Issue 23 • October 2009
LIVE • COMMERCIAL • RECORDING • BROADCAST
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CONVERTING
OPINIONS Knopfler’s made his choice. nch? What’s your pick of the DAC bu
PLASA REVIEW • STAGE WEDGES • TLA 5052 REVIEW • JOHN AGNELLO
ISSUE 23 October 2009
CONTENTS > IN THIS ISSSUE NEWS DIGITAL FUTURE • 4 Yamaha’s plan for live sound mixing
DIGICO GIVE AWAY • 4 500th SD8 console auction announced
AVNU ALLIANCE • 5 AV heavyweights join forces
40 YEARS RUNNING • 6 Allen & Heath celebrates four decades
EVENTS AES PREVIEW • 8 What’s hot for the NYC show
PLASA REVIEW • 11 A review of the big news from Earls Court
IBC REVIEW • 16 Broadcasting delights from Amsterdam
LIVE SOUND/INSTALLATION VOID ACOUSTICS • 21 Alex Scan on the future of speaker technology
COVER FEATURE CONVERTERS • 36 A rundown of the latest in ADA technology
NOTTING HILL • 30 What happened at London’s craziest carnival
STUDIO/BROADCAST PRODUCT REVIEW • 24 A look at TL Audio’s 5052 stereo processor
JOHN AGNELLO • 33 2010’s hottest engineer talks shop
STEVE LEVINE • 41 MPG chairman and renowned producer speaks on being a purist
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> Regulars: Behind the Board 45 In Session 46 People 48 Products 50 Marketplace 53 Mixdown 56
EDITORIAL As reported in our PLASA 09 review (pages 11 to 14), there seems to be a positive vibe about the financial future of the pro audio market, as many have reported that the installation sector has began to show new signs of life. Despite the fact that both PLASA and IBC suffered from lower attendance numbers, one can hardly turn a nose at the combined 56 thousand industry professionals who made the trip to the shows, some of whom bounced back and forth between London and Amsterdam to check out both events. Another trend noticed at the shows was the phenomenon of the incredible shrinking console as manufacturers such as Digico, Soundcraft and Avid showed their latest and smallest digital mixers for clubs, theatres and corporate events. The one area that still seems to be lagging behind is the rental market. The big hire companies are reportedly keeping their cards close to their chests as several summer festivals were cancelled and tour budgets continue to tighten. On the studio side of the business, we were lucky enough to speak with two legends of the craft, Steve Levine (page 41) and John Agnello (33). Having engineered and produced two of this year’s most anticipated indie records, Agnello explains the multi-faceted role that he takes on while working with veteran artists. He started his career as an intern at NYC’s famous Record Plant studios and went on to work with big artists like Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper and Kiss. The production techniques he learned while working with producers like Jimmy Lovine on mainstream albums have been creatively tweaked and adapted to make the big sounds found on his work with Dinosaur Jr, The Hold Steady and others. This occurrence gives a true sense of how an experienced engineer like Agnello is revolutionising modern recording by putting his own spin on the secrets and tricks learned from the world’s top engineers.
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> NEWS
Yamaha unveils the future of digital live sound technology White paper reveals the new age for digital technology as its flagship PM1D is soon to be discontinued YAMAHA'S PROFESSIONAL Audio Division has released a white paper outlining its plan for the future of digital sound systems. It has also announced a plan for the discontinuation of its much-loved PM1D console. In the report, A New Age For Digital Sound Systems, Yamaha stated: “Through our continuous dialogue with industry professionals, it is clear that for larger projects there is now a demand for higher levels of system functionality in terms of audio and control, distribution, DSP and user interfacing options. These are required to support the ever-increasing size and complexity of live productions for music, theatre, broadcast and corporate events.” The audio giant cites the rapid expansion of the use of digital audio and, in particular, the emergence of the all-in-one mixing console (combining the user interface, I/O and DSP within a single console frame), which has become the ‘industry norm’. The company has now decided that, along with the obvious levels of sound quality and reliability, the ideal
scalable audio solution should also provide configurable component devices for designing specific systems for installations or rental jobs, variable system sizes with distributed I/O, DSP and user interface, integration of audio and control data in one core wide bandwidth network, bandwidth and DSP to support extremely high channel counts, extremely low latency (sample accurate across the network), open interfacing with other major audio formats and networks and redundancy for network, DSP and PSU. Yamaha has announced that, for some time, its R&D engineers have been working on the networking technologies, as well as hardware and software components necessary to develop not simply a traditional mixing console, but rather an innovative complete audio systems solution.
Digico donates 500th SD8 in memory of revered engineers Proceeds of console to be divided between the families of John Roden and Jim Douglas DIGICO IS to donate the proceeds of its 500th SD8 console – manufactured in May – to the families of late sound engineers John Roden and Jim Douglas, both of whom were early supporters of the company and well respected by their peers. John Roden had an impressive list of credits to his name, but was perhaps best known as Paul McCartney’s monitor engineer, a role he fulfilled for 18 years. He also worked with many other major artists, including Annie Lennox, Eurythmics, Michael Jackson, George Harrison, Black Sabbath, AC/DC and the Rolling Stones, as well as David Gilmour
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and George Michael. Jim Douglas spent 40 years in the industry. He also listed Paul McCartney among his monitoring credits, along with the likes of Ted Nugent, Foreigner and Aerosmith. > digico.org
It proclaimed: “By combining a brandnew, wide bandwidth, low latency network with distributed I/O devices, DSP and assorted user interfaces, it is possible to create not only variable sizes of mixing systems, but also to create powerful routing systems with patching and DSP processing
capability that do not even require a console control surface.” While the company noted that this flagship component-based solution will not be a replacement for it’s existing consoles such as PM5D, M7CL and LS9, the following day, it went on to announce that, after ten years, it’s PM1D console is to be discontinued. > yamahaproaudio.com
AV heavyweights form the AVnu Alliance A GROUP of industry-leading audio visual consumer electronics and silicon companies have banded together to create a new industry forum, named the AVnu Alliance. The alliance is dedicated to enhancing professional-quality audio/video by promoting emerging IEEE 802.1 audio/video bridging (AVB) networking standards for a broad range of markets including automotive, consumer electronics, and professional AV. The founding members of the AVnu Alliance include Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Harman International, Intel, Samsung, and Xilinx. In addition to the founders, Avid, Marvell and Meyer Sound have now joined the alliance as the first promoters. AVnu Alliance aims to establish a professional quality AV experience in networked environments, whether an
HD television or music studio, a car, a concert hall, a stadium or a home theatre. Today, out-of-sync audio and video, glitches and delays can occur in many of these settings, unless complex, proprietary solutions are deployed. To address these issues, the AVnu Alliance is promoting the IEEE standards, currently in development, for 802.1 AVB (Audio Video Bridging) and also the related IEEE 1722 and 1733 (which extends RTP for use with AVB). The draft AVB standards are designed to work over widely-used IEEE 802 layer 2 networks. These new standards provide networking features for tightly controlled media stream synchronisation, buffering and reservation. Use of AVB enables higher layer protocols and applications to realise professional quality A/V. > avnu.org www.audioprointernational.com
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Audio Pro Awards finalists
Live sound monitors
MPG chairman Steve Levine
NEWS <
A&H celebrates 40 years at PLASA 09 Neil Hauser and Glenn Rogers celebrating 40 strong years
Audio Technica Germany wins Distributor of the Year
ALLEN & HEATH celebrated 40 years in the pro audio product design business at PLASA 2009. The British mixer manufacturer marked the occasion with a party held on the top floor of London’s famous landmark, the Gherkin, attended by distributors, industry partners and the press.
Allen & Heath took the opportunity to announce its distributor of the year, which was awarded to Audio-Technica in Germany, before introducing special guest, former MD Neil Hauser, who headed up Allen & Heath from 1969 until 1988. Current MD, Glenn Rogers, took the helm in 1990.
“It would not be an exaggeration to claim that I have witnessed innovation on a daily basis at Allen & Heath since I started as a junior engineer in 1983,” stated Rogers. “For 40 years, the company has maintained a philosophy of listening to customers and striving to provide the products that will enhance sound quality and
Alex Cooper scoops the Gottelier Midas and Klark Teknik designer keeps the award in audio for third year running ALEX COOPER, Midas’ director of console development has won the 2009 Gottelier award. Joining previous winners Tony Andrews of Funktion One and John Stadius of Soundtracs and Digico, Cooper is the third pro audio designer to win the award, meaning that it has remained in the industry every year since its inauguration. Named in honour of the late designer, developer and commentator Tony Gottelier, the Gottelier Award recognises the product developers who have made a significant and sustained contribution to the development of equipment and tools that have enabled entertainment technology practitioners to push the boundaries of event production, presentation and installation. Cooper joined Klark Teknik in 1979 and by the early eighties he was head of the test department. In 1985 he was tasked with testing the newlyacquired Midas consoles and went on to oversee the building and debugging the first prototype XL3 in 1990, which contained some of his circuit designs. As head of R&D he designed the XL4, which was to become the industry-standard live sound mixing console and, for many, remains the www.audioprointernational.com
Gottelier: Klark Teknik and Midas’ Alex Cooper received this year’s award only option to this day. He has also designed, or had significant input into the KT DN800 stereo crossover, Midas XL250, Heritage 3000, 2000, B2000 and Verona consoles, the Klark Teknik DN540/DN530 Creative series, Square One dynamic processor and the Midas XL8 digital mixing console. “It’s a great honour to receive this award recognising my efforts at Klark Teknik and Midas over the years, and my thanks go out to everyone who
voted for me,” said Cooper. “The audio industry is continually changing and I’d like to think I’ll be pushing its boundaries for many years to come. I continue to believe that sound matters above all else, and Midas has always had a very distinctive sound, which breaths life, openness and character into sources. However we move forward with future product development, we will never compromise on that.” > midasconsoles.com
user productivity. We work in an industry that is creative and emotive, and Allen & Heath’s success is down to the passion, skill, dedication and enthusiasm of its team.” An extensive interview with Glenn Rogers will be featured in API’s November issue. > allen-heath.com
US Journalist sues NAMM Class action filed for price fixing BROOKLYN-BASED David Giambusso, a reporter for the New Jersey Star-Ledger has brought a class action lawsuit against US music equipment trade association NAMM, along with retail giant Guitar Center and Fender Musical Instruments, for price fixing over a three-year period from 2005 to 2007. In filing the suit, the plaintiff, who has frequently reported on class action lawsuits for that paper and the New York Times claimed that the three organisations “conspired to raise prices on acoustic and electric guitars, violins, amplifiers, and strings”. Giambusso, is a guitarist with the band, Ann Courtney and the Late Bloomers. He also bought a guitar from Guitar Center in 2007. Although the companies and products involved in the lawsuit are firmly rooted in the MI sector, NAMM does represent the pro audio equipment trade in the States and its annual winter show is well attended by the industry. While the nature of the professional audio business makes it less susceptible to the phenomenon of price fixing, this case will nonetheless throw up concerns for those in the US involved in the purchasing of audio gear in the US.
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> NEWS
MP3s are okay, says Radiohead Johnny Greenwood supports the format RADIOHEAD’S GUITARIST Johnny Greenwood has stated in a recent interview in the New Yorker that he does not have a problem with MP3s and criticises those who place too much importance on high sound quality. Indicating that the band’s album OK Computer may not actually be a condemnation of modern culture as previously suspected, Greenwood backed his support of MP3s by stating that the audio degradation caused by the format is limited to a “slight shaving of sound quality to get to the convenience of the MP3”. He also noted that, in some cases, they add a “helpful crunchiness to some recordings”. These sentiments are likely to irritate many in the pro audio community who spend a huge amount of time and money to ensure that recordings and reproduction equipment are made to an exceptional standard, made
possible by years of experience and technological developments, such as the emergence of 384kHz sample rates. MP3s are often considered by such people to render their hard work futile. Although he does not directly refer to the professional end of the industry, some might construe his comments as a dismissal of these efforts. He bemoaned consumers who seek high fidelity audio and referred to them as: “thirtysomething men who lurk in hi-fi shops, discussing signal purity, oxygen-free cables and FLACs”. The guitarist did state that MP3s distract people from spending prolonged time with a recording due to the sheer volume of music that most punters own these days. He stated: “People will have MP3s of every Miles Davis record but never think of hearing any of them twice in a row – there’s just too much to get through.”
Trantec eyes up Channel 38 Wireless mic specialist is the first company to offer manufacturer-funded compensation through trade-in scheme
Avid helps scoop numerous Emmys Developer reports that the ‘vast majority’ of 2009 winners are Avid users
TRANTEC HAS launched The Big Trantec Trade-in and is offering a trade-in discount of up to £450 per channel for Trantec and other qualifying manufacturer’s radio mics, when purchasing new Trantec Channel 38 ready equipment. Amid the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the funding of the Channel 38 switchover, Trantec has become the first company to 6
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offer manufacturer-funded compensation for end users and dealers. The scheme, which will work in conjunction with the Trantec dealer and distributor network, is designed to support the end-user during the digital switchover. Mark Parkhouse, Trantec’s sales and marketing manager commented: “We are proud to be the first manufacturer to
offer this kind of support to our customers. The end user will be able to trade-in a range of equipment from S4.16s to S6000s, as well as a variety of other manufacturer’s equipment. We hope this will help to soften the blow of the switchover. We will continue to offer our customers support in all situations. > trantec.co.uk
AVID HAS announced that the vast majority of Emmy Award winners at the 61st Annual Emmy Awards used one or more Avid audio or video solutions to create this year’s top television shows. In total, more than 125 nominees in 33 categories used Avid systems including first-time nominees and winners such as Generation Kill: The Cradle of Civilization, Little Dorrit and Grey Gardens as well as repeat honourees such as 30 Rock, Damages, House, Mad Men and Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List. This year’s Emmy Awards support the ongoing trend that Avid solutions continue to be the tools of choice for professionals in post production. Earlier this year, the American Cinema Editors (ACE) board of directors named Avid Media Composer the ‘preferred choice’ of professional editors.
Additionally, one or more Avid solutions were once again used to create the vast majority of 2009’s Academy Award and ACE award winners, including 2009 Academy Award powerhouse Slumdog Millionaire, which won the Oscar for Motion Picture of the Year, Achievement in Sound Mixing and Achievement in Film Editing. > avid.com www.audioprointernational.com
> EVENT PREVIEW AES
October 9th-12th Jacob K Javits Center, NYC
NYC you there It’s back to Manhattan this year for the East Coast leg of the AES convention – the biennial event that most would agree is the jewel in the crown of the Audio Engineering Society. Rob Hughes checks the schedule… kay, so the venerated society had a bit of a flop on its hands back in May with the European AES Convention in Munich, which, as the organisers have nobly admitted, was a little on the quiet side. But rather than making excuses and licking its wounds, the AES hit back with fresh ideas and a new venue. Good on the AES for not throwing in the towel and, perhaps more importantly, God bless America for getting behind the US shows with such conviction, because that, I guess, is what puts the organisation in a fiscal position to make the London event happen in 2010. It should come as no surprise that the US conventions are much more popular. You might think this a monstrous generalisation, but America seems to be the nation that most readily embraces the academic approach to pro audio, which after all, as many have pointed out, is largely an engineering subject. This fact embodies the AES – its bimonthly journal will make little sense to anyone who has never studied acoustics or electronics. Maybe this throws up some clues as to why AES San Francisco and AES New York are veritable behemoths in comparison to their old-continent counterparts? This is mere speculation however, what’s important is that the NY show is almost upon us, it’s the biggest of them all and, as you might expect, for the geeks among us, there’s plenty to get excited about. I’ll start with the commercial aspect though and the list of exhibitors this year runs the gamut, from the usual studioorientated manufacturers of mics, modules
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While the focus of our conventions are largely technical, we are delighted to provide an opportunity to enjoy a discourse by a broadcaster celebrated for his performance behind the mic rather than the control room window. Agnieszka Roginska
and mixers, through the unsung heroes that develop the components in them and on to those that create the not-sodelicate tools of the live and installation sectors. First and foremost though, this is a recording show and it’s the only place you’ll get to meet with the people behind companies such as Avalon, Rupert Neve Designs, Mercenary, Royer and so on. Talking of boutique analog firms, API has made it very clear that it will be ‘partying like it’s 1969’ at the show, as it celebrates 40 years in the business of supplying some of the most esteemed recording houses with tasty consoles and outboard gear. Elsewhere, PMC will launch the DB1S-A II and TB2S-A II highresolution compact monitors. These enhanced versions of the successful DB1S-A and TB2S-A activated models are expected to raise the bar for nearfield monitoring in small to medium-sized control rooms in either stereo or surround configurations. CAD is to showcase its new E 100S condensor mic for the first time. Engineered and built in the US, the new Equitek E100S large-diaphragm supercardioid condenser mic boasts the lowest noise floor in its class at 3.7dBA, along with the vintage tone and warm low end the company is known for. Applied Microphone Technology is also to launch a number of new mic products, but further details remain a mystery, while from the outboard realm TransAudio Group will introduce the Daking FET3, a new dual-channel
limiter incorporating Class A discrete compressor circuitry and gain stages. As always, there’s little white space on the technical programme calendar and educational events of various descriptions abound. Fascinating entries in the workshop diary include Teaching Electronics to Audio Recording Students – Why Bother?, Mastering in an Ever Expanding Universe (2009 and Beyond), Microphones – What to Listen For and What Specs to Look For, Intelligent Digital Audio Effects and Can 21st Century Technology Outdo the Audio Achievements of the 20th? Paper sessions include Virtual Acoustics and Transducer Modeling and Design, while tutorials will be held on subjects such as The Growing Importance of Mastering in the Home Studio Era. Many visitors will be looking forward to the keynote speech, which this year will be given by Peabody Awardwinning radio personality Bill McGlaughlin. McGlaughlin is a highly regarded broadcaster, educator, composer and conductor. In making the announcement, convention chair Agnieszka Roginska remarked: “While the focus of our conventions are largely technical in nature, we are delighted to provide our visitors with an opportunity to enjoy a discourse by a broadcaster celebrated for his performance behind the mic rather than sitting behind the control room window.” > aes.org www.audioprointernational.com
EVENT REVIEW PLASA < Earls Court, London September 13th to 16th
Shine a light on me PLASA 09 served as the springboard for dozens of new products and a generally positive outlook on the coming year. Andrew Low and Rob Hughes stormed the floor at Earls Court to bring you this report… very event on this year’s trade show schedule has noticeably suffered from the general panic that the diseased world economy has spread throughout the industry. The word from the exhibitors and visitors at PLASA 09 held last month at London’s Earls Court, however, is that things are slowly beginning to get better as the installation market begins to pick up, while the rental market still seems to be suffering. As for the show itself, the facts are that attendance numbers were down on last year (11,518 total) and some pro audio manufacturers seemed to have dropped their own booths to share room with distributors. Despite these factors there was a definite sense of cautious optimism surrounding the show. Andrew Richardson, general manager of Adam Hall, noted: "I'm delighted with the success of PLASA 09. Building on from many recent product launches the show gave us an excellent platform to continue this promotion to new and existing customers from across Europe. “We have grown our client base and managed to penetrate new markets. I can easily say that without doubt, we will be exhibiting at next year and we look forward to another successful show."
