Audio Pro Issue 21 - July/August 2009

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Issue 21 • July/August 2009

LIVE • COMMERCIAL • RECORDING • BROADCAST

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cutting EDGE? ntage vi s g’ rin te as M ic tr ec El t bu t, no Maybe gear is taking pop music by storm DIGITAL BOARDS • GLASTO • MARK GARDENER • LIVE MICS •MINI MASSIVE REVIEW

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ISSUE 21 July/August 2009

CONTENTS > IN THIS ISSSUE NEWS DIGITAL BRITAIN REPORT • 4 The future of the UK’s wireless technology

SHURE CYCLE EVENT • 4 Fund-raiser held in memory of Dennis Harburn

ASA FELLOWSHIP • 5 Russ Burger given the prestigious accolade

MPG AWARDS 2010 • 6 Details of second awards event revealed

EVENTS PLASA 09 • 8 New features for this year’s event

ABTT • 11 Show success despite the London strike

PALME • 12 Details from the Middle East’s premier event

PRO AUDIO EXCELLENCE • 14 API launches new online awards

LIVE SOUND/INSTALLATION LIVE MICS • 18 The mics used for the hottest live events

GLASTONBURY • 22 The stacks, hangs and boxes at Worthy Farm

LIVE DIGITAL CONSOLES • 25 A guide to the latest boards available

STUDIO/BROADCAST COVER FEATURE ELECTRIC MASTERING • 30 London’s boutique and vintage room

SOLACE STUDIOS • 32 Rwanda’s biggest recording studio

MARK GARDENER • 34 Ride’s Gardener talks production and mixing

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

> Regulars: Applications 36 In Session 38 People 40 Distribution 41 Products 42 Mixdown 48

EDITORIAL

G

lastonbury 2009 was dubbed the ‘best year yet’

by Eavis and most of the press. Tickets were sold out in early April and almost 180,000 people showed up at Worthy Farm during the three-day festival.

I was lucky enough to weasel a press pass to the event, and although I still had to pay full price, I was allowed to use the press toilets, phone chargers and camping area. It was my first time at the festival, so I opted to camp and live with the rest of the commoners to get the full experience.

Everyone who has been to the Worthy Farm fest knows the horror of the public accommodations; however, with so many punters in a concentrated area, what can you expect?

One thing that I did not expect was the noticeably low volume at all the stages I visited. A musician for the past 15 years, I wear ear protection religiously but didn’t need the plugs at Glasto.

After talking to the some of the companies involved I discovered that most of the stages had to keep volumes in the area of 94dB. One of the stages was even forced to turn off its main PA and run audio out of stage monitors. The Glade Tent had to turn down its PA levels during Bruce Springsteen’s set in order to allow The Boss to blast away at a higher level for his Pyramid stage performance.

The sound companies involved did their best to conform to the standards, but most struggled to work within the muted levels. They would have preferred to work at around 105dB, but unwillingly kept to the 98dB average set by festival consultants and the council. So, even though the downpours steered clear this year, the drastically reduced sound levels were enough to rain on everyone’s parade.

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

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Deputy Editor: Rob Hughes

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Associate Editor: Samantha Loveday

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> NEWS

Digital Britain: the final report Government backs Ofcom, pledges to cover all costs PMSE, but discloses no details of alternative channel THE GOVERNMENT has published its final Digital Britain report, which lays out the future of the 800MHz spectrum. Part of this frequency band is channel 69, used by Program Making and Special Events (PMSE) on which to operate wireless radio technology (mics and intercoms).

The previous Digital Britain report proposed a spectrum modernisation programme that included the release and auctioning of the 800MHz band.

The Government appointed an independent spectrum broker to facilitate a solution. His report was published in May and the Government now accepts the recommendations of this report, namely the swift clearance of the 800MHz spectrum band and auction of 10MHz blocks of spectrum.

Coverage of all costs incurred is promised for users of channels 61 to 69. Unfortunately, however, details of how compensation would be dispensed, or an alternative channel for PMSE, were not disclosed.

The final report noted: “There is a role for Government intervention in releasing new radio spectrum for a rapid roll-out of mobile Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks (requiring early release of the 800 MHz auction), ensuring that the balance of radio spectrum holdings optimises network competition and extracting the best

”

The Government is committed to the timely release of 800 spectrum.

Digital Britain: Final Report

Real Sound finalises deal with Hitachi Coneq loudspeaker eq technology licensed for use in high definition LCD televisions REAL SOUND LAB has announced that it has finalised a deal with Hitachi that will allow the electronics manufacturer to integrate its loudspeaker equalisation technology, Coneq, into a new line of high definition LCD televison sets. The TVs will be made available to the public in North America beginning in August 2009.

The contract represents the first consumer electronics licensing agreement made by Real Sound Lab for its Coneq technology and is the kind of

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licensing deal that seems to be something of a rarity in the industry in general.

Coneq is the brainchild of Raimonds Skuruls and measures the loudness of individual tones reproduced by loudspeakers, applying correction filters accordingly.

Real Sound Lab was awarded Most Innovative Product of the Year 2008 from the Ministry of Economics, Latvia, for its APEQ-2pro series of pro-grade acoustic power equalisers, which feature Coneq technology. > realsoundlab.com

infrastructure deal for the country in terms of universal coverage.”

The Government insists that the 800MHz auction, named the Big Auction, should take place at the earliest practicable date, the Government understands to be mid2010, and that this auction is crucial for the continued development of mobile technology.

The report revealed that the Government intends to support Ofcom in taking all practical measures to expedite the clearance of 800MHz. It believes that the extra costs incurred in accelerating the clearance of

channels 61 and 62 of television usage and channel 69 of PMSE usage would serve to increase the value of the spectrum at auction.

It said: “The Government is committed to the timely release of 800 spectrum and will work with Ofcom to understand and meet the technical challenges. It has already endorsed Ofcom’s proposal setting out its plans to clear channels 61, 62 and 69. The Government will facilitate this replanning and will meet the costs incurred by broadcasters and PMSE users as a result of these changes." > culture.gov.uk

Shure to cycle for Harburn Staff to ride from London to Cambridge to raise money for neonatal unit in honour of late MD SIX MEMBERS OF staff at Shure Distribution UK are to cycle from London to Cambridge in honour of their late MD, Dennis Harburn, who suddenly passed away in January this year, after 37 years with the company.

The event, planned for July 26th, is being held to raise money for the Oliver Fisher neonatal unit at Medway hospital in Kent – Mrs Harburn’s chosen charity. Shure has also designed a T-shirt for the occasion, featuring an image based on Kraftwerk's Tour de France album cover. The company is selling these T-shirts and all proceeds of this will also go to the charity.

Shure extends its sincere thanks to anyone who can sponsor the event – the firm is accepting PayPal donations to: stevecoulter@btinternet.com.

SDUK’s Paul Crognale commented: “Dennis was a much-loved member of

the team here at SDUK and we all want to commemorate him with something he would be proud of.

Dennis and his wife were in awe of the work that is done at the unit and so Mrs Harburn has kindly asked that we donate all the proceeds to this very worthy cause.” > shure.co.uk www.audioprointernational.com

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Mini Massive product review

Glastonbury report

Solace Studios

NEWS <

Soundcraft Si2 Scoops ABTT award Size, layout and ease of use cited as major factors as console is named Best New Sound Product THE NEW SOUNDCRAFT Si2 digital mixing console was awarded Best New Sound Product at the ABTT Annual Awards. The ABTT judges were impressed by the desk’s ease of use, compact size and intuitive layout and thus gave the desk, which was making its debut at the show, the coveted ‘Hook Clamp’ trophy.

ABTT Chairman Mark White commented: “The Si2 was commended for its easy and intuitive layout, making the transition from analog to digital very simple.”

The younger brother to the Si3, the console uses the same operating platform within a more compact form factor – a feature certain to appeal to theatres looking to avoid sacrificing seats. The Si2’s extensive cue list library ensures that theatre sound engineers can move easily between snapshots and recall their scenes and settings.

Another bonus for theatre sound operators who use VCAs extensively is that the 12 VCA groups — a rare feature in a console at this price point — are accessible all the time.

In addition, the Si2 has 24 Group/Aux buses available at all times, eight matrix buses and a full complement of monitor talkback and main bus outputs. One compelling feature of the Si series is that every input and output has its own dedicated I/O socket on the rear of the console.

Two Honourable Mentions were given to d&b audiotechnic for its new T-series line array and to FeOmic for its audio drive unit.

Orbital Sound was also given a ‘Special Mention’ for its innovative risk assessment software, which complies with noise at work regulations.

Gareth Collyer accepts the ABTT award for Sound Tech

> soundcraft.co.uk > soundtech.co.uk

Russ Berger elected fellow of ASA Acoustician recognised for his design of broadcast and recording studios RUSS BERGER, president of Russ Berger Design Group (RBDG), has been named a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA). The announcement of his election was made at the 157th meeting of the Society held in Portland, Oregon. The honour recognises an individual who has attained distinction in acoustics or who has rendered outstanding service to acoustics.

“I am humbled and honoured that the ASA has elected me as a Fellow for my work in acoustics over the years,” said Berger. “Since my days as a studio owner, I have always been fascinated with small room acoustics. It is very rewarding when I hear good sounding audio from a television broadcast or a song on the radio and know RBDG’s acoustical work greatly contributed to that sound.”

Berger began providing acoustical design services in the mid-1970s, and his knowledge of pro audio electronics and interest in small room acoustics grew into a design specialty for recording and broadcast facilities. In the early 80’s he joined the acoustical consulting firm Joiner Rose Pelton (later JRG) in Dallas, Texas, to expand its business and capabilities in recording and broadcast facilities design. In 1990, he started his own firm, RBDG, combining architectural www.audioprointernational.com

Talk, WPLN/Nashville Public Radio and Southern California Public Radio; NFL Films, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Sweetwater; recording studios for Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, Steve Miller and Whitney Houston; BiCoastal Music, MasterMix, Middle Tennessee State University, TNN, Lakewood Church and studios for RadioShack’s and JCPenney’s recording/broadcast facilities.

SADIE HAS welcomed the news that VCS Media Broadcast has been awarded a framework contract to provide audio editing and playout solutions to the BBC. The two companies have been committed to deliver a single, scalable, integrated broadcast audio solution.

Sadie’s product range of digital audio workstations and location recorders is well established at the BBC, with around 800 installations throughout the organisation. Thanks to an ongoing collaboration, Sadie workstations and VCS’ Dira radio automation products are already integrated and it is expected that this close affiliation will now be extended.

Graham Boswell, sales director of Sadie’s parent company Prism Sound said: “We are very pleased to see VCS as the winner of this prestigious framework agreement. We view this as an endorsement by the BBC of the solution already in place.

“We have cooperated with VCS on a number of projects and we fully expect this collaboration to continue.

Both VCS and Sadie are focused on productivity. Our on-going development work will now look at ways in which we can meet future requirements for all broadcasters.”

> asa.aip.org

> prismsound.com

ASA President, Mark Hamilton presents Russ Berger the award

and interior design services and innovation with acoustics and noise control engineering.

To date, Berger has designed more than 2,500 recording studios, broadcast facilities, creative production spaces, and home theatres and screening rooms. Projects include Sony Music Entertainment, ABC-TV, NBCTV, CBS-TV; more than 80 public radio facilities including National Public Radio in DC, WBUR-FM/Car

Sadie welcomes BBC framework contract for VCS

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> NEWS

Power cut ruins Oasis gig Faulty generator angers 70,000 punters as full ticket refunds are promised and then regretted AN ENGINEER’S WORST nightmare for the worst band possible in their hometown: Oasis’ opening gig for their UK tour, held on June 4th at Manchester’s Heaton Park, was stopped during the opening song due to a faulty power generator, the Lancashire Evening Post has reported.

The band got back on stage and tried to play Lyla, but they were soon stopped again by technical failures.

The 70,000 fans grew angry very

Kind of regret offering you your money back now.

Credit crunch and that, keep my kids in sweets.

Noel Gallagher Oasis

quickly and began booing and throwing bottles of urine. A message then appeared on the stage screens stating that the generator created the setback. Witnesses reported seeing smoke billowing out of the area containing the stage gear.

The problem was eventually fixed after over a half an hour.

Liam Gallagher announced that everyone at the show would receive a full ticket refund for putting up with the many technical difficulties.

As reported by CMU, the band later changed their tune about refunding the ticket money. Noel Gallagher stated: “We're not sure how it’s gonna work with getting the money back. Be on a website or summat. We're not getting paid for this so buy a t-shirt on the way out.

Credit crunch and that, keep my kids in sweets. Kind of regret offering you your money back now.

Apply for it back if you wanna be a c**t, we do our best for you”.

MPG announces 2010 awards Massenburg awarded Plans for second producers awards event already underway

Sound Fellowship

THE MUSIC Producers Guild (MPG) has announced that plans for the second MPG Awards are already underway to ensure that the event is once again an acclaimed success.

Scheduled for February 11th, 2010, the awards ceremony will again take place at Cafe de Paris, London. The lavish venue has been chosen to provide an ideal backdrop to an evening that is set to become an annual highlight on the recording industry’s calendar of events.

The MPG Awards recognise the enormous contribution that recording professionals make to the success of the UK’s music industry and present sponsors with an ideal opportunity to raise their profile within the recording community. The headline sponsors of the 2010 ceremony will be Prism Sound and Sadie.

The winner of the Music Producers Guild Producer of the Year Award automatically receives a Brit Award for Best Producer. There are also categories for engineers, mixers, re-

APRS inducts notable US producer

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Bernard Butler accepts his MPG 09 award

mixers and programmers, plus awards for Best Mastering Engineer, Best Newcomer and Unsung Hero (who could be anyone from a runner to a studio receptionist).

Winning a Music Producers Guild Award is not just an honour – it can also help boost business, as British Grove Studios, winner of the 2009 Award for Best Recording Facility, has discovered. > mpg.org.uk

GEORGE MASSENBURG was recently presented with an APRS Sound Fellowship by association executive director Peter Filleul (pictured). This followed an AES UK section lecture by the US production guru.

The APRS inducts six sound fellowships each year – individuals who have made a ‘significant contribution to the art, science and industry of sound recording’.

Previous recipients have included Ray Dolby, Mickey Most, Geoff Emerick, Rupert Neve and Sir George Martin.

“George is a particularly well-qualified candidate for

our Sound Fellowship, as he is an individual who satisfies (and goes on satisfying) each of our criteria, through his work as a brilliant creative engineer and producer,” commented Filleul. > aprs.co.uk www.audioprointernational.com

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> EVENT PREVIEW PLASA

September 13th-16th London

Launch pad It’s a veritable new product fest and we all love it (except those who are working on their studio tans).

Rob Hughes suddenly realises that PLASA ’09 is almost upon us… he usual Audio Pro International routine of kicking off these event previews with a projection of how busy the event may or may not be would, in this instance, be quite absurd. We generally try to err on the side of positivity (while remaining objective, naturally), but in this case the show is comparable to David Hasselhoff live in Berlin – if you stage it, they will come.

PLASA is wielding something of a double-edged sword at the moment.

Firstly, the live events industry seems to be weathering the financial storm with some gusto. But even if the sector was slowing down slightly, the show has a failsafe in that it is simply the essential event for relevant professionals.

It seems to me that the all-encompassing shows such as this are paving the way for the future of trade events. Knowing what to include and what to leave out appears to be the key, but certainly, events focused on specific disciplines, such as AES, seem to be having an increasingly difficult time, while Frankfurt, a veritable audio jumble sale – minus the selling, of course – is as robust as ever.

