins. “The TC provides great flexibility in surround mixes,” says Murray.

“The M6000 features the MD4, a five-band dynamics processor with phase linear reconstruction that can operate in dual mono, stereo and MS modes and has DXP low-level detail enhancement capability.

Another technique that Metropolis still uses is adding echo to the mastering stage. “There are a few clever ways to add echo, especially if someone has compressed something too much,” states Murray. “We have ways of making it more dynamic with a subtle amount of echo. You can’t detect it from the masters, but it helps the finished product.”

Murray has worked hard to ensure that the rooms at Metropolis are comfortable and the studio has an easygoing 28

November 2008

The view from the back of Marcussen Mastering

Stephen Marcussen (below): “Every knob in the studio is an opportunity to mess something up”

West West Side Music, New Windsor, NY Alan Douches of West West Side Music has been mastering great bands for over 15 years. Not only is he the engineer of choice for American indie and hardcore bands such as The Misfits, Hatebreed, Ted Leo and Sufjan Stevens, Douches has also worked on albums by Fleetwood Mac, Yes and Human League. As such, West West Side is experienced at providing a quick turn around for major labels, while being able to work within the budget constraints of indie labels.

A spokesperson for the studio explains: “In mastering, it has always been our goal to bring the best objective and subjective points-of-view together and create, together with the production team, the very best possible final master.”

Communication is once again stated as the key element to getting a project done properly at West West Side and Douches has assembled a collection of unique gear over the years to address the needs of various projects.

While Douches has a Sonic Solutions, he favours Pro Tools because of the many options it offers. While using Pro Tools, he frequently uses Metric Halo’s SpectraFoo Signal metering analysis software. He also uses the Pendulum Audio PL-2 Analog Peak Limiter and the TC Electronic System 6000 for surround work. westwestsidemusic.com The Lodge, New York City Emily Lazar, owner of New York City’s The Lodge mastering studio, has provided mastering for artists including Lou Reed, David Bowie, Sonic Youth, Morrissey and Depeche Mode among others. She prides herself on blending old school techniques with a youthful eye on music and technology.

One of the main attractions of the studio is its Ampex ATR-102 one-track tape machine, one of the few studios in the city to feature analog gear. Her ability to mix technology with music and maintain artistic integrity has helped her and the studio attract international attention and acclaim from the music and film industries.

The Lodge was started in 1997 and the company has since expanded to include offices in Texas, London and Tokyo. thelodge.com

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J. Robbins, The Dismemberment Plan and Ian MacKaye at Inner Ear

Good guys don't wear white Don Zientara’s studio started on the back porch and moved on to be one of the most influential spaces in the business. Andrew Low looks inside Inner Ear...

D

on Zientara has made a career out of recording some of the most revolutionary music of the three decades. From recording with archetypal hardcore band Minor Threat in his basement to creating a purpose-built studio in a commercial space near Washington, DC, Zientara has established Inner Ear Studios as a place where creativity rules.

Zientara has kept his finger on the pulse of the movement with his friend and long time colleague, Ian MacKaye of Dischord Records.

Together the pair have help shaped the sound of the post-punk movement. Although mainstream intervention has stolen a few of the bands, the remaining musicians and producers associated with the studio continue to create brilliant recordings, which constantly push the boundaries of modern music.

He says about the early days of Inner Ear: “You have to remember the attitude of punk music at the time. It was a movement that didn’t have much credence with mainstream music, and some would say not at all. They were free to try anything they damn well pleased because no-one was paying them any attention anyway. In the words of Janis Joplin [sic], ‘Freedom is just another name for nothing left to lose.’

They had nothing left to loose by shouting as loud as they can. And it someone heard them, good. If not, then that’s the way it goes.”

Zientara stumbled into the DC punk scene by accident. He moved to the area to pursue a masters degree in painting and print making at West Virginia University. He was soon taken by the Vietnam draft, which led him to a job working with art and painting for the army in Washington DC. After his service he began working at the city’s

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National Gallery of Art, at first framing pictures and drawings, but then in the gallery’s recording studio.

After five years managing a private studio, he got tired of not being behind the board and started his own business. His first studio was a rudimentary set up consisting of a porch-side control room, a low speed four-track tape recorder and Shure mixers that were essentially volume controls for the microphones.

“Music needs to kick the world around and make it take notice.”

Don Zientara on mainstream music “I had no tone controls at all. If something needed a different tone I would simply move the mic or use a different mic, which were all crappy, so it didn’t matter anyway,” he jokes.

“For reverb units I used my Fender twin reverb amp and simply routed things that needed reverb into one channel and yanked the reverb up all the way.”

The porch control room was soon moved into a furnace room in the basement of his home where summer mixing sessions were done in nothing more than a pair of underwear.

Due to publicity from recording early Dischord artists, he moved into a bigger space and built a proper studio from the ground up. Inner Ear now houses an Amek Angela Console with Mackie automation and Neve preamps, an Otari MTR-90 24-track, two-inch tape machine and an industry standard Pro Tools set up.

The Amek board has served him well over the years and is still in place for recording. He explains: “It is a very flexible board. It has thousands of buttons on it and there are many different ways of routing things. It is an in-line board with Neve Class A discrete preamps. There are six dedicated auxes and sends, but there are ways to route another 24.”

A unique collection of microphones also helps craft the sound of recordings made at Inner Ear. “I don’t have a particular sound I want to put on the band. They have a sound they want and I just pick the mics that I deem appropriate to get the sound they are going for.”

He commonly uses Neumann’s M 149 tube mic for recording vocals, as well as a Milab VIP-50 with a rectangular diaphragm. He also uses Neumann SM 69 stereo mics for drum overheads.

“I have problems or solutions for certain sounds. I use old AKG PA mics that are neat for guitars because they have a restricted frequency range, which is the main thing people should consider when choosing a mic. These days there are broad specs for mics – 80,000 cycles down to 20,000: this is unnecessary. Mics should really focus on the mid-range area.

Extremes are sexy to listen to, deep thumping bass and dog whistle-type treble sounds are good, but they not as memorable as something that has midrange shaped and sculpted to sound good.”

Some older throwback pieces used at Inner Ear include an Alesis MidiVerb 2. “It has a few programs that I use almost every mix, chorus and reverbs that I can’t do without,” he continues. He also has four compressors of his own design that are based on LA-2s optical solid-state compressors that are continually in use.

“Other weird things that I use are the SE-70 Boss box. It has some neat effects and chains of effects. I also like the Amex 9098 compressors designed by Neve, as well as ADL and Drawmer compressors and gates. I have about 20 different compressors that do certain things well. For bass I use a dbx 160 compressor because I know it works really well.

Then there is the Fostex compressor that wasn’t great at the time, but it works well with kick drums and snares if you use them correctly.

“I use the board preamps a lot, but I have others like the Blue Robbie that I use on the kick drum. It has a deep rich sound and a loosened dampening factor, which is another thing that engineers should consider: the dampening factor for different preamps and amplifiers they are using.

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Inner Ear’s Amek console doubles as a bed for tired musicians

Zientara uses Nuemann SM-69 stereo mics for drum over heads

“If you want a nice thick sound you shouldn’t use something that has tight dampening. You want something that has a roll off at the tail end of the envelope and a very quick attack to get the snap and the heft of the drum.

“The same theory applies to monitoring. I have been getting into monitoring and I have five pairs, Westlake BBSM-12s, Mackie HR824s, Yamaha NS10s and a few others that I jump between during mixing. Some have the dampening at the end where it tails off and produce a nice thick sound, but too much of a tail is too muddy.”

Zientara makes a point to know each piece of equipment intimately, re-reading the manual for each piece of gear several times. He believes that one of the problems with modern recording gear is by the time an engineer gets to know a piece of equipment it is obsolete.

“It is sad that you can’t set yourself up to do recording these days,” he goes on. “Instead, you buy into a rental programme where you are getting equipment and paying rent on it, but anything in your set up, if it is modern, is going to be obsolete in a very short time.

“Things like the Lexicon PCM-70 were extremely deep and were around for a long time. I have one, and I am still learning about it, and it still has life to it, but it has been usurped by a lot of other things.”

Aside from his collection of hand picked gear, the extremely modest Zientara cannot give a proper explanation why so many bands have been so successful after recording at Inner Ear. “People have asked that before and I will be damned if I know,” he laughs. “I suspect that it is probably my work style and how I approach things. It has always been very experimental from my end. That is what music is. When a band comes in, there are very few cookie-cutter ways to do things. I might pick a mic that I used previously on the guitar or snare, but beyond that everything is kind of new.

“I like to think that you come into a session hearing a snare drum for the first time. First you think of the best way to hear the drum in the song, how it fits with the other instruments and then you try to fit it in and see if that works, rather than recording a good sounding snare drum and hoping it works for the song. That is a backwards way of doing it.”

Years of experience as a studio owner and engineer have taught Zientara to be sceptical about the gear of the minute and choose pieces that have depth and longevity, a mind set that only further develops the recording coming out of the studio. The creativity of the musicians and producers using Inner Ear is tantamount to the inventive techniques used during the session. In his words: “Music needs to kick the world around a little bit and make it take notice.” innerearstudio.com

November 2008

31

Each month, TL Audio’s Sarah Yule offers her personal insights into the world of sound recording, mixed with some hot tips for you to try out...

Quick fix trix Sarah Yule gives some simple tricks to help glue your mix together

T

he world is watching and the countdown to the US elections is on. While Obama and McCain are battling over how they should help Main Street and either bail out or crack down on Wall Street, Gordon Brown is trying to hold on to Downing Street long enough to meet the new president and Sarah Palin is well… who knows what Sarah Palin is?

A politician in some ways is a little like the magician David Blaine: high risks, a little trickery, some mind games and a lot of media attention and money with some unconvincingly important stunts. A little magic may indeed be needed to step up to the role of the new US president, the selected candidate has a lot to prove and people will expect quick fixes.

On a much smaller and less catastrophic scale a bit of magic and a quick fix is something that is often asked of the mix engineer. A number of friends of mine say they are often handed low quality recordings and poorly arranged and mixed projects that they are then expected to turn into a hit by the next day for little money.

So are quick-fix mixes possible? The truth appears to be that they are becoming a frequent reality as deadlines tighten, budgets are cut and the general quality control barriers of music creators seem to open. Maybe this is in part inspired by our MP3 generation listeners, maybe by lack of experience from artists and producers or maybe as people just rally around in search of the next project, next hit and next pay cheque.

The simplest way to quickly improve a sound recording is by giving the stereo mix a little treatment. The best way to do this, in my mind, is to add a little compression to help glue the mix together and a little eq to sweeten it.

I also think it is good to do this using analog gear, as it seems to add some depth and warmth to the mix. I believe that using analog gear compared to digital is similar to the difference in cooking in an oven or in a microwave; sometimes the microwave can be quicker, cheaper and easier, but it just doesn’t taste or look the same as when cooked in a good old fashioned oven.

Try using a stereo compressor/eq on the outputs from your DAW. If you don’t have a dedicated eq, try using your desk’s eq if you have some and see if they have a nice sound to them. Obviously it depends on the material for exact settings, but an easy lift can be created with a smile curve eq boost.

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This entails a boost in the low, a cut in the mids and a boost in the highs. Usually this will quickly add some depth and sparkle to the mix.

