audioPRO INTERNATIONAL JUNE 2010 ISSUE 30

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Issue 30 • June 2010

LIVE • COMMERCIAL • RECORDING • BROADCAST

www.audioprointernational.com

MICS AND MEN David Reitzas and Walter Alfanasieff went for the AT40 Series. What would be your source for the chain?

AES LONDON • INFOCOMM 2010 • ANDY MAY • FIG TREE STUDIOS • ROCASOUND

ISSUE 30 June 2010

CONTENTS > IN THIS ISSSUE NEWS MIDAS • 4 Low cost gear gets Infocomm debut

NAMM TEC AWARDS • 4 Ceremony moved to LA

NEUMANN MONITORS • 5 Mic leader unveils studio monitors

PEAVEY AUDIO • 6 Commercial audio division established

EVENTS INFOCOMM • 10 America’s biggest AV show proves it is still relevant despite ISE’s rapid growth

AES • 13 The European show lands in London for the first time in 23 years

LIVE SOUND/INSTALLATION ALPHABEAT • 16 Alphabeat engineers explain their lastest WiFi mixing system

SOUNDCRAFT VI1 • 21 Andy Brown details the line’s smallest console

22 • ANDY MAY Status Quo’s FOH talks digital technology and arena touring

STUDIO/BROADCAST COVER FEATURE 26 • STUDIO MICS The latest mics for professional studio recording

30 • FIG TREE STUDIOS Spainish studio to receive Dolby certification

32 • SEBASTIAN MORTON Rocasound owner talks gear and blows off some steam

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> Regulars: Behind the Board 36 In Session 38 Products 40 People 43 Marketplace 45 Mixdown 49

EDITORIAL

A

fter our May deadline I went to Butlin's Holiday Camp in Minehead, UK for the All Tomorrow’s Parties festivals. Curated by the Simpson’s creator Matt Groening, the three days of shows featured sets by Iggy and the Stooges, Spiritualized, Daniel Johnston, Joanna Newsom, Broadcast and many other great bands throughout the weekend. But the best thing about the trip was not the good music, rather it was the great and unique accomodation. Now, every time I mention Butlins someone regales me with stories of disappointing summer holidays spent at the camp while all of their posh friends were fishing or swimming in the waters of a continental European beach town. And although the accommodations were not exactly five star, the fact that my friends and I (each with our own bed) could go back to our chalet watch TV, make food in the full-service kitchen and drink cold beer from our own fridge, made it worth the £170 ticket (£30 less than Glasto). So why have the ATP people got it all right and all the other festivals force the punters to sleep on the grounds of a potential floodplain? The answer lies in providing the best experience for the audience. One of the best gigs I have ever been to was Belle and Sebastian at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square, NYC. Not because they are my favourite band, rather because the venue’s acoustics were perfected to the point where I could hear every note in the back where I sat in a padded and reclining chair where my cold beer sat in a dedicated holder. I know that the 200,000 people who attend Glastonbury would never fit at Butlins and maybe I am getting old, but I feel that smaller and more intimate shows held in venues that were actually designed to provide the best experience for the people buying the tickets, as opposed to hosting a gig in an area big enough for the most cattle to graze is far more enjoyable. I would like to add that I did my fair share of dancing during the Stooges, but I did have to take a few breathers during the set.

Andrew Low - Editor andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk A bookmark us in your phone

mobile.audioprointernational.com Contacts for Audio Pro International Editorial: +44 (0)1992 535646 Ads: +44 (0)1992 535647 Fax: +44 (0) 1992 535648 Editor: Andrew Low andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk Deputy Editor: Rob Hughes rob.hughes@intentmedia.co.uk Advertising Manager: Darrell Carter darrell.carter@intentmedia.co.uk Editorial Production: Helen French helen.french@intentmedia.co.uk Ad Production: Rosie McKeown rosie.mckeown@intentmedia.co.uk

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

> NEWS

Midas to introduce ‘lower cost’ consoles Move follows acquisition by budget gear giant Behringer and departure of marketing director, Cooper MIDAS KLARK Teknik is to unveil lower cost additions to its digital console range at Infocomm 2010. The new arrivals are set to make Midas’ digital technology accessible to a much greater range of budgets. “This is the biggest multi-product launch ever for Midas and Klark Teknik” said managing director John Oakley. “More people than ever will be able to use our products, with new consoles offering on the one hand more power and on the other lower cost entry to Midas mixing.” Until now, Midas had operated exclusively within the high-end market with its digital mixing solutions, namely the XL8 and Pro 6. This latest move to expand into a more economyconscious market follows the company’s recent acquisition by budget gear giant Behringer and may come as a surprise to many. The news, however, falls in line with a strategy hinted at when Uli Behringer spoke exclusively to Audio Pro at the time of his purchase of Midas Klark Teknik about expanding the product range. “Since we now have products at the ultimate high end of performance and

exactly the same very high technical and manufacturing standards that we have always maintained.” In a separate statement, the company revealed that its marketing director David Cooper had stepped down after 18 years at the forefront of the firm. Cooper has left Midas to pursue his own consulting venture.

“

This is the biggest multi-product launch ever for Midas Klark Teknik. John Oakley Midas Klark Teknik

Amid a period of change at Midas, Cooper has left to start his own venture

the prosumer level, it would be natural to add ‘in-between’ products where there is market space for them. Midas Klark Teknik already has plans in this area and we will continue with this strategy,” he said.

2011 TEC Awards to be held at NAMM

Oakley has told Audio Pro that this move in no way cheapens his brand. “You are very safe to assume and I categorically state that Midas Klark Teknik will be launching new products that meet or even exceed

“There will be speculation that my departure has something to do with the new owner of Midas, but this could not be further from the truth,” he said. “Midas is profitable, in extremely capable hands, has a stable vision and has received considerable investment. I have nothing but optimism for its future success.” > midasconsoles.com

Prof Fritz Sennheiser 1912 – 2010

Nominations period extended until June THE TEC Foundation for Excellence in Audio has announced that the 26th TEC awards will be held at next year’s NAMM show. The ceremony had traditionally been held at the American AES event. The awards will now take place on January 24th, 2011. “We are sure those attending NAMM will enjoy sharing in the recognition of technical and creative achievement that the TEC awards bestow,” commented Hillel Resner, president of TEC. Also announced was a three-month extension of the eligibility period for award nominations, from March 31st to June 30th. Online voting will take place in November. The TEC Foundation is a public benefit corporation based in the San Francisco Bay Area and specialising in educational

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programmes. The TEC awards, founded in 1985, consists of 24 honours for achievement in audio products and projects. Some of the proceeds from the awards are donated to organisations that teach the importance of aural health. The Les Paul Award is the highlight of the show and is presented to an artist who has exemplified the creative application of audio technology. > tecfoundation.com

PROF FRITZ Sennheiser, audio pioneer and founder of Senhesier electronics, has died at the age of 98. Until his death, Sennheiser had continued to take a keen interest in his company, which he founded in summer 1945. Through the firm, he had a crucial influence on the development of sound transmission technologies and was instrumental in forging many ground-breaking developments in electroacoustics. Under his guidance the first shotgun microphones and open headphones were created and he oversaw important developments in wireless radio and infra-red transmission.

It is said that Sennheiser gave his developers creative and technical freedom and shared his knowledge with students, inspiring them with an enthusiasm for audio technology. In 1982 he retired from the management of the company, handing over to his son, Prof Jörg Sennheiser. A company statement read: “His enthusiasm for audio technology, his creative curiosity, coupled with a modesty that is all too rare these days, his self-discipline, sincerity and generosity in his dealings with people, will remain an example to follow for all those who knew him.” > sennheiser.com www.audioprointernational.com

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Andy May

Sarah Yule’s column

NEWS <

Neumann expands into monitoring New studio monitors to be developed by Neumann following incorporation of Klein + Hummel few others, are less familiar NEUMANN HAS now officially internationally. incorporated Klein + Hummel “That will certainly change in the studio monitors – the brand initially near future,” explained Wolfgang incorporated by parent company Fraissinet, president of Sennheiser earlier this year – and marketing/sales has pleged to at Neumann apply its Berlin, “because electroacoustic expertise to the The Neumann brand the Neumann brand is wellother end of the is well established established in the audio chain in developing new internationally, so we international studio world. monitor anticipate a strong “We anticipate speakers under the Neuman synergy effect. a strong synergy here. In the Studio Wolfgang Fraissinet effect history of the Monitoring Neumann company, Systems brand. Neumann stands The first new for far more than microphone studio monitors carrying the technology. Over the decades we Neumann label will be launched have also produced record-cutting later this year. It is hoped that the internationally recognised brand will equipment and studio consoles, for example. Our expertise in help strengthen the former Klein + transformer design for the Hummel products, which, while microphone, as well as in signal having an excellent reputation in processing and digital audio German-speaking countries and a

Glade festival cancelled Council enforces increased and unfeasible requirements as local police refuse to co-operate THE ORGANISERS of the Glade Festival have announced that they have been forced to cancel the event for 2010 and perhaps indefinitely. The festival was due to take place from July 15th to 18th this year. After successfully moving to a more suitable location at the Matterley Bowl, Winchester, in 2009, new policing, security and stewarding requirements, enforced by the council this year, combined with the local police force’s refusal to work with the organisers had imposed additional logistical and economical strains on the festival, making it impossible to host. An official statement read: “When we started back in 2004 we did so www.audioprointernational.com

out of a love of electronic music, free spiritedness and alternative culture and in response to the vibrant free party scene in the UK. We wanted to have our own version of the kind of colourful, creative and non-corporate events that happen in many places across the planet. Looking back it is amazing that it happened. “This year the requirements imposed upon us for policing, security and stewarding have been greatly increased. To make matters worse the reluctance of the police to negotiate in advance and deliberately delay any dialogue with us has resulted in our being unable to tie down a final costing for the event. This, along with unexpected legal fees associated with a last minute license review, has radically increased the cost of the festival. “Faced with what is already an expensive event to run and with these unexpected forced increases in security and police costs as well as a level of advanced ticket sales that is below expectations, we have no choice but to do the responsible thing and cancel the event.” > gladefestival.com

technology has already been demonstrated.” Most of the former Klein + Hummel engineers continue to work for the Sennheiser Group, in support of the markets Installed Sound at Sennheiser, and Studio Monitor Systems at Neumann. > neumann.com

Avid opens centre of excellence ACE prompts series of appointments and promotions AVID HAS opened the Avid Centre of Excellence (ACE) at its head office at Pinewood Studios, London. ACE has been built in response to customer demand for a central European location where they can receive training access the full range of Avid products, in real working environments. ACE took 12 months to plan and build at a cost approaching £1.5 million. It features a cuttingedge fibre-based routing system, seven 65-inch plasma screens and multiview display technology and more, requiring 27km of cable. Paul Hennessy, vice president of sales for EMEA, said: “We really thought about the best way for our customers to receive the highest level of training and support, in workable environments that they’re familiar with.” To coincide with the opening of ACE, Avid has made a series of new hires and promotions. Simon Sherbourne has been appointed as audio application specialist, based

Pinewood. He will be responsible for building and maintaining relationships with Avid’s professional audio clients. Simon has over 14 years experience in the industry, having worked previously as technical support at Digidesign and as a Pro Tools/Icon trainer for the BBC, Granada and Talkback Thames. Mathias Hekton has been appointed as an application specialist, based at Avid’s Stockholm office. Hekton has a strong technical background and previously worked at Swedish film and TV production firm Mekaniken where he ran over 40 edit stations and planned workflows for hit shows such as Pop Idol and Farmer Wants a Wife. Tom Crocker has been promoted to application specialist for video products across Northern Europe. He will now support and advise broadcast and post production customers across the region. > avid.com

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> NEWS

Peavey announces commercial audio division New department brings new management structure headed up by Clive Roberts and Kevin Ivey PEAVEY HAS announced the formation of its new Commercial Audio Division. A new management structure has been put in place to run the department, headed up by MD Clive Roberts based in Corby, UK and general manager of commercial audio, Kevin Ivey, based at the company HQ in Mississippi. The Commercial Audio Division has been set up specifically to handle the MediaMatrix, Crest Audio and Architectural Acoustics brands. The aim is to create an identifiable and integrated group of pro audio brands with its own dedicated support staff and a clear plan for the future. The new structure will offer straightforward channels of communication both up and down the chain, including marketing, so that distributors and customers can easily obtain the information they require in a timely fashion. The firm also reported that was a string of new commercial audio products in the pipeline that will be handled by the new divison. Reporting to Ivey and Roberts are

The new commercial audio team gathers for a snap at the Corby office

operations manager, James Kennedy; European sales manager, Andy Weingartner (based out of Germany); Virgil Lund in charge of UK sales development; and Serena Scott who looks after distributor sales from Corby. Andy Rust has

Matrix Amplification to be relaunched British amp brand returns under veteran Andy Hunt

THE RENOWNED but, until recently, defunct Matrix power amp brand is to return under the stewardship of veteran Andy Hunt. The company will relaunch in July with a new range of lightweight, switchmode power amplifiers. The company, which has over 20years’ experience developing high-end amps in the PA and hi-fi industry, has spent the last 18 months developing a new range of products, boasting high quality audio performance and a 6

audioPRO June 2010

lightweight design. Power outputs range from 700W to 8000W, in two and four-channel variants. Sales director Matt Button said: “We have had very positive feedback from beta testing. Knowing that we are offering a UK made product at a price point that is highly competitive with other UK manufacturers gives us great confidence for the coming year. “We expect the four-channel and high-power models to be popular." > matrixamplification.com

taken on the role of European marketing manager. Reporting to James Kennedy are support engineer, Chris Bennett who came from Meridian and is now also based out of Germany; service technician Lee Freer based in Corby; and

MediaMatrix product specialist, Stephen Joy who has moved across from IT to work with Kennedy in the Commercial Audio Division on a full time basis. “I’m pleased to say that, although this is a new team in organisational terms, none of the team are new to Peavey, or indeed to each other,” noted Clive Roberts. “All of the people that now form the Commercial Audio Division – with the exception of Andy Weingartner who joined us last year – have a minimum of six years service with Peavey, and working with the pro brands in particular. Actually, the only member of the team who has no direct experience in the professional audio market is me. However, my job is to run the company efficiently, and I am confident in my abilities to do that. I also know that I have a great team working for me and a worthy partner in Kevin Ivey who knows more about this market and its products than I’ll ever know, or ever need to know.” > peavey.com

Waves Audio wins lawsuit against two NYC studios Facilities admit Intellectual property infringement SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Waves Audio has won a lawsuit against Skyline recording studios and Quad recording studios, both of New York City, which admitted liability regarding intellectual property infringements and the illegal use of its software. The suit is the latest in a string of attempts by Waves to target studios using illegal or unauthorised copies of its software. “The judgments obtained in these two court cases should send a targeted message to all users of illegal software that Waves is very serious about defending its rights and will continue to fight against the use of cracked software,” stated Gilad Keren, CEO of Waves Audio. “In the long-term, illegal software does not benefit anyone, as it hurts not just Waves, but all developers and manufacturers of software products, including their distributors, retail partners and of

course, loyal customers who have purchased legitimate, legal versions of the product. We consider a lawsuit the very last resort, but unfortunately it is a course of action that can protect our intellectual property and ensure that we can continue to develop and bring to market the right tools for the recording, broadcast and post-production industries.” Waves’ attorney Guy Weiss, added: “The Courts are serious about protecting the rights of copyright holders, whether they are singers and musicians, or the software companies that allow the recording industry to mix and record their music. > waves.com

www.audioprointernational.com

EMI Music Publishing London with VTC 48 channel console

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> THIS MONTH IN BROADCAST

DTS demos 7.1 surround at AES Visitors assess new pieces of software, including the pioneering Neural UpMix plugin, at the first London show DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY specialists hosted two special events to unveil the new DTS-HD Master Audio Suite Version 2.5 software and DTS Neural UpMix plugins for Pro Tools. The latest event was held during the 128th AES Convention in London where DTS hired out a demonstration room away from the exhibition floor to provide a venue for visitors to hear product demonstrations through a full 7.1 surround sound system. Neural UpMix by DTS represents a first