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FACT FILE Venue: Earls Court, London Date: Sept 13th to 16th Visitors: 11,518 (pre-audit)
Verdict: A quieter show than last year, but all the more serious for that in terms of business done. More compact, efficient stands meant both visitors and exhibitors had to concentrate efforts on the bottom line.
Ian Cullen, marketing director of Sound Technology, admitted to being a bit nervy before proceedings got underway. “We weren't quite sure what to expect given the current climate, but we were overwhelmed by the quantity and, most noticeably, the quality of the visitors to our stand. We saw a huge number of key people from the commercial audio and live sound sectors and there's potential for some very large-scale projects off the back of it,” he said. The show floor was flooded with new products, many of which had their world debut at Earls Court. The theme of consolidation evident in the exhibition stands carried over into the new equipment that was presented over the four days, as smaller and less expensive products took centre stage in many launches. > plasashow.com ALCONS AUDIO Alcons Audio introduced the BRK5LR7 swivel yoke-mounting solution that allows its LR7 micro line array system to be pole-mounted, while retaining full curving functions. The system can accommodate five LR7 cabinets in standing configuration and up to seven LR7 cabinets in flown configuration. Both the five-unit and seven-unit
configurations can be connected to one single ALC amplifier channel, for an efficient system layout. In operation, the yoke is connected to the middle cabinet with two connecting plates on the side of the cabinet, secured with two quickrelease pins each. The connecting plates are attached to the yoke with conical joints. > alconsaudio.com MIDAS Midas and Klark Teknik announced the formation of Midas Consoles Japan and Midas Consoles Italy, both of which take over as exclusive distributors within their respective countries. The firm has also released the latest version of software for its flagship XL8 digital console. Another show highlight came when Alex Cooper won the prestigious Gottelier Award for his design achievements at Midas/KT. Based in Tokyo, Midas Consoles Japan is a division of Bestec Audio and is dedicated to the sales and after sales support of Midas and Klark Teknik products in the country. Midas Consoles Italy is headed up by general manager Pierfranco Galeone, who previously represented the Midas and Klark Teknik brands at Texim Audio.
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EVENT REVIEW PLASA < Earls Court, London Sept 13th to 16th
Funktion One: always ready to polarise opinion
Finally, the Midas Heritage 3000 celebrated its ten-year anniversary at the show. > midasconsoles.com OHM Ohm introduced the Ersa Major line array system at PLASA. The British manufacturer, which celebrated 30 years of producing sound equipment in the UK this year, also brought back, with newly designed Ohm drivers, the SS-3 Smack Stack bass bin – an iconic dance cabinet that delivers formidable low frequencies. The re-designed SS-3 and Ersa Major can be coupled to produce high-level reinforcement for larger dance club and concert audiences. The Ersa Major comprises two teninch, horn loaded Ohm drivers with a coaxial two-inch plus one-inch compression driver, mounted on a proprietary waveguide. The system runs in a three way active mode. ohm.co.uk JBL While Harman released dozens of new products from their many brands one that stood out was the debut of the new subcompact additions to JBL’s Vertec line array system. Designed to deliver a high degree of output and coverage capabilities in a very compact
package, JBL has introduced the smallest system enclosures in its Vertec product family, the VT4886 passive three-way high-directivity line array element and its companion VT4883 cardioid-arrayable subwoofer. Incorporating innovative acoustical technologies and purpose-built transducers, they are specifically designed for standalone use or in conjunction with other existing Vertec models. The new VT4886 and VT4883 subcompact models are suitable for use in a broad range of suspendedarray, ground-based and fill speaker applications, with a comprehensive range of array and suspension accessories planned for the new system. Given its very compact dimensions, the VT4886 is suited for distributed front fill or under-balcony use. VT4886 line array elements can also be suspended in large multi-box arrays or ground-stacked, either standalone or with its companion VT4883 low-frequency extension for FOH, offstage fill, stereo in-fill, centre cluster or delay cluster use. > jbl.com POLAR AUDIO Polar Audio introduced several new products from its many distributed brands as well as the announcement
that it has taken on the UK distribution of Revolabs wireless microphone systems. On the booth visitors saw XTA Electronics’ foray into the installation market with the, the DC1048 integrated audio management system and its first generation of network audio products, the NXBoB8 and NXBoB16. Another addition to the Polar family is Australian Monitor, the maker of the Zone Revolution and AV Revolution, multi-zone solutions for the bar, club and AV markets. > polaraudio.co.uk VOID ACOUSTICS Void Acoustics announced several new products, including the Stasys Prime wide-band arrayable pointsource system offering, we are told, ‘ground-breaking efficiency’. The Stasys 5 Mk2 low-frequency system has a pressure plate to enhance transient response. The Arcline 12 medium-format line-array enclosure was also on show. Two new models in Void’s UK-built Infinite X amplifier range – the Infinite X7 and Infinite X8 power amplifiers – were showcased and industry veteran Ken DeLoria, who recently joined Void as head of its US division, was present on the company’s stand. > voidaudio.com DIGICO Digico launched the SD8-24 digital mixing console and the new Overdrive software upgrade for the SD8 console at the show, each of which has a good deal of features to catch the eye. Designed with a smaller
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The new Roland digital mixer: less is more
footprint for the corporate event sector, the SD8-24 features the same functionality and number of inputs and outputs as the SD8 console. The board also comprises the same fixed architecture of the SD8, which uses the smaller Super FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a technology that has been around almost as long as DSP. Much larger FPGAs and have been created, performing far greater numbers of calculations than the most advanced DSP. These Super FPGAs are used in the SD8 and 24. The show also saw the introduction of new Overdrive software for Digico’s SD8 console. Digico’s MD, James Gordon, commented: “Over the last year we’ve been looking at what extra processing John Stadius, our technical director, could squeeze out of the smaller FPGA. There is more than even we imagined, with our new Overdrive software delivering even more of the SD7 features into the SD8.” Digico also announced that it will donate the proceeds of a competition for it’s 500th SD8 console to the families of late sound engineers John Roden and Jim Douglas, both of whom were early supporters of the company and both respected and missed by their peers. > digico.org
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> PLASA EVENT REVIEW Earls Court, London Sept 13th to 16th Bagging the middle market: the Soundcraft Si1
FUNKTION-ONE Funktion-One used the show to launch the F101 loudspeaker enclosure, which comprises a single ten-inch bass/mid driver and a oneinch high frequency device, and the Resolution 3 loudspeaker, an all-inone, three-way enclosure comprising a special horn loaded 18-inch bass loudspeaker with a five-inch voice coil, a new Axhead loaded ten-inch loudspeaker for midrange and a oneinch compression driver for high frequencies. It also debuted the ASPC1 audio system polarity checker. Launched as a tool for live sound and installation engineers to ensure the optimisation of high performance audio systems, ASPC1 is light, compact and supplied with belt pouch for easy accessibility. > funktion-one.com ROLAND SYSTEMS GROUP Roland Systems Group announced the launch of the RSS M-380 digital
The show saw the latest update to its Macro-Tech i series, with increased power and new dual port capability. Comprised of three models, the MA-5000i, MA-9000i and MA12000i, the Macro-Tech i series features patented Class-I circuitry, which was integrated to provide greater power while reducing the amplifier’s weight by more than half. The firm also developed the CDi 6000 amplifier, the fourth amplifier in the CDi series, for fixed installation applications. The CDi 6000 is capable of running both low-impedance two, four and eight-Ohm loads as well as 70 and 140-Volt outputs and also features 20 available presets that can be recalled at the touch of a button. There are automatic presets for JBL cinema speaker systems for quick and easy setup, with an intuitive front panel LCD panel and compatible configuration through the Harman HiQnet System Architect platform. > crownaudio.com
mixing console, a smaller brother to the M-400 V-Mixer. The M-380 is a 48-channel console that possesses all of the features of the M-400, but in a compact, rackmount unit. Its arrival adds to the growing V-Mixing system line up that also includes digital snakes, personal mixing and multichannel recording. The mixer has a rapid recall of setups, 100mm motorised and touch sensitive faders, an 800 by 480 colour screen and dedicated multi-function knobs for eq, pan, gain and control of dynamics. Its 48-channel mixing capability includes digital patch-bays with new and industry-requested classic Roland FX including RE201 space echo and SDE3000 delay, 16 aux/mono sends, eight matrices, eight DCAs, eight mute groups, built-in stereo recording/playback and support for LCR configurations. > rolandsg.co.uk CROWN Crown launched new amplifiers at PLASA, along with a processor for the CTs series of amps.
TRANTEC To coincide with the launch of the new channel 38-ready S6 wireless system, Trantec introduced The Big Trantec Trade-in scheme, offering a trade-in discount of up to £450 per channel for Trantec and other qualifying manufacturer’s radio mics, when purchasing new Trantec Channel 38 equipment. Trantec has become the first company to offer manufacturerfunded compensation for end users and dealers amid the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the funding of the Channel 38 switchover. > trantec.co.uk SOUNDCRAFT Soundcraft introduced the latest board in its Si range of digital mixing consoles with the Si1. The 1,200mm 14
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wide Si1 joins the Si3 and the Si2 in the company’s range of mid-priced mixers for live, install and HOW. Launched off the back of the Vi series, Soundcraft is making it known that the Si consoles have already earned five industry awards for their user-friendly format and for aiding in the transition from analog to digital. The Si1 was designed to fit the space-restricted areas and features 32 mic inputs mapped on 16 faders, four dedicated Stereo Line channels, four dedicated FX Returns from the four stereo Lexicon FX processors and has the ability to mix up to 48 inputs. The board also comprises eight balanced insert sends and returns along with the same bus structure as the Si2 and Si3 of 24 group/aux busses, eight matrix busses and a full complement of monitor talkback and main bus outputs. These busses can be freely assigned to any of the 16 physical XLR connectors as well as the dedicated mix and monitoring output XLRs. Every bus has a dedicated 30-band BSS Audio graphic eq, permanently patched in with no drain on the DSP resource. > soundcraft.com OPTOCORE Optocore released a digital audio networking protocol called Sane. Using ring network topology, Sane claims to offer the first synchronous Cat5 network solution for streaming uninterrupted media in real time. Billed as a new low cost with high efficiency, Sane is based on the tried and tested Optocore technology, and has evolved from the company’s flexible new AD/DA X6R and V3R converters launched earlier this year; these offer split AES-EBU ports, sample rate conversion up to 192kHz, and five different card options. > optocore.com www.audioprointernational.com
Everything available. All of the time.
32 inputs, 4 stereo inputs, 24 bus outputs, 8 matrix, 12 VCAs, 8 mute groups
Love digital mixing but hate toggling between menus? Soundcraft Si Series is the ‘one box’ digital live sound console that makes everything available, all of the time. Dynamics, Gates, EQs, Effects – they’re all right where you need them, right when you need them. Available in three sizes, the Si Series makes it easy to bring the power of digital mixing to theatre, houses of worship or tour sound applications.
48 inputs, 4 stereo inputs, 24 bus outputs, 8 matrix, 12 VCAs, 8 mute groups
Just plug it in where your analogue console used to be.
64 inputs, 4 stereo inputs, 24 bus outputs, 8 matrix, 12 VCAs, 8 mute groups
Soundcraft T: +44 (0)1707 665000 E: soundcraft@harman.com Soundcraft US T: 888-251-8352 E: soundcraft-USA@harman.com
www.soundcraft.com
> IBC EVENT REVIEW September 10-15 Amsterdam
Live and direct
With roots dating back to the 1960s, IBC remains one of the world’s biggest shows for the international broadcasting community. While this year saw slimmer crowds and competition from PLASA, the show organisers are focusing on quality over quantity… t is a knee-jerk reaction of exhibitors and journalists to state the obvious fact that trade show attendance is down this year across the board. Major shows like PALME, PLASA and even Frankfurt have seen attendance drop from last year’s numbers and while this number may affect the aisles of the show and size of the booths, the market has not suffered from a decrease in new product launches as everyone goes smaller and more affordable to suit the changing times. The final figures from the IBC show, held at Amsterdam’s RAI Convention Centre last month, reveal that 45,547 people attended, which is seven per cent down on 2008. But it’s still an impressive number and IBC COO Mike Crimp says: “’IBC is about the quality of the exhibition and the conference. And I think you’ll be surprised at how well we’ve done. We’re not just a trade show, but also an event where people can see the results of all the hard work in our industry. We call this the IBC content experience.’’ This year 1,000-plus exhibitors from 130 different countries were on show, with the pro audio community in strong force with stands from leading brands such as Audio Technica, Sadie, Sennheiser, Harman and Teac. German microphone manufacturer Neumann showed the latest addition to its line of miniature digital microphone series on Sennheiser’s
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FACT FILE Venue: RAI Convention Centre, Amsterdam Date: September 10th-15th Exhibitors: 1,000-plus Visitors: 45,547 Verdict: Although slightly
down on 2008 in terms of visitors, the 2009 IBC still had lots of big names exhibiting and plenty of people to see their wares despite the current state of the economy. That said, with over 45,000 in attendance, IBC is the sort of ‘quiet’ a lot of shows dream of
booth with the KMR 81 shotgun mic. Designed to meet the demands of high-definition television (HDTV) broadcasts, KMR 81 was shown alongside a capsule head with a figureeight directional characteristic (KK 120). Both products were introduced to enhance its line of digital mics for electronic newsgathering (ENG) and broadcast applications. Prism Sound introduced a series of Sadie software applications. Sadie digital audio workstations have been used for the last 18 years in music recording applications, but until now broadcast, mastering, post-production and recording engineers needed specific proprietary hardware to run its systems. The new software allows users to access the full functionality of Sadie gear on any computer running Windows with ASIO compatible audio hardware, as well as existing Sadie 5 hardware platforms. Prism also released two new lowercost versions of its dScope series III audio analysers. They were developed for R&D engineers and production line managers who are currently only concerned with audio analysis in the analog domain. The analog-only variants come at a much lower price point than the dScope series III audio analyser platform, yet Prism claims they provide the same functionality. Manufacturer and distributor HHB displayed products from a range of brands including Wohler, Dolby,
Soundfield, Digidesign and Roland alongside its own line-up of gear. The new Wohler AMP1-16-3G compact audio monitoring system was given its European debut alongside Roland’s new M-48/S-4000D personal monitoring system, which was designed to offer musicians enhanced flexibility and control during their performances. Additional products on HHB’s stand included the new Soundfield UPM-1, a 19-inch rack processor designed to create 5.1 surround from archive programme material that only has a stereo soundtrack, its own Flash mic models, a new version of the CDR-882 DualBurn CD Recorder and the UDP-89 Universal DVD/CD player. Alongside these were the full range of Flash recorders with offerings from Sound Devices, Edirol, Fostex, Marantz, Nagra, Olympus, Sony, Tascam and Zoom. AKG announced the release of the DMM 4/2/2 automatic microphone mixer. It’s a processor controlled digital automatic mixing algorithm with four balanced universal (microphone/line) inputs and two stereo aux inputs. The mixing algorithm automatically allocates gain among the system microphones (NOM attenuation) with a special noise detect function and the ‘Noise Sensitive Threshold’ algorithm that eliminates an accidental switching of the input channels. > ibc.org www.audioprointernational.com
> AUDIO PRO AWARDS FINALISTS
The finalists Countdown With votes beginning to be counted as API goes to press, we give you one final chance to look over the nominations of our inaugural awards before you cast your votes. Itʼs an impressive line-up...