As for compressor settings, it depends what condition the material you have is in. If you are pre mastering, try not to over-compress and squeeze all of the dynamic range out of the song, but you can afford to whack up the ratio a bit if your material allows it without sounding too condensed.

I find that if you do use a lot of compression it sounds nicer on the ear to keep a soft knee with short attack and slow release. Always A/B what you are doing frequently and be careful not to just use a compressor as a fancy volume knob.

If you have access to all the files but no time to mix it over again, then there are other ways you can give the mix a little TLC. Often poorly mixed tracks can sound very thin, boxy and muddy. The first thing I would check is reverb: Is there enough? A lack of reverb can make a track sound unnatural and boring with no space definition.

Try making quick groups of your drums, guitars, strings and vocals.

Then set up a separate reverb aux for each group. This way you can very quickly add some suitable reverb trails to the different instrument components. Be careful not to lose intelligibility by keeping reverb times shorter; use less pre delay and diffusion if you need to.

If you have a console or summing mixer, you can also bring the track out through it to sum in analog. This will tend to give an impression of greater width, depth and separation in the mix.

Combining summing with compression and eq will produce good results, so look out for summing mixers that have insert points to make this easier.

A quick fix is expected from everyone when the pressure is on and although quick fixes don’t always address the problem (in this case a poor recording or mix), they aim to make it better in the interim and then earn the trust to fix the problem in the future.

Sarah Yule is an experienced audio engineer and Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) graduate. After graduation, Yule became one of the first sales staff for Dolphin Music. She currently works for TL Audio where she was recently promoted to the position of sales director, which is partially due to the success of her conceptual design of the Fat Track Tube Production Suit.

www.audioprointernational.com

Behind the board with...

Ger Colclough Ger Colclough has been working as a monitor engineer for the past 15 years. His credits include shows and tours with the likes of Divine Comedy, New Order, Primal Scream, The Charlatans, Adele, Kosheen and many more. Currently, Colclough is mixing monitors for My Bloody Valentine’s world tour on a Midas H3000...

What decision process was behind the choice of the H3000 console?

The artist didn’t want digital boards on the tour – as a reformed band from the early 90’s he only wanted to use analog consoles and outboard.

Favourite PA or monitoring system?

L’Acoustic HiQ, d&b audiotechnik.

Which band are you currently working with?

My Bloody Valentine.

Favourite venue/festival/studio?

Olympia Theatre, Dublin – fantastic atmosphere. Electric Picnic, Ireland – it’s a mini Glastonbury, but with good weather (I’m not biased, honestly).

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What’s been your worst professional experience to date?

I recently had my board go down during the show – PANIC! What’s been your career highlight?

Had the pleasure, several years ago, doing monitors for James Brown. It was brilliant. What a showman and band leader. It was a fantastic gig and I had goosebumps all the way through.

What makes you happy when working?

Cider with the crew, no feedback, days off and PDs. With hindsight, what job would you have chosen for yourself?

Stuntcock.

November 2008

33

Spanish inclinations VMB has taken the speaker market by storm in the past year, having taken PA duties on Glastonbury’s Park Stage and revolutionised the industry with the world’s first built-in inclinometer. Gary Cooper gets out his dictionary…

T

here might have been a time when audio equipment was firmly the domain of what is known as the ‘anglosphere’, but today continental European manufacturers are increasingly coming to the fore. Take Spain’s VMB, for example. Though the company has been in existence since 1967, when Vicente Matali began making valve amplifiers, mixers and small PA equipment, its rise to international prominence as a speaker company has occurred relatively recently – and particularly since the launch of the Lynx line array systems in 2006. Prior to that, VMB had been best known for its well-respected trusses and towers and if that seems an unusual combination of product types – it is.

This is one of the major reasons VMB has chosen to develop Lynx as a distinct brand.

VMB’s export manager, Ben Sinclair, admits the breadth of VMB’s product range can be challenging. “We do manufacture quite a range of products, it’s true – lifts, cabinets, amps, processors, trussing, you name it. The thing to note is that there aren’t many companies who do actually manufacture all of that themselves, but we do. Everything is manufactured here and always has been, we have never gone down the route of manufacturing in China or even Eastern Europe.”

A major supplier both in its native Spain and across the EU, VMB has only quite recently become widely known in the UK.

“It is a relatively new market for us,” Sinclair says. “When I started three years ago, we weren’t doing anything in the UK and it’s only been since MilTec took on distribution that things began to move.

The real coup, though, was doing the Park Stage at Glastonbury.

Being chosen for that and the positive comments that have flowed since, has made a tremendous difference to our presence in that market.

“We are the first Spanish company to have a system there and it’s quite a big stage – 20,000 people – it was quite a feather in our caps.”

The Lynx V8 provided the sound this year for artists as diverse as Pete Doherty, Franz Ferdinand and John Cale. Under the auspices of the South West Group, the system comprised eight Lynx V8 active top boxes, with six Lynx active 218 sub-woofers per side, driven through the new Ark 48 system processor.

Operations manager, Mark Bott, explains: “We’d already heard the Lynx at the VMB headquarters in Spain and were suitably impressed with the sound from such a compact system. We wanted to put the Lynx through its paces and the Park Stage was the perfect opportunity.

We were allocated a very limited weight to fly from the speaker towers and the Lynx line array meant we could get everything we wanted into the air with very little flying equipment. The Park Stage is erected in a natural amphitheatre and the line array allowed us to control

VMB may be best known for its engineering, but it is most proud of the Lynx line array.

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www.audioprointernational.com

more effectively the focus area of the sound. While adhering to all the noise regulations, we also had the spread of an audience of 20,000, but everybody was still very happy with the system.”

And however many concerts a company might provide sound for, there is these days considerable kudos in getting the Glastonbury gig.

“I don’t think there can be anything bigger – maybe that’s because I’m British, but really, it doesn't get much bigger than that.

And for a line array that has only been going for two years to have achieved that is pretty impressive,” says Sinclair. He admits, though, that there is a slight uphill struggle involved when a company that is renowned for its engineering products suddenly delivers a world-class line array. Sinclair, not unreasonably, points out that VMB actually started out making audio products, so is hardly coming late to the party – it just hadn’t been much known outside of Spain for that particular expertise.

“We really are best known for our lifts. We’ve set the standards in terms of safety, engineering and features and we’ve got distribution in over 40 countries now. This year we introduced two new tower lifts, new line array lifts and there is a tremendous amount of work that goes into designing and developing these.”

VMB may be best known for its engineering, but what it’s most proud of, Sinclair says, is the acclaim which has greeted the Lynx line array.

“Everyone who has heard it has been blown away,” he beams.

Considering the use of premium components, including CIARE speakers, B&C drivers and Bang and Olufsen amplification, with VMB’s own DSP incorporated in each enclosure, it is widely considered to be up there with the best.

There is also the inclusion of the Lynx system’s built-in inclinometer, which is also grabbing attention.

“I think this came about because we have a really young team of engineers

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The Lynx array on Galstonbury’s Park Stage – a big gig in anyone’s book

“Although this is an area where we are not well known, we are a leading company in R&D.”

VMB’s team of engineers has a youthful energy that gets people excited and attracts a lot of attention

who are really excited about the product. It has attracted a lot of attention,” Sinclair says.

The Lynx inclinometer system feeds angle information to the processor and the signal conditioning algorithms change accordingly. What makes it significant is that this is the first system to be offered with a built-in inclinometer and its ability to automatically adjust the system for the right throw makes the Lynx line array not just very affordable, but also easy to set-up and use.

Because the VMB range is so broad, a marketing decision has been taken to promote the Lynx name in its own right “It's a policy we also adopted with Arkeops, our digital processors. Again, we’ve been manufacturing digital processors for a long while – and we do actually manufacture them. They aren’t bought-in from elsewhere. In fact we do a lot of OEM work for other ‘big name’ manufacturers. We’ve had our own R&D department for years and have never outsourced our development, so although this is an area where we might not be so well known, we are actually one of the leading companies in the field.”

Indeed, Sinclair goes on to name several industry ‘big names’ whose DSPs are actually designed and made by VMB – but, sadly, whose client confidentiality clauses prevents us from naming.

“It’s a family run company that is also quite unique in this day and age,” Sinclair concludes. “Perhaps the thing that sets us apart is that we actually research, design and manufacture our products. I think that makes us quite special.” vmb.es

November 2008

35

Going Dutch Alcons Audio proprietary ribbon driver technology makes audio about as clean as it can be. But Tom Back reveals to Gary Cooper that this might not be to everyone’s taste – so some education is called for…

S

hould you have found yourself wandering around any large-scale pro audio show during the past few years, you will be forgiven for wondering just how many line array systems manufacturers think the market can absorb. Line arrays now seem to have become such an orthodoxy that everyone has crammed into the field to offer their own take on the concept. Which is, of course, fine – there’s nothing to compare with having a good choice – but it makes it hard not just for users to decide where to look, but also for manufacturers to differentiate their products from everyone else’s.

This is not a problem for Dutch company, Alcons Audio, however, as its take on line array is distinctly different – not least due to the use of the proprietary ribbon driver technology, which the company has dubbed ‘pro-ribbon’.

Ribbons aren’t new, of course, though they have their fair share of mythology about them, with conventional wisdom suggesting that while they produce a high quality sound, they have limitations due to fragility, limited power handling and in-built inefficiencies.

But that was then and Alcons is now.

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With over 20 years design and development work and several patents behind the ribbon technology it uses, Alcons has come up with a unique offering which, managing director Tom Back believes, has addressed all the objections and resulted in a series of worldbeating systems at the top end of the market.

“We started Alcons Audio in October 2002, with the intention of being in the top sector of the market and I think, five years later, that’s what we have achieved,” he says. “We started offering pretty general types of products – point source – but the difference is in the mid and high frequency transducer technology, where we use the pro-ribbon.

“My partner here, Philip de Haan, Dr Phil we call him, has over 25 years background with this transducer technology, which originally began with Philips and the isophasic tweeter. It wasn’t a success for Philips, because it was, and still is, a pretty expensive thing to make and Philips is in consumer electronics. But over the years, Dr Phil has worked on different generations of this technology and developed it.

The materials have evolved and by the time we started, he had arrived at a different view of how to make a pro-ribbon transducer.”

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Alcons’ system is finding more and more prestige installations as word spreads of its products’ quality

The result was Alcons’ 601, a six-inch pro-ribbon design.

Since then, the company has continually pushed ahead with its pro-ribbon technology and now offers a wide range of systems taking advantage of the high audio clarity for which it is becoming increasingly well regarded.

“The system produces a completely different sound,” Back says. “We’re in a market where everybody is always saying they strive for the best possible sound reproduction, but for us that means what you put in should be what you get out, but the majority of the market doesn’t seem to recognise this, probably because they are so used to the sound that comes from traditional speakers that they have a problem dealing with the truth when they actually hear it.

“We strive for complete accuracy, so we design and make a complete package – not just the speakers, but the amp and the processors too, so it’s real ‘plug and play’. Our philosophy is that the engineer should only have to contribute ten per cent to adapting the system to suit the venue and for the rest he can concentrate on mixing. With older systems, and even some contemporary ones, they need a lot of time setting up and aligning and equalising and in the end it’s always a compromise. Mixing the band suffers because so much time has been spent getting the system right. We aim to remove most of that wasted time.