”

DTS will continue to meet evolving digital delivery, streaming and downloading market needs. Ronny Katz DTS

in 7.1 surround expansion for the Pro Tools platform. The new plugin can output 5.1 or 7.1 multi-channel audio tracks from stereo or 5.1 source material while preserving the spectral and timbral balance of the original mix. It provides users with the ability to upmix audio tracks on a scene-by-scene basis as a

complement to both standard 2D and 3D Blu-ray soundtracks. DTS-HD Master Audio Suite v2.5 has been introduced to provide a much faster means of folder-based batch encoding for Blu-ray, DVD, and online digital delivery. The new version boasts significantly enhanced functionality, which allows it to automate the encoding process, enabling hundreds of audio encodes to be processed with a few mouse clicks. “The announcement of these new DTS software products are solid examples of the company’s commitment to providing innovative solutions that support the demands of content production and delivery industries,” says Ronny Katz, director of professional audio at DTS. “Through unique product introductions, DTS will continue to meet the evolving digital delivery, streaming and downloading market needs.” Another event was held at the company’s new headquarters in headquarters in Calabasas, California, where key members of the professional Blu-ray production and content communities were on-hand as DTS demoed the new software products Following a brief introduction of the two new products, DTS executives invited visitors to spend time in the company’s

new facility and experience first-hand the Neural UpMix Plug-in for Pro Tools and DTS-HD Master Audio Suite in two of the facility’s new state of the art listening rooms, both of which are equipped with 7.1 sound systems. Also housed in the sleek new threestory DTS facility that opened last November is an impressive, cutting-edge research and development room. A

testament to the company’s commitment to sound technology, the new R&D room can be easily adapted and expanded as needed, to keep up with the company’s ever-evolving new technology. “We are proud of our new headquarters and we were happy to welcome our industry friends and partners during this exclusive event,” adds Katz. > www.dts.com

MCS Sachsen sticks with Riedel Communications

DK-Technologies introduces loudness upgrade

TV and radio studios equipped with two Artist mainframes

Existing meters can now be adapted to accommodate the future measurement standard

MCS SACHSEN, the German broadcast provider for public network MDR, has installed a new Artist intercom system from Riedel Communications. Riedel provided a comms infrastructure that combined the MDR TV and radio studios into a single communications system replacing the old intercom installation. One of the main requirements of the project was to establish an infrastructure that integrated all of the MDR TV and radio studios into one system, allowing calls between both areas. Two Riedel Artist digital matrix intercom mainframes are now used at MDR – while an Artist 128 is used at the TV studios, the radio broadcast studios use an Artist 64 for their intercom needs. Both mainframes are connected via fibre, forming a large, non-blocking matrix. The installation allows 100 matrix mainframes to be connected forming a single Artist network with a total size of up to 1,024x1,024 non-blocking ports. Due to Artist's decentralised network approach, the system can easily be expanded, as necessary, to provide additional control panels, ports or mainframes. www.audioprointernational.com

MCS Sachsen decided to install a mixture of Riedel Artist 1000 and Artist 2000 series control panels at MDR studios. Both panel types feature broadcast quality audio via AES connections. The secondary audio channel of the Artist 1000 series allows for commentator audio in addition to the intercom application. "It has enhanced our workflow significantly,” said MCS Sachsen engineer Manfred Otto. > riedel.net

DK-TECHNOLOGIES has introduced a new software upgrade that allows existing customers to adapt their audio meters so that they display loudness in whichever measurement format the industry eventually decides to adopt, thereby future-proofing the products. All DK meters will be upgradeable to accommodate any recommendations, while still showing all the usual DK metering scales. “DK is the only metering company on the market that has grasped this thorny issue and made sense of it,” said DK’s sales and marketing director Richard Kelley. “Our software already incorporates the 400Hz and 1kHz reference frequencies that are likely to be adopted by the broadcast and advertising authorities and we are making it very easy for customers to upgrade so that they don’t have to invest in costly new meters to meet future requirements.” DK customers who already own an audio meter in the MSD100C or MSD200C series can apply for a voucher that allows them to upgrade

their software for €350 – a saving of 50 per cent on the usual price of €700. Vouchers are available via the DKtechnologies website and through various on-line promotions in conjunction with the media. Upgrades for the MSD600M++ and the PT0760M are also available through local DK dealers, a list of which can be found on the DK website. “There is no doubt that loudness is currently a hot topic for the broadcast and postproduction industries, which is why we are making it a priority in terms of product development,” Richard Kelley added. > dk-technologies.com

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> EVENT PREVIEW INFOCOMM

June 5th - 11th Las Vegas Convention Center

Worth A/Visit? After another successful ISE, some of us on the east side of the pond might be forgiven for disregarding Infocomm this time around. Rob Hughes reminds us why to stand by the world’s biggest AV show… or a start, the fact that Infocomm is in Las Vegas is hardly a turn off, unless you happen to have something of a gambling problem, in which case it’s either completely prohibitive, or a huge draw (no pun intended), depending on how you look at it. Other than the after-show activities on offer, which will surely be considered a major boon by many, what has Infocomm got going for it, as far as the audio lot are concerned? We have to ask this because some might argue, following this year’s record breaking ISE, that it’s just not as essential as it once was. Would they be right? Well let’s have a look at what we can expect to find in the Las Vegas Convention Center during a whopping six-day show this month. I should start by pointing out that, statistically speaking, Infocomm remains the largest pro AV show in the world, with more than 32,000

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visitors and 900 exhibitors last year. The thing is, ISE’s latest figures aren’t far off and, in real terms, the size difference might actually be insignificant. Thus, continental

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audio equipment manufacturers will be flaunting their wares in the dedicated Audio Pavilion. All the stalwarts and pretty much everyone else you’d expect to be there will be,

What has Infocomm got going for it, as far as the audio lot are concerned? Some might argue, following this year’s record breaking ISE, that it’s just not as essential as it once was. Would they be right?

dwellers will be scrutinising the show schedule and weighing up the finer points of the remit to justify the long haul flight and whatever the roulette wheel might relieve them of once there. That will mean making sure that there’s as much A as there is V. And on that front there’s good news, because more than 250 leading

plus a few others you might not (Revolabs or Wheatstone anyone?). It is worth mentioning that over 20 of these will be cranking it up to 11 in their own audio demo rooms – visitors will be able to conduct their own system shoot-outs, involving brands such as d&b, Electro-Voice, Meyer Sound, Martin Audio and

many others. Incidentally, EV is inviting us all to experience its (and Infocomm’s) largest ever demo room at the Barron Ballroom within the Hilton Hotel, where over 175 speakers will be powered by nearly 100 amps, controlled by nine processors and orchestrated by a single software client. Peavey’s MediaMatrix will unveil its new Nion nE, a DSP platform in the tradition of the legacy Nion products, yet designed for costefficiency and mid-market applications. The Nion nE will support up to 32 channels of analog audio and up to 64 channels of AES digital audio via four Nio card slots in the Nion nE frame. It uses the same Nion cards as a standard Nion frame, so users get the same selection and variety of input and output options. This is not the only Infocomm debut from Peavey, which will also reveal the new Impulse 12D powered www.audioprointernational.com

INFOCOMM EVENT PREVIEW <

loudspeaker, along with three new Digitool multiprocessors under its Architectural Acoustics banner. Symetrix will launch Jupiter, a brand new turnkey DSP audio processing platform that draws inspiration from the ‘apps’ system employed by iPhone, Blackberry and so on. Available in three sizes offering various input/output counts, the Jupiter hardware is transformed by the software apps into highly specific audio engines for operations such as paging, automixing, loudspeaker management and much more. In use, the apps present the user with a view of the overall signal flow and processing modules. Clicking on a module reveals a clear and concise graphic representation of complex audio processing. The downloadable Jupiter apps, which are steadily increasing in number, are built from an extensive collection of signal processors, including gain sharing and gating auto-mixers, matrix mixers, feedback fighters, ambient SPL computers, and filters (including FIR), among others. Technomad will introduce a new compact, high-power, weatherproof 18-inch subwoofer, which it claims will be the only sub of its kind available, upon launch. The Oslo was developed specifically for the demanding requirements of themed entertainment applications both indoors and outdoors. It offers low www.audioprointernational.com

frequency response that extends below 100Hz and 1,250W continuous power rating, making it ideal for temporary applications including live sound, corporate audio and theatrical performances, as well as its target market of fixed and permanent applications. Technomad will also offer the Oslo in a powered configuration featuring a 1,600W weatherproof amplifier module based on the company’s PowerChiton amplifier technology. “Technomad is extending its product range for the sound system installation market with a subwoofer that delivers accurate, extended bass and offers outstanding efficiency in a ported design,” said Rodger von Kries, vice president of Technomad. “The Oslo accomplishes this without the excessive port resonance and ‘one-note bass’ sounds that plague many subwoofers. Its compact size and portable form factor also make it ideal for applications requiring maximum bass at minimal volumes.” In another high-profile debut, Ashly Audio is to introduce the Pêma (Protea equipped media amplifier). Unfortunately details are not forthcoming at this stage, so there’s not much we can tell you about it, although, judging by the company’s apparent excitement, it seems likely to set a new standard in some area of installation amplification. Some kind

of ‘installation in a box’ is what is promised. Danley Sound Labs will unveil two new molded horn loudspeakers – the SM-60M and SM-60F. The SM-60F delivers fullrange content, whereas the SM-60M delivers mid and high frequency content only. Both units feature Tom Danley's patent-pending synergy horn technology and are similar in concept to the firm’s flagship SH-50 full-range loudspeaker, but use fewer drivers and are constructed of molded plastic, which makes the stock units completely weatherproof. Mike Hedden, president of Danley Sound Labs, notes: “These two molded horns are breakthrough products for us. The quality of performance and versatility, coupled with price, opens the market for those who may have thought they couldn't afford Danley speakers. Well, now everyone can afford our horns and all I have to say is that once you hear them, you'll want to spec them into your next project.” The AVNU Alliance will celebrate its first birthday at the show and the fact that it has more than tripled its membership since then. The alliance will host a dedicated

AVB technology and product pavilion on the show floor. The pavilion will include participation from AVNU Alliance members such as Harman and Meyer Sound, with each of the member companies demonstrating its progress with the new AVB (audio video bridging) technology. Meanwhile, an AVNU panel discussion will explore the emerging AVB standards and their role within the industry and beyond. In fact, Harman Professional is to hold multiple training sessions and discussions throughout Infocomm 2010 that focus exclusively on the new AVB protocol. The training sessions and discussions will take place on site, on separate days throughout the threeday exhibition period. Harman’s new AVB system, which demonstrates the benefits of the technology with an emphasis on Houses of Worship applications, will also be on display at the Harman Professional booth. But perhaps the most brow-raising bit of pre-show audio news is that the Behringer-owned Midas and Klark Teknik will be launching a number of new products including, interestingly, lower cost additions to its mixing range. This follows the company’s recent acquisition by the German music equipment giant, which is well known for its budget gear. MD John Oakley is calling this “the biggest multi-product launch ever” for the company. As well as additions to the Midas digital range, the firm will unveil new standalone audio distribution systems and networking products from Klark Teknik. Oakley notes that more people than ever will be able to use his firm’s products following the launch. > infocommshow.org

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AES EVENT REVIEW < Novotel London West May 22nd to 25th

FACT FILE Venue: Novotel London West Date: May 22nd to 25th Exhibitors: 77 brands Visitors: TBC Verdict: As always, the show’s seminar programme was its strongpoint but, sadly, the exhibition appears to have shrunk again this year, with the show floor looking quite sparse. It remains to be seen if the show will stay in London.

In the red The 128th AES European Convention was held in London during one of the warmest weekends of the summer. Andrew Low reports on the hottest action the Novotel has seen in 23 years… he weather in England is not often nice for very long. Despite this fact, when temperatures do reach near 30-degrees for longer than a few days the initial gleeful attitude caused by the warm weather and sunshine soon turns into complaints about the heat and humidity. The week of the 128th AES Europe convention, held at the Novotel in Hammersmith, London was one of those weeks, and several days of heat and humidity could be the reason for the agitated mood of some of the exhibitors at the show. While the exhibition space was markedly smaller and some last minute dropouts left the show a bit underrepresented, it is hard to find fault in the show’s seminar program, which is where the true strength of the AES conventions has always been. Industry figurehead Sir George Martin CBE was present to accept an honorary membership from the AES before introducing one of the afternoon seminars on the final day of the event.

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The APRS and MPG also took part this year to promote their respective initiatives and attract new and existing members of the British recording community. In addition to taking a big stand, the APRS hosted discussions in conjunction with representatives from Metropolis and Abbey Road on keeping up with the

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performances from artists in the studio, how to fit analog technology into today's predominantly digital working methods and how best to engage with new means of music delivery and distribution. Masataka Goto, the Japanese music technology research scientist and leader of the Media Interaction

The gleeful attitude caused by the warm weather had turned to complaints and several days of heat and humidity could be the reason for the agitated mood of some of the ehibitors at the show.

constantly changing recording industry. Two 'Behind The Glass' sessions featured the participation of George Massenberg, Chuck Ainley, Jon Kelly, Steve Lipson, Russ Titelman, Andy Bradfield, Phil Harding and Howard Massey. The group discussed the role of the producer in managing a tight budget, how to get the best

Group at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan, was the show’s keynote speaker. The title of his opening address was Music Listening in the Future, and it covered how some of the current developments in speech recognition and music analysis and detection software may change the way we all

listen to music in years to come. PMC and Prism Sound hosted a range of presentations from the leading engineers, producers and manufacturers. Graham Boswell and Leif Mases discussed the issue of sound quality and perception in today”s recording environment. Issues such as the resolution of digital audio systems and the nuances of high performance analog processors were discussed in conjunction with demonstrations and illustrations of the issues involved. Mases addressed the issue of sound quality and perception in today’s recording. Playback at the seminar featured PMC's new IB2 XBDS-A in a surround sound configuration with the newly launched IB1S-A, and AML2 nearfields. While punters sweat it out in the seminar rooms, the ground floor of the compact exhibitor room offered them an opportunity to touch and feel the latest gear available in between classes. British mixer manufacturer, Allen & Heath showcased a selection of its

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> EVENT REVIEW AES Novotel London West May 22nd to 25th

products from the iLive digital series and its dedicated broadcast and recording mixers. The company highlighted the iDR-16 3U MixRack and iLive-R72 rackable control surface, which bring the same power, sonic characteristics and flexibility of the larger touring iLive systems to a lower price point. The new additions bring the iLive series to a total of seven surfaces and five MixRack variants, which can be mixed and matched in any combination, and share the same firmware, making show files transferable between systems via a

