AND RMATION FOR INFO EXHIBITS PASS E YOUR FRE S 24-25 SEE PAGE 16 16–21, 20 APRIL
December 2015
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Desk jockey A BBC Neve renaissance at Guido Aalbers’ GieSound P27 P36
P40
P48
WATCH THE BIRDIE!
A BIG THANK FOO!
CURTAIN UP!
CLIP MICS AND CUFFS: TECH FASHION IN THE WORLD OF BROADCAST
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Welcome
PSNEUROPE Editor Dave Robinson drobinson@nbmedia.com
Advertising manager Ryan O’Donnell rodonnell@nbmedia.com
Deputy editor Jon Chapple jchapple@nbmedia.com
Account manager Rian Zoll-Khan rzoll-khan@nbmedia.com
Group managing editor Jo Ruddock jruddock@nbmedia.com
Head of design Jat Garcha jgarcha@nbmedia.com
Content director James McKeown jmckeown@nbmedia.com
Production executive Jason Dowie jdowie@nbmedia.com
Contributors: Kevin Hilton, Marc Maes, Dave Wiggins, Mike Clark, Phil Ward, Peter Filleul, David Davies
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Cover image: GieSound Studio by Bullet-Ray
P3 DECEMBER 2015
DAVE ROBINSON Editor
@PSNEurope
A
nother page turns, another year goes by. What do you do in December other than reflect on the last 12 months, and look to the New Year? Except events in Paris have tripped up that annual routine. The massacre at the Bataclan Theatre means 2015 will mean only one thing to many people. The world changed on Tuesday 11 September 2001; whether it edged further into peril and unrest on the night of Friday 13 November 2015 remains to be seen. Let me take this opportunity to name those within our broader pro-sound/recording community who perished that terrible night (and thanks to our occasional French correspondent Guillaume Schouker for these): Thomas Ayad, Mercury/Universal Music France; Marie Mosser, Universal Music France; Pierre-Yves Guyomard, recording and live engineer and teacher in sound reinforcement at ISTS, ESRA; Manu Perez, former A&R director at Polydor/Universal Music France; and of course Nick Alexander, the merchandise seller from the UK who was known to many on the touring circuit. I was appalled and upset by what I saw and read following the Paris shootings; but I was relieved to discover, by texts mainly, that one friend of the magazine (who I won’t name but who has featured in these pages in the past year) escaped from the theatre unscathed. I wish him a swift recovery from the shock of that awful night. Last year did bring joy and pleasure to many, lest we overlook that. On a personal note, I was gratified to experience the cool-headedness of the production team at Roskilde, namely Paul Jensen and his unflappable crew (also where I heard the amazing Meyer Sound LEOPARD for the first time: see our exclusive on p9); meeting the amazing Daniel Miller in his Mute studio back in the summer, and seeing analogue synth aficionados Node on stage in the spring; Memphis in the West End was a pure delight, and Wilderness was a wonder on so many levels... To all readers of PSNEurope everywhere, I wish you all the best for a joyous and peaceful Christmas, and a prosperous – but amplified! – New Year.
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P4 DECEMBER 2015
Contents
In this issue... P30 SARM MUSIC VILLAGE LADBROKE GROWTH FOR TREVOR HORN’S STUDIO
PP12 PSNPRESENTS 2 A FULL HOUSE FOR MORE PRO-AUDIO CHIT-CHAT
P32 MTV EUROPE MUSIC AWARDS EIGHTY CHANNELS OF BIEBER IN MILAN
Studio 27 30
P21 AES 139 PRODUCT ROUND-UP EVERYTHING TO ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK
Business 6 10 11 12 14 16 18 22
Review of 2015 Ray Davies, Mike Oldfield honoured at APRS lunch Fire devastates NEP Visions, Bracknell PSNPresents: “A fantastically honest discussion” Vocal Channel: Peter Filleul and Dave Wiggins Movers and shakers PSNTraining The Strategic Position: Dirk Ulrich, Plugin Alliance
Technology 20 36 48
New products (plus AES review) Feature: Broadcast microphones Feature: Theatre tools
Guido Aalbers is the guy for GieSound Bye, bye, Basing Street: Inside Sarm Music Village
Broadcast 32 34
Eighty-fader mc²56 the star of the EMAs Is AES67 finally poised for mass adoption?
Live 40 44
Foo Fighters keep their promise to Cesena K-array Owls: Discreet but not oblique
Installation 54
Capitole sound for first Benelux RoomMatch install
Back pages 57 58
Hither & Dither Backtalk: The 12 Days of (Karl) Christmas
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ANDREW DUBOWSKI / SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY
“The more natural the sound, the more perfect the amplification. LEOPARD’s sound is so natural, it fools me into thinking the sound is not really amplified, even though I know it is. That feels like magic.” Andrew Dubowski, Director of Operations
LEOPARD AND 900-LFC THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE LEO FAMILY Read the full interview at meyersound.com/sfsymphony
P6 DECEMBER 2015
Review of the year
The Pro Sound Awards, which have fast become a must-attend industry event, returned for the third time in September
2015: Ring out the old… Was 2015 more than just another chapter in the unstoppable rise of Ulrich Bernhard Behringer? Jon Chapple thinks so
I
t’s somehow December once more, and almost time for another round of half-hearted resolutions which will – with depressing inevitability – be in tatters by the start of February. However, the end of the year isn’t just a time to consider eating/drinking/smoking less – it’s also a time to reflect on the year that was; to take stock of the industry, assess its health and ask burning questions like: “Should I be investing in smaller speaker cabinets?”, “Which trade shows should I be attending next year?”, “Should I launch a Kickstarter campaign?” and “How much would Music Group give ME for my business?” Read on for answers to all these queries and more (kind of) as we round up the biggest stories of a transitional year in pro audio…
Operation consolidation While we’re doing our best to avoid writing ‘review of 2014: part two’ (even if that’s how many in the industry would surely describe the year that was), it’s stories about smaller pro-audio companies being swallowed up by larger ones – and, more significantly, big companies becoming part of even bigger ones – that have once again generated the most discussion and the largest number of column inches in 2015. Chief among them, of course, is Music Group’s April acquisition of TC Group, which united the latter’s Tannoy, Lab.gruppen, Lake, TC Electronic and TC Helicon brands (White Acoustics is still MIA) with
Midas, Klark Teknik, Turbosound and Behringer in Uli Behringer’s ever-expanding pro-audio empire. “The addition of Tannoy, Lab.gruppen and Lake allows Music Group to round out their professional install and touring sound offerings alongside Midas, Klark Teknik and Turbosound, while TC Electronic and TC-Helicon represent the industry’s leading brands in the guitar effects and voice processing sector and perfectly complement Music Group’s Bugera guitar tube amplifier brand and highly successful Behringer prosumer division,” said a statement at the time. While it’s been mostly business as usual so far at the new, larger Music Group (employees’ sensible ‘name@tcgroup.tc’ email addresses being replaced with ones that look uncannily like Kryptonese notwithstanding), the industry still “collectively [threw] its arms up in horror” on hearing of the deal, wrote PSNEurope columnist David Wiggins in June, with many understandably wary considering Behringer’s ‘fire-and-move-to-China’ approach towards some of his other acquisitions. However, unlike the pre-Music Group Turbosound, for example, the TC brands are profitable, meaning the two situations aren’t directly comparable… One to watch for 2016, then. Elsewhere, Electra Partners’ DiGiCo–Allen & Heath– Calrec group was finally given a name this year – ‘Audiotonix’ – to coincide with the launch of the DiGiCo S21 in Frankfurt. In Audiotonix, the London-based private-equity firm has a major chunk of digitalmixer marketshare in the broadcast, installation, DJ
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DiGiCo’s James Gordon (left) and David Webster at Prolight + Sound, where Electra Partners’ DiGiCo–Allen & Heath– Calrec group was finally given a name: Audiotonix
and live/touring sectors. (In only tangentially related news, former DiGiCo majority stakeholder ISIS Equity Partners changed its name late last year to ‘Livingbridge’. Can’t think why.) Also snapped up in 2015 were Community, by Apart Audio owner Audioprof Group; effects brand Aphex (of Aural Exciter fame), by Røde Microphones; and Minnetonka Audio Software, by the Telos Alliance/ Linear Acoustic.
Small change A trend first noted by PSNEurope late last year (‘Baby (line array) knows best’, PSNEurope August 2014), the proliferation of compact – or ‘baby’ – line-array systems has continued into 2015, with new systems such as the Electro-Voice X-Line, Coda Audio AiRAY and Meyer Sound LEOPARD flying the flag for sound reinforcement with a smaller footprint than at any time in recent memory.
P7 DECEMBER 2015 K-array’s Firenze-series â€˜ďŹ‚at array’ made its UK debut in January
While every manufacturer is marketing its own solution differently – Nexo’s new M28 module continues its Scale Through Modularity (STM) ‘building-block’ approach towards building a speaker rig, while Martin Audio’s sales pitch for the MLA Mini naturally revolves around its famous Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array (MLA) technology; Meyer Sound, meanwhile, highlights how an array of six LEOPARD modules can be own using a half-ton motor, and Coda claims to have invented a whole “new category in line-array systemsâ€? with the high-output AiRAY – all have similar advantages: allowing smaller venues to beneďŹ t from line-array technology and PA companies to make signiďŹ cant savings (in manpower, truck space, etc.) without compromising on sound. According to Coda Audio’s Paul Ward, with AiRAY the company speciďŹ cally “wanted to make something that was relevant to the current market situationâ€? and “sympathetic to the guys who are [going to be] using itâ€?. Jon Sager of JBL Professional, which introduced the dual-6.5â€? VT886 in 2010, says that JBL found that “there were potentially many new users due to [its compact solutions’] size and more cost-effective price pointâ€?. Taking a slightly different approach was K-array, whose ultra-slim Firenze KH8 touring system – demoed in the UK for the ďŹ rst time at the Barbican
Centre in January (‘Florence and the lean’, PSNEurope February 2015) – marries a peak output of 145dB SPL with a at proďŹ le less than a foot deep. (Individual speakers can be independently tilted within the totally straight enclosure.) Firenze is, says K-array product specialist manager Francesco Maffei, “smaller than our competitors, but at the same time louder‌â€?
Show business It’s easy to take the existence of our industry’s trade shows for granted – after all, as Benjamin Franklin once said: “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain except death, taxes and Prolight + Sound taking place in Frankfurt every springâ€? – but this year saw both pro-audio perennials and ambitious upstarts make major announcements We got a new lick of about their future, with the result that paint in April with the ďŹ rst next year’s trade show calendar issue (bottom) of the compact, will look very different to 2015’s. streamlined, totally redesigned If you only attend one pronew PSNEurope you now hold audio trade show, it will likely be in your very hands. As the editor the daddy of them all, Prolight said at the time: “If it’s good + Sound (and sister show enough for The Times and The Musikmesse), which this year Guardian, A4 is ďŹ ne by welcomed no less than 108,000 me!â€? guests from 146 countries to the Messe Frankfurt exhibition centre from 15 to 18 April. However, exhibitors and visitors were surprised to learn that the 2015 event was the show’s last hurrah in its current form: As of 2016 PL+S and Musikmesse will switch halls (PL+S moving from its existing home in Halls 8 and 9 to Halls 1, 3, 4 and 5 and the Congress Centre) and no longer run concurrently, with Prolight + Sound taking place from Tuesday 5 to Friday 8 April and Musikmesse from Thursday 7 to Sunday 10 April. Musikmesse will also open its doors to consumers on all four days. “We are acting from a position of strength and want to expand Prolight + Sound hand in hand with the sector and for the sector,â€? explained Stephan Kurzawski, senior vice-president of Messe Frankfurt
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P8 DECEMBER 2015
Review of the year
Røde’s Peter Freedman seals the deal with former Aphex owner David Wiener
PSNEurope this year hosted the first two instalments of our PSNPresents series of networking events. Inspired by the Pre-Roll section of the 2014 Pro Sound Awards (see last year’s review of the year), PSNPresents is centred around on-stage interviews and panels with leading lights from the pro-audio spectrum. The first event, sponsored by Focusrite and Avid, was held on 12 March, with PSNEurope editor Dave Robinson and writer/industry personality Phil Ward joined by
theatre/broadcast guests Steve Zissler (Royal Opera House), Jonathan Suffolk (National Theatre) and Scott Talbott and Andy Tapley (BBC Studios and Post Production) and live engineers Dave McDonald (Adele, Florence + the Machine), Charles ‘Chicky’ Reeves, (Grace Jones, Prince), Robb Allan (Massive Attack) and Ben Hammond (Deaf Havana). The second took place on 4 November. Read a full report on p12! www.psnpresents.com
Exhibition GmbH, at the time. “To this end, we need more space, which the eastern section of the exhibition centre offers.” In total, the new Prolight + Sound will comprise six exhibition halls, two outdoor arenas, a new indoor arena and a larger area of outdoor exhibition space. Also acting from a position of strength, no doubt, was Integrated Systems Events, organiser of Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), when it announced that the AV/SIfocussed show would move to a four-day format in 2016. Launched in 2004 but experiencing phenomenal growth over the past few years (a
Be proud of your sound Host Phil Ward with Flood at PSNPresents 2
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15 per cent growth in year-on-year visitor numbers is becoming common), ISE has in the same period taken great pains to entice visitors from the pro-audio world by boosting the number of audio sessions and seminars and signing up a host of new exhibitors: notable at the 2015 show, for example, were the ISE debuts of Apex, RCS and Chinese brand Frank Audio and a massively expanded Harman stand (following its acquisition of AV switching/control specialist AMX). PRO, a sister show to DJ/electronic music production event BPM, seems to be finding its feet after a relatively slow start, with new dates (11–13 September) and a new location (Genting Arena) planned for next year. While feedback from visitors has been largely positive since its launch in 2014 – PRO “promises to be exactly what the UK needs in terms of an annual audio technology showcase”, said Nexo marketing director Ginny Goudy last year – PRO has been largely overshadowed by the bigger, more established BPM, and it is hoped the upcoming move to the Genting Arena, elsewhere in the NEC, will increase football and reinvigorate the show. “We understand that the industry is always changing, which is why our vision is for a fresh, exciting event that provides an experience-driven exhibition floor, an extensive learning programme and the opportunity to socialise and do business,” says Mark Walsh, the show’s director. “The move into the Genting Arena will ensure that PRO is even more dynamic and feature-rich in 2016, providing a show that gathers the industry together and continues to build the future.” The troubled PLASA Show – which has struggled to placate its pro-audio visitors, many of whom feel the show is lacking in audio content, since its move from Earls Court to ExCeL in 2013 – was dealt another blow in October when it emerged that PLASA had taken steps to ameliorate a “crisis cash-flow problem” by reducing staff, putting its Eastbourne office up for sale and ceasing operations in the US. However, PLASA event director Chris Toulmin remains confident that a move to
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P9 DECEMBER 2015
Olympia for 2016 – and a renewed focus on attracting all-important audio manufacturers – will restore the show’s traditional status as a must-attend event come next October.