“Having said that, it depends on what sound the engineer is expecting. If he’s expecting the same sound he gets from a compression driver from our pro-ribbon system – well, that is impossible. We could come close if we put a compressor on the system, but you would still lack the distortion you get from a compression driver.”

This can actually create a serious marketing problem as some studio monitor makers have discovered in the past.

Engineers used to a certain type of sound can react negatively when confronted with more accurate reproduction and this is, Back admits, sometimes a problem.

Although it is a battle, he says, they are winning.

“It didn’t bother us too much because we started the business to cater for people who truly talk audio, who really understand what a natural sound is and who can deal with it. The company is doing very well from this philosophy. We sell around the world from Chile to the Far East, Russia, South Africa – just about everywhere. Generally, the rental companies pick up the product first, while installation companies tend to rely on consultants who are more conservative, so they come later. You can see this in Germany, where we started in 2003 and where we have the widest scope of companies using our products. Rental companies working in live sound, audiovisual and corporate events and we also have cinema customers – a market that is developing very quickly for us. So it starts with the rental companies and later, when the product is being used, consultants start to get interested in it. Then dealers get interested by the quality of the sound and that’s how the installation side of the market develops.”

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“It starts with the rental companies and later the consultants start to get interested.”

Tom Back

Tom Back catering to people who truly talk audio

The UK office is a recent development for Alcons, having opened in July. “When we started, as a Dutch company with a very small home market, we immediately looked to open in Germany and we have a product that will appeal to that market as it’s high quality engineering for a wealthy market which can afford quality products. From that experience we decided to have our own offices rather than rely on distributors, so we kept a limited profile in the UK until we were ready, although we already had high-profile customers like Autograph and Orbital, who were using it in West End theatrical productions.”

But technology alone, as Back is the first to stress, is not enough. Realistically, he points out how you can never be sure someone else isn’t working on similar technology, so you must have more to offer than just that and in Alcons case, he says it is direct application support and giving a sense of involvement that makes all the difference.

“At the top end of the market where we are, the sound engineer wants an involvement and he wants to have his say and we listen to that. It’s interesting how the major audio companies each have their own typical customers, but at the top end, the true professionals, while they may have a preference, they aren’t dogmatic and they are open to new ideas. That’s the type of customer we appeal to.”

It may not be the archetypal rock n roll system (though Tom Back insists it can actually do a fantastic job with rock, providing the engineer understands the need to add compression to mimic the typically ‘squeezed’ rock sound) but for applications where ultimate quality is demanded: classical, opera, theatrical and the like, Alcons Audio’s pro-ribbon technology is winning increasing numbers of converts. alconsaudio.com theribbonnetwork.net

www.audioprointernational.com

Running the show With the festival season over, SSE’s senior project manager Miles Hillyard has at last found himself back in the office with time to take stock of the summer. Rob Hughes takes this golden opportunity to speak with one of the busiest men in events…

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choing the sentiments of many other industry figures, Miles Hillyard recalls: “I decided at a very early age that I didn’t want a desk job. I left school when I was 16 and put myself through a youth training scheme for ten months to get into a small theatre.

Once I’d proved myself, I became deputy stage manager.”

Beginning his career as a teenager in the Channel Islands, Hillyard then worked his way through three AV companies, starting off as a technician, working up to being a project manager and then becoming an operations manager.

“Because Jersey is such a small market, I acquired a very good technical and practical approach. There aren’t any freelancers and you have to own all the kit yourself. When I decided four years ago that it was time to move on and develop my skills further in the UK, I did a few months of freelancing in London before I was headhunted by a recruitment agency to come and work for SSE.” Currently thriving in his role as senior project manager for the sound solutions company, Hillyard handles a long and high-profile list of events across the UK, which this year included the Liverpool City of Culture opening ceremony, Gatecrasher Summer Sound System, Global Gathering, V Festival, Reading and Leeds, Escape in the Park and touring accounts for acts such as Mark Ronson.

“Events companies work in a variety of ways,” Hillyard explains, “but here at SSE I have a very hands-on role. Not only am I doing deals with clients, drawing up quotes and working out budgets, I also do a large amount of technical stuff as well: specifying the systems, choosing the crew and overseeing logistics.

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November 2008

“I have to keep an eye on all the nuts and bolts to make sure that the client gets the best possible results.

“In my role, you need to know CAD, system design and numerous computer programs, such as EASE,” he continues. “It’s also important for me to be aware of future planning in terms of what the company should be buying and what I think is going to happen next year.”

Perhaps the most valuable tool at Hillyard’s disposal is communication and he constantly reiterates just how fundamental this is to a successful event. He emphasises that not only is it crucial to keep onsite staff in the loop, but those back at the warehouse as well.

“I keep an eye on all the nuts and bolts to make sure the client gets the best results.”

“It’s not just a case of adding equipment on to a booking and telling accounts to make sure it’s invoiced – seven trucks is no easy thing to do. Because we’re so busy, in the course of a week we can have 40 articulated lorries, so we need to make sure that everybody here is informed of what is going on. We turn one gig into another gig very quickly and our facility here allows us to do that.”

As the festival season draws to a close and with it the last of the outdoor events for which SSE is renowned, Hillyard finds himself spending much of his time at the company’s Birmingham-based headquarters, giving him chance to focus on some of the current winter touring accounts. During the summer months, however, he will be in the office only two or three days a week, spending the rest of his time out in the field to oversee events and ensure that everything happens according to plan.

“Global Gathering is a classic example,” he notes. “We look after the whole site and there were nine arenas this year. Global is a very big project for an audio company. It involved seven articulated lorries of audio equipment and 32 members of crew. These events are always a challenge due to difficult offsite noise regulations. I deal with independent and council environmental health officers, I spend the night running around adjusting arena systems to keep sound levels under control. Balancing on and off site levels is difficult and, due to changing conditions, needs constant attention.”

As well as an on-site presence at this year’s Global Gathering, council teams also employed off-site meters and specified very specific terms with regard to the licence.

Officials monitored individual frequencies at the event, which had a considerably lower threshold than most festivals – around 64dB at 63Hz after 11 o’clock at night. Hillyard points out that this is a very difficult level to enforce on a site of that size, and that if the wind is in the wrong direction, the fairground and general crowd noise can exceed that on its own.

Hillyard describes how at most events he is at some stage put into a situation where he needs to make a compromise and at events such as festivals, the structures involved – sometimes at the request of the artist – can often dictate elements of the audio design, which usually prove less than ideal.

“It’s always a juggling act to make things work for everybody. We try to give the artist exactly what they want as much as possible and within reason. We try to adhere to their rider as closely as we can, but nine times out of ten compromises have to be made.”

Compromises notwithstanding, the set up for live events can often be fraught with problems. Setbacks are inevitable given their complex nature and Hillyard explains that, as with all build schedules, problems do arise. To construct any large event from scratch in an outdoor environment for a brief period of time is a huge undertaking.

He cites intricate planning, consistent communication and the highest pre-production levels as key contributors to

At any event (such as Mark Ronson on tour, above), personnel is key to success

success, but the most important factor, he insists, is personnel – particularly when it comes to Britain’s unruly climate.

“With any outdoor event, the biggest problem is the weather and I think it is for everybody. If you get two consecutive bad weeks of rain in the summer, it can knock all of the suppliers back. Generators, structural, trackway and plant are all integral to our set-up and if they have a problem, everything can grind to a halt for us. The only way any of us can deal with all types of problem is to choose the right people for the job. Whatever goes wrong, whether it’s caused by the elements or unforeseen circumstances, if you have the right personnel on board, the job gets done no matter what.”

Hillyard feels that such people are a precious resource; one which has too often been undervalued and even neglected.

He concludes: “The industry has, unfortunately, been overlooking these people. We are all in the process of becoming more and more of a grown-up industry with proper human resources and health and safety policies and it’s changing for the better all the time, but we all need to look after these people. If we don’t, it will be difficult to keep hold of the highly skilled individuals that this industry relies on.” www.sseaudiogroup.com

Hillyard worked on the Liverpool Capital of Culture opening ceremony

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November 2008

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SCRATCHING THE PAD

XTA swarms UK summer festivals SSE and Audile used XTA amps for this year’s hottest events...

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hose of you who braved the rubbish weather, long queues and mud-filled fields during this summer’s festival season also experienced the latest innovations in sound gear – as if you didn’t know Audile and SSE are two of the many companies responsible for delivering the live sound at festivals like Glastonbury, Bestival, Global Gathering and many others. While the music, terrain and atmosphere of each festival varied vastly, one constant shared by the companies was their use of XTA processors.

Based in Manchester, UK, Audile supplies sound, lighting and AV systems on a wet or dry-hire basis. Its festival rigs include Funktion-One self-powered Resolution 5s with F-221 subs (the latter featuring Funktion-One/XTA A6 amp modules), and passive

Resolution-5s/4s with F-218 subs, powered by MC2 amplifiers. The systems are controlled by XTA DP448s and GQ600s, with C2 compressors, G2 gates and a D2 dynamic eq in the insert rack.

SSE of London also relies on XTA’s DP226s and DP448 to control its L-Acoustics V-Dosc systems.

The wide range of music styles at each festival requires the processors to be transparent and adaptable to all genres. “The sound of a particular music style is shaped on the mixing console, so a correctly specified and set-up system will cope with any style. Our gear is chosen for its transparency and XTA drive is the best there is. It sounds great with any music,” said Audile director Rob Ashworth.

Ashworth also found the GQ600 dual 30-band

graphic eq invaluable at FOH due to its ability to let engineers make instant adjustments.

Audile also used a GQ600, DP224s and 226s to control its Turbosound TFM-450 monitors.

Ashworth feels that the XTA SiDD and D2 processors are invaluable items in its festival kit.

Spencer Beard, operations manager at SSE Audio, summed up his feelings of the XTA by stating: “The audio quality is very good and, most importantly, XTA is accepted by a lot of engineers. The processors are also very easy and intuitive to use.”

Enough said. xta.co.uk

Chuck Berry walks The Walk at Camp Bestival

Sennheiser gives voice to MTV Hosts speak out with Sennheiser gear at awards ceremony...

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resenters and artists at The MTV Video Music Awards this year used copious amounts of Sennheiser microphones and in-ear monitors.

RF specialist Soundtronics supplied presenters on the carpet with SKM 5000 handheld mics with Neumann KK 104S capsules, as well as four HMD 280 boom headsets. Three EM 3032 and EM 1031 channel receivers coupled with four ASA 3000 antenna splitters and three A 5000 CP antennas were also used in conjunction with the mics.

Host Russell Brand used a SKM 5200 to broadcast his comedy routine. Guest hosts Britney Spears, Jaime Foxx, Demi Moore and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps all used 5200s with KK 104 S capsules and six EM 3032 receivers for presenting on

the main stage. Additional Sennheiser and Neumann mics covered the audience, including MKH 416s shotguns on stage in an XY configuration combined with KM 184s for crowd sounds.

The star-studded cast of performers at the show also used Sennheiser mics and inears. Outdoor performances by the Jonas Brothers and Pink employed EW 300 IEM G2 transmitters and 40 SK 5212 belt packs. Creative Sound Solutions’ Butch McKarge, monitor engineer for several of the show’s performances, stated: “Everybody wore in-ears, and everybody except Kid Rock wore Sennheiser in-ears.”

