Resolution V8.7 October 2009 by Resolution

AUDIO FOR BROADCAST, POST, RECORDING AND MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION

V8.7 OCTOBER 2009

The Flood interview Black Rock Studios on the Greek island of Santorini Meet your maker: Chris Muth — Dangerous Music Mixing David Gray’s Draw The Line album The fully-digital home with IPTV Audio Video Bridging

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 1

£5

REVIEWS Calrec Apollo Fostex LR16 SSL X-Desk Neve Genesys Lexicon PCM96 Surround Audio-Technica 1800 series Studiospares Classic SN10 Shure KSM313 & KSM353 Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56

29/09/2009 10:10

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 2

29/09/2009 10:10

AUDIO FOR BROADCAST, POST, RECORDING AND MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION

V8.7 OCTOBER 2009 ISSN 1477-4216

News & Analysis 4

Leader

News

Sales, contracts, appointments and biz bites.

Broadcast aside

Headroom

Powerplay Studios

Sweet spot

Meet your maker

Ten

Your business

Slaying Dragons

Audio Ease Altiverb & Speakerphone 2 Shure KSM313 & KSM353 Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56 Studiospares Classic SN10

Products

Baxter on training and attracting new blood. CEDAR question and failing backups.

New introductions and announcements.

Craft 12

Black Rock Studios

A studio on the idyllic Greek island of Santorini? We have to check it out.

Flood

We find out why the producer became a studio owner and how he remains eclectic and successful.

Russ Russell

Draw the line

Digital system essentials

Metal producer who does a little mastering shares his ‘dark art’. Mix engineer Simon Changer describes his work on David Gray’s first album release in four years. We explore how processing is physically implemented and encounter the Super FPGA.

The long-established Swiss lakeside recording complex is enjoying a new lease of life with a makeover. How we measure background noise in studio areas might be complicating things for everyone involved. Chris Muth, the man behind the technology at Dangerous Music, talks components, summing, and designing green. New York City streets that mean something.

Business 52

IPTV — breaking out

The fully-digital home may be a reality sooner than expected, thanks to IPTV.

Daley contemplates getting intimate and friendly with the producer and engineer for fun and for profit.

Technology 64

Audio Video Bridging

The background and the thinking behind this industry-wide and cross-discipline networking technology.

Watkinson on DAB. Light blue touch paper and retire. Enjoy.

Reviews 20 22 24 26 28 30

Calrec Apollo Fostex LR16 SSL X-Desk Neve Genesys Lexicon PCM96 Surround Audio-Technica 1800 series

EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Zenon Schoepe Tel: +44 1444 410675 Email: zen@resolutionmag.com Editorial office: PO Box 531, Haywards Heath RH16 4WD, UK CONTRIBUTORS: Rob James, George Shilling, Jon Thornton, Keith Holland, Jim Betteridge, Sue McDonald, Neil Hillman, Nigel Jopson, Andy Day, Philip Newell, Jim Evans, Dan Daley, Dennis Baxter, John Watkinson

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 3

34 36 38

ADVERTISEMENT SALES EUROPE: Clare Sturzaker, tel: +44 1342 717459 Email: clare@resolutionmag.com EUROPE: Lynn Neil, tel: +44 208 123 5040 Email: lynn@resolutionmag.com US: Jeff Turner, tel: +1 415 455 8301 Email: jeff@resolutionmag.com

PRODUCTION AND LAYOUT Dean Cook, The Magazine Production Company Tel: +44 1273 467579 Email: dean@resolutionmag.com

Home of the Resolution Awards

29/09/2009 10:10

NEWS

Appointments Ed Simeone has joined Linear Acoustic as vice president of US sales. Simeone was founder, CEO, and later chairman of TCUS, the North American distributor for TC Electronic. Chris Mayes-Wright has been appointed ar tist and media relations manager for Focusrite Audio Engineering. He was previously news editor at Sound On Sound magazine for more than three years. The Focusrite sales team has undergone a reshuffle. UK sales manager Steve Beeston is now looking after northern MI dealer accounts instead of those in the south. Neil Johnston maintains his responsibilities in the pro and education sectors, while also looking after the southern MI dealer network. Nick Venables is now sales manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), having previously been in charge of the north of the UK. Damian Hawley remains global sales manager.

(l-r) FDW-Worldwide: Shawn McLoughlin, inside sales manager; Buzz Goodwin, president; Chris Walsh, director of sales.

Audient has expanded its distribution in the US with a new partnership with FDW-Worldwide, which adds the entire range of Audient and LA Audio products to its list of distributed lines that include Milab, Violet Design and SonTronics.

Leader

One of the principles that I picked up quickly when learning biology was that the world is a place driven by cycles be they water, carbon, food or life. There’s something beautifully complete and satisfying about them and you can identify other cycles in other areas like markets or technological developments. The cause, effect, reaction, result and byproducts apply well and help to clarify things in my mind at least; sub prime mortgages anybody? Not that long ago, when I was still learning biology, the music industry was a glorious thing. You could see bands, buy there records and occasionally catch a glimpse of them on a TV or hear a session on a late night radio programme. You bought into a premium product sold at a price that enabled the wheels of the music industry to turn. Music’s origins are in performance and it has been only relatively recently in its many thousand year history that we’ve been able to capture it, package it and sell it on. There were phases when touring became unpopular with bands who concentrated instead on creation in the studio and that didn’t hurt record sales. That didn’t last forever and there can now be potentially more money for an artist in live performance than in recorded product. In fact you can find reports that tell you that the UK music industry, for example, is actually growing due to the vigour of live performance. Thing is, a lot of this bullishness can be attributed to the activity of reformed or old established acts. Appeared on the Pyramid Stage Glastonbury 2009: Neil Young (64), The Specials (reformed), Crosby, Stills & Nash (199), Bruce Springsteen (60), Blur (reformed), Madness (reformed), Tom Jones (69), Tony Christie (66), Status Quo (errr), you get the picture. While it is undoubtedly honourable and decent that these chaps can still get out of bed for a gig it does slew the ‘live’ reality. Throw in The Police reformation world tour and other similarly reconciliatory band gestures and you can see who has been filling the stadia and keeping people busy. All these acts were part of a cycle: they played, they wrote their own songs, they got signed, they made records, they toured to promote the records, and the money went round. What legitimises them all is their back catalogue of recordings; people know them and turn out to see them because they made great records not because they’re a friend on Facebook. The recordings are essential for everything else in the cycle to function. Shuffle everything on five years and you tell me the acts that will be filling those same stadia and selling out their UK tours in 30 minutes like The Police did. Who steps in to those shoes when the old-timers can no longer get out of bed? Big bands need longevity to build momentum so these new mythical acts should have been signed maybe ten years ago. And we know investment in new acts and long-termism have not been characteristics of our last decade. Not good for the cycle and not good for getting the money to go around. Zenon Schoepe

Fairlight restructures

Fairlight has announced a reorganisation of its corporate structure instigated by Fairlight’s investor directors George Kepper, Kenji Fukuda and Rodney Lowe. LOUD Technologies Tino Fibaek, the man behind Fairlight’s has promoted FPGA technology, takes over as general Adrian Bell to the manager from John Lancken and has position of vice responsibility for the company’s world-wide president, corporate operations. Lancken has left the company to and marketing pursue other interests. communications. Key responsibilities for manufacturing, R&D, sales and marketing have been distributed to Calrec Audio has appointed Jim Green a senior management team reporting directly as regional sales manager for the UK. to Fibaek. Senior development engineer Gary He was previously sales manager for the AdFirstImpres.(Resolution two files Strip).qxd:Mise page 1 22/09/09 Lamb takes overen as R&D manager while Chris Middle East.

first

impressions

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 4

Pickard becomes manufacturing manager. Ken Barnsley, formerly European operations director, has expanded his role to direct worldwide sales and marketing. He is assisted by Andrew Bell; one of Fairlight’s longest serving employees as marketing co-ordinator. ‘This is a new and very exciting time for Fairlight,’ said Fibaek. ‘With an expanding R&D programme we will see new products introduced, directly targeting new markets. Most importantly, we have a very dedicated R&D team, committed to offering total workflow solutions, with third-party audio and video systems for the broadcast and 12:36 Pagesectors.’ 3 postproduction

IBC a success

Official figures for IBC2009 show 45,547 attendees, 7% down on 2008. ‘IBC is about the quality of the exhibition and the conference,’ said IBC COO Mike Crimp. ‘We’re not just a trade show, but an event where people can see the results of all the hard work in our industry. We call this the IBC content experience.’ With more than 1,300 exhibitors this year some 23,000 square meters of stand space have already been ordered for next year, according to the organisers. IBC2010 will be held at the Amsterdam RAI from 9-14 September.

Phoenix Audio relocates to US P h o e n i x A u d i o h a s re l o c a t e d i t s manufacturing and distribution operations from the UK to Irvine in Southern California. The new company, Phoenix Audio LLC, is headed by Robin Ashley from ASAP Europe and Shaun Leveque retains his role as chief designer and creative/technical director. The US headquarters will now be responsible for all distribution, support, and service enquiries. Phoenix Audio currently manufactures seven Class A discrete products including microphone preamps, preamp/EQs, DIs and summing mixers with the latest addition being the DRSQ4M mono mic preamp, 4-band EQ and DI.

Messe measures to control noise The Musikmesse will be held in Frankfurt Germany from 24-27 March 2010 with the organisers saying that modifications in the halls will strengthen the B2B character of the fair and ensure a pleasant working atmosphere. In response to the wishes of many exhibitors, acoustic demonstrations and musical instrument testing will only be permitted in special sound-proofed cabins at the fair. ‘We will draw the attention of exhibitors to this regulation during the fair and thus achieve a lower level of noise in the halls, which will be particularly beneficial for B2B contacts,’ said Cordelia von Gymnich, VP of Messe Frankfurt.

First Impressions from Audio-Technica, is the latest way to find your perfect Audio-Technica microphone. 29/09/2009 10:10

AdFir

NEWS

MediaCityUK buys Calrec desks and Hydra2 Calrec has been awarded the contract to supply four consoles and a distributed I-O network system to the MediaCityUK project in Manchester, UK. Calrec will supply one 64-fader and two 56-fader Apollo consoles for studios A, B and C, and a 24-fader Artemis console for studio E. All four studios will be used to provide live to air and live to tape content for light entertainment, news and sport. All four consoles will be networked via Hydra2. TSL was engaged as a consultant helping to define the Commercial Block facilities at the MediaCityUK site. ‘We are delighted to be working with Calrec to provide one of the most technically advanced TV broadcast audio systems in the world,’ said TSL’s audio applications manager Martin Dyster. ‘The Hydra2 network infrastructure dramatically simplifies the integration and operation of audio systems at MediaCityUK, and the Apollo and Artemis consoles represent a significant advancement in broadcast TV mixing technology.’

Cooper picks up 2009 Gottelier Award

Appointments TransAudio Group has been appointed exclusive worldwide distributor for Tonelux Designs rackmount products. The first product shipping under the new arrangement will be the Tonelux Equalux, a two-channel, four-band discrete parametric equaliser.

Peter Gabriel purchased five Brauner VMA and six Phantera microphones for his Scratch My Back project. Gabriel became a Brauner fan after he contacted Dirk Brauner about using VMAs for a National Geographic music score he was doing in Budapest for the IMAX movie Sea Monsters. Five VMAs were used for the main surround system, augmented by 16 Phanteras for orchestral spot mics. The large orchestra recordings were a success, and when the Scratch My Back sessions started he had to have VMAs for the recordings. ‘Dirk’s microphones are open and natural and inspiring just like the man himself,’ said Gabriel.

Quested returns to self-ownership

Midas’ director of console development, In a move that has returned Quested Alex Cooper, won the Gottelier Award Monitoring Systems to self-ownership, Roger during the PLASA 2009 exhibition in London Quested (left) and Guy Lewis have acquired in recognition of his design work on Midas the company from the Soundmix Group. consoles and Klark Teknik signal processing. ‘With the merger a few years ago of MC2 Named in honour of the late designer, Audio and XTA to create Soundmix, Quested developer and commentator Tony Gottelier, experienced a change in the resources we the award recognises product developers could rely on to move forward,’ said Roger who have made a significant and sustained Quested. ‘That has now changed and it will contribution to the development of be a new start for Quested really. Our big equipment. system designs have seen a resurgence, ‘The audio industry is continually changing and the smaller powered monitors continue and I’d like to think I’ll be pushing its to be picked up in all areas of studio and boundaries for many years to come,’ he recording.’ said. ‘I continue to believe that sound ‘While the Quested name is well known matters above all else, and Midas has the commercial side has not received the always had a very distinctive sound, which focus it needs in what is a very competitive breaths life, openness and character into environment,’ added Guy Lewis. ‘Over 40 sources. However we move forward with companies manufacture studio monitors AdFirstImpres.(Resolution two Strip).qxd:Mise en no page 22/09/09 future product development, we files will never of some type, but other1 company has compromise on that.’

the acoustic design ability of Roger, the successful history in the biggest studios worldwide, and a range of affordable monitoring with such incredible levels of performance and accuracy. ‘The Soundmix team have been very supportive in helping Quested to step out of the group and move on. Quested still uses their unique amplifier technology to achieve the necessary levels of product performance, and this will continue.’ New designs are planned for 2010 and a three-way active system has been launched. The first job for the new owners was to get a pair of HM415s to Mexico. ‘The Custom side of the business, where we do the larger systems, is having a great year,’ said Quested, ‘and we have gone from doing one a year to completing five already in 2009, with two 12:36 Page 4 more planned.’

Riedel Communications has expanded it s RockNet team with the addition of Thorsten Schulze as the product manager for multimedia and enter tainment. He was previously product manager at Optocore. Wilber t Kooij now takes care of all Riedel related distribution matters in the Netherlands ac ro s s all Rie d el products. UK supplier KMR Audio is distributing the Soundman Microphone range from Germany in the UK. The Soundman OKMs are binaural electret mics and the company also manufactures the Soundman Dummy Head. KMR is now also distributing Barefoot Sound monitors from the US in the UK. The MicroMain27 has dual 10-inch subwoofers housed in a compact sealed enclosure. Blackbox recorder manufacturer JoeCo has appointed Joe de Bie as international sales manager. De Bie has worked for Joe Meek, Vicoustic and was MD of Synthax UK. Indian monitor manufacturer Sonodyne has appointed UK-based distributor The Audio Professionals as its strategic channel partners with responsibility for Sonodyne studio products throughout Europe.

In the studio, on stage or on the road, sign up and you’ll have your very own 2 Week Soundcheck, where we send you up to two Audio-Technica microphones to test out on your own terms for up to two weeks. For more information, log onto: www.eu.audio-technica.com/support/firstimpressions Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 5

29/09/2009 10:10

NEWS

Appointments Apogee Electronics has appointed Jeremy Stappard as director of sales worldwide. He is a 14-year veteran of Sony Broadcast, former president of Cal AV Trading Company and most recently responsible for all distributed/retail product sales in selected territories for Audio Agent. Universal Audio has appointed Scott Church to the newly created position of director of product management. He was previously music creation product manager at Digidesign. Ta s c a m h a s established a dedicated sales an d s up p or t service for the professional AV sec tor in the UK, which is headed by sales and support manager Gary Maguire. To d d Barrett has joined the Walters-Stor yk Design Group as a p r o j e c t m a n a g e r. Barrett brings nine years of experience with Atlanta-based Randall-Paulson Architects to his new post. Blue Microphones has appointed John Maier as CEO. He joins after nearly seven years as CEO of TC Group Americas.

Showtime AES US, New York .........9-12 October SIEL/SATIS, Paris ..........19-22 October Broadcast India, Mumbai .......................27–31 October InterBee, Tokyo ........18-20 November NAMM, Anaheim .. 14-17 January 2010 ISE, Amsterdam .............. 2-4 February Cabsat, Dubai ..................... 2-4 March ProLight + Sound, Frankfurt .......................... 24-27 March NAB, Las Vegas .................12-15 April IBC, Amsterdam .....10-14 September PLASA, London.......12-15 September

SUBSCRIBE www.resolutionmag.com Annual Subscriptions: UK £37.00, Europe £46.00, Rest of the World £53.00 6

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 6

Second Irish show success

API turns 40

Droppa and Walker.

The second Audio Warehouse Recording Show was held at Peter Maher’s new Munro Acoustics-designed Middlewalk Recording Studio in the hills around Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, Ireland on 2 September and was attended by 75 enthusiasts from all over Ireland, according to the distributor. ‘We’re very pleased with the attendance of pros, semi-pros and amateurs, all of whom are our customers,’ said Audio Warehouse’s Paul Brewer who organised the event with John Byrne to be a forum for discussion and to introduce their collaborations with Munro Acoustics to the Irish audience. ‘Having the location somewhat off the beaten track meant that anyone who attended had a real desire to be here — which added to the show’s value to us and our clients,’ said John Byrne. ‘We look forward to 2010’s event as an opportunity to allow our customers to meet each other, share ideas and meet the guys who make their gear in informal surroundings.’ The event was attended by representatives of Audient, Apogee, Avid/Digidesign, Brauner, Exigy Monitors, George Massenburg Labs, Manley, SE Electronics and SSL together with guest speakers that included Dirk Brauner and Rupert Cobb, who recorded and mixed the Live at Abbey Road series. Peter Maher’s Middlewalk Recording Also in attendance were producer Studio opened recently and has been Wolsey White, Alastair McMillan (ex booked solidly ever since. The facility Windmill Lane Studio and now with U2) has a large live room with an SSL AWS and studio owner Noel Hogan from The in the control room with PMC and Genelec monitoring. Cranberries.

Crichton and SE in dance Whether tracking for Kylie, Pet Shop Boys or Sugababes, Stuart Crichton says he uses SE mics ‘on every production I do’. The top dance producer and engineer is now involved in music production and vocals play a huge part in his work. ‘I’m using a few SE mics in the studio right now,’ he said from his Hastings-based studio. ‘I particularly like the Z5600aII, the SE1a stereo pair, and the new GM10 [guitar mic].

©2009 S2 Publications Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Great care is taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this publication, but neither

The Z5600aII I use on every vocal production I do…and having just got the GM10, well, I’m using that absolutely every time I record acoustic guitar... it’s just amazing! ‘My friend Javier Weyler recommended the Z5600a to me when he was an assistant engineer at Sahara Studios,’ he adds. ‘He told me that SE mics offered amazing quality for a great price — and he wasn’t wrong. He’s now the drummer in the Stereophonics.’

S2 Publications Ltd or the editor can be held responsible for its contents. The views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Publishers. Printed by The Grange Press, Butts Rd, Southwick, West Sussex, BN42 4EJ.

resolution

Mixing console and outboard manufacturer API celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. In the late 1960s, Saul Walker, who had an ongoing interest in radio and studio electronics from his college days, partnered with Lou Lindauer to establish Automated Processes Incorporated (API) on Long Island, New York. In 1969 the pair began to design and manufacture their own components, starting with faders and amplifiers. Walker designed his own proprietary op amp, the 2520, which is now generally recognised as one of the best audio op amps ever designed. The 2520 became central to many of Walker’s API designs, including the 512 mic pre, 550A equaliser, 525 compressor, 560 graphic equaliser, 312 mic amp, 325 line amp and 1604 console. ‘API first appeared on the scene as the music recording industry really started to explode,’ said company president, Larry Droppa. ‘Forty years after that golden age engineers appreciate more than ever the warmth, punch, and life that our equipment brings to today’s digital production setups.’

A&H celebrates 40 Allen & Heath celebrated 40 years at the PLASA 2009 exhibition in London. The British mixer manufacturer marked the occasion with a party attended by distributors, industry partners and the press. Special guest was former MD Neil Hauser, who headed Allen & Heath from the company’s inception in 1969 until 1988. Current MD, Glenn Rogers, took the helm in 1990. ‘It would not be an exaggeration to claim that I have witnessed innovation on a daily basis at Allen & Heath since I started as a junior engineer in 1983,’ stated Rogers. ‘For 40 years, the company has maintained a philosophy of listening to customers and striving to provide the products that will enhance sound quality and user productivity. We work in an industry that is creative and emotive, and Allen & Heath’s success is down to the passion, skill, dedication and enthusiasm of its team.’

S2 Publications Ltd. Registered in England and Wales. Company number: 4375084. Registered office: Equity House, 128-136 High Street, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 7TT.

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:10

Reso

“I was gobsmacked when I saw the Euphonix. I was blown away by the quality and the functionality. The Euphonix sounds fantastic and has the ability to behave precisely how you want; it can be tailored to exactly fit our needs.” Johnnie Burn, co-owner Wave Amsterdam who controls Nuendo via his two System 5-MC’s

Wave Amsterdam

The System 5-MC is a DAW Controller with a difference - a big difference. Thanks to its EuCon control protocol, the System 5-MC tightly integrates with DAWs such as Pro Tools, Nuendo, Logic Pro, Digital Performer and Pyramix. Editing is made easier, workflow is enhanced and control is seamless. In a world of networked equipment, only Euphonix can provide true hands-on control over your favorite applications.

Resolution_Feb19 1 7 Resolution Octobercopy.indd 09 V8.7.indd

euphonix.com

9/15/09 2:32 PM 29/09/2009 10:10

NEWS

Biz Bites A battle of the bands has broken out in the UK, with words rather than musical notes traded in anger, writes Nigel Jopson. The UK Government’s Digital Britain report failed to back internet disconnection as a deterrent for music pirates. Stephen Timms, the new minister for Digital Britain, said that proposals previously considered to simply restrict the connection speed of persistent offenders did not go far enough. He proposed that alongside measures to block access to illegal sites and throttling speeds for repeat offenders, persistent filesharers should also have their connections terminated. Media observers noticed these new proposals came just days after his boss Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary, met David Geffen (founder of Asylum and Geffen Records and co-founder of DreamWorks with Steven Spielberg) at a private dinner while on holiday in Corfu. ISPs (Internet Service Providers) unsurprisingly returned a robust response, with a spokesman for BSkyB ludicrously claiming the proposals would ‘jeopardise investment in new services and increase overall costs for consumers.’ BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor countered: ‘ISPs are not being asked to police the internet. It is rights holders who identify web addresses being used illegally. Once the ISP knows that their service — for which they are taking money — is being used illegally, they have a responsibility to do something about it.’ A sharply divided reaction inside the music industry prompted umbrella organisation UK Music to attempt to pour oil on troubled waters, after the FAC (Featured Artists Coalition, which includes Billy Brag, David Gray, Radiohead, Nick Mason) said: ‘We vehemently oppose the proposals being made and suggest that the stick is now in danger of being way out of proportion to the carrot.’ The FAC’s statement was co-signed by the BASCA (British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors) which is a member, but which had previously been an advocate of enforcement measures against filesharing. Taking the other side, Lilly Allen pointed out: ‘These guys from huge bands said file sharing music is fine. It probably is fine for them.

Mexico gains new film mix

Astro LX, a new mix stage with a two-operator, 48-fader, 512-channel SSL C300 HD, has opened in Mexico City. ‘The primary reason for buying the SSL C300 HD was for the sound quality, advanced automation and the excellent service and support from SSL, but the flexibility of this console is truly unique and offered a new way to approach mixing a film,’ said Jaime Baksht, chief engineer for Astro. Astro LX employs several Pro Tools systems for playback of dialogue, effects, music and ambience and the mix of these tracks is done through the C300 to two Fairlight Xynergi units with 192 tracks each. ‘The C300 HD allows us to configure the console topology to the exact working needs of any engineer or project, allowing that engineer to come in and immediately start mixing. We are going to work with projects from the US, so we can actually design the console layout in advance for a particular engineer who might be used to a different make console. This flexibility is very powerful and only possible with the C300.’ • LDS Motion Picture Studio in Provo, US has upgraded its two primary audio control rooms, Studio A and Studio B, with C300 HDs, Delta Link MADI HD units and a shared 24-input C-SB stagebox.

Belgian post expansion

Brussels-based post facility Studio L’Equipe has opened a second facility in nearby Bierges, called Studio L’Equipe Wallonie, and has relocated its Euphonix System 5 to the new facility with upgrades. The 64-fader System 5 underwent a full surface upgrade to Euphonix’ latest touchsensitive channel modules with high-res TFTs and upgraded to the DF70 DSP SuperCore, making it the first European installation for the engine. The DF70 provides more than

400 fully resourced channels with up to 64 mix buses at 48kHz. Studio L’Equipe in Brussels is home to a System 5-MC for ADR and Foley work. ‘Growing business demands meant we had to serve the local Walloon region better and hence the new facility,’ explained Guillaume Berg, technical director at Studio L’Equipe. ‘The modularity of the System 5 meant that the relocation and the upgrade were very easy to do.’

Sky buys eight Soundfield upmixers

European satellite broadcaster BSkyB has purchased eight SoundField UPM-1 stereoto-5.1 upmix processors for live use in its studios and OB facilities. ‘The UPM-1 is already proving its worth here at Sky,’ said Keith Lane, operations manager at BSkyB. ‘Nearly everything we produce for HD transmission ourselves on our main sports channels is now in 5.1, and the material we receive for transmission from Germany, France and Italy is in 5.1 as well. However, that makes the material that’s still only in stereo rather obvious to viewers at home. For example, all of our sound libraries, stock music and effects are in stereo — and even during an HD sports broadcast, we’ll transmit short roundups of older match clips that often only have stereo audio. Some of the coverage of international matches from other broadcasters still comes to us in SD, too. We already up-convert the video, but now, with the UPM-1, we can up-convert the audio too. The good thing about the UPM-1 is that the upmixed results are stereo compatible, so viewers who are still only listening in stereo don’t suffer. It provides a quick, effective way of rendering stereo into convincing 5.1, and helps us to give our HD viewers more of a seamless surround-sound experience.’

Liam Howlett of The Prodigy was the very first customer to purchase a Phoenix compressor and Culture Vulture distortion from Unity Audio before it established its distributor and dealer networks and Unity’s Kevin Walker recently presented him with a Limited Edition Culture Vulture. ‘Thermionic Culture has always been an important part of The Prodigy’s sound,’ said Liam. ‘The new Limited Edition Culture Vulture takes it to a new level of sonic devastation.’

Subscribe now online at www.resolutionmag.com UK £37 • Europe £46 • Rest of the World £53

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 8

resolution

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:11

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 9

29/09/2009 10:11

NEWS

Biz Bites They do sell-out arena tours and have the biggest Ferrari collections in the world. For new talent though, file sharing is a disaster as it’s making it harder and harder for new acts to emerge.’ James Blunt agreed: ‘Peter Mandelson is looking to engage the internet service providers who, in my opinion, handle stolen goods, and should take much more responsibility.’ A former bandmate of the guy with all the Ferraris once sang ‘Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn?’ Evidently someone does because, 55 years after she last topped the charts, and at the age of 92, she hit number 1 in the UK album charts. Her album fought off stiff competition from the Arctic Monkeys and The Beatles, who occupied the 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th, 21st, 24th, 29th, 31st, 33rd, 37th and 38th spots after digitally remastered (Resolution V8.5) versions of their albums went on sale along with an interactive video game that induced a brief return to Beatlemania. The issue of career longevity lies at the heart of many current debates, including copyright terms, 360 degree deals and artist development. UK Telecom regulator Ofcom has abandoned 25 years of controls on BT (British Telecom) consumer business, giving the group a completely free hand to compete against such rivals as BSkyB and Virgin Media, and enabling BT to offer discounted bundles of services including IPTV for the first time. This comes after BT made a loss of £134m in the year to March 2009. Satellite operator BSkyB described the decision as ‘irrational’, Steve Weller of price comparison service USwitch said the move could lead to a price war. Claire Enders, of Enders Analysis, a telecoms and media research group, said: ‘This will be good for consumers. This is also good for BT because it can move more speedily and provide more innovation in terms of pricing and bundling.’ Earnings in the recorded music division of EMI more than trebled to £160m last year and could top £200m in 2009, thanks partly to the success of The Beatles re-releases. Unfortunately Reuters reckons it’s costing the firm nearly $500m just to service its debt, which is why owners Terra Firma are trying to cut a deal with bankers Citigroup, who have already lost around £1bn on the deal. Another injection of capital, and another write-down in the value of its equity, will likely be required.

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 10

Brauer Strawberry Swings

Starmix studios open

Multi-Grammy Award winning mix engineer Michael H Brauer mixed Coldplay’s Strawberry Swing from Viva La Vida specifically for a theatrical release with a new art-concept video. Brauer mixed the song at his room at Electric Lady Studios, NYC using the Dangerous Music Monitor ST-SR surround monitor controller. While the video debuted at London’s Odeon Theatre in July, Strawberry Swing was released as a single digitally in September. ‘The SSL J in my new room at Electric Lady doesn’t have the 5.1 monitoring panel,’ explained Brauer. ‘I was concerned how I would mix surround without it until I discovered that Dangerous offers the ST-SR. It’s exactly what I was looking for.’