Live and Installed Sound BEST NEW LIVE SOUND PRODUCT
BEST LIVE SOUND EVENT Download Festival 09 Main Stage: SSE Audio SSE Audio Hire gave the new L-Acoustics K1 system its first airing at the Download Festival at Donington Park on 12th to 14th June , providing sound for the main stage. The festival has been named Event Of The Year at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards. Glade Main Stage: Audio Plus The Glade festival’s main stage featured a Funktion One loudspeaker system provided by Audio Plus. Funktion One’s owners, Tony Andrews and John Newsham were on hand making custom tunings to the main stage. Take That, Circus Tour: Capital Sound An estimated £10m was spent on this tour. Production managed by
Chris Vaughan, Capital’s Sounds employed Martin Audio systems as the main PA, which was comprised of 12-cell horizontal sub bass array each side of the stage and electronically ‘bend’ it to produce the required dispersion. Roskilde Orange Stage: Seelite DPA Soundco A/S employed its JBL Vertec system as the main PA for a crowed of over 65,000 people. The four day event hosted Coldplay, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Oasis, Pet Shop Boys and Faith No More. U2 360° Tour: Clair Global The U2 360°stadium system is comprised of a 360-degree audience configuration, ambitious staging, a Clair sound system, which marks the largest speaker system collection in touring history.
L-Acoustics: K1/SB2B PA Kudo is currently piloting a brand new big-box system that it hopes will be available to the market in 2010. The new product combines a three-way, quad-amplified enclosure featuring a new K transducer arrangement, with boosted resources on the high frequency section. > l-acoustics.com
Digico: SD8 The SD8 has a fixed architecture powered by Stealth Digital Processing and employs a smaller Super FPGA than the SD7, while benefiting from the features of its D series at an entry-level console price point.
Midas: Pro 6 The Midas Pro 6 Live audio system is the second networked digital audio system from Midas. Employing technologies developed from the class-leading XL8, the Pro 6 offers the same synchronised audio performance in a more compact package. > midasconsoles.com
Tannoy: VQ Live Marketed as the ‘line array killer’, VQ Live offers sonic superiority, less boxes required, lower costs and full VNet implementation, allowing system setup and ongoing venue network control. > tannoy.com
> digico.biz
MC2: E-90 Based on new MC2 proprietary Class-D technology, E-90 has been designed to meet the demands for higher power with increased efficiency whilst delivering up to 4,500W into four ohms and 8,000W into two Ohms. > mc2-audio.co.uk
MOST INNOVATIVE INSTALLATION Ecco Ultra Lounge: Joe Lodi The Hollywood club sets standards for a greener nightlife by minimising its impact on the environment. The system comprises four Turbosound TA-500H Aspect Wide systems. Rock City, Nottingham: SSE Audio Group The Rock City system is built
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around a dV-Dosc rig. Engineers can mix acts through Soundcraft 64-channel Vi6 at FOH and 48channel Vi4 at the monitor position.
speakers. Two custom bass enclosures, an Airten unit and a Mycro X that have been customised and installed in the area.
Matter Club 02, London: Void Acoustics Matter’s VIP lounge has over 30 Void Acoustics
Atrium, London: Delta Sound The Atrium is a 6,500m area with two central area with a cutting
edge audio infrastructure designed and installed by Surrey-based Delta Sound, representing a close cooperation between Delta Sound EM Acoustics, Yamaha and Lab.gruppen. Tripod, Dublin: Acoustic Audio With a 3.5 million euro budget, Liam Rabbitt of Acoustic Audio provided the club with a Funktion One Resolution 2 sound system and Digidesign Venues.
www.audioprointernational.com
FINALISTS AUDIO PRO AWARDS < BEST LIVE SOUND ENGINEER Gary Bradshaw FOH for Take That, as well as Depeche Mode and Pink Floyd. Robbie McGrath FOH for Kasabian and best known
Kenneth ‘Pooch’ Van Druten Has worked with Linkin Park, System Of A Down and Limp Bizkit.
BEST NEW INSTALLATION PRODUCT
BEST AFTER-SALES SUPPORT SSE Audio Group SSE Audio Group provides professional audio services including PA hire, audio sales and installations. It offers sound solutions and support for applications such as sound design for shows, tours and installation.
Lab.gruppen: C 88:4 The C 88:4 is the new flagship of the C series, this amp is enough for the most demanding applications. > labgruppen.com
Powersof: Due Canali 5204 Due Canali 5204 is an installation version of the K-3 and K-2, efficient and reliable, with highoutput and crystal clear audio. > powersoft.it
> sseaudiogroup.com
outstanding performance in a sturdy, rack-mountable design, this is one of the most advanced voltage surge supressors. > furmansound.com
Adamson: Point series Aimed at the contractor market, Point comprises five new models with Ease Data. > adamsonsystems.com
Furman: Pl-Pro Dmc E Superior protection and BEST NEW COMPANY Ward Steedsy Associates Strives for quality and excellent service, working with manufacturers such as Funktion One and MC2. > ward-steedsy.co.uk
EM Acoustics Designed with the professional sound engineer in mind, EM
Clem Bennett Engineering for just over ten years and has mixed FOH for some top acts in rock, pop and metal, including The Script, Arch Enemy, Bullet For My Valentine and The Killers.
for his work with The Rolling Stones.
d&b audiotechnik: Q series Combines a variety of technologies while maintaining the maxims of d&b. The speakers have rotatable CD horns, dipolar drivers and toroidal wave shaping devices. > dbaudio.com
Digico The company was formed in 2002 with the purchase of Soundtracs. The team’s success led to two decades of audio innovation and, in 1992, its first development of a digital audio mixing console. > digico.biz
Adamson Systems Engineering The Canadian company develops and manufactures a complete line
Acoustics speaker systems combine precision engineering with robust build quality to deliver performance on demand.
marketing and support for Digidesign, Adamson, Furman, Lightviper Radial and also manufactures Vieta Pro.
> emacoustics.co.uk/
> seesound.es
Seesound SL A start-up in 2004, by 2007 Seesound had gained the Produccion Audio Best Spanish Audio Company Award. Seesound provides
HD Pro Audio A pro audio sales and distribution company with an experienced sales and support staff that offers a complete, synchronised and focused
Andy ‘Baggy’ Robinson Robinson is George Michael’s personal monitor engineer (for a band some 15-strong), as well as the artist’s head of sound, and has worked on some of the most collosal live events such as, most recently, Live 8 and The Big Chill. of advanced speaker products for the pro touring and installation market. Its pursuit of sonic excellence led to a number of patents in key loudspeaker technologies being published. > adamsonsystems.com
Audio Technica Audio Technica is a worldwide group of companies devoted to the design, manufacture, marketing, distribution and support of problem-solving audio equipment. > audio-technica.com
Midas Consoles Midas has been designing and manufacturing live performance analog and digital audio mixing consoles for the world's most demanding live sound engineers, performers and rental companiess. > midasconsoles.com
response to any project. Red Square Audio Red Square Audio is a UK- based company whose aim is to market the most interesting and relevant products in their category and to support those products with in depth knowledge, comprehensive training, and 24/7 support. > redsquareaudio.co.uk
Studio and Broadcast Sound BEST NEW STUDIO PRODUCT Analogue Tube: AT-101 The AT-101 is a faithful recreation of the original Fairchild 670 stereo limiter. Built using traditional point-to-point wiring methods, it is completely free from any printed circuit boards. > analoguetube.com
Avid: Pro Tools 8 The latest audio creation and production software, with a new interface, new scoring and MIDI features, and deeper controller integration. > Digidesign.com
Universal Audio: UAD-2 Nevana The UAD2 Nevana 32 combines the classic sound of Neve with Universal Audio's new DSP www.audioprointernational.com
acceleration hardware. Brings the coveted Neve sound to DAWs.
BEST STUDIO ENGINEER
> uaudio.com
John Agnello Has worked on influential albums for the past 25 years, including Born in the USA and Cyndi Lauper’s She’s So Unusual!. Recently worked with The Hold Steady, Dinosaur Jr and Sonic Youth.
SE Electronics: RNR1 Neve ribbon microphone Rupert Neve’s new custom circuit design allows HF to be captured and sent from the capsule for the first time ever. Standard performance is 20Hz to 25KHz – three times the frequency range of the best competitor ribbon mics. > seelectronics.com
Bricasti Design: M7 reverb The Model 7 provides the highest level of musicality and ease of control imaginable in a reverb processor. DSP processors, provides a platform for the long overdue next step in reverb processing algorithms. > bricasti.com
Dan Carey Writer, mixer and remixer with credits including Franz Ferdinand, Hot Chip, Kylie, Brazilian Girls, Natty, Sly & Robbie and Lily Allen. Hayden Bendall Was an Abbey Road Studios engineer for 17 years – ten as chief engineer – before going freelance.
Credits include David Gilmour, Paul McCartney, Rush and Fleetwood Mac. Mick Glossop Mick has been producing, engineering and mixing for over 25 years. He had huge success collaborating with artists, including The Waterboys, Furniture, The Wonder Stuff, Frank Zappa, Ian Gillan, John Lee Hooker and Lloyd Cole. Tony Platt Tony Platt is a music producer who has worked with AC/DC, Bob Marley, Iron Maiden, Buddy Guy, Foreigner and Motörhead.
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> AUDIO PRO AWARDS FINALISTS BEST BROADCAST SOUND The Brits: ITV The BPI's annual pop awards saw Derrick Zieba and Brit Row provide sound systems and design. Eurovision Song Contest: Channel BEST NEW STUDIO Motor Museum: Liverpool, UK A world-class recording studio running alongside two of today's top producers, Mike Crossey and Jim Anderson. > miloco.co.uk
Odds On: Henderson, NV, USA A privately owned facility that caters to record labels, managers, and artists, Odds On has married state of the art and vintage recording technologies. > oddsonrecording.com
The Doghouse: Oxfordshire, UK A residential recording studio set
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Fred Heuves CMO of Synco/Ampco Flashlight, a network of ten of Europe’s most experienced sound specialists, working to deliver class, costeffective, border-free audio rental across Europe. The network provides artists, promoters and production managers with a truly hassle-free, touring experience.
One, Moscow Broadcast by Channel One, Moscow, the contest used some 450 tonnes of stage and lighting tech. X Factor: ITV Leading talent search show with live broadcast held throughout the UK in secluded grounds on the banks of the River Thames, it has a mixture of vintage and cutting edge gear. > thedoghousestudio.co.uk
Kore Studios: London The premises are arranged over two floors with the recording areas at ground level and lounges on the first floor. It is a single studio facility, which ensures that artists get total privacy and undivided attention. > kore-studios.com
Black Rock: Santorini, Greece Embodies everything that recording artists desire: complete luxury and bliss combined with top-end studio facilities.
the band Genesis, he went on to focus on producing world music and pioneering digital distribution methods for music.
Steve Levine Steve Levine is best known for his work on Culture Club's studio albums. He has also produced work for China Crisis, Motörhead, Ziggy Marley and Gary Moore.
Charlie Watkins Charlie Watkins is known for creating the first guitar amps, the Copicat echo and the first festival PA systems. Now approaching 90, Watkins still makes and sells amplifiers, accordions and is about to launch a new Copicat.
Peter Gabriel Musician and songwriter known for his involvement in the early days of
Mike Lowe Was a production manager for ELP in the 70s, ran Turbosound rentals
BEST AFTER-SALES SUPPORT Studiospares Top service before and after sales. The staff at Studiospares do not earn based on commission, which means the company can offer completely unbiased advice. > studiospares.com
Yellow Technology Established in 2002 as a proaudio supplier, it provides continued after sales support for recording, film and TV post-production and events. > yellowtechnology.co.uk
Audio Technica A worldwide group devoted to the
and Ireland to 10,000,000 viewers. Wimbledon: BBC The Beeb has broadcast Wimbledon Tennis championship since 1937, now available in HD, the matches are broadcast to over 1,000,000 viewers each day. MOST ORIGINAL STUDIO INITIATIVE Way Studio Way Studio has three parts: music, media and marketing. Its range of services focus on media and marketing helping construct new marketing packages that utilise the internet and new marketing technologies to create awareness online – all managed by a clever back-end solution.
Guinness Premiership Ruby: Sky Live coverage of the games are broadcasted by Sky Sports over all three of the broadcaster’s sports channels, as well as in HD. Extensive use of multiple camera angles for action replays and hundreds of mics are involved. togethers exploring new approaches on behalf of the recording sector, seeking out revenue streams unimpeded by a stagnated rights hierarchy. > aprs.co.uk
Metropolis Studio Metropolis Group’s Digital Media team offer the ultimate one stop shop experience - Blu-ray, DVD, promos, web tools, photography, live shoots and more.
> thewaystudio.com
> metropolis-group.co.uk/
All Studios website Each month All Studios features one or two studios to promote some of the spaces that still exist to offer discounted recording time opportunities in the UK. > allstudios.co.uk/
GHQ Sonic Cuisine Provides cost-effective recording, mixing, mastering, a referral scheme setup and loyalty programmes for customers. Helps companies build stronger relationships with customers and clients through creative thinking and effective communication.
APRS APRS organised a series of get-
BEST NEW COMPANY T2 A major Portuguese distributor for audio equipment for the professional recording industry. > t2.com.pt
Dangerous Music Designed with mastering-quality standards and a practical aesthetic, the Dangerous Music equipment line has been developed to bring digital audio workstation recording to a new level.
> myspace.com/ghqsoniccuisine
Rupert Neve Designs Rupert Neve Designs is a small team of dedicated engineers that has designed a new range of pro audio gear and systems based on both proven classic design concepts and modern innovations. Its latest range of gear is based on custom designed transformers and single sided amplification. > rupertneve.com
JDK Audio JDK Audio is an entirely new brand developed by API. The company was created to manufacture products with new ideas to expand the creative options of API without restrictions.
Bricasti Design Bricasti Design was founded in 2004 by industry veterans Brian Zolner and Casey Dowdell. The firm is dedicated to the design and manufacture of what it considers the finest professional audio products, including the Model 7 stereo reverb processor – considered by many as the new industry standard – and the Model 10 remote console.
> jdkaudio.com
> bricasti.com
>dangerousmusic.com/index2a.html
design, manufacture and support of problem-solving audio equipment. Sonic Distribution A free technical support service for UK customers of all distributed products in the UK.
KMR Audio Supply and support of the best studio products, it provides lifetime tech support on all it supplies.
> sonic-distribution.com/uk
> kmraudio.com
> audio-technica.com/en/
A 100+ PANEL OF INDUSTRY EXPERTS WILL CAST THEIR VOTES AND THE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN NEXT MONTH'S AUDIO PRO. 20
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www.audioprointernational.com
> REVIEW 5052 STEREO VALVE PROCESSOR
Double your sound
Chris Frost of Graphic Nature Studios takes a look at (and listens to) the finer points of TL Audio’s 5052 stereo valve processor... L Audio’s Ivory 2 series 5052 stereo valve processor is a 3U, two channel unit comprising a compressor, eq and peak limiter on each. Having quickly and easily made all of the possible connections, I tested the unit on a wide variety of applications and was pleased to find that its performance lived up to its impressive spec. The 5052 has three Sovtek ECC83 dual triode valves making up to six valve stages. One in each of the pre-amp, compressor and eq sections, repeated on both channels. I fed the audio into the 5052 and the Drive LED indicated the valves were working (illuminating from +6 to +16dBu). Line inputs are via balanced XLR, switchable +4/+18dBu (this also goes for balanced mic inputs with switchable +48V phantom power) and unbalanced via quarter-inch jack, switchable -10/+4dBu. The unit also has two instrument inputs on the front with a gain range of 0dB to +40dB. All inputs have phase reverse, 90Hz high pass filter and a bypass for the compressor, eq and limiter as a group. I found the backlight VUs extremely accurate and the fourpoint centred switch made it easy to distinguish what the unit was doing at every part of the chain. Switching is between input/output levels and compressor/limiter gain reduction. The 10dB meter pad switch is also effective when monitoring input and output levels. The compressor is equipped with a hard/soft knee switch, eq side-chain switch, as well as the usual threshold, ratio, gain make up, attack and release. I was very impressed with the overall sound. It was lovely and smooth on vocals, crunchy on bass drums and warmed up the final mix. The compressor was very easy to use, especially with the attack/release pots not being dented, thus making it easy to dial in exactly what I wanted. The only dented pots on the 5052 are on the input/outputs in the ‘0’ centres and eq gain parameters.