Unfortunately for the smaller shows trying to keep up, success breeds success and, in the same way that one would favour an arena-sized venue over a backstreet club to host Hasselhoff, it is the big-hitting events such as PLASA that are chosen as the backdrops for product launches.

Nicky Rowland, director of events at PLASA, not suprisingly, agrees: “PLASA

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PLASA is a diverse yet highly focused one-stop shop with a strong reputation for product launches.

Nicky Rowland PLASA

is an incredibly diverse yet highly focused ‘one-stop shop’ – with a tremendously strong reputation for new product launches in the audio, lighting, video, staging and special effects markets. Hundreds of new products are launched at the PLASA show each year, at a very important timeline in the purchasing calendar.”

This year new and returning pro audio companies include Cadac, Nexo, dB Technologies, Prism Sound, and RK Sound Engineering. These companies will be appearing alongside the loyal audio exhibitor base. There will also be an expanded ISCE pavilion including Barix, Clever Little Box and Clock Audio, among many others. As ever, exhibitors are keeping most of the exciting news under wraps until the first day of the show, but the organisers expect to see more developments in ‘green’ technology.

“We are seeing an impressive number of new companies booking stand space at the show,” adds Rowland. “It’s very encouraging that there are still new and evolving companies out there, and there are some exciting opportunities for them to get prime stand locations at the show. This healthy influx of exhibitors means that there will be more new things for visitors to see, meaning that both exhibitors and visitors can take full advantage of the business and networking platform that PLASA offers.”

2009’s education programme includes two Gottelier Masterclasses, the first of which will be presented by last year’s Gottelier Award winner, John Stadius of Soundtracs/Digico.

Stadius will describe the formative years of analog console design, the move to digital, the influence of the SHARC processor and how the latest generation of chip technology has removed historical restrictions on console design, promising new and exciting possibilities for the future.

The programme will also see the return of former presenter Tony Andrews of Funktion-One, who was the first recipient of the award in 2007. Andrews will present a debate on technologies for DJs – The Importance of Sound Quality – a presentation on the detrimental effect of ‘convenience’ technology on music sound quality, how to reverse this trend and why high fidelity is important.

“We listen and then we act,” concludes Rowland. “After a long tradition of building its position in the market, under the ownership of PLASA Events it has truly become an exhibition ‘by the industry, for the industry’, and continues to evolve through close consultation with both exhibitors and visitors. The team is passionate about making the shows PLASA runs a resounding success for every participant.” > plasashow.com www.audioprointernational.com

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EVENT REVIEW ABTT < April 10th-11th London

That’s show business The 31st ABTT Theatre Show was held during the worst London Tube strike in 12 years. Despite a hellish commute, the UK pro audio community came in strong numbers for the biggest social event of the year.

Andrew Low sat on a bus for two and a half hours and walked through the rain to bring you this report… o mere Tube strike could put off the visitors to the ABTT Theatre Show. Held from April 10th – 11th at the London Royal Horticultural Halls, the event attracted pro audio and theatre professionals from the greater London area who fought an inconvenientlytimed strike and masses of commuters to make their way to the Halls for the opening day of ABTT. By late afternoon the show floor and bar were visibly buzzing with visitors and the show organisers reported that figures were only 15 per cent below the attendance of ‘08.

ABTT serves as a yearly gettogether of the good and great in the UK pro audio scene, whether they are exhibitors or go there to network.

Exhibitor space was sold out weeks before the show and its new online registration produced a positive 25 per cent lift on pre-registration from last year.

Yamaha, L-Acoustics, Midas Pro Sound and Red Square Audio were new to the event, while ABTT oldtimers Alcons Audio, Martin Audio, KV2, Allen & Heath, Orbital, Sound Technology, Trantec and theatre veterans Opus Audio and Cadac all shared space between the show’s two buildings.

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FACT FILE Venue: London Royal Horticultural Halls Date: April 10th-11th Visitors: Just under 2,000 Verdict: The UK pro audio

and theatre professionals showed up for the event in strong numbers despite the London Tube strike.

Whether exhibiting or nosing around, most of the heavy hitters in the business were present.

With Frankfurt only just gone and PLASA around the corner, the show did not serve as a launching pad for new products. Instead, companies, including Sound Technology, used it to show off gear like the Soundcraft Si2 console, AKG DMS 700 digital wireless mic system and JoeCo's new Blackbox Recorder to the UK theatre world.

The Si2 won the ABTT award in the category of Best New Sound Product. The judges decorated the board for its user-friendly layout, which makes the transition from analog to digital very simple. This category boasted two honourable mentions given to d&b audiotechnik for its new T-series line array and to FeOmic for its audio drive unit.

Orbital Sound was also given a special mention for its innovative risk assessment software, which complies with noise at work restrictions.

Alongside Alcons Audio’s line of theatre-friendly loudspeaker technology was the latest and smallest member of the pro-ribbon line, the LR7 micro pro-ribbon line-array. It also introduced the LR7Bass, which features a newly developed dualtuned concentric bandpass configuration, a single long-excursion 12-inch Neodymium woofer for the

lower octaves.

With new Ofcom legislation due for submission this summer, wireless technology was at the forefront of product development. As such, Trantec brought its new wireless product, The Cube – a half-rack unit system that comes ready installed with four UHF channels of Trantec S5.3, which can operate up to 12 simultaneous channels within an 11MHz window (854-865MHz). An antenna distribution unit is also included, while built-in mains distribution provides power to each receiver and the ADU. A remote antenna kit is available for larger events.

Just outside the entrance to the show, Digico’s distributor Hawthorn Theatrical Limited displayed a shiny, golden SD8 console to show off its many features, on a stand next to new gear from Opus Audio and Cadac.

Orbital Sound previewed Version 3 of the CSC show control and audio playback software from CTR Electronics, which it claims represents an advancement in real-time show control for theatrical and live sound by merging timeline-based graphical editing facilities with cue-list methodology and external triggering. > abtt.org.uk/theatreshow

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> PALME EVENT REVIEW April 26th-28th Dubai

Key to the

East After seven years running, PALME Middle East remains an open door for pro audio companies looking to break into the Middle Eastern market. Though the event took a hit this year, it is still a vital and big money show. Andrew Low sifts through the sand to uncover Dubai’s latest gems… orking for a pro audio magazine, one of the questions we are constantly asked is “what are your subs in the Middle East?” With the pound falling to levels even lower than Gordon Brown’s approval ratings and America desperately trying to pull out of prolonged financial despair, the Middle East was thought to be the new emerging market for sales of pro audio gear for studios, installation, live events and A/V technology.

Around the clock construction, a seemingly never-ending money supply and booming tourism placed cities like Dubai at the forefront of entertainment technology, with events like the PALME Middle East show serving as the major portal to this success. However, the boom has significantly subsided due to the global economic downturn and the show, in turn, suffered significant downsizing. But PALME has proven that people are still spending money in the region. Evidence of this was an opening day, €90,000 order placed with Digisonic for a 96-channel Digidesign Venue System.

Held from April 26th – 28th at the Dubai International Exhibition Center, this year’s PALME Middle East hosted 162 exhibitors over 5,369 square feet of floor space for 6,048 visitors.

Numbers aside, PALME remains the strongest show in the region and has even gained the support of His

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FACT FILE Venue: Dubai International Exhibition Center Date: April 26th to 28th Exhibitors: 162 Visitors: 6,048 Verdict: While Dubai and

the Middle East have suffered from the global recession, PALME ME remains the key show for companies looking to pursue big money deals in the region’s A/V market.

Excellency Dr Omar Bin Sulaiman, Governor of Dubai International Financial Centre, who explained: “The entertainment and event industries are integral to the economic development of the entire region. I am confident the exhibition will contribute to adding momentum to the growth of the entertainment and event industries in the region.”

SHOW SUCCESS Big names in the pro audio and installation sector showed up on the day and reported a successful show.

Powersoft was one such company and used PALME to make new business contacts in the region. Powersoft’s Luica Giorgi stated: “At this show we met some key players. As a result of this, not only am I confident that we will be able to appoint a local partner – but we should end up taking some orders.”

Meyer Sound’s Mauricio Saint Martin said: “We are seeing more activity in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Oman and we are starting to see a lot more requests from Saudi. We are seeing AV contractors and integrators directly and our duty is to support

them. The show is working well and is reaching the right people.”

Tannoy exhibited its VQ Series and QFlex, as well as numerous products from its existing V-Series, Di Series, in-wall and in-ceiling loudspeaker ranges at the show.

The recent launch of Tannoy’s VQ products feature new horn configurations along with a new 15inch direct radiating sub and new down-firing enclosures. Tannoy was also a main sponsor of the PALME Middle East ‘Battle of the DJs’ finals, which used two full stacks of VQ Series, including VNet 218DR subs.

Of course it is worrying to hear that most of the trade shows have been substantially quieter this year. The unanimous response from manufacturers is that the same amount of companies have been forced to fight over less money and competition is at a new high.

However, while the leisure and nightlife growth in Dubai and the Middle East has taken a beating, PALME still remains a vital place for those manufacturers looking to develop their brands. > palme-middleeast.com www.audioprointernational.com

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> EVENT PREVIEW AUDIO PRO AWARDS

It could be you...

The best in Live, Installation, Studio and Broadcast to be hailed by trade in new, inclusive Audio Pro Awards udio Pro International is to launch its own virtual awards ceremony, acknowledging the best products, companies and people in all sectors of the business.

There will be no pricey black tie event, but instead, through the pages of Audio Pro and at audioprointernational.com, there will be lobbying, nominations, debate and industry-wide voting – all ending in worthy winners of 15 categories (see separate box).

The awards will have a transparent voting procedure, with the Audio Pro International team picking five finalists per category, following a free-of-charge lobbying period, which begins immediately and will end August 20th. A wide judging panel, drawn from all sectors of the business, will then choose the winners.

The awards are arranged into two categories: Studio & Broadcast Sound and Live & Installed Sound. There is also an Audio Pro Lifetime Achievement Award presented to an individual who has made a significant, positive difference to the industry.

In the two sector-based categories, awards for exceptional events or projects will go to the person, team or organisation tasked with providing the sound as a product, either through record production, sound system installation, hire, deployment, or broadcast services.

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These Awards will recognise those that share our passion for the industry.

Andrew Low Editor, Audio Pro

“The Audio Pro Awards have been created to recognise those who share our passion for professional audio and strive to push the boundaries with every endeavour,” explains editor, Andrew Low. “From the big rental companies and manufacturers to the independent engineers and new companies, we are inspired by the innovation that we see at every trade show and event and feel that these individuals should be recognised for their great efforts.

“We also want the process to be simple, transparent and inclusive. We know through the magazine and the website that our readers have strong opinions on what works and who’s going the extra yard, and to get them involved in a poll like this will throw up some fascinating results, I’m sure.”

The panel of judges is currently being assembled and Audio Pro International welcomes requests from anyone who would like to be a judge, or suggest someone who they feel should be on the panel. Lobbying is now open and those who work in the industry are invited to put forward the names of people or companies who they consider to be deserving of an award. Self-nomination is perfectly acceptable and encouraged. To contact the team regarding either judging or lobbying, please email us at: audioproawards@intentmedia.co.uk

CATEGORIES: Live & Installed Sound

Best live sound event Most innovative installation Best new live sound product Best new installation product Best live sound engineer Best after-sales support Best new company

Studio & Broadcast Sound

Best new studio product Best studio engineer Best broadcast sound Best new studio Most original studio initiative Best after-sales support Best new company

Plus the Audio Pro Lifetime Achievement Award

www.audioprointernational.com

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> REVIEW LANGEVIN MINI MASSIVE

Small is the new big

Engineer and APRS board engineer Wes Maebe puts Manley’s new Langevin Mini Massive Stereo eq to the test at RAK studios… was strolling around this year’s AES in München when I got chatting to Manley’s ‘Vacuum Tube Disciplinarian’, Chris Dauray. As I was in the middle of mixing an album and already using the Variable Mu, I was eager to find out if there were exciting things happening in the Manley camp.

Although the Langevin Mini Massive has been in production for a little while, this trooper of an eq needs a new mention and if you haven’t yet come across it, here’s your chance to find out more.

I had a little play with the Mini Massive on Manley’s booth. Listening options at a trade show aren’t optimal, but even on headphones this unit managed to blow me away.

I

THE GEEKY STUFF Manley describes the Mini Massive as the little brother to the Massive Passive we are all familiar with. Housed in its sturdy 1U chassis, it shares most of the same components, has a similar circuit layout and is based on the same passive eq design as its bigger brother.

The gain in the Mini Massive is supplied by four Manley Rapture Amplifiers in combination with series and shunt PSU regulators to provide us with low noise power supply.

The headroom in this unit is truly phenomenal. The back of the Mini Massive offers balanced/unbalanced +4 or unbalanced -10 inputs, making it even more flexible to interface in any set-up.

You’ll also find a three-way toggle switch allowing you to bypass the output transformers, put them in the circuit or push the transformers even more to get that ‘70s Discrete Class A sound. Frequencies in the low band range from 22Hz 16

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to 1k to provide you with a Pultec-esque fatness. The band starts from 560Hz and goes all the way up to 27k. Manley Labs has given us higher eq bells in the four highest frequencies resulting in an extremely smooth upper end. The 31-page manual tells you all you need to know and much, much more.

THE LANGEVIN MINI MASSIVE IN ACTION Back from München, it was time to try this mean machine out for real. EveAnna Manley and Sable Marketing’s Gary Ash arranged for a unit to be delivered to RAK’s studio 4, where I was mixing an album produced by Elliott Randall.

The Mini Massive did not disappoint.

I used it to beef up the bass, make the guitars cut through more and it did wonders to the snare drum. Apart from being smaller, black with red knobs and not getting hot enough to fry your breakfast on, the Mini Massive feels exactly like the Massive Passive.

This box performed so well at the mix stage that it ended up in my personal rack.

When it came to mastering the album, we wanted to maintain the analog chain, so the Mini Massive was hooked up again and put through its paces.

”

I used it to beef up the bass, make the guitars cut through more and it did wonders to the snare drum.

Wes Maebe Engineer and APRS Board Engineer

AND IN THE END... THERE IS MORE AIR The Mini Massive is a warm and smooth eq with bucketloads of character. It’ll deliver in almost any situation and is one of the most musical eqs I have had the pleasure working with.

Manley has tagged its Langevin brand on this unit as Big Bang For The Buck and boy, is that right. > manleylabs.com www.audioprointernational.com

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> SECTOR SPOTLIGHT LIVE MICS

Taking the mic...

Graduating from the studio to the stage is a lot to ask of the sensitive little souls that are microphones. Luckily a few manufacturers have some hardcore A&R regimes that toughen them right up, as Rob Hughes finds out…

his is bound to raise the odd horrified gasp among a conscientious few, but my perception of the live sound community’s use of mics is generally something of a ‘belt and braces’ approach. I’m not being disparaging here; it’s the best way to deal with a virtually un-manageable environment, it just seems to me that it’s in the studio, rather than on the stage, where you’re most likely to find a nerd obsessing over the position of a mic worth several thousand pounds.

It’s perhaps a horrible generalisation, but when I think of a roadie miking up a Marshall cab, I can’t help but imagine an SM58 that has been cast aside by an unsavoury frontman after several years of maltreatment, taped to a stand that is in turn held together by more tape, losing the fight for stage space with another stand and ultimately condemned to be re-positioned in some violent fashion by said frontman.