R&B superstar Rihanna also used an SKM 5200 with a MD 5235 and KK 104 S capsule for her main stage performance, as did Leona Lewis, who sang through an

www.audioprointernational.com

SKM 5200/KK 104 S during her song with Lil Wayne and T-Pain.

Additional performances by Paramore, and TRV$DJAM, featuring former Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker and DJ AM, used the e905 and the wired evolution series e 604 and 605 mics for drums, respectively. sennheiser. co.uk

Russell Brand used an SKM 5200 at the MTV Awards – shortly before giving Andrew Sachs a bell

AFTER RELEASING the new Eclipse digital mixing console at PLASA08, Innovason has begun shipping models after great success during the Muzika Expo trade show in Prague.

Innovason’s Czech distributor, Music Data, took two orders at the show. The first order is for a rental company that already owns its Sy48 console – it purchased the Eclipse for its enhanced control support.

The second order was from a company which will use the board on theatre tours for music shows. The company was impressed with the high power and small footprint of Innovason’s new console. innovason.com ADLIB AUDIO supplied the sound system for the Ibiza Rocks 2008 season. Held at two 1,500-capacity outdoor venues, the festival hosted a variety of international artists, including The Enemy, Dizzee Rascal, The Streets, Soulwax, Pendulum and many others.

The company provided the main PA, which consisted of five JBL VerTec VT4888 enclosures per side. Three of Adlib’s DF418 subs per side were also used. At the Ibiza Rocks Hotel the subs were ground stacked three high on each side of the stage, while at the Hipódromo they were configured as three stacks of two boxes. adlibaudio.co.uk PRODUCER Steve Mac has achieved acclaim for his work with Il Divo and Leona Lewis.

Mac, owner of Rokstone studios, has recently purchased KMR Audio’s AEA high performance phantompowered Big Ribbon A440, the first to be purchased in Europe.

The A440 was designed with a flat frequency response and holds an accurate figure-eight polar pattern down to 20 Hz. It also has a smooth and articulate midrange, while the high end reproduces transients that are quick and detailed without hard edges.

Steve Mac stated: “I haven’t recorded with any other mic since I started using the A440.” kmraudio.com

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SCRATCHING THE PAD JAP SOUND has added RCF’s TT+ TTL33-A line array system and numerous other TT+ speakers to its stock. JAP Sound has become one of the select group in RCF’s Audio Partnership.

The TT+ is RCF’s flagship theatre and touring speaker system for live sound, large concert applications and permanent theatre installations and JAP has already used the TTL33-A line array for various corporate and live sound events.

JAP chose the RCF system after comparing it to other systems. Another factor in the decision was the support it received from RCF’s technical sales consultant, Greg Oliver. rcfaudio.com SPANISH automobile manufacturer, Seat, has purchased Auralex’s Elite Custom Fabric System for acoustic treatment of a new listening room at its Barcelona facility.

The room is designed to improve the acoustic quality inside Seat’s automobiles, with analysis, subjective evaluation and jury-testing of acoustic signals performed in the room.

Mas Acoustics supplied the Elite system after conducting an acoustical consultation of the space. Mas’ Lluis Moreno commented: “Neither the budget nor the room dimensions were large, but the results have been excellent.” auralex.com

SOUTH WEST London’s Capital Sound recently added KV2’s Audio EX system to its hire inventory. The system will be continually used for corporate retail events, including shows in London’s Armani stores and work entertaining the British Armed Forces overseas.

LMC Audio demonstrated the system for Capital and subsequently made the sale.

“The KV2 Audio brand is a genuinely exciting one and our belief in it is validated by every demonstration. Many respected sound companies are blown over by the sheer value, power and quality of the products,” said LMC’s Steve King. lmcaudio.co.uk

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DiGiCo so lucky for Kylie Pop’s first lady can’t get the SD7 and SD5 consoles out of her head

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ylie Minogue’s recent tour featured DiGiCo’s SD7 and SD5 consoles at both front of house and monitor positions. FOH engineer Chris Pyne upgraded to the new SD7 specifically for the tour.

With 65 inputs and variables in each song in the set, SD7’s snapshot feature came in handy for managing the complex set up.

“Every single song is different – it has a different bass drum, snare drum, this that or the other,” stated Pyne. “I couldn’t do the show without the programming and the console’s Snapshot feature, because I have to go through every single song and programme different eq, auxes and gain structures, etc. It has made my life considerably easier.”

The SD7 mixed sound on a Meyer Sound Milo/Mica

system with Martin Audio W8LM in/front fills. Audio to the board was delivered via AES/EDU, resulting in a totally digital signal chain.

The only outboard used for the shows were XTA D2 processors on the lead vocals, which were used across inputs from Sennheiser 5200 vocal mics.

Pyne also recorded the shows to a 48K ADK Multitrack recorder, which he used for playback during sound checks at each venue.

Pyne was very happy with the SD7’s performance and durability. “We’ve had it since February and we’ve dropped it, pushed it into trucks, dropped it again, covered it in dust and it’s been really, really good. It’s amazing for a product so new to survive what we’ve been doing with it,” he said.

Monitor engineer Rod Matheson mixed 11 in-ears for the band, a stereo mix

FOH engineer Chris Pyne upgraded to the SD7 for Kylie’s tour

for the stage wedges, two shakers for the drummer and mixes for the dancers that were sent to four speakers around the stage, additional stereo mixes for technicians and a stereo recoding to a CD recorder on the SD5.

The new V4 software proved integral to the multi-

faceted mix. “I use the latest V4 software that has a couple of extra bits on it that I like a lot,” he said.

“There are a few new functions that help monitoring, such as when you press an aux the graphics pop up so they’re right at hand.” digiconsoles.com

Crimson and Midas: no pussyfooting Reformed band more than happy with what it had to be happy with

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obert Fripp, the sole founding member of King Crimson, recently took his band on a short tour of select US cities to celebrate the band’s 40th anniversary.

The gigs featured Ian Bond at FOH behind Midas’s XL8 digital live console (dubbed the Hyparchic Regulator by Fripp in his blog) and were the band’s first shows since 2003. The ten shows also featured a Klark Teknik DN9696 hard disc recorder to record the live sets.

Bond has been a fan of Midas consoles for years.

“Using it is as straightforward as with a Heritage – you can walk up to it and be ready for a show in five minutes,” he said.

“For this particular tour, I put the XL8’s digital flexibility to task, running it for FOH, monitors and

November 2008

L-R: King Crimson’s Gavin Harrison and Tony Levin with Ian Bond (FOH), and Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp and Pat Mastelotto – and the Hyparchic Regulator

recording. It took about an hour to set up in rehearsals.

“I ran an internal ‘Y’ split, making channel 1 and channel 49 the same. One to 48 was the FOH desk; 49 to 96 was the monitor desk.

This meant I could give the band separate eqs and dynamics as necessary,

which we then routed to 21 monitor mixes – 16 stereo and five mono for wedges and in-ears. IEMs were particularly important as Fripp hid himself behind his effects rack to avoid distractions from the crowds.

Bond also felt the XL8’s sonic attributes were

essential to the tour, as there were different PAs in each venue. “The eqs are amazing – it was just like using an XL4, only better.”

The DN9696 hard disk recorder also allowed Bond to record the live shows in each venue. midasconsoles.com

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SCRATCHING THE PAD

Ferrari California recorded by Radium Portable HHB hard disk recorder used to help create supercar website

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ound designer Radium Audio has used the HHB Portadrive location sound recorder to capture the evocative sound of the new Ferrari California for the pre-launch website.

The 454bhp V8 supercar, which was the star attraction at last month’s Paris Motor Show, is set to go head-to-head with another eagerly anticipated motor upon its release – the Jaguar F-type – and Ferrari, determined to ensure its motor came out on top, has made a website where the car can be seen and heard being pushed to its limits.

For the petrol heads, the new California sports Ferrari’s first ever direct fuel injection in the 4.3 litre mid engine, as well as a new gearbox seven years in the development and a third generation F1 technology suspension system.

Back to the audio – at speeds of more than

200mph on a test track in northern Italy, Radium’s founder and creative director, Andrew Diey, who won the BBC Sound Designer of the Year award in 2006, recorded the car through all its rev ranges, using mic placements gathered from years of designing sound for PlayStation and Xbox games.

“The project demanded eight channels of high definition recording in a portable package, so the Portadrive was the obvious choice,” explained Diey.

“The Portadrive was recommended to us by colleagues in the film and gaming industries and I have to say it did a brilliant job. It was straightforward to use, and made it very easy for us to audition the recordings as we went.”

Portadrive combines 24/96 recording on a removable HDD with simultaneous multi-format

Andrew Diey knew exactly where to put his microphones

recording to an external device. Session based recording using either AES31-3 ADL or Pro Tools V5 formats simplifies the production workflow, with high-speed file transfer via a USB/Firewire docking station. Three fully equipped six-into-two digital mixers are built-in, along with comprehensive

timecode and synchronisation facilities.

Radium has a history of developing new audio recording methods for animators and games developers, such as EA Games, as well as clients including Volkswagon and Honda, and in the past year it has picked up five awards. radium-audio.com

Celebrity liner lives up to its name Electro Voice and Dynacord benefit from massive onboard installation

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elebrity Solstice, the largest cruise liner ever built in Germany, was recently launched on to its maiden voyage to Eemshaven in the Netherlands. Onboard sound was provided by Funa Nachrichtentechnik of Emden, featuring four networked Dynacord ProMatrix 4000 systems.

The system is the only one of its kind on the market to combine ELA (messaging/voice alarm/evacuation) with pro sound for recorded music.

The four Dynacord systems have a combined amplified power of over 53,000 Watts.

Over 350 loudspeaker lines to over 8,000 loudspeakers, including 350 Electro-Voice 309-8A, 520 Electro-Voice EVID C4.2, 30 Electro-Voice EVID C8.2 coaxial ceiling systems, and 70 Electro-Voice Sx80PIX,

run the length and breadth of the ship, as well as 16 Dynacord ProMatrix DPC keypanels, alongside further Electro-Voice loudspeaker systems for function rooms and entertainment areas.

Built for the American cruise line Celebrity Cruises, the Celebrity Solstice is 350 metres long by 36.8 metres wide and offers accommodation for 2,852 passengers in its 1,426 luxury cabins.

www.audioprointernational.com

It is the first of five cruise liners ordered by the company and has a registered tonnage of 122,000. The liner sports a lawn club with real grass, a glass museum and a multitude of exclusive restaurants and bars.

“We are extremely proud of this innovative new liner,” commented Bernhard Meyer of Meyer-Werft. “It is of a class notable for its extreme energy efficiency and the numerous

environmentally friendly solutions on board.”

Since 1985, over 25 cruise liners built by the German company have featured sound reinforcement systems from Electro-Voice and Dynacord, often in combination with mixers from Midas, sound processors from Klark Teknik and intercom systems from Telex RTS. dynacord.com

SOUNDFIELD has sold a digital DSF-2 microphone system and a DSF-3 digital 5.1 surround sound processor to satellite broadcaster Sky Sports for use on HD coverage of the Guinness Rugby Union Premiership.

The equipment has been installed in T16, the recently completed HD OB vehicle owned by UK broadcast facilities company Telegenic.