UK supplier KMR has helped a new studio from Starmix Entertainment get off the ground in Camberwell, London. KMR supplied the majority of the equipment including a Pro Tools HD, Lexicon PCM96 Surround, Eventide H8000FW, Cranesong Ibis, fully loaded API 500V, Neve 1073, various plug-ins plus microphones by Peluso, Neumann, Josephson and AEA. Monitoring is PMC and Genelec. The studios is the brainchild of entrepreneur Isaac Johnson and is based around an SSL4000 G.

space. SPIRAL makes use of the Genelec Loudspeaker Manager control networking system, which offers system parameter control and acoustic alignment for all networked loudspeakers. The department uses Genelec monitoring throughout its music technology facilities, which include three Octophonic studios, three 5.1 studios, and two stereo rooms with associated live rooms. The completely rebuilt Panasonic Visual postproduction studios have updated their surround mixing room with a design by Nittobo Acoustic Design. Main monitoring is 3-way Genelec 1038Bs and the 8-channel surround system has Genelec’s DSP system with 8250As and a 7271A DSP subwoofer.

resolution

Zeh is Barefoot for Mandoki project

Multichannel SPIRAL at Huddersfield University

The Centre for Research in New Music (CeReNeM) at the University of Huddersfield is pushing the boundaries of music composition, performance, and interactive control with SPIRAL — the Spatialisation and Interactive Research Lab — a Science Research Infrastructure funded facility. Michael Clarke and Mark Bokowiec are leading work that will explore the creative, psychoacoustical, and psychological possibilities of multichannel audio. The room features three circles of eight Genelec 8240A DSP monitors, four Genelec 7270A DSP subwoofers, plus an additional height monitor (another Genelec 8240A). Each of the 25 speakers can be fed independently or in groups for detailed control over the sound field inside the

German engineer/producer Stephan Zeh recently installed a pair of Barefoot MM27 monitors for nearfield applications in his die:mischbatterie studio. ‘When I was asked to work again for Leslie Mandoki to mix the album Aquarelle it was clear to me that this astonishing production also needs a perfect balance — so I decided to try the Barefoots. After setting them up in Leslie’s Parkstudios I never had that effect before. These speakers really tell you everything what you need to know to work straight and precisely and the best thing probably is that you’re truly enjoying what you’re doing.’ The Mandoki Soulmates is a jazzrock project with a line up that includes Bobby Kimball, Chris Thompson, David Clayton-Thomas, Ian Anderson, Jack Bruce, Peter Maffay, Al Di Meola, Mike Stern, Steve Lukather, Michael and Randy Brecker, Bill Evans, Victor Bailey and Anthony Jackson. ‘Every piece of the record is recorded with absolute dedication to perfectionism — sound wise as well as from the aspect of passion. This is the third record I mixed for the Mandoki Soulmates and it’s absolutely great to be part of it again and to work with the legends of your youth,’ said Stephan. die:mischbatterie is based on a Euphonix CS2000 with a collection of outboard that includes API, Chandler, Empirical Labs, Lexicon, Urei, Tube Tech, a limited edition Golden Age 1660 tube compressor and Strohm tube EQ.

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:11

Subject: m201 A/D shop demo Subject: m201 A/D shop demo From: ‘eben grace’ From: ‘eben grace’ Date: 09/20/2009 11:25 AM Date: 09/20/2009 11:25 AM To: ‘mike grace’ To: ‘mike grace’ Mike, Mike, Sorry to be so late getting to the offi ce these Sorry to be so late getting to the offi ce these past couple of days. The project I’m working on past couple of days. The project I’m working on is almost done. Anyway, I fi nally took our shop is almost done. Anyway, I fi nally took our shop demo m201 A/D home and got to try it for myself demo m201 A/D home and got to try it for myself in my own room on a regular joe session. in my own room on a regular joe session. Ok, as your brother, I’m telling you: this is Ok, as your brother, I’m telling you: this is your fi nest yet. I depend on the versatility and your fi nest yet. I depend on the versatility and consistency of our preamps, but plugging the consistency of our preamps, but plugging the m201 A/D was the biggest sonic improvement I m201 A/D was the biggest sonic improvement I have heard in my studio for as long as I can have heard in my studio for as long as I can remember. No joke. Everything I trust to just remember. No joke. Everything I trust to just work – 121’s on the AC30, or the 8040’s on work – 121’s on the AC30, or the 8040’s on the J-45, or the 5600 on whatever – just works the J-45, or the 5600 on whatever – just works that much better. All my tried and true standby that much better. All my tried and true standby signal paths are now like secret weapons. Super signal paths are now like secret weapons. Super duper extra-secret weapons. So thanks and nice duper extra-secret weapons. So thanks and nice work. We’re gonna need a new shop demo, and I’m work. We’re gonna need a new shop demo, and I’m gonna be late tomorrow. gonna be late tomorrow. -Eben -Eben

2 channel mic preamp with optional A/D converter 2 channel mic preamp with optional A/D converter

m201 m201

fully balanced, transformeless design • precision 24 position gold contact rotary switch gain controls • built in M+S decoder • front fully balanced, transformeless design • precision 24 position gold contact rotary switch gain controls • built in M+S decoder • front panel DI / instrument inputs • dual parallel XLR outputs for each channel • no electrolytic capacitors in the signal path • ribbon mic panel DI / instrument inputs • dual parallel XLR outputs for each channel • no electrolytic capacitors in the signal path • ribbon mic mode • 130V phantom power option • reference quality 24bit/192 kHz A/D converter option • five year transferable warranty mode • 130V phantom power option • reference quality 24bit/192 kHz A/D converter option • five year transferable warranty

Proudly introducing the new home of Grace Design in the UK: Sound-Link Marketing +44 (0) 1223 26 47 65 • www.sound-link.co.uk • www.gracedesign.com Proudly introducing the new home of Grace Design in the UK: Sound-Link Marketing +44 (0) 1223 26 47 65 • www.sound-link.co.uk • www.gracedesign.com

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 11

29/09/2009 10:11

facility

Black Rock A state-of-the-art and brand new residential facility on the idyllic Greek island of Santorini? It’s a tough one but someone has to check it out. Ever the martyr, ZENON SCHOEPE decides it might as well be him.

here was a time when a glamourous, exclusive and exotic studio hideaway was the ultimate place for the great to make great music. While many of those destinations still exist we haven’t see many new ones being added to the list in recent years, in fact, if anything, some of them have been dropping off. That’s changed with the opening of Black Rock studios on the wonderful Greek island of Santorini. Most will know the island as a holiday destination but while much of the hustle and bustle is concentrated on the beach and big town areas this surprisingly large island in the Cyclades also has quiet side to it. Black Rock is situated on the south west tip of the crescent shape left by the massive volcano eruption almost 4000 years ago that probably wiped out the Minoan civilisation on Crete. Owner Kostas Kalimeris wants the studio to be appreciated as a luxury destination but he stresses that it is geared and equipped for the music production realities of today and not at some faded historic residential studio artefact of a bygone era. It runs an SSL 9000 J, with Genelec 1035B monitors in a Roger D’Arcy Recording Architecture design with three live areas and accommodation in five double en-suite rooms, plus the sort of views that will take your breath away. Kostas has been busy in the Greek music industry for quite a few decades and he lives by the get out, meet people and make things happen approach. He started as a guitarist then went to a recording engineering school in Greece, which translated

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 12

into a ten-year stint at Sierra Studios in Athens. He then moved to Universal Music as an in-house producer for ten years while at the same time he built his own studio in Athens — Prism Studios. Among other things, he now produces acts for the Heaven Music label, which is owned by independent broadcasting and media giant Antenna Group. Prism is an interesting operation as it regularly co-operates with a leading mobile truck to record gigs and TV entertainment shows. Kostas is frequently the engineer in the trucks with the project returning to Prism for completion. Significantly, Prism also works with US mastering operation Sterling Sound as its representative in Greece. Kostas says he was the first Greek to go to Sterling for mastering some ten years ago and it is that connection and relationship that led to them personalising

resolution

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:11

facility

Sterling’s eMastering service to the Greek market. While his time in now divided between Athens and Santorini it very nearly was Athens-Milos, another Greek island in the Cyclades. Kostas had always wanted to build a residential on a Greek island and when his plans got underway he and his business partners were insistent that it should be an all-new, ground-up, purpose-build. Plans were fairly advanced to build on the island of Milos but they became frustrated by the Draconian building restrictions and bureaucracy and how long everything was taking so they decided instead to look for an existing building to adapt and convert. The search for the new home for the SSL, which had already been delivered to Milos, also took time but eventually through a friend of a friend the present building was secured. And it is a splendid place. It was originally a large luxury family villa and it has astounding and uninterrupted views in all directions — over the tip of the island, the sea, north to the rest of the island and your on personal space from which to enjoy the fabulous sunsets that Santorini is famous for. Kostas adds that Santorini is a much better connected island than Milos with, in the high season, some seven flights a day to Athens plus the international traffic. There are also the ferries. The region of the island where the studio is located is off the beaten track and has a good selection of very exclusive hotels and villas nearby should any clients want them. The building is enormous and finished in that curvy traditional Cycladic style where the outer structure is smoothed by the application of a concrete type plaster. As far as the studio went it didn’t need a lot of isolation as the walls are 70cm thick, the building is built on the rock, and it’s very quiet. Power is covered with a big UPS, power regulation and a generator. The studio, which sits at one end of the building, has been fully operational since the summer. There’s a central dining area although through most of the year with the heat and the view you’d be eating outside on the large patio area and taking advantage of the superb rimless pool. The accommodation is clean, bright and large and each bathroom seems to have its own unique layout and design. There’s also an apartment that is within walking distance of the studio that can serve as auxiliary accommodation. You can enter the studio from a main entrance or through the dining area, which takes you in through the live rooms. There are three recording areas: a small dry one, the big arched ceiling main area and another large area often used for drums. It’s all bright and white and you can’t get away from those splendid views with natural daylight everywhere. The big desk in the big control room is the only SSL 9000 in Greece. Kostas was adamant about the monitoring he wanted. In 2001, when he was building his studio in Athens, he visited studios in London to get a feel for what people October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 13

were choosing for monitoring. ‘I have a big PMC system in Athens but I was working in France for six months and I was in Plus XXX studios and I was very impressed with their monitoring, which was Genelec,’ explains Kostas. ‘I made a mental note that should I ever build another studio then I would use a pair of those.’ The 1035Bs in question are rare on a new build in Europe these days but continue to thrive in the film industry in India. ‘Some clients are suspicious of big rooms and they don’t tend to like big speakers — they’ll tell you that they bring their own small speakers. But, when they come here and listen to these then they’re satisfied and they use them — not all the time, maybe, but it sounds familiar to them,’ he says. ‘That’s a normal reaction, these clients move around to lots of different studios of different quality and they need a reference and that tends to be a small monitor that they know. For me, when I work here I use the big speakers a lot but then I’m used to them. When I mix I use the big speakers for the EQ and switch to the nearfields for the balance.’ Kostas believes that with a residential facility you have to make solid and popular equipment choices if you want to appeal to the broadest range of customers. You also have to fill your outboard racks with the sort of exotica that covers all the bases. His first booking was for four weeks in May with Joe Bonamassa and Kevin Shirley producing. ‘They came to record an album and in the end they recorded and mixed it here. Kevin booked the studio from the drawings; it was unbelievable,’ laughs Kostas who adds that it’s a creative and flexible environment to work in — it was quiet enough for them to record outside on the patio apparently. It’s the international market that Black Rock will attract and Kostas sees it as a natural destination for touring bands looking to break their schedules with a little rest, recording and recuperation. It works out at around Euro 10,000 per week including accommodation for up to ten, a car, breakfast and an assistant but Kostas’s business plan is supplemented by standalone rental of the accommodation when the studio is not being used. ‘I always have that to fall back on — I know that for at least two months of the year in the peak summer season I can rent just the accommodation at a very good rate,’ he says. ‘The advantage here is that it’s a new studio where most of the residentials are now old,’ he adds. ‘We have a desk that you can’t find easily in a residential studio and then the location is really good — it’s not bad! The house and the building work very well together and it’s plenty big enough. For me it’s a matter of going step by step. The first goal was to have good construction and a good sounding studio with good rooms and a nice environment. We’ve achieved that.’ Bookings will follow, no doubt about it, but he didn’t mention that view… n

Contact black rock, greece: Website: www.blackrock-studios.com

resolution

29/09/2009 10:11

GEAR

Products Equipment introductions and announcements.

Calrec Artemis

The Calrec Artemis is based on the Apollo platform and uses the same core technologies of Bluefin2 and Hydra2, which equip the console with enormous routing and processing capacity. Using a combination of OLED displays, touch screens, and light-emitting knobs the Artemis control surface enables the user to reconfigure the desk on the fly. At 48kHz, Bluefin2 gives Artemis up to 640 channel processing paths, 128 programme buses, 64 IFB/track outputs and 32 auxiliaries. It also features a second compressor/limiter in each channel, more than 70 minutes of assignable delay, and three independent APFL systems for multiple operator use. Like all Calrec designs, these facilities do not share resources so are available to the user at all times. Central to the console is a dedicated integrated router so that its I-O functions can be performed by the Hydra2 network. Hydra2 uses high capacity 8192 x 8192 crosspoint routers and makes I-Os available in analogue, AES, MADI, SDI and Dolby E formats. All use copper or fibre connectivity, and can be fitted with GPIO cards. Console routers can be connected together to form large networks, and standalone routers will also be available. All DSP, control processor, router, power supplies, and connections are fully redundant. www.calrec.com

Spotlight: Audio-Technica Audio-Technica has released two ribbon microphones. The AT4080 and AT4081 are side address microphones with fig-8 polar patterns and both are phantom-powered and use aluminium ribbons. The large AT4080 has two ribbons while the slim AT4081 has one and, unusually for ribbon microphones, each is robust enough to be used lying down. Also new to the 40 Series, the AT4050ST is a stereo version of the AT4050. The new mic has a pair of elements positioned at 90° to each other in a Mid-Side set-up, with one element in cardioid and the other configured as fig-8. The AT4050ST allows for different output options, namely M/S, Stereo 90° and Stereo 126°. The AT4047MP is a multipattern version of the AT4047SV. It has the same element as the 4047SV but offers omni and fig-8 patterns in addition to the cardioid. The BP892 and BP896 microphones have been launched in the Broadcast and Production series. The BP892 replaces the AT892 subminiature head-worn mic and delivers higher SPL handling and improved sound in a tiny package. With a condenser capsule just 2.6mm in diameter, it is available in non-reflective black or theatrebeige finishes. A new lavalier mic, the BP896, is the smallest that Audio-Technica has produced to date. The omni condenser handles high SPLs and has a durable, low-profile housing with internal construction designed to minimise noise from handling, clothing and wind. As with the BP892, wired and wireless versions of the BP896 are available with wide compatibility to other manufacturers’ receivers. The BPHS-1 headset is based on A-T’s M30 headphone and is equipped with a dynamic cardioid mic on a flexible boom. www.audio-technica.com

Euphonix MC Color

Daking FET3

The MC Color from Euphonix is a colour grading surface that offers control and integration with Apple’s Color 1.5. The slim-line MC attaches to the Mac via Ethernet and has highresolution optical trackballs, trackwheels, displays, encoders and a host of programmable keys to speed up and enhance the Apple Color workflow. The design is portable enough for on-set grading, and can be combined with other Euphonix media controllers to build a larger, integrated video editing control surface. www.euphonix.com

The Daking FET3 is a dual-channel limiter with Class A discrete compressor circuitry and gain stages that builds on the quality and performance of the Daking FET II single-channel limiter while adding several front panel features. It gains variable high-pass filters — from 0 to 200Hz — at the detector stage to improve the behaviour of each limiter channel. It uses audio summing for stereo linking and the stereo link is continuously variable from 0 to 100%, allowing the limiter channels to be tied together to a greater or lesser extent. www.transaudiogroup.com

M-380 48-Channels of Rackmountable REAC Power

The powerful new M-380 V-Mixer packs all the flexibility of widely-accepted REAC based V-Mixing systems into a 19” rack. It also offers a total 24-bit audio solution, including, 48 channels of mixing with classic onboard FX, GEQ, Matrix, DCA, LCR plus a choice of Digital Snakes as well as personal mixing and multi-channel recording via Cakewalk Sonar. Better still, the M-380 delivers this market-leading power and flexibility at a price that will surprise you.www.rolandsg.co.uk or call 01792 702701

M-400 V-Mixer

M-48 Personal Monitor

S-0816 / Cat5E / S-1608

S-4000 Digital Snake

REAC : Capture, Distribute, Mix and Record pristine 24-bit Multi-channel Audio over Cat5e and Fibre

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 14

resolution

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:11

GEAR

The Crescendo from Stagetec targets customers in broadcast and live venues seeking an easy to operate and flexible desk for demanding tasks. It fits between Stagetec’s flagship Aurus and the small Auratus. Crescendo has a freely configurable bus layout with a maximum of 128 buses — up to 96 of these can be used as aux buses. In fully expanded form with seven DSP boards, the console provides a signal-processing capacity of 300 true audio channels -– the same maximum DSP-power as the large Aurus offers. Crescendo has 48 channel strips with visual feedback by bright and switchable TFT screens and OLEDs. Software highlights include Aux-to-fader, or mix-minus-to-fader, functionality; Auto-solo automatically routes the selected aux channel to the monitor if Aux-to-fader is enabled. A ‘store-snapshot’ feature allows the user’s personal console configuration to be stored. Just as with Aurus, all audio-processing and optical-interface components are accommodated in a Nexus Star central router that serves as an audio-routing matrix and provides a maximum matrix size of 65536 I-Os with a capacity of 4096 inputs routed to all available outputs simultaneously. The Omux is an automatic optical multiplexer for the Nexus that is available in two different versions. The smaller variant is a plug-in board designed to be installed in a Nexus Base Device and provides routing to one of four possible Nexus network segments. The bigger, standalone, 19-inch rack Omux is aimed at large-scale Nexus audio networks and includes four separate optical multiplexers, each of which is capable of routing one optical line to one of four individual segments. Stagetec has enhanced the Dolby E capabilities of Nexus. After the launch of the Dolby E decoder board last year there is now the XDEE (NeXus Dolby E Encoder). www.stagetec.com

UA EMT 250

Royer SF-24V ships

Royer Labs is shipping the SF-24V vacuum tube stereo ribbon mic. Like its sibling, the SF-24 stereo active ribbon mic, but with greater headroom and faster transient response, the SF-24V’s stereo pickup is said to be well suited to miking large ensembles or sections. The SF-24V is a single point stereo ribbon mic with two coincident ribbon Universal Audio’s EMT 250 classic electronic reverberator elements fixed at 45 degrees left and powered plug-in for the UAD-2 DSP Accelerator Cards right of centre for Blumlein X-Y and M-S is modelled from Allen Sides’ EMT 250 ‘golden unit’ recording. The SF-24V’s 7-conductor at Ocean Way Recording in conjunction with EMT 250 cable plugs directly into the power supply, which has two designer Dr Barry Blesser. It is fully endorsed by EMT 3-pin male XLR output connectors labelled outputs 1 and 2 ResolutionGmbH. Sean Ad 26/03/09 11:37 Side 1 for the mic’s upper and lower capsules. Studiotechnik www.uaudio.com www.royerlabs.com

sound engineering

INSPIRED BY CLASSIC VALVE TECHNOLOGY ...hear the difference

Photo: Rebecca Cresta

Crescendo desk

Three-way DSP 8260A The three-way DSP 8260A from Genelec integrates MDC Minimum Diffraction Coaxial Mid/High driver technology with a sophisticated enclosure design. The coaxial driver design provides accurate imaging and improved sound quality on and off the acoustical axis. The 8260A combines, for the first time, a coaxial driver with a modern waveguide (DCW). As a new member of the 8200 Series, the 8260A features Genelec DSP signal processing responsible for all loudspeaker functions, such as the crossover filters, driver equalisers, driver position alignment, room response alignment, calibration, and equalisation related filters as well as distance compensating delays. The Genelec Loudspeaker Manager software manages all these functions allowing the 8260A to be used together with other 8200 Series DSP monitors and 7200 Series subwoofers in the same setup. Genelec’s AutoCal fully automated room calibration and sound system alignment method provides consistent and accurate frequency response for a multichannel audio system in widely varying room environments. www.genelec.com

October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 15

SEAN GENOCKEY Producer | Baddies, Tom McRae, Reuben, Manic Street Preachers, Suede using the SSA 2B I've been achieving results “ Since I only thought possible on a large format console. The sound is pristine, with top and bottom end that goes on forever and the imaging is wider than the Grand Canyon. Not only does it sound excellent, the recalls are 100% accurate every time.

”

TUBE-TECH VALVE QUALITY FOR SOUND LOVERS

LYDKRAFT

SSA 2B Summing Amp

NEW WEBSITE: WWW.TUBE-TECH.COM

resolution

29/09/2009 10:11

GEAR

Tascam player update

Blue live mics

Saffire PRO 24 DSP

Blue Microphones’ Encore 100, 200, and 300 mics are designed and priced for live applications. All have Aria capsules with thick steel grills and an oversized reinforcement ring. Adding to the ruggedness are heavy, A new version of Tascam’s best selling CD player combines machined cast-zinc bodies. integrated iPod dock, control and audio/video output with The Encore 100 is a file based and conventional CD. The CD-200i also has front dynamic, while the 200 panel line level phono inputs for connection and playback adds Blue’s Active Dynamic of an external signal source via its outputs. c i rc u i t r y a n d o u t p u t The player supersedes the CD-200 and features transformer. The 300 is the unbalanced phono analogue and optical and coaxial digital flagship of the series and has an Aria condenser audio outputs with S-video and composite video outputs capsule with a matched preamp and phantom #24487 - CDR882 Ad 28/10/08 10:43 Page 1power circuit and a tuned enclosure. for iPod playback. www.tascam.co.uk www.bluemic.com

With genuine dual drive recording, the featurepacked new HHB CDR-882 DualBurn delivers twice the performance in the most demanding live and studio CD record/replay applications. And unlike consumer-derived technology, the CDR-882 is designed from the ground up with a massive steel chassis, robust IDE CD-R drives and audiophile circuitry to ensure uncompromised sound quality and long-term dependability.

• DiscSpan seamless recording across 2 or more discs • DualBurn simultaneous recording on 2 discs • High speed disc duplication • Industrial strength design and build quality • Professional cueing and seamless track increments CDR-882 DualBurn: The ultimate CD recorder. Find out more at www.hhb.co.uk

HHB Communications Ltd T: +44 (0)20 8962 5000 E: sales@hhb.co.uk In the USA and Latin America: Sennheiser Electronic Corporation T: 860 434 9190 E: HHBSales@sennheiserusa.com In Canada: HHB Communications Canada Ltd T: 416 867 9000 E: sales@hhbcanada.com

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 16

resolution

Focusrite’s Saffire PRO 24 DSP is a 16 in/8 out FireWire audio interface that has real-time DSP-powered tracking and mixing. Alongside DSP-powered compression and EQ for latency-free tracking, there’s also a ‘Comfort’ Reverb and Focusrite’s patented VRM (Virtual Reference Monitoring) technology that emulates different acoustic environments, different speakers and different listening positions all through headphones. It has two Focusrite preamps and all DSP-based processing and effects are derived from the Focusrite Plug-in Suite (also included as VST/AU plug-ins) and are integrated within the Saffire Mix Control software. I-O options include two additional analogue inputs, six analogue outputs, ADAT inputs (for expanding the interface with, for example, Focusrite’s OctoPre), stereo SPDIF I-O and two virtual ‘loopback’ inputs for routing digital audio between software applications. There’s also five-LED metering.

OctoPre MkII features eight channels of Focusrite preamp and a built-in 24-bit/96kHz ADAT output. It is said to be suited to the live environment as a quality preamp expansion for analogue or digital consoles or hard disk recorders. With line outputs on every channel, each mic pre can be routed to a separate channel on an analogue mixer with the ADAT output left free to send a copy to a digital recorder. OctoPre MkII’s first two channels also feature DIs. The Saffire 6 USB is Focusrite’s m o s t affordable a u d i o interfaces to date. It has two preamps, two balanced TRS outputs and four RCA phono outputs. www.focusrite.com

SADiE 6 SADiE 6 software allows you to work on any Windows computer using a soundcard, the computer’s built-in sound card, or to use SADiE Series 5 hardware solutions. SADiE 6 is available in specific product configurations tailored to certain roles with editions for Radio Producer, Post Suite, Mastering Suite, Multitrack Recorder, and Sound Suite. SADiE 6 provides a platform that will deliver new and improved capabilities as user requirements evolve, according to the company, including changes to the philosophy of the automation system and improved and updated capability to support third-party plug-ins. Solutions using the new software fall broadly into two categories: live multitrack recording and studio/mastering solutions. Live multitrack recording solutions are branded SADiE 6 LiVE and are essentially hardware multitrack recorders consisting of a SADiE hardware unit and dedicated multitrack recorder software. The full SADiE software and modules can be added, turning these into full editing systems. www.sadie.com

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:11

GEAR

Networkable Oratis The new feature of the Delec Oratis is the complete networkability of all its components using managed Gigabit Ethernet. Even existing networks can be used as the basis for a new Oratis installation. The intercom line subscriber units have been redeveloped from scratch. They feature special displays showing full text messages in all languages. The backbone of each Oratis system is a matrix frame — a fully summing audio router e q u i p p e d a c c o rd i n g t o customer requirements. In comparison to its predecessor, the new Oratis offers double the packing density — in a height of 4u a single matrix frame can provide up to 120 subscriber-unit ports, support up to 12 commentary terminals, or offer a combination of both. For larger systems, matrix frames can be networked, so campuswide installations can be realised. www.delec.de

Headmaster amp

New PolyWire

The DACS Clarity Headmaster is a D-A convertor, monitor controller and headphone amplifier that combines Crookwood D-A conversion, monitoring control and a DACS headphone amplifier. The unit has four inputs: AES-EBU, SPDIF, balanced analogue and unbalanced analogue. Outputs include two headphone outputs and two selectable monitor outputs. The headphones and monitor outputs have independent volume control and are fitted with conductive plastic pots. www.dacs-audio.com

The new-generation of Klotz PolyWire studio connection and installation cable uses cross-linked polyethylene conductor insulation, which largely eliminates shrinking during the soldering process and prevents any danger of short-circuiting in wires that might be exposed to the soldering temperature. The cable’s special PVC material combines ruggedness with flexibility and lies flat without kinking when laid out or installed. The 0.22mm² conductor cross-section and low capacitance of 95pF/m ensure good audio characteristics. Numbered pair jackets simplify cable assembly. www.klotz-ais.com

www.neumann.com

Linear Acoustic Lambda

Linear Acoustic’s Lambda professional digital audio and metadata monitor is described as a complete package for highly accurate digital audio and metadata monitoring throughout the entire broadcast chain. The base model includes AES and HD/SD-SDI inputs, ITU-R BS.1770 loudness measurement, and an acoustically tuned speaker system with digital crossovers and bi-amplification, full-time 2-channel LtRt or LoRo downmix via AES and balanced analogue outputs, AES outputs of decoded and/or de-embedded audio channels, and a front panel headphone output. Options include Dolby Digital (AC-3)/Dolby E decoding, DVB-ASI input, and dual power supplies. Presets can be created, saved and recalled for different monitoring tasks and the display features metering of eight audio channels plus numeric loudness and metadata indication. www.linearacoustic.com

D&M Pro releases

D&M Professional has launched the DN-V500BD blu-ray disc player, the DN-F Series of solid state audio players (DNF300, DN-F400 and RC-F400), the DN-S700 CD/MP3 player, DN-HC5000 and HC1000S media controllers, DN-HP500 headphones and DN-X1700 digital mixer. The DN-V500BD is said to be the first blu-ray player for professional applications and has RS232 control. The DN-F300 player can use SD cards or connect via USB to devices such as an HDD, pen drive or iPod. There are two mic inputs for paging, an IR receiver for remote control access to volume and pitch control, as well as cue, instant start, pitch control, pitch bend and tempo lock. The DN-F400 is a simple solid state audio player running an SD card. Playback modes are set on rear panel switches, front panel control buttons can be locked, and there are external remote control options available and a ‘hotstart’ RC-F400S remote control that buffers audio in an internal memory. www.dm-pro.eu

October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 17

The new TLM 102

Smart. Sweet. Powerful. Georg Neumann GmbH • Ollenhauerstraße 98 • 13403 Berlin • Germany

Neumann_TLM102_Cupcake_210x287.indd 1

resolution

21.09.2009 12:07:40

29/09/2009 10:12

GEAR

SPS200 Zephyx SoundField has a new version of its SPS200 compact microphone. The SPS200 Zephyx Kit includes a specially manufactured SPS200-SB (Short Body) mic that comes as standard fitted into the supplied Zephyx suspension mount. The SPS200 Zephyx kit includes a Zephyx mount and windshield system to house the SPS200-SB mic, comprising a lightweight ‘floating cage’ assembly that mechanically decouples the microphone from the supporting boom pole or stand, and virtually eliminates vibration or handling noise. To further improve mechanical isolation, the SPS200-SB is fitted with a 28cm ‘flying lead’ that acts as an antivibration cable inside the Zephyx floating cage. Also supplied with the kit is a 5m mic cable terminating in four male XLRs, and a Zephyx ‘hat box’ style carry case. www.soundfield.com

Narrow Band dual-channel wireless intercom The Telex RadioCom BTR-80N Narrow Band wireless intercom system offers 25kHz of modulated bandwidth. The Narrow Band system inherits all the standard features of the BTR-800 system, including DSP digital processing and Intelligent Power Control. BTR80N offers up to four full duplex wireless TR-80N or TR-82N beltpacks per base station. An unlimited number of additional beltpacks can be added in half duplex operation. Additional features include selectable transmitter power output, selectable receiver squelch control, RF meter display on base station and beltpack displays, remote battery indicators on base station display, low battery tone indicator on beltpack, and AC or DC power input on base station. www.boschcommunications.com

Optocore SANE for broadcast SANE (Synchronous Audio Network plus Ethernet) from Optocore introduces a new digital audio networking protocol and claims significant cost savings. Using ring network topology, SANE claims to offer the first fully-synchronous Cat5 network solution for streaming uninterrupted media in real time. The new low-cost, high-efficiency system is based on Optocore technology and has evolved from the company’s A-D/D-A X6R and V3R convertors launched earlier this year. These offer split AES-EBU ports, sample rate conversion up to 192kHz, and five different card options. SANE transports open standards such as AES-EBU, MADI and Ethernet in full size. This provides flexibility for customers and other manufacturers since it offers a choice between X6R-FX/V3R-FX fibre versions, containing Optocore ports (for fibre), SANE ports (Cat5/RJ45) and X6R-TP/V3R-TP (Cat5 twisted pair alternatives), making the patented SANE ring network system scalable. For broadcast, SANE offers synchronous and redundant transport of audio and Ethernet; 64 channels of digital audio with 24 nodes per network; latency of 41.6µs and ultra low jitter Word clock distribution, and 100m distance from point to point. www.optocore.com

Safe Sound P501 Safe Sound Audio has entered the 500 Series module market with the P501 processor offering mic/line/DI inputs, Peakride tracking compressor, and a variable attack limiter. The Peakride compressor uses three linked sidechains each with different ratio, attack, and release characteristics. The inclusion of auto gain make-up allows you to increase gain reduction without having to constantly readjust output level. The switchable fast limiter offers dynamic adjustment of attack time, so the faster the audio front edge, the faster the limiter reacts. Alongside the compressor/limiter is a wideband 60kHz high gain mic amp partnered with a front jack balanced line input, which is relay switchable to become a high impedance DI input. A switchable 18dB/ octave high-pass filter is included. The balanced output will drive +22dBu into 600ohms with a ±15dB of output gain control available. www.safesoundaudio.com

JBL monitor system controller JBL Professional’s MSC1 monitor system controller integrates monitor system control and tuneability and includes features found in mixing consoles to control monitoring functions from the mix position. It includes JBL’s RMC Room Mode Correction Technology that tunes the monitor system to overcome low frequency problems. The MSC1 works with any speaker system but serves as a suitable add-on to JBL’s new LSR2300 monitors. The MSC1 can monitor three 2-channel input sources while controlling the volume of the monitor system and connected headphones. It allows for two sets of speakers and a subwoofer. The primary A speaker outputs include user-defined monitor EQ and JBL RMC to tune the system to the room. The subwoofer output has its own level control, selectable crossover settings and RMC to blend a sub with the A speakers. The B speaker outputs allow connection of a second set of monitors. www.jblpro.com/msc1

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 18

resolution

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:12

GEAR

Waves Kramer Collection The Waves Eddie Kramer Collection contains five application-specific plugins with dedicated tools for guitar, drums, vocals, bass and effects and is the result of collaboration between Waves’ R&D team and producer/engineer Eddie Kramer. The Collection has a retro-modern look and all the plug-ins have complete processing chains with 24-bit/96kHz resolution, RTAS, Audio Suite, VST and AU support, and compatibility with PC and Mac. The Vocal Channel has vocal ‘Types’ for rock and gentler vocal performances while the Drum Channel has individual ‘modes’ for bass drums, snares, and so on. The Bass Channel has two bass ‘Types’ and the Guitar Channel has settings for lead guitars and two types of rhythm guitar. The Effects Channel is said to recreate some of the basic elements that Kramer uses whenever he mixes and includes two types of delay: H-Slap is shorter that emulates tape at 15ips with some EMT plate at a medium setting; Z-Slap is longer at 7.5ips with a bit of feedback and a longer setting on the plate. www.waves.com

FOCUS.