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USB key. EMerging, new UK distributor for Swiss loudspeaker manufacturer PSI Audio introduced its latest brand by unveiling a new active reference monitor. The two-way A21-M v3 builds on the concepts of the existing A21-M, and is a more powerful and efficient design producing less wasted energy. Featuring a new-generation Class G amplifier inspired by the one used in PSI's existing A215-M, the A21-M v3 features an enhanced (38Hz to 20kHz) frequency response, improved thermal efficiency and power yield (an extra 20W), and a

higher maximum continuous SPL of 108dB. The monitor otherwise offers all the features of the existing successful A21-M. It also showed 11 new products from Beijing-based microphone manufacturer MicW, ranging from high-quality handheld vocal mics to compact, desktop, shotgun and boundary models. Sonic Studio exhibited new updates to several of its products. Version 3.2 of its PreMaster CD now includes a four-topology form of Sonic EQ. It also includes complete updates to the Mark Info window, plus extended handling of BWF. Rather than taking out a conventional exhibition booth, DTS was located in a separate room on the middle floor of the conference in order to provide a venue for visitors to hear product demonstrations through a full 7.1 surround sound system. The company introduced its new latest multichannel audio production tools, including the DTS-HD Master Audio Suite Version

2.5 software and DTS Neural UpMix plugins for Pro Tools RTAS and Audio Suite. Trinnov exhibited the new Optimizer ST2-Pro stereo loudspeaker processor. With optimised ADA converters, the ST2Pro was designed to meet the requirements of the most demanding sound engineers. It also introduced the Trinnov loudness meter aimed at live productions, post-production and quality control, which complements the Peak Meter and the Quasi-Peak Meter already offered by the first release of Trinnov's SmartMeter, introduced in September 2009. Steinberg showcased Nuendo 5, its new state-of-the-art production environment, tailored to high-end production studios in post production, live recording and audio production. Its new features include an ADR toolset and new features such as the Clip Packages system, new plugins as well as a range of mixing, routing and automation enhancements. > aes.org

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> LIVE SOUND ALLEN & HEATH

Satellite of live

Alphabeat engineers Stephen Pattison and Ben Booker have been figuring out new and innovative ways to use Allen & Heath’s iLive digital mixing system. They have reached the point that neither of them needs a console to mix arena gigs. Andrew Low talks to them both about embracing this new technology… he girls are on top of the game these days. Music sales show that the ladies are selling more records than the gents in the UK and abroad, which means more touring in bigger venues across greater territories. Audio engineers Stephen Pattison and Ben Booker have experienced the benefits of the growing popularity of girl-fronted rock and pop tours with combined experience on shows for Amy Winehouse, PJ Harvey, Ellie Goulding and Alphabeat. Both engineers have developed a close relationship with Allen & Heath and taken its boards out on numerous tours to experiment with different and new configurations of its iLive series of digital mixing consoles. The pair recently returned from mixing Alphabeat on their gigs as the support band for Lady Gaga’s UK arena tour, where they used Allen & Heath’s T80 (20fader surface with eight I/Os) desks and the iDR-16 (16 mic/line inputs and eight XLR outputs) and iDR-10 Mix Racks for FOH and monitors, and then the newer and more compact R72 console (12 faders in two banks and six layers). The tour employed the system’s WiFi capabilities to great effect giving them the capability

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of mixing on the desk or on a laptop from anywhere in the venue. The system’s iLive editor and iDR system manager software allowed Pattison to wander around the venue and make adjustments from the perspective of the punters, while Booker was able to finely adjust monitor mixes from the same positions as the band members. The minimal system also allowed a quick and easy set up, as Lady Gaga’s extensive sound checks allowed Alphabeat very little, if any, set-up or sound check time. Monitor engineer Booker said: “On the Lady Gaga tour we had to load in at half six and get on the stage at seven. We would be line checking while the opening band was playing, so there was only about ten minutes to throw the gear on and go. “I had the R72 offstage and I could just run around wirelessly onstage with a laptop to control it all. The same was the case at FOH, because Pattison had his console but he could use a tablet PC and just mix in the computer. “Pattison had an iDR-16 MixRack located on stage next to the iDR10, which acted as the main input rack. Although the iDR-16 has only 16 xlr inputs, its brain still processes 64

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I had the R72 offstage and I could just run around wirelessly onstage with a laptop to control it all. Ben Booker Alphabeat monitor engineer

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ALLEN & HEATH LIVE SOUND <

in and 32 out so we just digitally split from the iDR10 into the iDR-16 using EtherSound and a Cat5 cable. The desk at FOH could be packed away before the end of the show as the outputs are on the iDR-16. “In fact, for the Birmingham show we used no Cat5 multicore as we had to be off to Europe straight after the show. We just used the WiFi and mixed from the audience.” “The ‘brain’ (MixRack) is running the show and you can have as many laptops and a surface running the show at once. It is not like the computer is controlling the desk, rather it is controlling the audio. During the show I could actually turn the desk off and just run with the brain and laptop without interruption in audio. “Day to day I used the laptop more than anything because I eq’d wedges at the mic position. It also helped to mix the IEMs because I could stand next to them and let the musicians tell me what they want. “I am quite deep into the technology, but for people who still want big knobs there are bigger surfaces available. Any surface works with any brain and the big ones work the same as the small desks, they just have more faders. I prefer using the touch screen environment on the actual desk. The iLive sounds like an analog desk because it is warm and full sounding.” Pattison explains that he also found the flexibility of the Allen & Heath systems to be a great advantage at FOH: “For the Gaga tour I would take a Cat5 cable as my multicore to FOH because we had to set up so quickly. The mix is totally configurable, so you set your layers out so that it makes sense to you, and you can have custom fader layers tailored to your workflow. “It sounds great and you can just plug straight in and go. There is not a great deal of colouration and it doesn’t sound boxy like some of the Yamaha gear. “I really like working in an analog style, so I get a base setting for everything and change things as I go along. If I wanted I could use individual patches because, within a patch, you can change everything or recall a particular thing like effects, and recall pulling back certain effects www.audioprointernational.com

parameters. You can change tiny little things and narrow in on a specific thing. I prefer to mix on the fly constantly adapt the mix.” Pattison and Booker first encountered the iLive system two years ago at a festival and have since taken many of the different iLive boards out on various tours and used them in unconventional ways. “We have taken systems out and done crazy things with them. There was a show in Norway that had a stone spiral staircase for load in, so I told them just to leave the desk and my rack in the trailer and only brought in the monitor system. I ran at Cat5 from the monitor system, split the FOH and monitors from one rack at the same time and I just used a laptop. You can operate the editor live, and I can change my mix and the desk surface does not jump in accordance with what the laptop is doing you only see it on the surface if you’re looking at the same mix,” Pattison says. “That brought up the possibility of having one desk and one brain and running a separate monitor set up, so we can put the desk at FOH and have a laptop at monitors operating the same thing. In fact you can have several remote laptops all operating the same system simultaneously so the band could have a monitor engineer each. Dedicated just to them and still someone operating the desk changing different mixes, or a systems engineer can tweak the desk while a visiting engineer Once you get an is mixing without interfering with his mix or having to reach idea of where over his shoulder. Once you get an idea of where the gains are you can just put trims on the laptop and trims on the surface the gains are you and no one affects anyone else. It doesn’t matter if Booker can just put trims turns the gain up or down or I turn the gain up or down, with on the laptop trims we don’t affect each other. Although the Gaga tour is now over, neither engineers plan and trims on the to slow down. Pattison has begun rehearsals for Brit Critic’s Choice Award winning singer Ellie Goulding and Booker will surface and hit the road with PJ Harvey this summer, in addition to no-one affects festivals that they will be doing together with Alphabeat. anyone else. Together or solo, both will be pushing the limits of the iLive Stephen Pattison systems and figuring new ways to improve their work with Alphabeat FOH those artists.

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> ilive-digital.com

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> LIVE SOUND LINE 6 XD DIGITAL

Avoiding the digital dividend Marcus Ryle explains to Andrew Low why Line 6’s new XD digital wireless microphone system avoids the digital dividend and why the MI company’s new system isn’t as unexpected as you would suspect … very time a singer leaps off stage, walks out on a catwalk or flies over the audience in a suspension suit while still singing, wireless microphone technology is flexing its muscles and letting the audience touch, smell and be sweat on by their favourite artists. Recent legislation has threatened this phenomenon as Government agencies like the FCC in America and Ofcom in the UK have announced plans to auction off the radio frequencies used by analog wireless equipment to the big five mobile operators and broadband providers. And while many analog mic manufacturers are proposing a switch to channel 69, Line 6 is offering a digital wireless mic system, the XD series, which works on the 2.4 GHz band. Known in the MI sector for its guitar modelling technology and the Pod, Line 6 took the pro audio industry by surprise with the launch of the XD-V70 at this year’s Prolight+Sound. The company has now offered its digital wireless and modelling technology to the professional live sound world by releasing 12 channels of digital wireless with several simulated mic settings based on leading mic manufacturers. The company began its foray into the market two years ago when it acquired X2, originators of digital wireless. X2 designed the original Xwire digital wireless guitar system in the 90s, and the XD-V70 combines its fourth generation digital technology with Line 6’s technology and sensibilities. Marcus Ryle, Line 6 co-founder and senior VP of new business development, says that new technology is required to solve the problems caused by the selling off of the radio spectrum. “XD operates outside of the TV band, so wherever you are in the world you never have to worry about a commercial broadcast antenna blowing you out of the water,”

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Ryle explains. “It is a band required internationally to be relatively low power and co-exist with other devices operating in that spectrum. You set the mic and receiver to the right channel and it just works. There is no need to reco-ordinate frequencies on a tour. The basic problem with analog is that it must have a clear frequency range to operate in and the availability of clear and free spectrum is getting scarce. It has become very valuable and governments realise that companies will pay top dollar for it. “Many analog gear companies talk about channels when they really mean frequency selections. They cannot accurately quote how many can be used simultaneously, so they list ‘up to’ a certain number of frequency choices. Some of them list having over 1000 ‘channels’, but as you know that is like saying your FM radio dial has over 1000 stations. It does, but you can’t put a radio broadcast on every channel of your dial. Analog wireless systems have many frequency selections so that you can try to find an area to operate in that doesn’t have anything else broadcasting in it. “Digital is encoded in a unique way such that, although you have multiple devices operating in the same or adjacent bands, receiving devices can look at that data and know it is not intended for that unit. For that reason you can have ten laptops in a coffee shop all running at 2.4GHz WiFi and you don’t accidentally get an email intended for the person next to you. Everything is coded in a specific way. As a result it is almost impossible to have audio interference into your digital wireless signal. Not only can it operate more easily in a potentially more congested radio spectrum, but it can do so without fear of anything else in that spectrum getting injected into your audio.” The new digital offerings from the company are the XD-V70 digital wireless system, which includes a handheld cardioid microphone transmitter while the XD-V70L system comes with www.audioprointernational.com

LINE 6 XD DIGITAL LIVE SOUND <

a belt-pack transmitter and a professional miniature condenser lavalier microphone. Both systems offer 12 channels, 100-meter ranges, and extruded metal 1/2U rack receivers. The company assures that even at the outer reaches of the 100-meter ranges, users will receive full audio quality: 10 Hz–20 kHz AF frequency response, >120dB dynamic range (115dB with XD-V70), and 24-bit digital conversion. Exclusive Line 6 digital technologies such as DCL (Digital Channel Lock) provide an encoded digital transmission that governs against AF interference and audio artifacts, while PDP (Proprietary Data Placement) technology is integrated in the new digital system to deliver frequency diversity, which ensures reliable operation – even in hostile RF environments. Line 6 has also used its experience in modelling to provide mic simulations. Ryle explains: “Through the process of measuring several mic versions, we found that they don’t all sound as their model names might suggest. For instance, a Shure SM58 capsule on a wireless system does not sound the same as the wired version because the wireless system has to compromise that signal with companding and emphasis/de-emphasis and squelch and limiting and limited frequency response. That is what really opened up the door for this possibility of having a wireless transmission that is so good that you can hear the distinct difference between the six wired mic models that we chose. We have also included a seventh Line 6 model that we believe contains the best aspects of all the other mics.” While some may see Line 6’s move into the pro audio sector as a bit of a surprise, Ryle comments that it is fairly common for new companies to provide new solutions for evolving technologies. “When we designed the ADAT with Alesis they were certainly not viewed as a company that you would expect a digital tape recorder from, but the companies building analog tape recorders didn’t inherently possess the expertise to make the leap to digital, none of this means that they can’t or wont. AKG and Sony both have digital wireless systems and Audio-Technica has a digital business system. “We have the advantage of being on a fourth-generation digital wireless design. We are able to approach the problem without any baggage of previous analog designs. In many other industries, new companies have entered markets when technology allows for a transition from analog to digital. For example, Sony was never a film camera company, but when digital technology became available they became a leader in digital photography because of their digital expertise. We don’t have a previous market to defend, or have to worry about how that transition would go from a business point of view. We are selling no analog wireless, so we can focus on just digital and all of the advantages it brings.” > line6.com www.audioprointernational.com

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SOUNDCRAFT VI1 LIVE SOUND <

Viva la Vi The introduction of Soundcraft’s Vi1 digital console brings its Vistonics platform to a new price point and a new audience. Andrew Low talks to Andy Brown about the evolution and of the Vi Series… he transition of live consoles from analog to digital has been a slow and careful process that has taken the gentle caress of digital manufacturers to assure analog die hards that this new fangled technology is worth its weight in aluminium. Soundcraft has taken on this challenge by introducing the analog-friendly Vistonics format, patented as the ‘where you look is where you control’ philosophy. Since Harman merged Studer and Soundcraft, the two R&D teams have joined forces to amalgamate the brands into one. This began in practice when the Vistonics technology from the high-end Studer Vista broadcast consoles was integrated into Soundcraft’s Vi series of live digital consoles. It has recently been remarkably scaled down to fit in the new 32-channel Vi1. Andy Brown has assumed the role of both director of digital strategy across both brands and Vi product manager. He explains that Vistonics has been modified to cater to the needs of live sound engineers for the Vi desks. He sees this as a ‘labour of love’ as it has evolved for the past four years and seen the introduction of the Soundcraft Vi6, Vi4, Vi2 and now the Vi1. “The third-generationVistonics featured on the Vi1 offers the same concept of the larger consoles at a lower price point. The challenge with the Vi1 was to bring Vistonics down to a much lower price point – to about a third of the Vi6’s original price. In order to do this everything had to be re-evaluated and new encoders were used. The biggest task was to keep the Vistonics technology with the touch screen and rotary knobs, which was implemented using a wide screen TFT. As such, one TFT screen is included on the console that is divided into the equivalent of three of the original Vi6 Vistonics screens. These same features are still provided on the Vi1. For instance, the channel strip is exactly the same, and the main thing that has been changed is the number of channels and the number of busses and sends. The touch screen functionality of Vistonics is complemented by rotary controls and buttons that have the

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ability to display graphics behind the controls, so the controls change their context according to the part of the channel strip that is being used. It also allows control of multiple channel strips at the same time, unlike a central assign system. On the Vi6 and Vi4, a Vistonics screen is available per eight faders enabling simultaneous changes to eq on one bay while dynamics or aux sends can be adjusted on the second bay. “We have tried to keep the consistency of the user interface such that someone familiar with a Vi6 can immediately find their way around a Vi1, and vice versa. The same software platform is also used between all the consoles,” Brown explains. The Vi1’s surface offers 16 faders for input control and a max of 64 inputs with the addition of an added stage rack. Four builtin Lexicon effects units are also featured on the board. “Another major feature of the Vi1 is that the DSP core featured on the rack of the Vi6 has been integrated into the body of the Vi1,” Brown says. “It also has onboard mic inputs, so you can use it as a drop in replacement for an analog board with a copper multicore, without needing a separate stagebox. The option for an additional stage box is offered through the Vi1’s MADI slot that can connect to a stage box or a recording device, in addition to AES/EBU and SPDIF inputs, and expands the mix capacity to 64 inputs. Future releases from the Vi series are still unconfirmed, however the future of the line will see Ethernet AVB introduced as an alternative to the MADI interface for networkable audio connections and the addition of a remote control using Harman’s System Architect. There will also be an iPhone remote, which will be applicable to all the software platforms. “Our software updates apply to all models in the Vi ranges, so the consoles do not get out of step with each other. The Vi team is still very active in software development, which will inevitably benefit all Vi users. We are constantly updating the software as a result of user feedback and our own innovations. It is truly a labour of love for the team.”