T
EQUALISATION The eq is four band with switchable peak/shelf on the LF and HF and parametric bandwidth on the LM/HM frequencies. Having a valve in the eq stage, as well as the compressor and limiter, gives it a rich sound. The eq can be positioned pre or post compressor and individually bypassed like the compressor and limiter. The limiter is on a pull to activate pot, post fader, and has a threshold of 0dBu to +20dBu. Once pulled, the adjacent green LED lights up to show the limiter is on and as I roll back, the red LED lights up when the limiter starts to kick in. 22
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When I switched over the VUs to monitor the limiter, the gain reduction showed accurately. This is a ‘brick wall’ action limiter and after testing it with the compressor, eq, etc, I tried using it on its own, bypassing everything else in the chain, bar the preamp. The results were very smooth. Even pushing it far beyond the usual degrees of limiting created some interesting effects, while maintaining the warm sound of the preamp tubes. STEREO LINKING The 5052 can be stereo-linked on the compressor, eq and limiter functions. Channel 1 then becomes the master for both channels. Not having to fiddle to get the same compressor, eq or limiter settings on both sides is a real bonus. I was hoping that all of channel 1’s functions would mirror to the slave, but there are a few functions that are not included. The phase reverse and pad are not linkable, but this isn’t really an issue. It would be useful to add optional input and output gains to future models. The overall sound is warm, punchy and clean with no noise. Running audio through the 5052 pre-amp puts a glow/edge on music, even without putting the eq, compressor and limiter into the chain. I also like the layout, the VUs, especially the switching between inputs, outputs and gain reduction on the compressor and limiters. If I had to pick a downside, it would be that you can move the eq pre/post the compressor, but there isn’t a facility to move the limiter within the chain. I know it would usually appear at the end, but it would be nice to have the option to move it elsewhere for certain effects. However, this is a dual channel unit so it is perfectly feasible to run the audio through it twice. You can also purchase the optional DO-2 24 bit AD converter output card, which provides outputs from channels 1 and 2 to the SPDIF phono output.
”
The overall sound is warm, punchy and clean with no noise. Chris Frost Graphic Nature Studios
VERDICT This is a high-end processor with high-end results, with a value for money that is hard to match. The build quality is excellent and although at 3U it’s a little larger than all the others in the Ivory 2 family, I’m glad TL didn’t compromise ease of use for size. I’ve uploaded an assortment of mp3s to our website (below) in the media section under ‘TLAudio’. Please contact us if you would like to hear WAV versions. > graphicnature.co.uk www.audioprointernational.com
> COMPANY PROFILE VOID
The penny drops With a US branch now fully established and a PA range that’s garnering recognition in spades, few would now deny the calibre of this British loudspeaker firm. Rob Hughes finds out how Void is fast changing the industry’s perceptions. elonging to a pretty exclusive club of PA manufacturers that were established this century, Void has practically reinvented the model of such a business. But after developing a line of loudspeakers that thumped with the best of them and, visually, were in a league of their own, the firm quickly found itself a victim of its own success, as some prospective customers dismissed it out of hand, based on pre-conceived ideas of what a speaker should look like. “We changed the concept of a loudspeaker,” recalls MD Alex Skan. “We proved that there’s no standard for what a speaker should look like, but that added an additional variable element that a lot of people weren’t expecting to encounter. Many people thought a speaker was always a square box and that they didn’t have to make a decision as to what it should look like. All of a sudden they had to make that decision and for some people it was like trying to contemplate an infinite universe – they thought: ‘I can’t get my head round that, I’ll go with the easier option’, which was not trying to understand. “By the third or fourth year, people were coming up to us at shows and saying: ‘we didn’t think you were still going to be here’. They really didn’t take us seriously enough. Plus, we were doing a lot on the underground dance scene back then and many thought we were just a load of guys on the make.
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In reality, we were just going where the market was feeding us. I think, because of that, people liked to put us into a little box and say: ‘Yeah, they’re the guys who just mess about with party systems’. Well, no, we’re not – especially given our latest round of products, that couldn’t be further from the truth. “It’s simple, if customers who know their stuff get to actually hear the speakers, they realise that they’re really very good and then they tend to want them. So we’re slowly breaking down the barriers in that sense, but sometimes you have to go for the safer option and offer them a square box. We can do this, because we have that type of product too, but more and more often, as people come to me and they take away the visual-type loudspeakers, they become more open minded about them. We get calls everyday now, so it’s no bad thing.” What began as something of an extended hobby for Skan and his business partner, renowned cabinet designer Rog Mogale, has been successfully moulded into a successful business by the pair. Void now plans to move into the corporate sector and the development of new product lines that will broaden its target market dramatically, is already at an advanced stage. “We started from scratch,” he continues. “Although Rog and I both came form a PA background, we didn’t have a
“
People take away the visual-type loudspeakers and they become more open minded about them. Alex Skan
www.audioprointernational.com
VOID COMPANY PROFILE< collection of connections in the industry, we didn’t have any ready customers, we didn’t have any ready products and we didn’t have any money. We’ve grown from a grassroots level – being out there and driving things hard and seeing what breaks and we’ve learnt a hell of a lot from it. We’ve learnt our craft now; we’ve got both the manufacturing and the product range to the stage that we wanted it to be at and now we’re ready to move up there with the big boys.” As it heads towards the uppers echelons of the live sound market, Void, like any manufacturer rising through the ranks, is duty-bound to compete in terms of performance as a priority. To this end, the firm has invested enough time and money in R&D to put it in a position where it feels confident enough to claim that not only can it produce systems more cheaply than many competitors, but also to a higher standard. This will be critical to ensure the success of its first largeformat line array, which, all being well, will debut next year. “We’re spending a lot of time on line array products and we’re moving everything forward from where a lot of people are currently at. We’re trying to fully exploit the principle rather than just putting drivers in a line, because you can potentially achieve a lot more. We’re looking at steerable arrays, multi-cell arrays, digital elements and the whole background of digital matrixing. So we’re always forwardthinking about what we’re going to do next and looking at new ways of doing things. “Our primary motivation is the performance of our products, that’s what we’re really interested in,” insists Skan. “We don’t just give people what they want, we show them what they can have – the next step from what’s already out there. We take a good look at current market products and then listen carefully to the requirements of our customers. That’s the starting point of our design criteria. The final product is then developed by optimising all aspects of the specification to achieve an all-round, high-performance piece of kit. “We pay attention to what people ask us to do. It’s not like we sit in a concrete bunker and invent something; it’s a twoway street. Almost every product we have developed has been based on customer interaction and feedback. Take speakers like the Mycro 6 and Arcline 6 – I can remember specifically the communication that we went through to come up with the design spec for these products. There were specific customer requirements involved.” On entering the US market, Void quickly discovered that the customer requirements in North America differ slightly to those in its native industry. But rather than try to bring its American customers around to its own preferred way of thinking, the company’s response has been to develop its existing products even further and tailor them specifically to be in line with the traditional way of doing things Stateside – namely by negating the need for traditional 19-inch rack amplifiers and processors.
“We don’t just give people what they want, we show them what they can have” - Alex Skan
“In the US market, everything is powered, so we’re developing powered versions of all our high-level products. What we intend to do is integrate all the amplification we’ve already developed into the cabinetry, along with the DSP. “This is quite a straightforward operation for us, because the performance of a 19-inch rack amplifier has to be a lot higher than an amp module in a cabinet. In a rack, you’ve got a much higher level of heat, so you need cooling systems and what you’re plugging into is always going to be variable, so one night you might have four bass bins and another night you might have just two mid-highs. But for the purposes of a cabinet, it’s a known load, so a lot of the protection circuitry you strip out. You design it to run optimally at eight Ohms and so on. If you can make a 19-inch rack amplifier, which we can, then making a module is a much more simplistic task. “And that brings me onto the next thing, the fact that we are building our own amplifiers. I think it’s paramount to understand the importance of tailoring the amplification in sound systems. If you go and buy a proprietary amp off the shelf from someone else, you’re subjecting your system to the performance of that other manufacturer. It’s not until you ‘A/B’ amplifiers, that you realise how significant the differences in performance are. If you’re buying a sound system, an integral part of this is the amplification, so that’s why it’s vitally important that you have control of that variable. The driver, cabinetry and their marriage to the amplifier are paramount in getting it right. If you understand both technologies, you understand how they react to each other. This also applies to processing, desks, cables; the whole lot. For some of the bigger guys, that’s their goal – to make everything between performer and listener. That way they get control of the complete system and the end performance is much, much better. If you can do it with integrity and a good set of ears, you will end up with something that is twice as good a product than it could have been and for a lot less money. My true belief is full system integration right across the board. That’s where it’s at.” > voidaudio.com
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NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL LIVE SOUND <
The heat is on the streets Notting Hill’s annual carnival transforms the streets of an otherwise posh neighbourhood into a full-scale block party of grand proportions. This year’s show served as the UK debut of the new LD Systems Premium line array system. Andrew Low took the tube and fought the crowds to bring you this report… he Notting Hill carnival is not somewhere to go if you have a hangover. With over a million visitors, 40 static sound systems and a fleet of beat-blasting floats, the sounds of the annual event, held over 20 miles in London’s Notting Hill, is an auditory nightmare to someone with a headache. However, visiting the carnival as a fresh-faced and rested punter is an experience like no other. Carnival has been held every August bank holiday since 1966. Originally started by the West Indian community in Notting Hill, the annual event now draws crowds from all over the world for two days of street party madness. The colourful floats, ethnic foods and block-rocking beats from endless stacks of speakers strewn about the neighbourhood are signature to the festival and serve as a showcase of loudspeaker technology in an unorthodox outdoor setting. Among this year’s floats was a line array stack from LD System’s new Premium line of line-array loudspeaker technology. The system was assembled on the back of an 18wheeler and comprised 16 of LD’s VA-8 line array elements and eight LD VAPS-215 subs. Having only landed in the UK two weeks prior, Carnival was the UK debut of the system. LD Systems product manager Ben Millson and Dave Brown from the company’s UK distributor, Adam Hall, manned the trucks to ensure premium output of the system throughout the weekend. Millson comments: “All we had was three rack cases and a stack of arrays and subs, which is minimal compared to what some of the other trucks were using and we were getting complaints that we were interfering with the sound up to four floats behind us. The design of the Premium system is very efficient. The VA-8 is not big, but coupling them with the 215s’ double 15-full band bass enclosures delivers a big sound. We only used one column up the middle of the set-up,
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but it provided a 100-degree dispersion so we didn’t need to use two per side. Some of the bigger names on the market come with much heftier price tags than LD Premium, but it can deliver just as much in terms of coverage, SPLs and throw.” The LD Premium VA-8 is a dual two-way line array speaker with two eight-inch Neodymium woofers and two one-inch Neodynium compression drivers with a 1.35-inch voice coil. With a 100 by ten-degree rotatable dispersion, its frequency range is 70Hz to 19kHz. The speaker also provides 138dB max SPL and weighs 27.5kg. The accompanying LD VAPS-215 is a dual 15-inch fourth order bandpass sub with 1,200W RMS, featuring two woofers with four-inch voice coil delivering a 34 to 400Hz frequency range. A max SPL of 131dB, the VAPS-215 is 740mm wide, 506mm high and 705mm deep and weighs 81.5 kgs. The system was accompanied by LD’s LDSP6K amplifiers for low end, set at two Ohms, which provided 2,950Watts per channel and a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz. The VA-8 was powered by LDSDP4K amplifiers. Both amps are Class H and are listed as providing optimum audio at low distortion in the range of 1.5 to six kilowatts, yet weighing in around eight kilos and 30cm deep. System designer Robbie Barrow is no stranger to big systems as he has used many other loudspeakers for past carnival floats. He was very happy with the Premium speakers over the weekend. Millson explains: “I invited Barrow down to our offices to hear a demo of the new speakers and he was very impressed. So much so that he immediately chose to use them for Carnvial. He has used some really high-end stuff in the past, so we were very happy at how pleased he was with the new Premium line.” > ld-premium.com
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Block-rocking beats from stacks of speakers were a showcase of loudspeaker technology in an unorthodox setting.
It was LD Systems a gogo at Notting Hill Carnival
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Power and Clarity Funktion One's new RM18 triple concentric stage monitor is a radical departure from the standard 15" and compression driver configuration, delivering a significant perfromance advantage over conventional monitors.
www.funktion-one.com
The innovative design comprises an ultra-fast Neodymium 18" driver with 5" coil and a special mid range driver with a built in super tweeter passively crossed over at 9kHz. The 700Hz crossover point and the natural materials used in the mid device give a previously unheard clarity and definition to the vocal range. The bass response of the 18" driver also makes it well suited to use as a drum monitor.
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT STAGE WEDGES<
Jammin off the wedge
Hiding on the lip of big concert stages are the black boxes that can make or break an artist’s performance. Acurate stage monitoring has become its own science as artists and monitor engineers expect the same results from their wedges as FOH expects from the main PA. Andrew Low kneels down and inspects what lies inside these slanted little wedges… ith the advent of wireless in ear monitoring system one would think that stage wedges have become a thing of the past. However, it seems that the days of wedges are here to stay as new monitors with digital technology and enhanced components are released at each new tradeshow. The truth is that stage wedges are still very much in use and as the technology is furthered the sound quality gets better while their durability and performance is enhanced. The latest breed of stage monitors are unobtrusive, road-ready boxes with DSP functions to provide quick and user-friendly set up for the most demanding live applications. ADAMSON M12 Released at this year’s Prolight+Sound, Adamson’s new lightweight M12 monitor is a low profile stage wedge designed for optimised gain before feedback, precise pattern control and high output with low distortion. The M12s symmetrical trapezoid design and 65-degree conical waveguide allow any two cabinets to operate as a mirrored pair. It also features the ND12L, Adamson’s first lightweight, long-excursion 12-inch Kevlar Neodymium driver designed for premium power handling and mid frequency response. Adamson is boasting that the ND12L exhibits remarkably low distortion due to the qualities of its multilayer Kevlar cone combined with Advanced Cone Architecture, a proprietary technology that increases the linearized mid-range response by reducing the radial and chaotic modes in the driver’s passband. The Kevlar cone design also maintains durability in the wet and is well suited for outdoor events. The M12’s HF section features a lightweight three-inch diaphragm, 1.4-inch exit neodymium driver, fitted with an Adamson waveguide. Its dimensions are 8 x 25.125 x 11-inches.
DB TECHNOLOGIES DVX DM15 The DVX DM15 is a low-profile stage monitor with an unobtrusive design for sound reinforcement applications that require lowend performance without the addition of extra subwoofers. The monitor features RCF’s 15inch neodymium woofer, a 3.5-inch voice coil and a 1.4inch neodymium compression driver coupled to an aluminum CD horn. These elements were incorporated to provide accurate response across the full voice range. The monitor is also paired with high-output Digipro digital power amps in a bi-amped configuration. An onboard controller manages the entire system, serving as an active equalizer, active crossover with phase and time alignment and a limiter. The DSP also offers switchable system presets that adapt the monitor’s performance to suit the given application at hand. With a Max SPL of 132 dB, the DM15 features a 40 x 60degree aluminium CD horn. It is powered by a Class-D 250 W/RMS amp for HFs and a ClassD 500 W/RMS for LFs.
> adamsonsystems.com
> dbtechnologies.com
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> STAGE WEDGES SECTOR SPOTLIGHT
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Funktion One’s new RM18 is a radical departure from the standard 15-inch woofer and compression driver configuration.