Apogee ONE and GiO ONE from Apogee is a single input, stereo output USB music interface designed to work with Apple’s iTunes, GarageBand, Logic, Final Cut or any Core Audio compliant application on Mac. It has an internal condenser microphone for capturing ‘musical moments’ and also includes a microphone preamp, an instrument input and a stereo output for headphones or powered monitors. GiO is an audio interface and foot controller for the Mac, designed to work with Logic Studio and GarageBand ’09. Powered by USB and built into an aluminium case, GiO gives guitar players hands-free control over recording and new features in Logic Studio, including Amp Designer, Pedalboard, MainStage 2, Playback and Loopback. GiO’s instrument input is specially designed for guitar while its five transport control buttons let guitar players record, play, stop and navigate through a project without taking their hands off the instrument. www.apogeedigital.com

Neumann digital shotgun Neumann has expanded its digital line-up specifically for ENG/broadcasting applications with the digital shotgun mic KMR 81 D and a capsule head with a fig-8 directional characteristic (KK 120) from the Neumann digital miniature microphone series. Use of these in combination permits digital MS stereo recordings to be made. There are also new accessories to go with the package. www.neumann.com

Soundcraft Si1 digital The Si1 desk has a compact footprint of 1200mm width and as standard has 32 mic inputs mapped to 16 faders, with four dedicated stereo line channels, and four dedicated FX returns from four stereo Lexicon effects processors for a total mix of 48 inputs. Eight balanced insert sends and returns are provided, along with the same bus structure as the Si2 and Si3 of 24 group/aux buses, eight matrix buses plus monitor talkback and main bus outputs. Every bus has a 30-band BSS Audio graphic EQ permanently patched in and three option card slots are provided for further expansion. Like the Si3 and Si2, the Si1 uses a combination of rotary encoders and OLED screens on every channel. Using the centre section and channel encoders, it is possible to monitor and control input EQ, input dynamics and output EQ. Soundcraft has a new range of small multipurpose mixers, some with integral digital FX, bearing the Notepad name. The Notepad 102, 124 and 124 FX models incorporate GB30 mic preamp and EQ technology. The 124 has four mono mic/line inputs while the 102 has two mono mic/line inputs. All models have four stereo line inputs. www.soundcraft.com

Focus on one thing, and only one thing long enough, and you’ll master it. That’s our philosophy at KRK. We don’t make PA gear, mixers or motorcycles. Rather our focus has always been to make the most accurate studio monitors available at any price. Our singular passion is about sound and the tools you need to deliver a great mix. So when you use a VXT powered monitor, you can be confident that you get the most accurate reproduction of your mix. VXT’s diffracton-limiting curved surfaces, silk-domed tweeter, seamless crossover, and KRK’s trademark yellow Kevlar woofer bring superior audio imaging, outstanding transient response, and amazing detail. For over 20 years, KRK has focused on the art of recording monitors. When you hear your music through a pair of VXT 4, 6 or 8” monitors, you’ll understand our passion, our craft, our focus...and your mix.

Our Focus, Your Mix. For more information visit www.krksys.com

October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 19

29/09/2009 10:12

REVIEW

Calrec Apollo Apollo is this broadcast desk manufacturer’s flagship product and offers enormous power harnessed through a new controller. ZENON SCHOEPE says that there is a lot of significant stuff going on beneath the surface.

he recent release of Artemis as the second family member in Calrec’s next generation of broadcast production consoles might have deflected some of the attention from the release of its new flagship Apollo model earlier in the year were it not for the fact that Apollo is so clearly the technological statement of intent product. Calrec was first to market, by quite some time, with a large-scale FPGA product and is now talking about it more openly probably because it now has more company. It has arrived at Apollo in a manner that is extremely considerate to its existing user base and Calrec is clearly more interested in bringing them along incrementally rather than alienating them with some heartless technological jump. It’s an approach that other manufacturers could learn from. Apollo is the result of developments in the key areas of the processing, networking and the control surface at the manufacturer. The processing engine is based on the same Bluefin technology that the Alpha generation products used but in Bluefin2 guise is bigger (apparently they now use five larger FPGA chips rather than the Alpha’s six) and faster. The desk has automatic hot-swap redundancy systems in DSP, control processor, router, power supplies, and connections. Another difference between the Alpha and Apollo is the I-O system. Alpha used the console backplane as part of the routing system whereas with the Apollo they are employing Hydra2 networking for all the I-O. The practical difference is significant and puts Calrec in a position where it is now effectively a supplier of standalone routing; something that remains an essential for large broadcast infrastructure planning. These 8192 x 8192 crosspoint routers that available in each desk can have access to a variety of I-O including analogue, AES, MADI, SDI, and Dolby E formats. Together they can create massive desk networks using copper or fibre connectivity and the original Hydra system can be integrated with Hydra2 via a bridge. Not unrelated is the fact that Calrec has begun working with other companies. Control of Riedel intercoms has been implemented into the Apollo

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 20

desk surface and Hydra2 now also talks to Riedel’s MediorNet networking system. The Apollo impresses from a number of different vantage points (let’s not forget that the Alpha Bluefin was no slouch) but what really stuns are the numbers: at 48kHz that’s 1020 channel processing paths, 128 programme buses, 96 IFB/track outputs and 48 auxiliaries; at 96kHz it’s 510 channel processing paths, 64 programme buses, 48 IFB/track outputs and 24 auxiliaries. The high density 5.1 source world of big broadcast productions is unlikely to even begin to tickle the limits of this desk for a good many years to come even at 96kHz. With that said we could just stop the article here and reflect quietly and privately for a while on the full implications of all that power. However, as we all

resolution

know the business of useability is of primary concern in any system that interfaces with homo sapiens. What we have to remember is that Bluefin was introduced originally as a massive processing upgrade to existing Alpha consoles. You could buy a new Alpha with a Bluefin or you could upgrade your existing desk. When Calrec introduced Alpha, quite a few years ago now, its customers were transitioning from analogue to digital and Calrec very cautiously introduced two-layer operation to the desk surface. By the time you’d slapped Bluefin with its tremendous channel count capacity on the back you had to have a pretty big Alpha control surface to get at all those available channels. The worksurface size became the limitation, not the back end; and this was apparent. With the Apollo control surface they’ve really gone for it because the operators are ready for it and their job descriptions and workloads have moved on a bit too. Apollo acknowledges this and employs technology that the company hasn’t used before. Apparently the physical size, spread and pitch of the Apollo is very similar to the Alpha but it uses OLEDs that are small and quite beautiful and some new switch and knob gear. Operation centres around the principle that if a display has a physical switch associated with it then that’s what you should use, otherwise it’s a touchscreen. It is not immediately obvious when you’re sitting in front of the desk, because of the varied layout and representations on the many screens, but the majority of the surface is actually built up out of small panel blocks of two pots, two switches and a small display (Calrec calls these a Control Cell). These are supplemented by small screens with two switches above and below them and small screens that are subdivided horizontally to give two distinct areas. At the top of the panel are large touchscreens. Down in the fader panel you get traditional switches and control options along with another display, some metering and a fader strip that lights in a colour that identifies the fader as mono, stereo, 5.1, group, mains, and so on. The worksurface geography is very fader strip oriented and as such you get eight pots per fader when looked at in the vertical sense. However, that’s not the only way you can run the Apollo as I am sure

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:12

REVIEW you might have suspected by now. Operationally you can regard it as working in two fundamental modes: the Alpha mode (after the Alpha console) as an assignable arrangement in which you are presented with a super fat channel of all a selected channel’s processing; and then there’s a Wild mode that is more strip, or analogue knob-per-function, oriented. In Alpha mode you use Mode buttons to map controls on to the panels so you have a panel for the EQ, one for the dynamics and so on — big display depictions with hard controls below. It looks nice and clear despite the wealth of information and there’s great colour co-ordination carried throughout. I think that a hardened Alpha user would be flying in seconds. Wild Mode is a sort of ‘make it up as you go along; mode in as much as you can choose what it is that you see and have access to on the fader strips while at the same time being able to effectively scroll up the fader strip on these controls. This can be applied in bays of eight or globally. A nice touch is the inclusion of User Layout switches that can take you to your Assignable layout or your Wild layout. What I don’t want to do is give the impression that the desk is fixed to work in just these two distinct modes because you can mix the two approaches. You can effectively ‘crossfade’ operationally between the two modes adding degrees of assignable control to a Wild layout and vice versa; it can be a hybrid. You can fix some fat channel sections on to the worksurface and surround them with Wild controls. It’s the reason this is such a hard desk to talk about from an operational sense despite the fact that it’s extremely easy to use. It’s easy to use because of the unambiguous nature of the ‘routines’ used to drive the desk: the way one section of buttons controls what happens in the bay or globally; how the control cell pots and switches always relate to the parameters in the display in the same way; the importance of colour. I really like the knobs and the way the caps change colour according to their function — EQ is aquamarine, aux is green, dynamics is pink, pan red, track send is dark blue, for example. The knob colour changes are achieved by using a multicoloured LED shining up the stem of the pot on to a translucent cap. Simple but brilliant. You can press and hold a pot to zero its value. I also like the on-screen icon depictions of the various parameters — simply stunning. Truly worth mentioning is the tonal/brightness balance of

October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 21

the worksurface. Many controllers suffer from dim screen, super bright button and medium bright pot syndrome, which I believe contributes to operator fatigue. The Apollo achieves an apparently consistent degree of brightness across its many varied controller types even under unsympathetic lighting conditions. It might seem like a strange thing to say but when you sit at the desk the controls actually seem ‘real’ as opposed to virtual or soft. It feels like you’re actually turning something up or down when you turn a pot rather than incrementing some remote parameter somewhere over there in a rack. It feels immediate and not all controllers feel this good. Calrec has retained many of the great features of the Alpha like the routing where you can select an output and ask the desk to show you what is routed to it by flashing the channels. You can use this for checking or for adding to the routing. And they’ve included the Spill panel, which when selected gives you immediate hands-on four fader control of the constituent parts of a 5.1 source. This is essential for all sorts of reasons and it’s still the most elegant implementation I have seen particularly when it comes to EQing or changing dynamics on the selected legs. You’ll notice a monitor display on an arm in the picture and this is used for such things as Snapshot creation and project file management. The display is treated by the system as just another control panel. As already mentioned, things have moved on since the introduction of the Alpha worksurface as far as layers go. Apollo carries over the principle of A and B layers with the same colour-coding as Alpha -– green fader screen is the A layer, yellow is the B layer –- and there are global A and B selectors in every panel. However, Apollo goes deeper and gives you six A and

resolution

B layers and another six on a Bank switch. That’s 12 A and Bs or a total of 24 different layers depending on how you choose to count them. Predictably, they’ve thought about locking faders out of layer selections and fixing or cloning faders into the same position regardless of the layer selected. Significantly there are three AFL/PFL monitoring systems because you can split the worksurface for three operators each of which will have exclusive access to their own layers and various other functions. This is significant. You could theoretically run an Apollo from the minimum of one bay of eight faders while the maximum fader count that has crossed Calrec’s mind is 320. Combine this with the operator splits, the Hydra2 distributed networking and routing and you very quickly arrive at the scenario of, say, three separate control surfaces working in different locations from the same engine. Add in the fact that dynamic automation is being looked at and you can see all sorts of new market potential for this technology. The price is stated as being ‘Alpha money’ but, of course, you’re getting an awful lot more of desk, processing, power and flexibility for that money. It is a phenomenal product that succeeds on a number of different levels but ultimately it is the work surface that is the decider. It’s fabulously simple yet configurable enough for an operator to make it their own. Existing Calrec drivers will adapt quickly but there is no doubt that culturally, from an operational sense, it is a different proposition to users coming from other brand products. That’s always the way though. To me, Apollo shows just how much we have all moved on in terms of expectation and acceptance in the time since the Alpha was originally launched. Apollo encapsulates our progress. It is a different world now and it needs different tools. Apollo is right on the money in my opinion and it has longevity built-in. n

PROS

Worksurface presentation and visual feedback; hybrid operation mode; frighteningly powerful processing and huge channel count; those knobs.

CONS

It will be a culture shock for those approaching from a different worksurface.

Contact calrec, uk: Website: www.calrec.com

29/09/2009 10:12

REViEW

Fostex LR16 It’s rare to encounter a product these days that truly adheres to the ‘less is more’ ideology. ROB JAMES is delighted with this ‘live recording mixer’ and says it has masses of mass appeal.

Mix and immortalise

Each of the 16 input strips has Mic/Line inputs with digitally controlled analogue gain trim, 12dB/ocatave 80Hz low cut filter switch and fixed limiter. A peak LED lights to indicate overload. A Source button switches between external Input and Track output. Equalisation is post fader with fixed frequency high and low shelves at 12kHz and 80Hz respectively, and a 100Hz-8kHz peaking mid. All bands offer up to 18dB of boost or cut. Aux 1 is switchable pre or post fader, Aux 2 is pre fader, and Aux 3 is post fader. The Effects send is post fader. Last knob is the pan control with the Mute button below. Stereo, Bus 1-2, Bus 3-4 and solo buttons are to the right of the 60mm throw fader. All the buttons are positive in action, the faders are smooth and the serried ranks of knobs are quite tall which aids access in a compact surface. To the right of the inputs, the master section has four bus master faders with Assign to Stereo out L&R buttons above, and the stereo output fader has the output limiter switch above it. Moving up the panel, the next row has Monitor output volume, Effects bus send level and Solo button. Above are the three Effects bus sends with individual Solo buttons. Next row has three Effects To Aux send pots and the next has two Effect to Group pots for buses 1-2 and 3-4 and the Effect to Stereo bus control. The three Transport Control buttons are well chosen for recording with the main unit at a distance, New Record Project/Record, Stop and Play. New Record Project creates a new project so long as at least one track is record armed and begins the recording. Stop does what it says and locates to the beginning of the current project. Play, unsurprisingly plays the current project. In the monitor section a single button cycles though Effect Return, Stereo, Groups 1-2 and Groups 3-4 with an LED for each and the global Solo indicator adjacent. Twelve-segment LED bargraph meters follow the selected monitor output. Individual ¼-inch jacks feed the local LR monitors and a stereo ¼-inch jack with level pot deals with headphones. Effects are basic but useful. Up and Down buttons cycle though a choice of 12, each with its own indicator LED and a button turns the effect on or off. Phantom

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 22

hanks to the low cost and ubiquity of digital technology, manufacturers, goaded on by marketing departments, can load their products with stuff you’re never going to use in a million years in the real world. One reasonable definition of a professional product is something that does a lot less than its consumer equivalent but costs a lot more. Audio mixers and recorders make good examples. Even the cheapest digital mixer or recorder is usually burdened with a raft of bells and whistles, useless to most users and only very rarely do you encounter a reasonably priced product that embodies the minimalist principle of ‘less is more’. A good number of applications require no-frills mixers and recorders at sensible prices. Add real versatility by enabling it to be used as a PA mixer and stage box as well and you have Fostex’s new UK£1349 (plus VAT) LR16. Presented as two rackmount units — a mixer control surface and a recorder/I-O interface — the first impression is that they are built like the proverbial outbuilding. Both are cased entirely in metal. Between them, they weigh a total of 13kg. Massive steel hoops are billed as ‘cable guides’ for the Cat5 connectors, but they will also make padlocking these desirable items as simple as possible. As a foretaste to the LR16’s versatility, the control surface’s removable rack ears can be used to integrate both units by relocating them to alternative screw holes and using the short Cat5 cable supplied for the connection. Thanks to the sloping front panel on the main unit this configuration leaves the display, Record arm buttons, transport controls and other buttons at a good angle. Alternatively, for PA use, the recorder/I-O box can be positioned up to

power is switched in blocks of eight inputs on the rear of the main unit with two LEDs indicating the current state on the control surface. Last but by no means least, there is pair of Sub input phono sockets for a local CD player, for example. The Sub Input goes to channels 15 and 16 by default, but can be assigned to any of the inputs via a menu on the main unit. Meanwhile the 3u main unit has 16 XLR/Jack combi sockets for the inputs, eight jacks for Y insert cables for channels 1-8, a further eight jacks for the three aux outs, effect send and group outs, Main stereo out on a pair of XLRs and also at -10dB on phonos. The MIDI out DIN sends MTC to an external device. USB Host accepts a FAT16 or FAT32 formatted memory stick for copying and transporting files. USB PC enables the internal hard drive to be mounted as a mass storage device on a PC or Mac. Small slide switches select phantom power in blocks of eight. There is also a small panel lock switch that prevents the main unit controls from operating — useful when using it as a stage box. A footswitch jack, the RJ-45 controller port, IEC mains in and a latching push switch complete the socketry. Around the front, the keys are internally illuminated. Sixteen individual track-arm and one stereo mix track-arms stretch in a row across the panel. The display is a little small and rather dingy regardless of what you do with the contrast control. However, it does contain everything you need, including vertical bargraphs for the 16 tracks and the stereo mix, time counter in Absolute or Time remaining, Project Number and Name, sample rate and bit depth, lock status of the current project, and panel lock indicator. Menu navigation is ridiculously simple with a rotary shaft encoder that also enters the menu system when pressed and doubles as the Enter key. Above this is the Exit/No key and to the right a block of 10 numeric keys. Clear is backspace when editing names and clears when editing time values. Memory Stop just stops playback in memory Play mode. Memory Setup opens the setup screen for Memory Play. The transport controls are big and friendly and up to 99 markers may be added to facilitate locating.

resolution

CMY

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:12

REViEW 50m away with a single Cat5 cable providing power, control, local audio monitoring/metering and a stereo, Sub In, input on the control surface. As you might guess from the name, this is a 16-channel device. You get 16 input channels, four mono groups and a stereo output. You can record all 16 channels from the prefader, preEQ direct outputs and a stereo mix, postfader and processing, simultaneously. I am delighted to note that the recorder has NO editing functions. This is a pure mixer/recorder and all the better for it. If you want to edit, then file transfer is simple and you can edit in the DAW of your choice, make a CD, etc. Two record modes further enhance the versatility. Default is to begin a new project every time Record is invoked. Alternatively, Insert mode allows destructive overdubbing and punch-ins on an existing Project. If you need a sound effects playback machine then the LR16 can help. Memory Play Mode enables up to 10 audio files to be assigned to the numeric keypad buttons for instant playback. LR16 has no exotic sample rates and is none the worse for that with 44.1 and 48kHz at 24-bit more than adequate for most purposes. There is no MP3 or other horrors although 16-bit recording is also available. In a unit at this price point the remote mixing control surface is priceless. No need for bulky and unreliable analogue or digital multicore snakes, keep the I-O where it belongs — over there. The control surface even has rudimentary transport controls, more than enough to record a show. And, thanks to sensible record signal sourcing, you can mix for PA without compromising the recording or thinking about it. The local monitoring outputs and selector enables you to check the things you need to check and the

Sub In means you can keep an external source, CD, iPod, Laptop, etc. adjacent to the control surface. Internal effects are basic but fine with a couple of halls and auditoria, a room, two plates, three vocal settings and mono, pan and short delays. There are no variable parameters so there’s a lot less to get screwed up by casual users. If you need something more sophisticated then there are inserts on the first eight channels and aux outs to incorporate outboard processors. Maximum Mic input gain is a little low at 60dB but this shouldn’t prove a problem with the kind of mics the LR16 is likely to be used with. High capacity hard disk drives are now ridiculously cheap so I cannot see why on earth Fostex has chosen to hobble the LR16 with a mere 80Gb drive. The FAT32 file format also means the 4Gb maximum file size limitation applies. On the other hand, the internal drive is easily mounted via USB2 on either PCs or Macs and you can also dump the contents onto a memory stick. Also slightly annoying is the fact that the only way to playback the recorded stereo mix is via the Memory Play function. It would have been nice to have this returned to the console as an alternative, like the Sub input. The only other gripe is the orange display which is a bit dingy by current standards. Notwithstanding these minor irritations, I love this device. It is by far the most focused and well executed machine I‘ve seen in ages. If I was walking into a strange place to do a small PA mix and/or recording I would be delighted to find an LR16.

The learning curve is almost non-existent. Anyone who has ever used a small analogue console or, indeed, an analogue recorder will be immediately at home. Fostex seems to have hit the nail squarely on the head with this one. For once, the digital revolution is making life easier instead of more difficult. It will also make an ideal teaching tool for newcomers. The only area that requires a little bit of concentration is project management. The effects are well chosen as are their parameters, the EQ is forgiving and the faders are smooth. Versatility with simplicity, everything about the LR16 seems designed to extract the best results with the least effort from anyone, experienced or not. If I had any excuse for doing so, I would buy one. n

PROS

Near perfect for the intended market; versatility with simplicity; robust

CONS

Display is a bit dingy; mic gain could be higher; 80Gb hard disk is a bit small.

Contact FOSTEX, JAPAN: Website: www.fostexinternational.com UK, SCV London: +44 208 418 0778

Disney Hall L.A.

The sound you can’t forget... Because you’ve always known it

Find great spaces to place your music

The M7 Sterero Reverb Processor www.bricasti.com Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 23

The M10 Remote Console 29/09/2009 10:12

REVIEW

SSL X-Desk Eagerly awaited and promising three-letter desk ownership to a new user set, the X-Desk is quite unlike any other product currently on the market. GEORGE SHILLING digs in for England.

o relation to Monty Python’s Ex-Parrot, nor Nissan’s X-Trail (a derivative of the N-Trail?), the X-Desk is perhaps an SSL for everyone. Although the price makes it easily the cheapest SSL mixer yet, some may be disappointed that there is no recall, no automation, no dynamic control, nor any EQ. But the X-Desk does boast SSL’s excellent SuperAnalogue circuitry, and it’s UK-built, so it should sound as good as a Duality. The feature list says 16-channel mixdown, although a more boastful advertiser might say 20 or 22 — SSL’s count fails to include two stereo returns and Mix Insert Returns can also be summed. Furthermore, cascading multiple X-Desks is possible (up to eight of them; you can do the maths…) The X-Desk is a compact yet robustly constructed unit. In the box was an installation guide but no operation manual. However, one appeared on the SSL website so I imagine it will now be included. The metal casing around the eight faders seems Spartan but has an industrial no-nonsense feel, and you get the impression it is built to last; it is in no way plasticky. Rack ears are provided for attachment to mount the X-Desk in 7u of rackspace. When set on a flat surface the front panel is raked and there is an enormous hidden recess at the back, with potentially injurious sheet metal edges. This area houses and protects the extensive and unconventional audio connectivity. There are an eyebrow-raising ten DB25 connectors here, arranged sideways. One of the main strengths of the X-Desk is that there are lots of inputs and outputs, with particular connections for hooking up X-Racks (using SSL’s proprietary DB25 wiring) and also for joining multiple X-Desks together. The latter and remaining DB25 connectors are wired using 24

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 24

the near-ubiquitous Tascam standard and these cover everything except for what SSL describes as Speaker Outputs — two pairs of female XLRs for the left and right of Main and Alt monitor outputs, selected from the master section on the front. The only downside of the comprehensive connection arrangements is that DB25s make a fully labelled patchbay rather more desirable, and although the X-Desk is eminently portable, quick ad-hoc setups are perhaps more difficult to arrange. All that remains here to mention is an IEC mains inlet with useful loop-hook arrangement to avoid it slipping out, and a large rocker switch that is in no danger of being accidentally knocked; it’s stiff to operate, and well hidden in this recess. Legending for all connections is on a stuck-on plastic sheet mounted underneath the top panel and this is not the easiest thing to read in situ, although if it’s in a rack and you can physically get behind it then this won’t be a problem. When on a desktop, it sits on four large rubber feet. The long travel Alps faders are light and undamped, a little plasticky and with a little vertical play, but gracefully smooth in operation. Above the faders is a black painted stripe, which I guess could be used with a white chinagraph as a scribble strip, but it’s not wide enough for a strip of masking tape so I stuck mine on across the bottom of the faders on the curved front edge. Above the faders are latching illuminating Cut and Solo buttons. The centre-detented pan pot is located just above — this and all other pots retain the reassuring stiffly damped feel of ‘grown up’ SSL desks. Above this are zigzagged pots for two mono FX Sends that each boast individual master level, global Pre switching and AFL Solo at the extreme top right of the mixer. Back on the channel strip, the next resolution

section is Cue Stereo, which features level and pan knobs, an individual Post switch (default is prefader) and an Alt button, which sources the signal from an additional alternative set of eight inputs (as opposed to the main channel inputs). Above this is a useful Channel Output Post button, governing whether the individual channel outputs come before or after the main fader. This is great for scenarios, such as enabling fixed recording level while you play with headphone or mix balances, or alternatively riding the faders ‘to tape’. At the top of the strip is a Line In trim pot with +/-20dB gain, and a centre detente at zero. Accompanying this is an Alt button with LED, Polarity reverse, Insert switch (a luxury at this price) and an LED that is tricoloured, showing signal present, peak and overload. The faint of heart can globally set the yellow and red to come on a few dBs lower with a power-up option. Across from the LED main stereo meters are master Cue level with AFL and the aforementioned FX Send masters, a Master section with rotary Master fader detented at zero (not great for fades), Cue to Mix button, Insert and an interesting Sum button. This merges the main mix with whatever is connected to the main insert return, opening up all sorts of possibilities, such as merging summing from any other summing mixer output. The two stereo returns have level and pan, buttons to route to Cue and Mix, a Mono button, and AFL. A front panel Headphone jack is provided with its own level control and a Cue to HP button. The headphone amp is adequate but I wasn’t entirely convinced that the audio quality was as good as at the main outs, although it’s fine for foldback. Also located here is a stereo mini jack ‘iJack’ input socket for iPod connection. In the monitoring section this is one of three sources — Mix and External stereo input being the other two, and here there is another Sum button for monitoring more than one of these simultaneously. Huge buttons are provided for Speaker Dim and Cut, and there is another for Talkback –- a mic is built in and has wonderfully severe limiting across it, although I was very disappointed that Talkback was only routed to the Cue mix circuit. Even when switching the FX Sends to Pre for an alternative headphone mix there is no way of getting talkback to those cans, so I think a trick was missed there — this makes talking to a second alternative headphone mix difficult to organise. I’d like to have accessed that bonkers limiter too! There is a knob for Dim level, and also, of course, a large monitor volume knob going up to the customary 11 value. An illuminated button is provided for Alt Speakers and there is also a Mono button. All controls in this area are very clear and well laid out, and apart from the lack of a proper master fader, this whole section is excellent. So how do eight faders become 16 channels at mixdown? As mentioned previously, each channel has a main input but also an Alt input. By depressing the Alt button in the Cue section on each channel, then routing Cue To Mix, both paths can access the mix bus, with the Alt signal level and pan controlled by the Cue settings. Alternatively, the Alt signal can be chosen as the channel’s main signal, thereby gaining access to the sends, channel input trim, and the Solo button. Solo is AFL in nature. In a permanent studio installation, the true flexibility of the X-Desk will only be realised by connecting all the rear panel DB25 connectors to a clearly labelled patchbay. This would give you access to the eight channel inputs, the eight channel outputs, the eight Alt inputs, Channel insert sends and returns, and centre section inputs and outputs October 2009

29/09/2009 10:12

REVIEW including inserts, FX and Cue sends and Returns inputs. The remaining connections are for X-Desk Link input, Link output, and an X-Rack expansion connection, and again this opens up enormous potential for an integrated system with huge numbers of inputs available using multiple input X-Rack modules, or a choice of SSL EQ and dynamics modules. Indeed, the channel layout is arranged in such a way that the modules in an X-Rack mounted above it will line up. Clever. The well-built X-Desk is something of a halfway house between a summing mixer and a fully featured console, and I cannot think of any competing unit that is similarly featured. The summing is audibly superb, clean and clear, with no apparent colouration, just sparkling clarity and plenty of headroom. But the X-Desk has a number of other useful tricks up its sleeve. The lack of recall may be a deal-breaker for some, but the concept is not that far removed from desks like the rather more expensive modular RND 5088. The advantages are perhaps more evident if you already own an X-Rack or two, or if you have a rack of preamps and you need a way of cleanly mixing them down, perhaps for live recordings, setting up a can balance, adding some effects, but not needing the ability to recall the setup. You probably own plenty of EQs and compressors as plug-ins, so perhaps

October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 25

these are less essential for this kind of mixer. For overdubbing you could monitor DAW output from a stereo return and use the faders, channel outputs, mix bus and sends for submixing and monitoring the mics or other sources. The X-Desk is so flexible that it is bound to find uses I haven’t thought of. The centre section alone makes an excellent monitor controller, and if you fancy a few more features than a typical summing box for not necessarily that much more money, the X-Desk looks extremely attractive. The only downside is that soon, every bedroom studio will be advertising that they have an SSL desk… n

resolution

PROS

20 (or more) inputs; SuperAnalogue audio quality; flexible connection options; solidly built; multiple desks can be cascaded; extensive X-Rack expansion possibilities; it’s an SSL!