"We’ve been transmitting HD pictures for Rugby Union for several years, but without 5.1 surround to match. We wanted to upgrade what we were offering Sky’s Rugby fans,” explained Sky’s operations manager Keith Lane. “The Soundfield system has become the basis for OB HD surround sound.” soundfield.com KMR Audio has supplied Leona Lewis’ producer, Steve Mac, and his studio with the first AEA Big Ribbon A440 to be sold in Europe.

“Inspired by AEA’s 40 years of experience with ribbon mics, this mic has the greatest useable dynamic range of any ribbon mic manufactured today,” said KMR sales manager Keith Malin. “It is also the quietest ribbon mic in existence.”

Steve Mac added: “I haven’t recorded with any other mic since I started using the A440.” kmraudio.com HOLLYWOOD’S World Wide Wadio, has upgraded its studios to include the Fairlight Crystal Core.

Following the upgrade, all four rooms at the facility in Los Angeles are being driven by the Crystal Core (CC-1) engine. The studios are also now equipped with Fairlight Xynergi user interfaces, three of which are built into Fairlight Constellation consoles as the new Xynergi centre section panels.

“Our engineers do not live in any particular control room,” explained Laurent Jouvin, Wadio’s senior sound designer. “Xynergi surfaces will allow eye-hand coordination to be consistent, eliminating re-adjustments going from room to room.” fairlightau.com

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SCRATCHING THE PAD GRAMMY AWARD winning producer and engineer Chuck Ainley is using Royer ribbon mics on a new Elvis Presley Christmas duets album. The album, titled Elvis Presley Christmas Duets, pairs The King with modern country singers Carrie Underwood, Lee Ann Rimes and Martina McBride along with the vocalists that backed Presley on the original recordings.

While the music was tracked at RCA Records’ Studio B in Nashville, further recording and mixing is being done at Ainley’s own Sound Stage Studios. Ainley chose R-121 ribbon mics for ambient room miking and electric guitars, an R-122 ribbon mic for acoustic guitar and an R-122V vacuum tube ribbon microphone for strings. chuckainlay.com EMERGING, the UK distribution company for Merging Technologies, has supplied a MassCore mix engine and version 6 software upgrade for the Pyramix DAW at the Liverpool Institute of the Recording Arts (LIPA).

Installed last year, the Pyramix provides a DAW for students to gain vocationorientated recording experience. It is used in conjunction with the Institute’s existing Radar and Pro Tools recording systems.

“LIPA aims to provide its students with experience on as wide a variety of recording equipment as possible, so they’re best prepared for a career in recording, live sound or post-production after college,” said Jon Thornton, head of sound at LIPA. merginguk.com

OASIS will be using a Midas XL4 analog desk at FOH and an XL8 digital console for monitor mixes on their 14-month world tour.

FOH engineer Bruce Johnston decided to use the XL4 after mixing the band on digital consoles for several years. “Oasis are the perfect band for it; their last records have been really dirty and fuzzy and compressed, so I couldn’t justify going back out on digital,” Johnston said.

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Retail therapy, to be Shure Over $20,000 of wired and wireless mics supplied for new Dubai Mall

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he world’s biggest mall is being built in Dubai beside the Burj, the world’s tallest tower. The 5.9 million square-foot building will feature an Olympic-sized ice-skating rink, the world’s largest aquarium and the first Sega theme park – indoors, no less.

The turnkey solution company and AV contractor for the project, Bond Communications, has purchased over $20,000 worth of wired and wireless microphones from Nicolas Kyvernitis Electronics Enterprises, Shure’s distributor for the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman.

“We are obviously happy to see Shure being used in a prestigious project such as the Dubai Mall,” commented Chicco Hiranandani, the business development manager at Nicolas Kyvernitis.

“We would not accept anything less than the best as such an application would require a product that offered scalability, ruggedness and reliability,” he added.

The mall will include 36 channels of Shure’s UHF-R series, together with KSM9 microphones. The UHF-R series provides sound professionals with the features and flexibility to control up to 108 systems.

UHF-R wireless includes Shure’s patented Audio Reference Companding with its KSM9 Dual-Diaphragm wireless microphone.

It also features up to 75MHz bandwidth with 3,000 selectable frequencies, advanced Track Tuning Filtering technology, which shifts RF filter with frequency and switchable

The Dubai Mall – wired for sound courtesy of Shure

RF power on the transmitters.

The system masters the high pressure and extreme conditions of any large-scale touring or installation environment while delivering consistent and quality sound.

The Dubai Mall is set to open in the fourth quarter of 2008. It will take the current titleholder of the

world’s largest mall from the 7.1 million square-foot South China Mall in Dongguan, China.

Shopaholics should book their flights immediately in order to see (and hear) the new mall first hand. shuredistribution.co.uk

Goldfrapp shines at Sydney Opera Adamson helps synth wizards fill fans’ highest expectations

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ccompanied by a 14piece string section, the two-piece electronic band, Goldfrapp, recently performed at the Sydney Opera House as part of its seven-stop Australian tour, attracting in excess of 2,500 fans.

Sydney-based Norwest productions provided an Adamson PA system for the show, with multi-tasking system tech Justin Arthur taking care of sound design.

With the help of Adamson’s Shooter software, Arthur designed a flown stereo mains system, with each array made up of a dozen Y10 elements and a single SpekTrix with a 15degree wide-angle vertical enclosure as an underhang, providing coverage for the first few rows of the audience.

Two sets of side-fills consisted of six Y10 and five Y10 enclosures each,

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covering the multiple balconies on both sides of the stage. A further six SpekTrix enclosures were placed on stage as front fills, with a stack of four T21 subs on each side.

A total of 48 Lab.gruppen FP6400 amps powered the whole system and processing was handled by five Dolby Lake 4/12s.

A Digidesign Profile console was positioned at FOH, manned by Ben Findlay and Justin Arthur, who stood in for the opening act – Australian songstress, Bertie Blackman.

For monitors, a Yamaha PM1D was used to mix the signal sent to 14 Sennheiser G2 systems and a single EAW KF850 with an SB850 per side. Processing was handled by EAW UX8800s and amplification by three Lab.gruppen FP+10000Qs. Findlay noted that it had been the best sounding

Goldfrapp and friends at the ‘best sounding gig of the tour’

show on the tour so far, while Arthur commented on the quality of the venue: “If I had to find one problem, the only thing that comes to mind is that the room is just so live, although that cleans up the moment it is filled with punters.

“The PA sounded amazing,” he continued.

“I have done a few shows in that venue with both Adamson Y-Axis and LAcoustics Kudos, and the Adamson wins hands down.

The PA was so clear and it was like having a pair of monitors five metres away rather than a PA at ten times the distance.” adamsonproaudio.com

www.audioprointernational.com

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FOCUS: IN SESSION Audio Pro International’s regular section looking at the equipment

H

igh Barn Studio is located in north Essex, just 20 minutes from Stansted Airport, in the UK. With three studios and an adjacent live venue, High Barn offers a multitude of services from tracking to mixing, mastering, live recording and full surround sound DVD production.

High Barn is a Grade II listed medieval property that has been refurbished to maintain its historic timber framed structure with state-of-the-art facilities.

The acoustics of the barn make it ideal for recording bands, orchestras and choirs.

Microphones can also be routed to the control rooms from the live desk for live recordings and surround sound DVD production.

The recording rooms at High Barn were designed and built by BL Acoustics and its control room features a Pro Tools 7.3 HD2 Accel 48 I/O system, with a 96-channel Yamaha DM2000 digital mixing console as its centrepiece.

Studio One is used for vocals, guitars and keys and is big enough to house a string quartet or small choir. Studio Two is used for drums and percussion, but it is can be used for anything that requires complete acoustic separation from the other rooms.

An Akai DR16 Pros with RE32 is also available for tracking with adjacent Beyer Blue Sky 5.1 surround sound speakers in place for monitoring. drum kits

by Yamaha and Sonor, which are available for use during recordings, along with a Yamaha C6 grand piano and a Clavinova digital piano. The studio’s mic collection features classics and industry standard pieces by Neumann, AKG, Sennheiser, Beyer and Shure.

Aside from live and studio recording, High Barn also offers CD and DVD design and duplication, filming, music video production, corporate video production, multimedia and web services.

Telephone: +44 1371 811291 Web Address: www.high-barn.com

W

es Maebe is the man behind GHQ. While he is a freelance FOH and recording engineer, Maebe also has a mastering and mixing studio in Shepherds Bush called Sonic Cuisine.

An APRS board member, Maebe has an impressive resume for a man in his early 30s. His past credits include work with Sting, Roger Waters, The Kooks, Dirty Pretty Things, The Buzzcocks and many others.

After a recent break-in, Maebe upgraded the studio with an API Lunchbox, the Euphonix MC Mix console, DPA 4061 mics and Sonic Studio’s PMCD mastering software.

Maebe’s father was a Studer maintenance engineer and his uncle was head of audio at Belgian Radio and Television and then at the European Parliament.

After travelling the world with his family’s stand construction company for most of his young life, Maebe moved to London to study classical guitar, sound

engineering and music technology. He then found himself on the road with Sting.

Sonic Cuisine is mainly used as a mastering facility, and as such it is equipped with SPL Qure parametric eq, API Lunch Box eq, Drawmer DL251 compressor, SPL Vitalizer, SPL Stereo Vitalizer, RNC 1773 compressor, Focusrite Liquidmix, Studer D730, The Box VU meter, M Tech duplicator, Mac Pro Quad Core, Wave Lab Audio editing and mastering suite, Sonic Studio Pre Master CD and a Sonox Dynamics, eq and limiter.

Logic and Pro Tools 7.4.2 LE systems are also available at the studio, as is a Revox B77 analog tape machine. Genelec 1031As with china cones and Auratones are in place for monitoring.

Recent mastering clients who have used Sonic Cuisine include Glen Matlock, Mo Foster, The Zimmers, Sound Discs, Specimen, Globe Trekker, Alan Darby, The Mustangs, Dylan Howe and Elliott Randall.

Telephone: +44 20 8749 5654 Web Address: www.wesonator.co.uk

Rooms: Vocal, control, tracking, live venue Consoles: Yamaha DM2000 Mics: Neumann, AKG, Sennheiser Beyer and Shure Monitoring: Beyer Blue Sky 5.1 surround sound speakers

HIGH BARN STUDIOS

Rooms: Control room Consoles: Euphonix MC Mix Outboard: SPL, API, Drawmer, RNC, Focusrite, Studer, Sonox Monitoring: Genelec 1031As with china cones and Auratones

GHQ

If you would like your studio featured in this section, please send all 48

November 2008

www.audioprointernational.com

and the people behind studios in the UK and around the world...

T

he Hunt Studio of Millstone, NJ, USA, is a unique space, adorned with deer heads on the studio’s far wall. The 1100 sq. ft. live room provides a mix of live and dead areas, baffling, absorption and diffusion. Its control-less recording space makes a very comfortable area for writing, recording and mixing.

The studio’s owner, Eric Bennett, is a master at finding great equipment and the studio has a variety of old and new kit.

The centrepiece of the studio is an AMR 2400 console, modified and upgraded by Audio Technologies.

An Atr-60 one-inch 16-track tape deck and a Tascam 388 quarter-inch eight-track tape deck are in place for analog recording, which can be combined with 24 channels of ADA converted to Logic Pro. A Mci JH-110a quarter-inch stereo analog tape deck is also available to add some analog

warmth during final mixdown.