Smart money Epitomised by Flare Audio’s remarkable success on Kickstarter in June – 1,260 backers pledged over £177,000 towards the company’s Reference R2 consumer headphones – 2015 was the year when the crowdfunding revolution finally came to the world of professional sound. Other crowdfunding successes this year included Kickstarter campaigns by boutique British manufacturer Crookwood, known for its mastering and recording equipment, which raised over £12,500 for its SoundBucket prosumer portable speaker/monitor, and New York headphone brand Adv.Sound, which raked in $56,654 from 1,072 backers for its M4 range of in-ear monitors. Less successful, however, were Latvian speakermaker Square Audio, which failed to raise the US$38,500 it needed for its Square Root nearfield monitor, despite being a Kickstarter ‘staff pick’ (the campaign closed at $24,938 on 19 June), and Indianabased start-up Emanate Audio, which received just $9,556 in pledges for its Cerberus 500-series analogue/ digital rack against a $40,000 target. According to Crookwood’s managing director, Crispin Herrod-Taylor, the company chose Kickstarter partly to “bypass the need to access bank funds, which are always a problem for small companies”. But crowdfunding isn’t the only option for audio start-ups in need of capital: 3D monitoring specialist Klang Technologies, founded in 2013 but hitting its stride (with distribution deals and column inches aplenty) this year, was funded with a one-year startup scholarship from founder Pascal Dietrich’s alma mater, while ‘pro-audio LinkedIn’ SoundBetter this year benefitted from an injection of funding from number of
EXCLUSIVE: LEOPARD Success in 2015 Meyer Sound has revealed exclusively to PSNEurope the scale of its success with the new LEO Family (LEO, LYON and LEOPARD): over 8,000 units in fact. “LEOPARD is our most successful launch ever, even more so than M’elodie,” incoming PR manager Jane Eagleson says. “Within these first five months, we’ve shipped more than 150 complete LEOPARD systems that are now hard at work in more than 25 countries.” LEOPARD has already been seen at a number of European festivals including Sweden’s Way Out West, Germany’s Moers Festival, Denmark’s Roskilde Festival (pictured) and Montreux Jazz Festival, and has supported the US tour of former Eagles frontman Don Henley. LEOPARD systems are in place at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and will debut in December in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s iconic Rose Theatre. “Leading the pack in European LEOPARD sales is France’s Dushow/Best Audio,” continues Eagleson. “[The acclaimed PA] has reignited interest in the entire LEO Family – the UK’s Wigwam Acoustics recently invested in LEO, LYON, and LEOPARD systems, which were put to immediate use touring with One Direction.” The LEO Family also supported
the Grateful Dead’s recent Fare Thee Well shows, and band members are now on tour with John Mayer as Dead & Company powered by 165 boxes. LYON also recently made its Broadway debut on not one, but two stages, supporting Mick Potter’s sound design for School of Rock and Andrew Keister’s sound design for On Your Feet. www.meyer-sound.com
Crookwood Kickstarted over £12,500 toward its prosumer SoundBucket portable speaker in June/July
Silicon Valley tech investors. Meanwhile, fledgling loudspeaker manufacturers Aimline and Idea Pro Audio (launched at ISE 2015 and PL+S 2014, respectively) demonstrated the importance of new companies’ building relationships with established industry players – Idea works closely with
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Swiss ‘loudspeaker laboratory’ Speaklab and shares R&D resources with Acustica Beyma, and Aimline is led by a team of ex-Tannoy, Turbosound and Tascam veterans – while Turkey’s Apia (a PL+S 2015 debutante) has won backing from one of the country’s wealthiest businessmen, Mehmet Naci Topsakal.
P10 DECEMBER 2015
Business
United Kingdom
Fellowship of the r(ecord)ings The annual APRS lunch recognises special contributions from industry elders. Dave Robinson was there
R
ay Davies and Mike Oldfield were among the recording industry veterans to be honoured by the Association of Professional Recording Services (APRS) at its annual Sound Fellowships Lunch in west London on 17 November. Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant was the surprise guest at the celebration at the Kensington Roof Gardens as members and guests of the APRS gathered to “recognise the excellence and achievement of those who have made a special contribution to the art, science and business of recording”. With Sir George Martin, president of the Association of Professional Recording Services (APRS), unable to attend through health reasons, hosting duties were left to his wife Lady Judy Martin. 6Music tastemaker Tom Robinson and APRS statesman Dennis Weinreich co-presented the proceedings; Focusrite, AMS Neve and API returned as three of the main sponsors, with Sonnox and Yamaha UK joining the line-up for the first time. As usual, six titans in their field were inaugurated into the Fellowship: this year, it was the turn of Ray Davies CBE of The Kinks, musician Mike Oldfield, producer and engineer Richard Dodd, co-founder of AMS Neve Stuart Nevison, RAK manager Trisha Wegg, and musician and former APRS executive director Peter Filleul. Guy Fletcher OBE, chairman of the Performing Right Society, began the formal part of the lunch by proposing the annual Harewood Toast (a traditional ‘keynote’ style affair in honour of Lord Harewood, founding patron of APRS.) Fletcher regaled guests with tales of meeting Joe Meek in his chaotic Holloway Road studio in 1962, and revealed how he was the first UK songwriter to have a composition sung by Elvis Presley. AMS Neve MD (and Sound Fellow) Mark Crabtree read the citation for his old business pal Stuart Nevison. Rock legend Robert Plant was on hand to present the Award to RAK studio manager Trisha Wegg. “It’s been one heck of a ride,” said Wegg, only the third woman to receive the Fellowship. “I’m just so aware that without all this music and musicians, I wouldn’t have a job.” Producer Richard Dodd (Clannad, Uriah Heap) sent a video message of thanks, while studio designer Eddie Veale read a citation for, and accepted the award on behalf of, Mike Oldfield. Veale has had a long association with the Tubular Bells composer since he designed his Tilehouse studio in Denham, Buckinghamshire. (Oldfield couldn’t drag himself away from his new home in the Bahamas for a windy afternoon in London… but who would?) Singer Debi Doss reflected on being in the studio
(L-R) Robert Plant, Guy Fletcher OBE, Ray Davies CBE, Debi Doss, Malcolm Atkin (APRS chairman)
Stuart Nevison (left) joined AMS Neve’s Mark Crabtree in the Fellowship
Eddie Veale receives the award on behalf of Mike Oldfield, while co-host Tom Robinson looks on
with the man who penned Waterloo Sunset, Lola and You Really Got Me; in his acceptance speech, Ray Davies joked he didn’t know the difference between “AMS and the SAS”. Retired APRS exec director Peter Filleul was the final honoree; he thanked his wife Sian for allowing him to indulge in his enthusiasms over the years. Filleul closed the afternoon’s events with the traditional President’s Toast. Here’s to the next lunch in 2016! www.aprs.co.uk
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Lady Judy Martin presents the mounted certificate to Trisha Wegg
Business
P11 DECEMBER 2015
United Kingdom
NEP Visions hit by blaze A severe ďŹ re devastated the OB company’s Berkshire HQ in early November, reports Kevin Hilton The aftermath of the ďŹ re (Photo: Daniel Elkington Photography)
U
K premises operated by outside broadcast group NEP Visions were devastated by a ďŹ re that broke out on the night of Tuesday 3 November. The company’s base at Bracknell in Berkshire was so severely damaged by the blaze, which was accompanied by explosions, that it will have to be demolished. Four OB trucks and a VT vehicle were also destroyed in what NEP Visions described as “a major ďŹ reâ€?. The Cube building on the Bracknell West trading estate is the main headquarters for the majority of NEP Vision’s UK scanners and support vehicles. Other trucks are based at NEP Cymru in Cardiff and at Observe in the Republic of Ireland. The blaze is said to have started after 10pm and spread very quickly. Ten ďŹ re appliances were brought in to deal with the situation from Bracknell, Reading, Wokingham and the neighbouring counties of Hampshire and Buckinghamshire. The ďŹ re-ďŹ ghting operation continued through the night and into the following morning. NEP Visions director of legal and business affairs Dianne France was quoted by local news website Get Reading as saying that the building would “have to come downâ€? and be rebuilt. In the meantime the company will move to temporary premises. Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service conďŹ rmed that its crews had left the incident and the site had been handed back to the owner. “Crews will continue to reinspect the scene for hot spots twice a day,â€? it said in a statement. “The cause of the ďŹ re is being investigated.â€? Despite efforts to evacuate equipment there is speculation that the ďŹ re will cost several hundreds of thousands of pounds in damages. The blaze claimed three of NEP Visions’ big trucks – the Calrec Audio equipped Gemini, HD2 and HD3 – plus the smaller HD3 operated by Observe and a VT unit. NEP Visions said that it was “in close communication with its clients to ensure that forthcoming shows and events continue without disruption and will be working with other divisions of the NEP Group to draw on additional resourcesâ€?. This means that NEP UK and Ireland still has 16 HD OB trucks and nine VT/support vehicles available, with 32 units in Europe that could be used. The company says it will be able to cover all scheduled broadcast events this coming weekend, including Premier League
and Championship football, WWE and Channel 4 Racing. The president and chief operating officer of NEP Broadcasting ew into the UK from the US and will be looking at “medium and long-term actions related to logistics, facilities and equipmentâ€?. Steve Jenkins, president of NEP UK and Ireland, will concentrate on the company’s clients and staff.
“The response to this event is a testament to the NEP family’s resilience and team spirit in the face of adversity,â€? says Jenkins. “We are conďŹ dent in our ability to continue serving our clients in both the short- and long-term thanks to the worldwide NEP network and the immediate help of our industry partners.â€? „ www.nepinc.com/welcome/visions
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P12 DECEMBER 2015
PSNPresents
Controversial and educational: The return of PSNPresents Dave Robinson reports from the second instalment in PSNEurope’s acclaimed series of social events
I
f it was gloves-off opinion on the state of recording and music in the UK you wanted, PSNPresents was the place to be on 4 November. Outspoken producers Haydn Bendall and Flood took the industry to task on homogeneity in the charts, the huge expense of getting a technical education and why they thought Abbey Road was doing the wrong thing by expanding. Around 60 guests from across the pro-audio spectrum gathered at the Soho Hotel on Wednesday 4 November for two hours of energetic discussion hosted by writer Phil Ward and PSNEurope editor Dave Robinson – plus the opportunity to network with kindred spirits. The event was sponsored by Focusrite and Roland Europe Group. In the first, ‘studio’, half of the event, Ward hosted an eye-opening panel featuring ex-Abbey Road chief engineer Haydn Bendall, TV composer Dru Masters and Depeche Mode/U2 collaborator Flood. Highlights of the session included Masters complaining about the scourge of over-obvious TV music and producers’ fear of silence. He revealed that The Apprentice – the 11th series of which is airing now – was supposed to have the Pet Shop Boys’ Opportunities (“I’ve got the brains/ You’ve got the looks/ Let’s make lots of money…”) as its title music before he convinced them otherwise. While Bendall said he loved Abbey Road as a studio, he was against the plans to open new rooms there (“They don’t need any more money!”) and thought the course at the Abbey Road Institute was over-priced. Brit Award winning Flood lamented how modern music sounded “bollocks”, saying that over-use of plugins and excessive multi-band compression has made everything sound the same. The second half of the evening was led by the editor, introducing monitor engineer (and yogi) Becky Pell and FOH veteran Roger Lindsay. Pell expounded on some of the issues that women in the sound engineering world face, how she deals with troublesome acts and the similarities between running
monitors and teaching yoga. Members of the audience were encouraged to attempt a couple of yoga moves – and standing on one leg led to some inevitably chucklesome results. Roger Lindsay rounded off the evening with tales from his long career, pinpointing a couple of mixing disaster and recalling how he got started in live sound by totally winging his way through it… “The evening was a fantastically honest discussion about the studio and live industry,” said Amy Blyth of Challow Park Studios after the event. “It was a brilliant networking opportunity, especially for those of us whose lives are often spent cooped up in a dark control room. “The event bought together a wonderful group of people whose united opinions spread across the normal divide. It instantly became clear that these guys were all working in this industry because they loved the music, whether it be capturing it, bringing it to an audience or being that crucial cog in an artists live performance; you could tell that they all wanted to pass on their knowledge and experiences to us the listeners and the next generation. It was a shame that there were not more students at the event as I’m sure they would have learnt a great deal from the speakers’ candid representation of our industry. “We are very much looking forward to the next PSNPresents.” Peter Heath, head of pro AV for the Roland Europe Group, added: “Sponsoring the recent PSNPresents
www.psnpresents.com
L–R: Flood, Dru Masters and Haydn Bendall
The editor with Becky Pell
was a good move from our point of view. The subjects covered, content and guests provided good debate and fun, and it was surprisingly educational too. Of course the other purpose was to network, as we always do, so it was good to meet new people too. Already looking forward to the next one!” Watch out for video clips from the evening appearing online soon. www.psnpresents.com www.focusrite.com www.roland.co.uk
Network Everything
Now you can network computer-based audio – including USB, Firewire and Thunderbolt devices, and audio applications easily and inexpensively with Dante Via. Get more info and a 30 day free trial at: audinate.com/dantevia
P14 DECEMBER 2015
Vocal channel
It’s all in the data
M PETER FILLEUL is a musician, the former executive director of the APRS and a very recent recipient of the APRS Sound Fellowship (pic: Gilead Limor)
y sojourn at the APRS threw me into a number of dark and complex arenas, most of which I knew nothing about at the start. However, after 20 years as the APRS rep on the BSI’s Metadata and Identifier sub-committee and representing them as a supposed expert on the ISO ISRC Working Group, I now have a pretty good idea of the way the metadata wind is blowing. Our interest in metadata was entirely stimulated by a primary issue for the British Record Producers’ Guild, at the time a division of the APRS, identifying accurate details of performer contributions to recordings. This information was essential to performance revenue streams, handled in the UK by PPL, an institution that had hitherto refused to include studio producers in their distributions of ‘needletime’ income. Perhaps the APRS having such a close relationship with the venues and equipment by which recordings were
made might enable an effective path to the accurate and authoritative recording data the labels required – thus providing indisputable, irresistible leverage to persuade PPL to pay studio producers. Was I correct to assume that PPL’s record label members had complete and accurate metadata about performers’ contributions as an administrative priority? Surely…? The ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a unique identifier that should be applied to each releasable recorded track, rather like every book should have a unique ISBN number. You can order a book using an ISBN in a bookshop – a useful mechanism for the publishers, authors, booksellers and readers. Sadly, an ISRC offers no such useful mechanism for its stakeholders. The IFPI, the worldwide body representing record labels, has been the designated authority that handles the ISRC standard since 1989, but their system can
only be used privately by individual labels: there is no open access between labels nor to other rights- and stake-holders such as performers, rights-management organisations, broadcasters, libraries or digital aggregators and distributors – and certainly not to consumers. The lack of an accessible global recordings registry has always impeded the usefulness of the ISRC. No registry means no independent way to check on downloads, streams, broadcasts and even sales of recordings; no transparent way to confirm usage of their recordings for rights- and stake-holders; and no way even to ensure the contributor information upon which revenue distributions are based is correct. Why would labels be nervous about sharing information that accurately identifies their products? Why would the labels’ global body, the IFPI, insist they alone should control the way ISRC is run? Answers on a postcard, please.