CONS

No recall is the main drawback; not possible to route Talkback to FX Sends.

Contact ssl, uk: Website: www.solid-state-logic.com

29/09/2009 10:12

REVIEW

Neve Genesys Neve’s 88R flagship analogue console has been around since 2001, and while a wide range of outboard has benefited from this console’s technology, it has taken until relatively recently for Neve to distil this into a more affordable mid-range console. GEORGE SHILLING examines the Genesys.

he 88R’s designer Robin Porter was at the helm for the design of the Genesys, which is UK-built alongside its big brother. Porter has managed to cram plenty of functionality into this diminutive model, with many bases covered. Although less than two years since the launch, there has already been a slight update to some hardware aspects, and the software has inevitably been updated several times (leading to some slight confusion when an early manual didn’t quite correspond to the console in front of me!) Modular channels feature mostly analogue controls, but there is also a dedicated DAW control section at the centre. Available frame sizes are 16, 24, 32, 48 or even 64 channels wide. The smallest configuration would almost fit in a metre cube box (with just the end cheeks taking it slightly over a metre wide) while the 64-channel frame takes it to roughly 3m across. The small size is clearly attractive to project studio owners and room acoustics will undoubtedly suffer minimal disturbance. With all connections appearing on the rear of the unit, and with an internal PSU, the Genesys is easily set up and configured whether or not you decide to wire up a patchbay. Yet despite the small dimensions, there are plenty of ‘big console’ feature specs. Each

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 26

channel is a separate module, and the centre section includes a number of modular boards for relatively easy servicing. A high level of customer configuration is possible at the ordering stage, with the philosophy being that savings can be made by omitting sections that won’t be needed. The brain of the Genesys comprises an onboard PC ‘cassette’, this operates a number of features, and an external screen is required for basic operations such as rebooting, as well as more advanced and optional features and functions.

resolution

Encore Plus automation is an option, which controls channel and monitor mute and fader. However, the monitor fader is a rotary pot, so moves must be written with the faders flipped, then you switch to ‘Aut’ mode on a per-channel basis to enable playback of moves and disable the pot. Most switches are soft while most knobs are traditional analogue pots but, with the optional Recall module, fairly quick resetting is possible in the traditional manner of matching knob positions to the on-screen display, while all switches reset themselves upon recall. Many of the knobs incorporate a pushfunction button, saving space on the strip. The basic console includes inline channel strips featuring 88R-type mic preamps, separate DAW monitor path, and a bunch of aux sends with eight routing buses going to a stereo main bus — routing is also software controlled. Surround is also catered for with two external 5.1 inputs as well as two stereos, and there is a Downmix monitoring status for collapsing 5.1 into stereo. A 5.1 mix mode uses six of the eight buses and you can set channels’ Auxes for 5.1 routing. A beautiful and impressive meterbridge sits at the back with wonderfully bright level meters, a comprehensive set of metering options, and LEDs for statuses such as routing and signal present/overload, with a wide range of thresholds for the last of these. Optional hardware cartridges slot into the rear of the console including 8-channel A-D/D-A cassettes, and 8-channel EQ and Dynamics cassettes, providing software controlled three-band 1084-type EQ, and 88R-style Dynamics. The centre section provides controls for these, with the outer ring of ‘dualconcentric’ on-screen knobs controlled by pushing down and turning the four encoder knobs in the centre section, with individual channels accessed using their easy to find yellow Select buttons, which are located on the lower part of the channel strip. At the top of the channel strip is the continuously rotating encoder knob for mic gain, described by Neve as a ‘Logicator’(Which is an AMS term. Ed). The inbuilt LEDs display the 11 discrete steps from +20 to +70dB for mic gain. Pushing this knob (which is cleverly designed to look like a big old 1960s/1970s Neve knob) apparently toggles through three modes. However, the mode labelled DAW is presently redundant, pending future implementation in software. The FNC (function) mode displays monitor fader automation level during playback using the LEDs. The microphone preamp is similar in design to that found on the 88R, and this gain knob is accompanied by the usual settings for phantom, phase and pad (20dB), plus a Hi-Z setting with an alternative mic impedance. Here there is also a useful fixed high-pass filter set at 90Hz. Sadly the optional ‘1084’ EQ omits the original 1084’s filters. There is a separate input for Line on the rear of the console, and all paths then go through a +/-15dB trim pot. Pressing this pot chooses between Mic, Line, DAW and Digital Input (if the digital board is fitted), with DAW input normally going to the monitor path. Generously, there are two fully balanced softswitchable insert points on each channel and, along with the EQ and Dynamics, the order of all four processes can be set using the software by tapping the buttons in the desired order after unlocking a hidden setup mode. You can interrogate the channel and the lights blink to show the order that has been set. Furthermore, all can be freely assigned to the channel or monitor path (in any order). Each channel features six or eight auxes depending on how you look at it — four individual mono sends and a section that can October 2009

29/09/2009 10:12

REVIEW select and control one of two stereo auxes. However, each of the five aux sections can also be sent to buses 7 and 8 via an adjacent button labelled 8T, for a number of possible uses. A remarkably flexible Direct Output section on each channel features a level fader (-infinity to +10dB) that toggles through six different possible options, including monitor or channel sourcing, pre or post processing and pre or post fader. The monitor fader pot is accompanied by a DAW Send/Return toggle, a pan pot, and a button labelled I/P 2. This merges a second input with the DAW. The Ch button sources the Channel input, toggling through Pre or Post fader (the LED changing colour to indicate the mode). Iso isolates Channel, Monitor or both from the Solo system, again indicated only by different LED colours. The Sel button is used for a number of functions. It calls EQ and Dynamics to the main screen, and also comes into play for setting 8T and mix routing, and setting automation modes. The 8T button is another multistate toggling function button, with modes for routing channel or monitor to the 8Ts, and a hybrid state for surround and group modes. Swp swaps the large and small fader and cut, and when automating swaps the data also. A ‘To Mon’ LED indicates when any of the Inserts, Dynamics or EQ are inserted on the monitor path. Four Reverb Returns each use a Logicator for level, a send to either or both Cues, Pan/Bal and Width knobs, an Iso button, a Mono button and an AFL solo. DAW control is via the HUI protocol and uses the eight faders at the centre section. These faders can also operate as 8T group masters. Four soft knobs operate HUI panning or auxes, four channels at a time. These are the same ones used for adjusting Genesys’s optional internal EQ and Dynamics sections. There is also a smart set of illuminating transport controls above the numeric keypad. There’s an on-screen routing matrix for quickly assigning multiple paths or destinations but alternatively you can use the channel Set button in combination with a bank of routing buttons in the centre section. Neve is keen to prove it is ‘down with da kidz’ and has implemented a mobile phone texting method of entering label names via the numeric keypad, the idea of which is to avoid having a Qwerty keyboard cluttering up the working area. In practice, I suspect that even keen texters will find it a bit fiddly, and will end up doing it the old fashioned way. All possible useful Solo functions are covered with a choice of Interlock, Momentary or Latching modes and there’s a handy reset button in the centre section. Disturbingly, in Settings screen mode on the computer I found that the talkback button didn’t operate. Indeed, according to the manual, in Master Sel mode (used for setting aux pre/post states, channel processing order, etc.) ‘the majority of the console’s audio functionality is blocked out,’ but this is probably to avoid clicks and splats. The Genesys I looked at featured Alps faders, with a fairly light feel. They are well spaced and pleasant to use. The HUI/Group faders are more closely spaced, but feel similarly smooth. As is traditional with Neve consoles there is a pan pot On button, with a 3dB centre; the main fader pan pot is rather inconveniently (for mixing) located near the top of the channel. Main mix inserts can use a mix setting for parallel compression and suchlike, using the Insert Mix Return level which crossfades between insert return and main mix. Clever. Headphone cue mixes are comprehensively catered for with two separate circuits. There is a handy headphone output on the front of the centre section with a beefy enough amp for most headphones and its own source select, so it can follow control room or October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 27

select an External or either Cue. Usefully, there is a comprehensive Oscillator section with full routing possibilities, and there is even a pink noise generator that can be routed to the loudspeakers. The main monitor volume is a lovely lightly-stepped pot with a level readout, and hidden monitoring-related push-functions. Unlike traditional consoles, the Genesys is not a desk that you could operate blind without a lot of help from a knowledgeable assistant — there are simply too many ‘hidden’ functions. A number of settings are indicated by different coloured LEDs with no visible clue as the what they mean. However, I’m sure that it wouldn’t take long to learn the necessary tricks and clues in a personal studio environment. So although there is certainly something of a learning curve involved, most owners would soon familiarise themselves with operation. Genesys is clearly targeted

at project studios or owner-operators and as such I am sure it will find many eager customers wanting a chunk of Neve greatness. n

PROS

Extraordinary routing and configuration flexibility; many customer options; comprehensive centre section; full recall possible; excellent meterbridge; automation of both channels and monitor paths (optional); HUI control.

CONS

Many functions not obvious so there is a learning curve; no EQ filters (except on the mic pre).

Contact AMS-Neve, uk: Website: www.ams-neve.com UK, KMR Audio: +44 208 445 2446

Mono, Stereo, 5.1 and Beyond... Th e S o u n d Fi e l d S P S 2 0 0 M i c r o p h o n e The new SoundField SPS200 ‘software controlled’ microphone generates mono, stereo, 5.1 and beyond and gives the user complete control over all microphone parameters within the audio workstation. Designed and built to the same exacting high standards as other SoundField models, the SPS200 is supplied with its own Surround Zone software for both Pro Tools ® HD and VST platforms. With a single SPS200 microphone and a laptop computer, world class surround and stereo recording has never been so easy.

NEW VERSION! SPS200SB ‘short body’ mic in Zephyx windshield incorporating a unique ‘floating cage’ to eliminate handling noise on location. W

tel: +44 (0) 1924 201089 • email: info@soundfield.com

resolution

29/09/2009 10:13

#2596

REViEW

Lexicon PCM96 Surround Following on from the PCM96 comes the PCM96 Surround. With enhanced I-O capabilities and new algorithms specifically designed for multichannel work, the surround variant will be a welcome addition for many users. JON THORNTON

he original PCM96 was, of course, the long awaited replacement for Lexicon’s venerable PCM80/81 and 90/91 series of multi-effects processors. With a vastly improved user interface, updates to the DSP and algorithms, and the ability to stream audio natively from a DAW to the device, it had much to recommend it when I first reviewed it (V7.7) — but also a number of niggles. So I was interested to see just how the surround variant had moved things on. In terms of interfacing, the PCM96 comes in two flavours. For those who will never move outside the digital domain there is a version with six channels of input and output arranged as AES3 pairs, terminating on XLR connectors. If analogue interfacing is required, another version is on hand with six channels of input and output in both analogue and digital (again AES-EBU) variants — this time available on DB25 connectors. Also on the rear panel are a pair of FireWire 400 ports, a pair of Ethernet ports, the usual trio of MIDI ports and a BNC connector for external Word clock input. The front panel is near identical to the standard PCM96, the only real difference being the inclusion of six small LED bargraph meters as opposed to two. Like the PCM96, the PCM96 Surround is built around a single dedicated DSP processor that can be divided as needed into a number of ‘virtual machines’ to host a particular preset. The biggest difference with the PCM Surround is the increase in the number of permutations of virtual machines and configurations on offer. As well as being able to cascade stereo or mono machines into each other, you can now run up two separate stereo machines or four separate mono machines with independent I-O — something that isn’t possible with the standard PCM96 in standalone mode. Of course, other configurations include a variety of multichannel modes, all of which grab all of the available processing into a single machine. I-O permutations include 2 in and 4 or 5 out, 4 in and 4 out, 5 in and 5 out, and 6 in and 6 out. To accommodate this surround I-O capability, the algorithms have also all been tweaked slightly, with Chambers, Halls, Delays, Rooms, Plates and Resonant Chords all supporting surround operation. Rather neatly, the parameters available for each preset intelligently re-map themselves according to the machine configuration chosen — so in four in/ 28

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 28

four out mode, for example, the centre channel levels are hidden. Also new to the PCM96 Surround are a set of Pitch shifting algorithms, which can work as multi-voice shifting with separate level and pan for each output (which can give some wonderful rising and falling shift effects in surround), as fully coherent, linked shifting on all channels, or as linked shifting across logical channel pairs (L/R and LS/RS). With in excess of 2200 presets on offer there’s a lot of scope to be had in loading them up and playing with them — in the main using the surround implementations on both complete stems (5 in/5 out) and on single stereo sources (2 in/5 out). The presets are all enormously useable and in truth most users will go no further than calling them up and tweaking them to fit using the three small rotary encoders on the front panel as these can bank through the parameters that the preset designers have deemed most likely to need tweaking. All of the reverb algorithms work well in surround but the real stars of the show are the chambers and rooms. In both two in/five out and five in/five out configurations these can produce some stunningly realistic recreations of space with the rear channels in particular seeming very solidly glued to the fronts, rather than sounding like some vaguely correlated ambience as is sometimes the case with surround reverbs. Also worthy of special mention are the surround implementations of pitch and resonant chords, which become very creative tools for effects design and that’s something that hasn’t escaped the attention of the preset programmers. Readers may remember that the PCM96 was also capable of working in a mode whereby audio was streamed to and from a DAW over FireWire, with control of the hardware unit performed by a pseudo plug-in. The same functionality is afforded to the PCM96, although Pro Tools users shouldn’t get too excited. As Pro Tools uses VST plug-ins in a RTAS wrapper to perform this function, it will only currently work with stereo machine configurations. The reason for this is, apparently, that Digidesign won’t allow the use of multichannel audio streams in a RTAS wrapped plug-in. Logic and Nuendo users can rejoice, though, as native VST and AU implementations work just fine. Even with Pro Tools, it’s still possible to just use the control side of this function with the surround configurations, over either FireWire or Ethernet. In resolution

other words, the audio is routed to and from the unit over AES interconnects and the plug-in simply acts as a rather more elegant GUI for the PCM96 Surround. When this works, it works well but Lexicon still hasn’t quite nailed the stability of this mode of operation, particularly over FireWire. It’s improved somewhat since the original PCM96 I saw, but I still encountered issues with communication being lost, requiring restarts of the unit or the DAW or both when using Pro Tools. Despite this, the PCM96 Surround is a great step forward. To be honest, even if you don’t specifically need the surround algorithms it probably makes more sense than the original PCM96 because of the enhanced I-O options and the ability to run simultaneous mono or stereo virtual machines with separate inputs and outputs. Throw in what are some truly excellent sounding surround reverbs and effects, and you can’t help but feel that this is what the PCM96 should have been to start with… n

PROS

CONS

EXTRAS

Much improved I-O capability; terrific surround reverb algorithms; flexible multimachine capability; ease of editing; range of factory presets. Still lacking somewhat in stability when used in conjunction with a DAW; can’t stream directly to and from Pro Tools over FireWire in surround configurations. The Lexicon I·Onix U22, U42S, and U82S USB desktop recording interfaces each provides the tools to transform a

computer into a 24-bit digital recording studio including the USB 2.0 desktop recording interface, Steinberg Cubase LE4 multitrack software, Toontrack EZdrummer Lite virtual instrument software, and the Lexicon Pantheon II VST/AU reverb plug-in. The three models allow different levels of recording capability with the U82S recording eight analogue and two digital channels.

Contact LEXICON, US: Website: www.lexiconpro.com UK, Sound Technology: +44 1462 480000

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:13

#25961 - C10 HD ad - Reso:Layout 23/09/2009 14:08 Page 1

www.solid-state-logic.com

On-air audio mixing. Simplified. The smart way.

C10 HD. Compact, affordable, powerful and easy to use. The C10 HD brings an unprecedented combination of size, price and performance to the mid-scale broadcast console market. It delivers the quality, features, power and robust reliability of the world's finest broadcast audio console range... in a compact, affordable system. C10 HD solves many broadcast and production challenges with innovative operational features that simplify and/or automate key processes. It helps users of all skill levels deliver professional results with a simple, logical interface that is easy to operate. C10 HD is straightforward and cost-effective to install with DSP processing built into the control surface, offers a choice of fader configurations and a range of I/O options to suit a wide spectrum of applications and budgets. C10 HD is production automation ready. For full features and specifications, visit the new C10 HD at www.solid-state-logic.com/broadcastsound

C10 HD. This is SSL. Oxford +44 (0)1865 842300 New York +1 (1)212 315 1111 Los Angeles +1 (1)323 549 9090 Paris +33 (0)1 48 67 84 85 Milan +39 039 2328 094 Tokyo +81 (0)3 5474 1144

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 29

29/09/2009 10:13

THE R

REViEW

Audio-Technica 1800 series

Radio mics are a necessary evil in film and video sound acquisition and they probably cause more trouble than just about any other location audio device. They also tend to be expensive; dual channel versions especially so. ROB JAMES reports on a good solution that is surprisingly affordable.

ith the UHF 1800 series Audio-Technica has introduced a complete range of components intended to cover most eventualities when used with video cameras. The range includes single and dual channel diversity receivers, a body pack transmitter and a plug-on transmitter. These are packaged in a variety of kits. I had the ATW-1823 kit (UK£1173 + VAT) which includes an ATW-R1820 dual-channel diversity receiver, an ATW-T1801 UniPak body-pack transmitter, an ATWT1802 plug-on transmitter and a lavalier microphone, mains power supply and accessories. Although the receiver body is metal, the end caps and battery hatch are plastic. The latter is not attached, so that’s one more thing to lose, and it’s a bit flimsy. With half-a-dozen alkaline AA batteries the receiver weighs a not inconsiderable 610g so; although it is intended for on-camera mounting this is only really applicable to shoulder-mount full size cameras. A sturdy pouch with a belt clip is included along with a couple of strips of 3M Dual-lock (big Velcro). I would expect most recordists/cameramen to make more sophisticated arrangements of their own for on-camera mounting with third party holders. Six AAs will power the unit for around six hours. External power is 12V and this will usually be available from the camera powering system. On the top of the unit two BNC sockets accept the two flexible antennae. Since this is a true diversity receiver with two RF sections per channel there are two indicator LEDs beside each antenna that light to show which tuner has the best reception for each channel. The LCD display is small and not especially legible even with the couple of green LED backlights that illuminate when in Set mode. When the receiver is in normal operation channel one frequency and battery status are displayed. Two Power/Peak LEDs indicate which channels are switched on and these

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 30

will extinguish momentarily if excessive peaks are detected. The slide Power Switch has four positions, Ext, Off, 1 and Both. Adjacent to this another slide switch determines which receiver is controlled by the setup keys. Hold, the centre position, is the normal operating mode. When 1 or 2 is selected then the relevant receiver channel is muted. An LED shows red when either channel is being adjusted and green in normal operation. The menu system is simple and operated by two up and down arrow buttons and a Set losenge button. Frequencies can be selected manually or there is a handy Scan function that will find a vacant channel in any of the scan groups. There are up to nine of these depending on which band is applicable in your area. (Band F, 840MHz-865MHz in the case of the review system with up to 996 frequencies per band in 25kHz increments.) Pressing the Up or Down keys scans through the group upwards or downwards. When a suitable channel is located the scan stops and the frequency can be accepted by pressing Set until Stored appears in the display. If you don’t want the initial frequency you can just press Up or Down again to locate another. On the bottom of the receiver, the main channel outputs are TA3M (mini XLR male) and short TA3F to XLR convertor tails are included. Slide switches select Channel 1 or a Mix of 1&2 for Output A and 1, 2 or a Mix of 1&2 for Output B. Two small pots set the output level of each receiver. A 3.5mm jack provides a monitor output with a slide switch to choose Channel 1 or 2 on both ears or ‘stereo’ and a horizontal pot adjusts the level. Once you get your head around the menu on the receiver you already know how to set the transmitters. The ATW-T1801 UniPak body-pack and ATW-T1802 plug-on transmitters both use two AA batteries for a life of around 6-8 hours depending on the batteries and whether the transmitter is set to resolution

high or low output. The displays are the same as the receivers and the menu system is very similar but frequency obviously has to be set manually. Audio Input level can be set to -6dB, 0dB, +6dB (default) and +12dB. The plug-on also has a +18dB setting and the Belt pack has a choice of mic or hi-z instrument input. The Power/Mute key turns the transmitter on or off, with a press and hold, or mutes/unmutes the mic with a short press. The button can be locked in the menus for power switching, muting, both or none. An LED lights green when the transmitter is powered on and red when muted. Both transmitters have sliding plastic covers over the controls. The XLR plug-on simply plugs into a standard mic with a locking collar for greater security. Phantom power is provided but only at 12V. The belt pack uses a 4-pin latching connector that looks like a Hirose type. A miniature lavalier mic is supplied along with a range of mounting clips and a lavalier cord. Audio-Technica offers a range of mics terminated with a suitable plug and also a convertor terminated with an XLR as optional extras. While the belt pack is as light as a feather the plug-on is a chunky beast. There is a downside to feeding four receivers from the same pair of antennae — range. Although the claimed range on full power is 100m I had trouble achieving this even in clear air. Put a wall or two in between transmitter and receiver and the safe range drops to more like 10m. The monitor out jack, although useful for setting up, is noisy even in the absence of signal and regardless of the level of the monitor volume control. Fortunately things are much better at the main signal outputs and when fed into my Sound Devices mixer the ATW-R1820 is no noisier subjectively than other units at the same price point. Two-channel radio is becoming an increasingly common requirement and dual channel units are highly desirable to reduce the clutter and complexity associated with using two separate units. The 1800 series dual channel receiver has few rivals at anything close to the price and the packages are comprehensive and well worth auditioning. n

PROS

Twin channel receivers are rare in this price bracket; easy to operate; comprehensive packages.

CONS

Range not as good as single units; monitor output a bit noisy; a bit too much plastic.

EXTRAS

Audio-Technica has extended its Lifetime Warranty — previously only offered on its 40 Series studio microphones — to the Artist Elite and Artist Series live-oriented microphones. The free-of-charge warranty (the longest offered by any microphone manufacturer) covers all wired Artist Elite and Artist Series models purchased from authorised Audio-Technica resellers and registered on-line.

Contact AUDIO-TECHNICA, JAPAN: Website: www.audio-technica.com

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:13

THE ROCK AD 297X245

7/8/09

15:28

Page 1

THE FIRST OF an EXCITING NEW RANGE OF monitors by

For more information c all Unity Audio on 01440 785843 f: 01440 785845

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 31

e: sales unityaudio.co.uk

www.unityaudio.co.uk

29/09/2009 10:13

REVIEW

Audio Ease Altiverb & Speakerphone 2 As definitive processing abilities go there aren’t many hardware boxes that don’t have at least one plug-in ‘equivalent’. However, there are a number of processing skillsets that remain unique to the plug-in world. ROB JAMES considers the latest incarnations of two worthy contenders.

f late I’ve been musing on the relative merits of hardware outboard versus plugins. Hardware takes up physical space and uses more electricity while plug-ins occupy disk space and use up precious processor power (or DSP chips). However, in five years time at least some of the hardware boxes will be saleable while very few plug-ins will. Many find it hard to part with the wonga for a plug-in when they could have yet another 19-inch rackmount unit for more or less the same price. But, on the other hand, there is Altiverb and Speakerphone from Audio Ease. Convolution reverb and modelling has always had promise. The first incarnations I tried were the gigantic and expensive Sony hardware box (with an air of ‘radiogram’ about it) and the then Sonic Foundry, now Sony, Sound Forge Acoustic Mirror plug-in. Early convolution was convincing sometimes but cumbersome, slow, greedy on resources and somewhat limited in scope. Of course, much better convolution products have come along, not least the Waves IR-1 and Voxengo offerings, but there are still essential attributes to evaluate that will make or break a convolution reverb in a busy studio environment. The basic principles behind convolution reverb and device modelling are now well enough known not to require further rehearsal here. Convolution plugins are available at prices varying between free and almost a lot. The factors that mark out certain products from the herd are these: a large and expanding library of freely downloadable IR (Impulse Response) samples recorded with meticulous attention to detail; additional controls; modifiers; the user interface; and the processing overhead. There is little point in having a convolution plug-in that sounds great but has few samples, is a pain to operate and uses a vast amount of resources. Altiverb comes with a vast library of IR samples covering not just musical requirements, concert halls, churches, and studios but also hardware, small rooms and exotic and wacky spaces. Altiverb and Speakerphone 2 both present an excellent and largely intuitive control interface with plenty of visual aids to help clarify what is going on.

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 32

For example, an IR Browser is built into the Altiverb plug-in along with waterfall and waveform plots that update in real-time as parameters are altered. As you mouse over the individual IR samples you get a thumbnail picture of the space or device. Move the cursor to the thumbnail and the image changes to show a floor plan, double click and a larger version opens in a floating window. For auditioning purposes, built in sample sounds can be triggered manually, whenever a control is moved or triggered from the keyboard. Global and Automation presets help to manage parameter sets within projects and across machines. IR loading is almost instant on my modest quad-core. This is good news but it would all be for nought if Altiverb was a resource hog. With the update to V6.3 last year CPU load was reduced considerably. Now with V6.3.3 the memory footprint has been reduced by between 30 and 50%. These efficiency gains do not come at the expense of diminished functionality or sound quality. Tighter coding and clever programming have resulted in an amazingly lean convolution reverb bulging with attractive features. The stream of new IR samples from Audio Ease seems to be never ending and they are all free to registered users: 25 small rooms, cupboards, toilets, living rooms, bathrooms, arrived in the summer and will make my life considerably easier. A bunch of samples gathered together under the title ‘next door’ are the perfect answer to several problems encountered frequently in sound for picture — very convincing. Two of the most recent additions are the Amsterdam Singelkirk, a popular recording venue and, to judge by the sound it produces here, justifiably so, and the MCO broadcast recording studios. The Choir Studio MCO 4 is a peach. Although I have other convolution reverbs at my disposal they are rarely used — too much of a hassle and resource hungry. The new incarnation of Altiverb is a completely different matter. With a wealth of samples I can use straight out of the box, it has a really nice GUI and low overheads. This is one plug-in that justifies its price. Speakerphone is a convolution based loudspeaker, mic and amp simulator with environment and resolution

manipulation options. In short you can create an entire scene using this single plug-in. George Shilling loved the first version when he reviewed it in Resolution V7.1. In Speakerphone 2 the user interface has grown by maybe 25% to accommodate new modules and clicking in an edit field now pops up a larger floating window with that parameter in it. There is also more room in the speaker browsers because there are now a lot more samples to browse. These include 20 new vintage and modern guitar amps and cabinets for a total of 32 with hundreds of mic positions to choose from. There are 25 new telephones and 15 mic samples. Still more vintage radios, phones, answering machines and toys have been added to the collection. The preset browser is now separate from the interface and the snapshots George was missing in V1 have been implemented and these can include dynamically changing elements. On the environment front there are a bunch of new small rooms and exteriors, some of which are not yet available in Altiverb. The Mic module is new and, apart from enabling you to select one of the mic samples, this also has a control to add carbon mic granule degradation. The new Cover module enables a source to be enclosed in a car boot, a box, a saucepan etc. and a variety of objects can cover a sound source, such as blankets, suitcases, boxes, glass cups, car trunks, and walls to name a few. The pitch adjustment can be used to enhance the effect. In the Telecom Codec section a ‘Liquid’ option produces some really watery sounds. A Leslie simulator now appears on the right hand side of the interface. Saving the best for last there is an LFO Envelope module with four LFOs and two envelope followers for automated parameter control. You just click and drag a cable to a parameter that you wish to control with the LFO or envelope. The speed can be synced with the host DAW’s tempo and there are loads of waveforms to play with. With these additions S2 has become a very serious sound design tool for music and post. I would go so far as to say it is indispensable for anyone working in sound for picture. n

PROS

Modest CPU load and memory footprint; speed; the samples.