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We have tried to keep the consistency of the user interface such that someone familiar with a Vi6 can immediately find their way around a Vi1, and vice versa. Andy Brown Soundcraft

> soundcraft.com

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> LIVE SOUND ANDY MAY Photo credit: Christie Gooodwin

Rocking all over the world A life long fan of the band, FOH engineer Andy May has been mixing Status Quo’s big rock sound in arenas all over the globe since 2002. Andrew Low talks to May about his choice of gear, Glastonbury and marketing hullabaloo… fter years of mixing theatre and arena tours for various rock and pop acts, one would assume that Status Quo’s FOH engineer Andy May would travel with huge racks of gear and an accompanying ego. He is, however, a very friendly bloke who has embraced modern digital technology and is willing to admit that some of the younger guys coming up are “pretty damn good”. That being said, May does have allegiances to certain brands and passionate opinions about the industry and the art of mixing live sound. Straight off the back of a US tour with The Pretenders, May joined The Quo in 2002 and has stayed with the band ever since. “I had been a fan of the band since I was a kid. They are such a great bunch of guys and that is what has kept me there,” he comments. “I’ve always relished the process of being freelance and chasing bands that I wanted to work with and thankfully I haven’t been forced to do many boy bands. I have been very lucky to do some quality rock acts over the years, which has been great for me.”

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Status Quo were mainly using Martin Audio loudspeaker systems for the 15 years prior to May joining the team. This changed when he first used an Adamson system in Scandinavia during 2004, since then his preference has been the I used to have big Canadian-based Adamson’s line array systems. “There are many very good PA systems out there racks of outboard besides Adamson, but many are not quite as that I thought I ‘race developed’ as the Adamson products,” would be May explained. “Other systems do clutching to the everything they are meant to do and always sound good and clear, but when grave. These days you really want it to be extra special, tune I show up with the them a bit more and get into the processor, they often come up short. PM5D and “I also don’t encounter various different versions of Adamson boxes when we travel playback gear, and around. In the old days you would travel to I do all the gigs other territories for a tour and they would be in like that. a different configuration than the ones you were Andy May used to. Whenever you are using a bunch of Y18 or Y10s and T21s, they always have a predictable sound. I have Status Quo FOH never had any reliability issues with them and I hit the T21s

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ANDY MAY LIVE SOUND < pretty hard. The lovely thing about the Y10 is, while it is what I would call a mid-size box, you can use it in an arena without any problems. It sounds good, yet its low-end driver is only a teninch and there are only two of them, but then you are straight on to the T-21. Somehow they have managed to tune the boxes correctly so you don’t hear a hole. “I would always prefer to use the Y18s with Y10s under-slung in arenas that have a capacity of eight to 15,000 because the Y18s are warmer, and the Y10s could struggle in a very large room. You can happily use Y10s in arenas as long as you are not mixing a loud rock act. Thankfully, they don’t seem to be too fussy about how they are hung like some others.� The band played Glastonbury for the first time in their 40-year career in 2009. May was in the Pyramid stage’s FOH tent on the day, trying to get a good and rock n roll mix while wrestling with the system’s ‘brick-wall’ compressor. “The biggest problem at Glastonbury is they can only operate at 94dB,� he says. “As soon as you hit 96dB it goes into instant compression. If you start over mixing you lose all your power. I tried to get it to be dynamic, but I knew it would never be that loud. I was quite pleased at how it worked for me, but I know some of the engineers probably tried a bit too hard and it just started shutting down on them. There are an awful lot of people in the audience at Glastonbury and, basically, they want it to be nice and loud. It’s a shame it isn’t.� If there is one thing that May knows how to do, it is getting a big rock sound out of any PA. “I like to mix with a lot of kick drum that is quite bright, with loads of low end and a lot of attack so you can hear the beater,� he says. “I like the bass guitar with a load of top end also. At first it sounds like too much top end, but when you have it mixed in with everything else you can hear it very well. Some instruments need extra attack live. I tune the PA with lots of tight low end in it, which saves space for the vocal in the middle. If necessary, I’ll sacrifice stuff slightly to get the solos over the mix. There’s nothing worse than looking at a lead guitar player widdling away on stage and not being able to hear him. I tend to mix things with big blotches of colour and some instruments will need to be louder and brighter than others. Having said that, clean and clear vocals will always be my priority with any act I’m mixing.

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Although the band has stuck to their 1960s guitars and old, noisy amps, May has adopted digital technology into the band’s touring rig to the point that he is using a Yamaha digital console for all of the mixing and processing. “I really got to know digital boards when I did some gigs for Lionel Richie and was forced to use a Yamaha PM1D and loved it. I ended up being the second person in the UK to own the PM5D. Now I just use that console and I don’t run any outboard FX or processors. Although, I think that the convenience of digital mixing is probably the overriding factor, I occasionally contemplate reverting to a large analog set up, but it’s just not convenient for the type of touring that we do. I used to have a big PM4000, racks of gear with Drawmer gates, dbx compressors, an Eventide harmoniser, KT graphics and some other standard kit that I thought I would be clutching to the grave. These days I show up with the PM5D, some playback gear, a couple of test mics and some CDs and I do all the gigs just like that. The one element of modern technology that May doesn’t jive with are plugins. “I think that it is a bit of a It makes me marketing exercise. It does make me chuckle when I see someone using a Neve valve compressor or chuckle when I TubeTec plugin. They are using see someone emulations of gear that they have using Neve or never actually heard just because the picture looks the same as the TubeTec plugins. old rack unit and the They are using increments on the knobs are the same. I have sat in on emulations of demos and they don’t sound gear that they anything like the actual gear. “I can guarantee that if a have never few well established engineers walked into a venue blindfolded actually heard and sat in the centre stalls with a just because the really good engineer mixing a picture looks the show, without prior knowledge of same as the old what gear was being used, none of them would be able to determine with any rack unit. certainty whether he was using a digital or analog Andy May console, what effects he is using, let alone what gates and compressors. A good sound comes from having a great band, a good PA system and being a good sound engineer; that could be available digitally or through a decent older analog console. The problem is when an engineer buys a piece of gear with their eyes. For me, line array speaker systems are the best ‘new’ thing we have had for ages, and bless Christian Heil for creating it.

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> OPINION SARAH YULE

Snapshot of Sound Sarah Yule provides tips on instilling emotional and dramatic elements in music through mixing techniques and the proper use of dynamics... very napshot of time encapsulates a view of differing stories hidden within it. There is a patchwork of eccentricity contained within any town or city that is embodied into a singular, momentary view. Music is also said to capture a snapshot of society, echoing the emotion of the society it comes from and the social, political or economical status quo. Songs which appeal cross genre, race and demographic tend to have the ability to take a more universal snapshot of the world, highlighting and bowing to the most commonly apparent expressions of feeling. When mixing and producing a record, it is important to endeavour to embody this flow of emotion. The exhilaration and misery, love and hate, excitement and angst. Let the record express itself colourfully and freely by taking care not to quash its emotional character. Dynamics are key to achieving this. The dynamic of a song can be affected by three main things; space, level and tone. These dynamic ingredients can be shaped by you through editing, level mixing, equalisation and compression (as well as other dynamic treatments). Never underestimate the importance of silence, this alone can breathe tremendous dynamic and expression into a phrase – especially when you are trying to create tension or anticipation, or even just to tease the listener in a cheeky way. Try cutting the last bar or few notes of a phrase, cutting the rhythm section works really well, or maybe even cutting all instruments and just leaving the bass part in, play around with your pauses and notice the different emotions that they help create. Don’t feel forced to have everything on the beat either. Having some parts coming in on the third beat of the bar can add interest, or try having stabs or counter rhythm percussion coming in on the off beat. As I’ve mentioned before, when starting to mix levels, I always like to start with the percussive elements of the track.

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I see the drums as the foundations of the audio track I am building – if these foundations aren’t right then my whole audio building feels unstable. I do not tend to play around with the drum parts once they are mixed, having snares pan round and kicks automated up and down in level is not something I think sounds good. Maybe some effects in places to add a stutter or delay, but I think it is more important to have a stable beat under your track. The excitement can come from varying beats, rhythms and parts rather than trying to make it sound like a drum kit is whirling around the listeners head. The sounds you balance in level against your beats are then free to be more dynamically adjusting, allowed to roam more and be manipulated through automation and fades. Use your automation of levels to signpost phrases in the lyrics or hooks in the guitar line. Use it to build excitement before the chorus or middle 8 section. Create a journey through the song that shies away from mono-dynamic monotony. The tonal spectrum of your music can also be a way to manipulate the dynamics of a piece. This is something that is a favourite element of dance music, with producers often using low pass and high pass filters to build excitement or create musical signposts. Instead of increasing the volume of a part, you can add the perception of dynamic excitement by mirroring the phrase in a different octave or with a different instrument or indeed both of these variants. Also try automating between different equalisation settings for instruments as you move through the different sections of a song – maybe going for a sparce, thinner sound for the striking yet cold verse and a thicker, shaped sound for the more powerful chorus. All of these aspects can help you create your snapshot of human emotion, a moment in time that can mirror the hidden stories of society and relate music to the panoptic population.

AUTHOR BIO: 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 then worked with TL Audio as sales director, which was partially due to the success of her conceptual design of the Fat Track Tube Production Suit. Yule has recently taken the position of international sales manager for Numark. syule@numark.com. co.uk.

www.audioprointernational.com

SATURN is a sleek condenser mic inspired by the classic vocal mics of the 1940s and 50s. SATURN has five polar patterns (omni, sub-cardioid, cardioid, hypercardioid and figure-of-eight) plus a two-stage filter (75/125Hz) and two-stage pad (-10/-20dB). It comes with a unique shockmount in a rugged aluminium flightcase. And, like all our mics, it’s covered by the SONTRONICS Lifetime Warranty.

> STUDIO MICROPHONES

Blue ribbons… …And many other models, all in the second part of Audio Pro’s studio mic roundup – Rob Hughes delves deeper into the world of pop-shields and pickup patterns… es, we know they are often used in a studio situation for miking up cabs and so on, but we’re not going to include dynamic mics here, partly because they’re sort of the odd one out, but also because if we did, we’d have nothing left to put in our live mics feature. And speaking of having nothing left, since I used all my best microphone material – and I don’t mean the hosiery-type stuff you find in a pop shield – for the last intro, I’m a bit stumped as to what to write here. So, I’m sorry if I’m ‘teaching my grandmother to suck eggs’, but I feel the best option is to remind those of you who don’t have it permanently etched into your recording brains, of the differences between ribbon and condenser mics.

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Ribbon As anyone who has ever plugged their headphones into an input of some sort will know, speakers can also function as crude microphones – dynamic microphones to be precise and although we’re not covering that variety here, ribbon types are somewhat similar, in that they generate an audio output using magnetic induction. In a ribbon mic, the diaphragm, which, to all intent and purposes, is a very small speaker cone used in reverse, is an exceptionally thin, corrugated piece of metal (the ribbon), which is suspended in a magnetic field. Vibration of the ribbon in the magnetic field generates a tiny electrical signal, which translates at the other end of the chain as the audio output. Since both sides of the ribbon respond to pressure changes, most ribbon mics have a figure-of-eight polar pattern, but this is sometimes altered by manufacturers who fix a baffle to one 26

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side of the ribbon. Otherwise, equal front and rear pickup can present problems, although the top and side rejection (around the edges of the ribbon) can be taken advantage of effectively. The fragility of the ribbon and the necessity to suspend it loosely within the magnetic field for adequate LF response has traditionally meant that such mics can be damaged by high SPLs, let alone knocks. Modern materials have considerably alleviated this problem, however, and even allowed the use of phantompowered preamps. Condenser Condensers are by far the most common type of mic found in a studio – though this could change somewhat with the introduction of more hardy (and increasingly fashionable) ribbon types. This is for a number of reasons, including their slightly more resilient character in comparison to ribbons, and also because, for many engineers, they simply deliver the most desirable signal quality. Their performance is largely the result of the infinitesimal nature of the diaphragm and the ease with which it is moved by the vibrations of the source sound wave, making them incredibly sensitive. This is made possible by phantom power – or sometimes a battery – which maintains a voltage across the capacitor, otherwise known as the condenser. In this case, the diaphragm is actually one of the two conductors, or plates that make up the capacitor. Stimulation of the diaphragm results in a change in distance between the plates, from which an audio output is extracted at the other end of the transducer, via a process that should be explained by someone with lots more electronics knowledge than me. www.audioprointernational.com

MICROPHONES STUDIO < Standard condensers have a cardioid pickup pattern since only the diaphragm plate side is responsive to sound, however they can be, and often are, designed with two diaphragms, electrically connected, to allow a variety of polar patterns including figure of eight. BLUE I will begin with the brand – and the particular model – that lent its name to the title. Among a host of application specific condensers, some solid state, some vacuum tube, Blue offers a single but highly regarded ribbon mic known as the Woodpecker. Widely praised for its excellent top end response – meaning it can be employed to great effect on a host of sounds that would normally call for the use of a condenser – the Woodpecker has found fans in a number of notable engineers and musicians, including The Eagles’ Don Felder who uses the mic for tracking acoustic guitar. Other applications to which it is well suited include ambient recording, capturing highly detailed room tone with a extensive frequency response that spans the range of human hearing, from 20Hz to 20kHz. We shouldn’t forget the flagship of the Blue range, though, the Blue Bottle – a highly prized tube condenser recording microphone, with interchangeable capsule system, which allows the user to choose between eight different ‘bottle caps’ for different tonal characteristics and pickup patterns. The mic offers very low noise and excellent transient response, with a Class A discrete amplifier circuit that utilises a single EF86 pentode vacuum tube in triode mode. > bluemic.com

DPA Danish mic manufacturer DPA has an extensive range of mics for all occasions, but as far as studio applications are concerned, you needn’t look much further than it’s aptly-named Standard range. Here, for recording purposes, you’ll find cardioid, wide cardioid and omnidirectional condenser models, plus microphone kits of matched pairs and so on. Within this range, some of the most popular models are of the omnidirectional variety, in particular, the company’s 4041 series of large diaphragm condenser mics. Along with the regular P48 version, designed to work in a standard 48V phantom power environment, this is also available with either solid state or tube circuitry, in both cases allowing the mic to be used with higher voltages, up to 130V. While the solid-state version offer complete transparency, the MMP4000T2 tube preamp imparts a slight musical colouration, as one would expect. Regardless of circuitry, all DPA’s large diaphragm models have a frequency response that extends from the 20kHz upper limit, right down below the audible range, to 10Hz. With a four to 6dB soft boost at around 8kHz, this matches the response of the firm’s highly acclaimed Type 4040 hybrid microphone. In terms of noise floor and power handling, the solid state version, for example, boasts figures of 7dB and 144dB, respectively. Elsewhere in the DPA’s Standard range can be found the cardioid and wide cardioid models. The former, which are upgraded versions of the classic DPA 4011, are typified by very low distortion and high SPL characteristics and the latter, for their ability to cover a greater sound angle, making them well suited for grand piano, guitar, marimba and percussion or as a spot mic for groups in a symphony orchestra. > dpamicrophones.com