Essentially, never managing to touch the cloth, as it were.

Mercifully, we’re living in the glorious days of the digital console and some rather talented live sound engineers, the young offspring of which are justifiably sporting Mercenary Audio T-shirts emblazoned with ‘My Daddy’ll fix it in the Mix’. But, while he’s clearly a dab hand at tweaking the onboard eqs, any system tech worth his salt will reliably tell you that beyond the faders, console wizardry often becomes a remedy for poor tone and miking, whether it’s the position, or even the mic itself. A good mix, as we all know, starts at the source.

Happily, the mic manufacturers have noticed this and the ability to cope with the rigours of the live environment is not the only thing that defines a live mic – one way or another, it has to make the very most of acoustic circumstances that are less than ideal and still deliver a signal that George Martin would be proud of. The faithful ‘58 hasn’t got where it is today purely by being rained on, dribbled into, kicked off

T

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stage, used as a drumstick, inserted into various bodily cavities, dropped in a pint...

Okay, so that’s a pretty awesome mic, but let’s have a look at some others that have earned the coveted stage wings: AKG AKG has done a pretty fine job of covering all bases with its mic range – and has covered them pretty safely at that. Its widely recognised D112 ‘egg’ mic, designed pretty much just for the kick drum – but used to great effect on all sorts – is testament to this and, as a veritable industry standard, demonstrates the firm’s design prowess.

These days, the company’s primary vocal offering is the D5 dynamic mic, with supercardioid polar pattern to help ensure maximum gain before feedback and a strong, crisp signal. The dual shock mount should eliminate any kind of mechanical noise created by the more animated vocalist.

AKG’s latest reference dynamic microphone, the D7, combines the pan-frequency response of a condenser mic with the resonance of a dynamic mic and also features an integrated highpass filter to eliminate handling noise and precision metal dust filter to protect the diaphragm. Brand new for 2009 is the D7 Ltd, a high-gloss version with chrome plated finish.

Regularly seen hanging atop drum kits is AKG’s C5 condenser, optimised for use with in-ear monitor systems and the company’s famous C 414, while at home in elite recording studios, is also used on stage, and equally capable of handling amplified guitars and milder orchestral instruments. Both the C5 and C414 were recently used for an impromptu performance on the banks of the River Thames,

by Kinks singer Ray Davies and the Crouch End Festival Chorus. > akg.com

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LIVE MICS SECTOR SPOTLIGHT <

PHONAK Primarily a designer and manufacturer of advanced hearing aids, Phonak entered the live mic market last year with its Provocanto head-worn mic. Possibly the most discreet of its kind, the mic features a unique ear-loop fitting mechanism and is ideal for performers who need to keep their hands free. Phonak is confident it has the absolute best in sound quality and the mic was recently recognised by Germany’s highest product design panel, Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, putting it alongside other cutting-edge creations from the likes of BMW Group Design and Stefano Giovannoni.

DPA The Danish mic manufacturer unveiled its 4099 series of instrument mics at PLASA last year. Each model is designed and optimised for a specific instrument family and takes the form of a clip-on, gooseneck mic. Their ability to handle high SPLs has made them popular for brass and woodwind – they were recently selected

by American saxophonist and music director Bobby Ricketts for an international touring schedule. “The sound is so natural,” says Ricketts. “The sound techs always comment on how the sound from my horn through the 4099 requires little or no eq, and signal output is never an issue for them.”

AUDIO TECHNICA With an immaculate reputation, a wide range of mics covering most applications, and an exhaustive list of endorsees that includes the likes of Metallica, Gwen Stefani and Linkin Park, Audio Technica is now a big name in the live microphone field, and its presence there is still on the increase.

The firm’s key range for pros is the Artist Elite, which comprises a handful of models that are all clocking up plenty of big tour miles. The AE5400 condenser vocal mic with large diaphragm element and the AE6100 dynamic vocal mic (both available as wireless models) were recently adopted by hardcore punk rock band Gallows for both vocals and backline. The AE2500 dual dynamic/condenser cardioid model is aimed at bass drums but used by Big Mick Hughes for guitar cabs and the AE3000 cardioid condenser is an all-rounder used extensively by the Pigeon Detectives.

In April, Audio Technica opted to extend its lifetime warranty, previously only offered on its 40 series studio microphones, to the Artist Elite and Artist Series. “The move to include Artist Elite and Artist Series products in the lifetime warranty scheme reflects Audio Technica’s confidence in the quality of its live sound microphones,” said senior UK marketing manager Harvey Roberts.

> dpamicrophones.com

> audio-technica.com

> phonak.com

www.audioprointernational.com

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> SECTOR SPOTLIGHT LIVE MICS

Sennheiser’s range of both wired and wireless mics is favoured by several artists

AUDIX Established in 1984, Audix has a roster of endorsers that includes Katie Melua and country legend Willy Nelson. Its flagship D6 is fast becoming an admired drum mic, equipped with a VLM (Very Low Mass) diaphragm for natural, accurate reproduction, a wide frequency response of 30Hz to 15kHz and the ability to handle sound pressure levels in excess of 144dB.

For those who demand the best of wireless for vocals, Sennheiser’s SKM 5200 handheld transmitter and KK 105 S Neumann capsule are the cream of the crop. Along with the SK 5212 bodypack transmitter and HSP 4 headset mic option, they were put to use in Moscow this May for 2009’s Eurovision song contest. > sennheiser.com

> audixusa.com

RODE For those with clumsy and/or heavy-handed roadies, Rode offers the M1 dynamic vocal mic with a lifetime warranty that would suggest it can survive the odd stage dive. For the more fidelity-conscious, the M2 benefits from Rode’s experience in premium studio condenser microphones and builds upon the foundation set by the TEC award-winning S1.

NEUMANN Not so well known for its live mics as its studio models, Neumann’s stage range is nevertheless becoming established.

Last month, it added a new model, the KMS 104 plus, which, president of marketing and sales Wolfgang Fraissinet says: “has been especially optimised for the requirements of female voices in the rock and pop field”.

“

The 55SH is possibly the most recognisable microphone on the planet.

Paul Crognale Shure Distribution

> neumann.com

> rodemic.com

ELECTRO VOICE At this year’s winter NAMM show, Electro Voice surprised the industry by announcing the relaunch of the celebrated PL (professional live) series.

Nonetheless, many were delighted to see the return of the mics, which had remained very much in demand on the second hand market and spoken highly of on pro audio forums, since their discontinuation over 20 years ago. The new range includes seven vocal models and three instrument models, as before, aimed at the live sound community. > electrovoice.com

SENNHEISER Unveiling its third generation evolution wireless system in Frankfurt earlier this year, Sennhesier added yet another line to the hugely successful series, which also features some very popular wired mics.

Giving a good representation of the range, the e935 vocal mic was developed in conjunction with several top live sound engineers, who helped Sennheiser’s research team turn out a mic that is capable of cutting through very high on-stage levels. Subsequently, this is the mic now favoured by the likes of the Ting Tings and the Arctic Monkeys, among other high dB acts.

On the instrument side of things, the e908 is a versatile condenser mic, available in four variants, covering drums and percussion, wind instruments, saxophones and trumpets. It is yet another Sennheiser mic that has proved a hit with big name artists and fans include including Take That and George Michael.

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SHURE Whether it’s an SM, Beta, 57 or 58, it doesn’t really matter – together, these ever-present mics are the most recognised in the world. The largest collection of 58s ever assembled was recently put to use in London’s Trafalgar Square, along with Shure’s UHF-R wireless technology, for the latest T-Mobile advert. In the biggest RF event of its kind ever recorded, 13,000 people were supplied with 160 mics to sing hits such as Is This The Way to Amarillo?

Shure has also released a new version of its iconic 55SH. Debuted at LIMS 09, The Super 55 Deluxe Vocal Microphone combines the style of the 55SH model with cutting edge mic technology, including a new motor and supercardioid cartridge, added to provide clearer vocal reproduction that works on virtually any voice. Output and off-axis rejection have also been enhanced.

First produced in 1951, the 55SH body has remained in continuous production since and has been used by musical greats including Elvis Presley. The Super 55 features the same signature satin chrome-plated die-cast casing, with vibrant blue foam. It would be little surprise if it quickly starts to populate artists’ rider lists this summer.

“The 55SH is possibly the most recognisable microphone on the planet” comments Paul Crognale, marketing manager at Shure Distribution UK. “While the design continues to be popular over 50 years after first being produced, sound engineers increasingly require additional gain-beforefeedback during performances that is provided by a supercardioid polar pattern.” > shure.co.uk www.audioprointernational.com

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> LIVE SOUND GLASTONBURY

So is this like, …asked The Fleet Foxes’ drummer while squinting at almost 180,000 Glasto punters. The Foxes, along with all the bands who played to record audiences, were taken back by the overwhelming turnout. From Neil Young to The Boss, the weekend was a hot and hazy audio extravaganza. Andrew Low fought through the Worthy Farm fans to see how hundreds of thousands heard their favourite bands… hould I go to Glasto this year? A question discussed every year by most UK citizens between the ages of eight and 68.

Even the crowds, rain and toilets can’t stop people from making the yearly pilgrimage to Worthy Farm in Somerset, UK. This year 177,500 people inhabited the 900-acre farm from June 24th-28th for the 39th Glastonbury Festival.

The pages of this issue are not big enough to properly report on every piece of gear used at the mammoth festival, as even hot dog carts incited impromptu raves with two speakers and a Vengaboys album, but we will cover some highlights from the weekend. Those who parked near the Pyramid stage were tortured by, or treated to modern trendsetters like Lily Allen, Kasabian, and VV Brown in addition to rock legends like Neil Young, Status Quo, Crosby, Stills and Nash and Bruce Springsteen.

London’s RG Jones Sound Engineering provided a full Synco package for the Pyramid stage. The main stage PA included a Synco by Martin Audio W8L Longbow main PA and Martin Audio delays, a Synco cardioid sub-bass array and a complete Synco stage monitoring and drum fill system. The PA is described as an advanced version of 08’s Pyramid PA, which was a collaboration between RG Jones and Martin Audio’s Jason Baird and Jim Cousins, both of whom joined the system design team again this year with Chris Ekers.

Five of Yamaha’s PM5D-RH consoles and an M7CL-48 were used on the Pyramid stage at one point in the weekend.

Kasabian used two Midas Pro 6 consoles on the Pyramid.The Other Stage hosted headline sets by Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party and Prodigy. Skan PA hung its d&b audiotechnik J-Series line array elements with J-Infra subs for coverage at the stage. Neil Young, Crosby, Stills and Nash and Status Quo also used d&b monitors for their Pyramid stage performances.

APR Audio supplied an EV Xline system with X Subs running in cardiod mode for the Jazz World stage. The entire system was run on the EV N8000 Netmax system. At FOH almost half of the bands were mixed on two of Midas’ Pro6

S

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systems. Old school engineers were given the option to use a Midas H3000 analog system, with another H3000 on stage with a Helix eq system through the DN9331 Rapide flying fader remote, connected to the console by the Midas Solo Tracking System (STS).

VV Brown performed an impressive eight times during the weekend, including sets on the John Peel Stage, the Dance Tent and the Pyramid.

Brown and her band used TL Audio’s Ivory series 5001 preamps and DIs for all her Glasto performances. Bass player Michael ‘Smoove Groove’ Hamilton also used TL’s 5051 to enhance his bass sounds. Her FOH engineer, Jimmy Sarikas, used his own Yamaha LS9-32 for two gigs on the Pyramid and Dance East stage.

The John Peel stage ran Yamaha’s PM5D-RHs at both FOH and monitors, which were combined with three of Yamaha’s new SB-168ES stage boxes to provide the Ethersound network. A full RSS by Roland M-400 with the new M-48 personal monitoring system was setup backstage at the John Peel stage in its Green Room/warm-up stage. Both The BBC Introducing and Park Stage used RSS digital snakes.

Allen & Heath’s iLive digital mixing system was used for Dan Black’s performance on the Orange mobile stage. Dan’s FOH engineer, Steve Pattison, tours with a very compact setup comprised of an iLive-T iDR-32 MixRack for all sources, and a laptop loaded with iLive-Editor software for virtual control.

The Green Fields’ Croissant Neuf stage has been a platform for underground acts since the early days of the festival. Run entirely by solar power, the area’s bandstand hosted over 25 artists who were broadcast through Ohm’s LX system. Ohm sales manager Clive Kinton got his hands dirty as an honorary member of the sound crew throughout the weekend. He commented: “The sound system performed magnificently for a whole variety of acts from a melodious harp and vocal duo to a full-on dub band. The system was loud enough to cover the field and ran very efficiently to conserve the solar power.”

“

We’re glad to be scared sh*tless in front of you.

Craig Curran Fleet Foxes

Pyramid’s sound booth was rammed with each band’s console of choice

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GLASTONBURY LIVE SOUND <

a big festival?

Glastonburyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nightlife is a 900-acre dance party with endless open spaces and tents blasting the latest beats from DJs of all genres. Funktion-Oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purple stacks dominated many of these areas as its speakers were used in Glade and Arcadia by Audio Funktion, as well as in the Dance East Tent where Audile used pieces from its Funktion-One stock.

Audio Funktion used two stacks of three Funktion-One, F221, double 21-inch bass enclosures per side with five Resolution 5 loudspeakers on top at the Glade stage. Four Res 4 speakers hung from the tent with six double-18-inch F-218s on the floor for rear field coverage.

The Arcadia dance area featured a giant flame-spewing spacecraft DJ booth. Audio Funktion kitted out the fiery area with six Funktion-One stacks in a hexagonal configuration. Its front stacks were left and right configurations of six F-218s topped by five Res 5s per side, in addition to side and rear stacks and two Res 4s flown with two F-218s on the ground.

Audile of Manchester, UK used 16 Res 5s and eight F-221s for its main stacks in the Dance East Tent. It used Res 4s as sidefills and Res 1s for infills, in addition to Mc2 amps, XTA processing, Turbosound TFM 450 monitors and an analog H3000 console at FOH. Yamahaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s M7CL-48 console could also be found glowing through the night in the Dance East, Dance

West, Dance Lounge and Pussy Parlure areas while Allen & Heath Xone:92 DJ mixers were used on many of the dance stages. The dance tents were under constant watch all weekend and forced to maintain very low sound levels.

Tannoyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recently launched VQ Live loudspeaker system was used in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Iglooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tent this year. Debuted at Glastonbury 08 as part of the Dance Village, the Igloo is the brainchild of Igloo Vision, and has a unique immersive 360-degree projection environment designed to provide a 1,400-capacity audience with live video mixing and audio. A single stack per side was used, comprised of a VQ Net 60 Live cabinet above an accompanying VNet 218DR Live subwoofer.

Igloo Visionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Colin Yellowley explains: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tannoyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s VQ system allowed us to provide amazing clarity of sound at a high impact level that left DJs clamouring to use the system. This, combined with the 360-degree projections of the Igloo created something that was considered by some to be the best offering in the Badlands area.â&#x20AC;?

In addition to being the biggest green space festival in the world, Glastonbury is also the most publicised and highly sought after by punters and bands. The enormity of Glastonbury is only matched by the energy of the audiences and performers. > glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

Funktion-Oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; stacks withstood the flames of the fiery Aracadia

2009 Year Anniversary

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LIVE DIGITAL CONSOLES SECTOR SPOTLIGHT <

Different stokes for digital folks Audio Pro sizes up the latest technology that the digital consoles market has to offer... he need for compact consoles has made way for a generation of boards that squeeze the latest digital technology into a format half the size of traditional models.