Digital audio files are captured on Mobile Fidelity Gold CD-Rs. In addition to analog and digital recorders and mixers, The Hunt Club uses a range of vintage and industry-standard microphones from Sennheiser, AKG, Lomo, Beyerdynamic, ADK, Electrovoice, Audio Technica, Shure and Oktava.

A collection of tube amplifiers from Fender, Ampeg, Gibson, Kent Laney and Sound City are available for use during recordings, as are a range of unique instruments and a cabinet full of great effects pedals. A Slingerland drum set and a well-tuned piano can also be used during sessions.

The Hunt Studio is conveniently located between New York City and Philadelphia and offers great demo deals.

The studio’s website boasts that it has produced great recordings for bands on a tight budget.

Telephone: +1 732 567 5125 Web Address: www.thehuntstudio.com

A

fter acquiring and refurbishing Worldwide Studios in Soho – a bastion of TV sound production for over 30 years – Aquarium’s central London facilities now offer seven studios and two tracklay suites, including three dubbing theatres, two studios with vocal booths, a dedicated Foley studio and ADR studio.

Studio 1 is the Film Mix Theatre and has a full theatrical Dolby licence. It is outfitted with Pro Tools HD, AMS-Neve and DFC Gemini.

Aquarian also has the capacity to travel out to record location material.

Aquarium is headed up by its MD, Peter Joly, and founder and head of sound, Ben Baird, who recently won a BAFTA and RTS award for best sound in a factual programme for Oxford Film and Television’s War Oratorio on Channel Four.

Technical staff include dubbing mixers Nick Roberts and Chips

Paul, SFX editors Adam Wilkes and Chris Goldsmith, and foley recordists Sean O’Shea, Caroline Robinson and Jee Lun Kan. The studios were recently nominated for six of the UK Screen Association’s Audio Conch Awards held in September. Nominations included TV Facility of the Year, TV Dubbing Mixer of the Year (Ben Baird) and TV Sound Editor of the Year (Nick Roberts).

Aquarium’s TV credits include Shoot the Messenger for BBC 2 and Macbeth for BBC One. Ben Baird notes: “As our clients develop and move on to bigger and better things, combined with the world’s increasing demand for bigger, better and surroundier sound tracks, these new studios, that once had Lee Marvin recording ADR in, allow us to continue to provide the level of thought, interest and ability that everyone has come to expect from us.”

Telephone: +44 20 7734 1611 Web Address: www.aquariumstudios.co.uk

Rooms: 1,100 sq ft live room Consoles: Two Soundtracs solo 24-channel production console, SoundWorkshop 1280b Mics: Sennheiser, AKG, Lomo, Beyerdynamic, ADK, Electrovoice, Audio Technica, Shure, Oktava Outboard: Analog & digital rack gear, tube compressors, preamps, spring reverbs Monitoring: Vince Christian prototypes, Allison AL115S, Yamaha NS10MS

THE HUNT STUDIO

Rooms: Studio 1, Studio2, Motty Studio, Old Studio Consoles: AMS Neve DFC Gemini, Yamaha DM2000 Mics: Gefell UM900, Neumann U87, Sennheiser 416 Outboard: Lexicon 960L, TC Electronic T6000 Monitoring: JBL, Dynaudio, Genelec

AQUARIUM STUDIOS

details to andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk, or call +44 (0) 1992 535646. www.audioprointernational.com

November 2008

49

PEOPLE

in brief MEYER SOUND has added to its design services department. The new staff members will provide system design consultation and assistance to Meyer customers.

Brian Bolly joins the department from AVI-SPL. His past experience includes work with acoustical design consultants in systems planning, model design, plus testing and measurement. He has also spent a decade mixing sound for concert, corporate and theatrical events.

With a background in theatrical and live sound, Michael Creason has worked with giant Broadway productions in addition to his work with Tony Meola, Brian Ronan and Tom Clark of Acme. meyersound.com FLEETWOOD Fairlight has hired industry veteran, Ken Barnsley, to boost the company’s presence in the Europe and the Middle East.

In his new role as European operations director, Barnsley will be responsible for overseeing sales and developing new routes to markets in previously untapped territories.

Barnsley has held sales and marketing positions for over 25 years at some of the biggest companies in the music, broadcast, film and post production markets, including Solid State Logic, Avid UK, and Merging Technologies. fairlightau.com BARIX AG, the systems components specialist, has appointed Marcel van der Meijs as its new vice president of sales and marketing.

Van der Meijs will head efforts to drive audio over IP business into new markets and generate OEM opportunities.

He has over 20 years of experience in international sales & marketing in the security and network industry, including high-ranking positions within Lantronix International and the HID Corp.

Marcel will use experience in OEM to enhance brand recognition of Barix Audio over IP technology while developing new applications for existing Barix products. barix.com

52

Christmas on the up for Yamaha’s Commercial Audio division Karl Christmas raised to deputy general manager after successful launches and campaigns YAMAHA COMMERCIAL AUDIO has promoted its marketing manager, Karl Christmas, to deputy general manager of its professional audio division.

In his new role, Christmas will handle the overall coordination and management of UK sales and marketing operations. He will also focus on the ongoing drive into new sectors, specifically the install systems markets. He will report to divisional director Ricci Hodgson.

Christmas is credited with leading some of the company’s most significant product launches and marketing successes.

“We have a very strong and dedicated team and I’m

very much looking forward to driving forward our exciting programme as our product range and solutions portfolio expands,” Christmas stated.

“Karl’s promotion is a very important element of our ambitious plans for the future,” added Hodgson. “As our business model grows beyond consoles into new areas, it’s vital we have the right people in place to offer an excellence of service that will continue to distinguish us from our competitors.

This is a people business and our team is now becoming a significant factor in our business growth.” yamahacommercial audio.com

Karl Christmas: significant successes

Bosch expands into Matt Bush for new applications worldwide Crown Johnson Knowles joins global giant from own US-based acoustics design business

New vice president moves from Harman Pro Group to take up sales position

BOSCH COMMUNICATIONS Systems has announced that Johnson Knowles will serve as its new field applications engineer.

Knowles joins Bosch with 18-years experience from Texas-based architectural acoustics design and consulting firm Russ Berger Design Group, of which he was a founding member.

His expertise lies in the field of architectural engineering and the design of broadcast and recording facilities.

He also has a vast amount of experience designing broadcast cabling systems for sports facilities, including NBC, ABC, NFL Films and Sony Music.

Whitney Houston, Don Henley, Steve Miller, John Fogerty, Mariah Carey and Michael Bolton are also on Knowles’ past client list.

“I’m very excited to be here,” commented Knowles.

“The Bosch family of brands is uniquely positioned so we

CROWN AUDIO has appointed Matt Bush as vice president of sales.

Leaving his position as vice president of operations of the Harman Music Group, Bush replaces Scott Robbins, who was promoted to vice president of sales for Harman Professional last month.

Bush will be based in Crown’s HQ in Indiana, US and will direct worldwide sales operations for Crown under the direction of president Mark Graham.

“Matt Bush is a strong business leader, an excellent organiser and an experienced pro audio veteran,” Graham commented.

Bush has worked for Harman since 1987, enjoying roles in engineering, manufacturing and operations, as well as 24 years in design, manufacture, service and the supply chain of electronic products.

November 2008

Johnson Knowles can provide complete systems that integrate public address, intercom, safety and security equipment, all controlled under a single platform.

Demand for these complete system solutions is growing, especially in large venues and acoustic performance and compatibility needs to be optimised in every detail.

That’s where my skills can be really useful. We can provide a suite of products to address installations across all markets – one point of contact, with no compromises.”

Matt Bush “Crown is a proven pioneer with an ability to provide customers with high-performing, ultrareliable amplifiers for a wide array of applications.

Between the people, the products and remarkable pedigree, I am excited to join the team here and look forward to getting out into the field to meet with partners and customers,” Bush said. “Knowing what I know in terms of the products on the near-term horizon for Crown Audio, I couldn’t be more pleased to join this great brand.” harman.com

www.audioprointernational.com

DISTRIBUTION

in in brief brief

B&C digs new channel in China

CUK AUDIO has taken on the distribution of Sabine in the UK and Ireland.

Previously handled by Audio-Technica UK, the company’s line of professional audio equipment for the live, installed and recording sound venues will now be handled by CUK. Sabine manufactures wireless microphone systems, feedback exterminators, multifunction digital signal processors, phantom mic riders, phantom gooseneck mics and autotuners.

CUK feels that Sabine will be a key brand in its portfolio.

Both CUK and Audio Technica have confirmed that the companies have worked closely to ensure a smooth transition for Sabine’s customers. cuk-audio.com

Bai Sheng takes over from Yun Lin B&C SPEAKERS has appointed Bai Sheng Audio as its distributor in China, effective immediately.

The news comes after B&C’s previous Chinese distributor, Yun Lin, has moved to promote its own line of speakers, ESS. Kevin Linn of Bai Sheng, who has been working closely with the company since 2002, was chosen to manage the newly created entity. Bai Sheng will now be responsible for

representing B&C’s full lines of LF and HF drivers, horns and coaxials.

“Kevin’s experience will be an asset to both B&C and our customers,” commented Ron Tizzard, international sales director for B&C. “He knows our products, our story, and our customers, very well. We are certain that the focus offered by Bai Sheng Audio will easily broaden our perspective in China, and allow us to improve the service we

Kevin Linn: Responsible for the full range of B&C

provide to our customers in this emerging market.

“We thank JJ Chen (Yun Lin) for his work establishing B&C as a premium brand in

China, and wish him the best of luck as he focuses on the growth of his brands,” said Tizzard. bcspeakers.com

New hi tech distribution HQ for Proel New facility established as part of continued growth and corporate structuring PROEL GROUP has completed construction on a new 13,00 square metre facility in Sant Omero, Italy, to store and distribute its music and lighting products.

The new building, named Abitare la musica (Living the Music), is part of Proel’s expansion in the design and distribution of audio, video and lighting systems.

The new hub was designed to rationalise corporate processes in order to provide superior service to the European and overseas

The Abitare la musica complex

markets. As such, the new facility has been equipped with the latest technological

systems to ensure safety for its employees and products, while providing maximum

efficiency in order to eliminate costly and timeconsuming procedures.

The new logistics facility also represents the completion of the company’s corporate structuring. “The value chain of the Group is now complete,” commented Marco Calabrese, COO of Proel, who is in charge of the project. “This new facility has been designed for effective inventory management and error-free inventory turnover and planning.” proelgroup.com

Vicoustics finds Workshop for UK and Ireland market Systems to increase presence in region VICOUSTIC has announced that Systems Workshop will handle the distribution of its acoustic products in the UK and Ireland.

The Portuguese researchbased manufacturer of acoustic solutions has chosen Systems Workshop to increase its presence in the region.

It will be added to Sound Workshop’s existing portfolio of brands, which includes Fohhn, Tube Tech, Schertler and Pearl mics.

“We are genuinely excited by the Vicoustic product range,” stated Phil Beaumont, Systems Workshop’s managing director. “We receive regular

enquiries from customers in a range of markets and we’ve been looking for a bespoke, affordable solution that provides both quality and originality.

Vicoustic’s range has something for everyone.”