AUDIO-TECHNICA Since we featured Audio-Technica in the first studio mic roundup, the firm has added the new AT4047MP multi-pattern condenser and AT4050ST stereo condenser microphones to its 40 series, which have subsequently received MET (Music www.audioprointernational.com

Engineering and Technology) Alliance certification, as have its first-ever ribbon microphones, the AT4080 and AT4081, launched back in November 2009. The four mics, which come with a lifetime warranty and are avaible to trial via A-T’s First Impressions scheme, were highly praised by MET Alliance board members, including Phil Ramone and Frank Fillipetti. “The ribbon mics have now achieved what A-T condenser mics have: a great warm mic that creates great identity for an artist,” comments Ramone. Filipetti added: “The Audio-Technica pencil ribbon mic has moved right up to the top echelon of my go-to mics, along with the multi-pattern AT4047.” Grammy-winning producers David Reitzas and Walter Afanasieff also back the A-T 40 series. “It is remarkable how versatile the 4060 microphones are for my recording sessions,” Reitzas says.“Vocals, drums, guitars, piano, strings, percussion you name it, these mics hold up. Recently on a visit to Japan, I had the great pleasure to tour the company headquarters and meet the people behind A-T mics. A group so dedicated to advancing the design and quality of sound recording devices. An amazing company creating classic mics. > audio-technica.com

COLES A fairly straightforward one this, insofar as it only makes two microphones to speak of. Nevertheless these are two very important mics as far as vast number of high-end recording studios are concerned. Many consider both to be essential members of the mic cupboard. First up is the 4038 ribbon model, of BBC design and used where a clear smooth wide range frequency response, absent of transient distortion and relatively high sensitivity is essential – broadcasting of course, but then, this is hardly undesirable in a recording environment. The newest addition to Coles’ line of studio ribbons is the 4040. This is the first ribbon microphone that Coles has developed using the latest magnet technology and where the 4038 starts to drop off, the 4040 carries on past 20kHz. Throughout this range, like the 4038, the shape of the bi-directional (figure of eight) polar response is maintained substantially constant both in the horizontal and vertical planes, giving a natural smooth sonic quality textured response to sound signal being picked up. There is also no discernible stray magnetic field, making it very easy to mount head to head in a ‘Blumlein’ (crossed figure-of-eights) stereo configuration. The ribbon/magnet assembly within the 4040 has its own in-built shock mounts separating it from the main body of the microphone that can be secured for transit. > coleselectroacoustics.com

SCHOEPS Central to the Schoeps range is the Colette series of modular microphones, which consists of 26 interchangeable components – six amplifier units and 20 capsules – which can be combined in a large variety of ways, as necessary to create the ideal microphone. With just a few exceptions, any type of capsule can be used with any type of amplifier. Capsules include omnidirectional, wide cardioid and figure-eight types, which are complemented, in addition to the standard phantompowered CMC 6 amplifier type, by a vacuum-tube amplifier among others. If miniature mics are your thing, the company’s CCM (compact condenser microphone) range offers scaled down versions of various possibilities within the Colette line, though the capsule and amplifier of the CCM mics form an inseparable

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> STUDIO MICROPHONES

unit in a single housing and cannot be interchanged. The capsules are identical to the corresponding Colette models, while the amplifiers follow the same circuit principles as CMC amplifiers, with low-impedance balanced output circuitry that allows the use of microphone cables up to hundreds of feet long without interference. Schoeps assures that self-noise from any of these mics is low enough to be of ‘absolute studio quality’. > schoeps.de

“

The Sigma is a great mic, we pretty much swear by it to fatten up our drums. We mainly use them as ambient mics but sometimes on guitars and bass too. Umair Chaudhry Roadiohead engineer

SONTRONICS We’re once again returning to British brand Sontronics this time around, primarily to discuss its brand new multi-pattern condenser, Saturn. Inspired by the classic vocal mics of the 1940s and beta-tested by a number of top producers (including Alan Moulder and Flood, no less), Saturn allows five different polar patterns – omnidirectional, subcardioid, cardioid, hypercardioid and figure-of-eight – plus variable attenuation (-10/-20dB) and high-pass filter (75/125Hz). This has resulted in a very adaptable, all-round studio microphone that, although originally designed for vocals, has proven to give excellent results on vocals, speech, guitars, brass, woodwind, strings, piano, drums and more. With the Saturn being so new, user reports are still thin on the ground, however glowing reviews in line with those received by the rest of the Sontronics range can be expected. This includes the company’s phantompowered, multi-application ribbon mic, Sigma, which, to date, has received a huge amount of attention. Keynote Studios’ Umair Chaudhry, who has worked with the likes of Radiohead and Amy Winehouse, comments: “The Sigma is a great mic, we pretty much swear by it to fatten up our drums. We mainly use them as ambient mics but sometimes on guitars and bass too. It's an awesome general-purpose ambient mic. It has amazing detail in the mid range and low end which gives the sound a warmth and depth of tone that other microphones seem to lack.” Also on offer from the British firm is Apollo, a stereo sister model to the Sigma, the Orpheus multi-pattern condenser, Omega valve cardioid condenser and Helios variable-pattern valve condenser. These mics too, are not without their fans – Pip Williams, producer of Status Quo and Elton John, comments: “The Orpheus has proved fantastic as a drum overhead and acoustic guitar mic, while the Helios is a beautiful vocal mic and has also been wonderful on flute and other woodwinds.” > timespace.com

SENNHEISER Top of the Sennheiser studio range is the MKH 800 condenser microphone, the first microphone to fully utilise the wider

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frequency response and dynamic range of high bitrate standard of advanced digital recording systems (for example SACD). The MKH 800 features five switchable pick-up patterns (omni-directional, wide cardioid, cardioid, supercardioid, figure-of-eight), switchable pre-attenuation, switchable roll-off filter and switchable treble emphasis. Frequency response spans 30Hz to a soaring 50kHz and, according to the graph found in the tech specs, is very flat from around 70Hz until the 5k mark. Also available is the MKH 800 Twin, based on the original, but with a dual capsule consisting of two symmetrical push-pull transducers with high linearity. This has resulted in a ‘side fire’ microphone with the two cardioid pickup pattern transducers aligned back-to-back across the axis of the microphone. The signals of both transducers are not combined in the microphone in order to generate differing pick-up patterns but are available separately as two channels at the microphone output. This allows the pick-up patterns to be remotely adjusted. The signals can be combined in any desired way in the mixing console in order to create all pick-up patterns from omni-directional to figure-of-eight with an infinite number of intermediate stages. > sennheiser.co.uk

PEAVEY Though it occupies a slightly lower price range than most of the mics on these pages, Peavey’s Studio Pro M2 is nonetheless of interest because, despite its affordability, it has proved to be a hit among several producers and engineers. One such pro is Mark Capps of Soundshop in Nashville, who made the M2 his go-to mic. Capps, who has engineered and produced hundreds of sessions with artists including Bruce Springsteen and Mark Knopfler comments: “It excels on everything from acoustic piano and dobro guitar to vocals, B-3, string quartets and even drum overheads. I’m really impressed by the hot output, and it has a very low signal-to-noise ratio. My mixes rarely need any eq.” The M2 is a pressure-gradient transducer with a goldplated, double-membrane capsule with a selector switch for cardioid, figure-of-eight and omni pickup patterns. It features roll off and pad switches, a large diaphragm for extended low end and -10dB attenuation, allowing it to handle up to 140dB without distortion. > peavey.com

OKTAVA For anyone wondering about Russian heritage in microphone building, the origins of Oktava date back to a small electronics workshop opened in 1927. By the early 1930s, the company was supplying the entire nation with the very best Soviet-made microphones. It went on to equip Kremlin meeting rooms and the state’s biggest TV studio. Quite a legacy then, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to find that the firm now supplies fine recording mics all over the

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MICROPHONES STUDIO <

world, particularly into Europe and the US. Ribbons, condensers and tube condensers are available, but here we’ll focus on the company’s 100 series of standard condenser models because it seems that this is where Oktava excels. To take the newest addition to the Oktava family as an example, the MK-104 is a large diaphragm mic with an innovative headbasket design that features four acoustically optimised vents that dramatically reduce internal reflections to smooth the upper midrange response and improve transient response detail. It uses the same circuit found in the renowned MK-012, of which there are 90,000 in use worldwide. Oktava says that, on-axis, the 104 exhibits a smooth and gentle upward tilt from bass to treble giving it several dB more treble output relative to the bass end. Off-axis, the mic has a unique and useful polar response – 180-degree output above 7kHz exceeds 90-degree output. This means that it ‘hears’ ambient room presence, while rejecting HF bleed from adjacent sound sources.

BEYERDYNAMIC Another brand that’s been busy updating its studio mic range recently, with the MC 910 omni-directional and MC 950 supercardioid studio mics being the new kids on the beyerdynamic block. The mics are based on the MC 930 universal condenser, using the same body construction and alternative polar patterns. The MC 910 is ideal for use as a main microphone for stereo and surround recordings as well as close miking of voice or individual instruments, with a subtle treble boost for an open and natural sound at longer ranges. It compensates for off axis high frequency attenuation of the omnidirectional capsule and, due to the switchable pre-attenuation of 15dB, is suitable for use at high sound pressure levels. The switchable low-cut filter with 6 dB/octave below 250Hz compensates for proximity effect. The MC 950 features 15dB switchable pre-attenuation and 6 dB/octave below 250 Hz low-cut filter. Due to its supercardioid polar pattern, the MC 950 has an excellent gain-before-feedback and eliminates noise from the rear.

> oktava-online.com

> beyerdynamic.com

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> STUDIO FIG TREE STUDIOS

Motorcycle boys A British electro-acoustician has helped transform a former motorcycle factory turned squat in Barcelona into a state-of-the-art film mixing theatre. Institute of Acoustics Debbie White discovers how the acoustic design of the studio and a pending Dolby certification fosters the creativity of its clients… ig Tree Studios is soon to receive Dolby Premier Studio Certification for the top level mixing of Dolby Digital film soundtracks. This will make it one of only 20 or so studios in the world that can claim this new level of certification, which denotes technical excellence at every level of the operation. Independent acoustics consultant Philip Newell, a fellow of UK professional body the Institute of Acoustics, co-designed and built the facility, which is located in an industrial part of Barcelona. Currently based in Spain, Newell has been designing recording studios for about 40 years, authored six books on the subject and regularly presents technical papers at the IOA’s annual Reproduced Sound conferences. Two years ago, he was approached by a television dubbing company known as Audioprojects and based in La Garriga, Catalonia. The company wanted him to assess the suitability of turning an old brick-built factory into a Dolby Digital room for mixing feature film soundtracks.

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There was a complication, however in that the former motorcycle factory had previously been developed without approval for residential purposes, although there were squatters currently living in the building. There are strict criteria that must be met in order to achieve Dolby Premier Studio Certification. A multitude of factors, including room acoustics, visual and audio monitoring standards, installation standards and technical experience are all carefully measured and evaluated as part of the certification process. Armed with blank sheets of paper, the Dolby manual and plans of the building, Newell and fellow acoustician Eliana Valdigem, an associate member of the IOA, sat at opposite sides of a table to design the state-of-the-art facility. “The Dolby manual specifies reverberation times for given room volumes, loudspeaker specifications and acceptable positions, room proportions, frequency responses, background noise levels, freedom from rattles and many other aspects of performance,” says Newell.

”

Dolby approval requires compliance with a whole series of electroacoustical specifications. Philip Newell Fig Tree Studios

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FIG TREE STUDIOS STUDIO <

(L-R) Fig Tree owner Andrew Galletly, co-designer Phillip Newell,

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“So, we had to design and build a room to fit into the building while complying with all the recommendations of Dolby. That included electrical and air-conditioning system designs, all the acoustic design and the approval of any aesthetic decisions that might affect the compliance with any of the other requirements.” While Dolby specifications call for a peak sound level capacity at the mixing position of 115dBC, Dolby Premier requirements state that the mixing position should not be less than seven metres from the loudspeakers. “These two together mean that around 130dBC must be generated close to the loudspeakers at low frequencies. These are discotheque levels and do not mix well with people sleeping in an adjacent room,” Newell points out. Despite structural constraints in the former factory “we eventually got sufficient isolation (from residential accommodation) to meet the industrial norm of not exceeding 50 dBA,” he said. These norms applied because the building was licensed for commercial use only. Newell communicated constantly with Dolby even before beginning the designs, so the organisation was aware of each aspect of the plan and of any design changes made during construction – which began just a few weeks after the first sketches were completed. These days, the majority of feature films are encoded in a system called Dolby Digital. To put the Dolby logo on a film, important for prestigious purposes, it must be mixed in a Dolbyapproved studio. “The Dolby approval requires compliance with a whole series of acoustical and electro-acoustical specifications,” explains Newell. “The basic idea is to achieve a good consistency between not only the rooms in which the soundtracks are mixed, but also the cinemas in which they will be viewed by the public.” Newell reflects that his work in cinema acoustics is really just producing the springboard for artistic creation. By improving the acoustic elements he is producing the tools for other people’s artistic creativity to develop. He got involved in this specialised field after studying music as a student. His experience in the recording business began as a recording engineer when he discovered a fascination with recording rooms, which he felt were the weakest link in the recording chain. And so a man who was technical director at the Virgin Records Group for 11 years, decided to carve out a new career focused on improving the acoustic design of recording and mixing rooms. The IOA member hopes to join other audio professionals at this year’s Reproduced Sound conference at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff from November 18th to 19th. reproducedsound.co.uk www.audioprointernational.com

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> STUDIO SEBASTIAN AROCHA MORTON

Roca steady Founder of LA’s Rocasound Studios, Sebastian Arocha Morton has just finished up production work for the Iron Man 2 score. Rob Hughes caught up with him to discuss his passions and peeves…

s the CEO, producer, engineer, and songwriter at Burbank-based Rocasound studios, Sebastian Arocha Morton has become one of the most in-demand guys on the LA scene. He and his company offer end-to-end solutions, from brainstorming to mastering, achieving one goal at a time, for one client at a time. The firm’s mission statement says that “the endless riddle of balancing art and commerce ends at Rocasound” – it is a company dedicated only to the music and whatever it takes to achieve success in the production of it. Now well over halfway through his second decade in the business, Morton began his career in Mexico City in the early 90s, touring with various high profile bands as a keyboard player. Gigs as a songwriter followed before he enrolled at Berklee College of Music to study Film Composition and Engineering. After graduating, he honed his craft shadowing engineers such as Rob Jaczko and Eumir Deodato. California beckoned and Morton eventually upped sticks and relocated