CONS

Needs study to get the best out of them; not available as rack mounting units ;-); not much else.

Contact audio ease, netherlands: Website: www.audioease.com

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:13

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 33

29/09/2009 10:13

REVIEW

Shure KSM313 & KSM353 Two of the most respected modern ribbon mics are now part of one of the biggest microphone portfolios. JON THORNTON checks out the new versions to see if all is still good.

he latest manufacturer to join the renaissance of ribbon microphones is also the one that can claim to manufacture the single most popular and iconic microphone of all time. It’s interesting, then, that Shure has elected not to design its own ribbon offerings from scratch. Instead, Shure recently acquired Crowley and Tripp microphones from parent group Soundwave Research. This acquisition saw the transfer of designs, intellectual property, microphone process equipment and other assets to Shure, Inc. As part of the deal, Shure now continues to offer support to existing Crowley and Tripp customers, but now manufactures what were the Naked Eye and El Diablo designs in their Wheeler, Illinois facility — albeit with the slightly more conservative monikers of the KSM313 and KSM353. One of the key factors here is that the acquisition also includes the rights to the patented ‘Roswellite’ material developed by Soundwave Research. This material uses carbon nano-tubes deposited on a thin film to produce ribbons that exhibit the required electrical properties to function in a ribbon motor, but with vastly improved characteristics in terms of tensile strength and general ruggedness. The results are microphones that exhibit most of the sonic characteristics for which ribbon designs are favoured, but that aren’t going to throw their hands in at the first sign of wind, excessive SPL or physical shock (A drummer. Ed). If you want that in empirical terms, Shure quotes the SPL handling of the microphones at a very healthy 146dB — meaning that erstwhile off-limits applications for ribbon microphones (inside a kick drum, for example) are suddenly very much on the agenda. First impressions of both the KSM313 and the KSM353 indicate that this SPL handling might come at a cost, as the sensitivity of both microphones is quoted as 1.88mV/Pa, which means that you are going to have to get used to exploring the upper reaches of a mic pre’s gain range in some applications. While this isn’t especially low compared to some ‘classic’ ribbon designs, such as the Coles 4038 or Beyer’s M130, it’s somewhat lower than a Royer 121

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 34

and a lot lower than some of the newer ‘active’ ribbon designs out there. Time, though, for a more detailed look at each microphone. The smaller (and cheaper) of the pair is the KSM313. Packaged as a side-addressed microphone, the KSM313 is extremely compact and almost jewellike in appearance. This impression is reinforced by the use of a black body coupled with a grille assembly finished in red, which could very easily look tacky but doesn’t. Despite its compactness, it feels very solid and overall build quality seems excellent. It ships in a protective wooden case, and comes with the curiously entitled (and curious looking) ‘monocle’ fixed clip. Despite its odd looks, this clip allows a good deal of accuracy and flexibility in placing the microphone in a number of orientations. Also available as an option is a more conventional suspension mount. The KSM313 has been engineered in both its former and current incarnations to exhibit quite different responses on either side of its fig-8 pattern, with the rear pick-up exhibiting quite a marked HF bump and extension compared with the front pick-up. First impressions on male vocals suggest that this is an immediately useable feature — a quick swivel of the clip allows the microphone to be closely matched with the character of the voice. The forward pick-up delivers a very smooth and full sounding mid-range, with a smooth and progressive HF roll-off that works wonders on thickening up thin sounding vocals. The rear pick-up adds just enough air and clarity to add a sparkle to a dull sounding voice without making it sound ‘capacitor bright’. Overall tonality seems slightly harder than the Royer 121 I compared it to, something that was most evident when set up on acoustic and electric guitars — it seems to provide a little more ‘cut’ to the sound in the bottom octaves. This isn’t unpleasant, in fact it’s quite a useful characteristic with some sources, but it isn’t the response you would first associate with a ribbon microphone. Of course, I had to try it in a kick drum taking a sort of perverse pleasure in placing it inside the shell. This same ‘hardness’ to the sound comes up trumps here as it captures every bit of that low resonance coupled with a decent attack from the beater. There’s also plenty of scope to tune the sound by deciding which pick-up is facing forward and which rearward. If the KSM313 is jewel-like is appearance, its big brother, the KSM353 is positively God-like. Not that it’s a particularly large microphone but it seems like its been hewn from a solid block of metal, which imbues it with a very definite purposefulness. And the lack of any cosmetic finishing touches like the red grille suggests that it doesn’t really have to prove anything. Again, it ships in a nice wooden case that’s designed to keep it stored upright when not in use, and is supplied with a suspension mount rather than a fixed clip. Summed up immediately, the KSM353 is smooth — really smooth. Overall tonality is much softer than the KSM313 lacking that slightly hard edge to the sound, and there’s a more even response front and rear. In every application — vocals, guitar, kick drum and as a room microphone on a drum kit — the KSM353 absolutely shone, with a sound that managed to be detailed and understated at the same time. In essence resolution

it’s exactly what a ribbon mic should sound like. On vocals, even at some distance, you’ll need to keep a pop shield handy as the KSM353 doesn’t seem as troubled by plosives as some other ribbons but your loudspeaker cones will thank you for it. Both of these microphones deliver excellent results, and the ability to handle a few knocks and high SPLs is a real bonus; if nothing else you feel more at ease experimenting with them than you would with more fragile ribbon designs. They do need a decent preamp to get the best out of them though. With quieter sources at a distance they need a whole heap of gain, and some lesser preamps will introduce too much noise to the equation here. It’s good to see that the Crowley and Tripp designs have a long-term future and that the move to manufacturing by Shure hasn’t affected the build or sonic quality in the slightest. It will be interesting to see whether Shure chooses to use this newly acquired intellectual property to develop the range further. n

PROS

CONS EXTRAS

Build quality; flexibility of tonality with KSM313; KSM353 is a tremendously smooth performer; superb resilience and SPL handling. Not cheap — especially the KSM353; need a very good preamp to extract the best out of quiet sources. Shure has taken the iconic 55SH body, which has been in production almost continuously since 1951, dropped in a new motor with a supercardioid cartridge and added some vibrant blue colouring. The resulting hot rod is called the Super 55 Deluxe.

Contact SHURE, US: Website: www.shure.com

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:14

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 35

29/09/2009 10:14

produc

REVIEW

Focusrite Saffire 56 Is it an interface, a router, a mixer, a preamp or a convoluted preamp? JON THORNTON says it’s all of these and more.

here was a time when a company like Focusrite only really had to concentrate on analogue in the development and manufacture of its product line. While this is still very firmly at the core of what it does, it’s had to add to its list of core competencies to keep pace with demands, expectations and possibilities of newer technologies. So add to the list, in no particular order, A-D conversion, audio streaming over FireWire, software control and, in Focusrite’s case, some very clever DSP applications like Dynamic Convolution. With such significant investment in either developing its own expertise in these areas or simply by licensing it from elsewhere, there’s no surprise that once it has debuted in the higher-end product offerings it will inevitably trickle down to the lower end through higher volume products. The question is, does this simply result in products that end up being a hotch-potch of technologies and features built to a price point; or are the end results genuinely compelling and useful? In the dock to try to answer this case is the Liquid Saffire 56 — whose name immediately suggests some hybrid of the company’s Saffire audio interfaces and dynamic convolution ‘Liquid’ technologies. As for the ‘56’ — well that alludes to the fact that this unit offers 56 channels of I-O to your DAW. Which it does. Kind of. At its most basic, the Liquid Saffire 56 is a FireWire based interface solution for any DAW that supports Core Audio or ASIO. What you get are eight analogue inputs, each of which can be switched between a line level input on balanced TRS jack or a mic level input with associated preamp on XLRs. You also get ten balanced analogue outputs, also on TRS jacks. The nice thing here is that two of the mic inputs feature ‘Liquid’ dynamic convolution processing, allowing their responses to emulate one of ten classic preamps. But even the most mathematically challenged among us will quickly work out that 10 + 8 doesn’t equal 56 — so where does that number come from? The answer lies in the additional two light-pipe I-Os on the rear panel, which give another 16 channels of digital I-O to the unit. A SPDIF I-O on phonos adds another two channels of I-O, which brings the total count to 26 inputs and 28 outputs by my reckoning — still two inputs shy of the promised 56, but I’m sure they’ll turn up… The key to understanding what seems like a very convoluted (pardon the pun) set-up is to realise that the unit ships with an extremely flexible and powerful

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 36

piece of software called MixControl, which acts as an additional layer of routing and mixing between your DAW and the outside world. Installation of this and the LS56 drivers was painless and straightforward, with the Saffire appearing neatly in Logic Studio using Core Audio. When selected as the audio I-O, all of the available physical inputs on the LS56 appear as options to feed track inputs, and these will always appear as such regardless of what the MixControl software is doing. The extra digital inputs start to make more sense at this stage as it’s easy to envisage expanding the number of analogue inputs by getting hold of another outboard unit, such as the OctoPre with a digital output card, and plugging it into one of the light-pipe inputs. The MixControl software at this stage acts in conjunction with the front panel controls to select line or mic input for all eight inputs, with the added option of instrument level (high-impedance) for inputs 3 and 4 for use as DIs. The software also enables the selection of individual Liquid emulations to be applied to mic inputs 1 and 2, with a choice of nine presets and a flat setting. The emulations have names that allude to the actual devices whose responses have been sampled, and will be familiar to Liquid Channel users. You also get the option of increasing the amount of harmonic distortion added by each emulation, the effect of which changes subtly depending on the emulation chosen and the amount of gain added. In use, the standard mic pres sound like most Focusrite designs at this price point — reasonably quiet, open and ever so slightly ‘glassy’ in the high frequencies. The Liquid emulations offer some good sonic alternatives to this and manage to sound quite similar to both originals I was able to compare them with (Millennia and Neve 1073) and the emulations from the original Liquid Channel. I say quite close because they aren’t quite as gob-smackingly close as the original Liquid Channel no doubt because the LS56 doesn’t have the raft of electronic and transformer balanced initial input stages to switch between, instead relying on an electronic input stage with input impedances that vary according to the emulation chosen. Gain for all eight channels is set via hardware controls on the front panel. LED indicators also show the input source for each channel (line, mic or instrument — selected in software), and additional switches select phantom power, high pass filters, pads and polarity reverse on various channels. Somewhat resolution

curiously, these functions aren’t offered consistently across all eight channels, some appear on some channels and some on others. It’s not a big deal, but it is the first real indication that this unit has been built to a price point. Also on the front panel is a set of eight small LED bargraphs, which can be set (via the software) to show the analogue input levels or the ADAT or SPDIF inputs. A monitor level control and associated Dim and Cut plus two headphone sockets and associated level controls completes things. Once more, the function of these output level controls works in conjunction with various options that can be selected in software although at this stage the capabilities of MixControl complicate things somewhat. A routing page shows all available physical outputs, and pull down menus allow sources to be selected to feed these outputs. The choices here are the 28 available output streams from the DAW, the signals appearing on the physical inputs of the LS56, or one of eight stereo or 16 mono mixes that can be generated by the MixControl software. These mixes come courtesy of a software mixer that features level control, metering, pan for stereo sources, and PFL/Solo/Mute on each channel added. Available sources for the mixer are DAW output streams and the physical input signals, and each mix can contain up to 18 of the possible 40 sources on offer. A monitor section in the software allows the assignment of an overall level control and associated mute/dim functions to any combination of the ten analogue outputs, which allows some to be used as a stereo monitor feed, for example, leaving others untouched for use as sends to other devices. Or you could set up a basic 5.1 monitoring controller. The two headphone outputs effectively mirror whatever is routed to outputs 7/8 and 9/10. Oh, and I found the missing two inputs. Two destinations on the output routing page are designated Loopback 1 and 2 and whatever source is selected here feeds the final two input streams to the DAW, allowing recording from one application to another for example. The end result is a device that offers a huge amount of flexibility for tracking, zero latency monitoring, mixing, etc. and there are several presets that do just that. For location work with a laptop, or as the centrepiece of a DAW-based studio with no other mixing/monitoring capabilities this makes a lot of sense. But ultimately this means that, with the added layer of software routing and mixing, as a straightforward I-O there may simply be just too much flexibility — there’s a lot to get your head around to use the unit in even the most basic way. You’ve got to balance this against the price point though (around £579 inc. VAT). A device this capable would have been unthinkable at this price even a couple of years ago. There’s an awful lot here for your money — the only real question is whether you need it all. n

PROS

Decent mic preamps with two very useful Liquid pres; excellent and stable FireWire implementation; powerful routing mixing and monitoring capabilities; expansion possibilities using light-pipe I-O.

CONS

MixControl software can be distracting if using this as a straightforward I-O; Liquid pres don’t have quite the same uncanny realism as the Liquid Channel.

Contact focusrite, uk: Website: www.focusrite.com

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:14

productsad09 res:Layout 1 30/07/2009 12:45 Page 1

The single source supplier for everything

PRO-AUDIO

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 37

Tel: 0844 375 5000

29/09/2009 10:14

MONITOR BENCHTEST

Studiospares Classic SN10 KEITH HOLLAND

t would seem reasonable to assume that everyone reading this review is familiar with the Yamaha NS-10. That speaker is no longer manufactured, but Studiospares has produced what it considers to be a replacement in the, rather cheekilynamed, Classic SN10. It is inevitable therefore that this review will feature some comparisons between the old and the new. At first glance you may be fooled into thinking that you are looking at the Yamaha, but closer inspection reveals that the SN10 has an 8-inch white-paper-coned woofer instead of the 6·5-inch one found in the Yamaha. This woofer is partnered with a 1-inch soft dome tweeter that is offset to provide left- and right-handed (mirrored) speaker pairs. The speaker is passive with a claimed power handling of 80W and a crossover frequency of 3.5kHz. The sealed cabinet is slightly larger than that of the Yamaha with overall dimensions of 250mm high by 420mm wide by 200mm deep. The logo printed on the front panels suggests that these speakers are intended to be used in the ‘landscape’ orientation, with the tweeters alongside the woofers, but this may be hidden with the supplied grilles if ‘portrait’ orientation is preferred.

Figure 1 shows the on-axis frequency response and harmonic distortion performance for the SN10. What is immediately apparent from this plot is that the frequency response is far from flat, only staying within ±6dB from 150Hz to 14kHz. It should be noted that this ‘up-turned V’ shaped frequency response is considered desirable in some quarters for nearfield, meterbridge-mounted applications, and it has even been suggested that this is one reason for the popularity of the old Yamaha NS-10, but the response of the SN10 is clearly a greatly exaggerated version of that shape. Despite having a larger woofer, the low-frequency extension of this speaker is not as good as that of the Yamaha, with a similar 2nd-order roll-off but -10dB occurring at around 120Hz (compared to an ‘average’ mid-band response level); this is almost an octave higher than that of the NS-10. The rapid rolloff of the high frequencies above 12kHz is also noted as is the unevenness of the response from 2kHz to 4kHz. On the other hand, the harmonic distortion performance of the SN10 is very good, with levels of all harmonics staying below -40dB (1%) throughout the entire frequency range (measured at

Fig. 1. On-axis frequency response and harmonic distortion.

90dB SPL at 1m). The off-axis response of the SN10, shown in Figures 2 and 3, is well controlled with a wide, largely frequency-independent dispersion. There is some evidence of an interference notch at the crossover frequency but this is in common with nearly all two-way speakers. The time-domain response of this speaker is demonstrated in Figures 4 to 7 which show the step response, acoustic source position, power cepstrum and waterfall response respectively. The step response shows a rapid rise, indicating that there is good time-alignment between the woofer and the tweeter, but the decay is also rapid largely due to the reduced low-frequency output. One of the benefits of using a sealed cabinet, as opposed to a ported design, is evident in the acoustic source position. The low-frequencies are seen to radiate from a position about 1.2m behind the mid- and high-frequencies,

Audient analogue mixing technology with DAW powered moving fader automation. Zen is a thoroughly modern, yet classic analogue mixing console combining DAW I/O integration with moving fader automation, transport control and the sonically pure signal path you would expect from Audient. Designed for today’s studio environments and in a compact frame, Zen features 2 inputs per channel, DAW record output on each channel, L/R mix bus, 2 stereo buses, 2 mono buses, 4 auxiliaries and 2 cue sends, plus a stereo compressor. And that’s just the start. To get the full picture hit www.audient.com/zen

Distributed in the UK by SCV London. Tel: 020 8418 1470 www.scvlondon.co.uk

Zen Resolution DPS09 28-5-09.indd 1 Resolution October V8.7.indd 38

28/5/09 07:29:33 29/09/2009 10:14

Zen R

7:29:33

MONITOR BENCHTEST

Fig. 2. Horizontal off-axis response.

Fig. 4. Step response.

Fig. 6. Power cepstrum.

Fig. 3. Vertical off-axis response.

Fig. 5. Acoustic source position.

Fig. 7. Waterfall plot.

and this can be compared to some designs that can be as much as 4m, albeit with much greater low-frequency extension. The frequency response problems discussed above have â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;swampedâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; the power cepstrum, despite the low-frequency roll-off having been equalised prior to its calculation, but evidence of distinct echoes can still be seen after 200, 500 and 750 microseconds. The waterfall response shows that the low-frequencies decay very rapidly, although this is exaggerated by the high roll-off frequency, and

there is some evidence of resonances at 200, 300 and 500Hz. The Classic SN10 is a mixed bag. Looking at the frequency response, it is clear that this speaker will sound very different to the many other speakers that are designed with a nominally flat response, with a very obvious lack of bass and treble. On the plus side, the low harmonic distortion and good transient response should ensure a clean, detailed sound. The inevitable comparison with the old Yamaha NS-10

tells another story though. This speaker appears to be very much an exaggerated version of the Yamaha; Studiospares has taken the desirable properties of the old speaker and made sure that this speaker has them in abundance, perhaps though, at the expense of overall performance. n

Zen Resolution DPS09 28-5-09.indd 2 Resolution October V8.7.indd 39

Contact Studiospares, UK: Website: www.studiospares.com

28/5/09 07:29:42 29/09/2009 10:14

cRAft

Flood NIGEL JOPSON finds out why the U2, Depeche Mode, PJ Harvey, Smashing Pumpkins and Killers producer became a studio owner, and how he manages to remain eclectic and successful.

he enigmatically named Flood — aka Mark Ellis — started his career as a tape-op at London’s Morgan Studios in 1978. He engineered for Soft Cell, Psychic TV, Cabaret Voltaire and The Associates. His first production gig was on From Here To Eternity with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, for whom he went on to produce five albums. He engineered for acts like the Jesus & Mary Chain, Soft Cell and Erasure. In 1987 his talent for straddling genres was established when he went from engineering U2’s The Joshua Tree to producing Erasure’s Wonderland. He produced Nine Inch Nails’ seminal debut Pretty Hate Machine, and confirmed his rep for hard-edged electronica by producing Pop Will Eat Itself’s This Is The Day ... This Is The Hour, as well as albums for Renegade Soundwave and Nitzer Ebb. In 1989 Flood produced Violator for Depeche Mode, for whom he later also produced Songs of Faith and Devotion. He engineered for U2 again on Achtung Baby, and then took the producer’s chair for Zooropa and Pop. Flood was responsible for two of the most name-checked albums of the mid 90s, PJ Harvey’s To Bring You My Love and the Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (sharing production on the latter with long-time cohort Alan Moulder.) Flood has always managed to retain his edgy reputation by taking unusual musical diversions: he worked with Nellee Hooper on the Sneaker Pimps’ Becoming X; was in an analogue-synth project (with Suede producer Ed Buller Resolution V3.8) called Node; and composed and was music co-ordinator for Hollywood thriller My Little Eye. It’s no surprise younger acts like The Killers and Goldfrapp have called on him to sprinkle fairy dust on recent releases. Together with Alan Moulder, Flood now owns Assault & Battery, a re-build and re-equip of the former Zomba-owned Battery complex in North London, available for commercial projects through Miloco. (photos www.recordproduction.com)

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 40

When you’re working here at Assault & Battery, does it feel like you’ve returned to your roots? Very much so, it’s pretty much full circle. 31 years later, I’m the co-owner of a couple of studios next door to where I started as a tea boy! What persuaded you to become a studio owner, because there was a time in the 90s when it was the furthest idea from any producer’s mind? That’s very true, and having come through the studio system I’d always said: ‘No, over my dead body.’ You never make any money and it just seems like a lot of heartache! But then, when the old Battery Studios came out of mothballs, myself and Alan were approached about taking on the mix room downstairs. We were often struggling to get into our favourite London rooms at the time, so we thought, ‘Well, we’ve got enough work to cover it so let’s jump in.’ It was a good way of pooling all the gear we’d amassed over the years, it was like our comfort zone, our garden shed. Two years later most of the rest of the building came up for the lease renewal — this was just when many top London studios were closing — myself and Alan felt very strongly we wanted to put something back into the business. It was very much: how can we educate, nurture, bring on people to sustain our recording industry. You’re training some assistant engineers? There are three we’re bringing on, and one who’s moved on to engineering and producing. It’s about trying to maintain the professionalism, which is the reason both myself and Alan got into music production originally. It’s very much in our style, so not everybody is going to be happy here. We’re not going to make it a compromise facility, like some old studios used to be.

resolution

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:15

CRAFT The equipment list is impressive, but did you have to buy in new mixing consoles for the rooms? We bought boards for both rooms. Downstairs, the SSL is actually the one Alan did loads of stuff with Trent [Reznor of Nine Inch Nails] on. Alan loves mixing on SSLs, he said Trent’s desk was the best sounding SSL he’d ever worked on, so I said ‘let’s go for it’ when the desk came up for sale. It doesn’t sound like any SSL I’ve ever worked on, it’s really open with a whole different sound to it. Upstairs, we were thinking of getting a vintage board, but then we saw the amount of money we would have to spend, and for a semi-commercial operation there’s also the reliability factor, so we ended up going for the VR. It’s a 1992 board, so it’s almost vintage. When you’re mixing yourself do you use the desk automation, do you use the flying faders? I’m very much in favour of getting out of mixing within Pro Tools, wherever possible. I like to hear some fresh air somewhere along the line. I know loads of people mix inside the box, but if you’re doing it all out of two channels you’ve got to be so careful. I think sticking it up a load of faders just opens everything up and gives you so much more flexibility. I’m so old-school I still have problems with the fact that I can only use one finger at any one time on a computer system. For me, working on a mixing console is very tactile.

The drum sound you got for them was not crashingly loud but felt very powerful. Pretty much every song when we were tracking we changed the drum sound. We’d move it in the room, change the physical kit, I don’t think there was any song where we just left it up. It’s very easy to make a sort of ‘standard-sounding’ record if you mix the drums very loud and wide, sometimes I feel that affects the energy of the song. The much-used software drum replacers, even though they work pretty well now, often end up giving a song a rather generic sound. Absolutely, and also — this is just a personal thing — I’m totally against using Beat Detective. It’s making musicians, engineers and producers lazy. When Beat Detective and Autotune are just placed on everything as a matter of course, it tends to make everything

sound generic. On the first Depeche Mode record, most of the ‘sequencer’ parts were in fact played by hand at half speed, when it was sped up, it acquired an element of machine tightness ...

Played originally an octave down? Yes. The thing about Beat Detective is, it doesn’t matter what groove templates or whatever you apply to it, it has its own inherent sound. Because you can theoretically put the drums ‘in time’ everybody starts to fiddle. For me, it then loses ‘the feel’. With human rhythm sections, the kick drum might be really early, the snare drum might be really late, the bass player somehow fits in that gap, so the bass and drums are a rhythm unit, and they have their own individual rhythm feel. If you’ve got a good drummer, why on earth not do another take? Why not drop the whole drum track in? Particularly on computers, there’s no

When you’re producing do you use an engineer? If I’m producing an album, I generally weigh up at the beginning whether I’m going to do the tracking as the engineer, the overdubbing as the engineer, or the mixing. I try and do some part of it if I’m producing, because I went for many years without engineering, and then realised I was getting frustrated because in the past I was always engineering or programming. It’s very rare these days I work alone. How do you choose at which point to go hands-on? It’s where I feel that my engineering might add creatively, and it wouldn’t impinge on my objectivity as a producer. I find the hardest thing to do would be to produce, engineer and then mix. When you come to mixing, you push the faders up and think ‘... well, yes, this sounds pretty nice. Good job!’ Whereas if you were coming in as an outside person, you’d be putting the faders up, and not be emotionally attached to it at all, you would look at it in a very different way. If I find myself in that sort of situation, I have to be working with a band who will really kick me up the arse, to push me. It’s probably better to get a couple of guys I know to engineer so I can be on top of producing the tracks. Then the mixing will be very different, I can jump on and I don’t really know what’s on the tracks, I’m listening to it as an engineer almost for the first time. You seem to have made a specialty of the ‘difficult second album’ — for example The Killer’s Sam’s Town. It seems to be that people migrate towards me, the only criteria I have for working with someone is, first and foremost, do I like the music so much that I feel I can offer something to it? Maybe because I’ve had such a diverse career, people come to me because they feel as though maybe I can explore areas that other producers would not be open to. The Killers wanted to make more of a rock record, they wanted to feel more like a live band. So it became a job almost of education: ‘you can do this, you can be like this.’ October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 41

resolution

29/09/2009 10:15

CRAFT can be so creative with it — rather than thinking it’s a technical achievement, is a bit intimidating, you have to spend years and years to learn it and it’s a no-go area for musicians. For me, that experience was really, really formative.

Nine Inch Nails came after that, was Pretty Hate Machine a big deal? I remember my manager came back from ... CMJ was it? She said she’d been given these demos by a band who’d played and been mind-blowing. I was gob-smacked: he had the idea, he knew what he wanted, the tracks were amazing. The early NIN material had a very industrial sound. ... but really, really good songs. The lyrics meant something but they also had a pop feel in the way that words can jump out of the page and jump out of the speakers at you. It’s still something that I remember fondly — we got on well and we were on a journey together — just me and Trent in the Manson house! That was nearly 20 years ago ... way you’re going to screw anything up, it’s not like having to drop in on tape. So why not do that? And then people will be focusing on the song in a very different way, rather than just hacking it all up until everything is ‘perfect’ ... a soul-less thing. I’d rather have a bit of slop, some push and pull, that’s what listeners relate to. At least, that’s what I believe when musicians are trying to be a live band, it’s totally different when it’s electronic music. But even then, every [hardware] sequencer has a different feel. If you make a loop of it, which is what people might tend to do now, it will feel a little sterile. Me, I’d record it all the way through the track and then overdub to it ... but that’s me.

Do you find that young musicians have an unhealthy fascination or dependence on computer-based recording? One has to use computers nowadays, it is the mainstay. But the trap — and I’ve fallen into it loads of times — is that computers will offer endless options. For me making music is about making decisions and putting limits on yourself. If you’re presented with loads of options for fulfilling some part, you can actually lose the point of focus about what you’re doing. You might have a guitar part, then you put Guitar Rig on, you could spend hours going through all the different possibilities, but if you’ve only got one Fender Twin, your guitar and an SM58, you’ll just get on with it. Some people become really, really obsessed with the computer, the way it works, the opportunities, the plug-ins ... it can take them a while to see how you can make music in a more fundamental way. Was working on U2’s Joshua Tree with Eno producing a breakthrough moment for you? I was a house engineer, I’d done a few things outside of where I worked, but essentially I was part of the standard studio system. When I went to work with U2 it was like a mind-expanding experience. They were all recording with monitors — there was not a headphone in sight — lots of recording in the control room, moving studio locations all the time. It was the way that Eno, Daniel Lanois and the band thought much more laterally about stuff. I came away from the session, on the creative side of things, being so much more inspired. It was being able to use my grounding as an engineer, and realising I had this amazing tool at my disposal. You 42

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 42

resolution

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:15

CRAFT Reznor has continuously built his profile since then, but outside of the normal music business, with the NIN website, downloadable parts, online alternate reality games, fan remixes and so on. The thing about Trent is he’s very intelligent and forward thinking. He’s always been totally honest, he doesn’t want to portray a false veneer. So the whole music ‘industry’ side of things has been quite problematic for him. The way he marketed his last album, with the mp3s available pretty much for nothing, and then the fans being able to pay more for better quality ... The top end being buying the $300 limited-edition multitrack on DVD! But it was totally honest, he made his money back and his fans could have what they wanted and be engaged. He wasn’t trying to pretend it was anything else, he didn’t go and sign to a big label afterwards or do a deal with Starbucks or something like that. It was all about his fans. Did the NIN projects raise your profile in the US, because although much of your early work was very successful in the UK, many acts like Erasure never really cracked America. Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, and Achtung Baby with U2 were all within the space of about three years. Those three things went right up, and then the Smashing Pumpkins after that. Billy Corgan owns and is a fan of Modular Moogs like you, isn’t he? I was talking to him about the modulars just recently, but that’s a whole other side of me! It’s great you actually make the Moog and Roland Modular 700 available for hire with the studio — they’re normally locked away in collector’s rooms nowadays. I know, and it sort of upsets me they’re not used. I try and encourage people to make use of them as much as possible — you can just use the spring reverb on it, or put some audio through the Moog filter — I’ve turned loads of people on to the ARP 2600 and the EMS Putney synths for similar reasons. There’s lots of things nowadays that are more portable, but the modulars are still fantastic. I’ve always thought that sequencers and modular synths are the perfect engineer’s musical tool, because essentially it’s a musical patchbay.

not getting paid enough, it’s not like it used to be’ — well it’s not, I think one has to adapt and move on. Record companies have got rather used to people doing things for a pittance, or so many people jostling for projects that they undercut each other, that sort of thing has got to stop. But it’s good if it means we are going to be more productive.