the ‘road crew’ has apparently been around for millions of years, and the most advanced civilisations got that way by asking these people to run their planets. Having folks with a ‘show must go on’ mentality in charge works really well everywhere. And yes, I do mean Elvis Presley, looking amazingly well for a 106-year-old Venusian.
which you can tune into as much or as little as you want of whatever is going on anywhere. It’s hard to explain, but think of it like a psychic version of the old iTunes playlist: you just close your eyes, pick what you want to see and hear then it’s beamed right into your cerebral cortex. You get a monthly bill for what you use. It’s made load-ins a hell of lot easier, I can tell you.
Great Scott!
N
ever one to leave a recent bandwagon un-jumped-on, this month we join our time-travelling correspondent Artie McFlea in the year 2041 for a glimpse at the live sound business in the mid-21st century...
DAVE WIGGINS is a freelance marketeer and pro-audio pundit
DW: The last 26 years must have seen some pretty momentous changes in touring sound. Can you outline a few? Artie McFlea: The biggest single change came with the Great Intervention of 2029, when the Galactic Congress decided that Earth was ready to be accepted into the sentient cosmos seeing as we hadn’t had a war for a whole week. It worked out really well for the business because Elvis is still galactic president, so obviously having a muso at the top has been good for us. So there is life elsewhere? And Elvis… you don’t mean Presley? Yeah, loads – all over the place in fact. The funny thing is, the concept and philosophy of
What else is different? Once we’d been brought up to speed in terms of technology - things like free, inexhaustible clean power (which had actually been available for years but all the patents were owned by Earth’s oil companies), faster-thanlight travel, cures for every major disease, simple and effective ways of eradicating famine plus, of course, the indispensable Laser Leatherman - the biggie was the total obsolescence of all kind of PA systems once we’d been accepted into the Galactic Mind. The Galactic Mind…? It’s a kind of shared consciousness within
www.psneurope.com/business
But there is still work for road crew? Yes, of course! In fact there are more tours going on now than ever before, loads of work, loads of crew, thousands of venues across hundreds of planets – it’s great. I haven’t been home in three years; not even sure where it is. And you should see my Air Miles statement… Sounds like we have a lot to look forward to. Any other major advances? Sure, and it’s maybe the best of all: you can now take a dump on the tour bus!
P16 DECEMBER 2015
Movers and shakers
Sandy LaMantia takes Shure leave The president and CEO will be succeeded by COO Chris Schyvinck in July
S
hure announced on 11 November that its president and CEO, Santo ‘Sandy’ LaMantia, will retire on 1 July 2016. He will be succeeded by COO/executive vice-president of global operations, marketing and sales Christine ‘Chris’ Schyvinck. (Schyvinck will take on the title of president on 1 January ahead of the succession.) LaMantia joined Shure in November of 1995 as vicepresident of engineering and was appointed president/ CEO in May 1996.
“My time at Shure has been not only a privilege, but a dream come true,” he says, “combining my truest passions: music and engineering. “Today Shure enjoys outstanding growth, and now with a solid transition in place the timing is right for me to step aside and spend more time with my family. Having someone with Chris’s skills, experience and natural leadership ready to take the reins has made my decision all the easier.” www.shure.com
Chris Schyvinck
Sandy LaMantia
DEALER NETWORK Audient has named Enda Quealy as its exclusive sales agent for Ireland (both Northern Ireland and the Republic). “I look forward to building upon these beginnings and developing this award-winning brand to its fullest potential,” says Quealy. www.endaquealy.com www.audient.com
As a part of its ‘Fit for the Future’ strategy for growth, beyerdynamic has appointed Robert Winterhoff as MD with responsibility for global sales and marketing. www.beyerdynamic.com
Dynaudio has hired Ole Jensen as VP of sales for its studio monitors. The Danish company recruited Jensen from former distributor TC Group. www.dynaudio.com
Christopher Sparkes is now director of marketing for PL+S. Sparkes joined Messe Frankfurt in 2011 as media relations officer for its consumer shows. www.messefrankfurt.com
inMusic has appointed former Focusrite Novation sales director Jeremy Lumsden international channel manager for its M-Audio and Akai Professional brands. www.inmusicbrands.com
Mackie’s Jon Rundle has been promoted to product manager. Rundle has long “interact[ed] with Mackie users on a deep level”, says Loud Technologies’ John Boudreau. www.mackie.com
Marco Kraft, late of JVC Pro, has joined Salzbrenner Stagetec Mediagroup to head its sales in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and southern and eastern Europe. www.stagetec.com
HD Pro Audio has been named as a UK distributor for both SoundTools and Klang Technologies. Klang, featured in last month’s start-up feature (PSNEurope November 2015, ‘Start it up!’), designs and manufactures a 3D in-ear monitoring system and associated Danteenabled headphones, while SoundTools, founded by Dave Rat, is most famous for the original XLR Sniffer/Sender. www.hdproaudio.co.uk www.soundtools.com www.klang.com Yamaha and its subsidiary Steinberg have announced a three-company ‘strategic alliance’ with broadcast mixer specialist Harrison Audio to develop solutions which will “substantially improve the workflow in the sound-for-film industry”. www.yamahaproaudio.com www.steinberg.net www.harrisonconsoles.com
Audio showcontrol Playback server Dynamic delay-matrix TimeLine and PanSpace 3D performer tracking for vocal localisation and effects automation
www.outboard.co.uk www.psneurope.com/business
P18 DECEMBER 2015
Yamaha builds audio architecture in Milan
BY JON CHAPPLE
5 September–19 December Britannia Row: Live sound intermediate course Twickenham, UK www.britanniarow.com/courses
15 December Sennheiser: Wireless Mics and Monitoring Essentials Marlow, UK en-uk.sennheiser.com
16 December Adlib: Soundcraft Vi training Potters Bar, UK www.adlib.co.uk
Ongoing On 1 and 2 October Yamaha Commercial Audio hosted its first symposium, High Quality Sound in Architectural Applications, in Milan. Attracting over 70 systems integrators, theatre consultants and AV and IT consultants from 15 European countries, it combined keynote presentations from leading pro-audio industry figures with visits to three high-profile Yamaha installations in Milan. Hosted in the Milano Congressi (MiCo) exhibition centre, High Quality Sound in Architectural Applications covered a range of topics relevant to installed-sound design, with keynotes including: • •
High Quality Architecture, presented by Milan architect Professor Stefano Boeri Sound Quality in Audio Systems, by Yamaha Music Europe’s Ron Bakker (pictured)
• • •
High Quality Architectural Sound for Large Audiences, by Nexo’s François Deffarges High Quality Performance Audio Systems and EN54, by Roland Hemming of RH Consulting The Networked Future – An Underused Resource Just Waiting for Adoption, by Richard Northwood of RH Consulting
Following the keynotes, delegates were taken on a tour of MiCo, Europe’s largest congress centre, whose entire audio signal infrastructure was upgraded in 2014 with a Yamaha-based networked solution featuring 28 QL1, one CL5 and one M7CL digital mixing consoles and 28 Rio1608-D and two Rio3224-D i/o units. They also visited the Yamaha-equipped Expo Milano and UniCredit Towers. www.yamahacommercialaudio.com
Biamp: Biamp Education Experience Online www.youtube.com/user/BiampTraining
THE ESSENTIALS: THE LEOPARD PROJECT
Shure Academy plugs in for Wired Mastered BY JON CHAPPLE
In an expansion of its Shure Academy educational programme, Shure Distribution UK introduced a new series of wired microphone training seminars, Wired Mastered, in Waltham Abbey on 19 November. Following in the footsteps of its similar Wireless Mastered and Wireless Mastered: Installed seminar series, Wired Mastered attendees learnt from Shure’s microphone experts on topics such as the history behind modern microphones, the fundamental science behind the technology and how to apply best practice across a wide range of applications. “In most applications, be it live performance or studio recording,your microphone is the first piece of equipment in the signal chain,” says Shure UK pro-audio group manager Tuomo Tolonen (pictured leading a Wireless Mastered seminar). “Anything that happens from this point forward is affected by your selection and placement at this vital moment. Wired Mastered is essential for any professional audio engineer seeking to lay strong foundations to any production.” www.shure-academy.co.uk
www.psneurope.com/training
The LEOPARD Project, a white paper by John Meyer outlining the development history, philosophy and loudspeaker theory behind Meyer Sound’s new small line-array element, is available to read on NewBay Connect We developed the LEO family of speakers to produce the most ideal linear speakers possible: that is, to reduce distortion to the theoretical limit. LEOPARD is a small line array element in the LEO family that wasn’t targeted to a specific market. Instead, we gave it to our engineers as a challenge to see how well it could be designed. What do we mean by an ideal loudspeaker system? An ideal loudspeaker would reproduce sound a listener would find indistinguishable from that coming directly from a sound source. Read the full article at www.psneurope.com/the-leopard-project
P20 DECEMBER 2015
New products
QSC
AP-4122M and AP-212SW What are they? Two new models in QSC’s AcousticPerformance loudspeaker series. Details: Comprising a multipurpose 12” coaxial loudspeaker (AP-4122m) and a dual-12” subwoofer (AP-212sw), QSC says the speakers expand the AcousticPerformance series “with high versatility and performance in mind”. And another thing… “When you combine these new loudspeakers with QSC PLD4.2 or CXD4.2 processing amplifiers, you create a very formidable yet cost-effective package,” comments QSC’s Travis Nie. www.qsc.com
MUTEC
NEUMANN
SONY
What is it? A reclocking-capable master clock which incorporates a high-fidelity two-channel USB interface.
What is it? An active subwoofer created as an “affordable solution for recording, broadcasting and postproduction studios”.
What is it? A two-channel slot-in receiver and bodypack transmitter, respectively – two new additions to the UWP-D wireless microphone series.
Details: The MC-3+ USB improves the sound quality of connected devices by acting both as an ultra-low jitter clock and by aggressively reclocking incoming digital audio signals.
Details: Based on the acoustical performance of the KH 810 sub, the KH 805 is designed for use in stereo setups in combination with KH 120/KH 310 monitors.
Details: Compatible with XDCAM and HDCAM camcorders, the URX-S03D provides UWP-D-series camcorders with a true-diversity system with stable RF transmission and high-quality sound.
MC-3+ USB
And another thing… It is possible to lock the MC-3+ USB to atomic clocks or GPS receivers, raising its timing accuracy to the highest possible level. www.mutec-net.com
KH 805
And another thing… The KH 805 features a remotely controllable 2.0/0.1 ‘Bass Manager’ which can be used for, for example, extending the speaker’s bass down to 18Hz, increasing the maximum SPL by up to 8dB. www.neumann.berlin
www.psneurope.com
URX-S03D AND UTX-B03HR
And another thing… The UTX-B03HR is equipped with a four-pin microphone connector designed to withstand the rigours of ENG shooting. www.pro.sony.eu
New products: AES 139
P21 DECEMBER 2015
EASTERN ACOUSTIC WORKS ANNA
What are they? A version of EAW’s Anya large-format soundreinforcement system for the mid-scale touring market. Details: Intended for use as a stand-alone PA, the Anna is also able to interlock side by side with columns of Anya modules for use as supplemental fill or outfill.