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to LA where he initially found work with artists connected with a thriving acid jazz scene, such as Chaka Khan, David Sylvian and Ozomatli. In recent times, Morton has entered the big league, providing his services for the likes of Sting, The Killers and Mary J Blige, among many others. Currently, on the recording side, he has just wrapped up production and mixing work on seven tracks for the new Samantha James album Subconscious, which is due out this month on OM Records based in San Francisco. However, as you expect for a man with his talents based in ‘the media capital of the world’, Burbank, Morton gets his fair share of TV and film work. Lately he has completed sections of the score for Iron Man 2 and is in the process of composing music for a US TV show called Terriers. Over the years, Morton has increasingly devoted his time to scoring films and is today more involved in this sphere than any other, recently signing to major film composer agency Gorfaine/Schwartz. But no matter what kind of project is on www.audioprointernational.com

SEBASTIAN AROCHA MORTON STUDIO <

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It really pisses me off when money and politics get involved and dictate the direction of the music. Sebastian Arocha Morton

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the table, he just enjoys the basic fact that he gets to work with music – his absolute passion – every day. Nevertheless, he acknowledges that working with music is not always as fun as it seems and there are some jobs that he’d rather avoid, namely the ones that take too much and give too little. “I feel fortunate to be able to be doing exactly what I set out to do and make a decent living doing it full time,” he explains. “But I have learnt to be careful when choosing the projects that I take on to make sure they are in line with my own philosophy. In hindsight, I wish I had been a little bit pickier earlier on in my career when I took certain jobs just because I needed the money. At the end of the day, those jobs ended up paying me the least and taking up most of my time. “One example was a score for a CGI film. It was a complete disaster because it was an Asian company and the cultural disconnect and language barrier were insane. I think the most annoying thing in this business is unrealistic expectations from amateurs with really low budgets. They basically temped the whole movie with scores from movies like Star Wars, Star Trek and James Bond. Then, in very bad English, they said they wanted it to sound exactly the same but using synths, just a few musicians and $30,000 dollars for 70 minutes of fully produced orchestral music. Keep in mind, this was the 90s – we didn’t have incredible samplers and libraries like Vienna, EastWest, Kontakt or Altiverb. The best sampler was an Akai S5000 with 512MB of RAM and a bunch of CD Roms. I ended up spending a lot of my own money to get live players and do it right. I’ve encountered people like this often in this business and I know better than to take the gig now. I can’t tell you how many times somebody plays Thriller as a reference and says: ‘can you make me sound like that for a $1000 a track, all in?’” Despite his apparent disillusionment, it speaks volumes that Morton saw this project through and that he even put in the extra time and money that was necessary to make it a success. His reaction to this client was almost one of sympathy, suggesting that, although they wanted a lot for their meagre budget, they were nevertheless just trying to realise their vision of a grand score for their movie and perhaps shared some of his philosophy and passion for sound. It seems that he is prepared to do whatever he can to help people who place the emphasis on the musical outcome as the ultimate goal. Conversely, those who consider only the financial upshot can expect very little of his time. “It really pisses me off when money and politics get involved and dictate the direction of the music,” he adds. “It’s disgusting, and at that point I bail. Call me naive, but I think most genuine musicians get into this business because when they started it was exciting to write songs, perform, make beats, tweak gear and so on. Music is music; marketing and sales are not music. They’re business aspects and don’t belong in the studio. Nobody picked up an instrument when they were in their teens because they loved reading Billboard magazine so much that they couldn’t wait to chart when they got older – they just loved music. So when artists start getting all insecure and afraid that they’re not going to sell any records because they don’t hear a ‘radio hit’ and managers start causing drama and get the label all worked up, everything amazing about being in a studio becomes hell. From that point on, it’s all fear based and all creativity ends. You might as well look at the Billboard 200 top three, pick one and do a soundalike, because that’s going to end up happening anyway. I don’t mean to sound jaded, because I’m not, I’ve been fortunate to have very few of those experiences, but that’s why the radio sounds the same all the time. If Lady Gaga goes multi-platinum and starts making millions and you meet a hot blonde 20-something girl who says she wants to be a singer and loves dance music, take a guess who she wants to sound like.”

Agreeability of gigs notwithstanding, there are aspects of Morton’s job that he loves unconditionally and things that make his day no matter who’s trying to put a drain on his talent and services. “The gear and instruments are what I am really interested in,” he says without hesitation. “I love sounds. I know most people probably think it’s more spiritual to say, ‘the songs and artists are why people become producers’ and perhaps for some it is, but in truth, for me, it’s how much fun it is to create new sounds. I love exploring – even when I do write songs, they need to have a sound attached. I can’t stand it when people say write on the piano and guitar; that’s been overdone for ages. How about writing on a harmonium going through a space echo and flanger with an eight-bit kit keeping rhythm. It feels different when there’s an ambiance. I definitely come from the Brian Eno/Daniel Lanois school of music production.”

The tools and the techniques… SINCE MORTON and his staff use various third party studios for mixing – Manny Marroquin’s SSL suite at Larrabee Studios in LA being a favourite – the setup at Rocasound is a best-of-both-worlds combination of Pro Tools with D-Command control and a comprehensive selection of outboard. This includes 16 channels of SSL XLogic pres and a custom Manley Labs 16 x 16 summing mixer. Morton estimates that 80 per cent of his tracks are routed through outboard gear due to the distinct character that it provides. In order to track these nuances exactly as he hears them, he has also invested heavily on the digital side. “I strongly believe in great digital conversion and clocking, so I have Apogee and Benchmark converters clocked through Antelope Audio Units. Because of the faith I have in the conversion going both ways in and out of the box, it’s very exciting to capture the character of outboard gear properly track by track – everything from exotic pedals to space echos. “My style of production is to print as I go along. In other words, when I’m digging a sound, I route every track including its plugins out of Pro Tools through a Manley Massive Passive EQ and a UBK Fatso individually. When I get to the mix stage I mostly do levelling, summing, and buss compression and eq, because most of the sounds are already committed, with all the analog goodness, via pristine, no-jitter signals. This makes me feel more like I did in the days when I committed to tape. It just feels good to know your sound won’t change if something goes wrong.” The next step for Rocasound is to acquire an SSL AWS900 console, along with the X-patch system. Morton explains that, because he works with so many different genres at once, it’s important for him to be able to recall sessions and mixes quickly. For this reason, the newer analog consoles are very appealing to him, though he notes that hardware/software/plugin integration is becoming much warmer than it once was, meaning, I guess, that for now he is happy with his current setup. One piece of gear, or two actually, that won’t be leaving Rocasound are Morton’s Mackie HR824 monitors, which, despite a resident pair of Dynaudio Acoustics BM6As, remain his favourite. “My Mackies have never failed me,” he says.

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>> APPLICATIONS

OSA deploys first pro application of AVB IEEE 802.1 AVB bridging protocol used for primary audio transport in Harman HiQnet system

ON STAGE Audio (OSA) this month deployed the world’s first real-world test of the latest IEEE 802.1 AVB bridging protocol. The OSA team configured and controlled a Harman AV system using HiQnet for the Compuware national sales meeting in Detroit, Michigan and ran audio using Ethernet AVB standards. This watershed event marked the first time that AVB – the only standard transport protocol that allows time-synchronised, super-lowlatency streaming audio and video over IEEE 802 Ethernet networks –

was used as the primary audio transport for a major professional system. At the core of OSA VP Jim Risgin’s design were 24 Crown CTs 3000 power amplifiers fitted with USP4/AVB cards, four 24-port BSS Audio/Netgear AVB bridges as well as four dbx SC 32 digital matrix processors, which were used as the AVB ‘on ramps’ for the system processing. The entire system (DSP and AVB) was controlled using Harman’s HiQnet protocol and System Architect software.

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Fourteen audio streams were routed via HiQnet System Architect to 24 Crown CTs amps, connecting the amps to the Ethernet network.

Jim Risgin, himself an early and active contributor to the AVB movement, assembled the Compuware AVB system working closely with SDIG. Using the HiQnet System Architect drag-and-drop interface to design his system, Risgin configured and programmed the dbx SC 32 digital matrix processor for processing and using the AVB network as the matrix automatically instructed groups of Ethernet AVB amplifier channels associated with each physical zone to switch to that networked audio signal. > osacorp.com

Waterfront venue goes VQ Live THE 700-CAPACITY Waterfront live music venue in Norwich, UK, has upgraded to a Tannoy VQ Live system, supplied by Red Square Audio, for FOH sound. Housed within an old brewery bottling plant building, The Waterfront is a hugely popular venue hosting over 100 live music events every year. Thanks to the age of the building – with walls said to be over 20 inches thick – and its location, excessive noise levels were not a concern, but production manager Nic Morris and the venue’s in-house engineer, Lavar Bullard had been keen to upgrade the outdated PA system for some time. After securing funds for the purpose, they arranged a 34

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demonstration of the Tannoy system following a meeting with RSA owner Paul Nicholson. As an established venue with a respected reputation, it was crucial to Morris and Bullard when considering the new system that it sounded right within the space and was capable of reproducing all types of material. Following the demonstration, the pair were not disappointed and noted that the VQ Live system had surpassed their expectations with “clarity, headroom and separation”. Built-in amplification and processing ensured that the system was perfectly matched and operating safely without the need for additional racks, which they did not want. > tannoy.com

>> RSG HAS… ...provided prog rock group Aeon Zen with a full suite of sound and video control products. They are the first band in the UK to fully embrace the group’s technology, as they have invested in a portable digital mixing and stage monitoring package put together by Wigwam Sales. The compact system, contained in just two custom flightcases, includes a six-way stage monitoring system using RSS M-48 individual mixers, and a RSS M-400 digital mixing console with digital snake for use at front of house. www.audioprointernational.com

APPLICATIONS <<

Chunma Art Centre’s Grand Hall plumps for Alcons Audio

SCRATCHING

THE PAD Recent industry deals CONTEMPORARY ART auctioneer Phillips de Pury & Company recently commissioned a new audio system at its London premises, controlled by a Yamaha DME series digital mixing engine. Cambridgeshire-based Absolute Pro Audio designed and installed the system, which involved 28 loudspeakers, positioned throughout the building and controlled by a DME64N. This sends individual audio feeds to each speaker via three MY8DA96 interface cards and an MY8ADDA96 card. > yamahacommercialaudio.com

Pro ribbon arrays provide sound reinforcement at South Korean university ALCONS HAS supplied two complete sound systems to the Chunma Art Centre (at South Korea’s Yeungnam University), a multi-cultural space, opened last year, which hosts a wide range of productions, both local and international. The new systems provide audio in both main performance spaces at the venue. Located in the city of Gyeongsan, Yeungnam University is one of the largest South Korean universities outside of the capital, Seoul. The Chunma Art Centre has been built to an extremely high specification and comprises seven stories above ground and two stories below ground. It is one of the most technologically advanced arts centres of its kind. Performances take place in the Grand Hall with a seating capacity of 1,899 seats and the medium-sized Chamber Hall with 510 seats. Supplied by Alcons’ Korean dealer SPK Alliance, the Grand Hall features an LCR system, comprising nine LR16 and three LR16B proribbon line array units for each of the main left and right arrays. The centre cluster comprises 13 LR14 ultracompact line-array units, front fills are seven smaller sized TS3, with a QR18 line-source column installed each side for outfill. “Many products were considered, but we concluded Alcons was the best choice for the architecture and to compliment the acoustics of the

halls,� said the venue’s acoustic director, San Hong. “We had also noticed the superiority of Alcons systems in overseas installations.� The steep rake of the auditorium seating means that the main arrays cannot quite cover the third tier, so here six compact VR12s monitors are installed as delays. “The LR16 and VR12 are a good combination, ensuring that the sound on the top balcony is absolutely seamless with the rest of the auditorium,� explained Hong. Meanwhile, 22 CCS8 speakers provide surround sound, Alcons

cinema systems complement those designed for the live sound, with six additional VR8s installed in the venue’s lobby. Amplification for the system is by 14 Alcons ALC4, 11 ALC2 and two ALC6, with system processing by two DDP Digital Drive Processors and nine SDP analog processing modules. The Chamber Hall also features an L-series system comprising six LR14 and two LR14B per side, with one BF362i sub per side and six TS3 for front fill, also powered and controlled by ALC amplified loudspeaker controllers. > alconsaudio.com

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UK HIP HOP trio N-Dubz have opted for Sennheiser microphones and IEMs on their UK tour. The band’s three vocalists – Dino ‘Dappy’ Contostavlos, Tula Contostavlos and Richard Rawson – are all using SKM 935 G3 mic and ew 300 G3 in-ear monitors. The band has recently been promoting the platinum-selling album Against All Odds with a major UK tour. “Sennheiser’s support is always fast and helpful, every time I need anything they’re there,� said FOH engineer Chris Jablonski. > sennheiser.co.uk

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BEHIND THE BOARD WITH… GEORGE SEARA Toronto-based recording and mixing engineer George Seara isn’t one to confuse audio with food but, as a wouldbe chef, he does love a generous helping of Hell’s Kitchen, not to mention a good audio latte… Which Artist are you currently working with?

I’m working with jazz pianist/vocalist Laila Biali, alongside producer/bassist George Koller. Considering piano is Laila’s first instrument, it’s quite an accolade that she was recently invited to join Sting for his fall/winter 2009 tour and DVD taping, featuring her as one of his background vocalists. Where are you at the moment?

Phase One Studios, Toronto, Canada. What audio console are you utilising? And how many channels?

We track on a Neve 8026. This custom vintage desk has 18 x 1073 mic pres and 24 x Neve 1084 mic pres. We’re mixing on an SSL Duality console with 48 inputs and we track to Pro Tools at 24bit/96k via Apogee AD16x converters. What decision process was behind the choice of this audio console?

Sonics. I love the sound of the Neve for tracking and the SSL Duality has quickly become one of my favourite desks in mixing. The ability to toggle seamlessly between full analog desk fader control and Pro Tools fader-to-track control is amazing. I do the bulk of my automation on the desk, but it’s great to be able to do some finer details with instant Pro Tools faderto-track control. Do you utilise any outboard effects/eq and, if so, what are they used on and why?

The Duality sounds stellar, so I find myself patching less stuff these days. It really depends on the recording and what I’m going for. I

Manley Pultec-style eqs and SPL Transient Designers on the BD and SN, and using a pair of modified Chandler LTD-2 comps and a Chandler TG1 here and there. I also have a Pendulum ES-8 that I’m using on the piano, though I’m not really compressing. It has a wonderful sound and just passing

There have been a few projects over the years that I didn’t receive proper credit for. But really, it’s not that big a deal. George Seara do have some favourites that I like to patch as a starting point. For this project, I’m using Apogee DA16x converters for playback throughout from Pro Tools and for the lead vocal, I’m using my JCF Audio Latte DA. I have an Avalon AD2077 mastering eq and a Pendelum OCL-2 on the lead vocal for some minor eq and compression. I may compress up to 1dB or so, with a 2:1 ratio. I’m using some

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signal through it really warms things up beautifully. I’m using TC Electronic Sys6000 for some minor effects and mainly leaning on a tube EMT that the studio boasts. I love this thing. On the mix buss I have a Cranesong STC-8 and a Millennia NSEQ-2. Favourite console?

I’m a big fan of the SSL Duality desk these days.

Favourite monitors?

Tannoy Favourite studio?

Phase One Best toy you take on tour or have in the studio?

The JCF Audio Latte, a twochannel AD, DA, mic pre and tape machine electronics combo unit. Josh Florian, the designer, is a super-talented cat. What’s been your worst professional experience to date?

There have been a few projects over the years that I didn’t receive proper credit for. But really, it’s not that big a deal. What’s been your career highlight?