There are several different versions of why your stage-name is Flood, what’s the true story? Some websites have it wrong — no, I didn’t piss myself, I didn’t drop tea in a mixer, and it wasn’t the flood at Strongroom Studio during an Erasure session, when a pipe burst and we were up to our ankles in water in the control room. When I started as a runner at Morgan, there were three of us called Mark. I was working on a session which didn’t start until some crazy time in the morning with a band called Japan, the engineer was Chris Tsangarides (Resolution V6.8), who came up with my nickname. I was doing the session with one of the other new tea boys, who was also called Mark. Because it was so late I’d start to nod off, I was paranoid that if I fell asleep on the job I’d get the sack, so every time I started to fall asleep I’d leap up and ask ‘anybody for a cup of tea?’ Apparently this was happening every 15 minutes, the other guy fell asleep, so I became Flood (of tea), he became Drought! n

All-in-One 16:4:2 Digital Mixing and 16-Track Multitrack Recording

LR16

Live Recording Mixer T-5L CADIGLITTACORE MU

Yet when you worked in 2008 with Sigur Rós, known for their giant synth soundscapes, you recorded them like a folk group ... I was very, very keen to get Jónsi’s voice right up front. The moment I started working with the guys I realised that all four of them are great musicians. Jónsi will walk up to the mic, open his mouth ... there’s just this amazing voice. They are using their musicianship to enhance emotions. I felt my task was to strip away loads of things, to show that here was a really amazing musical group whose songs carry. Most of the songs on that album are in the key of C — the most boring and bland key, you might think but you can still go back to ideas you think are over, give a great presentation and off you go. How has the role of the producer changed over the last five or so years? A positive thing, or I try and look at it as positive, is that because budgets have shrunk, you’ve got to do things quicker. It’s like going back 30 years. I used to reckon on at least three months for making a record ... the album I just did with The Editors was finished in nine weeks. It’s good, you have a different discipline, you don’t sit there wasting your time working a 15-hour day. Records used to be made quickly, I can remember doing double albums in two weeks! Somebody told me the first Black Sabbath record was recorded and mixed in twelve hours ... but that’s not your first thought when you listen to it. So I think it could be a real shot in the arm — if you want it to be. We could just sit here and moan — ‘We’re October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 43

The new Fostex LR16 is a clever all-in-one solution integrating a flexible, feature-rich live digital mixer with a full-specification 16-track Multitrack Hard Disc Recorder and CAT-5 Digital Multicore. A totally new concept, this easy-to-use audio tool can serve as a FOH or on-stage mixer and is ideal for schools, houses of worship, clubs, coffee houses, project studios, mobile recording and rental sound/recording, etc. - In fact any application where flexibility of use is important. Also Available: LM16 - Live Mixer Model - see online for more information

resolution

www.fostex.jp Fostex Company, 3-2-35 Musashino, Akishima, Tokyo, Japan 196-0021 Email: info_sales@fostex.jp

29/09/2009 10:15

CRAFT

Russ Russell It was metal that brought him back into the industry and metal that has kept him employed…along with a nice line in mastering. He shares his ‘dark art’ with GEORGE SHILLING

uss Russell’s initial visits to recording studios were as a punk musician, playing guitar. He learned recording basics at a garden shed studio locally in his native Northamptonshire and then bought a PA system and learned how to use it for his band, later doing FOH for other bands. One group he worked with asked him to help out in the studio, and expecting there to be an in-house engineer Russell was surprised to find that there wasn’t. He bluffed his way through the session and the management and label were so ecstatic with the results that they employed him for further projects. His initial studio work often took place at Far Heath in Northamptonshire, and later Great Linford Manor. He also spent time at studios like Battery in London, Parr Street in Liverpool and Jacobs in Surrey, and Russell notably worked alongside producer Simon Effamy for a number of projects. But about 10 years ago, fed up with ‘whingeing indie bastards’ he told his manager he had had enough of the 44

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 44

business. A week later the manager called back to offer work with the grandees of extreme metal, Napalm Death, and that re-ignited Russell’s flame. Subsequently he has completed a number of albums with the band and produced many other bands from similar genres. His current main studio base is at Parlour Sound in Kettering, which is where Resolution met him for a chat. Other heavy rock acts on Russell’s CV include The Wildhearts, Rotted, Berzerker and more recently Absolute Power, Insidious Disease, the top secret ‘Brujeria’ project, and Primitive Graven Image. He increasingly masters his own projects and has even started mastering other people’s albums. Russell works with other genres than metal and has carved a niche doing electronic music such as Lux and Black Tzar. He has also received commissions for his own compositions for computer games, adverts and even a science fiction series. He says: ‘I like all kinds of music, except for Italian opera and New Country.’ (photos www.recordproduction.com)

resolution

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:15

CRAFT What did you bring to Napalm Death’s latest record? They’ve got very defined ideas about what they want to do, but I brought a lot of other influences from the other kinds of music I’ve worked on — especially on the last few albums I’ve done. Nobody ever expected female backing vocals, acoustic guitars, strings and trumpets on a Napalm Death album, but we’re pulling all the tricks out. It’s still a face-melter! Do they play with a click track? Very rarely, there are certain songs, usually the slower songs, if we’re going to add other elements, any electronic stuff, then we’ll do it to a click, but 90% of the time no, it’s just one, two, three, four, go! How much computer fiddling goes on with metal records? It varies from none to lots! I do use Beat Detective, but I still prefer to do it manually by eye, just chop it up. Because I was a drummer, I can feel where the beat’s going. I don’t like to lay everything on a grid, it isn’t natural. Sometimes it’s not to a click, so I’ll just find the start of the bar and the end of those four bars and even everything out in between.

And do you add other overheads for the cymbals? Yeah, I measure and make sure they’re equal distance from the head mic — I’m pretty good at doing it by eye lately. If you get the balance right between the three, I call it ‘the holy trinity’, it’s just amazing, the spread, and how much sound you can get out of those three mics. Tell me about guitar miking… Apparently, I’m a fool, according to a few websites and forums. I’ve done it many ways. I’ve been doing it with two mics for years, always start with a 57 — if it doesn’t sound right with a 57 there’s something wrong with the guitar sound and you don’t need to experiment further. If I can’t get that sounding good, everything stops, let’s go back to the amp and sort it out. It used to be a 57 and a 421, but I fell out with 421s, I don’t know why. But generally the 57 straight-on at the dust-cap, and then on the same dust-cap but at an angle with the second mic, and make sure they are millimetre distance-matched. But then I found a new method which came about by accident. I got a good deal on a box of Audix mics for drums. So I set up my 57, then all these around it so I could A/B each one with the 57. It looked beautiful, like a flower. So I was muting them, on, off, on, off. And I flicked three on at once by

Do you do lots of vocal takes, compile, Autotune and Melodyne, or is it just shouting down an SM58 once through? It’s different for every band. With Napalm Death, the first time I recorded his vocals it scared the life out of me! He doesn’t like to be in a different room, he likes to be in the control room. He hates headphones, but he likes his iPod headphones, so I let him use those and he’ll stand next to you with a 58. But the first time, I said, I’m just going to get a level, and he went WAAAAAAAHHHHHAAAAAHHH! He’s unbelievably loud. There’s very little editing goes on. We do experiment, we’ve had him singing melodies and harmonies lately in a clean tone, which was a new experience for him, and he really enjoyed it. But he’s got something that very few people have got, just the natural raw sound of his voice. Lots of compression? Yes, I’m mad for compression. Other engineers say, What are you doing? The needle’s bending! Yes, hahaha! The 1176 is my favourite device in the world. What is different about drum miking for this genre? Nothing really, apart from putting triggers on the drums to record the spike output from the trigger. It’s good for editing, you can see where every beat is really clearly, especially when you’re dealing with really fast material. I use the Roland ones. And they come in really handy for sample replacement if you do need to do it. They’re also really handy for opening gates. It’s a little crystal mic, but because it’s so tiny, and in direct contact, all you hear is the tic. It clips onto the rim of the drum, and the contact pushes against the edge of the skin. It can dampen the drum a little bit, which is often a good thing. They’re designed for use with a brain. What do you use for bass drum? Lots of different things. The last Napalm record was done with just a 57, and it sounded amazing — only 20-inch kick drums, and it was incredible how much low end came off it. I do also use Beta 52s a lot, they’ve almost got my EQ curve built into them, it’s what I’d do with any other mic, to try and get it to sound like that. What else? I picked up a good tip at the BBC’s Maida Vale… The first thing the guy did was put a Coles over the guy’s head, as close as he could get without hitting it with a stick. He just rammed it hard into an 1176, and it was the whole kit sound with one mic. So I do that all the time now. I tend to use an 87, or just lately I’ve been using the Rode NTK, but it’s amazing how much of the sound you can get from just that one mic. October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 45

resolution

29/09/2009 10:15

cRAft accident. The guitarist said, ‘That sounds really great!’ I said no it doesn’t, you’re being fooled because it’s louder. I did it again, and he said, ’No, it really does sound good.’ I sat back and thought, hmm, it does sound good. So I thought, let’s have a laugh, and put all five mics on. And to my horror, they were all in phase, and it worked, and it sounded really, really good! After fiddling for ten minutes — some of them had more low end, some more high end, different characters, a little bit of balancing, and it sounded amazing. We recorded a bit of each combination from two to five mics, then matched the gains of the recordings. And everybody picked the five mics. I thought, this can’t be right! Then I thought, if one of those mics moves a millimetre, it will affect the whole sound. So I taped off the whole area around the cab, made sure everything was as tight as it could be, nobody was allowed in the room. And I spent the next three

or four days going, please don’t move! It shouldn’t have worked, but it did, and it was amazing, and all the fans, press, everybody said it was the best guitar tone we’d ever had. Two tracks, a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier and a Peavey 5150.

Doesn’t the cumulative proximity make it bassy? No, that is down to the amp and the cab, getting the balance right in the first place. Especially with the metal stuff, there’s a lot of chugging, you have to make sure that isn’t blowing too much air. Do you filter the low end? If I’m doing a combination of two tracks of one amp and two tracks of another, I’ll make sure that there’s a bit less on one than there is on the other. And then compress the low end separately if necessary, using a

Neve Genesys We never compromise… and we don’t see why you should.

“

plug-in, or previously the BSS four-band compressor. I tried it a second time, thinking it must have been a fluke, and set up the five mics, different band, different sound. One of them didn’t work so we ended up with four mics. Another engineer saw it and took a picture, and put it online on a forum, and instantly everyone launched into a tirade of abuse, who is this idiot, it’s going to sound terrible!

Doesn’t it get unwieldy with five tracks? No, I commit — people think I’m crazy for doing that! I get my sounds to tape because I don’t see how anybody can rely on being able to get that sound in the mix. I do take a DI from guitars in case any re-amping is needed, but I don’t do a lot. I’ve got the original ReAmp, but I’ve ordered a new Radial X-Amp because you can split to two amps from that. Do you mix on the Audient desk? I am constantly analogue and digital. Not everything is separate, there are some things coming out of the same holes. I do mix with flat faders and do all the rides in the computer. But I EQ on the desk, it’s really unflavoured and neutral, it does what you want. I take pictures on my phone and I’ve recalled things really easily. Do you ever have an assistant? I get ten emails a week, and I’ve tried out loads of people, but quite frankly they were all rubbish, I just

A chunk of Neve greatness… Diminutive but crammed with functionality… Extraordinary routing and configuration flexibility… ‘Big console’ feature specs…

George Shilling, reviewing the Neve Genesys in Resolution, Resolution, October 2009

”

Features include: DAW control for Pro Tools, Logic, Nuendo etc • all settings including dynamics & EQ storable/ recallable • 5.1 monitoring built in as standard • true in-line design • comprehensive control room functions • a modular approach (pick your frame size, starting from a 16 fader/32 input configuration, then upgrade as your business grows, up to the maximum 64 fader/128 fader configuration) • proven 88RS-based technology • choice of transformer-based classic or modern 88-style analogue preamps • optional Neve Total Recall™ • optional automation through our renowned Encore Plus™ automation package • prices from £28,300 + applicable taxes

For full details go to www.ams-neve.com/Products/Music/Genesys/Genesys.aspx For a test drive, contact: KMR Audio • +44 20 8445 2446 • www.kmraudio.com

KMR_NeveGenesys_NoCompromise_Resolution.indd 1

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 46

resolution

25/09/2009 11:39

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:17

CRAFT didn’t get on with them. I’d love to have an assistant, but only if it was a mini-me. When I was assisting and engineering for people I’d get the minimum amount of sleep and sit in the studio, watching what everyone was doing, waiting on the sidelines like the ballboys at Wimbledon, whereas these kids — [looking round] where’s he gone?!

Do you use outboard effects? The Lexicon [PCM91] and Kurzweil [Rumour] reverb — that’s great for drums, but I also use lots of Altiverb. I have my own impulses from when the store room was built here! I spent the day making responses for the whole day before the carpet went in. What gear do you use for mastering? We’ve got the Avalon EQs, the Smart compressor, plus digital stuff, often I do it in the box, we’ve got the Cranesong HEDD too. If I’m mastering my own work I mix it almost premastered, usually with the Cranesong.

asked them to do in the notes. And I was unhappy with other jobs done by reputable mastering houses in London. I thought, I’ve got to learn how to do this properly, because these people don’t care.

Do you do any A/B-ing? It’s the only time I do, I don’t A/B when I’m mixing, but when I’m mastering I do, to compare overall tones. For a long time I was worried that what I did wasn’t professional, but it just came down to, well, listen to the results. I even remastered albums that I’d done that had been mastered by other people because I had the original mixes, and bands were all picking my masters. But the most I learnt was from Kevin Metcalfe [of The Soundmasters], he is always kind enough to explain what he’s doing, but others would always say, ‘It’s a secret, it’s a dark #25859 - Resolution Lynx Ad:Layout 18/09/2009 14:09 Page 1 art’! Bollocks! n

How did you get into mastering? It all started because I was unhappy with mastering done on my records. I always insisted on attending. There was one in particular that was done in New York which I wasn’t allowed to attend, and it came back terrible. No care and attention to detail had been taken, every song had the same settings, they hadn’t even faded the ends, which I had specifically

Audio

as nature intended

The Lynx Aurora 8 and 16 provide world-class A/D and D/A conversion with full analogue and AES connectivity in a compact, 1U rack format. With up to 24bit/192kHz conversion, Aurora offers wide, open, uncompressed and unequalised audio for the most demanding recording applications. Also available, the new Aurora 16-VT adds variable trim for all analogue I/Os. And with optional cards providing Pro Tools™ HD, FireWire, ADAT and MADI connectivity, the Aurora can integrate into any system. It’s audio, just as nature intended. Find out more at www.lynxstudio.com

Optional Aurora interface cards LT-HD Provides seamless, rock solid compatibility with your Pro Tools HD system. LT-FW Hook up your Aurora with any FireWire-equipped Mac or Windows computer. LT-ADAT Adds up to 16 channels of high-performance ADAT Lightpipe input and output. LT-MADI Allows up to 4 Auroras to be combined, providing 64 channels of audio in MADI format.

Exclusively distributed in the UK & Ireland by Source • www.sourcedistribution.co.uk/lynx • T: 020 8962 5080 All trademarks are recognised as the property of their respective owners.

October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 47

resolution

29/09/2009 10:17

CRAFT

Draw the line In celebration of David Gray’s first album release in four years here’s a quick look at how the album was put together with mix engineer SIMON CHANGER. David’s long-standing engineer and co-producer Iestyn Polson recorded the album with Simon being brought in for the mix having previously worked with them on the A New Day at Midnight album during his time at Whitfield St Studios and then on the two new tracks for the Greatest Hits.

began working on the new material in September 2008 and after more than two years of almost solid recording (and rerecording) David, Iestyn and the band had lost some perspective on what they had achieved. The Logic arrangements were full of takes and were very colourful. My brief was to pull up at least two tracks a day and provide a good monitor mix for everyone to hear where the tracks were and to acquaint myself with the new songs. While recording carried on upstairs in the main studio [at Gray’s The Church studio in North London], I was given the downstairs studio to mix in and after about three weeks I had got through 24 of the 40 new songs and these were the album contenders. Iestyn had been discussing the possibility of transferring everything to tape.

We had all been impressed with the mastering of the greatest hits single World To Me, which was sent to Sterling Sound as a 44.1kHz, 24-bit WAV, and we had compared two versions — one which had been transferred to tape there and had then been mastered and one that had been mastered straight from the WAV file. We had opted for the tape-transferred version. With the new record Iestyn was keen on maintaining the ‘old’ sound and so we decided to transfer all the completed songs to multitrack tape. We hired a Studer A800 from FX Rentals and swapped the head block for a 2-inch 16-track we had hired from Abbey Road. After a week of nonstop transfers — most songs took three passes — I had finished all the numbers and they were back in Logic as pleasing solid pieces of audio. I remember David saying how satisfying it was knowing that things were finally being committed. In the end, about half of the songs on the album were mixed solely from the transferred sessions and the remainder were either from the original recordings or from a mixture of both. The effect of the tape was great on David’s vocal and guitars but on some of the songs, particularly on the drums, the effect was detrimental. The official mix began the day after an orchestral session at Abbey Road studios in mid October. The mix room at The Church is based around an SSL 4056 G series console and a 56-output Apogee Mix rig running Logic 6.4 and OS 9 was the multitrack. Having worked with Iestyn over the last six years I knew his setup well and he hadn’t upgraded to HD as his philosophy is not to spend lots of money upgrading something that is working fine. It’s amazing how much faster Logic is on OS 9! When David took over The Church studio he also bought most of the gear in it and Iestyn and I added our gear too. However, the one piece of equipment that was missing was a plate reverb and after a fairly extensive search we bought a stereo EMT140.

Breakthrough. THE NEW DAKING MIC-PRE ONE THE DAKING MIC PRE ONE will change everything you know about mic pre’s and DI’s with the best sound you’ve ever heard for well under $1000. Break through the mix with an American-made,’Class A’ unit from Geoff Daking.

• Unique variable high pass ﬁlter • Full metering • Enough gain for any mic (70dB) • Front Panel DI • Outboard power supply • US $850 A L S O AVA I L A B L E F R O M D A K I N G FET Compressor

Daking QPH 0909.indd 1

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 48

Mic Pre / EQ

Mic Pre IV

resolution

Worlwide distribution by TransAudioGroup.com 702-365-5155 31/07/2009 15:27

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:17

CRAFT The vocal chain stayed fairly consistent between tracks and consisted of an original Teletronix LA2A -> Tube Tech PE1B -> Urei 1176 plus some processing on the channel. On some of the tracks that were cut live, the vocal level varied considerably as David moved about as he performed and to help combat this I’d take a group send from the processed vocal and heavily compress it through another Urei 1176 and add it back in under the main vocal channel. This kept the vocal solid and helped excite it too. The drums were spread over 12 tracks and most of the processing was done on the console except for the snare which I put through another Urei 1176 and then into a vintage Focusrite 110 EQ. I’d then submix the drums to two groups and bring them back down two channels with an Empirical Labs Fatso Jnr inserted over them to compress them and their reverb. Iestyn usually recorded a room mic and that provided some of the drum ambience but the artificial reverb was generated from a mixture of tape echo (a real Watkins Copicat Mark IV and Line6’s Echofarm), an old Morley oil delay, a Great British Spring, a Roland spring, the plate and one side of the Lexicon 480L. Generally the mix process for each song would begin with Iestyn reminding himself of the tracks on the multitrack and us getting a rough balance going as he discussed his thoughts for the direction of the track as we went. He’d then leave me to it for a couple of hours to get everything working. During this time Dave would normally be working lyrics or additional parts out for the songs that were incomplete and Iestyn would head to the main studio to get those down. Once the mix was taking shape, Dave and Iestyn would come back downstairs and we’d progress from there. Robbie Malone, David’s bass player, would often stay with me to make sure the right parts were there as some decisions had been left to the mix stage. The orchestral session at Abbey Road was also transferred to 2-inch after the session. Three songs had orchestral parts added, two of which appear on this album: Jackdaw and Full Steam Ahead. Jackdaw, arranged by Caroline Dale, was particularly interesting as Iestyn had already recorded her octet at The Church and it sounded great. The Abbey Road strings were really good but most of the song uses the strings recorded at The Church because of their performance and sonority — it’s not until the last big chorus that we crossfaded into the Abbey Road strings which had to be worked to fit The Church sound! Full Steam Ahead has an amazing arrangement done by Chris Elliot that became

October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 49

a logistical problem at the mix stage because we didn’t have enough voices to run everything at once. It became a three-stage process. First, I did a premix of the band down to stereo so I could run this with the orchestral session. The orchestra had been recorded in sections: strings and harp, brass, timpani, vibes, and finally suspended cymbal. Each of these had the main Decca tree, two out rig mics, two ambient mics, an old 1935 EMI ribbon mic and then their respective spot mics. I made stereo bounces of each section into three stereo pairs: main mics, spot mics and I kept the ambient pair as they were. These were then routed out of a pair of channels per section. We just had enough voices to run everything this way although when it came to the final mix we had to add in a few more spot mics to pick out the parts Dave wanted to hear more of. The orchestra was also run through the Fatso Jnr which warmed it up nicely. For most of the songs I had my Manley Vari Mu -> GML 8200 EQ inserted over the mix. However, on both songs with an orchestral arrangement the compression settings for the start of the track and the band meant that when the orchestra got going the mix was being squashed too much. To get round this I decided to use the back stereo bus on the console and, with a bit of patching, managed to get the Manley over the band only with the EQ over the whole mix. The mix bus then went to an Apogee Rosetta A-D at 96kHz and the songs were recorded to an Alesis Masterlink ML-9600. The only analogue two-track machine at The Church is an Otari ¼-inch. We considered mixing to this but realised that its test tape was worn out and after the expense of transferring the multitracks to tape and how well the single World To Me had turned out transferring to tape at mastering, we decided to use the Alesis and that worked out great. Altogether, over the nine months we finished some 33 songs. The big discovery for me during the mix was the Acoustic Energy AE22 Pro monitor. I found them so easy to work on and they were really accurate with the mixes translating well at home or to Dave’s favourite — the car. n

resolution

29/09/2009 10:17

DIGITAL SYSTEM ESSENTIALS

Super FPGA Last issue we looked at the different number systems used within digital signal processing –- floating point versus fixed point. SUE MCDONALD now explores how that processing is physically implemented. Are DSP chips the only option or can other types of chip, such as FPGA, offer an alternative?

oday most digital signal processing is performed using DSP chips. DSPs are a type of ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit); they are designed specifically for digital signal processing and, once manufactured, cannot be reprogrammed. Since their invention in the 1980s DSPs have always offered very fast processing at a reasonable cost. Over the years a wide range of DSPs designed specifically for audio have been developed by chip manufacturers, and a large community of experienced DSP engineers has grown up alongside Fig. 1. Analog devices Tiger SHARC DSPs. the technology. The result is that there are lots of DSP chips on the market and a substantial amount of off-the-shelf code that can be used to bring new products to market quickly and easily. While DSP chips continue to develop and offer faster and faster processing connectivity layer is defined and the chip is up and running. speeds, they are not particularly good at handling lots of channels; a single SHARC A Super FPGA is simply a very powerful FPGA. Unlike a DSP chip, it is very good DSP chip can process only 32 channels. This means that to build a large format at dealing with lots of inputs and outputs, and parallel processing, such as applying digital mixing engine, several stacked DSP chips are usually required. So, is there EQ or gain across multiple channels. This is leading some audio designers to think an alternative? differently about signal processing engines. An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a different type of chip that is The major drawback of an off-the-shelf DSP is that it has very few pin configured by the customer after its manufacture. The ability to program and connections, and therefore can handle only a limited number of channels. This reprogram the chip makes it extremely flexible. Invented in the mid 1980s, FPGAs is fine for products like a portable audio recorder or a digital effects unit where were originally developed for military applications and their flexibility came at a lots of channels are not necessary. But for a digital mixing console with hundreds cost. Early devices cost thousands of dollars per of channels you need to use multiple chip and were extremely difficult to program. Also, DSPs. The end result is more board space when applied to digital signal processing, they were requiring more power, translating into simply not as powerful as their DSP rivals. higher build costs and less reliability During the 1990s FPGA technology took off and (more interconnections). chips became more affordable. FPGAs have always Figure 1 shows a series of stacked been very good at handling lots of connections DSP chips operating in parallel. Each and have been widely used to swallow up what DSP handles a specific job for a subset is known as the ‘glue’ logic. Glue logic describes of audio channels: for example, the EQ the logic circuits that join, or glue, the various for channels 1 to 32 might be performed building blocks of a digital system together. In on chip 1, the EQ for channels 33 to early systems, this was done using lots of different 64 on chip 2, and so on. The topology components: TTL chips, memory buffers, and may change from system to system, but so on. FPGAs allowed all these functions to be the principle remains the same. The end designed into a single chip, resulting in a simpler result is a powerful processing engine board design with less connectivity. As a result they spread across multiple chips requiring have found widespread use in telecommunications, multiple processing boards. networking, consumer products and professional In comparison, FPGAs are very good at audio equipment where they are often used to route handling lots of inputs and outputs, and lots of signals around the digital system. dealing with parallel processing. Super So, historically, the strength of a purpose-built FPGAs provide millions of logic blocks Fig. 2. Stealth processing board from Digico. DSP chip has been its processing speed while the and can perform hundreds of operations strength of an FPGA has been its input and output capability. However, compared within a single cycle. Figure 2 shows one manufacturer’s implementation. This to early devices, which were slow and inefficient, today’s FPGA chips offer millions single chip can deliver 256 channels of audio mixing (gain, pan, EQ and dynamics). of gate operations. These Super FPGAs are not only faster than off-the-shelf DSPs The advantages are less board space and power, which means a lower build cost for but can handle many more channels and come with hidden extras like built-in the final system, and less connectivity, which increases reliability for the end user. microprocessors or memory. So, can a single Super FPGA compete with, or even Of course, the latest Super FPGA chips come at a premium. While standard replace, multiple DSPs? To explore this further, we need to understand a little more FPGAs are now affordable, the Super FPGA capable of processing our 256 audio about FPGA. channels costs around $1000. In comparison, a typical off-the-shelf DSP costs An FPGA differs from a DSP chip in that it is not fixed at manufacture. To a more like $10-12. So, you can buy an awful lot of DSPs and build a very powerful designer, it’s a bit like buying a blank sheet of paper onto which a design can be processing engine for the same money as our single FPGA. drawn. If there is a flaw in the design, or the functionality needs to change, then However, the cost of a piece of audio equipment does not lie solely in the a new drawing can be made and the chip reprogrammed. It’s a bit like modifying component cost. Other factors like the surrounding circuitry, power requirements a circuit board — in analogue electronics you would take your soldering iron and and reliability all play their part. Compared to a single chip solution, multiple patch a few green wires around the board; in a digital system you can simply DSPs require more processing boards, more power to run, and have more reprogram the chip. interconnections. In addition, an audio manufacturer using DSP chips must swallow Each FPGA chip consists of a set of logic blocks — the standard logic that you the development costs of prototype board revisions and redesigns. The obvious need to build a digital system. When an FPGA is powered, it is completely dumb; advantage of FPGA is that it can be reprogrammed making design revisions simple. the logic blocks sit there, unconnected, twiddling their thumbs. To turn this benign Manufacturers also need to consider how quickly a product can be brought to device into something useful, you need to tell the blocks how they should connect market. DSPs have been used in digital audio processing for the last 20 years. There to each other -- in other words, design the circuitry. This ‘connectivity layer’ is are lots of engineers familiar with DSP technology and a wealth of standard text what configures the device, and is usually stored externally as a program in flash book algorithms that can be implemented. memory. When you switch on, the program is downloaded to the FPGA; the By comparison, FPGA design, and particularly design for audio, is brand new.