And another thing… “Anna expands Adaptive Performance to mid-sized applications requiring excellent sound quality, high output and precise coverage, as well as the ability to readily adapt that coverage to any venue geometry in seconds,” said the launch blurb. “Its compact footprint and light weight make it ideal for permanent or temporary use in amphitheatres, theatres, clubs, mobile staging and corporate AV.” www.eaw.com
AURATONE
DPA MICROPHONES
GENELEC
What is it? A brand-new version of the iconic 5C with “the exact same sound and magical properties of vintage Auratone cubes”.
What is it? A new mic from DPA “developed in response to a growing need, especially from the film industry, for a near-invisible bodyworn microphone”.
What is it? A new ‘Smart Active Monitoring’ (SAM) solution from Genelec.
Details: Overseen by new Auratone president Alex Jacobsen – the grandson of Jack Wilson, who invented the original Auratone monitor – and other members of the family, the new Sound Cube could be seen and heard on the stand of distributor TransAudio Group.
Details: The d:screet Slim features the company’s omnidirectional capsule element in a flat head, with a slender cable and button-hole mount accessory.
5C SUPER SOUND CUBE
And another thing… TransAudio gave away a pair of Super Sound Cubes every day of the show. www.transaudiogroup.com
D:SCREET SLIM
And another thing… The d:screet Slim’s button-hole mount, which comes as an enclosed accessory, provides a 90° sound input angle, allowing the cable to lay flat against a surface rather than sticking straight out. www.dpamicrophones.com
www.psneurope.com
1236
Details: The 1236 and its individually calibrated 3U-high remote amplifier module (RAM-XL) comprise a large-format, flush-mounted main monitoring system based on the double-18” bass driver design of the Genelec 1036. And another thing… The 1236’s frequency response extends from 17Hz–26kHz, and it can deliver 130dB SPL at 1m through DSP and class-D amplifiers. www.genelec.com
P22 DECEMBER 2015
The strategic position
Plug-in babies On the surface, Plugin Alliance looks like just another online distribution and licensing company, albeit one that deals with a growing group of software tool developers. It was founded in 2011 by musician Dirk Ulrich; since that time, PSNEurope has watched from a distance as the US-based company has flourished and become more ambitious with its plans. With NAMM just over the horizon, the time seems ripe for Dave Robinson to analyse the Alliance and probe its plans… Dirk Ulrich could have been a law student, but he started his own studio and label instead. Good man!
from finding and working with new Alliance partners to all website development, customer relationship management and sales and marketing. Plugin Alliance’s sister company, Brainworx, is located in Leverkusen, Germany, and this is where I’m based. Here, we’re focussed on the development of new products, as well as offering technical support to Alliance partners to make their transition to our platform as smooth as possible.
PSNEurope: How and when did you get your start in the pro-audio business? Dirk Ulrich: I started working at Uli’s Musik, a great local music store in Leverkusen, Germany, when I was 19. I was in a band, and I also opened my first semi-professional studio (recording punk and metal bands on 1” 24-tracks). The studio business picked up and I decided to produce music instead of becoming a law student, and ended up publishing a lot of bands on my own label (and for other labels) over a span of 15 years. For example, I recorded with and/or produced bands and members of bands like Dream Theater, Toto, Pro Pain, the Michael Jackson Band, Joe Cocker, and more. I also made demos, radio spots, and other productions during that time. Concurrently, Brainworx was founded and I started working with US companies, like Mackie, demoing their gear on trade-shows in Germany. This is how I made my international friends in the pro-audio biz. One of the first people I ever met was Matt Ward, who worked at Universal Audio at that time.
classic M/S EQ, was the beginning of the whole Brainworx and Plugin Alliance story because it really started it all. I had the idea for this plug-in because I was mastering stereo mixes using analogue M/S technology, and I wondered why nobody had ever made a plug-in that uses this technology. Like many small studios, I was recording, mixing and mastering the music I produced myself, and the know-how I gained in these years led to the design of the bx_digital M/S EQ and other Brainworx plugins. Being an experienced producer/engineer enabled me to pitch this plugin to Avid, introduce it to other producers at trade shows and design plugins that are desirable for other producers as well. Brainworx started making plug-ins with, and for, other companies such as SPL, elysia, etc. The next idea we had was to combine these plug-ins under one virtual roof and design our own user-friendly licensing technology and web shop. Plugin Alliance was born as a natural evolutionary step.
And now? How did that background influence what you do? The Brainworx bx_digital, an award-winning modern
Plugin Alliance is based in Santa Cruz, California, and is headed up by... CEO Matt Ward!. Matt and his team take care of all aspects of Plugin Alliance’s business,
www.psneurope.com/business
Popular plugs (top to bottom): the Brainworx bx_digital V2 EQ, the SPL Transient Designer and the Maag EQ4 are three of the big sellers
It’s not just an online company selling plug-ins though, is it? How much influence do you have over third-party software you promote? It really isn’t influence so much as selection. We look for products and technologies that would be interesting to our customers. Up to this point, we’ve had an emphasis on studio processors, but we’re starting to expand outwards a bit. Our most recent partner addition, Unfiltered Audio, which makes innovative technology tools which really appeal to the EDM market, is a great example of this expansion, and you can expect to see more of this.
‘Alliance’ suggests more than ‘Inc.’ or ‘Company’. Can you explain what the term implies? The Plugin Alliance is really three things. The first is a group of companies who have banded together to make use of a common authorisation system, as well as marketing and distribution. The second is group of engineers and producers who share tips, tricks and carrier advice on our ‘Learn’ blog – many of whom are Grammywinners who really enjoy sharing their experience with other Alliance members Last but certainly not least, Plugin Alliance is a group of customers who, by virtue of their membership, can not only access all this useful material but also special promotions and deals only available to Alliance members. (At press time, the Alliance announced the ‘100% AAX DSP Bundle V1.0’: 41 “highly sought-after” plug-ins – at a discount, of course!)
What about company philosophy? Our focus is on the total customer experience. This includes the first moment someone hears about Plugin Alliance, the process of leaning about what we do, getting more specific information about our products, trying them out, buying and using them and after-sales support. We want customers to enjoy every step of this journey so we’re always looking at ways we can tell our story better, make our products more useful and reliable and to ensure
that customer always feel taken care of.
What are the biggest markets for the company right now? One of the reasons we made Plugin Alliance an American company and hired an American marketing team was that we saw the US as a growth area for us. We have seen some growth in the US market for sure, but we’re still relatively stronger in the rest of the world, particularly in Europe, so we do see additional growth in the US market. As for products, as I mentioned previously, our focus has been on studio processors but you’ll see us move into new categories via some exciting partnerships I can’t tell you about yet.
How do you deal with competition? While we certainly pay attention to what other plug-in developers are doing and stay on top of market and technology changes, we really try to keep our focus on our customers. The whole ‘Game of Thrones’ thing that some companies like to get into might be fun, but we consider it more important to make sure we understand what sorts of problems our customers are having and strive to solve them.
What are the big sellers? A few of the real staples of the Plugin Alliance line-up would be the Brainworx bx_digital V2 EQ, the SPL Transient Designer and the Maag EQ4. That said, we’ve had tremendous success with our recent Lindell Audio launch, and the new 254E Limiter has been especially popular with our customers.
Longer-term goals? You’ll continue to see us come up with ways to make it easier and more attractive for additional partners to join Plugin Alliance, as well as creating more compelling content to help our Alliance members improve their craft.
A final word? We’re in this business because we love audio, so it’s been gratifying to be able to build a platform which makes our customers’ music sound better. Thanks for letting us tell that story! www.plugin-alliance.com
www.psneurope.com/business
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Studio
A fish’s-eye view of GieSound’s custom 36-input Neve-inspired desk (Photo: Bullet-Ray)
P27 DECEMBER 2015
Netherlands
Gie whiz! Spring 2015 saw GieSound Studio move from Soest to Zwolle, where mixer–producer (and Neve superfan) Guido Aalbers built his new studio complex, writes Marc Maes
G
ieSound’s first studio was located in the Studio 41 multiplex site in Soest, a ‘creative hub’ for mastering, mixing, DVD authoring, audio description and post-production companies opened in 2010. “The combination and integration of the different elements of the sound recording process was nice to work in but I felt somewhat limited in my possibilities,” says founder Guido Aalbers. “In Studio 41 I had a control room plus a very small recording room; when I wanted to record bands I had to travel to other studios in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, my gear packed in flightcases.” Leaving Studio 41 was not a certainty, admits Aalbers, but in the end he wanted to have a full bandcapacity recording studio, offering the same quality that brought has since brought in mixing and production assignments for international bands like Coldplay, Muse, Queens of the Stone Age, Franz Ferdinand, Counting Crows… “Studio 41 was no longer an option, also because the facility – located in the middle of a housing estate – would require a substantial investment in insulation.” Without really looking, Aalbers almost accidentally bumped into a building on an industrial site in Zwolle: a huge, newly built business unit. “The big advantage
was that the premises were completely new and empty, allowing me to start from scratch building my own studios,” continues Aalbers. “In February this year, I started to design and construct the two recording studios – one 40m² studio, and a smaller, 20m² one – and a control room. It has become a group effort, with lots of help from colleagues, studio owners and studio builders, cutting costs wherever possible without giving in on quality standards.” The new studio’s control room continues on the path chosen by Aalbers in the past: “I have always been a Pro Tools aficionado, using HD3 as a ‘tape machine plus’ to offer more options than a standard tape recorder. I use an analogue console and lots of analogue outboard gear from brands such as Neve, Summit Audio, Chandler Limited, SPL, etc. – I get good results thanks to this combination: it’s much more ‘relaxed’.” GieSound’s recording console is a custom-made, modular, 36-input desk configured by German engineer Steffen Müller. Based on Aalbers’s specs, the desk features offers ‘Neve-type’ summing and classic EQs, with the option to add extra channels. “This is a pure mixing console, equipped with elements from other consoles,” explains Aalbers. “I’m a Neve fan and work a lot with Neve or Neve-based equipment – the mixing
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I’m convinced that bands attach more importance to the ‘who’ rather than to the ‘where’ – the choice of the mixer, producer or engineer is crucial, more so today than in the past
Guido Aalbers, GieSound
P28 DECEMBER 2015
Studio
The Road Home guitarist Luke Christoffel tunes up while studio owner Guide Aalbers looks on (Photo: Bullet-Ray)
desk is actually sort of a ‘BBC Neve’ console. Steffen also put together extra compressors and limiters for me, featuring Neve transformers, so you might say that Neve is the path we follow at GieSound. “For the new studio I’ve also added some extra recording preamps like Neve 4081s, allowing me to record a complete band. Other new pres include a Dizengoff D4, Audient ASP008, Warm Audio Tone Beast, Universal Audio LA610 MkII and a Chandler TG Channel. Rather than going for a completely new configuration, Aalbers decided to continue using the basics of his Soest control room, including its DynAudio Air 12 monitors. “The big investment here is the infrastructure, the design and acoustics of the studios: it was a real trial-and-error
headphone monitoring circuit, allowing individual musicians to get a perfect personal headphone mix.” The first test recordings at GieSound took place this spring, and since 1 May GieSound offers a fully fledged recording facility. (The building also comprises a cosy relaxation room, kitchen and a spacious car park.) “I’m convinced that bands attach more importance to the ‘who’ rather than to the ‘where’,” concludes Aalbers. “The choice of the mixer, producer or engineer is crucial, more today than in the past. In this respect I see people travelling from abroad or from the other side of the country to record with me. Selling a ‘no’ is not the option, and the new studio opens new perspectives.” www.giesound.nl
The GieSound Zwolle recording room (Photo: Bullet-Ray)
process. I specifically wanted the big live room to get a specific ‘drum sound’ colour,” he says. “Test sessions with drummers resulted in a very ‘lively’ acoustic. With the option to record full bands, I invested quite a lot in Neutrik patch panels and a Behringer P16 Powerplay
www.psneurope.com/studio
P30 DECEMBER 2015
Studio
United Kingdom
Horn-loaded
The ‘Man Who Invented the ’80s’ is prepared for the (20)20s with the state-of-the-art new Sarm Music Village, writes Jon Chapple
T
revor Horn’s Sarm Studios is back in business after a two-year hiatus. Sarm Music Village, the successor studio to Sarm Studios in Basing Street, London, has already hosted sessions by Rihanna, One Direction and Kylie Minogue and marks the rebirth of the Sarm brand in west London. When Horn first confirmed that he would be closing Sarm (PSNEurope September 2013), the plan was to redevelop the Basing Street facility rather than move to an entirely new site. However, this wasn’t possible, says Horn, “because we discovered a Victorian storm drain 30 feet down that runs directly under the Sarm West building, so we couldn’t get permission to dig down.” The result, then, is Sarm Music Village, at 105 Ladbroke Grove: the latest iteration of the studios established in 1970 as Basing Street Studios by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell (and which, in its first year of business, hosted both Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull as they recorded their untitled fourth album and Aqualung, respectively, at the same time). Compared to Sarm (formerly ‘Sarm West’; Sarm East in Brick Lane is now London Recording Studios), Sarm Music Village is lacking some of its predecessor’s “huge consoles”, says Horn, but does feature a 24-channel SSL AWS 900+ desk in the Sarm West, or Blue, Studio – having an “old and exotic” analogue desk is “the only point in having one these days”, Horn said in 2013 – “and all the outboard gear from West, as well as the microphone collection, screens, two Studer ½” machines and a Studer 24-track analogue [recorder] with 16-track and 24-track headblocks. Plus Steve Evans, our fantastic head of tech…” Joining the Sarm West (Blue) tracking/mix studio (whose live room includes a 100-year-old Steinway grand piano) is the ZTT (Red) Studio – each of Sarm Music Village’s six studios/suites has both a name that reflects the complex’s heritage and a colour – another tracking/mix studio which lacks a console but makes up for it with plenty of vintage and modern analogue outboard; the Stiff (Yellow) Suite, a Genelec-monitored room “created for high quality vocal sessions and fast-paced production work”; the Island Life (Orange) Suite, a long-term-let production room; and the Perfect and Unforgettable (Green) Suites, two production/ writing rooms which can be booked either separately or together as a control room and live area. All studios are connected using a central patchbay. While Horn’s name and reputation, and the Sarm (‘Sound and Recording Mobiles’) brand, obviously
negate some of the risk, how brave do you have to be to open what is effectively a brand-new multimillion-pound studio complex in central London? Not especially, says Horn: “You [just] have to love recording studios and the process of making records.” Although famous as ‘The Man Who Invented the Eighties’ – first as a member of The Buggles and later as the producer of seminal recordings like ABC’s The Lexicon of Love (1982), Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Welcome to the Pleasuredome (1984), Grace Jones’s Slave to the Rhythm (1985), the Pet Shop Boys’ Introspective (1988) and Band Aid’s 1984 charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas? – Horn’s programming-heavy production style has, naturally, evolved in the decades since. Is this reflected in the design of Sarm Music Village? “Back in the ’80s we used to program everything; now I like to play everything,” he explains. “Most modern records are a combination of playing and programming, and most records are recorded one instrument at a time, so the Music Village is geared to that: The rooms are small but beautifully finished, each room – bar one – looks into another room, all the rooms have natural daylight… “The location is fabulous!” Horn adds that he’s “very involved” in the running of the studio and will be “working there a lot”. www.sarmmusicvillage.com
The Stiff Suite has its own private garden terrace
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ZTT Studio: no desk but plenty of outboard
The Steinway in the Blue Studio
Sarm Music Village marked its official opening with a launch party on Wednesday 28 October. “As a team we’re all really pleased with how the party went,” studio manager Jed Kellett told PSNEurope after the event. “We want to thank everyone that came down and made it such a memorable night, plus all those that supported us: Portobello Brewery, Fiction Records and [UMG artist services division] Caroline International. It felt like the beginning of something really exciting.”