FUNKTION ONE RM18 Funktion One's new RM18 was also launched at Prolight+Sound 09. The triple concentric stage monitor is listed as a radical departure from the standard 15-inch and compression driver configuration. As such, Funktion One is claims that the RM18 is capable of delivering a significant performance advantage over conventional monitors. Its triple concentric arrangement comprises an 18-inch driver with fiveinch coil and neodymium magnet and an additional five-inch driver with a built-in HF compression driver passively crossedover at 9kHz. The 700Hz crossover point and the natural materials used in RM18’s mid-device are integrated to provide clarity and definition to the vocal range. The bass response of the 18-inch driver also makes it well suited as a drum monitor. The design of the driver is such that the RM18 does not require built-in eq correction, leaving the enclosure phase coherent with lots of headroom. Its conical dispersion is 70-degrees, with the enclosure measuring 17-inches high by 30 wide and 20 inches deep, while weighing in at 35kg. > funktion-one.com
driver with a three-inch voice coil. Its coverage is 60 by 40degrees with a crossover frequency of 12dB/octave and crossover modes including bi-amp and passive. > hkaudio.com
JBL VRX915M The JBL VRX915M is a dedicated, compact and lightweight 15-inch two-way touring-class floor monitor, with only a 14inch stage height and JBL’s latest neodymium-magnet transducers. It can be operated in passive or biamp mode and has a maximum SPL of 127dB. Active tunings for many processors, including dbx, BSS and Lake can be downloaded from JBL’s website. Low frequencies are handled by the monitors 15-inch JBL 2265HPL differential drive woofer, while HFs are broadcasted by a four-inch JBL 2452H a 1.5 exit and a neodymium magnet compression driver. Its coverage pattern is 50 by 90-degrees, nominal. It also features passive/bi-amp crossover modes and a crossover frequency of 1.1 kHz. The dimensions of VRX915M are 24.75 high by 17 wide and 12.75 deep with a weight of 46 lbs. > jblpro.com
HK AUDIO CT 115 HK Audio’s CT 115 has been part of the stage monitoring system at Glastonbury’s John Peel Stage for two years running. This year the stage employed 18 of the 15-inch CT 115 cabinets in biamp-mode, powered by DSM 2060 controllers and Lab.gruppen FP 10000 power amps. Bruce Springsteen used the HK monitors when he jumped on stage for a short impromptu session with the band Gas Light Anthem. Echo and the Bunnymen, The Wombats, White Lies, Jarvis Cocker and Doves also used the CT 115s throughout the weekend. Part of HK Audio’s Contour series of concert loudspeakers, the CT 115 comprises a 15-inch neodymium low/mid woofer and a 1.4-inch HF
OHM TRS-115 With the help of Ohm’s TRS-115 monitor, Britannia Stadium, the home to Stoke City Football Club, has been named the loudest stadium in the UK by the audio tech team of Sky+HD – and that’s without the sound system. With a capacity of only 28,383, the fans still out-cheer the likes of huge clubs like Arsenal and Manchester United. British loudspeaker manufacturer, Ohm has supplied the field with 24 of its TRS-115 monitors to broadcast the announcers throughout the stadium. The TRS-15 is from Ohm’s touring line and features and a 15-inch with three-inch voice coil bass driver and a half-inch compression driver mounted on a 60 by 40-degree horn flare. The design of the cabinet allows it to be used as a full range system or within a two-way system as the mid/highs for a sub/sat system. Applications include stage monitors and front of house > ohm.co.uk
VMB’S ADP-15M VMB’s new ADP-15M is an active stage monitor that incorporates an internal DSP. It is a high output 130dB monitor powered by 1500W class D amplification (1000W for the low frequencies and 500W for the driver) and uses a 15inch neodymium woofer and a 1.4-inch compression driver while weighing only 27kg. The company is boasting that the coaxial ADP-15M provides a virtually flat phase response and enables various monitors configured in stereo to achieve greater coherence. 30
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SECTOR SPOTLIGHT STAGE WEDGES <
Its 60Hz to 20KHz frequency response reduces the need for eq filters and an LCD screen enables the user to change between different configurations without the need for an external processor. The power module can also be turned 180-degrees to provide clean connection cable placement. Optional Ethernet provides information on temperature of the hottest power module and input levels. > vmb.es
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The VMB ADP15M enables various monitors configured in stereo to achieve greater coherence
RCF TT45-SMA RCF boasts that its TT45-SMA monitor has flat amplitude response, extended bass reproduction and premium output. Its cabinet angle and 90 by 40-degree uniform directivity is designed to work in pairs for tour grade monitoring. Featuring 1,500W digital amplification power with integrated onboard signal processing and transducer protections, TT45SMA’s low frequency section comprises two 12-inch high power neodymium vented woofers. The two transducers are driven in parallel, while in its low midrange frequency region only one of the two transducers is driven in order to avoid side cancellations. Clever stuff. A new three-inch diaphragm compression driver with a 1.4inch exit throat deliver natural midrange and high frequency. The diaphragm is precision formed from pure titanium, the suspension is based on a vented and damped design in order to provide very low distortion. The TT45-SMA is powered by a 1,500W digital two-way amplifier: 1000W for the two 12-inch woofers and 500W drive the three-inch voice coil horn loaded driver. The input board features a special switch to align the curve response equalisation for use of the speaker system in pairs. > rcf.it
neodymium compression driver with low distortion and frequency extension up to 20kHz. The ergonomics of the SMX15 enable it to be tilted at five different angles. Each position offers the lowest possible profile. Three integrated handles ensure straightforward lifting and handling. There is also an optional rigging system. Applications include everything from traditional stage monitoring at FOH, or in clubs, bars and other small installations to TV applications as well as side-fill or drum-fill. > apg.tm.fr
EAW MW15 MICROWEDGE The MW15 features a coaxial driver arrangement that pairs a 15-inch woofer with a three-inch HF compression driver on a horn, which provides a 90-degree horizontal dispersion. The MW15 is processor-enhanced (rather than processordependant) for plug and play operation. It is also offered in switchable passive or active modes. > eaw.com.
SYNCO CW152 Synco’s CW152 monitor was developed with the input of a team of experienced monitor engineers and technicians from around the world. The two-way active CW-152 wedge offers point source performance due to its coaxial design, which ensures proper signal alignment and constant directivity and Q through crossover. Synco states that this unique design feather enables the CW152 to provide tonal balance and resolution not attainable from any other design. The Synco monitor provides a maximum SPL of 132dB. Its HF driver is a CD2-8, two-inch driver and its LF driver is a 15inch woofer. > synco-network.com
EV XW15A EV’s Xw15A is a two-way, 15-inch floor monitor featuring its ND6 three-inch Titanium HF compression driver with neodymium motor. A member of the company’s X-Array family, the monitor has a max SPL of 135dB and a nominal coverage of 55 by 80-degree. It features an LF woofer with a 15-inch transducer and a 1.4-inch HF transducer. > electrovoice.com
APEX SMX15 The SMX15 stage monitor is the latest product in the APG’s Dispersion series of multi-purpose loudspeakers. It is based on coaxial technology to provide a coherent conical acoustic field and was designed for applications requiring a combination of sonic accuracy and very high SPLs down to low frequencies. This new loudspeaker takes advantage of a proprietary technique of forced thermal transfer, which reduces thermal compression effects, resulting in optimised sound pressure capacity down to 60Hz. The low frequency section uses a new generation neodymium 15-inch cone speaker mounted in a ported enclosure, while the high frequency section uses a
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PEAVEY QW MONITOR The Peavey QW monitor features a 15-inch Pro Rider woofer with a Kevlar impregnated, water-resistant treated cone and dust cap for environmental stability. Its four-inch 44XT compression driver handles the high frequencies and features the Radialinear Planar phase correction system, while its CH-6 conical constant directivity horn provides an even 60-degree coverage in all directions. > peavey.com
MARTIN AUDIO LE1500S The Martin Audio LE1500S is a compact, high performance stage monitor combining high output and controlled dispersion with discreet, contemporary design. It features a high specification 15-inch low frequency drive unit and a 1.4-inch exit compression driver mounted on a differential dispersion horn. This dispersion technology increases the area over which a constant SPL and consistent frequency response is maintained at ear height > martin-audio.com
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nominate now for the music producers guild awards 2010 Your chance to nominate for the Music Producers Guild Awards 2010 continues until Monday 19th October. The 2010 event will see the introduction of two new categories, Breakthrough Producer and Breakthrough Engineer and the qualifying period for work is September 1st 2008 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; September 31st 2009. The Music Producers Guild Awards have has been created to appreciate and honour the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s invaluable producers, engineers, mixers and remixers, whilst also giving an opportunity for the less recognised individuals within the industry to shine through in the Best Newcomer and Unsung Hero awards. Visit www.mpgawards.co.uk to see all the categories and to nominate. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact: Natalie Besbrode @ Bubble & Squeak e-mail: natalie@bubblesqueak.co.uk
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JOHN AGNELLO INTERVIEW <
Out on the Farm
John Agnello has spent his career working on albums with everyone from mega rock bands to indie innovators. Andrew Low talks to Agnello about his work style, choice of gear and how he makes records sound so good… He explains: “The monitor section we used comprised 32 ohn Agnello walks the line between major label inputs with little faders, four sends, four cues with solo in producer and indie band herder. Having worked on two place, pre and post on the cues and sends and no eq or mic of the biggest indie releases of 2009, he realises his role pres. We ran everything through it. It has those really great as an engineer and producer can mean many things. Dinosaur op-amps and the API character, so it sounds wonderful. Jr’s new album Farm and Sonic Youth’s latest, The Eternal, “I remember working at the Record Plant with Jimmy showcase the diversity of his craft while encompassing the Lovine – he would do rough mixes for the record label off the core elements he learned watching top engineers work during juke box because it sounded much bigger, so even his days at NYC’s legendary Record Plant. back then people thought those monitor sections Agnello cut his teeth putting in long hours at had a bigger and much cleaner sound. the Record Plant, working with engineers in the mid 80s on albums from big rock and CONSOLE BUGABOOS pop artists such as Cyndi Lauper, “It is common sense because my Meatloaf, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen bugaboo with the new consoles is – and Kiss. “I was very fortunate to be in and I love Neve consoles – that with rooms all day with people who really the new 88Rs, once you add so many knew what they were doing and amplifiers and set up and step down through osmosis I learned my amps into your signal path, it really engineering craft,” he explains. changes the sound. When you record In the early ‘90s Agnello met your entire record on Pro Tools and Dinosaur Jr frontman J Mascis through one of those consoles it sounds on a ‘young and hip’ A&R rep who was record like it sounds in the studio. trying to court the band to Columbia John Agnello “Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t sound Records. Although Mascis never signed to horrible, but when you compare the sound it Columbia, Agnello was eventually contacted really is different. Part of my credo as an engineer to work on the band’s album Where You Been and to this day is that people hire me to make the best has worked on almost all of his recordings ever since. sounding record that I can and I strive to do just that. I use “When we first joined forces, I was able to get guitar and tape and the specific gear that will work and sound the best. I snare drum sounds down the way he wanted them really don’t believe in saying, ‘SSL is very convenient so let me just easily and that was his major focus for the songs. We got along mix the record with that’. I don’t like how those consoles well in the studio and I put up with a lot of his craziness.” sound, so I don’t use them.” When working on the critically acclaimed album Farm, Farm was recorded in J Mascis’ studio in Amherst, Agnello found himself returning to old methods learned at Massachusetts. The gear chosen for the space was mostly the Record Plant, as an API monitor section plucked out of formed around pieces that Agnello used for past sessions. an old 70s console became an integral part of the recordings.
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I was fortunate to be in rooms all day with people who knew what they were doing and through osmosis I learned my craft. John Agnello
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> INTERVIEW JOHN AGNELLO Thurston Moore uses Agnello as much for organisational duties as engineering
Sonic Youth learnt and recorded Eternal on the spot
“Back in 93 I would roll in all my gear and Mascis saw all the API graphics and mic pres and the Neve compressors and really liked the sound I got,” he enthuses. “Later on I got my hands on Dakings compressors and started working with a lot of things we had used in the past. He really loved the API 560s because he likes to eq the snare drum and push the blue slider, which is the 1k fader. He would laugh and say, ‘give me more blue slider’. He also has some Neve 1073s, vintage Neve and Telefunken V72s mic pres. He is really into running his guitars through some of the new Chandler gear and uses tons of monster cable equipment, so he uses a bit of new and older gear.” LOUD AND IN YOUR FACE The key to the immense guitar sound on Dinosaur Jr’s albums is not layers of guitars as one would assume, but rather, Agnello cranks the tracks through Daking equalisers. “We hit the bus pretty hard,” he comments. “All those things add up to the records being very in your face and very loud, but not crazy, distorted loud like a Metallica record, more like Neil Young loud.” Although these seemingly unconventional methods might disturb some of Agnello’s Record Plant mentors, he feels that it’s what sounds best for the style of music. “Slamming the stereo bus would upset some people. If they actually knew it was too much compression they wouldn’t like it, but since they don’t, they just think it sounds great. I have had a lot of people ask me to pull it back because they don’t like the sound of compression. That happens too, but it will never happen on Dinosaur Jr records – we both just like that sound. It enables Mascis to put down two guitar tracks and make it sound huge, as opposed to, say, the Smashing Pumpkins, who will put down 30 tracks of guitars, take a year to record and it doesn’t sound clean.”
guys who have been doing it forever do their thing. “I work with a lot of people who need a lot of different kinds of help. For instance, Sonic Youth needed me to herd everybody into a situation where I could get everyone to work when they were available. We had a deadline to deliver the record and I had to get people to promise to give me the time they needed to get all their overdubs done and deliver it on time. They are all very busy, so it was like herding cats. The point is that is what you have to do. Everyone needs different things and I am there to provide anything needed to get the job done.” > johnagnello.com
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Everyone needs different things and I’m there to provide what’s needed to get the job done. John Agnello
Dinosaur Jr (below): High voltage and in yer face
SONIC ENGINEERING Agnello’s role during the Dinosaur Jr sessions was more in the set up and mixing of the songs, while he was involved in Sonic Youth’s latest album from start to finish. “For Sonic Youth I am there 100 per cent of the time, coproducing the records. I worked with Thurstson, Lee and Kim on vocals and gave opinions and ideas. They wanted to keep The Eternal fresh, so they learned the songs and recorded them on the spot, which was cool as we got first and second takes. “My role varies on every record I work on, but with Sonic Youth I don’t talk about re-arranging songs with Thurston Moore, because there is no point and the same goes for Dinosaur Jr. I have gone past just being the engineering guy on some records, but I’m sure the guys who engineer for Bob Dylan don’t walk into the studio and say, ‘Hey Bob, that verse is a little long’. At a certain point you need to let the 34
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> SECTOR SPOTLIGHT DIGITAL AUDIO CONVERTERS
DAC
to the future
”
Fortunately, for the studios investing in them, musicians are now realising that the best converters provide a sound worth paying for.
All of Solid State Logic’s Alpha Link units can operate as standalone units
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October 2009
Getting music in and out of the virtual domain has always been a key area of focus in the advancement of digital audio. Rob Hughes looks at the kind of DA and AD converters that are currently separating the men from the boys… or the prestigious facilities that were once the only place where you could ‘cut a disc’, the ubiquitous home studio has, over the last few years, become an increasingly painful thorn in the side. It is sometimes blamed, in part, for the closure of venerated recording houses such as Olympic and the subsequent redundancies of some of the best engineers in the business. But, as thoroughly pissed off (and understandably so) as those left high and dry might be, most find it impossible to deny what a technological triumph the home studio actually is. While the personal computer was fundamental in allowing us to realise the incredible potential of what can now be achieved in a converted garage, the cornerstone of digital audio, the revolution that made all this possible in the first place, are the AD and DA converters. For an analog audio signal to become a digital one, it has to be converted into ‘on/off’ electrical pulses, as opposed to electro-mechanical signals. This must also be reversed for it to become audible once again. Retaining the sound quality of the signal throughout this process is, even today, a field subject to constant refinement that occupies some of the sharpest minds in electronics. Although the advancement of these converters has recently put the technology in the hands of amateur musicians, the disparity between models that can be picked up for the price of a Casio keyboard and those that set you back something more akin to the cost of a vintage Moog is embodied, almost entirely, by the sound quality they offer. Needless to say, the built-in soundcard boasted by the average PC won’t provide the necessary I/O to record a regular three-
F
piece, but even if it did, the resulting recording would be unlikely to be met with much acclaim. Fortunately for the studios able to invest in them, musicians are now realising that the best converters provide a sound worth paying for. And the following are the kind of the units that will make a desirable and tangible sonic difference… PRISM SOUND Prism is a manufacturer with a straightforward, no-nonsense range of converters. Exponents include Peter Cobbin, George Massenburg and Mick Glossop, the latter citing Prism Sound conversion as the best in the world. Individual AD or DA conversion is available from either the AD-2 or DA-2, which boast industry-leading features such as a dynamic range of 130dB and incoming jitter eliminating ‘Master Clock’ mode, respectively. The firm refers to these units as the ultimate converters and insists that it has compromised on nothing, suggesting that if the best of the best is your requirement, these units will most likely be your pick of the Prism bunch. However, it’s difficult to ignore what the company bills as the ‘the only converter you’ll ever need’, the ADA-8XR modular converter – a METAlliance-certified, multi-channel ADA converter that can be configured in a variety of ways (16-channel AD, 16-channel DA or eight-channel ADA) using plugin modules. Last but certainly not least is Prism’s most recent development, Orpheus, a recording interface that’s aimed at personal recording and music production, but wouldn’t be out of place in any recording studio. The unit combines Prism conversion and mic preamps into a 1U box at a more accessible price point. It has the same no-compromise analog front and back ends with the same fully balanced architecture throughout, along with the isolation barriers that protect the analog from digital and computer interference, as does the rest of the company’s range. > prismsound.com www.audioprointernational.com
DIGITAL AUDIO CONVERTERS SECTOR SPOTLIGHT <
DIGIDESIGN If you’re using Pro Tools as your main DAW, which in all likelihood you are, then you’ll need at least one dedicated Digidesign interface to run it. The company hasn’t left you short of options in this respect, but once you’ve got your first model, whether you choose to stick with the brand for the purposes of expanding I/O capabilities, upping your conversion quality or whatever, is up to you. Digidesign interfaces also work with any other software as long as it supports core audio (Mac) or ASIO drivers. There are four models on offer – two running up to 96k and two up to 192 – although anyone providing their recording services for a living will almost certainly plump for the flagship unit, the 192 I/O, which supports up to 16 channels of input/output, including eight analog, eight AES/EBU, eight TDIF, 16 ADAT and two additional channels of AES/EBU or S/PDIF digital I/O. The company is quite modest about the sound quality of its interfaces, refraining from claiming the best sound on the market. It does note, however, that the 192 I/O is the bestsounding interface it offers and that it rivals similar products costing more than twice its price. Taken on its own merits, regardless of the Pro Tools software, the 192 is certainly a popular interface with respect to its sound, which is often praised for its transparency among those that frequent the murky world of industry forums. It would seem that this might be a good option for those looking to avoid the ‘colouring’ characteristics of some converters. > digidesign.com LYNX STUDIO TECHNOLOGIES Lynx’s Aurora 16 and Aurora 8 ADA converters offer wide, open, uncompressed and unequalised (avoiding colouration) conversion up to 192kHz for studios, mastering facilities, remote recording, broadcast and production – and anyone would admit, it’s hard to be more universal in application. The unit supports AES/EBU I/O in single and dual wire modes, simultaneously to analog I/O. www.audioprointernational.com
Lynx’s own SynchroLock word clock claims ‘extreme’ jitter reduction, while other standout features that set it apart from many pro-level converters include the absence of a noisy fan and its ability to maintain the channel count at higher sample rates, not requiring the use of costly analog and digital modules to achieve the unit’s full channel count. Several interfaces enable Aurora to be used in a number of different configurations. LT-HD allows Aurora to be recognised by and controlled from a Digidesign ProTools HD system. Firewire access is enabled using the LT-FW, while 16 channels of ADAT Lightpipe I/O is made available with the LT-ADAT. > lynxstudio.com UNIVERSAL AUDIO The 2192 master audio interface is the one and only converter offering from UA, a manufacturer normally associated with highest end of outboard gear. As you might expect then, the device packs in more than the standard offering of chips and transistors, sporting DC-coupled, fully dual-differential, matched-FET, all discrete Class-A circuitry – something for which UA is renowned – alongside the digital technology necessary to provide ultra-low noise 44.1kHz to 192kHz AD and DA conversion. Signal paths are free from capacitors that could degrade sound quality or introduce phase distortion. With two stereo inputs and outputs (on four balanced XLR sockets) the 2192 also features two-channel ADAT S-MUX I/O, two-channel transformer coupled AES/EBU I/O with support for
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Digidesign notes that the 192 I/O is the best-sounding interface it offers and that it rivals similar products costing more than twice the price.