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 50

resolution

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:17

DiGitAl SyStEM ESSENtiAlS

You could compare the current level of FPGA knowledge to that of DSP design in the 1980s with the first Neve DSP console. Audio design engineers will have to go back to basics and learn how to add two signals together using logic gates (build an adder), learn how to make a floating point multiplier, and then learn how to connect the adders and multipliers to make an EQ. You could say it’s equivalent to designing an analogue console from scratch; once you’ve done it, it’s easy to replicate these designs. But doing it for the first time, takes time, patience and skill. Combine this with the fact that there are relatively few FPGA designers in the world, and it’s a real challenge. Fortunately, many universities are now offering specific programs in FPGA design. However, it may be several years before our industry feels the benefit. On the upside, FPGAs are generic devices rather than being application-specific. Calrec Resolution Ads 7/8/08 17:46 Page 1 This means that once an audio designer has developed his or her building blocks,

it is very easy to transfer them to a different device (bigger, smaller or even from a different chip manufacturer). This gives FPGA designs longevity. If a particular chip becomes obsolete, the design can be transferred to a different one. If a DSP chip becomes obsolete, then usually it means going back to the drawing board. FPGA designs are also much more difficult to copy, which makes the design more secure. Whereas DSP code is relatively easy to decipher, it’s virtually impossible to decode what is going on inside an FPGA from the flash source code because it is compiled at such a low level. In the end, the choice of technology usually comes down to the application and for certain functions DSP chips have advantages over FPGA. Complex signal processing that requires algorithms to be adjusted on-the-fly is much easier to implement using DSP. While FPGAs can be reconfigured quickly, achieving this dynamically while continuing to process data is a complex and challenging task. Therefore, for applications such as digital effects or loudspeaker processing, where the numbers of channels are small and signal dependent processing complex, DSPs rule. The future for FPGA chips is that they will continue to become more powerful and sophisticated. The same could be said of DSPs. However, FPGA technology promises a greater degree of flexibility. You can already buy Super FPGAs with built-in extras. For example, the flash memory can be embedded reducing the requirement for an external flash chip. Some even have built-in processors, such as integrated DSP or microprocessors, providing single chip solutions from hybrid technologies. The growth of FPGAs in other markets is also likely to effect costs. FPGA manufacturers are targeting phones, PDAs and handheld devices to launch ultra miniature products. The advantages for these consumer products is that they are more flexible and easier to upgrade. As FPGAs are developed and manufactured for consumer markets, chip costs will decrease. If FPGA can become prevalent in the audio industry, then could these upgrade advantages translate into digital audio? With a DSP-based system, a system upgrade normally means new physical hardware. Perhaps FPGA could offer system upgrades in the field without even needing to open up the digital engine. Whether this is feasible remains to be seen. The biggest obstacle for FPGA technology in our industry is the lack of programming talent. Engineers who understand it, either don’t understand audio or are being swallowed up by other industries. From an audio manufacturer’s point of view, FPGAs and DSPs are complimentary technologies. There is no simple answer as to whether one is superior, and for many applications the best approach is a hybrid system. n

WHEREVER THERE’S SPORT CALREC AUDIO IS THE BIG PLAYER

calrec.com

There’s no more demanding environment than outside broadcast, so it’s not surprising that demanding production companies consistently choose Calrec consoles, time after time. Whatever the competition, Calrec is the runaway leader in the field of sport. In EMEA countries and in the US, there are more Calrec consoles in HD trucks than any other make. And our reputation for reliability is second to none. From Premier League football to lawn tennis, athletics to motor racing, cricket, rugby and horse racing…we’ve got it covered. And thanks to our award-winning Bluefin HDSP, it’s all in glorious, fully controllable 5.1 surround sound. Putting Sound in the Picture

If you share our passion for sport, find out more at calrec.com

October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 51

resolution

29/09/2009 10:17

BUSiNESS

IPTV – breaking out The fully-digital home may be a reality sooner than expected, thanks to IPTV. NIGEL JOPSON explains the numbers and opportunities behind this disruptive technology.

ften confused with television content viewable over the Internet, IPTV is a paid digital television service frequently bundled with internet access and telephone/VOIP (referred to in marketing-speak as the ‘triple play’). In Resolution V6.4 we gave an overview of the technology, the corporations and the offerings available for IPTV and internet television. Since then IPTV has taken off, especially in Europe, with the market shaping up for a ‘battle of the bundle’. Surveys by Strategy Analytics and other researchers show that, in tough economic times, bundled customers are two times less likely to cancel their digital TV service. In the European telecom market, where broadband penetration has been driven to more than 50% by fierce competition, IPTV offers a key revenuebuilding escape from a pricing strategy that is no longer sustainable for telcos. ‘By developing additional services [telecom] providers can enjoy long and successful relationships with customers for years to come,’ says Susan Richardson, principal research analyst at Gartner Group.

Global IPTV subscriptions passed the 20m mark by the end of 2008, according to research released in March by Informa Telecoms and Media. The 90 networks that disclosed numbers account for 19.98m subscriptions, and estimates for a further 20 networks take the total to 20.12m. IPTV is now active in nearly 60 countries. The EU has the highest take-up with 10.3m subscriptions at the end of 2008. The vast majority of IPTV subscribers remain outside the US, with over half in Europe. Julian Herbert, Principal Analyst at Informa said: ‘In markets where the bandwidth is available and the marketing and pricing are attractive, IPTV is attracting big volumes of new customers and helping operators to improve retention rates and increase fixed line ARPU [Average Revenue Per User]. Look at operators like AT&T — over 800,000 net adds in 2008 — or Free and France Telecom in France, PWCC in Hong Kong or Portugal Telecom: all are growing their market shares strongly in competitive TV markets.’ The rapid European growth is all the more remarkable given current economic conditions and the challenges involved in selling the idea to consumers. In the Netherlands, Cable TV connections are already integrated into most houses, but telecom company KPN managed to acquire 553,000 customers for its IPTV offering by 2008. Belgacom had a similar uphill struggle in explaining IPTV to the Belgium public, but by 2009 had also acquired over 500,000 customers, 200,000 of them added during 2008. Editorialisation of IPTV content is very important. ‘If Telcos have chosen IPTV as driver in a triple play ... don’t forget TV is emotional!’ explains Bernard Rapaille, head of TV for Belgacom. ‘OK, it’s a utility service, but behind this there must be talented teams to choose the channels, select good movies, animate the platform: it has to live. The big clash in the beginning between media people and telco people was very difficult. The first group were like cowboys, concentrating on emotion, the second were very rigid and inflexible, focused on engineering. In my company, we are now aligned, there has been an evolution from both sides, the editorial side can be the success for the technical side. I expect that, within two years, 95% of Belgium population will be on IPTV.’ The US is one of the oldest pay TV markets in the world, with a cable and satellite homes-passed rate of more than 90%. The incumbent cable and satellite companies have enjoyed unchallenged access to high margin slices of the home-entertainment pie. The recent entry of big telecom companies like AT&T and Verizon into the television marketplace with IPTV offerings has created significant new competition. Strategy Analytics project IPTV will grow its US market share from 5% in 2009 to 13% in 2010. By 2013 they reckon IPTV will have captured around 18% of the market. AT&T has invested massively (close to $5bn) in the fibre roll-out of a private IP network designed for video transport. In 2006, AT&T launched the U-verse IPTV service, which offers over 300 channels. AT&T admitted in its Q4 2008 results that it now expects to reach its previously announced target of 30m homes passed in 2011, a year later than originally planned. Currently, it’s passing 17m. At the March 2009 IPTV World Forum Franz Kurath, AT&T’s director of broadband content and converged services, gave a presentation to analysts. U-verse’s Total Home DVR allows up to five HD streams to be viewed simultaneously, two being live, with three others streamed from the Total Home DVR. The same recorded show can also be accessed, played back and controlled independently on up to four separate TVs. The Microsoft Mediaroom-powered PVR (Personal Video Recorder) allows content to be swapped mid-play between different TVs — for example, if the viewer decides to finish watching in their bedroom after starting a movie in the kitchen. This insight into a system that over a million AT&T customers already

A Legend In His Own Time

irk Brauner has been perfecting the art of microphones for over a decade. Hand crafted in Germany with a passion, it’s no wonder Brauner mics are coveted by the world’s most famous studios and producers. For artists that deserve the best, Brauner is the only choice. Now Brauner offers a range of mics to suit a wide variety of budgets, all with the legendary sound that has made Brauner a name synonymous with quality. “Dirk’s microphones are open, natural and inspiring just like the man himself. “ Peter Gabriel “ Never before did I come across a microphone of this caliber. The VMA is the best microphone I have ever worked with. “ Elliot Scheiner : Steely Dan, Toto, Van Morrison, Fleetwood Mac, Sting, ... “ I got a call from a friend of mine who was working on a Janet Jackson mix that we had recorded vocals on and the producer, Rodney Jerkins, kept asking about the vocal sound, what mic we used, if it was a vintage mic. I had to smile when I told him it was not a vintage mic but a Brauner VMA! I LOVE my mic! “ John Horesco IV: Jermaine Dupri, Janet Jackson, Usher, Mariah Carey, ... In the UK: The Home Service T: 020 8943 4949 E: sales@louisaustin.com

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 52

theartofmicrophones.com

29/09/2009 10:17

BUSiNESS enjoy was all the more impressive as, earlier in the day, the director of on-demand at BSkyB Griff Parry had been cautioning the audience that such features would not necessarily be available in a UK Sky household for three years, if ever. Operators of cable and satellite based systems are saddled with the legacy technical model of transmitting all of the content all of the time. IPTV operators not only have the commercial imperative to develop a more persuasive featureset to differentiate their offerings, but are starting with a more efficient and interactive delivery system to build it on. In the UK market, neither Virgin Media’s cable platform or BT’s Vision are about to offer a rich feature-set like U-Verse any time soon. But there’s soon to be a new player in the UK: project Canvas. Canvas is an IPTV joint initiative from the BBC, ITV, BT and Channel Five. Much of the recent anti-BBC rhetoric from commercial multichannel operators can perhaps be explained by what they see as the BBC’s dominant role in this new project. Canvas has been conceived as an upgrade path for Freeview and Freesat, and targets a mainstream audience of UK free-to-air customers. Freeview relationship manager Andy Holmes is joining the Canvas team, which also includes Paul McIntosh, formerly national sales manager at Cisco subsidiary Linksys. Both men have been tasked with forging better relationships with external stakeholders. The BBC, according to IPTV director Richard Halton, is talking with broadcasters, content owners, networks and technology providers to develop existing standards under an industry-wide brand name: ‘Canvas is not an attempt to create standards. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this job, it’s that IPTV is not short of standards and we want to bring those together’. Halton maintains the real aim is to widen access to IPTV: ‘The proposals are about allowing the free-to-air part of the market to continue to evolve and have a functionality for its SummitResAd2:27.pdf 2/27/09 10:41:12 AM audience that is already offered for people who want to and can pay for digital television. It’s absolutely critical

NEw!

to us that the BBC provides for people that can’t and don’t want to pay for a digital TV subscription; that’s paramount.’ One of the real drivers of Canvas, according to Halton, is so the BBC doesn’t have to keep repurposing and reformatting its content for every medium, from mobiles to PCs to Macs. ‘In itself, it’s a fantastic achievement you can watch iPlayer on a Nokia N96… but it demonstrates the challenge we face in working across multiple platforms.’ The BBC Trust will give its interim judgement on Canvas in the autumn following the second consultation, which closed at the beginning of September. It will deliver its final verdict as soon as possible after a third consultation, and sources say it has indicated this will be well into 2010. The initial consultation document, launched in February, stated: ‘The BBC Executive has estimated that initial devices (which would be set-top boxes) would cost consumers in the range of £100-200 at launch in 2010. In order to access on-demand services, users would also have to pay their internet service providers for broadband access.’ The BBC apparently expects to spend about £16.6m on the project. Recent press releases and statements from Halton have mentioned consulting ISPs (who find internet television services like iPlayer taking up an ever increasing share of resources), and also suggest that European broadcasters may be involved in developing a common platform. A consortium including Canal+, France Televisions, TF1, the German Institut für Rundfunktechnik, SES Astra, plus software and media solutions providers ANT and OpenTV, recently announced the launch of a new pan-European initiative aimed at simplifying the IP delivery of broadcast and broadband content. Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV), previewed at the 2009 IBC, is based on elements of existing standards and web technologies including OIPF (Open IPTV Forum), CEA, DVB and W3C. HbbTV will build on the success of the SD teletext service used by more than 14m German consumers by providing a high quality video text service more suited to HD receivers. ‘It will deliver an open platform for broadcasters and service providers to deliver value added on-demand services to consumers of digital

Meet me at the Summit! Al Schmitt “ It’s been about 25 years now... My vocal chain has ALWAYS got the Summit in it” -Al Schmitt

CMY

30 Years

( Barbara Streisand, Steely dan, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones)

+001 sound@summitaudio.com October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 53

resolution

29/09/2009 10:17

BUSINESS content,’ said Dr Klaus Illgner-Fehns, MD of the Institut für Rundfunktechnik. Public broadcasters ARD and ZDF have already committed their support. HbbTV is due to be implemented in Germany in time for Christmas this year, using retail STBs (set-top boxes) manufactured by Humax and Kaon. Launches will then follow in 2010 for Austria and Switzerland. A spokesman for the UK Canvas partners said the project was ‘complimentary’ to that of the consortium and described HbbTV as ‘fundamentally different in technical scope’ but added it ‘could be an important precursor to adoption of a common European canvas IPTV standard’ — if approved by the BBC Trust. IPTV is a ‘disruptive’ technology: technology that either radically transforms markets, creates wholly new markets, or destroys existing markets for other technologies. It’s this last ‘other’ bit that tends to sneak up on the world — one moment the worthy FraunhoferGesellschaft is doing a bit of research into compressing digital audio files, the next moment the music industry is falling apart! To understand some of the consequences of IPTV, we need to look at operators who have created the most advanced services. Norwegian fibre-to-the-home operator Lyse is a small player globally, with just over 100,000 household subscribers. Their investment is considerable, it costs Lyse between £1200-£1500 to do each installation, but the rewards are considerable: a world record average annual revenue per house of £945 for their five service multiplay. ‘The point about IP technology is you can see your emails on the TV, you can program your telephone from the PC, you can use all the services from many devices,’ says Anders Brandt, Lyse’s international business development manager. ‘Money is not a big issue for our customers,’ Brandt maintains, ‘when you are able to digitise a house and deliver 100Mb symmetrically, as we do, with a huge IPTV solution which we developed with [specialist UK software developers] Latens ... people have this sort of money [to spend on entertainment], and in fact they’re saving money they would have spent on DVD renting and buying, they would have spent on magazines, on PC games and hardware for their computers. If the industry really dares to ask for the money, and delivers a top-notch, no-fault service, then the money will come. It’s as easy as that.’ Screen Digest believes ODM (On-Demand Media) services will generate $33m in incremental spending this year in the US and the major European markets, and will be worth $1.1bn in consumer spending by 2012. $665m of this amount will be new revenue, but the remainder will replace traditional DVD spending. Growth in

the DVD market has already plateaued, the logical conclusion is that physical video products are on the way down. There’s also a big future opportunity — to get a TV series on cable or broadcast over-the-air requires a certain critical mass of popular appeal; if not enough viewers tune in, the always-on transmission slot is wasted. As ‘Live From Abbey Road’ producer Michael Gleason told me: ‘Just to get anything on the air in the current environment ... we just feel so grateful to be back on air for a third season. It is just so tough to get programming ... music performance series are very difficult to place on broadcast or cable channels.’ Well, the problem of scheduling is not an issue with VOD. And IPTV parent companies, the telcos, are discovering it’s not enough to package pre-existing channels: to be really successful with IPTV they need to behave in a proactive manner to acquire new and unique content. Paula Souloumiac, France Telecom director of international TV, explains how a phone company can reinvent itself: ‘In June of 2006 we rebranded all of our internet activities to the Orange brand, at the same time we launched the triple-play. A big step was in 2007, we launched the first channel which Orange edits itself, which was Orange Sports. This is an interactive multiplatform information channel for sports. In 2008 we launched our Orange football channel, with French football rights, and more recently [in November 2009] we launched Orange cinema series, which is six cinema channels, including one HD channel, and a very big VOD proposition.’ France is now the world leader in IPTV take-up, and as Simon Murray, principal analyst, Informa Telecoms & Media explains: ‘Exclusive content is becoming increasingly more important. It can be expensive, but these telcos have deep pockets, deep enough to pay for things like exclusive football and movie rights.’ If I owned the rights to a catalogue of musical performances, I’d be putting a package together and polishing my pitch right now… n

Introducing the only stereo loudspeaker processor that maximizes mix translation: Trinnov Optimizer ST

improves phase response

automatically meets your target curve

w w w.t r in nov.co m

Request a demo from a Trinnov partner near you: TrinnovAdvert_Resolution_May2009_216x82.indd 1 Trinnov 0909 (IBC ref).indd 1

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 54

intelligent crossover alignment

resolution

24/04/09 19:21:15 31/07/2009 16:43

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:18

facility

Powerplay Studios A long-established lakeside recording complex on the shores of Switzerland’s Greifensee is enjoying a new lease of life following a makeover by Eastlake Audio. JIM EVANS takes the scenic trip to the 80s and back again.

he municipality of Maur is located on the south-west shore of the Greifensee, a few kilometres outside Zurich. The region is under protection, and new building construction is no longer allowed. One of the last developments to get the go-ahead was Powerplay Studios, designed and built by Eastlake Audio in 1982/3. During its long career the facility has enjoyed considerable national and international success. Its roll of honour ranges from the Bee Gees to Chris de Burgh, from Randy Newman to Nazareth, Lenny Kravitz to Lady Smith Black Mambazo, Wet Wet Wet and The Human League.

October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 55

Giorgio Moroder was a regular client and it’s probably fair to say that there are few in the Swiss music industry who have not passed through Powerplay’s doors over the last 25 years. Powerplay Studios was founded in 1977 some years before the move to Maur by Juerg Peterhans and Jimmy Duncombe. The former still owns the operation, which he has just leased out to producer/musicians Reto Muggli and Gian Caprez, while Duncombe continues to be very much involved in the music and recording business in Switzerland and elsewhere. Peterhans and Duncombe, along with Eastlake Audio’s David Hawkins were in attendance at the studio’s recent ‘relaunch’ which featured a number of leading Swiss acts playing live in the studio. David Hawkins had returned to Powerplay earlier this year to oversee the facility’s latest refurbishment. He recalls, ‘Eastlake were contacted in 1982 by two Zurich business partners — one Swiss and the other British — who were operating a highly successful (then MCI-equipped) studio facility from within the unlikely surroundings of a former chemical company’s cold storage annexe on a Zurich industrial estate. ‘Powerplay’s plan was to transfer their business and house it in a much more agreeable and suitable “ground-up” scenic location bordering one of Zurich’s lakes and which was to include lodging, catering and music preparation facilities. A prime requirement was that the recording area’s almost complete end wall would be a giant picture window overlooking the surrounding countryside and lake. That initially seemed a tall order — particularly as the lake in question bordered a Swiss Air Force base that was flying extremely noisy combat aircraft straight down the length of the lake and past the studio site. ‘In conjunction with the local architects and building acousticians, we were able to arrive at a suitably isolated footprint for the required facilities and construction of the ground-up shell began in late 1982. As luck had it, the permit for Powerplay’s development was the last building permit to be granted in that area and so the area remains unspoilt and charmingly semi-rural in spite of Zurich’s outward development elsewhere,’ says Hawkins. All the required constructional materials were shipped by road-trailer from the UK to site (then as now, this made economic sense given the high cost of some of the required categories in the local market) and an Eastlake crew — recently returned to the UK from the questionable delights of constructing a recording facility in the 35 degree, ninety-five percent humidity of Central Africa — flew to

resolution

29/09/2009 10:18

facility the site where temperatures were closer to zero. The facility was duly completed on-schedule and on-budget and was maintained with great care by its operators. Eastlake was again called in spring this year to discuss a rework — a full 26 years after the doors originally opened. The Studio re-work and overall finishes upgrading was agreed and implemented and Hawkins says that they’re eagerly looking forward to receiving another call from Powerplay around 2025. In the early 70s, Jim Duncombe was working under renowned classical tonmeister Helmuth Kolbe at his facility just outside Zürich recording and editing mobile mainly classical assignments, which included the first Quadraphonic recording of Berlios’ Requiem with Leonard Bernstein for CBD Masterworks and some of Arthur Rubinstein’s final recordings. Coming from a semi-successful R&R career (with Jimmy and the Rackets), Duncombe was assigned to fill the studio downtime with local pop talent. ‘It soon became evident that I was quite good at getting the clients in, but the studio was not equipped to handle the work,’ he remembers. ‘It felt logical to sell my house in England and look for a partner to supplement the rest. My wife was running a restaurant next to the Zürich state radio and one lunchtime a young engineer from the station, Juerg Peterhans, asked if he could join. We bought a used Studer A80 16-track and a Midas desk (later to be replaced by an MCI 500 series). I had a Studer B62 and we both had some JBL Monitors — enough to start looking for a place and a name for the studio.’ The pair constructed their first studio in the aforementioned industrial building, with rented air conditioning, and they installed all the basic sound proofing and cabling themselves. Model shown CMS 50 ‘It should be mentioned that there were no pop studios in Switzerland then and we enjoyed five or so years of success with much of our work appearing in the charts — the most successful of which was Trio’s worldwide number one hit, DaDaDa,’ says Duncombe. ‘During this period other studios popped up in the Zürich area each taking a piece of the cake. At that point Juerg, until then a junior partner in the company, suggested that his family build a state of the art studio facility from scratch. ‘Looking at the Billboard top 20 charts, we contacted the most successful producers with a questionnaire of preferences and came to the conclusion that a studio in Switzerland should have a lake and mountain view and be within 20 miles of Zürich airport,’ continues Duncombe. ‘It had to have Studer, SSL and be Eastlake designed. So that’s what we did. It took a year to find the land and about 18 months to build. We advertised - Audio Media Review - April 2009 in Studio Sound magazine and I lobbied the UK record companies.’ The first recording in the new Powerplay was CMS Active Nearfield Monitors scheduled for tracking superstar Udo Jürgens’ next Clean. Transparent. Smooth. album but the SSL was late arriving and as it was the Getting rave reviews and winning awards world over and based upon first SSL in Switzerland Duncombe had never used Focal proprietary driver technology, the CMS 65 and CMS 50 monitors deal one before. ‘It arrived a day or so before the session out supreme performance and exceptional versatility in equal measure. and most of the channel dynamics didn’t work. The From the superbly finished aluminium die-cast cabinets which offer total rigidity, the night before the session I fell asleep under the desk internal damping and bracing which banishes unwanted colorations and on to the reading the signal flow charts. And the next morning unique Al/Mg (aluminium/magnesium) inverted dome tweeter which easily extends up when the producer and band arrived I was on edge to 28kHz at -3dB, with a close to perfection pulse response, nothing can touch them. but optimistically confident. After levelling the rhythm But you don’t have to take our word for it. Sound on Sound, Audio Media and the group I remember opening up the faders and hearing M.I.P.A. panel are all in agreement. the result of a few million Swiss francs — Eastlake and These professional monitors are winners all the way. SSL and the new Powerplay — for the very first time. That moment has stayed with me.’ ‘It was the opportunity to work with international acts I wou e ld pers th onal ly choose the CMS65 in monitor for monitor day-to-day use without st studio dio that really encouraged us to build the new studio,’ says hesitation. For me, the Voted Be er 220 au ov by Focal CMS65 is in a class of awards its own. Peterhans, ‘and in 1983 we started in our purpose-built M.I.P.A. the globe. - Audio Media (April es across 09) magazin studio complex containing two studios with Eastlake ) il 09 pr (A .A - M.I.P I can honestly say I foun acoustics, the smaller still with the MCI package, the d nothing about thei r performance to dislike. ...they have to count as some of the bigger with an SSL, and Studer were interested enough sweetest and most natural-sounding desktop monitors I’ve to make a us a good offer for some A800s. The complex heard in the price range. Highly reco mmended - SOS (April 09) also sported accommodation and a kitchen, and was therefore the first residential studio in Switzerland. Equipment and acoustics were chosen to be compatible Distributed by SCV London: Call 020 8418 1470 for your nearest dealer with the rest of the world and with Eastlake, Studer, SSL and MCI we were obviously on the right track, as we www.scvlondon.co.uk had a constant stream of international clients.’ As well as the rock and pop work, Powerplay also did a Peterhans and Duncombe

“In a class of its own.”

56Focal CMS Resolution Junior 16-6-09.indd

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 56

resolution

16/6/09 14:33:29

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:18

facility

PRESENTS:

Golden Age Music 1660 PURE TUBE GAIN CONTROL AMPLIFIER

The 1660 is the first product in the Golden Age high-end line. It is a fantastic sounding, all tube compressor containing 16 tubes and 8 Lundahl transformers. The 1660 has that very special and rare ability to add magic to any audio signal and to enhance and glue together signals. It is equally well suited for recording, mixing and mastering.

Vintagedesign ProPack - Old School Channelstrip

lot of lot of ‘industrial work’ including video postproduction, commercials, and ‘practically everything with audio’. ‘At peak times Powerplay employed eleven people, including a cook,’ says Peterhans. ‘The rates were reasonable, everybody was earning some money, and we were able to go digital with a Studer D 820, which was welcomed by Willi Studer and George Martin personally at Studio A. ‘I would say the 80s and the early 90s were the peak for commercial recording studios. It was very hard work, a struggle, sometimes a pain in the ass, but funny as well. It was a functioning collaboration between record companies, artists and studios, producers becoming more and more important, but it became increasingly apparent that as well as the producers, the musicians would build their own studios. I decided in the mid 90s — Jimmy Duncombe having left the company — that I would not be part of the race technologically and commercially. ‘Cheap Computers were taking over, sessions were becoming boring waiting for the Ataris to sync up, and how can you drink a beer with a Commodore 64? So towards the late 90s Powerplay slowed down, I partially retired from studio work to concentrate on live broadcast, a sector that I never left since my radio days. The studio just managed to feed a few of my former employees, to which I handed over the operation. Rates were bottoming out, record companies would lose their able people and therefore it was becoming a DIY operation. People would smile at my 1/4 million Studer 48-track and show me their Mac with 128 tracks. ‘Everything was defined by money, professionalism was no longer in demand,’ he continues. ‘And now October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 57

music has become something you don’t spend money on anymore. A new generation has taken over and they go their own way, which I think is perfectly all right. Music has become extremely short-lived and therefore has to be produced in a different way. ‘Last year, the last of my former employees, Urs Weber, a wellrespected engineer with Yello, who was handling the studio for some years, told me that he was no longer able to make a living for him and his family. By that the time I had rented out studio B, the smaller one with the MCI, to Urs Wiesendanger, a talented musician, composer, arranger and producer, who did no longer want to record the drums in his bedroom. I decided to sort of put Studio A into hibernation. Then two young men, Reto Muggli and Gian Caprez, rented a former office in the house to set up a hard disk project suite and showed interest in renting Studio A for tracking. ‘Having to renovate and restore the rest of the house anyway I called David Hawkins and asked if he would put some hands on Studio A, keeping the 80s basic design but by altering the ceiling and taking out some separating walls to give the studio more space and make it look and sound a bit fresher,’ he adds. ‘George Gilbert — a former SSL engineer, who actually delivered our SSL — put hands and soldering iron on the desk. And here we are, a vintage 80s studio, nicely renovated, in a maybe better shape than it was back then. ‘For me, having the choice between throwing away the stuff, leave it rotting away or restoring it, David and George’s proposals made my decision pretty easy. Look at it as you would your first car — after some years of good use you lock it away in a barn, and after another few years you realise that there is an old-timer in your barn. You restore it and you enjoy it for its looks and sounds and what it used to be for you. It doesn’t have to transport you every day, it’s certainly not modern. Then suddenly some people ask you for a ride. That’s the fun in it.’ n resolution

A great sounding and versatile vintage style channelstrip.

TK ProAudio DP1 - Dual preamp The DP1 is the second product from TK ProAudio with a coloring Germanium gain stage, two switchable output stages, transformer or transformerless, and a great sound!