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P32 DECEMBER 2015
Broadcast
Pharrell Williams – and what looks like Italy’s answer to Pan’s People – performs at the EMAs (Photo: Dave Hogan)
Italy
Eighty-fadered glory At this year’s MTV Europe Music Awards, AV production company Videohouse equipped its OB17 truck with an extended Lawo mc²56 console to offer a record-breaking channel count, reports Marc Maes
T
he MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) frequently deliver on shocks – who can forget the 2013 event in Amsterdam, for instance, when a twerking, half-naked Miley Cyrus appeared to light a joint on stage – but the 2015 edition was conducted with a little more decorum (although Ellie Goulding only narrowly avoided a ‘wardrobe malfunction’, according to the British tabloids). The TV production for the event, held at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan on 25 October, was assigned to EMG affiliate United. “In the [EMG] group structure, United takes on the management of the production and Videohouse is responsible for the audio production van,” explains Koen Bredael, head of audio at Videohouse. “Together, we offer a strong combination, backed by the immense inventory of audiovisual equipment in the EMG company pool.” In preparing for the awards, the decision was taken to completely refurbish Videohouse’s OB17 broadcasting truck. “The OB17 has a long time working history for the MTV EMAs, but [for the 2015 event] we decided to replace the original Soundtracs D4 console, and, at the same time, redecorate the interior,” continues Bredael. With Videohouse and United both choosing Lawo consoles for big production assignments, the choice of a Lawo mc²56 was a logical step. For the 12m x 4m truck, building company Projectbuilders installed a multi-purpose frame in its huge mixing room. “The frame and new fibreoptic cabling will allow us to work on demand and install any mixing desk required for a specific job and connect it via MADI on the local in/outs,” Bredael explains. The EMAs used three separate stages, plus red-carpet and open-air stages, and the mc²56 proved to be the best solution for the job. “The production required extremely tight chang-over times, sometimes less than 60 seconds,” explains Dirk Sykora, technical director of Lawo’s Benelux
representative, LDM Systems. “We put in place a 48-fader Lawo mc²56 with two extra 16-unit fader bays, adding up to 80 faders. The two extra fader bays were placed alongside the main desk, improving the workspace’s ergonomics and overview.” The Dolby-certified surround mixing room was further equipped with Genelec 1032 speakers in surround and Yamaha NS10 nearfield monitors. All cabling was fibre optic, with Andiamo MADI convertors steering the outboard gear. The set-up’s main platform was a Lawo Nova 73 HD twin router core, with a handling capacity of up to 8,192 ins and outs. “The core has 42 MAD -connections and four DSP boards to serve a total of 384 DSP channels,” says Sykora, who has been working as the OB17’s main systems engineer for the awards since 2006. “The three stages were connected with six external 56 mic preamp stage boxes, allowing the individual mixing of all bands and artists on stage. Flexibility was key: mixing a solo artist, including a full live band on one stage with a second band on a different stage, would have required at least two consoles, since most of them are limited to 96 lines. The mc²56, with a total of 320 channels of microphone inputs, served the three stages without any problems.” Since 2003, the MTV Awards have been mixed by awardwinning broadcast engineer Toby Alington. “It was Toby’s first assignment on a Lawo mc²56,” comments Sykora. “He’s an expert in live broadcast mixing, and some of his remarks on the use of the console have been implemented in Lawo’s new software releases.” Most importantly to Alington, the mc²56 was a great sounding console: “The EQ is one of the best I have used on a digital console,” he says. “Sweeping a frequency to find the sweet spot feels like operating a good analogue
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Toby Alington at his mc²56
EQ. Lawo have a reputation for listening to their clients and operators, and improvements to the interface since the early desks are huge. Simple things such as colouring the fader strip backlight are great features and clearly driven by experienced operators rather than programmers.” In addition to the OB17’s outboard equipment, Alington used a few of his own outboard favourites, notably the TC System 6000 and, for vocal dynamics, EL8 Distressors and dbx902 de-essers. The show deployed three TC6000s, providing final output mastering and 5.1 tools for the live broadcast. “There’s a point in any learning curve where a console starts to feel friendly,” he adds, “and that happened quite quickly with the mc²56. Admittedly I had Dirk’s vast experience of the console, but it produced a great sound and I look forward to working with one again!” For the awards, United flew in 80 staff members and was present with thirteen vehicles, including six video vans and the OB17 audio truck. Artists performing on the night included Pharell Williams, Justin Bieber, Tori Kelly (duetting with Andrea Bocelli) and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. www.lawo.com www.videohouse.be www.euromediagroup.com www.ldm-systems.eu
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P34 DECEMBER 2015
Broadcast
World
AES67 comes of age 2015 has witnessed considerable activity around AES67, but an impressive 22-device live demonstration at the recent AES show in New York suggests that the AoIP interoperability standard is now poised for mass adoption, writes David Davies
I
n the two-plus years since the AES67 standard was ratiďŹ ed and published, there has been extensive industry debate surrounding the potential of this interoperability standard to help
audio over IP (AoIP) achieve its full potential. With the unveiling of a 22-device demo at AES in New York last month, there is no doubt that this discussion has now transformed into something rather more tangible.
# # # #
Even at this stage in proceedings it bears repeating that AES67 is not a networking solution in and of itself – rather, it provides interoperability recommendations (covering the areas of synchronisation, media clock identiďŹ cation, network transport, encoding and streaming, session description and connection management) that allow devices using existing AoIP technologies to work together successfully. The messaging around AES67 has therefore been relatively straightforward – particularly when compared to some other recent high-proďŹ le networking initiatives one could think of – and that is surely a major contributing factor to the current excitement around the standard. “I am glad that you think it feels like there is a momentum behind AES67; it seems that way to us,â€? says Kevin Gross, founder of AVA Networks and the technical work group chairman of AES67-promoting organisation the Media Networking Alliance (MNA). “Part of that is down to the general growing acceptance of AoIP, but I think that having access to a reliable, proven standard that can offer assurance to those investing in [networked products] is also a critical factor.â€?
Behind the demo
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The live streaming presentation at AES drew on the products and expertise of a broad cross-section of MNA-member manufacturers. ALC NetworX, Archwave, Digigram, DirectOut, Focussrite, Genelec, Lawo, Meinberg, Merging, QSC, Solid State Logic, Telos Alliance companies Axia Audio and Linear Acoustic and Yamaha all participated in a demo which saw successful coexistence of devices employing ALC NetworX’s Ravenna, QSC’s Q-LAN, Telos Alliance’s Livewire+ and Audinate’s Dante networking technologies. Gross points to the precedent of the large-scale, multi-manufacturer testing that took place at a Munich ‘plugfest’ in 2014, but conďŹ rms that this is by far the largest public display of AES67 to date. “It is a signiďŹ cant moment and there has been great cooperation between everyone involved in the demo,â€? he says. Whilst “everything worked as we intended it to doâ€?,
The MNA’s Will Hoult (left) and Kevin Gross at the 139th AES Convention
Gross emphasises that the standard is “focussed on getting media across the network – not on user interfaces. It is clear that engineers and developmental teams have grasped the core idea of the network transportation, but in terms of having user interfaces that are intuitive to use there is still more to be done.” Nonetheless, the size and scope of the AES demo underlines the extent to which the standard has resonated with an industry that has been seeking networked audio clarity for many years now. “I think there are several factors that have led us all to this point,” suggests Will Hoult, who is MNA marketing work group chairman in addition to his ‘day job’ as product manager of Focussrite. “Firstly, we have had a couple of years since AES67 was published for different manufacturers to really get to grips with it and deliver products that adhere to the standard. Secondly, there has been a general growth of acceptance of audio over IP – and within that a widespread desire to ensure that customers can be safe in the knowledge that product A will work with product B, regardless of which implementation is deployed. They just want it to work.” The extent to which the standard has been so enthusiastically embraced should underpin the MNA’s case as it seeks to spread the word even further in 2016. “Having a reliable and powerful standard associated with [AoIP] is vital if companies are going to make major investments,” says Hoult.
Control standard Meanwhile, the MNA continues to enhance
its own status in the market: Solid State Logic became a member in October, while the Alliance’s board is now led by QSC’s Rich Zwiebel (chairman) and Yamaha’s Terry Holton (vice-chairman). The line-up has also been strengthened by the appointment of The Telos Alliance’s Marty Sacks (who will serve as financial officer), Bosch Communications Systems’ Bill Scott and Lawo’s Andreas Hilmer. Another development highlighted at AES may also contribute to the standard’s acceptance. Whilst there will be no requirement to use it in conjunction with AES67, the forthcoming proposed AES70 standard – which will formalise the open control and monitoring technology that the OCA Alliance has been developing for some years now – is set to provide another important piece of the networking jigsaw. In addition to hosting a live lightweight hardware demo at AES, the OCA Alliance also welcomed a new member in the shape of Atlas Sound. Wrapping up his thoughts on AES67, Hoult says that he expects “broadcast to be the first place where we see a big step forwards – that market is so standardssavvy, and this is also a period when so many broadcasters are looking to put in IP networks. More generally, as a product manager I am looking forward to a time when products will be specified more on the basis of features, and not on whether they can work on this or that network. It simply becomes that AoIP is the way we do things now… Well, I would say that day isn’t looking too far away now.” www.medianetworkingalliance.com
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P36 DECEMBER 2015
Feature: Microphones
Chris Packham gets miked up by Gary Moore while co-presenter Martin HughesGames (seated) and cameraman Scott Tibbles look on. (See Autumnwatch box!)
If the face fits…
The basic technology of the microphone is well established and proven, but increasingly broadcasters are making greater demands of it. Kevin Hilton looks at the pressures of uncluttered images versus good quality sound
I
n broadcasting today image is all. So despite a vital piece of equipment like the microphone being ideally suited to its particular task, it is judged not to look good. There is the further complication that not even the power of the aesthetic can ultimately override the technical imperative of delivering intelligible audio that is free from distracting and disruptive noise such as wind. Which is why, despite the trend for ever smaller mics that are either hidden in clothing or sit relatively unobtrusively by the mouth or on the head, viewers still see what appears to be a small furry creature sitting on a presenter’s lapel. Like anyone who works with mics, Matt Nettlefold, business development manager with beyerdynamic distributor Polar Audio, acknowledges that many people are now using discreet tie clip or headworn microphones in conjunction with “massive Rycote windshields”. While the situation of having something small and unobtrusive covered by something very noticeable may appear incongruous, he says people are trying to make it work: “So you might have tie clips with big fluffies but they are colour matched to the presenter’s clothes, as happens at Wimbledon.” The reality, as Nettlefold explains, is that because the lavalier or lapel mics being used have to be omnidirectional to pick up the wearer’s voice, they are also more susceptible to wind noise. “The key thing is to keep out the wind,” he comments. “If mics are not being used around loudspeakers and the user is not bothered about the look then they should be the bigger the better.” A continuing trend in broadcast is for reporters and
– very often – members of the public using iPhones and other mobile devices to record footage of a breaking news story. As Nettlefold notes, with the vision component getting smaller, mics are following suit. Røde partly established itself with mics for digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras, which have become part of the newsgathering process. But everything moves on and with video cameras on iPhones now being used in a similar way, there is demand for mics that can provide better audio quality than the onboard technology. “Røde produced the smartLav+ lavalier mic and the VideoMic Me directional mic for smartphones,” explains Alex Theakston, marketing coordinator at Source Distribution, which handles the manufacturer’s products in the UK. “They’re aimed at young people who are making videos to put on YouTube or keeping video diaries as much as they are for TV and radio. But professionals are buying the smartLav and some major broadcasters are interested in it.” Theakston says that both new audio and video technologies are “democratising” the business of reporting, observing that people are now looking for “tools that work with DSLRs and phone cameras”. To meet this demand, he says, Røde realised more options were needed: “Things like a 20dB boost, which is more pro audio and counters the noise on DSLRs. The idea is to get the best out of the camera preamp. And as fashion goes people seem happy to see ‘presenters’ wearing lavaliers, I don’t think there is an issue about the mic being visible.” DPA (Danish Pro Audio) is well known for its miniature capsule microphones, which, explains chief executive
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Christian Poulsen, were first adopted for stage musical productions, and are now used widely in broadcasting. “Even with those small capsule people said they were too big and used too much power,” Poulsen comments. “So we worked with a hearing aid developer and produced a mic with high dynamic range and low noise.” While saying that he would “love to say” DPA foresaw the trend for minute microphones, Poulsen acknowledges some luck and timing was involved. “A lot of other markets have followed in wanting better live sound in worse and worse sound environments,” he says. “News and sports are examples of this. In the old days the presenter would be in a closed studio. Now the news reader is in an open studio with lots of other people working in the background. That needs a very good mic that is close to the sound source – the mouth – but producers want it to be invisible. But the sound environment is getting worse. In Denmark the weather forecasters are now going outside to do their reports.”