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> SECTOR SPOTLIGHT DIGITAL AUDIO CONVERTERS
single and dual wire AES/EBU at 96 and 192kHz rates, twochannel transformer coupled S/PDIF I/O, real-time transcoding between digital formats and independent digital and analog output routing. > uaudio.com SOLID STATE LOGIC Aimed at studio, live and broadcast applications, the transistor specialist offers its new XLogic Alpha-Link audio I/O range of multi-channel audio converters. The two MADI-enabled models in the range, the Alpha Link MADI AX and SX, both feature SSL’s 24-channel, 24bit/96kHz ADA converter circuitry and 24 analog inputs and outputs on D-Sub connectors (for use with D-Sub to XLR looms) and up to 64 channels of digital MADI I/O at 48kHz (or 32 channels at 96kHz). Both have word and Superclock input and output with video sync input functionality, comprehensive I/O routing and analog metering via 24 tricolour LEDs. The AX offers up to 24 channels of ADAT Lightpipe digital I/O at 48kHz (12 at 96kHz), while the SX version has 12 stereo AES/EBU inputs and outputs. All input and output channels can be used simultaneously in any configuration. The Alpha Link AX shares an almost identical feature-set to the Alpha Link MADI AX, but strips away the MADI functionality to produce an ADAT Lightpipe converter at an optimum price to performance ratio. All Alpha Link units can operate as standalone format converters, but used in combination with the firm’s Delta Link MADI HD ProTools HD converter, MadiXtreme or MX4 cards, they provide a flexible I/O solution for digital audio workstations, including Digidesign’s industry standard software. With a Soundscape Mixpander PCI card they can integrate with PC-based audio workstations. > solid-state-logic.com APOGEE Apogee cut its teeth designing filters to overcome the countless problems of early digital audio, which gives it no small amount of credence among recording professionals. It manufactures converters and interfaces for the wider market, but as far as pros are concerned, it has a small range that covers all the bases. Toward the bottom end, the Ensemble interface doesn’t seem to be considered as part of its pro range, but with eight channels of AD and DA conversion, four transparent digitally controlled 75db mic preamps, eight channels of ADAT I/O, two channels of S/PDIF coax and optical I/O, and Firewire, it would serve many professional project studios impeccably. If your remit falls somewhere between a project studio and a big buck facility then you’ll be looking at either the Rosetta or X-Series. The former is a combined AD and DA converter with UV22HR (word length reduction to 16-bit for the internet and CD mastering), Intelliclock dual stage jitter reduction and SoftLimit limiters. The X-Series is a top-flight system of separate DA and AD converters, which offer 16 channels of conversion, each along with the company’s most advanced clocking technology, Big Ben C777. > apogeedigital.com 38
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October 2009
RME One of the youngest manufacturers on the converter/interface scene, RME nevertheless has its fair share of advocates, partly due to its reputation for staying abreast of technological developments, which it demonstrated recently with the launch of its M-series of converters with MADI and ADAT interfaces. The M-32 AD and DA boxes offer 32-channel conversion to or from MADI and ADAT in reference quality, with fully symmetrical analog circuit design to guarantee excellent S/N and THD specs across a wide analog level range. The requisite 192kHz capability is present, as is a real-world signal-to-noise ratio of 116dBA on all channels. RME’s standout model, however, has to be the pleasingly named Mixstacy – an eight-channel mic/line preamp and AD converter combining typical RME features with a an innovative concept that allows for amplification and digitisation of all analog signal sources, whether high-level stage signals, typical studio signals, lower level and high-impedance instruments, or dynamic, condenser or ribbon microphones. > rme-audio.com DAD Digital Audio Denmark, or DAD as it is better known, is the manufacturer of the groundbreaking AX24, which offers sample rates up to a blistering 384kHz. The system is fully modular, allowing 224 different configurations via external modules also manufactured by DAD. It supports between two to eight analog line or mic input channels and between two to eight analog output channels. The AX24 is based on DAD’s high quality multi-bit converter and modulator design, using a five-bit delta sigma modulator. As well as AD and DA conversion in PCM (pulse code modulation) at 384kHz, it also offers DSD (direct stream digital) conversion at 2.8,224 & 5.6,448MHz (64fs or 128fs) and DXD (digital extreme definition) at a sample-rate of 352.8 kHz. AX24 covers applications for music recording as well as mastering and monitoring in DSD. Mic pre with analog gain in 3dB steps and digital gain with 0.25dB accuracy is available for AX24, providing a transparent integrated mic pre and ADC design. The dynamic range is between 118 and 121dB and the mic pre equivalent noise floor is at -130dB. This, DAD claims, makes it the quietest and most transparent converter on the market. > digitalaudio.dk
Apogee covers all the bases with its range of DACs
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RME has its fair share of advocates, partly due to its reputation for staying abreast of technological developments.
Whatever your choice, the current crop of converters offer unoprecedented quality and variety
www.audioprointernational.com
STEVE LEVINE INTERVIEW <
Whatever it takes
As well as being one of the most respected producers and member of countless organisations, Steve Levine is one of the hardest working guys in the recording industry. Rob Hughes pays him a visit to discuss his reputation of being something of a purist… ack in May, I interviewed Moby and Sigur Ros producer/ engineer Ken Thomas, who discussed his technically uncomplicated and often unconventional approach to music production and getting the best out of artists. I interpreted his methods as an objection to more modern recording techniques and technology – mistakenly, as it turned out – and asked Thomas if he considered himself to be a purist. His nonchalant response was to suggest that he may be slightly so, in some senses, but “certainly not to the extent that someone such as Steve Levine is”. Thomas was quite adamant that he embraces technology and will use any tools at his disposal if they help him get the most out of a recording.
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DEFYING EXPECTATIONS Fast forward to July and I was lucky enough to be presented with an opportunity to interview the MPG chairman and a celebrated producer himself, Steve Levine. On arriving at his home studio in West London, the words of Thomas were ringing in my head and I’d already developed an expectation of finding a room filled with expensive analog outboard gear and not a plugin or digital processor in sight. Conversely, I was surprised to find a comprehensive and balanced mix of both analog and digital, which immediately prompted me to relay Thomas’ comments to Levine. Levine’s response began with an introduction to how he works: “Here’s an interesting thing that I’ve recently discovered. This company, Chord, makes guitar cables and it approached me and asked me if I’d like to try some of them out. I’m always a stickler for the quality of the cables I use, because I’ve learnt that they make a huge difference – not just the quality of the cable itself, but proper screening and so on. It’s also critical to use the right cable for the right job; if I want a speaker cable, I’ll use a proper speaker cable, rather than just a standard guitar or mic cable. If I want a digital cable, then depending on whether it’s for AES of SPDIF or whatever, I’ve got the right cable for the right job, because it does make a big difference. If I’m plugging into my desk for the phantom power, that will be a proper old-style GPO brass cable because that’s really important, to have a brass plug. A CABLE REVELATION “So Chord sent me these guitar cables and the band I’m working with at the moment, Patch Willliam, had a Strat. We plugged it in and the result was a revelation. Strats are notoriously difficult because of the loading, particularly when you have a few pedals and so on, but the reaction in this case was: ‘Wow, that sounds really bright.’ It was as if we’d got 20 per cent more top end out of the thing. So I asked Chord to make me some mic cables, which it did and I’m using them now. “In terms of purity, all my mains power comes directly in here – and this is always something that many studios overlook. Although this is a home recording environment, I have a 30-A supply coming in from the street, totally separate to the house. And I have both 110 and 240-Volt in this room because I have a lot of American friends and I also have a lot of legacy American equipment. www.audioprointernational.com
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> INTERVIEW STEVE LEVINE I can plug anything in anywhere and not have to worry about a transformer or anything. Everything in this room is stabilised, including the air conditioning, so, for example, at the moment it’s really humid so we need the air con on. “Now, if you heard that little ‘bink’ sound a couple of seconds ago, I have to confess that’s because, when the air con switches on, rather than me getting a massive spike on my audio, a Furman power conditioner stabilises the mains. The noise is because I had to get to get behind the blanking panel to change something and I haven’t put the screws back in tightly, so when the transformer does its job it flexes the panel slightly. It’s not an issue, I just need to tighten it up, but what I’m saying is that I’d rather have that acoustic noise, which is just the panel, rather than a spike that I can’t get rid of. PURE SOUND “When I say I’m a purist, I want the signal to be as good as it can be without anything getting in the way. I don’t want to record mains hum; I don’t want to record unnecessary hiss. However, if I decide to plug it through a valve compressor, or a valve front end or valve microphone, I’m quite happy with the noise that it would inherently have. I just don’t want any more of anything – anything that shouldn’t be there. “When people talk about analog recording, I guess 99 per cent of what they like is the reaction of the electronics of the tape machine, the reaction of the tape somewhat saturating. What they probably don’t want are dropouts and tape hiss. But these positive factors can be achieved quite easily digitally and, should I want to do that – and I occasionally do – I can. The plugins for this desk, the Yamaha dm2000, are phenomenal. In the desk itself, from the day it was designed, is a whole separate board of processing power that these plugins work on. But this one [Levine points to his computer screen, on which sits the graphic interface of a tape emulator plugin] is fantastic, you can change it from an American machine – an Ampex machine, clearly – to a Studer machine from the 70s or from the 80s. And what is really great about it, is that you can over-record it, apply overbias and put it on ‘not-so-good’ tape. Now I know the graphics aren’t that great, but sonically it does actually add some of those effects, which is really good. “This is just why I have the Focusrite Liquid Channel, which once again can add some of those things. Now it may not be mathematically accurate, but when I’m going for a sound and the artist is sitting with me and they say: ‘we want it a bit more this’ or ‘a bit more that’, you have to pull out a few things quickly and that happens often. Some of the compressor models on this do impart something to the signal and whether it sounds exactly how it is supposed to, I don’t really care to be honest, it makes it good and the artist likes it and that’s the important thing. Particularly with vocals – if you create a sound in their headphones that the vocalist really likes hearing back, they can sing better, because it’s like you’re super-enhancing what they’re doing and they love it. The [sE Electronics] Gemini mic creates a feeling of wellbeing, it absolutely does. And once the signal is in there, it’s in there. “I’m not a snob about analog or digital, it’s just that when I changed over to digital, the advantages it gave me far outweighed sonic nuances. While I’m a purist, absolutely, I think creativity is really important. So for me, around 1982 to 83, I think analog recording got really good. That was probably about the peak, when we were running 48-track, two-inch machines. Studers and MCIs were mainly the machines I used – Studer maybe being slightly better – but generally speaking, those two lots of machines gave you a pretty good level of control. However, the massive disadvantages were that – particularly at that time when I was working with Culture Club – the backing vocals were multi, multi, multi-tracked up and you’d still have to bounce them down and the quality would go down a little bit. 42
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Using the right cables meant recording with Patch William was a revelation
Of course, they had a brass section in there and, particularly as there were lots of stabs, you could hear the print-through, no matter how you recorded it. “You’d work on track one and then a month later you’d get the tape out and work on another track and there’d be print-through all over the tape. So those things kind of annoyed me and also George was constantly changing his mind. I’m a whiz when it comes to tape editing; I was taught by Mike Ross from a classical point of view and I’ve had to edit from classical sessions with scissors, so I am pretty good at analog editing. However, it is still a major task – to take two-inch tape and cut it is sweaty armpit stuff.
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I’m a whiz when it comes to tape editing. But it’s still a major task – to take twoinch tape and cut it is sweaty armpit stuff. Steve Levine
CREATIVE CHOICES “Digital offered an amazing array of choices from the beginning. First of all, even in the earlier stages of using the Sony 3324 tape machine, number one, I could do a clone of the tape. Initially I only had one machine, but if I wanted a clone, Sony would do one for me. Soon after that I had a second machine. So I still did slices on the original tape, but I’d already backed it up, so therefore if I made a mistake, I could go back to the copy. And once I had the two machines and the two remotes, then I could edit electronically, which was just unbelievably creative. It wasn’t as good as it is now with a hard disk system, but it was bloody close. Then you could multi-track your backing vocals, you could bounce them down and put them on to copy tracks with no loss of quality, no brass printthrough. So while we know that that 16-bit, 44/48K systems and its converters aren’t as good as what we have now, the creative process was fantastic, nevertheless, and I think we made a better record creativity-wise by having those digital tools, rather than being saddled some of the problems we had with analog.
www.audioprointernational.com
BEHIND THE BOARD WITH…
DANNY NAIM From Pro Tools to Pultecs, Californian producer, engineer, mixer and composer, Danny Naim tells of his love for audio gear (and lava lamps)… Which band/project are you currently working on?
Do you utilise any outboard effects/eq?
I am currently working with Adam Gaynor, who played guitar and sang backgrounds with Matchbox 20 until 2005 and is now working on songs for movie soundtracks. He is an incredibly talented producer, singer and songwriter.
When I set the mixes up at my studio, The Cave, I use lots of plugins to shape sounds in Pro Tools. Then when I get to the ‘big’ room I use outboard to colour the sounds. I like LA-2As and Pultecs on kicks, bass guitars and vocals. Neve 33609s and API 550s on synths. 1073s and Distressors on snares. Avalon 2055s and Summit DCL200s on strings. 1176s, Tube Tech LCA-2Bs and DBX 160s on guitars and background vocals. And I will blend the SSLs eqs and dynamics in with all of those elements. I still use the Lexicon 480L for reverbs and Digidesign and
Where are you at the moment?
I’m just about finished mixing. What audio console are you utilising? And how many channels?
I am using an SSL J Series console. It has 104 channels, but I am only using about 70 of them. What decision process was behind the choice of this audio console?
I love the sound of the J for mixing. It has plenty of headroom and the eqs and dynamics on board are stellar. Not to mention the stereo buss compressor is second to none.
www.audioprointernational.com
Waves delays. At the end of the mix, I’ll strap a GML 8200 eq across the stereo buss for a little extra sheen. Favourite console?
My favourite tracking console is the Neve VR. My favourite mixing console is the SSL J series. Favourite PA system (or monitors)?
My favourite nearfield monitors are still the Yamaha NS-10s along with the Genelec 1032As. For mains, gotta have Augspurgers.
Best toy you take to the studio?
The best toy I take in the studio is my Tascam DVRA-1000 high definition master recorder. I use it to print my mixes as 24bit 96kHz wave files. As it has no internal converters, I use an Apogee Rosetta 200 for conversion. What’s been your worst professional experience to date?
Working with artists that need lots of wizardry in Pro Tools. It’s becoming much more common these days. What’s been your career highlight?
Working with artists that I admired growing up and artists that are really talented. This makes for a pleasant experience. What pisses you off when working?
Favourite venue/festival/studio?
My favourite tracking studios are The Record Plant and Westlake Audio in Hollywood. My favorite mixing room is Encore Studio A in Burbank.
Lots of people in the control room. It just totally kills the vibe. What makes you happy at work?
My lava lamps and a big food budget.