I’ve had many thus far, having worked with artists such as Jacksoul, Rihanna, Mos Def, Sting, Herbie Hancock, among others. Anne Murray was definitely a career highlight.

What really pisses you off when you’re working?

Well, I wouldn’t say it pisses me off, but it is tough to deal with tracks that are either slammed (compressed) beyond the point of return, or recorded really poorly. I mix in different genres and there are clearly good and bad recordings in all of them. What makes you happy when you’re working?

When you’re able to find that place in the mix or recording, when things come alive, and the sum really is greater than the parts. With hindsight, what job would you have chosen for yourself?

Chef. I kind of dig watching Hell’s Kitchen. (a popular North American TV Show) And if you weren’t working now, you’d be?

When ever I have time to spare I work on our new home. georgeseara.com

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> IN SESSION

Studios:

People and equipment behind studios in the UK and around the world...

Rooms: Control rooms 1 and 2, live room Consoles: Neve 5316, AWS 900+ Mics: Neumann, Royer, AKG, Coles, RCA, Beyer, Schoeps, Ficord Outboard: Fairchild, Neve, Empirical Labs, Drawmer, Pultec, API Monitoring: ProAc, Yamaha, Tannoy, Chord, Bryston, ATC

Rooms: Studios 1, 2, 3, dubbing bay Consoles: Digidesign D-Command (x3)

Snap Studios, London

Windmill Lane, Dublin

IT’S OFTEN these days that we get to tell you about the launch of a new studio, so it’s with some excitement that we can report the opening of North London’s Snap Studios. And not only is it brand new, it’s also stuffed to the rafters with the kind of gear that you normally only find in an already well-established and proven, successful facility. “Only a madman would build a new studio in the present climate,” a company spokesperson commented. “Welcome to the asylum.” Snap has taken the popular route of combining rare and vintage gear with cutting edge recording technology, both analog and digital. It houses a rare Neve console, analog multitrack and mastering, racks of classic outboard and more than eighty vintage and modern mics with Pro Tools fed by the latest Prism ADA8 converters, balanced mains and a selection of instruments, backline and facilities that you’d expect from a high-end studio. The studio comprises two control rooms plus a 45 square-metre live room, which features a Bosendorfer grand piano, Hammond C3, Pearl vibes and a selection of vintage Fender and

WINDMILL LANE Pictures is the largest and longest established integrated film and television post production company in Ireland. Since it first opened its doors in 1979, many have associated the studio with a rich history of music production in the 1980s and its early association with U2, who recorded their first three albums – Boy (1980), October (1981) and War (1983) – there. The music studios were sold by Windmill Lane Pictures in 1990 and moved to Ringsend Road, Since then, Windmill Lane Pictures has become Ireland’s leading film, television, digital communications and creative services company working with international broadcasters, advertising agencies, production companies, businesses and government bodies. Its portfolio includes work for films such as Ondine and Perrier’s Bounty and TV programmes including Murphy’s Law. Number 4 is the sound recording and design department at Windmill Lane, established in 1998 to provide recording and sound mixing services for TV, radio, promos, film and corporate video. Its services include voiceover recording and sound mixing, voice talent casting, ISDN link ups, extensive library of music and SFX, electronic delivery or DAT/CD formats The studio has now settled into its new home on Herbert Street, which has three brand new, high-end sound

Ampeg backline. Apart from the Neve console – which I’ll come to in a minute – the Studio One control room bristles with classic outboard including Fairchild 670, Urei 1176’s, Teletronix LA2A, Pultec tube eqs and more. Studio Two meanwhile, is ideal for programming, editing and mixing, based around a new SSL AWS900+ automated console, vintage outboard and a rack of rare analog synths including Prophet, Moog, Voyetra, Roland and Oberheim. Snap’s jewel in the crown, however, has got to be its ultra rare, 1972 Neve 5316 recording console. Discrete throughout, the console offers superb class A/B electronics, with 33114/33115 mic pre/eq modules based upon the legendary original Neve 1081. This particular 5316 is an ultra-rare recording version of the better-known broadcast desks and offers 32 inputs (with eight aux), 16 groups and 16 monitors (all with aux’s and routable to mix). In total, the console offers 48 inputs on mix, all with eq (monitors have classic Focusrite ISA110s in line). In addition, the control room boasts a twelve-channel matching sidecar, providing a total of 60 mix channels.

Only a madman would build a new studio in the presnt climate... Welcome to the asylum. Telephone: +44 20 7281 4478 Web: www.snapstudios.co.uk

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Mics: Neumann, Audio Technica, Sony

Outboard: Focusrite, TC Electronic, Studer, Eventide Monitoring: Yamaha, Genelec

studios designed by White Mark in London. Studios 1 and 2 are now equipped for 5.1 surround mixing and work to a projected image, while the day-lit voiceover booths in all three rooms are acoustically identical so customers can start a V/O record in one room and make any amends in another. The studios are networked via a global SAN system enabling all projects to be instantly accessible, wherever your session is taking place. Number 4 also has a dubbing bay where all traffic in and out of the studios is handled, ensuring that sessions are prepped and ready to begin on time. It also takes care of distribution of final mixes to clients. “All three sound studios are fantastic and are performing exactly as we had hoped,” said Windmill Lane’s technical director John Brady. “White Mark’s international reputation and impressive client list made it the ideal company to handle the acoustic requirements for the entire facility, including the three new sound studios, and I am very satisfied with what has been achieved. “It was a complicated project but because we were involved with the refurbishment of the building from the start, all acoustic problems were anticipated at an early stage and dealt with in time. As a result the rooms are performing exactly as we had hoped and they also look amazing.”

Telephone: +353 1 671 3444 Web: www.windmilllane.com

www.audioprointernational.com

IN SESSION <

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// To have your studio featured in this section, please send all details to: andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk or call +44 1992 535646

APRS board member Wes Maebe introduces his new column

Hors d’oeuvers from the Sonic Cuisine I'D LIKE to welcome you all to my new Audio Pro International column. We'll be using the Sonic Cuisine like any other kitchen; there'll be different menu items every month, we'll be shouting at each other about hot topics that have just hit the frying pan or have been brewing for years and we'll be cooking with new and old bits of gear. And speaking of cooking...

Rooms: Mastering room, mixing and proofing room Consoles: 48-channel SSL Duality Mics: Sanken, Neumann, Beyer, AKG, Audio Technica, Milab, EV, Crown Outboard: Tube-Tech, Summit Audio, dbx, Focusrite, Anthony Demaria Labs Monitoring: TAD, Meyer, Auratone, Yamaha, Bryston, Event

Digital Services, Texas DIGITAL SERVICES is a professional recording studio located in Houston, Texas and home to engineers and equipment that have helped it notch up credits for numerous Grammy winning recordings over the course of 30 years. More billboard charting and RIAA gold and multi-platinum-selling records have come from Digital Services than any other recording studio in Houston. In 2000, Digital Services was also rated Billboard’s number one R&B recording studio The facility comprises three studios – A, B and C, which are used for recording/mixing, preproduction and mastering, respectively. Studio A, designed by Mark Genfan, features a cutting edge SSL Duality console hooked up to a high powered Pro Tools HD-3 Accel system via three 192HD converters, which offers 48 channels of DA outputs, 24 channels of AD inputs, multiple digital I/O formats and the Sync I/O for complete SMPTE time code and machine control. It also features Tascam DA-88/78, ADAT and Sony PCM 3324 digital tape machines and a raft of classic outboard gear. Studio B is designed for outside

producers. It is fully sound treated and includes a baby grand piano sitting on cherry and maple hardwood floors. The studio is currently occupied by platinum producer Mickaël Zibi of Cold Chamber Studios. Zibi is very well known in the rap, R&B, and pop industry for his work with such artists as Baby Bash, Paul Wall and Kimberly Wyatt of the Pussycat Dolls. Studio C, the mastering facility, is complete with a powerful Sequoia based system running through Mytek converters, Focusrite and Summit Equalisers, a Crane Song Hedd AD converter, a TC Electronics M5000 mastering processor, and a Neve mastering console. Digital Services has been mastering records since its adoption of the digital format in 1981 and considers itself, quite fairly it seems, to be the most experienced mastering house in Texas. Studio C is staffed by Grammy award-winning engineer Mark Kidney, who has worked with several well-known artists, including Destiny’s Child. Other engineers at Digital Services include owner Charles Ray and another Grammy winner, James Hoover, with 18 years of engineering experience.

Telephone: +1 281 290 8500 Web: www.dsrecordings.com

www.audioprointernational.com

‘Waiter! This song is overcooked.’ (limiter plugins should come with a warning!) This debate has been going on for years now and I always feel a bit weary bringing it up. However, in the last two months I’ve had to send the final mixes for several projects back. The songs were not just over compressed, but limited to hell and back, leaving me no room for mastering. As mastering engineers we could take the easy road – tweak it a bit, slap another brick wall across it, make it a tad louder, take the money and ‘wham, bam, thank you Mam’. But we are the final frontier in the production line. When the record leaves our hands, that’s it. That's how it's going to end up on the physical and e-shelves. The loudness war will keep happening, but we need to educate our clients. Loudness versus Quality. Instant ear fatigue versus dynamics. And I have found that if you take the time to explain this to the artist, they get it. What usually happens is that you get a call from their engineer asking what he or she can do to help. Being a mix engineer myself makes it easier and actually quite fun to chat with a colleague and come to a compromise, keeping the characteristics from the mix, but with more clarity, breathing room, space for mastering and much less digital distortion. Everybody happy.

Nouvelles Cuisines With our APRS hats on, Dave Harries and I went to visit Snap Studios in Manor House. Being an off-shoot of the hugely successful Funky Junk, there is never a shortage of floating, exotic outboard gear. Snap’s centrepiece is a lovely Neve 5316. The Bösendorfer from Air Oxford Street has also made its way there, and I’m looking forward to working there with the hugely talented Mark Hole in the next few weeks. I also had a chance to look around Goetz B’s new studio in Rupert Street – a very nice mix room with surround. I have a surround remix of a classic piece

We could take the easy road – slap another brick wall on it, take the money and ‘wham, bam, thank you Mam’. of 70s electronica to do shortly, so I’m hoping to take it to Goetz’s studio to try it out. What’s cooking at AES? The AES came to London this month with a compact but buzzing exhibition and convention at the Novotel, Hammersmith. It’s been great to see old friends such as Geoff Emerick, Walter and Ralph from Soundnetwork, Markus Hintz from Sonic Studio, the Euphonix crew, Andy Wood, Bill Foster, Adam Crowe from Snap, John Krivit, Duncan Williams, Mandy Parnell and many more. I’m thrilled to be attending the Recording Masterclass with Ainlay and Massenburg at the wonderful British Grove next week. I’ll tell you all about that next time. See you on the other side of the glass.

Wes Maebe is a multi-skilled engineer involved in all aspects of the studio and live sectors. While spending a great deal of time touring with artists such as Sting, he freely admits that his first love is is studio work and he is most at home either recording, mixing or mastering at his own facility or several top UK rooms. Recent clients have included Alexandra Burke.

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> PRODUCT

NEW GEAR >> Recent releases in audio technology 1

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Vertigo VSM-2 The Mix Satellite

Meyer Sound Mina Line Array

EAW SB1001 LargeFormat Subwoofer

Allen & Heath iDR-64 MixRack

THEY SAY: An all-in-one-solution for mastering studios with no more need to invest in mastering consoles. SPECIFICATIONS: The VSM-2 is an analog mix and mastering tool in a 2U size. It is also available in a ‘basic version’ without harmonic generators. It features a dynamic range of 128db, frequency response of 10Hz to 100kHz (± 1db), two fully balanced inserts offering level compensated MS En & DEcoding. Insert 1 provides dry/wet mix control parallel compression for LR and MS. Insert 2 provides M&S stereo width control and level-compensated AFL Solo for M and S-signal. Max output Level is + 30dBu, with a THD at +28dBu <= 0,003 per cent, a signal to noise ratio 104db (20..20 kHz, weighted, RMS at +6dBu), noise of – 98 dBu (20Hz – 22khz – unweighted, RMS) at 0db Unity Gain.

THEY SAY: The newest and smallest member of the acclaimed Milo family of self-powered line array loudspeakers. SPECIFICATIONS: Mina is less than 18.5 inches wide and produces up to 128dB SPL. Its operating frequency ranges from 75Hz to 18kHz over a 100-degree horizontal coverage area. Each Mina loudspeaker weighs 47 pounds. Mina is housed in a trapezoidal enclosure with a three-inch highfrequency compression driver coupled to a low-distortion, constant directivity horn through a new acoustical combining manifold derived from the REM ribbon emulation manifold. It has 6.5-inch neodymium magnet cone drivers for LF and MF. It also features a new three-channel Class-D power amplifier providing 950W of output (1,900W peak). Options include weather protection and custom colours.

THEY SAY: A successor to the SB1000, SB1001 is essentially an SB1002 large format flyable subwoofer without the rigging hardware. SPECIFICATIONS: SB1001 features include two 18-inch drivers with large (4.5-inch) voice coils and all neodymium magnet structures. Its driver mounting was designed to maximise cone area and allows for the integration of an extremely lowturbulence port while minimizing front area. The operating frequency range is 27Hz to 161Hz (± 3dB). Maximum sound pressure levels are 129dB (average) and 135dB (peak). Dual Neutrik Speakon NL4 connectors are positioned on a rearmounted section of the cabinet angled at 45 degrees. Rigging hardware is also available for the sub and its cabinet is finished in a textured black paint.

THEY SAY: Offers high I/O capacity and a lower cost alternative to the flagship modular iDR10 MixRack. SPECIFICATIONS: The iDR-64 comprises 64 mic/line inputs and 32 XLR outputs in a 9U frame, and features the iLive 64x32 RackExtra DSP mix engine, providing full processing (dynamics, eq and delay) for all 64 channels and 32 mixes. The RackFX DSP framework provides eight stereo processors with FX emulations of industry classics. Each rack has open I/O routing with eq and Dynamik FXShaper on every dedicated return. Using standard Ethernet, the iDR-64 can be controlled with one of the iLive Control Surfaces. The ACE (Audio Control Ethernet) link is provided to link the rack to a control surface, allowing control over a single Cat5 cable up to 120m in length.

> eaw.com

> allen-heath.co.uk

> kmraudio.com

5 Kiva - Modular Line Source THEY SAY: Kiva establishes a new reference in line source technology. SPECIFICATIONS: The system is offered as a modular package featuring the KIVA enclosure and the Kilo LF. Its usable bandwidth (-10dB) is 80Hz -20kHz with a Nominal directivity (-6dB) of 100 degrees symmetric (500Hz - 18kHz) horizontal and vertical, depending on number of elements and line source curvature, between 0 degrees and 15 degree inter-element angles. Kiva’s Max SPL is 130dB with a long term RMS handling capacity of 120W. It also features a 2 x 6.5-inch LF enclosure, 1 x 1.5-inch diaphragm HF compression driver and a nominal impedance of 8 Ohms.

> l-acoustics.com

40

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June 2010

> meyersound.com

6

7

8

K.M.E. DA 230 Amplifier

A-Designs HM2 Nail Compressor

MicW N181 Shotgun Microphone

THEY SAY: DA 230 is equipped with comprehensive DSP features SPECIFICATIONS: The DA 230 is a twochannel amplifier with an output of 1,500W per channel equipped with DSP functions such as a matrix router, six fully parametric equalisers, two crossover networks and a delay and dynamic processor per channel. Factory and user presets may be stored inside the unit. An SD card reader is implemented for transfer of preset and system information. A fivekey navigation pad is offered, together with four rotary encoders, graphic LCD display and four RGB LEDs. Two analog or one digital XLR connectors are featured, as are link sockets, and outside power connection using a selflocking Neutrik PowerCon. Two Neutrik Speakon sockets ensure the connection to the speaker systems.