MicroLite takes off During AES New York DPA introduced the d:screet Slim, based on its omni-directional capsule and aimed at film sound recording. Among other recently introduced miniature mics is the AKG MicroLite range of wearable reference microphones. The range includes the LC81 MD cardioid and the LC82 MD omni-directional lavaliers , both of which have “multiple layers of protection against moisture”. This year’s IBC saw Sennheiser introduce two new
P37 DECEMBER 2015
Santa, if you’re going to use the white Rycote fluffy, put the other other jacket on, please!
AKG launched the LC81 MD cardioid and the LC82 MD omni-directional lavaliers at AES
approaches to programme making and news gathering. The AVX is a compact plug-in wireless mic system aimed at journalists and videographers. It can be connected to the XLR of a larger camera or to an iPhone using a 3.5mm mini-jack. The EK 6042 is a two-channel analogue/digital radio receiver that works with a range of mic systems and camcorders. Achim Gleissner, head of commercial management for broadcast and media at Sennheiser, comments that in general the type of microphone used in broadcasting presentation comes down to the traditions and preferences of each station. “If it is more traditional then very often the presenter will be wearing a clip mic,” he says. “Body worn models can be a preference of a particular broadcaster but in most cases the thinking is that the mic should not be visible and the smaller the better.” Gleissner observes that microphones are going through an evolutionary development, becoming more lightweight as well as smaller. “There are some new mic technologies around,” he says, “such as MEMS [Mico ElectricalMechanical System]. These are like a chip and for high volume applications, such as mobile phones. The quality is suitable for that but not good enough for live broadcast or performance.” Sennheiser introduced its own approach to smartphone broadcasting at NAB 2015 with the MKE 2 digital. Featuring Apogee technology this uses the same capsule as used in the company’s professional broadcast clip mic. “Broadcasters are now using iPhones for reporting, with upgraded broadcast equipment and small, efficient wind shields,” Gleissner says. “Newsgathering is changing with the use of DSLRs and there are new ways of working. Anyone can be a broadcaster these days.”
cable coatings that supposedly matches different skin tones, although this usually means beige, black and grey. This technique again started in the theatre, where it was very successful, but some in broadcasting have been less convinced of how effective it is, given the greater scrutiny of the cameras. “Flesh-coloured heads are horrible, they look like warts,” comments Carlton Waghorn. senior sound supervisor at BSkyB. “It’s a perceived flesh colour but if someone is mixed race, which should they use? Why are we trying to hide the headset? Really we should be using the standard black mic because people watching TV know what technology is.” Waghorn works on a variety of live Sky productions but
is a regular on its boxing coverage, which, like other areas of TV, has followed its own trends and fashions. “Long ago we used handheld mic with cables,” he recalls, “but then there was more wireless and now people are using their hands more with touch screens or demonstrating punches. So now we’ve got three to four people sitting ringside wearing DPA 4066s in a noisy environment.” Today, Waghorn says, omni-directional mics such as the Sony ECM -88 are being used routinely outdoors or in venues. “The ECM-88 is ideal for studios but it becomes a problem outside,” he says, adding that more care has to be taken. “I did a broadcast from near the bell at the Vatican with three people wearing personal mics, which I dressed with Rycote undergrabs beneath their clothes because I More fluffies and jammers from Rycote
You ain’t seen me, right? In the quest for the ultimate invisible microphone, manufacturers began experimenting with capsule and
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P38 DECEMBER 2015
Feature: Microphones
don’t like those big furry caterpillars.” According to John Born, product manager for wired products with Shure, TV production today falls into two camps: producers who don’t want audio to be seen at all; and those with the attitude of that if it is going to be seen it should look fashionable. “That means it either has to be unique to start with or if it is old it should be customised to make it look cool,” Born comments. Shure has a history stretching back to the 1940s and 50s of producing mics that are generally considered cool. The classic example is the 55, the silver, broad grilled model almost universally known as the ‘Elvis mic’. The company today has a dedicated industrial design team that Born says looks to markets outside audio to see what are the trends for CMF (colour, material and finishing). It also has the online Design Studio, allowing users to customise Shure handheld wireless mics with new colours for the handle, plus text and graphics. “I think producers are becoming a little more relaxed about hiding mics because they realise it can’t be done completely,” Born observes. “So rather than making a mic pink or whatever colour, make it black and live with it. In sports the directors are choosing camera angles that minimise the appearance of a headset by having the ear boom on the other side of the shot. We’re not seeing as much presentation on the field as in Europe, something that is calling for mics with longer handles that can accommodate the station badge.”
Autumnwatch The BBC’s seasonal nature series takes viewers to different locations round the British Isles to examine wildlife as close up and in as much detail as the technology – and the animals – will allow. In recent appearances the three main presenters – Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and Martin Hughes-Games – have hosted the programme live from a nature reserve, most recently the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre in Caerlaverock, Scotland. In linking the various items they sported large furry mic shields over their omni-directional personal mics. This approach is preferred by sound supervisor Louise Willcox, who does not like putting mics beneath clothing. “When we did the first Springwatch in 2005 you couldn’t hear what the presenters were saying because the mics were underneath their clothes,” she explains. “But in this programme the words are very important because there is a lot of zoological information sometimes and that can’t compete with the rustle of clothing.” Facilities for Autumnwatch and its spring and winter counterparts are supplied by Arena Television, whose head of sound, Tim Rowden,
says that wind shields are not a fashion item but a necessity on such a production. Willcox uses Sony ECM-88, which she says handle moisture well, not only for the presenters but also in bird boxes, although those capsules are out of sight of the camera. Colour-matched fluffies were used to key in with the presenter’s clothes. Willcox adds that Rycote has “done a great job in making the fluffies as acoustically transparent as possible”. Just as well, so we don’t miss Chris Packham (pictured) crowbarring film and song titles into his links (this year it was Bond movies).
Arena TV trucks and the rest of the kit outside Caerlaverock WWT
Rycote of many colours Like other manufacturers Shure works closely with British company Rycote, which has become synonymous with windshields and associated accessories for microphones in TV production. The company produces a range of products, from rigid shields to soft and fluffy wind jammers that come in a variety of colours– including the brilliant white of Santa’s beard for Christmas performances that need to be miked up.
Sony ECM 88 mics, as used extensively by BSkyB Photo: James Stevens WWT
Rycote managing director Simon Davies acknowledges that wind-noise for “exposed personal mics” can be a problem but says it is often less of one than people expect because of the sheltering effect of mics near clothing. “Given that omnis are around 10dB less sensitive to such noise than directional mics, this problem tends to be slightly over-estimated,” he says. “The limitations for wind-noise suppression are often the limits of physics. The ideal windshield is ‘large’ and the ideal personal mic is ‘small’ and needs to be hidden.” So while the fashion for having presenters and reporters out in the open continues there will be an even greater need to shield microphones from the wind. But, if Christian Poulsen at DPA is right and “within some years” a mini-mic appears with internal processing to remove wind noise, could fluffies, softies and foam muffs become a thing of the past? Maybe even the most audio-averse TV type or viewer might notice that.
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P40 DECEMBER 2015
Live
Italy
Foo Fighters keep promise to Cesena The one thousand fans who made the video request that went viral see their dreams come true, writes Mike Clark
D
ave Grohl really is the nicest man in rock. Before playing sold-out venues in Bologna and Turin, the Foo Fighters founder and frontman kept his promise to fans in Cesena: a thousand musician fans, in fact – dubbed Rockin’ 1000 – whose video appeal to the band, through a staging of a record-breaking performance of Learn to Fly, went viral for the city in July. The Foos added a special date to the Italian leg (no pun intended) of their Sonic Highways World Tour, promoted by Live Nation Italia, in Cesena’s Carisport indoor sports arena. The event turned into a real party, with a playlist that included the band’s hits and numerous versions of songs by other groups. The PA for the Cesena event was supplied by L’Aquilabased Agorà – no newcomer to PSNEurope’s pages, being that it’s one of the largest rental firms in Europe and in recent years has supplied hardware and specialised staff for events such as Sochi’s 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics opening and closing ceremonies. The L-Acoustics rig was designed by Daniele ‘General Cluster’ Tramontani, who explains: “The PA comprised two main hangs, each with 12 V-DOSC line-source elements and three under-hung dV-DOSC on downfill duty on either side of the wide stage, plus two side hangs, each with eight V-DOSCs.” At either end of the stage front, three stacked KARA compact line-source elements were used as side infills, aimed at the centre of the audience, while four more KARAs were used as on-stage frontfills along the stage lip and two more stacked on either side of the stage as ‘extra side’ systems for audience coverage. A beefy bottom end was ensured for the band’s music by a total of 24 SB28 highpower subwoofers, which were floor-installed in pairs along the front of the stage in electronic arc configuration. Tramontani continues: “Agorà also provided the PA’s powerhouse – 42 L-Acoustics LA8s – and signal management set-up, which included two Meyer Sound Galileos and an SIM 3 audio analyser.” Control gear was supplied by the UK’s Britannia Row. Desks, racks and wedges had already been shipped to South Africa for the early part of the tour; for the Cesena one-off, the UK rental giant delivered a DiGiCo SD5 for Bryan Worthen at FOH, and a Midas PRO9 for Ian Beveridge on monitors, plus d&b M2 wedges and amps, and Worthen’s
Fabio Zaffagnini enthroned (Photo: Nicola Dalmo)
Grohl welcomes a bemohawked Rockin’ 1000 drummer (Photo: Rogerto Ugolini)
outboard gear. “It was quite a big shipment of kit to Italy so we also dispatched two crew, Phil Boutle and Terence Hulkes
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to support US crew chief Steve Walsh,” recalls Brit Row account manager Lez Dwight. “It’s a pretty well-rehearsed routine, even if the venue at 3,000 capacity was a little out of
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P42 DECEMBER 2015
Live
the ordinary for the Foos these days.” This control and monitors package has accompanied the band beyond Europe, to New Zealand and Australia in fact. “On many tours these days control systems have become increasingly complex and touring schedules tend to be so tight that bespoke control packages preclude duplication in many territories. To meet that need Britannia Row holds an extensive inventory of ‘freight friendly’ control systems,” says Dwight. The crowd in the packed venue started the music before the band appeared on-stage, singing Romagna Mia, the unofficial anthem of the Italian region that includes Cesena, then the show kicked off with – what else? – the band’s chart-topping single Learn to Fly. FOH engineer Daniele Tramontani
During the show, Grohl confessed he was moved to tears when he saw the video appeal, and added, laughing: “We’re making history tonight: try asking something like this to U2, Pearl Jam or other bands, and see what they say!” Grohl dedicated My Hero to Rockin’1000’s Fabio Zaffagnini, the mind behind the record-breaking appeal; Zaffagnini crowd-surfed from the FOH platform to the stage, where the Foos’ frontman vacated the huge “guitar throne” he designed to be able to play after breaking his leg in Sweden, and the local boy was given huge, well-deserved round of applause from the crowd. The festive atmosphere continued when Taylor Hawkins gave up his drum stool to one of the musicians who played on the appeal, a young drummer with a huge mohawk, called on stage by Grohl to join the band playing Queen’s Under Pressure. The gig was an incredible contrast to the band’s recordbreaking show a few months before in Perth, Australia, where over 32,000 spectators packed the city’s nib Stadium: the stage occupied half the floor-space at the Cesena venue, as Tramontani explains: “The band played across the arena, which is 22 metres wide, which meant that the FOH platform was only about 8m from the 20m-wide stage.” This was the reason for the KARA side infill speakers. When the tour’s Britannia Row team arrived at the venue, Tramontani discussed the set-up with their system engineer and the band’s sound engineers, and it was decided to move the KARAs – originally flown – down to stage level, to avoid any risk of sound spill on stage. Tramontani enthuses: “The atmosphere was like a club gig, rather than an arena concert – and the production team, with whom it was a real pleasure to work, congratulated us
on the results obtained, in spite of venue’s size and layout.” Rockin’ 1000 recorded a documentary of the entire project, from preparations for the massed band to interviews, jam sessions and DJ sets at the afterparty following the concert, in Cesena’s Verdi Theatre. www.agora.it www.l-acoustics.com www.meyersound.com www.rockin1000.com
Zaffagnini, the man behind Rock’1000 Photo: Roberto Ugolini)
Hawkins vacates his drum stool (Photo: Rogerto Ugolini)
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P44 DECEMBER 2015
Live
Discreet + Oblique was a live recreation of Brian Eno’s Discreet Music
United Kingdom
Bird-watching at the Barbican K-array’s clever little Owls get discreet for 40th anniversary concert of Brian Eno concept
F
orty years since the release of Brian Eno’s pioneering ambient album Discreet Music, the Barbican Centre in London marked the anniversary with Discreet + Oblique, a live recreation of Eno’s original concept. Musical directors Leo Abrahams and David Coulter devised an imaginative live performance of Discreet Music, featuring electronic musician Benge,
saxophonist John Harle, violinist Emma Smith, cellist Oliver Coates and experimental jazz trio The Necks. Incorporating original equipment like the EMS synthesiser and Robert Fripp’s Frippertronics tape looping system, the intention was to pay tribute to, and bring to life, Eno’s original vision what he described as “a new way of hearing music”. “The nature of the gig meant that an experimental
Six Owls were installed around the auditiorium
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approach would work really well,” says Barbican sound engineer Lee Evans, who has worked with Abrahams and Coulter on previous projects and designed the front-of-house sound for Discreet + Oblique. “We found these redundant, Zeppelin-shaped heating and cooling tanks in the depths of the building. I had the idea to turn them into reverb units, so I stuck a little speaker and microphone inside and decided to route all the electronic instruments through them, producing a metallic-sounding, nine-second reverb.” Supplied by 2B Heard, K-array KW8 Owl movinghead loudspeakers assisted a suitably unusual soundscape. “I had heard Sam Nankivell at 2B Heard talking about the K-array Owl and messaged him straight away to say that I’d got the perfect gig for it,” says Evans. The KW8 Owl is a unique moving audio head with an eight-inch coaxial loudspeaker. Providing up to 500W power, 126dB peak SPL and a 60Hz–19KHz frequency range, the Owl also features a built-in SDI camera, allowing precise aiming of sound. Its moving-yoke flexibility offers almost limitless potential to sound designers. “When they first saw the Owls, Leo and David were really enthused. David is keen on anything that he can help build and they were very excited about the thought of what we could create with them,” says Lee. “We installed six Owls around the auditorium and sent the Zeppelin reverbs and some other reverbs through them, independently of the rest of the PA. We controlled
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P46 DECEMBER 2015
Live
I had heard Sam Nankivell at 2B Heard talking about the K-array Owl and messaged him straight away to say that I’d got the perfect gig for it
Lee Evans, Barbican
them with a small MA1 lighting desk, which we have in house, letting the Owls cross-pan each other to create their own effects. “In rehearsals The Necks hadn’t heard the Owls, and one was behind the bass player. I was messing around, panned the speaker and it stopped him in his tracks. They were getting quite excited about them too.” The show was mixed through the Barbican’s DiGiCo SD7, with inputs including microphones placed to capture the sound of the audience walking in and a lot of ambient mics, as well as the instruments and electronica. Microphones were a mixture of Sennheiser, Neumann, Shure, DPA and Electro-Voice, while more eclectic sources included a musical saw and iPhone. “From having an idea in my head of how the show would sound, to producing it in reality was always going to be a bit quirky,” says Lee. “As an effects speaker for the reverbs, the frequency response of the Owls was perfect for what we were trying to achieve. By sending a mono feed to each one and letting the moving yokes do the work for us, we got a great result.” www.k-array.com www.2b-heard.com www.barbican.org.uk
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The Owls were operated with an MA1 lighting desk which allowed them to cross-pan with each other
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P48 DECEMBER 2015
Feature: Theatre tools
Aladdin on Broadway!