Despite this trend, the big boys still rule the block when it comes to blockbuster concerts, HOW and large scale live and theatre.

With so much on offer the choice of digital mixing options has expanded far beyond the question of price and brand loyalty to speed, power, sound and application. Herein lies your guide to the who and what of the latest technology on the market:

T

ALLEN & HEATH Allen & Heath’s iLive digital mixing systems feature the MixRack, which serves as the mixer. The portable unit can be placed on stage as the stagebox, as a stand-alone unit, or at the mixing control next to the control surface. For DSP/Processing control iLive utilises TCP/IP and the control surface connects to the MixRack using standard LAN/Ethernet protocol. This allows the mixer systems to be networked for control, including the iLive Editor Java platform on PC or Mac. Users have the choice of iLive hardware, MixRack and Control Surface sizes and all iLive hardware racks and surfaces are interchangeable and compatible. Firmware and online/offline editor software enables settings to be saved on one system for USB file transfer to another. All controls are visible on the processing strip, not hidden in sub menus. iLive features a Linux (open-source) backbone for its on-board touchscreen computer. Allen & Heath’s proprietary Audio and Control over Ethernet (ACE) links to 120m single CAT5 cable (including zero-loss redundancy) to connect rack and surface.

The board also feature 32 mix outputs, all with 1/3 octave GEQ (faders), compressor, limiter, delay and insert, in addition to eight in-house designed DSP FX engines, without losing any of the 64 mic channels.

A range of self-powered plug and play configurable fader/rotary PL hardware remote controllers are also available for use with iLive via a Cat-5 connection. Audio interface options for system integration include EtherSound, MADI, ADAT, Aviom, Hearbus, iDR and growing. > allen-heath.com

Digico’s boards capture and convert audio to digital close to the source via the use of remote stage racks to provide the highest possible audio quality. A minimum number of components in a system are required and all processing is done within the console rather than external racks of DSP. Redundant hot swap PSUs are also built into the surface. Remote Stage Racks interface with the console’s surface via MADI or Optocore, making Digico systems easily integrated with third-party equipment.

Digico has pioneered the use of recording and playing back shows and the recent launch of the RME MADIface, a MADI interface for laptops, simplifies its virtual sound check functionality. Broadcast WAVs can be directly imported into almost all DAWs, including Cubase, Logic, Nuendo and Pro Tools. Additionally, remote Stage Racks can be shared with both D-series and SD series consoles with gain tracking security.

Key features of the D Series Live consoles (D1 and D5) include: the ability to mix up to 160 mix channels; 48 buses, including eight matrix buses; two stereo solo buses; 24 VCA-style control groups; six Stereo FX, including 12 graphic eqs; connection of up to four remote racks providing up to 224 I/O, plus DAW connections and compatibility of session files between D1s and D5s.

Digico’s SD7 and SD8 utilise FPGA-based Stealth Digital Processing and local I/O built into the surface. Key features of the SD7 include: dual engines for complete redundancy; 256 processing paths at 96khz – combination of I/O; four-band parametric eq with dynamic eq, multiband comp, tube emulation on all paths and additional four-band parametric eqs on outputs for system control; eqs all have classic and digital characteristics; max of 128 output buses; max of 32 x 32 output matrix; two stereo solo buses; 32 VCA-style Control Groups; 32 x 32-band

iLive utilises TCP/IP for DSP/Processing and the control surface connects to the MixRack

Digico was the first to use touch screen, SHARC DSP and single FPGA components

DIGICO Digico was the first live digital console manufacturer to use touchscreen technology as well as the first to use SHARC DSP and single FPGA components. With sound quality its main priority, all of Digico’s consoles are Floating Point with up to 40 bit processing, which provides a great amount of headroom on the mix bus.

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> SECTOR SPOTLIGHT LIVE DIGITAL CONSOLES graphic eqs; 16 stereo 40-bit floating point seven tank, seven tap reverbs; 32 stereo multi-effects including delays and time based FX; local I/O – 12 analog I/O and 12 AES I/O; up to 12 remote racks providing up to 696 I/O and interactive meter bridge and VNL (video network link).

Key features of the SD8 include: 60 mono or stereo input channels (equal to 120 channels of DSP processing); 24 mono or stereo output buses, plus stereo master bus (50 buses of DSP processing); 12 x 12 output matrix; two stereo solo buses for separate wedge and IEM solos; 12 VCA-style control groups; 12 x 32-band graphic eqs; six stereo FX including reverbs and time-based FX; local I/O – eight analogue I/O and eight AES I/O; up to two remote racks providing up to 112 I/O; 37 touch sensitive faders; 15-inch high resolution TFT touch screen and full, per fader metering with ballistic control and laptop/script tray. > digico.biz DIGIDESIGN Digidesign’s new Venue SC-48 is listed as a cost-effective and compact live sound solution that is compatible with industry standard professional A/V systems.

The SC48 sees the introduction of several new features that enhance the mixing process, including professional plugin support for compatibility with Digidesign plugins and a number of third-party developers to recreate studio sound on the road.

Direct Connection to Pro Tools LE allows users to record shows and perform virtual sound check using a computer connected to the SC48’s built-in USB port.

Channel Control allows single click access, display and adjustment to any channel parameter. In addition, any eight parameters can be assigned to the colour-coded framework for immediate access during the mix. The board’s Centre Flex Channel provides immediate access to any key input without scrolling through fader layers. VCA and Group Spill provides control and access to grouped channels within a mix by focusing the control surface layout to match the logical groupings created by VCA and Group style mixing The larger Venue D-Show System employs a Venue FOH Rack and Stage Rack processing and I/O system, which provides I/O and console expandability for large performances.

Designed by a team of veteran live sound professionals, the console provides a user-friendly interface to enable control of a large number of inputs from a compact mixing surface, with the option to expand the console. D-Show combines a central Assignable Channel Section (ACS) with two encoders per channel for instant adjustments, in addition to display sections with displays and indicators for confirmation of signal routing, dynamics status, eq and other insert processes and signal activity or overload and access to numerous inputs at a glance.

Venue D-Show also provides full Pro Tools recording and plugin compatibility. >avid.com INNOVASON Innovason’s compact Eclipse console features a DSP engine that enables users to mix up to 104 inputs simultaneously into 48 mix buses, with the capacity to manage up to 320 inputs on the console using up to five remote audio racks. The control surface is furnished with 48 linear faders and 48 fully

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configurable rotary knobs in a SmartPanel for 96 ‘faders’.

The standard Eclipse package offers 80 inputs and 40 outputs, of which 24 are fully processed including 31-band graphic eq.

It also comes with two Innovason FM-8VB eightin/eight-out plugin effects cards and a stage box, all fully flight-cased and complete with the new NOVA software, which offers a modern, intuitive graphic user interface on a stable platform.

Eclipse users can also opt to add Innovason’s unique Multitrack Audio Recording System (MARS) system, a built-in digital 64-track recorder that uses a hard disk plugged into the back of the console. MARS provides high-quality live recording and virtual sound checking functionality.

The new console is fully networkable, supporting EtherSound, Innovason’s proprietary, Muxipaire protocol, Aviom’s A-Net and MADI (via an optional DioMadiES converter). It is also compatible with all existing I/O and effects modules and audio racks and supplied with a dual redundant power supply.

The Sy80 is the largest board in the Innovason range and features 104 channels, up to 144 I/O and 48 mix buses. Sy80 is listed as the original ‘user-definable’ console and one of the few consoles to offer 80 faders that are configured as an input channel, aux, VCA, group, master, matrix, or as an output, or SmartFAD. SmartFAD enables the management of a maximum number of inputs with a minimum number of faders and replaces the ‘layer’ approach. Any fader or zone of faders may be designated as a SmartFAD control, thus an input fader can either be allocated to a single input, or it can manage several inputs in the SmartFAD zone. In this case the fader in charge of these inputs is known as a bank of faders. When selected, all of the inputs it is handling appear on the SmartFAD screen simliar to a VCA, which enables customisable configuration of mono and stereo channels, given that a stereo channel is also in fact a fader bank handling left and right of any given instrument. It was also integrated to provide flexibility when handling large numbers of inputs.

Sy80 is suitable for FOH, monitors, live recording and broadcast applications. High-quality mic preamps are used on all of Innovason’s consoles. > innovason.com

Plugin support for Digidesign and thirdparty plugins is provided by all Venue consoles

The built-in, 64channel MARS recorder is unique to Innovason’s Eclipse

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> SECTOR SPOTLIGHT LIVE DIGITAL CONSOLES

XMidas’ Pro6 was developed around the POPulation group concept made popular by the XL8

MIDAS Midas designed the Pro6 control surface around the POPulation concept praised by XL8 users, which provides an easily navigable number of well-spaced and quickly identifiable key input faders.

The Midas Pro6 is a series of discrete hardware devices that create a networked audio system. Its modular approach allows for specialised configurations with an inbuilt tolerance to any software, hardware, or connectivity failure.

All Midas digital systems have dual-redundant Linux control computers. The Pro6 has a modular audio processing engine, which is typically located remotely from the control surface so that audio processing takes place in a controlled area. Its control surface is described as a high-spec mouse used to control the audio processing in the remote engine.

The Pro6’s internal processing is 32-bit floating-point @ 96kHz. A/D and D/A conversion are also fixed at 96kHz and latency is dealt with in a unique way. All audio is transmitted within the network using AES50 to provide intangible latency and lets the Pro6 audio system keep track all audio samples at all times. Whenever audio samples are summed together they are first synchronised down to single-sample timing. This means that all of the audio will be phase-coherent. The Pro6’s automatic delay management system compensates for differential latency anywhere within the processing engine, and also for latency created by external analog processing.

Onboard processing includes a gate and compressor on every input with a choice of eight different compression options and six-band PEQ on all 35 buses, eight scene-specific stereo FX processors and up to 36 Klark Teknik 31-band graphic eqs with a dedicated hardware remote controller.

The Pro6’s I/O hardware is also modular, making it expandable to include additional I/O. The modularity of this system also allows distribution of the network’s I/O around a venue and located wherever required in blocks of 24 connections. Modular I/O devices are then connected using Cat5 cable, and the console can then automate the process of routing audio.

Routing throughout the Pro6 audio network is automated and scene-specific. Within each scene of the show, the ‘mixing console’ component of the Pro6 can handle up to 80 simultaneous mixing channels from a max of 264 inputs and mix audio to 35 buses (264 max outputs).

The board features automated I/O, eliminating the need for an input or outboard channel as they are only used in one scene and connected to a channel for the entire show. Mix buses can be repatched to 264 potential outputs, even to multiple destinations, on a scene-by-scene basis, and routing changes can be effected instantaneously without audio dropouts.

Using Pro6’s automated routing, the board can tackle much bigger shows than could be addressed with any other 64 input, 35 bus mixer.

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modular, expandable and user-configurable I/O hardware system; KVM switching on control surface, VGC centric mixing; input paging by musical function, rather than numbers and layers; 192 x 192 channel dual-redundant digital snake as standard; a remote modular audio processing engine and dual fast-access control areas. >midasconsoles.com ROLAND The RSS V-Mixing System is a complete digital mixing system including the M-400 console and its digital snakes system. The M-400 features dedicated knobs and buttons for all console functions, 24 touch-sensitive moving faders, an onboard help function, large, bright TFT LCD display and Cat5e connectivity for low cost installation and increased portability.

The 48-channel console has 16 buses, channel and bus DSP, four stereo FX processors, four graphic eqs, built-in stereo recording and playback, and built-in multi-channel split capability. It also offers up to 40 channels of limitless digital splits from a dedicated Cat5e port for monitor/broadcast positions and/or PC recording without any audio interfaces. Sixteen returns to stage over Cat5e cable are standard; however, V2 software allows flexible patching of up to 40 outputs using the S-4000SP REAC splitter.

High-quality mic preamps are used with a Cat5e Snake, which eliminates high-frequency losses, while onboard digital processing, channel DSP and routing eliminate any other unwanted noises. Its onboard 24-bit recorder provides lossless capture of live events and. the Digital Split allows lossless transmission to monitoring, recording or broadcast positions and Bus and Main LR return over Cat5e enables a complete digital signal path back to the stage.

The M-400 is capable of storing 300 scenes for total recall of all mixer, effect and routing parameters with password protection.

Integrated PC software allows loading/saving setups as well as realtime control and its libraries provide the ability to store custom channel, patchbay and effect settings. Direct-to-PC recording over

Neon Dion: Studer’s Vista 5 SR console has the capacity for vast amounts of I/O

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LIVE DIGITAL CONSOLES SECTOR SPOTLIGHT < Cat5e enables up to 40 channels of direct digital recording in pre eq, pre fader or post fader setups. It also provides remote control from laptop over USB, MIDI and V-Link with free RCS software, Wi-Fi control using RCS and USB device server RSS feels that the M-400 provides large-format desk features in a compact footprint. The latest Version 2 software for the console includes support for the company’s new M-48 Live Personal Mixers; support for LCR sound system configurations; six new vintage effects; real-time analyser; enhanced parametric eq ability and numerous user interface enhancements. > rolandsystemsgroup.net SOUNDCRAFT The Vista 5 SR is Studer’s flagship touring digital console and used by some of the world’s largest artists, including Celine Dion, Billy Joel, and the Broadway revival of West Side Story.

Vista 5 SR utilises the same high-performance DSP core as the Vista 7 and 8 mixers and has the capacity for large amounts of I/O, with configurability that allows customisation of the mixer surface, bus structure and other show-specific facilities, in addition to the intuitive Vistonics user interface.

Soundcraft states that Vista 5SR’s 40-bit floating point architecture provides high-quality audio and vast amounts of headroom, which is complemented by its well known high-quality mic preamps.

The popular Soundcraft Vi6 console boasts a compact footprint with a mix capacity of up to 96 inputs to 35 output buses. The board’s Vistonics II user interface provides users with analog-friendly and simple navigation of channel and output functions. Its onboard mix system provides eight stereo Lexicon effects processors, full 30-band graphic eqs on every output bus and snapshot facilities.

Soundcraft FaderGlow indicates whether faders are in channel, aux, matrix, VCA mode. It also features 16 VCA Groups and extensive channel facilities like ganging, stereo linking and assignable inserts. MADI connections are integral, with optional cards available for CobraNet, EtherSound, ADAT I/O, Dolby D/E decoding, and SDI de-embedding, plus interfacing to the Optocore fibre network system. Virtual Vi is offered for offline editing and allows engineers to set up shows offline and download via USB. Soundcraft’s Si2 is marketed as a compact ‘one-box’ digital console, with all analog I/O connections and PSU integrated into a single chassis, with the intent to replace analog consoles. In addition to a comprehensive user interface, each channel strip has a multifunction rotary encoder and OLED display, which can be used to control virtually any channel parameter. The central master section manages control of the 32 bus/matrix outputs, each to its own dedicated physical XLR output, and the 12 VCA groups and eight mute groups. A central bank of encoders provides numerous functions including control of input eq and Dynamics and output eq with FaderGlow illuminating colour coded faders.