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> IN SESSION
Studios:
People and equipment behind studios in the UK and around the world...
Rooms: Depends where it travels Console: SSL 4064 G+ with Ultimation Mics: Neumann, Blue, DPA, Sure, Sennheiser, Coles, Royer, AKG, Sony Outboard: API, Neve, Milennia, Focusrite, Amek, Shep, Demiter, Summit, Lexicon Monitoring: Quested, KRK, Yamaha, ATC
Rooms: Studios A, B, C, and D (each with live room, plus four vocal booths) Consoles: SSL AWS 900+, custom Manley 16X4 Mics: Neumann, Blue Bottle, Microtech Gefell, Shure, Coles, Royer, AKG Outboard: SSL, Manley, Rupert Neve Designs, Focusrite Monitoring: Dynaudio, Adam, Genelec
Steerpike mobile studios Blue Frog Studios, Mumbai THE FOUNDATIONS OF Steerpike Studio were laid by The Police frontman Sting in 1992 – though this is perhaps an unsuitable analogy since, instead of being constructed within a traditional brick and mortar building, the studio is completely mobile and travels to its clients rather than the other way around. Steerpike is run by former Trident Studios recording engineer, Donal Hodgson, who has worked with Counting Crows, Primal Scream and Tina Turner, among others. Every part of Steerpike is flight cased and can be wheeled in and out as required. The SSL G series desk (the first piece to be acquired by Sting) was made in three sections which connect together with interlink cables. The desk’s PSU and computer racks attach on long extension cables and can be placed in an adjacent room. Nothing has been compromised and all cabling is of the highest quality. Most of the studio is powered on 120 Volts, but the racks have since been upgraded to provide stabilised 120 and 240 Volts via a custom isolation transformer. An extensive outboard and microphone collection has grown over the years through requirement, as
different projects have made use of the facility. EMT plate reverbs are also available and Steerpike uses a 64 I/O Pro Tools rig with Prism Sound converters and as such has sold one of the two Sony 3348 digital tape machines that it once had. The second has been retained for legacy and library purposes only. For the The Police tour, Steerpike added another Pro Tools system – an HD3 with 48 channels of Milennia mic preamps for mobile gig recordings. This system was expanded by Hodgson to 72 inputs for the DVD shoot of Sting’s new album If on a Winters Night, recently completed in Durham. Sting’s first album, made using Steerpike, was Ten Summoner's Tales. The studio was hired by Bob Clearmountain from October 1993 to April 1994. Some of the projects he used Steerpike for include, Bruce Springsteen's Oscar-winning Streets of Philadelphia, The Pretenders' album Last of the Independents, the Wet, Wet, Wet remake of the Troggs tune Love is All Around, Paul McCartney's Biker Like an Icon single and the Woodstock 94 album. Since then, every song Sting has created has either been recorded, mixed or both, using Steerpike.
Every part of Steerpike is flight cased and can be wheeled in and out as required. Nothing has been compromised and all cabling is of the highest quality. Telephone: +44 7778 743743 Web: www.steerpikestudio.com
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BLUE FROG IS a comprehensive, integrated music project in Mumbai, India. It consists of the country's leading live music venue, an independent record label and artist management service and – as you might expect since you’re reading about it on these pages – a recording studio complex and music production division. It is home to several top-notch composers, musicians and producers. Blue Frog’s studios were designed by Andy Munro of Munro Acoustics who is responsible for designing some of the most famous studio spaces in the world. His credits include studios at Pinewood and Shepperton, Elstree, Dave Gilmore’s Studio, and Mark Knopfler’s British Grove. Blue Frog’s monitoring is up to the same standard as its acoustics – studios A and B use a pair of custom designed Dynaudio M3s – for which Munro Acoustics was also responsible – along with Adam P33As for near field monitoring. Studios C and D use a pair of custom Dynaudio C3s, while Studio B is equipped with a 5.1 set-up using Dynaudio AIR15s. Recording is onto hard disk via Logic Pro and Prism Dream ADA 8XR converters, but the rest of the signal
chain is analog. The decision to use Logic Pro instead of the ubiquitous Pro Tools was based on the fact that Blue Frog has been set up for composers as well as engineers. With this in mind, after weighing up the pros and cons of all the software available, the studio opted to use Logic as its main DAW because it was more musician-friendly. The program has its exponents in the artistic realm, including Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters and Herbie Hancock. Blue Frog uses a hardwire that connects the club to the studios providing 16 discrete channels for recording and allows composers to take advantage of the club for use of an alternative live room. This provides a large space to accommodate acts such as a string section and offers distinctive acoustical properties that aren’t found in standard, tuned live rooms. Some of Blue Frog’s esteemed clients include AR Rehman, John Mclaughlin, Richard Bona, Electronic Arts, advertising/feature film production houses, such as Nirvana Films, Corcoise Films, Ramesh Deo Productions, Good Morning productions and TV production companies including CNBC and Walt Disney.
Blue Frog’s studios were designed by Andy Munro of Munro Acoustics who is responsible for designing some of the most famous studio spaces in the world. Telephone: +91 22 4033 2375 Web: www.bluefrog.co.in
www.audioprointernational.com
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
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Prism Sound’s Jody Thorne on making your pro audio selections count...
Purchasing Power
Rooms: Lyndhurst Hall; Studios 1,2 and 3; mastering and post production rooms Consoles: Custom Neve 88R, AMS DFC Gemini, AMS Logic, SSL 8000 G Mics: AKG, Schoeps, Neumann, Microtech Gefell, Coles, Reslo, AEA
Outboard: BSS, dbx, Drawmer, Manley, Fairchild, Summit, Empirical Labs, GML Monitoring: Dynaudio, ATC, Pro Ac, B&W, Genelec, Auratone, Yamaha
Air Studios, London AIR WAS FORMED in 1969 when Sir George Martin left EMI and started an independent recording complex in central London. He also built a sister studio in 1970 on the Caribbean Island of Montserrat, which was devastated in 1989 by Hurricane Hugo and forced to close. With the Montserrat studio gone and Air’s UK studio needing more space, Martin moved to the current location in Lyndhurst Hall in London, which opened in 1992. Since then, Air has seen the likes of Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams, Coldplay and U2 pass through its doors. It has established itself as Britain’s premier scoring facility, attracting the world’s biggest movie scores such as the recent award-winning films Atonement and Sweeney Todd. In February 2006, Air was purchased by Strongroom owner Richard Boote and the facility has continued to thrive and expand, now incorporating TV post production facilities to rival those in the West End.
Air Mastering, the newest division of the Air Lyndhurst Group, was established in conjunction with MPG award-winning mastering engineer Ray Staff and former Alchemy engineer Matt Colton. It offers mastering services for CD, parts/stems, surround sound mastering for DVD, HD TV, film, SACD and DVD audio formats, audio restoration and vinyl mastering. Between them, Staff and Colton’s credits include Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Kylie Minogue, David Bowie, Pearl Jam, AC/DC, Corrine Bailey Ray, Elliot Smith and The Libertines to name but a few. The Air complex features eight control rooms, each with their own live room, the biggest of which is the stunning Lyndhurst Hall, suitable for full symphony orchestras, chamber music and choirs of up to 120 people and features a Steinway D concert grand piano. Further to its giant recording room is the world’s largest Neve 88R with 96 channel strips.
Air has established itself as Britain’s premier scoring facility, attracting the biggest movie scores such as award-winning films Atonement and Sweeney Todd. Telephone: +44 20 7794 0660 Web: www.airstudios.com
www.audioprointernational.com
MAKING MONEY in music recording is challenging. So, should you spend hard cash on recording software and hardware? There are important differences between hardware-based DSP systems and those using native computer power, not least the gulf between the cost of a Pro Tools HD system and a comparable native system such as SADiE 6, Logic, Nuendo or Sequoia. Why? Hardware based systems such as Pro-Tools HD or SADiE (SADiE 6 can also run natively) are TDM systems using computer expansion cards for number crunching and audio I/O. This is expensive and complex to program. Native systems harness computer power and utilise your soundcard for I/O. As a result, native solutions are cheaper to produce and offer a more cost effective alternative. IF IT SOUNDS RIGHT, IT IS RIGHT
It’s important to consider the integrity of your signal path. Microphones, their placement, preamps, FX, and monitoring are carefully considered, but soundcard performance is taken for granted. DSP functionality can be transparently absorbed by a faster computer, but analog-digital conversion can’t be avoided. Conversion isn’t generic – every converter gives different results. Native technology provides cheaper DSP and potentially affords better ADA conversion. Pro Tools HD is almost a way of life, but is it the best? Will you be heading down to Abbey Road to record the next Harry Potter movie soundtrack with the London Symphony Orchestra? No. Importing sessions into Pro Tools might be important, ensuring you can transfer between your own and another facility. With OMF and SSL Pro Convert, data transfer is straightforward, for example, you might look at systems compatible with them, such as SADiE 6, Nuendo or Sequoia,
maybe coupled with an Orpheus. The other factor is you. Do you have the expertise to configure a reliable system? Will the supplier help you? Clicks, drop-outs or synchronisation problems are common configuration issues. Hardware-based systems can help to avoid problems with Windows or Core Audio devices, but may need specialist expertise. The second question is how much do you know about technology? Are you a technology specialist or focused on creative issues? Consider the complexity and knowledge required to understand and use systems. Issues like this require a bit of digging or asking around because they aren’t covered by sales literature.
Practical skills make the difference between success and chaos. These practical skills make the difference between success and chaos. Your understanding can help deliver the best from your technology and the performer. SUMMARY
Write down a list of ‘must-have’ and ‘would be nice’ features. Don’t buy something because it’s fashionable – make sure it does what you want. Make sure the essentials are properly covered and good quality. Audition prospective purchases – conduct a blind test if you can, a good dealership will have facilities for it. To learn more about professional recording tools and technology, come along to one of our Mic to Monitor or Mastering Mastering free seminar events to meet with other professionals and our suppliers. CHECK OUT
http://www.prismsound.com/music _recording/studio_events.php
Jody Thorne holds the position of sales and marketing manager for Prism Sound Group. He has worked for the company for the past 12 years and is a graduate of Salford University. Prior to joining Prism Sound, he worked for renowned producer, songwriter and musical director, Mike Stevens.
To contact Prism Sound Tel: +44 1353 648888 Email: sales@prismsound.com www.prismsound.com
> PEOPLE
IN BRIEF SONIC DISTRIBUTION has appointed Ian Young as director of sales. Young joined Sonic Distribution in February 2004 and has worked as UK sales manager for the past five years. With the founding partners of Sonic focusing on their manufacturing venture with sE Electronics, Young will work on the promotion of Waves, Apogee, Rupert Neve and sE products in the UK. > sonic-distribution.com ROLAND UK has announced the appointment of Simon Griffiths to the board of directors, replacing Paul Stephens who left the company in July. Griffiths joins Roland from Communications Direct, one of the UK’s leading independent mobile phone contact centres. Before that he was a senior investment manager for 3i, a major European venture capitalist firm. He has also worked for Ernst & Young chartered accountants. Paul Stephens, who had been with Roland UK for 23 years, left the company seeking new challenges and is now working outside the audio industry > roland.co.uk NAMM HAS announced the election of Mark Goff, president of Paige’s Music, as secretary of its 2009 to 2011 executive committee. Goff joined Paige’s Music in 1985 as a sales associate after graduating from Indiana Wesleyan University with a music business degree. Paige's Music is an MI retailer in Indianapolis that partners more than 400 school music programmes throughout Indiana to provide recommended instruments and in-school support necessary to give school musicians the best chance to succeed. > namm.org 48 audioPRO October 2009
Max Lindsay-Johnson arrives at Duran Audio New appointments bolster sales and marketing MAX LINDSAY-JOHNSON has been appointed to Duran Audio as international sales manager. Andrew Taylor has also joined the company, while Steffan Lewis has been promoted in a move to strengthen Duran Audio’s sales and marketing team. Former Harman Pro UK MD, Lindsay-Johnson joins the company from Studiomaster. He will be based at the company's new R&D and production facility in Zaltbommel, Netherlands. “It's an exciting time for Duran Audio with everything that has been put in place over the past few years and I feel it’s a real opportunity to capitalise on these foundations,” Lindsay-Johnson stated. “Seldom do you get an opportunity to be involved in something so far reaching with an inspirational team of people.” Lindsay-Johnson has the remit to develop the worldwide distribution network for Duran’s Axys brand, while offering support to Duran’s current partners. He will work in close association with, and reporting to, Nick Screen, who was recently appointed as international business development manager.
Time+Space appoints new director
LINDSAY-JOHNSON: Exciting
DANIEL: Growing portfolio
Duran’s Steffan Lewis, who has been with the company since 2002, now takes on the role of technical sales for the PA/VA market, while Andrew Taylor joins the company to focus on technical sales for the theatre and touring markets. Taylor joined Duran Audio UK from Stage Electrics, where he was an audio project manager. He will be working closely with Chris Full, Duran Audio’s theatre and touring sound consultant, also charged with increasing the presence of the Axys brand in these markets. > duranaudio.com
TIME+SPACE HAS announced the appointment of Toby Daniel to its board of directors. The new position will see Daniel working closely with fellow executive director, Alex McKie, covering all aspects of company finance, operations and development. Daniel has worked at Time+Space since 2006 as business development manager and this move comes as T+S expands in the hi-tech market with the addition of Ask Video to its portfolio of suppliers earlier this year. “We are delighted to welcome Toby as a director of Time+Space,” commented Zia McKie, T+S’ managing director. “He has been extremely successful as development manager. We see him being a fundamental part of the ongoing development of the company.” > timespace.com
“It’s a real opportnity to capitalise on the foundations
Duran has put in place in the past few years.” Max Lindsay-Johnson - Duran Audio
Sarah Page joins Metropolis Former Sony exec added to drive new business for established digital team LONDON’S METROPOLIS recording studio has recently appointed Sarah Page as its digital media sales manager. A former Sony Music executive, Page spent seven years working across the company’s frontline marketing, account management, strategic and brand partnerships and content deals with brands. With the Chiswick, London, UK Metropolis, she will be responsible for generating and driving new business for the studio’s award-winning digital team. Since his appointment in November last year, Metropolis’ managing director Ian Brenchley has busied himself hand picking a team to drive the studio’s business forward on as many fronts as possible and exploring a range of opportunities.
“I am elated that Sarah is part of the team here at Metropolis and it’s very exciting to have someone so dynamic and experienced in the entertainment industry join us,” commented Brenchley. “She has proven experience in turning briefs into creative and functional deliverables and with our expert digital team at her disposal, Sarah’s co-ordinated approach will ensure that she can deliver at extremely competitive rates.” The Metropolis digital media department has been looking at developments for ten years in the area of digital media and productions and sees itself as capable of providing a complete spectrum of services for music, film, television and web. > metropolis-group.co.uk
PAGE: Proven experience www.audioprointernational.com
DISTRIBUTION <
TL Audio happy with new Japanese connection
MURAI AND YULE: Professional and innovative
TL AUDIO HAS announced that MI7 Japan will now serve as the distributor for its products in Japan. The appointment was made at AES Tokyo and both parties are very enthusiastic about the new possibilities for the future. In just five years, MI7 has quickly
established itself as a major force in the Japanese pro audio market. It is the pioneer of a unique real-time logistics and accounting system devised to help provide premium service and reliability to its customers and clients. Managing director, Seiji Murai has
many years of experience in the music and technology industry and brings these useful skills and knowledge to MI7 Japan. Sarah Yule, sales director for TL Audio, commented: “We are delighted to be working with MI7 in Japan, it is a professional and
innovative company and Seiji is a clever and inspiring business partner to have – together we are very excited about the future and what we can achieve.” > tlaudio.co.uk > mi7.co.jp
Proel takes on Beyerdynamic and Turbosound in Italy MI and pro audio conglomerate granted exclusive distribution rights in major European region
PROEL HAS announced new additions to its portfolio by nabbing the distribution of Beyerdynamic and Turbosound in Italy. Based in Abruzzo, Italy, Proel will now handle Beyerdynamic’s range of products for the conference, music and performance, broadcast, studio, video production and consumer sectors. It will also now handle Turbosound’s full range of loudspeakers. Both deals are exclusive to Proel in the region. “The choice to undertake exclusive distribution of a brand
www.audioprointernational.com
such as Beyerdynamic fits perfectly into our company strategy, which remains sensitive to the demands and changes in the market,” commented Fabrizio Sorbi, president of the Proel Group. “Proel can now offer its customers diversified and complete solutions in every market sector, including the professional segment. “The new partnership with Beyerdynamic will produce ever more significant results in terms of competitiveness and growth.” > proelgroup.com
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> PRODUCT
NEW GEAR >> Recent releases in audio technology 1
2
Calrec Artemis
Funktion-One Resolution HK Audio Icon LTS 3 loudspeaker
THEY SAY: Based on the Apollo platform, Calrec’s Artemis console features the same core technologies, such as Bluefin2 and Hydra2. SPECIFICATIONS: At 48kHz, Bluefin2 gives Artemis up to 640 channel processing paths, 128 program busses, 64 IFB/Track outputs and 32 auxiliaries. A second compressor/limiter per channel, over 70 minutes of assignable delay, three independent APFL systems for multiple operator use (do not share resources so are available at all times). Utilises a dedicated integrated router so I/O functions can be performed by networking system, Hydra2, which uses 8192 x 8192 cross-point routers and provides I/O units to offer analog, AES, MADI, SDI and Dolby E formats. Automatic hot-swap redundancy, all DSP, control processor, router, power and connections fully redundant.