“We are delighted to have Systems Workshop representing us in the UK

and Eire,” added Vicoustic’s CEO Cesar Carapinha. “As well as their extensive sales and distribution experience, they have a knowledge of acoustic requirements across a range of markets, which is important for our products. They will provide excellent sales support.” vicoustic.com

If you have any distribution or personnel news you would like featured on these pages, please send all details to andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk or call the Audio Pro International team on +44 1992 535646 www.audioprointernational.com

TTA has signed an exclusive deal with Mega Audio for distribution of its products in Germany. TTA’s new Stagetracker FX device will be added to Mega’s pro audio portfolio, which already includes brands like Digidesign, Fostex and DPA Microphones.

The announcement comes on the heels of the world premiere of new performer tracking and audio localisation system, Stagetracker FX, at PLASA 08.

TTA’s sales director, Stuart Kerrison, commented:“At both distributor and end-user level, a lot of people indicated to us that they are really excited about this genre of technology and its implementation.” megaaudio.de VIETA PRO has announced that Audioforce will take on distribution of its products in the UK. The Spanish speaker manufacturer has committed to the partnership deal with Audio Force after seeing the results of its work with Lab.gruppen. “Audioforce has shown us that they can dedicate themselves to a brand and get it right,” said Vieta’s export sales director, Mick Brophy. “We recognise in them a team of professionals that will give our products the specific and personal attention that they need.” audioforce.co.uk

November 2008

53

NEW PRODUCT EAW¬ FOCUSRITE ¬ MARTIN AUDIO ¬ TC ELECTRONIC

JFL210 Compact Constant Curvature Line Array They say: The JFL210 compact line array features a range of EAW’s most innovative line array technologies within a mobile, lightweight package that’s an ideal solution for a multitude of small and medium-sized applications.

Specifications: JFL210 incorporates constant curvature line array design principles in modules that form configured arrays designed for predictable output, coherence and coverage that is horizontally symmetric and consistent from short to long throws.

The JFL210 can be flown in vertical arrays of up to six units or ground. Its compact enclosure size, shape, weight and rigging make transport and handling easy. The system features two-way, full-range JFL210 modules with neodymium drivers, two ten-inch (2.5-inch coil) woofers with a three-inch (1.4-inch-exit) compression driver matched with a horn to provide accurate directivity. Maximum peak output of the array is more than 130 dB SPL. The array elements dimensions are 314mm (12.4-inches) H x 631mm (24.8 inches) W x 397mm (15.6-inches) D at a weight of 23.6kg (52lb.). Its nominal beam width is 110-degrees horizontal and 15-degrees vertical. User switchable single and bi-amp modes are featured on the arrays and it can be used in conjunction with EAW UX8800 with Gunness Focusing. It also has an integral, high-strength rigging system 10:1 design factor. Dual Neutrik Speakon STX Series jacks are provided on each array. eaw.com

Liquid Mix for Pro Tools HD They say: Liquid Mix HD delivers the power of Liquid Mix exclusively to the Pro Tools HD market.

Specifications: Liquid Mix for Pro Tools HD provides the same eq and compressor emulations as the original Liquid Mix. It equips users with historically significant compressors and eqs in the Pro Tools HD environment.

More than 60 emulations can be used in co-operation on a HD 3 system during recording and mixing. Each Liquid Mix HD plugin features one compressor and eq emulation, which can be selected from a variety of vintage emulators or modern classics. A total of 40 Compressors and 20 eqs come with the program, with additional emulations available free online.

A hybrid user-defined seven-band ‘super eq’ built out of individual classic eq bands can be used with every selection. Liquid Mix HD also adds ‘free’ mode for all compressors, which offers a full feature set to the original compressor layout.

Focusrite’s patented ‘Dynamic Convolution’ is incorporated in the design of Liquid Mix HD. It uses vast processing power to sample the effect of a classic processor on a series of audio pulses, at many different gain settings and frequencies, which results in emulations derived from giant banks of true samples.

They are recorded using each one of 60 different analog processors. focusrite.com

Martin Audio ASX Sub They say: ASX achieves the highest ever SPL from a single low frequency enclosure housing a single drive unit.

Specifications: The ASX sub features a 21-inch (530mm) transducer, 6-inch (150mm) voice coil driver with 2.4-inch (60mm) peak-to-peak excursion, a Class D amplifier and full DSP. The combined transducer, amplifier and DSP provide twice the output of a typical powered loudspeaker of its size.

It is designed to be ultra efficient and can provide up to 152 dB @ 1m half space maximum output, while featuring Martin’s Hybrid large folded horn and ported design, which is capable of three dB @ 30Hz. Its DSP-based, adaptive control loop technology maintains linearity up to maximum output level with power compression almost non-existent. The ASX sub has a dedicated Class D amplifier with 8.5kW peak power and a switched mode power supply with PFC (Power Factor Correction). Global mains voltage operation is also in place.

Its on-board DSP provides delay, eq and filtering as well as amplifier and driver excursion limiting. The ASX works as a PC-based software application for parameter configuration and all its components are mounted in a multi-laminate, birch ply enclosure with removable wheels.

Its dimensions are 1190mm (46.85ins) W x 600mm (23.62ins) H x 1190mm (46.85ins) at a weight of 160kg (353lbs). martin-audio.com

TC Electronic PowerCore 6000

They say: With the inclusion of the System 6000 plugins, PowerCore 6000 is one of the most powerful mixing and mastering solutions for DAWs available today.

Specifications: PowerCore 6000 combines TC Electronic’s System 6000 algorithms with the PowerCore platform to provide what TC is boasting as the ‘ultimate studio tool for their DAWs’.

PowerCore 6000 features eight FreeScale DSP engines, as used in System 6000, and has an SRAM memory design that supports highperformance reverbs and delays, allowing users to run classic reverbs and delay-algorithms on DAWs. It includes seven plugin algorithms, which are ported 1:1 from System 6000, including VSS3 Stereo Source Reverb, Nonlin2, DVR 2 Digital Vintage Reverb, MD3 Stereo Mastering, Brickwall Limiter, UnWrap stereo to 5.1 conversion and TapFactory.

VSS3 Stereo Source Reverb is an original reverb directly transferred from the System 6000. NonLin2 is an effects reverb that is capable of generating compact vocal ambience, percussive and dramatic drum sounds, reverse reverbs and new ‘twisted’ effects. DVR 2 Digital Vintage Reverb maintains the character of the original EMT250 processor, including sweet modulation, spectral balance, spaciousness and saturation.

For mastering applications the PowerCore 6000 features the MD3 Stereo Mastering tool; the Brickwall Limiter, designed to eliminate signals that produce distortion in consumer CD players, radio processors and data reduction codecs; the TapFactory, a delay/reverb hybrid based on the Reflector algorithm from System 6000, and Unwrap 5.1, for stereo to 5.1 up-conversion. tcelectronic.com

54

November 2008

www.audioprointernational.com

GXseries

New from Doctor Q The Q in QSC. Founder and chief designer

www.qscaudio.com

Shure Distribution UK Call us on +44 (0) 1992 703 058 Š 2007 Shure Incorporated Email us at info@shuredistribution.co.uk www.shure.co.uk

NEW PRODUCT SOUNDCRAFT¬ BEYMA ¬ KLOTZ ¬ PEARLMAN

Soundcraft Vi Series V3.0 Software They say: Never before has so much power and versatility been accompanied by such an easily navigable, application-engineered user interface.

Specifications: Soundcraft’s new Version 3.0 software for its Vi6 and Vi4 consoles introduces 96 and 72-channel upgrades, respectively. This upgrade enables the Vi6 to mix 96 channels, which can comprise 64 stagebox mic/line inputs, 16 line inputs on a local rack and eight stereo Lexicon effects returns. All 96 channels (72 on the Vi4) can be brought in as mic/line inputs from the stage with the addition of a second stage box. Additional options are also available for the expansion of the I/O to use extra stage boxes or other audio formats.

The upgrade also enables the Vi4 to access all 35 output busses, with the addition of eight busses fixed in Aux mode, without adding further DSP cards.

The Isolate feature has also been built upon to allow high-granularity filtering to be applied both globally and on each snapshot for each individual parameter level.

Other new options with V3.0 include snapshot filtering, finer adjustment of input and output delay trims, enhanced metering on the master bay, including Gain Reduction metering and import and export channel labels from and to spreadsheet files using a USB key.

Beyma SMC65 compression driver They say: The SMC65 is a professional compression driver with an excellent and accurate response in a very attractive price range.

Specifications: The SMC65 is a new compression featuring a 1.4-inch high quality compression driver with a ferrite magnet, edgewound aluminium ribbon voice coil and a composite diaphragm assembly. Its mylar surround provides damping and avoids typical resonant peaks of metal surrounds.

The company is boasting that its pure titanium dome displays its unique mechanical properties.

The throat diameter of the SMC65 is 1.4-inch (36 mm). Its power capacity is 50 W AES above 800 Hz and 70 W AES above 1.5 kHz, while the program power is 100 W above 800 Hz and 140 W above 1.5 kHz. Its sensitivity is 107 dB 1 W @ 1m and the frequency range is 0.7-18 kHz. beyma.com

soundcraft.com

Klotz Digital Decennium 5.1 console

Pearlman Church microphone

They say: Streamlined to fulfil requirements for a range of surround 5.1 apps, making it a valuable tool for TV, video and radio surround productions.

They say: The Pearlman Church microphone is a faithful remake of the Stanley Church’s MGM microphone from the 1950s.

Specifications: Enables surround, stereo and mono sources to be mixed and processed. 5.1 surround sources can be assigned as single audio channels on separate faders, or as a combined six-channel block to any single fader.

Its flat-panel design combines fader modules and a Monitor/DSP/Master Module, which comprises a monitoring section with three independent monitor channels, including mono, stereo and surround monitor features and a central surround Pan. It is also fitted with a central DSP and control section, programmable function keys and a master fader. An LCD screen displays audio level meters, important console functions and parameters. Additional new fader modules with motorised faders offer new features, such as virtual multi layers, source related signal indicators and improved access to buses.

Other features include a big channel display and the multi-purpose control element (MPCE) integrated in each channel strip, which can be used to select and assign sources, or to adjust and modify a variety of channel-related parameters, including phase, phantom power, aux sends, gains and levels, LFE/SUB send level and balance. klotzdigital.com

Specifications: The Pearlman Church microphone employs a Neumann M7 (or optional K47) capsule, hand-selected GE five-star 6072 dual triode (12AY7) vacuum tube, and a ‘new old stock’ triad transformer, exclusively made available to Pearlman.

This reissued version of the original mic is true to the original schematics. It features a handmade power supply, custom Mogami/ Neutrik tube microphone cable, heavy-duty shockmount and aluminum shipping case. Hand-built one at a time by Dave Pearlman himself, it comes in the same housing as the Pearlamn large diaphragm TM-1 mic. pearlmanmicrophones.com

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November 2008

www.audioprointernational.com

A royal surprise Visions OB was hired to document Colin Powell, Christina Aguilera and Naomi Campbell’s support of the This Day Africa Rising concert. Andrew Low reports…

T

he Royal Albert Hall hosted a concert for This Day Africa Rising in October to raise awareness and discuss solutions for the ongoing unrest throughout Africa. The event included performances by Christina Aguilera and Seal, as well as a fashion show featuring supermodel Naomi Campbell and a keynote speech by former US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

NEP Visions was contracted by the production company Media Underground to capture standard definition audio and video for the event. After considering the needs of the show and the limited space allocation, Visions supplied its D10 truck along with seven cameras, a Steadicam, grip equipment and full audio multitracking facilities.