The Soundcraft Si2 has 48 mono mic/line inputs, four stereo inputs, four integral Lexicon effects engines and four internal dedicated stereo FX returns, as well as eight assignable external insert connections. Option card slots can expand the I/O to include MADI connections. >soundcraft.com YAMAHA Since its release in 2004 the PM5D has become a very popular digital live digital mixing console. It offers high-quality audio and versatility in a compact and lightweight format with user-friendly features, while eliminating the need for outboard processing gear. It features integration with digital systems including Yamaha’s DME series digital mixing engines and AD8HR eight-channel A/D converters with remote controllable preamps. For projects with large I/O needs, the PM5D-EX, a PM5D console plus a DSP5D digital mixing system provides I/O and processing capacity of two PM5D consoles controlled from a single control surface, plus the digital cabling over long distances. The system’s open architecture also provides flexibility and expandability to suit numerous live sound and recording applications.

The M7CL carries many features of the PM1DV2 and PM5D consoles.

It includes an array of advanced concepts, such as the Centralogic control interface, making it similar to analog consoles while providing comprehensive management facilities. The console also provides 48 mono and four stereo inputs, 24 mix buses and two stereo outputs, and eight matrix outputs (expandable) in addition to many other custom functions and purpose-built features. > yamahacommercialaudio.com www.audioprointernational.com

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> STUDIO ELECTRIC MASTERING

The electric feel fter being led down behind the busy overpass that shadows Electric Mastering’s building, one would assume that its rooms would be dirty and industrial.

However, once inside it is apparent that it’s a place where creativity rules – it’s an amazing vintage studio.

Owned and created by Pete Hutchison of Peacefrog Records, Electric Mastering began by accident. The studio’s EMI TF12410 mastering console was imported from a studio in Lagos complete with original compressors, eqs and hi/lo pass filters. The desk sat in Hutchison’s house until his wife told him to get rid of it. It was then moved to London’s Westbourne Studios and became the centrepiece for a mastering studio that he used to save money on Peacefrog’s releases.

The room at Westbourne soon became highly sought after by respected UK labels like XL and Domino that wanted their recordings run through Electric’s warm and old school signal path. Demand for Hutchinson’s services soon grew beyond that of his available time and Electric Mastering was officially born. A virtual time capsule of vintage equipment including a Neumann VMS 70, Fairchild 670, EAR 822 Q eq, Sontec MES 432C-9 and a Manley Mastering Slam Limiter, the studio soon attracted the talents of renowned engineer and former Exchange employee Guy Davies and recently added Chris Potter (pictured, right) to the ranks.

Potter is best known for his work with Duffy, Primal Scream, Fightstar and Sons and Daughters. Electric began its pursuit of Potter after losing one of Bernard Butler’s projects.

Peacefrog’s Paul Ballard comments: “The This is Music record label booked time in our studio for a Findlay Brown record that Butler produced. We then found out that the session was cancelled because he always uses Potter. We thought, ‘that pesky Chris’,” he laughs. “We started asking a lot of our regular customers and Potter’s name kept coming up.”

At the time Potter was working freelance after the demise of London’s Alchemy Studios. “I had a pretty good deal after Alchemy closed down and I went freelance, which meant that I was at home in the garden as much as I was in the studio,” he jokes. “The thing that attracted me to the studio was the ability to do something different. The first time I walked in the studio I thought, ‘I have never used any of the gear in this room’.”

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Both Potter and Hutchinson admit that mastering remains a highly misunderstood process. Hutchinson also suggests that most of the studio's clients are not so ‘geeky’ about the gear and just know that its engineers are mastering successful albums. “Guy mastered the new Little Boots album and that has reached the top five in the charts. When you hear it on Radio 1 it sounds amazing,” he says. “We have a lot of current successful projects coming out of the studio and most of the big independent and major label producer-led projects are coming our way. People know they are going to get something that sounds good from Electric and they want a piece of that.”

Potter furthers: “Most clients come in and say ‘make it loud’. Most other people treat it as a black art. They don’t understand it and want us to make their record as loud as anyone else’s. Even with that request I have to take into account what the client is asking me to do and if it is possible within what I am hearing. I will do what they want me to do while suggesting alternatives, in terms of not over-limiting or hitting it too hard. I try and find a middle ground, which is the creative element of finding somewhere between slamming and being too quiet.

THE CLEANEST SIGNAL PATH The desire to maintain a clean signal path is top on the list of Electric’s agenda. As such, the music mastered at the studio is first processed through a Prism Sound ADA-8XR AD/DA converter, and then back through it again at the end of the process.

Potter explains: “In terms of converters there are so many that give a character, but Prism gives the nicest one. I have used them in most mastering places because they are the best, quickest and cheapest route to good conversion.”

After hitting the converters the signal is passed through the studio’s EAR 660 limiter. He says: “The 660s are limiters/compressors, and I try not to do much with them. I then put it through the SPL eq and/or the EAR 822 Q eq.

Desk-wise I tend to use the eq of the EMI more than other parts, although the desk’s stereo spread is very good and subtle. I have used some digital stereo enhancers that mess with the frequencies; they make the mids jump out and the bass gets very swimmy. That doesn’t seem to happen on the EMI because it doesn’t get bogged down in too much detail.

You can do some big things on it very quickly and effectively, and it will shape out something quickly in a few moves.

“

People know they are going to get something that sounds good from Electric and they want a piece of that.

Pete Hutchison Electric Mastering

The comfortable chairs at Electric Mastering have been host to many people

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ELECTRIC MASTERING STUDIO <

London’s Electric Mastering has secured the talents of renowned engineers Guy Davies and Chris Potter.

With a hefty load of heavyweight albums under its belt and a raft of vintage kit worthy of a pro audio museum, Electric has emerged as one of London’s premier boutique mastering studios. Andrew Low finds out why Electric has become a live wire…

“If I’m using the Fairchild 670, it will be before the desk eq. Finally, I put it through the Weiss eq 1 mkII to help match volumes and for use as a compressor with a good de-esser that we use on some of the vinyl projects.”

The final step of the process ends in the studio’s Pyramix DAW. This is essentially the only digital equipment used.

“There is the option to use more, and I might use certain bits of eq when cutting to vinyl, but I haven’t found the need for it. When it comes to technology, my son has left me behind in terms of what he and I can do, but that is what you choose to do and down to your outlook on life. Maybe it could improve my life, but I’m happy to continue using the things I know and work with physical knobs.”

JOB SATISFACTION Although very modest about his past credits, Potter admits that working on material with Primal Scream and Bernard Butler has given him great job satisfaction. “I’m not impressed by whose album it is, or if someone has sold a lot of records, but there have been many projects I’ve enjoyed working on, such as Primal Scream’s album Evil Heat and young upstart bands like Johnny Foreigner and Danananakroyd.

“Duffy’s album with Bernard Butler was great because at the time she was an unknown artist, so there was no added pressure and we just had the pure enjoyment of working on a great record. I had grown up during the Brit Pop Suede days, so Butler was a marker in my musical development.

“At the same time it doesn’t matter who you are when you come in here, we treat everyone the same.” > electricmastering.com

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> STUDIO SOLACE

Solace in sound The home of the gorilla and a country devastated by genocide, Rwanda might seem an odd place for a British sound engineer to build a studio. But that didn’t stop Dicken Marshall, as Rob Hughes finds out… ust over a year ago, Dicken Marshall, a session musician and studio engineer, listened in dismay as a friend who was working with the Rwandan charity Solace told him the story of a choir of orphans who had paid £3,500 to record an album which never came to fruition. Sadly, the German producer paid to record the album disappeared, along with the money. Marshall was horrified and told his friend that for less than twice that amount, the choir could have built its own studio in which to record the album.

As the owner of Brighton-based studio Stingray, Marshall was something of an expert in the development and operation of a recording facility. A dab hand at acoustics, he constructed his own studio 15 years ago from straw bales, with undulating walls and a curved ceiling. He decided that he had the skills and time needed to help the choir and Solace, before setting about raising funds and planning his trip from his home in the UK. Six months later, Marshall found himself in central Africa, in a space once used for food storage, lining the walls of a brand new live room with shiplap, an acoustic treatment, which was to prove ideal for the acoustic acts that would perform in the new studio. The 30 square metre room adjoined a slightly smaller control room, which was subsequently kitted out with KRK monitors and a state-of-the-art, eight-core Mac Zeon computer running Logic 8 and a host of high-end plugins.

Two Allen & Heath Zed R16s provided the mixing facilities, while a modest selection of outboard included Focusrite’s ISA 430.

The response to Marshall’s campaign in the UK was extraordinary, helping him raise enough capital for both the

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logistics and equipment necessary. Mic manufacturer Shure also chipped in, contributing a substantial selection of its products. In total, it donated five SM58s, five SM57s, two KSM 430s, one 57 drum mic set and a phonic power distributor. The KSM condenser mics would be used for lead vocals and guitars, while the 57s and 58s were earmarked for overhead choir recording and live performances. The power distributor and surge protectors were an essential bit of kit, due to the frequent power cuts and mains surges in the area.

Another six months on and Solace Studio is thriving – providing a steady income stream for the charity and the engineers who work there, as well as enabling people whose lives have been shattered by genocide to cement their music in recordings they might otherwise never have realised. It’s worth remembering that music is a fundamental part of Rwandan life and for many of its people, it is one of the very few comforts they have left. Studio revenue is divided up at a rate of 30/70 between the staff and the charity respectively. This provides a decent wage to the engineers and helps Solace to continue its admirable work.

Solace Studio has actually been so successful that, following a few small but well-chosen upgrades, it is now the leading recording facility in Rwanda. Marshall has revisited the country a further three times to train staff on how to use equipment, make good quality recordings and otherwise run the studio as a profitable business. Never one to rest on his laurels, he now has his sights set on the development of a much larger live room in which to accommodate 100-strong choirs. That, and maybe a few Waves plugins… > solaceministriesuk.com

>

Solace Ministries is a Rwandan charitable organisation established by Jean Gakwandi in July 1996 following the genocide of 1994, with a vision to help provide comfort to widows and orphans. It currently sponsors 20,000 people.

While the survivors of the war and genocide are still struggling to re-establish their lives, hundreds of widows and orphans have been helped to carry on through the work and projects of Solace Ministries.

The charity has a holistic approach to meeting the needs of the widows and orphans it sponsors. It provides counselling, childcare and development support, HIV/AIDS and other health programmes, farming associations and supportive programmes.

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BEHIND THE BOARD WITH…

MICKY GRIFFITHS While enjoying some muchneeded downtime, Griffiths tells us how much he likes lampies…

Which band/project are you currently working on?

None at the moment. I’ve recently returned home after working with Ladyhawke for a month on her UK tour. It’s time for some R&R now.

Favourite PA system (or monitors)?

Martin W8LC line array. Since I’ve worked with Capital Sound, I know it inside out. We used it for the Foals tour last year.

Favourite venue/festival/studio?

Where are you at the moment?

Chilling out at home in Stoke on Trent, UK.

Definitely V Festival, but as far as clubs go, probably Koko.

Best toy you take on tour?

What audio console are you utilising? And how many channels?

A Scrubs box set – it puts sanity into perspective.

For Ladyhawke we were using inhouse systems, but the last was a Soundcraft Vi6 at Koko in London.

It was 56 channels, I think.

What’s been your worst professional experience to date?

What decision process was behind the choice of this audio console?

It wasn’t my choice, but it’s a very user-friendly console. Very good for the money, not that I ever have to buy one, fortunately.

I’ve not had any terrible ones, just the usual stuff that happens on the road. I’m lucky really.

What’s been your career highlight?

There are so many. The fact that I can make a living out of doing this is a highlight in itself.

What pisses you off when working?

Lampies.

Do you utilise any outboard effects/eq? If so, what are they used on and why?

My preferred choice is the Eventide H3000 Ultra-harmoniser. The vocal doubler is great for pop vocals. Or a Focusrite valve eq.

Favourite console?

It’s got to be the Midas XL4. For digital, I’d go with the Digico D5.

What makes you happy at work?

When lampies go for lunch. I’m only joking of course – when I’m system teching and I get everything up and sounding great, that’s a good feeling.

Finally, if you weren't working now, you'd be?

Spending time with my kids.

“The fact that I can make a living out of doing this is a highlight in itself.”

Micky Griffiths FOH Engineer

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> STUDIO MARK GARDENER

Here and now At the age of 19 Mark Gardener set off on a musical journey that he has been travelling for the past 20 years. Gardener’s resume includes his days in the seminal UK alternative band Ride, a solo career and the transition to mixing engineer and producer, but there’s still a lot to look forward to. Andrew Low talks to Gardener about how his new Oxford-based operations have taken flight…

It’s not where it’s from, it’s where it’s at for me,” Mark Gardener coolly says of working on other bands’ material from the calm, white light of his Oxford, UK-based attic studio. Gardener has spent the last two decades in the business of creating music. His success as a musician has led the way to a career in mixing and record production that involves his own home studio, Dungeon Studios and Turan Audio mastering studio, all based in Oxford.

Gardener’s transition to the studio was a natural one that stems from his passion for creating exciting music. “I got into music as a result of listening to great records,” he explains. “In the early Ride days we produced our own records and we worked with the likes of Alan Moulder, John Leckie and Mark Waterman. The band was really focused on how we wanted our records to sound, but we didn’t know the proper studio techniques, so the people we worked with in the early days took more of an engineering role. They had some input in the creative process, but not much because we were always driven on that front. I have been interested in production for a long time and whenever we had Ride B sides I would sit in on sessions at studios like Abbey Road and do a bit of mixing.

“I’ve always learned by throwing myself into it and it is also a result of working with amazing producers and taking what they were doing on board. For example, I’ve worked with Sam Williams – we did the Animal House project. He and the likes of Jack Rieley and John Leckie taught me a lot. The real magic for me about being in Ride was making records and that whole process of getting them to a point where you can sit back and say, ‘that is amazing’.”

“

FROM THE DUNGEON TO THE ATTIC The industry has dramatically changed since Gardener’s days in Ride, when budgets were much fatter than current slimmed down figures. As such, he usually uses Dungeon Studios for tracking and his home studio, OX-4-Sound, for mixing, overdubs and vocals and to provide a relaxed space where time and money are insignificant. An Apple G5 with Logic Pro 8 is the main mix engine of the room, which is complemented by outboard from Joe Meek, an Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor, TL 34

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Audio C1 Dual Valve Compressor and a host of Universal Audio, Waves plugins and a Focusrite Liquid channel with vintage preamp emulation.

“Ride had some pretty serious budgets, because at the time you were paying a thousand pounds a day and that was generally considered to be the only way to make records,” he explains. “Those big, expensive studios are amazing and although there are some quality issues that result from working in the box instead, they are minimal. You can have the best of both worlds with how you record and add warmth with outboard gear, but I love mixing in the box.

“The lovely thing about mixing is that it’s always the long part of the process and I love to walk away from something and come back to it with fresh ears. You can do that in a home situation. In the old days if you left the room the board was cleared and you had to live with the final mix.

“With my home studio I can and always do come back to mixes. It gives me a chance to live with a mix and give it a final tweak. It also gives bands the opportunity to check their music on their own systems. In the old days you’d be checking things on a studio’s stereo that you were not tuned into. Once you get used to mixing in the same room you know where to fill in and how to accommodate without feeling financial constraints, which really helps the creative process.”

“

We are all influenced by the past, but it needs to have a view to the future.

Mark Gardener

AXES AND VOX A major selling point to working with Gardener is having access to his collection of vintage guitars. “Part of the service is that clients can get their hands on some of the old Ride guitars. I have a John Lennon 12-string modified with a fullsize neck, a six-string Rickenbacker, a vintage Gibson 330, Les Paul, Fender Jazz bass, two Martin acoustics and some great amps. When it comes to guitars I am more traditional. Some amp and guitar configurations are so perfect that I just need to put a mic in front of them and they sound brilliant.”