THEY SAY: Designed to be an engineer's ultimate analog creative tool in tracking or on the buss. SPECIFICATIONS: : HM2 features a hybrid topology combining a feedback diode-based design with a 12AT7 tube output section. The dual monochannel compressor offers numerous functions, including hard threshold, filter and mix, with stereo link option. The Mix feature allows users to dial any desired amount of compression (comp) into the dry signal (direct). The ratio changes the settings of the Nail's threshold and hard threshold controls along with gain reduction. HM2s filter, which is a variable highpass filter (up to 250Hz) on the sidechain, allows audio material below a selected frequency to pass through the unit without triggering compression on the entire signal.

THEY SAY: The MCB4 allows the signals of up to four Audio Technica M3 wireless IEM stereo transmitters to be combined onto a single transmitting antenna. SPECIFICATIONS: The N181’s extremely directional design brings distant sound sources into close range, with the focus of the on-axis signal. The MicW N181 is a shotgun microphone designed primarily for capturing low level sounds using a MP255 capsule. It is a supercardioid with a capsule 20mm diameter capsule and a frequency response of 20Hz ~ 20kHz. Its sensitivity is (±2dB) 40 mV/Pa; -28 dB re. 1V/Pa with a total harmonic distortion of ＜1 per cent up to 130dB SPL peak, an output Impedance of ＜150 Ohms and＜18 dBA thermal noise. Standard features include three-pin XLR connector and 48V phantom power.

> kme-sound.de

> adesignsaudio.com

> mic-w.com www.audioprointernational.com

PRODUCT <

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> PEOPLE

IN BRIEF STEPHEN FRASER has joined PreSonus’ new executive team as chief operations officer. He will oversee the company’s supply chain and manufacturing during a period when the company is significantly expanding its product line and distribution. Fraser’s early career in banking, finance and operations included heading up corporate finance at BBL in Europe, and he has held high-level financial and operations positions worldwide. Recently, he worked at Behringer Group, where he was president of the North America subsidiary, Group COO, and then chief of staff. “To deliver top-quality products and services, I need an extremely experienced, talented and no-nonsense chief of operations who knows how successful businesses are built and run. Stephen is the right choice to help take us to the next level and beyond,” said PreSonus CEO Jim Mack. He has already developed a new quality-assurance department in Asia; expanded its sourcing team there; begun a phased introduction of new distribution channels and initiated an overhaul of the customer service department and support processes for suppliers and dealers. > presonus.com HHB COMMUNICATIONS has appointed Jonathan Darby as product support specialist. A 36 year-old broadcast and media expert, Darby brings realworld experience gained at post-production facilities in London, Dublin and New York where he honed skills in production, software, video and audio encoding and digital hardware. Darby has arrived at a busy time for the supplier, which is currently working hard advising and equipping broadcasters (and post facilities via its Soho division Scrub) for the move to multichannel audio formats necessitated by HDTV. This should mean that the new recruit has a pretty full schedule. > hhb.co.uk

42 audioPRO June 2010

Harman appoints new market manager Industry veteran will work on four main AV brands HARMAN HAS announced the appointment of audio veteran Jim Garrett as their new market manager for the Harman high performance AV brands – Mark Levinson, Lexicon, Revel, and JBL Synthesis. He brings over 18 years of industry experience in research and development for audio engineering and high-end home audio marketing, and will use this experience to continue the expansion of the four AV brands. He will be responsible for new product roadmaps, marketing strategy and communications. Before joining the Harman team, Garrett worked at Cedia where he was the director of technical training for the education department and the staff liaison for the instructor pool, sales representatives, and EST content action teams. Garrett has also worked as a consultant for Velodyne Acoustics and spent nine years at Klipsch Group, where he was director of product planning. While at Klipsch, Garrett led the development of numerous awardwinning and industry-leading audio product lines for the Klipsch and Aragon brands, including a complete

Pierre Laporte to handle international sales of all products

Above: Harman’s Jim Garrett

suite of THX Ultra2-certified electronics and speaker system and the Palladium and Reference lines of loudspeakers. “Jim’s experience as a product planning manager and his time in retail put him in the perfect position to carry out a long and successful career with Harman High Performance AV,” said Marc Kellom, vice president of marketing for Harman High Performance AV.

Sound Tech expands with pro sales team appointments South UK and tour sound sales managers join team SOUND TECHNOLOGY, the UK distributor of the Harman Pro brands, has announced the expansion of its pro division sales team with the appointment of Nick Bellis as UK technical sales manager for tour sound and Darren Elliott as southern area sales manager for installed sound. Nick Bellis has spent over 20 years in the UK and Europe touring market as an engineer for Adlib Audio, working with bands such as Bon Jovi, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys and Paolo Nutini. He has also spent ten years in pro audio sales working for Tannoy and Arbiter. "It feels like coming home to be able to represent JBL and all the Harman Pro products," commented Bellis. "With JBL, Crown, Soundcraft and BSS we can offer complete system integration and, with some brilliant new products

Merging appoints new worldwide sales manager

arriving such as the Soundcraft Vi1, I can't wait to get out there and reintroduce customers to our systems." Darren Elliott states: "I’m delighted to be joining Sound Technology and working with brands I am already familiar with. I’m looking forward to using my experience in the industry to help our customers provide first class product and service to the installation sector." Greg Niven, Sound Technology sales director, added: "We're very pleased to welcome Nick and Darren. They are strong additions to our pro division team and we hope with their experience and technical knowledge they can continue to grow our relationship with clients in these markets.

Above: Pierre Laporte

MERGING TECHNOLOGIES has revealed that Pierre Laporte has been appointed to the position of worldwide sales manager across the entire range of Merging products. Laporte held the position of managing director of Diversity, the company's French distributor, for the past 15 years. He was instrumental in bringing the VCube video player to the French post-production market, overseeing the installation of 50 networked VCubes at one post facility alone (Dubbing Brothers in Paris). He stated: “The challenge for me now, using my experience working for a distributor in one territory, is to build on Merging’s distributor network around the world, and establish more efficient sales channels and customer service,” he explains. Merging Technologies’ founder Claude Cellier commented: “We’re delighted Pierre has joined our team. He has been responsible for realising a number of very large projects over the past couple of years while working at Diversity, and has achieved very impressive sales numbers over the entire palette of Merging products, from small Native Pyramixes to large and complex networked Pyramix and VCube systems. I’m confident that his experience in creating sales opportunities for our products will encourage our international distributor network to be as successful as they can be at selling Merging to the world.” > merging.com www.audioprointernational.com

DISTRIBUTION <

JoeCo establishes distribution in IN BRIEF Asia, Middle East and Latin America Blackbox Recorder now available in Indonesia, South Korea, Egypt and Brazil JOECO HAS recently expanded the reach of its worldwide sales network with the appointment of four new distribution partners, which will see its Blackbox Recorder available in over 30 countries. It revealed that Cairo-based Alpha Audio will now distribute the recorder in Egypt, PT Kairos Multi Jaya in Jakarta will handle Indonesian sales, Sounddog in Seoul is the new South Korean supplier and Quanta Systems will now represent JoeCo in Brazil. The Blackbox Recorder is a rackmounted device that attaches to any live console and enables up to 24 channels of 24 Bit/96kHz audio to be

recorded, in Broadcast WAV format, onto a regular FAT32 formatted USB2 hard drive, or USB flash drive, without the need for a computer.

JoeCo’s managing director Joe Bull commented: “We are very pleased to welcome our new distributors on board. Making the right appointment in a territory is key to the success of the product and we are confident that these companies will do a great job in promoting the Blackbox Recorder and supporting an increasing number of customers who are expressing interest in taking it out on tour.” The Blackbox Recorder is currently available in unbalanced and balanced versions for use with analog consoles. The new digital ADAT and AES/EBU variants are due to ship during early summer. > capturingperformance.com

Adam Hall expands pro audio portfolio Exclusive distribution deal established in the UK with manufacturer Audac AUDAC, a Belgian manufacturer of various pro audio products including amps, loudspeakers and microphones has appointed Adam Hall as its new UK distributor. Audac will be aiming to produce A-class products with great value, while maintaining the continued growth of the brand. “The installation market is extremely important and Audac will be a perfect supplement to our existing range,” said Andrew Richardson, Adam Hall’s general manager. > audac.be > adamhall.co.uk

APG and Red Square Audio sign deal for Ireland and UK RSA to handle the Uniline array, monitors, speakers and entire product line FRENCH LOUDSPEAKER manufacturer APG has announced the appointment of Red Square Audio as its exclusive distributor in the UK and Republic of Ireland. RSA will distribute the entire APG product range including the line array system from Uniline, the SMX15 floor monitor and the new DX12 and DX15 multipurpose speakers that were launched at PL+S in Frankfurt. APG’s Xavier Pion commented: “I’ve known and worked with Paul

Nicholson for a few years now and I am absolutely convinced that he is the man for us in the UK. Apart from his technical knowledge and his contacts, the one thing that has always impresses me about Paul and his team is the fact that they believe 100 per cent in all of the products they represent. That kind of commitment and dedication is invaluable – it is an accurate reflection of APG as a company and it makes all the difference in front of customers.”

ADAMSON HAS named All Music Corp, based in Miami, Florida, as its exclusive Adamson distributor for Latin America. All Music is an official dealer for other brands, such as XTA, Allen & Heath, TC Electronic (including Lab.gruppen), AKG, Soundcraft, Digidesign and many others. It also distributes MI, lighting, cabling and flight cases. Adamson has also established an exclusive distributor for Colombia, as CV Music will take full control of sales and support in the region. > adamsonsystems.com MAGIX AG has appointed Unity Audio as distributor for Samplitude and Sequoia software in the UK and Ireland. Samplitude and Sequoia design PC software solutions for audio and MIDI recording, editing, mixing and mastering. Kevin Walker, managing director at Unity Audio, said: “I am delighted and excited to be working with Magix. Unity Audio has had a successful track record distributing hardware and software plugins, but sequencers like Samplitude and Sequoia mark a new chapter for the company. We are extremely impressed with the products from Magix and are certain their competitive pricing and excellent support infrastructure will ensure that they will become established favourites.” > unityaudio.co.uk KV2 AUDIO has announced that International Audio Distribution will now become German suppliers for KV2 and KX Audio. The deal was made prior to the Prolight+Sound show in Frankfurt, where both companies worked together to actively promoting the brand. > kv2audio.com

To clarify last mont’s distribution news: Vicoustic’s UK distributor is Systems Workshop www.systemsworkshop.com. Vicoustic’s website is www.vicoustic.com www.audioprointernational.com

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June 2010 43

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years. Innovative products are constantly being added ensuring that Citronic is the pro DJs and club installers first choice. Mercury – Mercury has been a recognised force in the UK for almost 40 years. Its ever-expanding product list covers a wide variety of solutions for home and office environments, including aerials, TV/AV accessories, computer accessories, lighting and power supplies. QTX Light & QTX Sound – These brands are evolving everyday and cover everything the sound and light market demands, from cutting-edge light effects to state-of-the-art sound equipment. AV:link – Designed to offer quality AV equipment, from multimedia install products to home audio. Chord – The exciting new music products and accessories brand features over 500 products covering everything for the MI sector including guitars, keyboards, effects pedals, cases, percussion instruments and a comprehensive range of leads and cables. > avslgroup.com

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Looking for a sound engineer with ALL of these qualities?... Gear Head knows all the gear and all the tricks

A star makes us sound like us, only better

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Great ears gets fantastic sound

Nice person gets on with everyone, recommended by previous clients

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Great address book good studio and producer relationships

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...Better call Wes then Wes Maebe: Freelance recording, mixing, mastering and live engineer T: 07875 401114

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Email Wes for your FREE copy of his 10 Top tips for Optimising Your Recording Session

The Audio Pro paparazzi is infiltrating all audio events, snapping away for our monthly 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.

The last word in Audio Pro PIC OF THE MONTH

CAN I GET A REWIND? Techno producer Ricardo Villalobos takes to the wheels of steel, rather than slopes, at the Alpine resort of CransMontana. An A&H Xone:92 was the mixer of choice.

ADRIAN!!! Sound Driver, a five-piece indie-rock band, have toured some of the world’s most iconic venues as a way of raising awareness for charity The Smile Train. They’ve played Sydney Harbour Bridge and even broken world records on Mount Kilimanjaro. Shure has been one of the main sponsors of the tour, providing all members of the band with top spec in-ear monitoring (PSM600) and a UHF-R series wireless system for singer Chad Marriott.

AUDIO FISH OF THE MONTH

50 TODAY Actually, we’re not exactly sure which day the Sennhesier MD 421-U celebrates its birthday, but we do know that it is five decades old this year. The mic continues to be popular with Beyonce, the Foo Fighers and others.

MOOGIN IN This rather dilapidated place is to become Moog’s new HQ after employees stormed it medieval style and unfurled their flag at the top.

www.audioprointernational.com

SWISS TIMEPIECE Pro Audio Technik, German distributor of Out Board’s TiMax range, supplied a TiMax2 SoundHub and TiMax Tracker system to Sugar Veranstaltungstechnik. The system was specified by awardwinning sound designer, Thomas Strebel of Audiopool, Switzerland, for inclusion on the bizarre tour of musical comedy, Die Patienten by Switzerland’s favourite comic Marco Rima

This month’s section features a common carp caught in the UK by Britannia Row Productions’ sales and client liaison Dan Orchard. Send pictures of your big catch to: andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk

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June 2010 49

>>

>> EMPTY ROOM OF THE MONTH

S FRIENDLY FACE

Hutton Hotel, Nashville British dance punk band Friendly Fires gather for a photo opportunity during their recent tour of the US. FOH engineer Ricard Barling used a Soundcraft Vi6, along with a Sadie LRX2 audio workstation for multitrack recording and virtual soundchecking.

A particularly special EROTM for June, devoid not only of people, but of speakers too, something rarely seen in the industry, but a real treat when one crops up. Look past the achingly symmetrical chairs and you might just spot some evidence of a SymNet/Crestron DSP system, installed by Multi-Media Masters.

HOLY REELS Soundcraft/Studer recently opened new facilities in its Potters Bar offices. The new area features fully kitted out training rooms in addition to studios and a museum. Shown here are some prize pieces from the showroom, which features a tape machine from the range used for The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

GRACE UNDER FIRES La Roux looks frighteningly like Grace Jones in this picture, where she is seen using Sennheiser’s G3 500-945 radio mic and a complete G3 EW 300 in-ear system. FOH engineer, Dave Swallow chose the Sennheiser system for the electro pop singer’s European tour for its low end presence.

To discuss advertising contact Darrell Carter on 01992 535647 darrell.carter@intentmedia.co.uk For editorial enquiries email Andrew Low andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk or call 01992 535646

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A audioPRO

© Intent Media 2010. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners. Printed by Manson Group, AL3 6PZ

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The Leisuretec Listings Plus 2010 • Call us to Order Your Copy • Experience • Choice • Value • Service Sound • Lighting • Special Effects • Distribution Power Squared • Tel: +44 (0) 1525 850085 • www.leisuretec.co.uk

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