THEY SAY: : It is like a Resolution 2 – only on steroids SPECIFICATIONS: The Resolution 3 is an all in one three-way enclosure comprising a special horn loaded 18inch bass loudspeaker with five-inch voice coil, a new Axhead loaded 10inch loudspeaker for midrange and a one-inch compression driver for high frequencies. The Res 3 is listed as producing exceptional SPL for its size with very convincing bass rendering additional sub bass unnecessary. In addition, its mid-high section can be rotated to facilitate horizontal installation.
> funktion-one.com
> calrec.com
3
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VMB Rainbow
THEY SAY: Icon LTS sets new standards for performance and digital signal management capability. SPECIFICATIONS: HK Audio’s new Icon LTS is a digitally controlled, hornloaded, active PA, primarily designed for use in ground-stacked configurations. The horn-driven 12-inch/1.4-inch IC 112 LA mid-high unit, with 60-degree x 40-degree CD horn design provides optimum directivity and features an onboard digital controller that serves as the stack’s control center. Two 18-inch band-pass subs for lowend, Class-D power amp technology is integrated to provide for optimum reach and SPLs. IC 112 LA mid/high unit driven in biamp mode with 1,000W, four-Ohm amp for midrange and 600W, four-Ohm amp for highs. IC 118 BA subs each with 2,000W, four-Ohm amp. Max SPL of 136dB (peak).
THEY SAY: A complete solution uniquely designed for VMB’s loudspeakers SPECIFICATIONS: Electro-acoustical prediction software with horizontal and vertical modelling. Windows-based simulation of complete systems, library of loudspeaker systems, built-in inclinometer (LX-V8 and LX-F6 with accordion-folded ribbon HF driver). High res (24 point per octave) speaker polar data with magnitude and phase information for modelling down to 30Hz, enabling user-designed subwoofer arrays. Predicts cardioid, end-fired arrangements. Imports external WMF format drawing files for architectural details or rigging structures. Quick readout of SPL, distance to the speakers, distance, angle or delay between two points.
> jhs.co.uk
> vmb.es
6
7
8
Fostex FM-3 field mixer
Crown PIP-USP4
Trantec S6 Wireless System
Meyer Sound Acheron LF
THEY SAY: Over 18 years of product development has gone into the FM-3 SPECIFICATIONS: Three balanced input channels and two balanced main outputs, with individual signal transformers. Variety of sub outputs, housed in solid aluminum body with an Organic EL display with both VU and peak level with selectable stereo and mono indication. FM-3 also features a sub output, tape output, two phones outs and aux output with channel select. It has switchable level settings at +4/0/ -20/-60 on main and sub outputs. Additional features include dedicated monitor return input to check audio from VTR or camera feeds and an analog limiter with the threshold and ratio adjustments. The units aux input can be merged to the stereo bus for cascade connection.
THEY SAY: PIP-USP4 delivers unprecedented power and flexibility while offering clear sound and the widest dynamic range possible SPECIFICATIONS: Fourth generation DSP-based PIP (programmable input processor) module for Crown’s CTs series two-channel amps. Harman HiQnet series component and connects to audio control/monitor network using 100MB Ethernet hardware, comprising audio distribution, control and monitoring. Omnidrive HD processor provides enhanced processing with 24-bit, 192 kHz Cirrus Logic SHARC AD and DA converters and 96kHz processing. Level/max peak, RMS and transducer thermal voltage limiters. Proprietary FIR and IIR filters Allows transport of real-time digital audio via Cobranet or Ethernet AVB.
THEY SAY: To cope with imminent regulation changes, S6 is Channel 38 ready, operating from 606MHz to 865MHz. SPECIFICATIONS: Rack-mounted 19inch, eight-channel S6 receiver with eight receiver modules, internal antenna distribution, headphone monitor and USB. Comprehensive user front panel interface for control of all channels, with or without PC. Standalone mode for frequency, user name and mute level modification. RF levels, AF levels and battery status display, individual audio channel monitoring. Frequency set downloadable to transmitters. Under PC control system can be monitored remotely. 80MHz RF bandwidth, 10+ hours from single AA cell. Compatible with S6000 belt and handheld transmitters.
> crownaudio.com
> trantec.co.uk
THEY SAY: Meyer’s Cinema Experience lines of loudspeaker products redefine how movies are experienced. SPECIFICATIONS: Self-powered dual 15-inch mid-bass loudspeaker designed for exclusive use with Meyer's Acheron 80 or Acheron 100 loudspeakers to provide LF headroom in larger theatres. Headroom on LCR channels by converting each Acheron screen channel loudspeaker into a system with three LF drivers in an aligned column. The Acheron LF provides 37Hz to 370Hz operating frequency range and 136dB maximum peak SPL, a high-power 15-inch cone driver and high-excursion, back- vented drivers with four-inch voice coils housed in a tuned, vented. An onboard two-channel class AB/H amp with MOSFET output stages powers the Acheron LF. Its total output power is 2250W (4500W peak).
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> meyersound.com www.audioprointernational.com
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MARKETPLACE <
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
SONIC CUISINE
WES MAEBE set up The Sonic Cuisine at GHQ in West London in 2007, moving to London from his native Belgium in 2003. Since then he has established an enviable reputation as a freelance engineer, providing recording, mixing, mastering and front of house services to an eclectic, loyal and evergrowing list of clients. As a recording engineer, Maebe is equally at home on location or in the studio, working with his clients to find the right solution to realise their vision within their budget. This could be anything from rigging a country church to record a lute album, capturing a live performance at a sweaty venue or recording and mixing a variety of artists at some of the best studios in the country. Mixing can also be done ‘in the box’ at The Sonic Cuisine, when budgets don’t stretch to hiring bigger studios.
DISTRIBUTION
Sonic Cuisine fans appreciate Maebe’s passionate commitment to classic production values, combined with his extensive knowledge of contemporary audio technology. Whatever the available budget, the results speak for themselves and most clients come from personal referrals. The mastering side of the business is always busy, with clients enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of The Sonic Cuisine, as well as the natural light, the great coffee and the food. And, of course, the consistently high quality of the mastering work. Why The Sonic Cuisine? Because it’s not the ingredients, it’s what you cook with them. Expensive and extensive components are no guarantee of a great finished project – you have to know how to make the best of your ‘ingredients’. > wesonator.co.uk
MARKETPLACE ADVERTISERS INDEX Adam Hall
01702 613922
Electrovoice
www.electrovoice.co.uk
Gasoline
www.gasoline.co.uk
Graphic Nature
01992 558800
HME
+1858 535 6060
Hypex
+31 50 52 64 993
Leisuretec
+44 (0) 1525 850085
Neutrik
+44 (0) 1983 811 441
Sound Marketing
01296 621 052
www.graphicnature.co.uk
sales@hypex.nl sales@leisuretec.co.uk www.neutrik.com www.soundmarketing.co.uk
AUDIO MARKETPLACE CLASSIFIED RATES: Minimum 12 Months One Annual Charge Quarter Page £1,495
To advertise call
Darrell Carter on 01992 535647
LOUDSPEAKER
Your Box
Ready to Snatch 01525 850085
www.leisuretec.co.uk
Sound • Lighting • Special Effects - Established 1990 - Distribution Power Squared
>
MARKETPLACE MANUFACTURER
MANUFACTURER
On the largest stages
All-in-One Headset or Beltpac Options
NEW WS200 Wireless Speaker Station
Complete Sound System Solutions by Electro-Voice Kenny Chesney on tour with EV System Design by Phillip Scobee, Morris Leasing
+1-858-535-6060 www.HMEDX.com MANUFACTURER
MANUFACTURER
“One great sounding amplifier”
actual size: 141x110x35mm
Introducing the 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
MARKETPLACE < PR
PR
STUDIO
STUDIO
“You’d better hope the guy with this view knows what he’s doing” When you get up in front of your fans, you want to focus on your performance, not on what you sound like out front. You want to know that the man who’s mixing your live sound is neither deaf nor bored, knows how to get the best out of the kit he’s working with and is going to make you sound as good as you can be. Not everyone knows how to do ‘loud’ without endangering the audience’s hearing, blowing up some crucial piece of gear or alienating the local crew. Fortunately, when Wes is out front, you can relax, knowing it’s going to be great. He’s mixed live sound in over 120 venues throughout the UK and Europe on umpteen different desks, He’s mixed heavy metal at the Download Festival and Sting’s lute in the Albert Hall. He’s done Goth in Whitby and Blues in Malta. This depth of experience is priceless. Being fluent in four languages and having an encyclopedic knowledge of the cool restaurants and bars of Europe’s major cities is also an advantage of course. Wes even makes a mean quesadilla on the tour bus. So next time you want someone really great out front who’s on your side, give Wes a call. And if you visit www.wesonator.co.uk and sign up for the Sonic Cuisine newsletter, he’ll even send you his recipe for Tour Bus Quesadilla!
Wes Maebe The GHQ Sonic Cuisine, West London Freelance recording, mixing, mastering and live engineer. T: 020 8749 5654 M: 07875 401114 E: wes@wesonator.co.uk
www.wesonator.co.uk Photo of Exit 10 at Download by Wes Maebe
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
INNOVATION AWARDS The 2009 PLASA Awards for Innovation were presented at The PLASA Show this month, continuing to reflect the wide diversity of products nominated from across the entertainment and installation technology spectrum, ranging from the spectacular to new twists on essential tools of the trade. Over 60 products were nominated for the awards. Adam Afriyie MP, shadow minister for innovation, universities and skills (pictured below with JoeCo’s Joe Bull) presented the awards, which were judged by a panel of independent judges drawn from across the industry. Awards chairman, James Eade, stated: “This year the entries displayed a range of technological advances that resulted in a considerable amount of products vying for one of the eight awards.” Pro audio winners on the evening included Coda Audio (in cricle on right) for the SC8 Sensor controlled subwoofer, JoeCo for the new Black Box Recorder and Klein & Hummel’s SMS speaker installation tools.
PRODIGIOUS TUBES
Midas’ director of console development, Alex Cooper, was awarded the third Gottelier Award during PLASA 2009 in recognition of his design work on the Midas range of mixing consoles and Klark Teknik signal processing equipment, work which has resulted in such industry classics as the Midas XL3, XL4 and H3000, and in recent years the new generation of Midas digital products, the XL8 and Pro 6.
E N O D ’S T I W HO When we interviewed Stuart Hallerman of Avast! Recording a few months ago, he told us that a young unknown band that was family friends of producer Phil Ek had just been in the studio. That band turned out to be Fleet Foxes, which has recently received four stars from Rolling Stone, ten stars from Pitchfork.com and reached number one on the CMJ Radio chart. The Foxes relied heavily on an EMT 140 plate reverb to attain the echoey, drenched vocals and instruments that take center stage on the band’s highly acclaimed debut album.
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Liam Howlett of The Prodigy was the first customer to purchase a Phoenix compressor and Culture Vulture distortion from Unity Audio before its distributor or dealer networks were established. In an interview in Remix Magazine, Howlett said of the Culture Vulture: “This is a mad valve unit built by this British guy in the 70s.” Unity is celebrating its 11th year of business by releasing the Culture Vulture Limited Edition series.
Fleet Foxes self-titled debut album was engineered by Phil Eck at Avast! studios
www.audioprointernational.com
BEHIND THE BILLBOARD
THE TOP FIVE WEDDING FIRST DANCE PRODUCERS 1. Dann Huff - Lonestar, Amazed 2. Matt Serletic - Aerosmith, Don’t Want to Miss a Thing 3. Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange - Shania Twain, From this Moment On 4. Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange - Bryan Adams, Everything I Do 5. John Shanks - Take That, Rule the World
TAKING IT EASY
These chilled out PLASA visitors had clearly done plenty of business as they surrendered to the bean bags of the show’s central area after four non-stop, foot-destroying days at London’s Earls Court. The area was the centre of relaxation for the bustling crowds and featured comfortable chairs, a massage station and the most important feature of any tradeshow, a fully-stocked networking bar
AUDIO ARCHETYPES Midas XL4 analog live console
BANG YOUR (CONE) HEAD Ben Latham takes the Bestival theme of 2009: A Space Oddity to another level as Pam, the sassy middle aged conehead women, attracts a gang of admirining coneheads followers at the festival. Held on the UK’s Isle of White from September 11th to the 13th, Bestival featured mainstage headliners Kraftwerk, Elbow and Massive Attack. This year’s festival has been nominated for several awards at this years UK Festival Awards, including Best Medium Sized Festival, Best Dance Event, Best Toilets, Best Headline Performance for Kraftwerk, Elbow and Massive and the Virtual Festivals Critics' Choice Award. API was not able to attend Bestival this year due to a schedule conflict with the PLASA show. We have put in formal complaints to have the dates of one of the shows changed for 2010.
www.audioprointernational.com
Launched in the summer of 1995, Midas’ XL4 was received with instant and almost universal acclaim. It quickly established itself as, statistically, the world's favourite PA rental desk, with some leading sound engineers refusing to use anything else. It was designed by Midas’ head of R&D, Alex Cooper, who recently became the third Gottelier Award winner at the PLASA 09 show. This recognition was, without a doubt, in part, for his creation of the board, which, although discontinued three years ago, remains a familiar sight at FOH today. The XL4 was introduced in an era where smaller and cheaper mixers were becoming the norm, but as other manufacturers addressed the lower end of the market, Cooper decided to make a console that was bigger, better and, unavoidably, more expensive than anything previously designed. Despite its price tag, which, at the time of its launch, was akin to that of a four-bedroom house, it sold in unprecedented numbers, not only into the touring sector, but also into the broadcast and fixed install markets. In the summer of 2006, after 12 years in production, the two final XL4 mixing consoles left Midas' Kidderminster factory en route to customers in Korea. audioPRO
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AUDIO FISH OF THE MONTH
This month’s Audio Fish of the Month award goes to Five’s general manager, Liviu Stanescu for the 19-pound common carp that he fished from the waters of the Danube Delta in Romania. Send pictures of your big catch to andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk.
NOISETTES AND V FESTIVAL FOH ENGINEER BRYONY OCTOBER ON THE SOUNDCRAFT VI6 If I had to take any desk to a desert island it would have to be Soundcraft’s Vi6. It sounds amazing due to the Studer preamps, but what I like most about the desk is the fact that you can see every aspect of every channel simultaneously. Everything is right in front of you without scrolling through pages and menus, and you can see the outboard and aux sends on each channel all of the time. In the pressured live environment – for example, mixing drifters such as Reb Beach – you just don't want to have to chase through pages to see what a certain channel's gate or comp is doing, or where you have routed to FX or monitor mixes. On this desk you can see everything, just like you could if you had loads of analog outboard and FX by your side. It’s also rock solid, so I’m also pretty sure that it would stand up to the occasional falling coconut.
FORWARD FEATURE LIST 40-YEARS YOUNG Allen & Heath celebrated its 40th anniversary by holding a party at the top of London’s stand-out Gherkin building on the first evening of the PLASA show. Pictured above is the former MD, Neil Hauser (right), with current MD, Glenn Rogers (left) as they shake hands during the big the top-floor party.
November, Issue 24 – A look at the mics used in top studios around the world, in addition to a sector spotlight on the post production market and a review of the news from AES NYC and Eventech Ireland (extra circulation) December/January – API is combining its December and January issue into one big holiday issue with all the essential information for the NAMM show, plus a focus on the latest in studio outboard and digital snakes and audio transport
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
© 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
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58 audioPRO October 2009
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Up to 60 mono or stereo channels with full processing (equal to 120 channels of DSP processing).
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insert new
op io opt option all
Snapshot Scopes and Crossfades expanded to allow per channel settings and per feature.
macros
clear
single g
auto
powered by
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assign
Ÿ
Dynamic EQ 8 on any input or output path on each band, equivalent to 64 dynamic Eqs in DSP processing.
Multi Band Compression Available on any 8 input or output processing paths, mono or stereo. This is equivalent to 48 touch-n-turn Multi Band Compressors in DSP processing.
Snapshot List per snapshot editable text styles for Snapshot names (uses snapshot notes style).
Snapshot Timing Progress Bar.
screen assign
auxx
auxx
Dedicated Talkback Channel.
Security Modes Unattended and custom Live mode with user deďŹ nable password protection.
Optical I/O Option.
MIDI Machine Control this has been implemented to allow Play/Stop and Locate commands to be triggered by Snapshots.
master
Assign / Unassign allows the building of custom fader banks via channel functions on the worksurface. left
right
030-A
AW-293-00034-A
pshot lcd function previous
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Overdrive software available for both SD8 and the new smaller footprint SD8 - 24 www.digico.org
0032-A AW 293 00036 A
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