A vocalist by trade, Gardener has a method of producing great vocal tracks that he learned in part from Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins. “I try to create general ambience using delays rather than reverb. Although I like that big, airy quality, www.audioprointernational.com

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MARK GARDENER STUDIO <

Stage to the studio

>

Gardener (inset): “Overanalysis equals paralysis”

Mark Gardener has worked on many projects of late, several of which are just staring to hit the airwaves. His recent mixing and production projects include work with Bastila, Curbs, Axel and the Farmers, The Early Days, Tristan and the Troubadours, yé-yé, Union Jackals, Dusty and the Dreaming Spires, Jack Pescod, Gaia River, Chantelle Pike and Jade Hamzelou. In addition to ongoing studio work with other bands and on his own material, he will also serve as the musical director for the concerts that will be staged around the UK and beyond for the movie (Upside Down) that celebrates the 25th anniversary of his alma mater label, Creation Records. > markgardener.com

reverb can get bit messy. Delays give you a real feeling of space and depth but you are not noticing the effect so much. I do try and keep things as organic and natural as possible.

“If I am recording vocals I have some Joe Meek compressors that I love because they warm the signals up for recording, along with theTL Audio compressor and the Distressor, which I love for vocals and drums. I also use the Distressor to smash up an ambient and well-placed drum room mic to get that John Bonham Led Zep drum sound. I spent a lot of money on the UAD-1e Extreme Pack, which gives you great plugins (Neve, Pultec, 1176, Fairchild) for mixing. They can make such a difference, especially the Fairchild 670 compressor plugin. You hear that across a lot of my mixes. I use it in the same way that The Beatles used the old Fairchild outboard.”

SURF’S UP Gardener has sat alongside many great producers, but working with Beach Boys producer Jack Rieley had a significant influence on the way he approaches mixing music. “From Rieley I learned how to keep things calm, keep an overview of the content you are dealing with and make it say something. We are all influenced by the past, but it needs to have a view to the future. There are inspirations all around us if you have your channels open.

“Rieley really taught me, as an engineer, to try and de-stress the bands and make their work easier. When you are enveloped in the creative and writing processes you can start to go mad. It is good to have someone pull things out of you and say, ‘that is good, now leave it’. Over-analysis can equal paralysis.

Sometimes it is more of a feel thing. I like hearing mistakes sometimes because it makes a song or instrument sound like it is coming from a human.

“To me you can get really overly anal about the whole digital vs analog debate. Of course there is still a difference, but I think this is the only way we can make records these days and still make a living doing it. And it is really enjoyable. That big money thing has gone out of it and in some ways it is better. If you get overly analytical it can just drain the life out of things.

It is important to try and keep a flow going and not to lose sight of the fact that, at the end of the day, it is just rock and roll.” www.audioprointernational.com

Ruthless ,MÄJPLUJ` Killer :V\UK Unleashed Now WHEN A SINGLE ENCLOSURE DELIVERS COMPARABLE SPL COVERAGE, CLARITY AND CONTROL AS A 4 BOX LINE ARRAY, IT’S TIME TO STOP AND THINK. ONE VQ LIVE 60 IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A SUSTAINED SPL OF 138KB (144KB PEAK) WITH A TIGHTLY CONTROLLED 60° DISPERSION PATTERN ACROSS THE FULL FREQUENCY RANGE.

DIRECT SPL @4kHz OF VQ LIVE 60 (A) AND 4 X BOX LINE ARRAY (B). PLACED 5M ABOVE FLOOR LEVEL IN LINE WITH THE FRONT OF THE STAGE AREA IN 30M X 40M ROOM. TA N N O Y . C O M

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> APPLICATIONS

Encore wires up The Fridge Cult London venue brought back to life with a new sound system for Alchemy’s training engineers

AUDIO SPECIALIST ENCORE has designed and installed a brand new sound system into the iconic and newly revamped Fridge in Brixton, London, which reopened last month after a two-year hiatus. Live music events are now set to return to The Fridge for the first time in 15 years.

The new system, including a Midas XL3, Digidesign’s Profile and a d&b J-Series PA, was commissioned after the venue’s original creators, Andrew Czezowski and Susan Carrington,

forged a unique partnership with the Alchemea College of Audio Engineering. Alchemea, which has developed an intensive and hands-on four-month live sound diploma course, is to host all practical training and study at the venue.

Sound engineer AIan Hopkinson (Big Nobby) had been working with Neil Pickles, a director of Alchemea, for some time in an advisory role as head of live sound. He was given the challenging task of specifying a system

”

The Fridge’s design will enable students to learn on industry standard traditional equipment.

John Tinline Encore

that would attract both promoters and bands back to the newly kitted-out Fridge, and simultaneously be suitable for satisfying Alchemea’s demanding educational requirements.

Encore’s John Tinline commented: “The design will enable them to learn on the industry standard traditional equipment, such as the XL3, which they will still encounter for some years as working engineers, in addition to the latest technology.” > alchemyaudio.co.uk

Digico mixes for Montreux Jazz fest DIGICO BECAME a sponsor of the Montreux Jazz Festival and provided SD series consoles for the event in Switzerland last month.

Created by Claude Nobs over 40 years ago, the festival and its diverse musical programme has since grown to encompass a number of musical styles alongside jazz, attracting music fans and artists from both Switzerland and around the world.

“We are up in the mountains, up with the cows and up in the sky,” said Nobs. “But for me it is so important that the festival remains leading edge and that we adopt new technologies that bring improvements to the audience’s experience.

“The introduction of FPGA design and the benefits for the engineers are quite impressive. Digico is the 36

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frontrunner in this change in audio processing and it is a great result for the Montreux festival that Digico has chosen to become part of the sponsorship programme.”

“It’s refreshing to me that the company is so in tune with the industry and the engineers’ needs,” added Patrick Vogelsang, head of audio. “When we saw the SD7 and SD8 with the FPGA design, it was clear that for once we had a platform that would exceed our requirements at the festival.

“We were up and mixing on the demo console in 15 minutes – for a festival, the shortest learning curve is crucial. We then asked a lot of questions as to how flexible the system could be and both consoles remove a lot of the work we had to put in place in the past.” > digico.org

>> ELECTRO VOICE HAS… …Provided the enormous sound system for Dortmund’s Mayday Techno event for the third year running. Werne-based Satis&fy deployed the 350k system, comprising 64 Electro-Voice TG7 amps, 32 X-Line tops and 56 XLine subs, throughout seven arenas. Satis&fy’s Rüdiger Nürnberg stated: “Normal bass loudspeakers reach their thermal limits very quickly at these types of events, but the X-Line rose magnificently to the occasion.” > electrovoice.com www.audioprointernational.com

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APPLICATIONS <

Minimal analog for Maxïmo Park’s UK tour All-digital mixing setup for pop rocker’s latest UK academy tour dates MAXÏMO PARK ARE currently touring the UK’s clubs with an fully digital mixing set-up comprising a Midas Pro6 and Soundcraft Vi6, for FOH and monitors, respectively. Both consoles have been supplied by SSE, the rental company behind the sellout tour.

FOH engineer Huw Richards, who is mixing on a Pro6 for the first time, commented: “The sound is what you’d expect from a Midas; it sounds wonderful. It’s open, you can drive it hard and the sweet spot’s easy to find. They’ve really done their work and listened to what people wanted. Everybody’s been waiting for an XL4 to occur in the digital domain and that’s happened with this desk.”

“If Richards needs some assistance on any of the channels, or I need to change the eq on the PA, I can bring it into Area B, deal with it on separate headphones and repatch things without disturbing him,” added SSE’s system tech Nick Pain. “On academy tours like this where our equipment has a small footprint, I don’t have a drive rack, delay or eq, it’s all in the desk. Area B means if I need to get into something, I don’t need to lean

over Huw like I would with any other desks.”

Meanwhile on monitors, Paul Keeble is putting the Vi6 to use for the second time, after mixing Mark Ronson and his band on the desk two years ago.

“The Vi6 is the only desk that makes sense,” said Keeble. “A lot of the digital boards are fine at front of house but they fall down on access in a busy monitor environment.

This is probably the best desk for monitors, because not only is the sound quality way better than other digital desks I have used, but it has a better footprint. This is a big issue on small stages and also visiting festivals where having a slim profile desk is a big advantage.

“I think it’s down to having 32 faders in a long line on the surface,

which is enough for most people, especially with the vertical channel pairing. In a monitor situation I need to be able to see everything at once and a visual representation of the mix on a big line of faders.

The ‘fader flip’ facility [which allows the faders to control the aux send levels] is an essential attribute.

“The sound mix is entirely live, with no play-ins or clicks,” he added. “I’m operating the Vi6 pretty much like an analog board. With the in-ears I set up a FOH mix on the left and right channels and run everything post fade. I can then fader mix to my own reference mix. It cuts back on a lot of requests from the band for different levels between tracks if you are listening to a reference mix and fader mixing as you go along.” > soundcraft.co.uk > midasconsoles.com

PJ gets the iLive T-reatment ALLEN & HEATH’S new iLive-T digital mixing system has just completed a sell-out European tour, mixing monitors for British rock artists PJ Harvey and John Parish, promoting their album A Woman A Man Walked By. The system was chosen by monitor engineer Ben Booker, who scooped Total Production magazine’s Monitor Engineer of the Year award earlier this year.

“The small footprint and convenience of iLive-T has made life easy on this tour because we’re mostly playing quite small venues.

The entire system takes up a mere one square metre,” commented Booker. “iLive-T has been very reliable and the sound quality is great, possibly even better than the ‘parent’ iLive. The surface’s illuminated panels are nice and bright, aiding quick and easy www.audioprointernational.com

identification when you’re in a dark environment. I think Allen & Heath has done a great job of bringing its technology into a different price bracket, making it an immediate competitor to something like the Yamaha LS9.”

House PA systems were used for a majority of shows, while stage and

line systems were provided by Liverpool’s Adlib Audio. Instead of spending time mixing with the band in rehearsal, Booker designed his basic mix on a laptop loaded with iLive Editor control software, and fine-tuned the mix on the first date of the tour.

SCRATCHING

THE PAD Recent industry deals POWERSOFT AMPLIFIERS were used by a number of sound companies to drive rhythms and blues on four of the 12 stages at the recent 2009 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. It is thought that the amps were used so prolifically at the event due to their low operating temperature, which was an essential factor in handling the sweltering weather of summer in New Orleans.

“We invested in Powersoft amplifiers several years ago and their performance under extreme conditions is remarkable,” said Ernie Greene, president and CEO of Chicago-based Sound of Authority. “The Powersoft design gives us a light-weight, one rack space amplifier that provides us with high-power output, extremely high efficiency and superior damping.” > powersoft.it LUKE FELLINGHAM, sound engineer and owner of the Luna Sound mastering facility in Eastbourne, UK, has invested in a second Prism Sound Orpheus FireWire for a total of 16 channels of Prism Sound conversion, for multitrack recording projects.

“I’ve been very happy with the quality of the sound that I get from Orpheus. We decided to buy a second unit so that we could scale up our conversion to 16 tracks for multitrack sessions, including our band Phatfish’s (pictured) album. > prismsound.com LE CONFORT MODERNE in Poitiers, France, has invested in an Innovason Sy48 digital console as part of a significant monitor system upgrade from a completely analog solution to a largely digital one, complete with EtherSound network. The system was designed and installed by Bordeaux-based rental company Z Professionnel. > innovason.com

>ilive-digital.com

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Studios:

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

Rooms: Studios A, B, C and mastering room Consoles: 96 Input SSL Duality Mics: Neumann, AKG, Gefell Outboard: Pultec, GML, API, TubeTech, Avalon, Manley Monitoring: Oceanway, Genelec, Tannoy, Yamaha

Rooms: Control room, live room, MIDI suite, iso booths Consoles: Neve 8108 32 by 24 by 2 Mics: AKG, Telefunken, Lorenz, Rode, CAD, MXL, Oktava Outboard: Valley People, Drawmer, Tube Tech, Ashly, UA Monitoring: B&W, Dynaudio, Genelec, JBL

Odds On Studios, Nevada Planet Ten, Chicago US RECORD LABEL Odds On recently announced the grand opening of its $2m multi-faceted recording facility in Henderson, just a few miles from the famous Las Vegas strip in Nevada.

Offering a heady selection of elite gear, both vintage and state-of-the-art, the studio also boasts the biggest SSL duality console in North America, with 96 inputs. The facility took nine months to build and is currently in the final phase of construction for its mastering suite, which is expected to open soon.

In addition to the newly built main tracking room, the 12,000-square-foot building comprises a new mixing studio, as well as a writing, editing and production suite. Each of the rooms, built by acoustician Carl Yanchar of Yanchar Design & Consulting Group, also has its own client lounge.

The studio is outfitted with an array of high-tech equipment including Allen Sides’ Ocean Way monitors, 40 x 80 Protools inputs and outputs in each room and Universal Audio A/D

converters. A collection of vintage tube microphones, restored by David Bock of Bock Audio, includes models from AKG, Gefell and Neumann.

Anyone recording at the facility receives first-hand guidance from two of the world’s leading industry experts: three-time Grammy award-winning James ‘Bonzai’ Caruso, who is chief audio engineer and in-house producer, and multi-platinum engineer Sean O’Dwyer.

Caruso is best known for his work with Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Mary J Blige and Missy Elliot; O’Dwyer has engineered everyone from Pink Floyd to Blink 182.

Head of audio production Bobby Ferrari, who oversaw development and installation of the new studio, comments: “Besides having great gear and great rooms, you have to have great quality people who can offer the best in customer service.”

Already gaining momentum in the Las Vegas area, Odds On Studios has hosted several A-list artists including Alicia Keys and Akon.

“Besides having great gear and great rooms, you need great quality people who offer the best service.”

Bobby Ferrari – Head of Audio Production Telephone: +1 702 318 6001 Web: www.oddsonrecording.com

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LOCATED IN PALATINE on Chicago’s Northwest Highway, the building in which Planet Ten studios currently resides has been home to several wellknown studios over the years, including Studio 53 and Don Griffin’s Studio VMR. The facility was acoustically designed

by Carl Yancher, who also treated the second floor studio at Chicago Recording Company, along with a number of other studios across the US. Planet Ten’s philosophy is to offer the same equipment and expertise as a prestige studio, but at much more affordable rates, thereby catering for musicians on a budget, as well as record labels and those with a bit more cash to spare. The company’s three partners even provide value-added music industry services to help their clients develop their careers once the recordings have been made.

“My partners, Frank Lucas and Vince Consolo, and I have been playing a long time and we’ve made a lot of connections,” explains co-owner Jim Johnson in a Mix magazine interview.

“One of the main things we do with our clientele is help them after the fact – once the recording is done. We do everything we can to get them shows

and help them network with promoters and so on. We want to help further their careers. Most studios just take your money, and they don’t care what happens after that.”

This summer marks the first anniversary of Planet Ten’s new home and the company is celebrating by hosting a ‘studio party’, which it has announced on its website. The move in 2008 was hugely significant for Johnson and his partners because, as well as a vastly improved recording space, it included a substantial equipment upgrade. The facility now boasts a custom B&W monitoring system, the Neve 8108 that began its life at Capitol Records, plus some pretty exclusive mics and pieces of outboard.

With the equipment sorted, the partners recently turned their attention to the studio’s acoustics, which have been fine-tuned with the help of Auralex, as Johnson notes: “We really needed to evaluate the isolation and tonal characteristics of the main room, but it’s now yielding a very true and accurate response across all frequencies, and all the players say our room is sounding better than it did in the original construction.”