In order to split the workload for the multitrack recordings of the performers and audio from the presenters and other simple sources, Visions’ David O’Carroll manned an additional mobile audio van hired for the performance.

O’Carroll created multitrack sessions of the performances with SSL’s MT Axiom desk in front of two Pyramix hard disc recorders. The individual tracks were sent over digital fibre cables from I Green’s PA system to connect directly with the SSL desk for mixing. The SSL desk was augmented with a Briscasti reverb, TC Electronics M5000 processor and dbx compressors.

Audio from the mobile audio van was then fed to two audio mixers in the OB10 van, who used the van’s Calrec Zeta desk to mix the presenters and audio feeds from the fashion show and other events alternating with the artists. Splitting the audio responsibilities with the OB10 van allowed O’Carroll to prepare for each new performer in between sets and check that the lines were ready to record before they hit the stage.

All of Visions’ OB vans use Calrec’s digital consoles. According to O’Carroll: “The Calrec desks have proved to be brilliant. The D10 was originally designed for a very specific Sky sports contract.

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November 2008

Visions’ looked at a number of different desks by a number of different manufacturers and Calrec came up on top in just about every test.”

All the audio to Vision’s trucks is typically supplied by analog multicore systems as the team finds it the most flexible and reliable way of working while the trucks are connected to each other via MADI. Calrec has also been integral in maintaining an analog signal reception due to its onboard AD converters. “It is a digital board, but we treat it as an analog board and connect the lines straight to the console,” explains O’Carroll. “The board also has a lot of digital connections that we use to feed the routers in the trucks.”

When D10 was built, a Neve compressor was installed alongside the Zeta desk, but when the engineers grew familiar and confident in the Calrec compressors, the Neves became obsolete.

While the SSL desk used in the mobile audio van is not O’Carroll’s board of choice, he feels that it is a very capable desk that made connecting the digital fibre connections from the stage easy.

Last minute line-up changes caused a small hiccup for the show, but once the event was running, it was business as usual for the crew. The Africa Rising show was shot in standard definition and recorded in stereo, although Visions is often asked to do 5.1 recordings. Its recent work with the Nelson Mandela birthday celebration at Hyde Park was done in full 5.1 surround sound.

A limited amount of space was given to the company for the show.

Two generators placed in the vicinity forced Visions to use the smaller D10 truck. If more space had been available, they could have used a truck with a multitrack recording function rather than hiring a separate mobile audio van for the event. The situation was caused by a common case of placing talent’s needs over crew requirements, as the generators were used to power curling tongs and hair dryers for the models in the fashion show. visions-ob.com

www.audioprointernational.com

faith

George Michael’s 25Live World Tour has featured 106 shows (including the historical opening concert at the new Wembley Stadium in London), in over 30 countries, played to over 1.5 million people and broken many box office records. From the first show to the very last of the tour, Sennheiser microphone technology and Neumann microphone expertise has been the first and only choice for the artist and crew alike. www.sennheiser.co.uk

SKM 5200

The entertainment and installation technology showcase for the North of the UK

25-26 February 2009, SECC, Glasgow, UK evenTech Scotland is a focused networking forum for the region’s key decision-makers to keep up-to-date with the hottest technologies and latest industry trends and developments.

evenTech will provide manufacturers and suppliers with a unique regional platform to make face-to-face contact with a quality audience involved in the North’s major entertainment and installation projects and initiatives.

Enquire NOW about exhibiting at evenTech Scotland 2009!

To find out more about evenTech Scotland and the exciting opportunities the North of the UK presents contact:

Email: info@eventech-scotland.com Telephone: +44 (0) 1776 703572 To register to attend for FREE as a visitor please visit www.eventech-scotland.com

www.eventech-scotland.com

2008

November 18-19, 2008 RDS, Dublin, Ireland

The entertainment and installation technology showcase for Ireland

evenTech Ireland is a NEW dedicated B2B exhibition and networking forum for the key decision makers involved in the Events, Entertainment and AV installation & integration sectors from Ireland to see, feel and hear the latest technologies, services and solutions for the first time in the region.

Register NOW to attend for FREE and win a pair of Sennheiser HD 25II Headphones Visit www.evenTech-ireland.com

www.eventech-ireland.com Launch Partners:

Supported by:

Media Partner:

Organised by:

marketplace

AUDIO MARKETPLACE

TO ADVERTISE ON THESE PAGES CALL DARRELL CARTER ON 01992 535647 CLASSIFIED RATES: Minimum 12 Months - One Annual Charge Quarter Page £1,495

SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT

LEADER LIGHT

L

eader Light has produced professional and architectural LED fittings since 1994. It also develops electronic devices for professional customers for use in the architecture or professional hifi business.

The company is based in Slovakia, situated in the region of Spis, an area with great historic and cultural significance.

Surrounded by national parks and the country’s largest mountain ranges, Leader Light enforces ecologically friendly manufacturing in the development of its products.

While the company focuses on spot and wash lighting, it also produces lighting electronics and components, as well as a special line of LL Mechanical components for racks.

Leader Light’s desire to explore new facets of the industry lead to

the fusion of audio with its lighting products, which has created added value to its catalogue and catered to its customer’s sound and lighting needs.

These ideas lead to the development of the new LL LED Sound Panel RGBW. Sound Panel is specially designed to diffuse LED luminary characterised by RGBW additive colour mixing and special loudspeaker sets installed inside the panel, giving it a unique sound in a compact format.

The main advantage of the Sound Panel is its ability to combine LED luminary with audio controlled by DMX 512. Sound Panel also has a second module that can be used without luminary for standard play on a wall or top wall. It is ideal for use in bars, restaurants, hotel walls, in ceilings or in other diverse interior rooms.

The characteristics of LL LED Sound Panel are: Great loudspeaker sound Bright lighting panel Voluminous and defined colors RGB additive color mixing Dimming from 0 to 100 per cent Eight separately programmed lighting modules. leaderlight.eu

MARKETPLACE INDEX Adam Hall

+44 (0) 1702 613922

www.adamhall.co.uk

Alcons

+31 (0) 229 28 30 90

www.alconsaudio.com

Audio Technica

+44 (0) 113 277 1441

www.audio-technica.co.uk

Celestion

+44 (0) 1473 835335

www.celestion.com

dB Technologies UK +44 (0) 1753 655566

www.dbtechnologies.com

JTS

+886 886-4-24938803

KV2 Audio

+44 (0) 1423 81686

www.jts.com.tw

Leaderlight

sales@leaderlight.sk

www.leaderlight.eu

Roland

+44 (0) 1792 702701

www.roland.co.uk

Stage Accompany +00 31 229 282930

www.stageaccompany.com

TL Audio

+44 (0)1462 492090

Waveburg

+8522 7711 580

Yamaha

+44 (0) 1908 366700 www.yamahacommercialaudio.com

www.kv2audio.com

To advertise call

DARRELL CARTER + 44 (0)1992 535647

www.tlaudio.co.uk www.waveburg.com

marketplace audio transport

distribution

distribution

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marketplace Flightcase

loudspeakers

TFT Monitor cases from Flightcase Warehouse This new range of Spider TFT flat screen monitor cases are always in stock. Fantastic value 17” £139.00 19” £145.00 21” £153.00 inc VAT and UK Mainland delivery Hinged Lid Heavy duty fittings Fully foam lined + foamed to suit Partition for cables etc Black laminate finish

Unit 2 Meltex House, Mariner, Lichfield Road Industrial Estate, Tamworth, Staffs, B79 7XE Tel: 01827 60009 Fax: 01827 313877 Email: sales@flightcasewarehouse.co.uk Web: www.flightcasewarehouse.co.uk

loudspeaker

loudspeakers

Remember the first time you heard VHD

You will. With VHD we have created an active driven, vertically arrayable loudspeaker system that overcomes more obstacles and barriers to Very High Definition audio reproduction than any other loudspeaker system.

Call +44 (0)1423 816868 or visit www.kv2audio.com

The future of sound. Made perfectly clear.

marketplace microphones

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mixing consoles

racking

We hope we passed the audition.

CONNECT WITH EXPERIENCE

marketplace recording equpment

To advertise call

DARRELL CARTER +44 (0)1992 535647

ADVERTISER INDEX A

Adam Hall..............................................12, 21

0

Alcons Audio ........................................29, 62

OHM .......................................................... 23 Optocore .................................................. 27

Audio-Technica ............................................6 D

P

Palme ........................................................36

R

Rea Sound ................................................ 17

dB Technologies .................................. 47, 62 digico ........................................................ 2

Roland ....................................................7, 62 F

FlightCase Warehouse................................63 Funktion one ............................................ 25

S

Scattered Media ........................................60 Senheiser ............................................ 15, 59

J

JTS ........................................................33, 64

K

KV2 .......................................................... 63

L

Leader Light .............................................. 64

Shure Distribution ................................ 55, 68 Stage accompany ................................ 63, 67 Surtech ...................................................... 20 T

TL Audio .............................................. 18, 65

W

Waveburg ................................................ 63

Y

Yamaha ................................................ 9, 64

Leisuretec.................................................. 39 M

MC2 ...................................................... cover Mercenary Audio ...................................... 57

N

Neutrik ...................................................... 42

The Audio Pro paparazzi are out every month taking pictures for our monthly section, Mixdown, which features friendly faces of people in the business and shots from industry events.

If you have any pictures from an event that you would like us to include, please send them to

andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk.

Editor: Andrew Low andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk

Contributing Editor: Andy Wood andy.wood@intentmedia.co.uk

Contributing Editor: Gary Cooper gary@garycooper.biz

Deputy Editor: Rob Hughes rob.hughes@intentmedia.co.uk

Associate Editor: Samantha Loveday samantha.loveday@intentmedia.co.uk

Advertising Manager: Darrell Carter darrell.carter@intentmedia.co.uk

Editorial Production Manager: Helen French

Chairots, Bang, Allen & Heath PLASA party and Lee Evans tour

helen.french@intentmedia.co.uk

(Clockwise from top) Prism Sound/SADiE’s Chariots of Fire 2008 Team (L to R): Matthew Mason, Dan Poxton, Simon Woollard, Jody Thorne, Chris Allen and Liam Elliott. Bang Post’s Doug Sinclair (L) and Paul McFadden (R) shake hands on its e-launch night. Dr Who director and producer, Russell Davies, cuts the ribbon at Bang Post Production new main dubbing theatre. Matt Harman-Trick, Tom Boothby (who facebooked your mum) and Phil Tame man the helm of Lee Evans UK tour. Allen & Heath’s PLASA party saw (L to R) Allen & Heath’s Peter Spence, Michael Palmer, Lynn Martin and mystery man next to Audio-Technica’s Richard Garrido.

rosie.mckeown@intentmedia.co.uk

Production Executive: Rosie McKeown Subscriptions Manager: Hannah Short hannah.short@intentmedia.co.uk

Designer: Claire Brocklesby claire.brocklesby@intentmedia.co.uk

Managing Editor: Andy Barrett mipro@intentmedia.co.uk

Publisher: Dave Roberts dave.roberts@intentmedia.co.uk

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