Open sesame! Phil Ward enters an Aladdin’s cave of sophisticated audio tools for theatre audio…
T
he lights go down, the audience settles into its seats… and a computer-controlled sequence of events takes over. At the top end of theatre production, from that point onwards, everyone in the building apart from the paying punters is part of a secret service working undercover to synchronise thousands of small incidents – and a few very big ones – that contribute to the ticketed experience. Without pro audio’s latest applications of DSP, it wouldn’t happen. Rane Corporation’s CP66 Commercial Processor is one example of the ‘digital glue’ that brings together control of the disparate audio signals that fly around the typical theatre. This is a place that, according to the description by Rane, “…uses the CD player, computer or radio in the sound booth as shared background music sources. The house mix is also a programme source during showtime. The PAGER2 [paging station] at the box office is able to page the lobby and restrooms, backstage, and the women’s or men’s dressing room. Groups of zones may be accessed by single buttons on the PAGER2. For instance, a group can be named ‘manager call’ and include the dressing rooms and backstage. Another group only pages the public areas. Another group can page everyone….” And so it continues, sticking everything together. Also part of the DSP landscape, playback is a crucial part of most theatrical productions. “Over the last few years most people have adopted a solution called QLab from Figure 53,” points out Scott George, Digital Audio Specialist at London-based theatre audio expert
Autograph Sound Recording. “QLab is a list-based playback application which runs on a Mac. It also provides limited show control capability for controlling lighting, video and Automation. As this application runs on standard Apple hardware it also provides several challenges, as Apple changes its products to address a global market of which pro audio is an almost nonexistent part. Autograph is dedicated to reliability, so all Autograph systems have redundancy available. To provide this with QLab, Autograph manufactures its own changeover systems that allow seamless changeover between main and backup playback systems so the audience need not be aware of an issue with a single playback system.” Another company to invent its own adaptations to buttress the walls of Macs and PCs is JoeCo, with its expanding range of playback solutions. “At JoeCo we’ve always concentrated our efforts on removing the generic operating system from mission-critical audio playback applications,” says founder Joe Bull. “Windows and Mac-based computers are very complex machines and random interrupts can cause audible issues on playback. These operating systems are therefore best used for control applications, leaving the audio playback to dedicated hardware more immune to such disturbances. “Our BlackBox Players are often configured as failover pairs offering protection against even hard drive failures. If it’s an important performance, audio replay should be flawless – the human ear can easily detect a single sample error where other elements of the show
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can be less exacting without spoiling the audiences’ experience. Control from show controllers, or from the JoeCoRemote for iPad, is also important.”
Keeping track So this is where basic DSP has brought us to, and packaged solutions for control and distribution are available from Symetrix, Biamp and Peavey’s scaled
Soundweb is the DSP platform at the 2,111-capacity Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin
P49 DECEMBER 2015
down derivatives of MediaMatrix such as NION. BSS Audio’s Soundweb London, meanwhile, is now common in site-wide digital networks that incorporate independent multiple-zone, multiple-source paging systems, often configured by HiQnet Audio Architect software: Dublin’s new Grand Canal theatre is something of a showcase. But then there is FOH, where digital audio is moving with the times – and the actors. UK-developed TiMax and its derivatives combine the tracking of live audio sources with advanced sound effects, enabling controllable delay, level and EQ throughout the entire sound field. Dave Haydon of TiMax inventor Out Board Electronics, based in Cambridgeshire, believes that these systems are part of an evolution towards totally invisible sound reinforcement. “One of our sound designers pointed out that, once you get it working, you don’t know it’s there,” he says. “If you then switch it off, people will get uncomfortable – and ‘uncomfortable’ is a very good way of describing people’s reactions if it goes wrong. You could say the same of the whole system – you don’t ‘listen’ to the mixing desk, in the audience – which raises the irony of selling £60,000 of kit that nobody knows about. You don’t even see the mics and speakers…” With or without tracking, TiMax itself has consolidated its position on Broadway, as elsewhere, with a flurry of high-profile productions over the last couple of years. US distributor 1602 Group has supported five shows with TiMax audio show control and localisation, including Disney’s Aladdin at the New Amsterdam Theatre, designed by Ken Travis with four SoundHub-S64/AES units and a TiMax Tracker; two TiMax SoundHub S48/MADI units used by sound
Silent Running It is a truism: the pro-audio industry is so small that most new technology exploits advances in other sectors. Autograph Sound Recording’s Scott George (pictured) points out that, even within this small sector, high-end theatre is an even smaller market. “The problem has always been for us that theatre, in particular, has some particular challenges that are not required by the mass market,” he says. “For example, we require any equipment located at FOH areas to be silent or near silent. As producers are constantly requesting less equipment to obtain more seats we have to produce smaller packages. Ten years ago there were one or two computers at FOH – these days it’s more common to have six or seven computers for various roles. Small, commercial, 1U computers are built for server rooms and are extremely noisy, so Autograph developed its own, quiet 1U PC for control application. It’s just one of a series of attempts to address specific theatre demands…”
The King & I on Broadway
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designer Scott Lehrer for Honeymoon in Vegas; and the new production of The King & I at The Lincoln Center which uses two TiMax SoundHub-S64/MADI units with TiMax Tracker. Scott Lehrer returns this month with a new production of Fiddler on the Roof at the Broadway Theatre, using a TiMax SoundHub-S48/MADI system supplied by Sound Associates. “The Americans call what we do ‘sourcing’ – our official label is source-oriented reinforcement, or SOR,” continues Haydon. “It involves not just mixing in stereo but taking direct outs from all the mics and placing them naturally in space. You can do it without TiMax Tracker, in fact: you cue the positional changes in the cue list and SoundHub does the rest. The other new buzzword is ‘immersive’ audio: our products are imbedded in that progress. Aladdin has several scenes in which the audio swirls around you – it’s an audio track coming off QLab with a MIDI trigger accompanying it that tells TiMax to ‘float’ the signal around the room. In general, moving audio signals slightly, rather than keeping them static in a fixed field, greatly enhances the feeling of immersion because there’s a significant psycho-acoustic effect – provided it’s mixed skilfully, of course!” “Localisation of audio has always been a challenge in the theatre and designers and engineers continue to utilise various systems to achieve the perception of amplified audio coming from a source on stage rather than a sound system,” adds Scott George. “At its basic level this is done with delay and amplitude in a static fashion, but as technology has improved it has been possibly to apply these principles more dynamically. Performers usually don’t stand still so it makes sense to design a system that can change as the relationship of performer to system changes. “Initially this usually involves dividing the stage
P50 DECEMBER 2015
Feature: Theatre tools
into zones and assigning a source to a zone. With the introduction of tracking systems information about source location can be automatically generated and a source automatically switched to the correct zone. As this technology develops further we would hope to be ale to individually process each source in a dynamic way for both time and amplitude. TiMax is at the forefront of this type of technology, along with other solutions such as Meyer Sound’s D-Mitri digital audio platform.”
Matrix of the trade The ultimate Rubicon to be crossed is that between FOH programme and backstage communications. Many intercom systems are still analogue, usually with 2- or 4-channel operation and not suitable for updating with a digitally controlled matrix. Products such as the Tecpro range of wired intercom systems, made by the Canford Group, continue to offer small-to-medium venues and rental companies solid, reliable performance at an affordable price. However, audio networking is very much on the intercom agenda. For example, US market leader Clear-Com is now making the ProGrid signal transport solutions: the relationship with Optocore has resulted in
Clear-Com manufacturing the fibre-optic hardware on behalf of the German connectivity pioneer, putting all the potential of fibre at the heart of theatre infrastructure. The PG2-MADI-C and PG2-MADI-F 1U rackmount devices, for instance, connect MADI to Optocore’s Optical and SANE Cat-5 network technologies, and there’s a range of ‘anything-to-anything’ boxes running over fibre. Internet Protocol [IP] is now a given, says Vincent Beek, regional sales manager at Clear-Com. He points out that since the digital partyline HelixNet was introduced in 2010 it has been re-engineered to make the most of IP solutions – and so has the classic Analog Partyline, with the addition of drop-boxes. “You often need another couple of beltpacks somewhere,” says Beek, “where there’s no intercom infrastructure but there is IP. You can connect a drop-box to your base station over IP all the way around the site, and add five more beltpacks from each box – that’s analogue beltpacks over any existing IP network. It saves so much time and money in live production.” Eclipse and Eclipse HX are the latest Clear-Com digital matrix intercoms, with standard interface cards that connect to the panels. In any venue, matrix comms can be integrated into Ethernet architecture that could, potentially, control all
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There are arguments for and against a totally integrated system, but it’s a decision for each individual crew. You can, realistically, do whatever you like with this technology. You can certainly use the same cabling infrastructure, and segment the network logically
Kieran Walsh, Audinate
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P52 DECEMBER 2015
Feature: Theatre tools
Tango in the night
The Rocky Horror Show in Johannesburg used a hybrid showcontrol and playback system created using a TiMax2 SoundHub matrix
Theatre-style intercom is breaking out. Riedel’s new digital matrix intercom is called Tango, and a new series of key-panels, called Smartpanel, has also been launched with the 1U RSP-2318. “The new basic concept is that we’re separating the hardware from the software functionality,” explains Christian Diehl, product manager at Riedel Communications (pictured). “This means the same hardware can have different applications, making it more of a platform. Some applications may even be outside the field of intercom, such as monitoring or control, and we’re able to do that because we’re changing our core transport protocol. Instead of an AES3-type circuit-switched network, we’re adopting a packet-switched one, more like IP. When you do that, suddenly an intercom panel can interface directly with, for example, an audio router.”
of the AV. A good case in point is ASL Intercom, with roots in touring rental some 30 years ago and part of the major shift from analogue to digital audio. The first series of products to address this change was the AIM (Advanced Intercom Matrix) system, introduced six years ago. Now the company is rolling out FLEXUS, a digital intercom at a much lower price point and available to a much wider audience. It also has numerous features that suit the theatre market perfectly, according to
Susan McLohon, ASL’s sales & marketing director. “Major live events, broadcasts and productions increasingly rely on a digital backbone or audio over IP,” she says. “Our desire was to create a digital intercom system that could be connected using Ethernet, either via redundant powered daisy chain cabling or on a LAN with PoE switches. With FLEXUS the user gains from the versatility of the digital platform onto which we’ve added numerous exclusive features, facilities and scalability. For example a single master station can serve up to 24 remote stations, and four master stations can be linked to form one large system. This means that multi-station production rehearsals can be accommodated easily and the system downsized for a theatrical tour. “Also very applicable to the theatre world is our
Advanced digital networking from ASL Intercom No searching, no fuss. Just enter your personal ID and that’s it.