“We help our clients after the recording is done. We do everything we can to get them shows.”

Jim Johnson – Co-owner Telephone: +1 847 221 5676 Web: www.p10studios.com

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

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

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

Keeping your cool

Rooms: Live room, control room, MIDI suite, mastering suite Consoles: Mackie Control Universal Extender (x2), C4 and Big Knob Mics: Sennheiser, Neumann, Shure, Audio-Technica, AKG, EV

Outboard: Tube-Tech, Manley, SSL, Universal Audio, Maselec Monitoring: Dynaudio, Genelec, Yamaha

Blue Pro Studios, London BASED IN FINSBURY Park, North London, Blue Pro specialises in high end mastering, but also provides mixing and recording services at what it states are the very best rates the industry has to offer.

Established in 2001, Blue Pro has an impressive client roster that includes many independent labels, as well as major record labels such as Universal/Island and Sony BMG. Its engineers have worked on a variety of projects for artists such as James Brown, Goldie, Gang Starr, Moby, Girls Aloud and Mory Kante.

Blue Pro engineer John Webber (pictured) has produced music for advertisements by firms such as Currys, Intel and Nikon. Webber also holds a degree from the London College of Music and, though he is a capable mixing engineer, his speciality is mastering and his work in this discipline has earned him the respect of some major artists and labels Webber notes: “Mastering is the link between the artist’s vision and

the listener’s enjoyment. It is one of the most underestimated parts of the musical process.”

Blue Pro is currently refitting its rooms to create a more acoustically accurate listening environment, as well as extensively updating its key hardware. This has involved investing in two Prism Sound ADA-8XR multichannel AD/DA converters, which are now being used across all sessions.

The decision to switch to Prism Sound equipment was taken after Blue Pro engineers carried out extensive listening tests and direct comparisons between numerous converters from manufacturers such as Apogee and Digidesign.

Studio owner Alexander Balfour says: “The audio comparisons were carried out using recalled mastering sessions from our chief mastering engineer, John Webber. The results were very convincing. Prism Sound’s ADA-8XR converters gave us the clarity and sonic quality we were looking for.”

“Mastering is the link between the artist’s vision and the listener’s enjoyment. It’s underestimated.”

John Webber – Chief Mastering Engineer Telephone: +44 (0) 207 272 0358 Web: www.blueprostudios.com

www.audioprointernational.com

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY is continually changing and evolving to keep up with modern society and cultural trends. Although some aspects and requirements are a constant, it is important to evaluate the current state of play, the fluctuations, and be realistic.

We should take advantage of the facilities we do have access to now, and be creative.

Modern recording budgets are often being cut to a fraction of what they once were, or even cancelled altogether, which means projects may end up relying on personal funding or development of an artist through their producer or management rather than from a record label.

Labels are understandably cautious about investing in new artists for fear of little or no return. Artists are expected to have already created an underground following, to have an image or a sponsor. A guaranteed song placement and synch rights would go down nicely too.

The problem with taking an artist from their underground circuit and trying to turn them mainstream, or taking a new artist and trying to throw them straight into the commercial playground, is in retaining their ‘cool’ factor. Doing this over a ten to 15-track album is costly and a big commitment from a label, even if these days the major labels act as more of a distributor/plugger. I think we should go back to doing more EPstyle releases – ‘projects’ that contain around five or six songs.

This way, the artist, management, producer and label, can focus on generating the best songs for a mini project, rather than stuffing it with filler songs. It also helps focus the project toward a particular market. If the project doesn’t work, it also means there has been less money spent on it.

Something that is also interesting to consider is that with

this way of working, you also have the option to release alternative projects, or remix projects alongside the main release, perhaps targeted more at the clubs or the underground circuit, or maybe just a live or acoustic project. Not only does this expand your audience and exposure possibilities, it can also bring in more revenue.

Two different projects mean a wider spread of radio and club play and if someone is a fan of one project, there is a good chance they will purchase the other one, too. Remix and underground releases can help with achieving this ‘cool factor’ requirement, adding credibility to an artist, by

Remix and underground releases can help with achieving this ‘cool factor’ requirement. having an equal and opposite force present alongside the more mainstream-focused project.

It is also good as a producer to split your work into at least two parts, under different aliases – one for your own independent projects and compositions and one for more commercial releases and remixes, allowing you to take advantage of different types of work available whilst maintaining your name and credibility for your other projects.

Taking the concept of equal and opposite throughout your work ethic can produce very creative work that helps you stand out.

Combining opposite music genres can work well. Imagine rock and classical, drum and bass and opera, reggae and country and western – although it may sound unusual at first, you can quickly realise that there are endless possibilities to create something new and appealing.

Sarah Yule is an experienced audio engineer and Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) graduate. She currently works for TL Audio, where she is sales director and was responsible for the conceptual design of the Fat Track Tube Production Suit.

To contact TL Audio Telephone: +44(0)1462 492090 Email: info@tlaudio.co.uk www.tlaudio.co.uk

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IN BRIEF NEUTRIK has announced the appointment of Thomas Chudyk as distribution manager of Neutrik USA. Prior to joining Neutrik, Chudyk was the regional sales manager of Panasonic Industrial (Centennial, CO), in addition to serving multiple roles for 14 years at Arrow Electronics, most recently as business segment manager of its military and industrial connector segment. > neutrik.com BOSCH SECURITY System’s communications systems division has appointed Greg Compagnone as director of sales for Eastern US. Compagnone joined the company in 2006 as eastern regional manager for RadioCom, AudioCom and Telex intercom systems and headsets. In his new role Compagnone will be responsible for all Eastern region sales personnel and independent representatives. > boschcommunications.com MASTERING ENGINEER Chris Potter has joined Londonbased Electric Mastering.

Potter joins Guy Davie in the Electric ranks.

Previous to his appointment, Potter spent 12 years at Sony Music Studio as a recording engineer before moving to mastering in 1997.

He soon joined Alchemy in London, where he remained until its demise last year. His most recent success was working with Bernard Butler on Duffy’s debut album. > electricmastering.com VINNIE MACRI has joined the Salzbrenner Stagetec Mediagroup US team as VP of broadcast solutions. He stated: "I look forward to presenting the many innovative solutions from Stagetic and Delec to the broadcast and live event market > stagetec.com 40 audioPRO July/August 2009

Adam Hall adds new blood for Eminence

Avids appoints new north region director

Trevor Riley to manage supplier’s latest line ADAM HALL UK has recently appointed Trevor Riley as its product manager for the Eminence loudspeaker brand.

In the new position Riley will establish a focused marketing and sales scheme for the brand. He will report to Adam Hall’s general manager, Andrew Richardson Riley has worked within the electronics industry for 30 years, 25 of which were in sales and the last 14 as sales director.

“Trevor is perfect for the job because he brings a wealth of experience and professional organisation to our company,” commented Richardson.

“His business acumen is without question and his drive, determination and ability set him apart from the crowd.

“Riley will fit in extremely well within this industry because of his sense of humour. Generally, you will hear him coming before you see him. That is the kind of big character this industry loves.”

Riley said of his new appointment: “I have always enjoyed a new challenge and

HAYWARD: Heads up North sales

RILEY: Up for a new challenge

joining Adam Hall UK with the opportunity to be involved with an industry legend such as Eminence speakers is one that I did not want to turn down.

“I hope I can bring a lot to what, for me, is a new industry and an exciting market. I very much look forward to being a part of it.” > adamhall.co.uk

“Riley’s business acumen is without question and his drive, determination, ability and sense of humour set him apart from the crowd.”

Andrew Richardson – GM for Adam Hall UK

AVID HAS ANNOUNCED that Simon Hayward has joined the company as its new director for the north region.

Hayward will manage the Northern European sales team from Avid’s offices in Pinewood Studios. He joins the company after having run Microsoft UK’s Media business for the last five years, where he grew total revenues from $10m to over $50m.

Avid is confident that Hayward’s past experience will help increase its overall customer focus and drive its Northern region sales.

Hayward commented: “I am delighted to be joining Avid at this exciting time. I have worked with Avid in the past and seen the strength of the people, products and vision. I now look forward to working towards increased success in the future.” > www.avid.com

Adamson strengthens support team ADAMSON SYSTEMS Engineering has added David Dohrmann and Ewan McDonald to its support team in Europe and Canada respectively.

Adamson met with several candidates at Prolight+Sound and decided that David Dohrman was the right fit for its European Tour Support division, led by chief technician Jochen Sommer.

Sommer explained: “After the interviews we all agreed that Dohrmann’s technical knowledge combined with his friendly and highly motivated demeanour made him number one on our list. He’s got up to speed with our gear very fast, he has good ears, and his system tuning fits our approach. I’m confident that he will be a major reinforcement for Adamson’s European Support.”

Ewan McDonald will be joining Adamson’s Canadian headquarters

DOHRMANN AND MCDONALD: Added to bolster international support

support team. A Sydney, Australia native, McDonald’s career began just over ten years ago. His most notable position was with Norwest Productions working at the Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony in

2000. He went on to become one of Norwest’s most senior systems engineers. In his new position McDonald will be conducting training seminars and tour support worldwide. > adamsonproaudio.com www.audioprointernational.com

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DISTRIBUTION <

Community assigns ProdyTel for Germany COMMUNITY PROFESSIONAL Loudspeakers has announced that ProdyTel will now handle distribution of its products in Germany.

Founded by co-directors Jan Wintersberg and Christian Schiele, Stein-based ProdyTel was set up to handle the distribution of pro audio and systems integration products in Germany. Its portfolio includes AMC, Broadata, Clearone, CUE, Digispider, DIS (Danish Interpretation Systems), IDAL, IKON, Listen, Prodys, Revolabs, Smart–e, TeqAVIT and Vaddio.

Jan Wintersberg, managing director of ProdyTel Distribution GmbH, commented: “We have been looking for a strong partner for professional loudspeakers, to fulfil the needs of our installers seeking unique and bestperforming speakers. Community fits into our portfolio of sound reinforcement products and we are very happy to work with the firm.” > communitypro.com > prodytel.de

IN BRIEF IAG ADDS SURGEX International Audio Group (IAG) will now handle the manufacturing and distribution of SurgeX products internationally, with the exception of North America.

IAG is an audio, lighting and hi-fi conglomerate and owner of Wharfdale, Quad, Mission and several other similar brands.

The company will handle the manufacturing and distribution of SurgeX AC power conditioning and surge elimination products from its facilities in London, UK and Shenzhen, China. US-based Electronic Systems Protection Protection (ESP) of Zebulon, NC will continue to handle the brand in the US. > surgex.com

Prism Sound sets up new deal with Absolute Music Recording products picked up by mega dealer

PRISM SOUND has recently announced the appointment of independent music retailer Absolute Music as a main dealer for all of its recording products.

Absolute Music now carries Prism’s ADA-8XR multichannel converters, the Orpheus FireWire computer interface and products from Prism Sound’s popular Maselec range of equalisers, mic pre amps and compressors. www.audioprointernational.com

With a distribution centre located in Dorset, UK, Absolute is the main dealer for t.c. electronic, Mackie, M-Audio, Focusrite and Genelec.

Absolute director Andy Legg stated: “We aim to give customers better quality service and greater value than they can get anywhere else. We are passionate about the music business and are committed to our customers and suppliers.” > absolutemusic.co.uk

100’S OF NEW PRODUCTS OVER 300 EXHIBITORS PLASA BAR - OPEN TILL 8PM NEW DEALER LOUNGE NEW INTERNATIONAL PAVILIONS INNOVATION GALLERY INTENSIVE TRAINING SESSIONS SPECIAL INTEREST SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS PLASA09 AWARDS FOR INNOVATION WEST END 15 MINUTES HEATHROW AIRPORT 20 MINUTES UNDERGROUND AND OVERGROUND RAIL ACCESS 250 HOTELS, 983 RESTAURANTS, PUBS AND BARS WITHIN EASY ACCESS

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> PRODUCT

NEW GEAR >> Recent releases in audio technology 1

2

3

4

JoeCo’s Blackbox Recorder

Ohm BR7 loudspeaker

AKG Perception 820 Tube Microphone

Trantec The Cube

THEY SAY: The Blackbox Recorder was designed to simplify the creation of highquality multitrack recordings.

SPECIFICATIONS: JoeCo’s Blackbox Recorder is a 24-ch multi-track recorder for the live music market. It records hires audio directly to a standard external USB2 drive with FAT32 in Broadcast WAV file format (BWAV).

Blackbox can be plugged into insert points on any console via its three 25way female D-type connectors that carry eight channels of inputs and outputs without additional A/D conversion.

The Blackbox AES/EBU interface operates at up to 96kHz and conforms to the AES-3:2003 standard. Multiple BBR1-D units can be chained for larger multitrack recordings.

The AES/EBU has 12 stereo channels of AES/EBU I/O. Analog inputs are also available (switchable).

THEY SAY: A packaged professional sound system in a box.

SPECIFICATIONS: The BR-7 is a wide dispersion, low profile speaker with two six-inch Neodynium, 35mm voice coil bass units coupled to the proprietary one-inch compression driver and diffraction horn in a 41cm wide cabinet.

With a horizontal dispersion of 160 degrees, BR-7 is suited for conferencing applications. A full range of retrofittable hardware, including stand mounts, provides added versatility.

BR7’s impedance is eight Ohms and its frequency response is 125Hz – 24 kHz (3dB). Ohm states that each enclosure in the BR family features high SPL sustained at high power levels due to specially optimised driver components.

The new speaker’s dispersion is 160 x 60 degrees with dimensions of 410 x 189 x 184 (mm) at eight kgs.

THEY SAY: The Perception Series mics, recognised for their outstanding quality and versatile capabilities, offered at an affordable price.

SPECIFICATIONS: The Perception 820 Tube mic range includes the P 120, P 170, P 220 and P 420. Each microphone features a 20 dB attenuation pad and a low cut filter to suit numerous applications, including vocals, brass instruments, electric guitar amps and overhead miking.

The 820 tube mic contains a oneinch, true condenser, large diaphragm capsule and ECC 83 dual-triode tube circuitry. Its output transformer was designed for even-order harmonics, with an added remote control unit that provides a selection of nine different pickup patterns from omni-directional to cardioid to figure eight. A ground lift switch is also integrated into its design.

THEY SAY: The Cube was designed with simple features for users who are overwhelmed with the complexity of modern sound equipment.

SPECIFICATIONS: Trantec’s The Cube is a half-rack unit system with four UHF channels of Trantec S5.3. It can operate up to 12 simultaneous channels within an 11MHz window (854-865MHz).

Built-in mains distribution provides power to each receiver and the ADU. An antenna distribution unit remote is also availible for larger events.

Both handheld and beltpack transmitters operate on a single AA battery with ten hours of life, in addition to a computer monitoring option with real-time system status. The Cube fits in a compact half-unit mini flightcase.

Despite its size, Trantec states that it contains a powerful set of features suitable for any venue.

> akg.com

> trantec.co.uk

>joeco.co.uk

> ohm.co.uk

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RCF Power Amplifiers

Beyma 6CX200Nd coaxial driver

Powersoft K2 amplifier

Klark Teknik DN540 Quad Compressor

THEY SAY: These professional amplifiers feature protective circuits to provide users with high reliability and operating safety.

SPECIFICATIONS: RCF’s new power amplifiers have a compact design to offer easy handling and simple set up.

The three new models include the HPS 1500 Class H (2 x 750 W RMS @ 4 Ohm), HPS 2500 Class H (2 x 1400 W RMS @ 2 Ohm) and the DPS 3000 Class HD (2 x 1700 W RMS @ 2 Ohm).

Both the HPS 1500 and 2500 feature forced air cooling system, fast response and low distortion, protective circuits, a front panel signal, clip, protect LED indicators and a switchable limiter in a 2U 19-inch rack.

The DPS 3000 comes with many of the same features in addition to a Power Factor Correction switchedmode power supply.

THEY SAY: Designed for the most demanding professional applications with volume restrictions.

SPECIFICATIONS: The Beyma 6.5-inch coaxial driver features a LF unit with 200W AES power handling, while its HF unit can handle 40W AES with optimised mid-range response. The drive was designed with Mechanical Mirror Suspension System technology, which provides and uses Conex spider, a fireproof material that can withstand extreme power conditions.

The HF unit is based on a compact compression driver with a lightweight Mylar diaphragm and a 1.75-inch voice coil. The design of a common magnetic circuit for both HF and LF units features a very low weight and depth (85mm mounting depth). Its sensitivity is 92dB (LF) and 102dB (HF) with a low resonant frequency of 65Hz.

THEY SAY: The K2 is the latest addition to the K-Light Series, designed for concert touring, sound reinforcement and pro fixed installations applications, SPECIFICATIONS: K2 provides 1000W per ch with an eight-Ohm speaker load, 1950W @ 4 Ohms and 2400W @ 2 Ohms in stereo. In bridge mode operation it can produce 3900W @ 8 Ohms and 4800W @ 4 Ohms.

A key features of the K2 amp is Powersoft’s patented universal switching mode power supply, which provides users with worldwide AC operation in voltage ranges from 95 to 265V. Its integrated Power Factor Correction (PFC) technology can handle a spike up to 400 VAC without interrupting rated audio output and clarity. It also features low power consumption with a Power Factor Efficiency of more than 0.90 from 500W to full power.

> rcf.it

THEY SAY: The DN540 packs four channels of creative compression into a 1U chassis.

SPECIFICATIONS: The DN540 was designed with a unique Harmonic Enhancement presence control in order to preserve the harmonic content of the material in a more natural, dynamic state.

It is a quad channel compressor tuned by ear for transparent compression and features an advanced envelope generator with manual controls and user-friendly controls for all functions contributing to output levels, in addition to bypass, solo and other major switches, with status LEDs. Additional features of the DN50 include channel linking with true power summing, external side chain inputs, balanced inputs and outputs and an auto switching power supply. The DN540 comes in a sturdy 1U chassis.

> beyma.com

> powersoft.it

> klarkteknik.com

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17-18 November 2009 RDS, Dublin, Ireland The entertainment and installation technology showcase for Ireland evenTech Ireland is a focused networking forum for the region’s key decision-makers to keep up-to-date with the hottest technologies and latest industry trends and developments. evenTech will provide manufacturers and suppliers with a unique regional platform to make face-to-face contact with a quality audience involved in Ireland’s major entertainment and installation projects and initiatives.

Enquire NOW about exhibiting at evenTech Ireland 2009!

To find out more about evenTech Ireland and the exciting opportunities Ireland presents contact:

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

Media Partner:

17-18 February 2010 SECC, Glasgow, UK The entertainment and installation technology showcase for the North of the UK evenTech Scotland is a focused networking forum for the region’s key decision-makers to keep up-to-date with the hottest technologies and latest industry trends and developments. evenTech will provide manufacturers and suppliers with a unique regional platform to make face-toface contact with a quality audience involved in the North’s major entertainment and installation projects and initiatives.

Enquire NOW about exhibiting at evenTech Scotland 2010!

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

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

Media Partner:

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MARKETPLACE <

SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT

FULL FAT AUDIO FULL FAT AUDIO has an impeccable track record for boutique, hand-built amps that use Class D circuits developed in-house alongside its switchmode power supplies. This has allowed FFA to achieve high power levels that its amps produce while remaining cool and efficient.

The company was founded in 2003 when MD Dave Millard, a former support engineer with BSS Audio, began designing amplifiers after joining forces with some friends he met through his work with sound systems.

Now into its seventh year, Full Fat’s enviable reputation for bass is no doubt the reason why it is currently making a lot of noise in top nightclubs such as Cream and on the festival scene, including Bestival and Glade. The amps are often associated with Funktion-One loudspeakers (used as a reference by the company) and Noise Control Audio, for which FFA manufactures OEM amps supplied with many of its systems.

With the support of the major companies which are backing its technology and products, Full Fat Audio has now reached new levels of success and has begun branching out into the European market.

Despite growth, FFA continues to source componentrs, metalwork and manufacture its amplifiers in the UK.

AMPLIFICATION

The firm is more than happy with the quality still available from British manufacturing, even though it imparts a slight price premium.

“The amps are built to last and they’re not mass produced items,” explains Millard. We could make more money on them if we made them easier to manufacture, but sometimes quality suffers with that. We have spent a lot of money on the box – it’s very road worthy and rugged. We used 2mm aluminium instead of 1mm or steel. We try to keep it light, but very tough.”

New developments are now on the horizon as research and development to expand the FFA range to incorporate high power four-channel amplifiers and more cost-effective installation products has recently been carried out. > fullfataudio.com

MARKETPLACE ADVERTISERS INDEX Adam Hall

01702 613922

Evi

www.electrovoice.co.uk

Flightcase

+44 (0) 182 760 009

Full Fat Audio

info@fullfataudio.com

Gasoline

www.gasoline.co.uk

Graphic Nature

01992 558800

HME

+1858 535 6060

Hypex

+31 50 52 64 993

Leisuretec

+44 (0) 1525 850085

sales@leisuretec.co.uk

Neutrik

+44 (0) 1983 811 441

www.neutrik.com

www.flightcasewarehouse.co.uk www.fullfataudio.com

www.graphicnature.co.uk

sales@hypex.nl

AUDIO MARKETPLACE CLASSIFIED RATES: Minimum 12 Months One Annual Charge Quarter Page £1,495 DISTRIBUTION

To advertise call

Darrell Carter on 01992 535647

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MARKETPLACE LOUDSPEAKER

FLIGHTCASES

42”/50" plasma case These cases are always available ex stock.

We foam them to suit with partitions for speakers etc.

From £279.00 inc VAT and UK Mainland delivery •Full touring spec Choice of finishes: 9mm Black Laminate/hexaboard •9mm Black Laminate •Heavy Duty Butterfly catches •6 x Recess Sprung handle •High density foam padded interior •4" Rubber Castors `(2 braked)

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

MANUFACTURER

MANUFACTURER

On the largest stages

Complete Sound System Solutions

by Electro-Voice Kenny Chesney on tour with EV System Design by Phillip Scobee, Morris Leasing

KC ad_audio pro marketplace.indd 1

14.01.2009 18:11:01 Uhr

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MANUFACTURER

â&#x20AC;&#x153;One great sounding amplifierâ&#x20AC;?

All-in-One Headset or Beltpac Options

actual size: 141x110x35mm

Introducing the NEW

Highlights Flat, fully load-independent response Very low output impedance Low, frequency-independent THD Very low noise Industry best EMC Conservative thermal design

now g shippin

Performance meets power! The famed UcDTM sound quality is now available at over 2kW. If you must know more precisely: the UcD2kTM module delivers up to 120Vrms and up to 35Arms to the load, depending on the capabilities of the power supply. Conservative thermal design insures all parts remain well within their ratings even with the most unfavourable programme. Contact Hypex or have a look at www.hypex.nl for more information.

Kattegat 8 | 9723 JP Groningen The Netherlands | +31 50 52 64 993 sales@hypex.nl

PR

WS200 Wireless Speaker Station

+1-858-535-6060 www.HMEDX.com STUDIO

2 studios powered by Pro tools Large live room with three iso booths Logic Pro Digital Performer All styles welcome Residential accommodation available In-house orchestral composition Scores/Film / TV music composition Access to several Philharmonic orchestras for live purposes Mastering / re-mastering 3 Preproduction / rehearsal rooms Fully Licensed Bar with games facilities Recent clients include: BBC | Warner Bros | EMI | Euro Sport | PGA Graphic Nature Ltd 18 Mimram Road Hertford Hertfordshire SG14 1NN

Tel: +44 (0) 1992 558800 Fax: +44 (0) 1992 584823 Skype ID: graphicnature www.graphicnature.co.uk Info@graphicnature.co.uk

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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

SMALL(ISH) BEGINNINGS

Tannoy discovered these nostalgic images in the depths of its achives, which were recently digitised.

Audio Pro requested a picture of the old Norwood (South London) office for the Charlie Watkins piece last month and, although these didn’t make it into the final draft, they deserve an airing.

Pictured above is a tradeshow booth at Olympia in 1947 and, inset, the HQ at around the same time. Below is the opening of the office in 1934. Can anyone tell us who the VIPs are?

DIGITAL LOVE THE SPORRANATOR

Audio Pro’s managing editor Andy Barrett proved it was more than just a highland fling this month by tying the knot with Lorraine Forrester at Auchen Castle, Moffat. Barrett’s colleagues saw through his claims that he was actually 17 and was travelling to Scotland to get hitched in Gretna Green without his parents’ consent. To those who have spotted grammatical errors in this month’s Audio Pro, we point out that Barrett has abandoned us in favour of a tour of the Scottish Isles.

Le Confort Moderne’s technical manager, Helene Martron, can’t keep his hands off his Innovason Sy48 digital console. He stated: “Sy48 offers more value for money in terms of sound quality and functionality than any other console on the market.”

E N O D ’S T I W O H Dinosaur Jr’s new album, Farm, features original members J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph. The band worked with long-time producer John Agnello and employed many pieces from Mascis’ collection of vintage gear. The instruments were passed through his Vintage API monitor console on its way to Pro Tools to add warmth. A Teletronix LA-2A compressor was also used to squash Mascis’ signature, strained vocals. The final mixes were then recorded to two-inch analog tape before being sent to mastering. The result is a brilliant album with songs that sound rough, raw and alive.

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ENDORSER OF THE MONTH

SAXON AND EV ROCK INTO THE LABYRINTH It was pointy guitars and horn-throwing aplenty as British metal veterans Saxon toured Europe alongside Motörhead in support of their latest album, Into the Labyrinth. Having rocked since 1976, the band’s backstage antics might not be as wild as they once were, but their mics remain unchanged – Electro Voice’s PL series models, which have been re-released for the first time since the ‘80s. Who said they don’t make ‘em like they used to?

QUEEN OF HALL

Adam Hall UK’s David Brown poses with the company’s new LD Systems girl, Haley, at LIMS 09. For some reason the Adam Hall boys had trouble keeping focused on PA speakers with Haley around.

SATAN LIVES AUDIO ARCHETYPES

Glastonbury once again hosted the Silent Disco tent this year.

Rather than enjoying music through the many state-of-the-art PAs at the festival, punters are given a set of headphones.

AUDIO FISH OF THE MONTH: Shure UK’s Paul Crognale takes his second Audio Pro Fish of the Month award with his recent catch of a 15 lb. common carp taken from the waters of an undisclosed Hertfordshire lake. Crognale struggled for minutes to rangle in this beauty. Send your fishy photos to: andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk.

www.audioprointernational.com

Pultec EQP-1A The origins of the fabled Pultec eq lie in the original passive-equalization circuit developed by Western Electric in the 1930s to improve speech intelligibility in telephone systems, which helps to explain what some consider to be a curious choice of curves and frequencies in the unit.

Recognising the demand for such circuits among the broadcast fraternity, Jersey boys Eugene Shenk and Ollie Summerland rediscovered the Western Electric model, licensed the filter circuits from their creator and founded Pulse Techniques with the launch of the EQP-1, the first passive program eq in 1951.

The EQP-1 was widely heralded as a fantastic sounding device, but the gain losses experienced as a result of its passive filter made it unworkable for some. To remedy this, the pair added vacuum tube gain amplification to the original unit and subsequently unveiled the EQP-1A, featuring a push-pull style gain makeup that utilised 12AU7, 12AX7 and 6X4 vacuum tubes. The unit had four low boost/cut frequencies, three highcut frequencies and a choice of seven HF boost points, plus a bandwidth control for shaping the high boost curve.

Shenk and Summerland quickly sold a large number of their boutique, made-to-order units to broadcasters in the ‘50s, but following the arrival of the transistor, valves fell out of favour and the company folded. Little more was heard of the modest firm until the 1970s, when engineers among the new wave of big recording facilities discovered that it was the EQP-1A that had the best sound of existing eqs.

From time to time, original Pultecs still become available, but it is a fortunate and wealthy individual who can both locate and acquire one.

For everyone else, Manley Lab's version is approved by Shenk himself. audioPRO

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WAY BACK STACKS

DONNINGTON 1986 EAW’s Moray McMillan was good enough to send us the Way Back Stacks picture this month. The photos were taken at UK festival, Donington Monsters of Rock festival in 1986.

Monsters of Rock was an annual festival held every August in England at the Castle Donington racetrack from 1980 to1996.

In 1986 the festival hosted UK metal legends Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard and Motorhead.

The PA used that year employed Martin radial horns piled up vertically and Martin bass bins. It was so massive that every company in the area who owned Martin speakers brought their gear down to contribute to the giant stacks.

The right inset picture was taken behind the piles of amp racks used for the PA. They did not have speaker multis in those days, so the spaghetti system of multiple chords was used for all connections.

The sound booth at the festival had to be secured behind a chain link fence in order to protect the engineers and gear from rocks, or in some cases, cider bottles filled with urine that the punters were throwing around the audience. Despite the fence, one punter who did not like the music playing between sets and managed to sneak a brick through the screen and stop the tape.

The left hand inset picture is another ‘80s gem. It is an early 80s Harwell system from Tasco. It was the first modular system in Europe and was designed by Roger Harvey.

KOOLWORLD’S DAVE WOOSTER ON HIS SOUNDTRACS JADE S I suppose if I was stuck on an island the last thing I’d want would be a mixing desk but here are two other thoughts.

If I was stuck in some crap gig in a foreign country then I would be wishing I’d brought my Digidesign profile with my personal fave plugins from Waves. This combo has, over the last year, really allowed me to achieve more on live shows than in my entire career – control, clarity and creativity in one functional package.

On the other side of the page, I’m going to say my own Soundtracs Jade S for the following reason: recently on an A/B test with some other manufacturer’s high-end channel strips, my Jade shone through for a desk close on 25 years old. The preamp design is still as good today as it was then, with a very natural and uncoloured eq. It was really good to hear this and the reliability is impeccable. I could go on but the above, coupled with my Pro Tools system, has allowed us, over the last couple of years, to continue to offer a great value-for-money service to clients, while producing award-winning albums. > koolworld.co.uk

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 Audio Pro International is published 11 times a year by Intent Media ~ Saxon House, 6A St. Andrew Street, Hertford SG14 1JA, England

Intent Media is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation and the Periodical Publishers Association

A audioPRO

© Intent Media 2009. 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

ISSN: 1755-4918

SUBSCRIPTIONS UK: Free Europe: £60 Rest of world: £90 If you or one of your colleagues would like to request a subscription to Audio Pro International, please email audio.subscriptions@c-cms.com or call 01580 883848

If you would like to receive your own copy of Audio Pro International, please email our subscriptions department on: audio.subscriptions@c-cms.com or call 01580 883848 July/August 2009

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