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much-used CUE Light system. We’ve created a new digital iteration for FLEXUS: the system provides six multi-function channels, each of which can be programmed as a CUE Light channel or a listen-only channel. To each CUE Light channel you can connect up to four CUE Light receivers. Or you can programme these channels, and any of your talk buttons, to trigger one of the 16 GPOs of the master station. With FLEXUS, digital intercom is now available and applicable to virtually any size of event or production.” RTS intercom products such as the Zeus III Compact Matrix and ADAM legacy hardware have the advantage of belonging to the home of OMNEO, a proprietary media networking architecture. Most significantly for all applications, this architecture has been made compatible with both Dante and Open Control
P53 DECEMBER 2015
Architecture (OCA), the data control and monitoring initiative, and RTS has already deployed huge systems using Dante with many thousands of end-points. “There’s a really good fit between what we do and how a production intercom system works,’ says Kieran Walsh, Audinate’s regional manager of Global Support Services. “Traditionally a digital transport for broadcast would be something like AES3 or MADI, which is great for pushing a fixed amount of data between two points. But what makes Dante stand out is the completely granular, on-the-fly routing that’s available. It suits intercom well because you’re dealing with a large concentration of channels in the centre, but ultimately coming out through beltpacks – maybe only one or two channels.” Using these techniques, intercom becomes part of the same landscape as the programme audio within the sound reinforcement itself, and can potentially fall under the auspices of the FOH engineer, the monitor engineer and/or the system tech. Under these circumstances, responsible management of the signals is paramount. “We present a choice,” adds Walsh. “There are arguments for and against a totally integrated system, but it’s a decision for each individual
crew. You can, realistically, do whatever you like with this technology. You can certainly use the same cabling infrastructure, and segment the network logically.” “The concept of sharing infrastructure is slowly entering the theatrical world,” confirms Scott George. “Sharing has been more commonplace in themed entertainment and commercial AV installations for some time, where the desire to reduce costs has forced contractors to look for economical solutions to distributing AV. “Most control systems we’re using provide IP communication so we can use a common network for multiple tasks, such as Meyer’s Galileo, Yamaha’s DME or Lab.gruppen’s IntelliDrive Controller. Where legacy devices are not capable of being on a network, we commonly look to convert to IP protocols using serial to Ethernet gateways, as in XTA’s AudioCore. Products such as the transceivers made by Kiss-Box in Holland allow us to transport more legacy protocols such as MIDI and DMX over IP using the common infrastructure. Most of our shows now run Ethernet switches divided into logical VLANs.” And the curtain comes down. Please be quiet as you leave the theatre.
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Compact Digital Mixers TouchMix 8 I TouchMix 16 ™
™
With TouchMix you don’t need to be an experienced sound engineer to sound like one. In the hands of an experienced photographer, a modern DSLR camera can create stunning images in any number of shooting conditions. But see the presets for portraits, landscapes, close-ups and more? The camera is pre-programmed by experienced professionals so that anyone can get a quality image in just about any condition. Just point and shoot. The camera knows what it needs to do to give you a great shot. Same with TouchMix. It’s one of the most advanced digital mixers ever made, with features that rival consoles costing thousands more. But its real genius is how the Presets, Wizards and Simple Modes put all that power to work easily and seamlessly to deliver you an amazing mix that will have everyone convinced that you are a professional sound engineer. How? Just like the DSLR, our own team of pony-tailed professionals* put everything they learned over decades of mixing live sound into TouchMix so that whether you’re a pro or not, you’ll get NYLH[ YLZ\S[Z X\PJRS` LHZPS` HUK VU `V\Y ]LY` ÄYZ[ NPN 5V V[OLY TP_LY JHU THRL [OPZ JSHPT HUK that’s why we say that TouchMix is Simply Genius. © 2015 QSC, LLC all rights reserved. QSC, and the QSC logo are registered [YHKLTHYRZ PU [OL < : 7H[LU[ HUK ;YHKLTHYR 6ɉJL HUK V[OLY JV\U[YPLZ
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*Our research indicates that professional sound engineers have, per capita, more ponytails than any other profession. We’re still investigating the cause of this phenomenon.
P54 DECEMBER 2015
Installation
Belgium
Belgium’s first RoomMatch venue? Capitole! As part of the restoration of the 1932-built Capitole in Ghent, the Sportpaleis Group commissioned a new sound system – and Bose’s RoomMatch speakers proved to be the perfect solution, discovers Marc Maes
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riginally created as a film and concert hall, the 2,000-seater Capitole building closed its doors in 1986 after 54 years of hosting entertainment for the great and the good of Ghent, Belgium. In 2001, the Music Hall Group bought and re-opened a fully refurbished Capitole, now recognised as a national monument. The Sportpaleis Group took over the venue’s management in January 2014, and shortly after AV integrator Play won the tender to design and install a new PA system, collaborating with Bose Professional in order to implement a RoomMatch system for the task. “The Capitole had been, for a long time, a typical musical venue,” explains Dirk Verhellen, CEO of Play. “The change in management opened up new possibilities, attracting other shows like stand-up comedy and concerts. The Capitole has become the first RoomMatch venue in the country, giving access to the cultural market.” Play completely renewed the cabling and installed new amplifier racks and patch panels, and Bose, along with a team of Play engineers, took on the acoustic design for the ancient venue. “We used the Bose Modeller software to calculate the speaker specifications and positions,” explains Bertrand Doutrepont, district manager for Bose Professional. “We did a first trial with RoomMatch speakers in January 2014 and the reactions from audience, artists and the venue management were unanimously positive. The Capitole has two balconies, so the installation required a lot of testing and fine-tuning after the trial show.” The solution designed for the Capitole was a balanced mix of symmetrical (using the reflections of the building to create early reflections) and asymmetrical (avoiding reflections, which creates late arrivals) speaker units. “We put in place six asymmetrical Bose RoomMatch array modules on either side of the stage, offering a total vertical coverage of 80° and a horizontal coverage gradually changing from 95° to 63°,” explains Doutrepont. “The speaker layout required a lot of calculation, and the whole set-up was made to measure to the venue’s specific acoustics.” The system also includes two RMU208s as outfills, two RMU208s as infills, plus two 206 and four 105 cabinets as lipfill. “At centre stage we fly a symmetrical array cluster
The Capitole features a mix of symmetrical and asymmetrical RoomMatch speaker units
containing four RoomMatch array speakers, ensuring a horizontal coverage of 90° long-throw for the two balconies,” adds Doutrepont. “The under-balcony coverage is ensured by six RMU 108 fill loudspeakers. “The position of the four RMS 218 sub speakers was thoroughly tested before placing them in two-speaker clusters stage left and stage right. This was in fact, the third – and best! – sub speaker layout.” Under-balcony coverage comes The speaker kit is powered by 11 Bose PowerMatch courtesy of six RoomMatch PM8500N amplifiers and driven by a Meyer Sound Utility RMU 108 fill loudspeakers Galileo Callisto 616 system processor. Bose and Play hired system sound engineer Erik was first used last June – and whereas, in the past, Loots for system tuning. “Every speaker manufacturer every new production brought its own audio kit, the has its own approach to speaker design, and so does RoomMatch set-up has become a reliable in-house Bose,” comments Loots, who used Smaart-V7 and Live system for the venue. Capture software for final system tuning. “The programme shift, from 95 percent musical to 40 “The RoomMatch – a combination of percent other productions, like stand-up comedy the line-source and point-source […], further increases the rentability of the approaches – works very well system,” says Play’s Dirk Verhellen. in this multi-purpose theatre “This collaboration is an example of environment. Both Play and tailor-made new audio technology Bose have invested lots of effort in an old building.” into getting a perfect system in “The impact of this project place and the result is that, in is impressive and puts the terms of concept and coverage, Capitole into Bose’s top reference this set-up is one of the most installations worldwide,” concludes complete in-house systems in the Doutrepont. country.” www.pro.bose.com Dirk Verhellen of Play (left) and The Capitole’s new audio system www.playbiz.be Bose’s Bertrand Doutrepont
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P57
Please send all contributions for possible publication to drobinson@nbmedia.com
DECEMBER 2015
Hither & yoga No one’s safe when Robert Plant puckers up... All APRS photos: Gilead Limor (www.gileadlimor.com)
Possibly overheard at the APRS lunch: “Phil, wanted to have a word with you about those levels…” Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant (left) takes Focusrite chairman Phil Dudderidge to task on the gig he mixed for the band in 1970
“Ooh, is that me on p25?” (L–R) UK studio stalwarts Malcolm Atkin, Dave Harries and Ken Townsend try to spot themselves in Howard Massey’s new book
Here’s the moment monitor engineer Becky Pell asked the PSNPresents audience to try a little yoga. First, breathing deeply; second, standing on one leg and trying not to fall over (that’s not a yoga move, that’s just what happened)
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Why have we printed a picture of Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo? Just so we can tell you that the Tannoy QFlex 16 speakers installed there is running on CobraNet. Of course! No doubt they have a digital snake too…
Face Plant: Robert delivered the Sound Fellowship citation – and more besides – for RAK Studios’ Trisha Wegg
P58 DECEMBER 2015
Backtalk
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aving studied to be a classical musician and composer at Trinity College of Music, Karl Christmas has worked through the echelons of sales and marketing within the Yamaha Group since 1988, (apart from stints with TC Electronic, Genelec and Fostex). His passions include photography, mountaineering, travel and raw fish. Following last year’s titanic ’12 (Waring) Hayes of Christmas’, we want to know, what’s on Karl’s festive list? Day 1: The true meaning of… Christmas is my real surname. Get over it. Day 2: Teleports Air travel is a necessary evil in this industry but, while we have laptops, tablets and smartphones to constructively occupy the hours we spend travelling, trying to work in a departure lounge (with the din of announcements and the stink of Duty Free perfume), or with your knees beneath your chin while in the air, ranges from difficult to impossible. Instant teleportation can’t come a day too soon. Day 3: Change perceptions #1: Yamaha At Yamaha we are very proud of our mixing consoles and the key role that they play in the professional audio industry. But we also produce a wide range of other high-end audio products, including power amplifiers, matrix mixers, loudspeakers, controllers and interfaces. Yet Yamaha is almost always referred to as ‘a mixer manufacturer’, which is frustrating. We are working hard to change that perception, raising awareness that Yamaha Commercial Audio provides high quality solutions across the entire professional audio industry. Day 4: PLUTO reactivated Wartime engineers successfully piped fuel from the UK south coast direct to the advancing Allied forces in Normandy via PLUTO, the PipeLine Under The Ocean. I’m mystified why post-war nobody cleaned it out and used it to deliver French wine direct to UK dinner tables. You could have an extra pair of kitchen taps, one for white and one for red. They could have run a network of pipes from Scotland for single malts while they were at it. Day 5: Self-building trade show stands A giant 3D printer to build all the elements of a trade show stand in situ, including electrics, signage, flooring, connections, with a handy robot companion to install the products being shown. Sketch out the plan, feed it in and off it goes. Talking of which...
The 12 days of (Karl) Christmas Our man in Europe may have moved up to the mighty Yamaha Commercial Japan, but that doesn’t stop him pulling a cracker, does it? Day 6: A law: ‘All trade shows to be one day’s duration’ They are essential to the industry but, be honest, we would all breathe a sigh of relief, wouldn’t we? Day 7: Numpty Indicators Recently, on the first trip out in a newly-purchased classic car I pressed the windscreen washer button. Nothing happened. I pressed it a few more times. Nothing. Checked the washer bottle. Full. So, being a practical sort of chap, I elected to fix it myself. But in order to remove the offending assembly, I had to remove the front offside wheel and disassemble the suspension. Three hours later, I’d finally got the relevant part out and tested it on the workbench. Of course, it was functioning perfectly. So I spent another three hours putting it all back. Once reassembled, I pressed the washer button again. Nothing. I then pressed it a little more firmly, whereupon a joyful squirt of water covered the windscreen – as it would have done if I’d pressed it harder in the first place. So, I think cars – and indeed, all other mechanical and electronic devices – should have a Numpty Indicator which detects and flags up operator error. It would save hours of wasted time, head-scratching and swearing. Mixing consoles would undoubtedly benefit from one. Day 8: Armchair critics ousted I am constantly annoyed (and regularly vociferous) about those sanctimonious bourgeois armchair critics who see it as their place to pontificate on social media about their ‘oh so important’ views regarding politics, religion and anything else they can get their Merlot-riddled teeth into. You don’t impress me and I doubt you impress anyone else. If you want to impress people, do what one of my Facebook friends did recently – which was to get up off his arse and raise huge amounts of charity donations for Syrian refugees. Well done Tom. Day 9: The Queen’s List I would give New Year’s Honours to those rare audience members who take a moment to thank those stood behind the consoles and, by extension, the entire tech crew. I have yet to meet a sound engineer who has ever
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deliberately made a show sound bad, but we live by the old maxim that if nobody says anything, you’ve done a good job. A simple word of thanks from a punter means a lot, especially on the days when it’s all gone to shit. Day 10: International KISS* Day (*Keep It Simple, Stupid) Yamaha’s fundamental aim is to produce equipment that delivers the best possible sound by the most user-friendly means, with the best possible reliability. I would like us to sponsor one day a year where the entire professional audio industry steps back from its collective laptop, goes back to Square One and asks itself, “Why are we doing this? What is it that we are actually trying to achieve?” Day 11: Ban the words ‘utilise’ and ‘whilst’ They don’t make you sound intelligent. Really, they don’t. Day 12: Changing perceptions #2: Japan Whenever I mention to anyone that I have been – or am going to – Japan, the overwhelming response is “That’s somewhere I have always wanted to visit, but I’m not sure I could eat all the raw fish”. Let me dispel that myth – you really have to go out of your way to find a decent raw fish (sashimi) restaurant in Japan. There is a wealth of other food available including delicious beef, chicken and pork varieties. Oh, and despite being a mostly Shinto and Buddhist nation, they also do a great Christmas. Enjoy! www.yamaha.com
Big thinking For smaller boxes Leading PA brands innovate with Celestion Drivers At Celestion, we’re always looking to find innovative solutions to the challenges faced by PA manufacturers. That’s why more and more forward-thinking brands are choosing to work with us. Take our coaxial drivers for example: unlike conventional designs, our FTX range uses a cutting-edge common magnet motor design to deliver big improvements in signal coherence and time alignment for a more natural sound from a very compact and lightweight speaker. Visit our website or contact us now to find out more about our innovative PA driver solutions.
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