TK ProAudio BC1 - Stereo Buss Compressor

The BC1 has evolved from the most famous buss compressors from the mid 80´s. It has a very versatile blend control and sounds terrific! It is already a huge success. “Absolutely fantastic!!!! Really punchy!!” Jonas Quant

From the Custom Shop Series

HAMBURG II AU

Berlin 47 AU

Cremona 251 AU

Golden Age Project PRE-73

“Given the very affordable price of the Pre 73, its performance is astonishingly good, as is its build quality.” “ ... the aim of presenting a warm, vintage sound that´s musically attractive has been met extremely well indeed.” Sound on Sound March 2009

Welcome to:

www.goldenagemusic.se 57

29/09/2009 10:18

sweet spot

Hearing is believing

smooth in spectrum. For this reason it is measured using a reasonably long sample period to obtain an equivalent sound pressure level (LeqT). Most sound level meters have a Fast (125ms) and Slow (1s) sampling time and so a 5 minute test period would require either 1800 or 300 individual measurements. If the noise was The issue of background noise in studio areas is a constant source of truly constant then there would be virtually no difference between fast and slow averaged readings but this is not always the case. The fact is that low frequency concern for acousticians and their clients. ANDY MUNRO suggests noise is quite a variable feast and often it is mixed with noise invasion from other that the way we measure noise might be complicating things. sources. It is at this point that things get complicated. Our hearing is a wonderful thing but it has its limits and at very low levels and e live in the age of measurement and all too often the results are low frequencies it needs time to ‘sample and hold’ information. Recent research prejudiced by the methods employed and the ease of digitally tends to prefer this description to the traditional notion that the hearing process is processing data. As Per Bruel, the founder of B&K, arguably the an integration or transform. In addition, it is possible for one sound to be masked by foremost measurement company in audio history put it so succinctly: another noise within a contiguous, defined range of frequencies, generally referred ‘The development of standards is not always based on true science but more often to as critical bands. The upshot of this is that it is perfectly possible to measure a a consensus of minds. The result is that all over the world we use not noise intrusion in excess of only an incorrect frequency weighting, but also a wrong scale for noise the NR15 contour in, for levels, for which it was not intended in the first place.’ example, the 63Hz octave So it is with the standards pertaining to the background noise band and not actually hear levels in recording studios and any enclosed space designed for the a thing, if the duration of reproduction of sound. I have been aware for some time that the the intrusion is fairly short measured data obtained in the rarefied atmosphere of such places does (around 1s). This puts not always concur with the subjective impression of the noise and that, into question the whole on occasions, there is a serious discrepancy between the two. notion of the Noise Rating The reasons for this are varied and involve an understanding of measurement process, time and frequency domains with respect to auditory thresholds. The as it becomes a time importance of meaningful definitions are more important in sound variable measurement isolation than in almost any other aspect of acoustic design in sound under dynamic operational studios and auditoria. It is much easier to correct a reverberation conditions. problem than modify several tonnes of studio shell. Every time a Figure 1. Background noise curves. If a measured sound recording is interrupted or a performance is compromised by noise intrusion of 52dB at 63Hz intrusion there is an implication of blame. Any ambiguity in either the definition from a passing bus or underground train is inaudible, even though that level is or execution of the studio design or in the measurement of intrusive noise is an more than 15dB above the so-called threshold of hearing then something is going invitation for legal and commercial dispute that can far outweigh any initial cost seriously wrong with the methodology and terms of reference being used. in building the studio to the required (and agreed) standard in the first place. On The threshold of hearing and noise reference curves — Figure 1 shows the the other hand, new technology and a more relaxed attitude to the audio delivery various limits for background noise in studios that have been proposed in recent process, coupled to a challenging economic climate conspire to place very real years. In most cases the method of measurement is not fully explained. Consultants constraints on the designer to deliver a product that is good enough for the job in the USA proposed the dB ‘0’ curve and it is a combination of laboratory test but no better than necessary. This trend has polarised results for the threshold of audibility and the audio production industry in two basic directions the known limits of microphone noise. It — one towards the cheap and cheerful, studio-in-ashows some similarity to the BBC Curve box approach and the other toward an engineering ‘iii’ which is recommended for the design methodology based on the careful matching of of ventilation systems in drama studios. performance to need with a detailed specification and The other two BBC curves straddle the ‘employer’s requirement’. NR15 curve and these are used for total This trend is nowhere more obvious than in the background noise in radio drama studios. education sector. It seems every college and school The NR15 curve is shown for 1/3-octave in the UK has developed a music studio facility and values and the 15dB reference band is at many of these have been built using guidelines such 500Hz. As far as I can ascertain all the as BB93 that were intended for teaching, not producing above curves were determined by using professional recordings. The result has been a massive steady state tones or band limited noise level of dissatisfaction and many millions of pounds Figure 2. Typical noise intrusion by a heavy vehicle, measured in the under highly controlled conditions. There 63Hz 1/3 octave band over a period of about 5 seconds. either wasted or at least mis-spent. A drum kit is a is considerable experimental evidence to powerful sound source and it’s hard to concentrate on a Beethoven nocturne with show that the duration factor plays a significant part in reducing our sensitivity a budding Keith Moon in the next room if the dividing wall was designed with and increasing our threshold of perception at low frequencies. Figure 1 also something rather different in mind. shows a result obtained There is often a question of budget constraint placed by ‘design and by researchers in the USA build’ contracts but in almost every dispute that has been referred to (Berger & others) that me there is a woeful lack of basic understanding of the expectations of indicates the threshold of the client and the intentions of the provider. One of the reasons for this hearing for low frequency is a lack of specific conditions of performance. noise pulses is significantly For many years the defining standard for noise in studios has been higher than that obtained the Noise Rating (NR) system that has evolved as an international by steady tones in lab standard to replace various national and industry standards. Each conditions. This research NR curve has a precise set of sound pressure level values in octave matches almost exactly my (referenced to the 1kHz band value) or 1/3-octave (referenced to the own findings in practical 500Hz band value). Each curve plots the values of sound pressure studio measurement. level that are approximately of equal loudness as the reference value. Figure 3. Spectrum analysis of Figure 2. Figures 2 and 3 show a What has not been standardised in our industry is the method of traffic noise intrusion into averaging and time weighting the measurements that are used to compare with the a studio, that is clearly well above the NR15 curve and yet the event and others like NR curves. This can have a considerable effect on the NR value at which any given it were inaudible to those present, including several sound mixers with a reputation studio is rated. There can be a 10dB difference between two rating methods and yet for ‘critical listening’. both can be valid within current practice. There is obviously a correlation between the duration of a noise and its perceived The nature of noise — The noise most associated with studios is that generated loudness and this is true even in the absence of any critical band masking, which by ventilation systems and this is apparently time invariant in nature and relatively is often cited in acoustical literature as being the main reason for the inaudibility of

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 58

resolution

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:18

sweet spot a particular sound. The residual background noise in this instance was well below the level of the intrusion so can be discounted. There is clear evidence that the NR curves alone are not a reliable measure of typical real-world noise intrusions and that has implications for the way studios are designed and specified. Cost analysis — When all is said and done nobody would deliberately design a facility that was any noisier than strictly necessary but in a cost driven world, where it seems price is the measure of everything, there appears to be a fine line that may be trodden between satisfactory performance and difficult and sometimes impossible specifications. There is much more work to be considered than there is space (or time) to consider in this article but it is to be hoped that some interesting debate will ensue. In the above example I have used the 63Hz band because that is the one most likely to exceed any other when plotting noise intrusion against NR contours. Figure 4 shows a calculation sheet for a typical studio isolation construction of brick and dry wall leafs with no interconnecting ties.

with cost implications in both cases. If it can be shown that the spectrum of the noise intrusion would be of short peak duration then some relaxation of the performance requirement may be possible. This is not a far-fetched scenario but one that occurs regularly in urban areas with busy roads carrying heavy traffic. The same criteria cannot be applied directly to underground railways and heavy construction operations as this noise can be continuous and ground borne vibration demands a more complex analysis process to ascertain the required isolation system. It has been the habit of some consultants to use LmaxF (Fast) as the preferred method of measurement for intrusive noise but, as most intrusions are short in duration, this can lead to an overstatement of the subjective, audible levels attained. An analysis of many such events shows an average difference of 3dB and occasionally up to 5dB, between Lmax,F (fast) and Lmax,S (slow). There is further clear evidence that intrusions of up to 10dB above NR15 will remain inaudible under some conditions of duration and bandwidth. The exact reason for this is not entirely clear, given that researchers have determined that temporal resolution of the hearing mechanism appears to be shorter than the events in question. One possible answer could be critical bandwidth masking but this appears not to be a factor in the given example as the background noise is considerably lower (around NR5). There have been many standards proposed for studio noise levels but most seem to concentrate exclusively on steady state conditions and they do not consider the effects of integration time and critical bandwidth (when masking noise is present) on the actual perception of low frequencies. Other standard methods of measurement are used in appropriate circumstances. Cinema operators specify noise in various ways and this has been well documented by other consultants as shown in the table Auditoria (int)

Auditoria (ext)

Figure 4. Typical cavity wall performance.

The reason why the 63Hz band is so often the limiting factor can be seen in Figure 4. The red values are the adverse deviations in sound insulation for an NR15 target design. They are caused by the natural resonance in the solid brick wall and the air stiffness resonance in the cavity itself. The lightweight inner shell has a higher resonance and so is mainly stiffness controlled at very low frequency. The table shows that roadside traffic noise level is relatively constant at low frequencies and that the composite isolation of the wall increases rapidly above about 100Hz. Even allowing for the lower values of the NR bands at higher frequencies the whole system is clearly at its worst somewhere in the 63 to 125 octave band. To increase the isolation will require a much heavier wall or a bigger air space

NR25

Lmax,S

NR30

L10

NR30

Lmax,S

NR30

NR25

L10

NR30

NC30

L10

NR25

L10

There is proven evidence that at low frequencies there could be a difference of 10dB between Lmax and L10. Although these levels are considerably higher than recording studio levels it does show (based on a wealth of experience) that Lmax (Fast) is not a preferred measure of intrusive noise in cinemas. This is probably just as well, given the rather poor performance of some multiplex conversions. When all else fails it is useful to compare any noise measurement criteria with the BBC ‘White Paper’. This is a collection of papers and internal memos that fuel the design process for BBC radio and television. There is a sensible spread of 10dB between the most demanding studio specifications and those for general presentation studios. The method of measurement is specifically noted as Lmax,S (slow) or equivalently, Leq (1s). Short-term variations are simply restricted to 5dB above reference, regardless of duration, masking or subjectivity of any kind. This is entirely understandable but it is interesting to note that some recent BBC projects have changed the criteria by which studios are judged, to a more subjective (pragmatic) basis. n

!0 NENW ET 10

ROCK S New York

Plug, plug, plug & play.

at AE

RockNet delivers ultimate audio transport simplicity.

Riedel Communications GmbH & Co. KG +49 (0) 202 292 0 • rocknet@riedel.net www.hear-we-are.com

October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 59

resolution

29/09/2009 10:18

MEET YOUR MAKER

Chris Muth

lot of cases, assembly of the gear is a musician, producer, recording engineer or studio owner. This gives us a very useful perspective on the creative and technical aspects of the recording process — we’ve been on both sides of the glass and use that experience to make our products effective and fun to use for engineers as well as artists. We are very end-user driven and have a good grasp of what details are important in terms of sound quality and ergonomics and apply those ideas to our designs. We seem to hit the mark more often than not, judging by the number of other companies who release similar products after ours hit the market.

The man behind the technology at Dangerous Music talks to ZENON SCHOEPE about components, summing, and designing green.

hris Muth moved to New York in 1983 and went to the Institute for Audio Research where halfway through the course Al Grundy saw that he belonged on the other side of the desk, pulled him out and hired him to teach classes and repair gear. In 1984 he started at the Hit Factory, becoming the chief engineer in 1986, and left in 1990 to start at Sterling Sound. He left for Masterdisk in 1994 and started Muth Audio Design, his mastering equipment company, a year later. Sterling brought him back as technical director in 1998 to help design the Chelsea facility and at that time Sterling bought the rights to Chris’ MAD console and monitor controller designs so as to take them off the market and be exclusive to Sterling. The Muth ‘magic black box’ M/S processor was part of this motivation and gave them an incredible edge. Chris remained there until 2003 but still maintains a relationship with them to consult and tune up the cutting lathes

and other equipment. Bob Muller founded Dangerous Music the studio in 1992 and Chris came on as his partner there in 1996. Dangerous the gear company was born out of the shop at the studio where they began making custom one-offs for engineers around New York who were mixing without consoles in DAWs and were unhappy with the results. The 2-Bus was released in 2001 as their first commercial product. Chris is the chief design engineer at Dangerous Music and is also a musician, which is why Bob Muller thinks his gear sounds great and specs out well too. He listens to everything during the process of designing a piece of equipment and since his background is focused in the field of mastering equipment he has a higher standard of excellence and this adds a unique perspective. Muller says that one of the unique things about Chris’ gear is that it has evolved in the real world, alongside the best engineers in the business. As opposed to being designed in a laboratory it has been refined with people like Greg Calbi, George Marino and others lending their ears and experience, providing input and feedback on the sonic characteristics and the functionality of the equipment. Muller says that Chris is responsible for a system of equipment that is based on a mastering aesthetic, built with no sonic compromise, but is affordable and intuitive to use. ‘Complicated on the inside, but simple on the outside,’ as Chris likes to say.

How has your experience in mastering been applied to the Dangerous Music product range? This is an interesting question that has many levels. There always has been an essential difference between recording and mastering equipment. In order to be professional both types need to be built to high standards, but mastering equipment ultimately has a harder job to do, and some very discerning ears to please. Many pieces of gear sound OK when an individual track goes through them, but don’t handle complex programme material well. For example, a bass guitar may sound great through a recording compressor or EQ, but when an entire mix goes through it, the transient edges get smeared or the sound lacks gravitas. I try my best to design equipment that has a delicate sound but at the same time has balls. I suppose the best way to put it is the gear needs to sound transparent without being clinical, and musical without being coloured. My years working at Sterling Sound with those remarkable fellows have made me really appreciate what works in a good design. Where are the audio fidelity bottlenecks in any audio design? There are many. An often overlooked but important one has to do with materials, and how and where they tie into the circuit. Good wire, sockets, relays, resistors, capacitors, op-amps … everything has a sonic characteristic. Many times, I’ll hear someone say, ‘It’s not in the audio path!’ and they are talking about the power supply capacitors, or how the ground returns to and from level controls are laid out. It’s ALL in the audio path. Component choices and orientation, trace widths, ground plane split locations, power entry points… it’s essentially ALL in the audio path, and every choice made has an effect on the overall sound presentation. Have modern components or modern thinking made the greatest contribution to the new highs of audio performance or are we just kidding ourselves? We’re just kidding ourselves! Seriously, there are many newer components that are really fantastic. Analogue component quality has never been better, so the potential quality for new analogue equipment has never been higher. It is also becoming less expensive to make high quality equipment. On the other hand, there is also a tidal wave of crap out there, built with the cheapest components available and designed to meet a price point, not to sound excellent. With all the available choices in the marketplace, it takes more time to refine a product and make it unique enough to stand out, yet practical enough so people want to buy it.

What is special about Dangerous Music products? Dangerous Music products are born out of real-world necessity. Everyone at the company who is involved in the conception, design and, in a 60

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 60

resolution

Why is the audio industry so obsessed with the concept of ‘classic’ equipment? For me, some but not most classic equipment is just fantastic. Certain of the older designs just have a character that is impossible to emulate accurately, and they bring wonderful colour choices to the engineer’s palette. As to the greater obsession with vintage gear my guess is that it is a phenomenon that has several elements to it. Great engineers tend to have money and work on higher budget projects that afford them the ability to collect vintage equipment. This builds a cycle of magazine articles that tout the great engineer and his Fairchild compressors, etc. It’s a self-fulfilling October 2009

29/09/2009 10:18

MEET YOUR MAKER

Introducing RNDigital’s

NEW

Dynamics Processing Plug-in

prophecy that way. Younger engineers feel that in order to get ‘that sound’ you need the same mic closet and outboard racks as ‘that guy’. Good audio gear is necessary, but the skill to use it properly is essential. The other side of the coin is that great engineers can make good sounding recordings in less than stellar conditions with minimal or no classic gear. Sometimes you hear about those stories, but they don’t make it as often into print.

What issues has the DAW-centric nature of production environments thrown up in terms of interfacing? Initially when everyone was tossing out their mixing desk and 2-inch tape machine in favour of this amazing new computer-based system, which was marketed as a ‘Recording Studio In a Box’, they did not realise that what they were getting was really an incredibly powerful hard-disk recorder, digital editor and software mixer in a box. Some things were, and are missing. The problems presented themselves when you went to reach for the volume control, the talkback switch or mono button as well as other console centre-section functions that were previously taken for granted because they were always there, in every console, no matter how large or small. This also ushered in the bad-old-days when people were plugging two D-A outputs of their 888 into their control room monitors and using a digital master fader pulled down 30dB as a volume control, and then wondered why the sound of the CD bore little resemblance to the CR mix. Interfacing between digital equipment has become much easier in the last ten years than it was in the 80s and 90s. It used to be difficult to go between pieces of gear in the digital domain without a lot of thinking, engineering, and expensive equipment. These days, it is pretty easy to point and click and have something work the way you thought it would. Hardware and software have become more sophisticated. This is a good thing. One of the unfortunate sidebars to this is that many people are getting more lazy and not keeping notes on which tracks belong to what songs and other details of a recording that would make it easier for others to deal with the material. Many times, someone will ask me to mix or master music and send over a zipped file set via URL and 4Gb of trash shows up on my computer in one giant folder. Well, their system kept it straight but when the files travelled the world into a computer that didn’t know better, the result is days of work I refuse to do. I call them and tell them to set the files up in an organised manner or forget it. Is it right that the DAW is so often at the centre of proceedings from a technical standpoint? Sure! It used to be the tape machine and console. Now the DAW is the tape machine and console, minus some key elements that are taken care of in hardware, like monitor control, source switching, October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 61

cue and talkback functions, and analogue summing if you prefer that route. Dangerous gear is designed specifically to complete the DAW and turn it into a fully functional hybrid studio by tying it all together.

What is your explanation for the disparities between in and out of the box summing? In my view, the major differences are caused by two things. The first is the inescapable fact that any time you mix or sum audio there needs to be gain loss in order to keep the final output at useable levels. To my ears, losing the gain in the analogue domain sounds better than a digital fader, so employing multiple D-A convertors and an analogue summing amp with the proper gain structure and headroom characteristics reduces the amount of digital level control going on in a DAW mixing system. The second is frame of mind. An engineer who works in both paradigms will think about how to achieve an ITB mix differently than an OoTB mix. I know a few engineers who have explained their mindset to me and they say that in the box, you are poking at single channels trying to get each sound to work, and out of the box you are essentially working with stereo groups to get them to blend. Out of the box is a bigger picture way to work. If you have 13 background vocal tracks and they all need some top-end added and compression, with a stem-mixing rig you can balance the vocals how you like, assign the tracks to a pair of outputs, patch in the EQ and compressor, turn a few knobs and have fantastic sounding BG vocals. You can keep on going creating music without spending a wild amount of time dialling up each track. In my case I reach for outboard analogue EQs and compressors as opposed to plug-ins for this because I just like the sound better. What concessions to green efficiency can audio designers make? There is always more that can be done. We look at our suppliers and the processes used to make our parts. We make sure that they use state-of-the-art materials in modern and efficient ways and adhere to high standards regarding chemical use. We use steel chassis as opposed to plastic. We are always looking for new ways to streamline and lessen our impact. We don’t do fancy printing on our packaging. My feeling is the customer is buying what is inside, and all we want to do is get it to them safely and in one piece. The packaging is headed for recycling hopefully, or the landfill unfortunately. After the design engineering for a product is done, it doesn’t necessarily cost more to make it with less environmental impact. It actually saves money in the long run. The other thing manufacturers and users can do is to make and buy high quality equipment that is designed to last a long time. Nothing is more wasteful than throw away, cheap equipment. We build our stuff to last for decades… pass it down to you friends and children, I say! n resolution

D4 Compress or Expand The Right Way

How about an audio dynamics processor that sets you free from the rigid parameters set by traditional compressors and expanders? Think about it for a moment. Until now n you had to live with the very limited dynamic compression or expansion capabilities of either hardware or software devices available. With D4’s technology it is now possible to alter the dynamics of audio material in almost any way and form you wish. ...Ah, freedom! ...Ah

Learn more at:

www.rndigital.org 61

29/09/2009 10:19

TEN

New York City streets that mean something New York is not the city Where The Streets Have No Name — anyone who’s ever experienced informational overload in Manhattan knows that signage is not one of the town’s weak points. And many of those streets have significant meaning for those who make music and there are at least ten of them for DAN DALEY. St Marks Place — Half souk, half cultural Petri dish, St Mark’s in the East Village has a long history of credible clubs, starting with the Five Spot, where Thelonious Monk set up residency in the 1950s. In the 1960s the Stanley Bar in the Dom restaurant was home to the Fugs. Andy Warhol turned the space into a nightclub with the Velvet Underground as house band in 1966; the following year it became the Electric Circus, which featured jugglers and fire-eaters in between music performances. It would teem with those on the way to or from the Fillmore East around the corner on Second Avenue, and is still the first place to look for your runaway 15-year-old and hope you find him or her before the tattoo artist does.

West 48th St — When you told your friend you were ‘going over to 48th Street,’ it translated as a mission to purchase a guitar, an amp, a drum kit or other sundry MI stuff. Manny’s Music sat on the south side of the street, looking directly at the windows of competitor Sam Ash across the road. Rudy’s Music Stop several doors down was (and remains) guitar heaven, along with a smattering of other MI shops. The acquisition of Manny’s by Sam Ash a decade ago did not result in the removal of the sepia-tinted celebrity pics that make up Manny’s interior décor, thank God, and you can still hear the ghostly voice of a guy named Stewart enquiring as you entered the store, ‘Hey, kid, you got any money?’ (Manny’s is slated to be demolished later this year as Rockefeller Centre expands.)

Plugin processors for professional music and audio production How many audio plug-ins do we need in professional audio production today?

Bleecker Street — St Marks’ folky counterpart, the main drag for clubs like the musically omnivorous Village Gate (recently resurrected as Le Poisson Rouge); the brick-walled Bitter End, which like its gnarled founder Paul Colby remains inexplicably standing; and Kenny’s Castaways, where performers (including yours truly) could do four shows over a weekend, tweaking the act and building a fan base, and getting paid to do it. As opposed to the five bands a night that these days start assembling drum kits in the bar and on the sidewalk as they wait their turn to do one 40-minute set for free, which has become standard operating procedure at most New York new-music clubs. Supply and demand, indeed.

Flux Ad 0909.indd 1

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 62

West 52nd St (aka Swing Street) — The blocks between Fifth Avenue and Seventh Ave were renowned from the 1930s through the early 1950s for the abundance of jazz clubs like the Onyx, the Three Deuces, Jimmy Ryan’s and the Famous Door. Regulars included Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and too many others to list. The street was immortalised by Monk’s bebop classic 52nd Street Theme. West 52nd St drew its gravity from the nearby Times Square theatres and Columbia Records’ recording studio on the street, but lost its lustre to urban renewal in the late 50s.

nyone who has been working in a computer based recording environment knows that when you want to achieve a certain result, you need just ‘the’ special tool for that task. And when it comes to your everyday session work, you need reliable tools that suit your workflow and quality standards.

Initially we bought this ad-space with the intention to tell you how great our products are, but in the end there’s not only one set of plug-ins or one sound quality concept that will make it all the way for all working situations, it’s all about having the right variety of tools in your toolbox.

How many plug-ins are you using in your session work today, including recording, editing, mixing, remixing and mastering?

Now if you actually feel that there’s a need for some more tools in your toolbox, go download our demos and try them too!

Most engineers would probably have a hard time answering this question straight up, even if there of course always are a couple of favourite plug-ins that always turn up in every project more or less, the so called ‘go-to’ tools.

West 54th St — Between 9th and 10th Avenues stood two of the mightiest recording centres in the world set, like Manny’s and Sam Ash, nearly opposite each other, with The Hit Factory at 421 W. 54 and Sony Music Studios further down the block at 460. Toss in Power Station around the corner on West 53rd St and you had the world’s most powerful recordmaking locus in the 1970s and 80s. There were other great studios in the city — Electric Ladyland, Record Plant, Media Sound and so on — but to have so many amazing rooms in such proximity to each other was sonically orgasmic. And the fabulously notorious Studio 54 was just two blocks east.

resolution

www.fluxhome.com www.twitter.com/FluxPlugins

07/08/2009 14:25

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:19

TEN

The Bowery — had joints like Great Gildersleeves but was most famous for CBGB’s, the legendary punk club that opened in 1973 on what was then a scuzzy, threadbare avenue populated by Alcoholics Anonymous rejects. Owner Hilly Kristal may have hoped that its nominal acronym, which stood for Country, Blue Grass, Blues, would guide its talent bookings, but instead it got famous as home base for new wave acts like Blondie, Television, Mink Deville, Talking Heads and the Shirts, as well as for icons of the nascent punk movement like the Ramones, Reagan Youth, Gorilla Biscuits and Agnostic Front. CBGB’s achieved legit status when the Police did their first US gig there in 1978. The club closed in October 2006, but you can still see (and, some say, smell) part of it in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s annex on Mercer St in SoHo, where a graffiti-covered wall, tables, chairs and the club’s tattered awning comprise a sadly silent tableaux.

The Brill Building — Possibly the most well known music address in the world, even though its exact street number is often mistaken. The Brill is at 1619 Broadway, but buildings at 1650 and 1697 emulated the Brill’s pigeon coop of publishers and composers, and the Brill became the trope for all of them. It was built as offices in the 1920s for the financial industry but the lingering Great Depression forced the owners to rent to musical types. By 1962 the Brill Building alone contained 165 of them: a musician could find a publisher and song plugger, record a demo, market the record, and cut a deal with radio promoters, all without leaving the building. Composers worked in pairs to increase productivity (a lesson Nashville would learn and refine) and that resulted in some legendary duos: Lieber & Stoller, Goffin & King, Mann & Weil, Bacharach & (Hal) David. October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 63

West 125th St — Harlem’s main drag is still the address for the Apollo Theatre, the jewel in the crown of Afro-American music, the mantle it took on in the 1930s during the Harlem Renaissance: the mass migration of American blacks from south to north, bringing their music with them. The Apollo’s famed Amateur Night helped launch scores of careers, from Ella Fitzgerald and Marvin Gaye to Mariah Carey and Lauryn Hill. It was also democracy in action: if the audience didn’t like the performer, they’d boo until the ‘executioner’ brought his broom onstage to sweep them off. Rock Steady Park — Officially named for a former New York State governor, the playground at West 99th St and Amsterdam Ave will be better remembered for the 1980s ad hoc rap/break-dancing troupe known as the Rock Steady Crew, a shifting mass of a few hundred souls who germinated modern hip-hop there, such as the late Wayne ‘Frosty Freeze’ Frost, whose acrobatic performance with the Crew in the 1983 movie Flashdance helped spark the worldwide break-dancing craze. Malcolm McLaren’s 1983 video Buffalo Gals featured the Rock Steady Crew break-dancing in the park.

Grand Central Station — Once each spring, auditions are held there to choose who gets to be a registered busker within the NYC subway system. The Music Under New York (MUNY) programme reflects the diversity of the city’s music base and acknowledges its uniquely New York weirdness. For instance, there’s Thoth, who combines his 4-octave vocal range with dance, theatre, comedy, philosophy, mime, stillness, and electronica loops, all accompanied by the violin and foot percussion. Laugh all you want — a short documentary on him won an Academy Award. And there is no reverb in the world like New York City subway reverb. Try getting that with a plug-in. n resolution

29/09/2009 10:19

tEcHNOlOGy

Audio Video Bridging It’s been one of those quiet buzzterms for some time yet recent developments have moved on the cause and momentum of Audio Video Bridging. ROB JAMES dips in to the background and the thinking.

onnections are always a problem, digital ones the more so. Once upon a time, in the good old days of analogue yore, if you connected a local source and destination, audio and video, with simple copper cables it would be a fair bet that the picture would still be in sync with the sound when it arrived. Over longer distances things became a little less clear cut, but it was when everyone moved to digital connections that the trouble really started. Out-of-sync audio and video, glitches and delays have become a way of life in professional and domestic settings. Ethernet networking is ubiquitous and cheap. Wouldn’t it be nice if the technology could be leveraged for proper audio and video streaming without reinventing the wheel completely? At the time when digital audio and video began to take over from analogue, LAN technology (Local Area Network) at 10Mbit/s was not fast enough to be an option and presented other seemingly insuperable problems. So the dedicated point to point model continued with AESEBU, SPDIF, SDI and later HD SDI and so on. The inherent cabling mess can be a nightmare. There have been a number of attempts to improve on this such as IEEE1394 (FireWire), dedicated adaptations of IT networks such as Cobranet and various proprietary systems for in-car and at-home use. All very laudable but they all missed out on the opportunities offered AVB Connections by interoperability with ordinary IT networks such as Ethernet. The attractions of an Ethernet infrastructure for AV purposes are many. Simple, common and cheap connections, RJ45 plugs and sockets and readily available Cat 5 and Cat 6 patch cables plus years of hardware and software development and refinement. However, in their current form the Ethernet standards are not very well suited to AV streaming. There are a number of basic prerequisites, multiple streams must be capable of being synchronised so that they can be reproduced correctly, for example to ensure lip-sync. In sound reinforcement and PA there are more Clocking hierarchy stringent requirements, e.g. to keep digitally fed loudspeakers in phase. For professional applications this is taken to mean synchronisation to within around one microsecond. Then there is delay. This must be as low as possible, around 2ms for pro use, and a maximum of 50ms for domestic including any necessary buffering but, equally important, it must be ‘deterministic’ i.e. predictable exactly. Last but not least, applications must be able to ‘reserve’ resources to ensure they are, and remain, available for as long as they are required. All this is to be achieved over network connections including up to seven ‘hops’ — i.e. each point to point physical connection via intermediate devices along the route constitutes a hop. Typical resource requirements for audio and video are throughput and limits on delay. Current IT networking hardware is concerned mainly with moving data through a network as quickly as possible and with the minimum management overhead. This works just fine where delay and synchronisation are of no importance.

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 64

So, in a conventional Ethernet, delays can often exceed the AV requirement, since reliability is a higher priority. Non AVB Ethernet networks deal with congestion by relying on higher level protocols to throttle transmission and by retransmitting dropped packets. When delay is not an issue this is OK, but it doesn’t work where minimal and predictable delays are a requirement. This can be avoided by strict traffic management and/or buffering, which is how the dedicated commercial audio solutions available to date work. However, these need reconfiguring every time a new device is added and require a pretty restricted and rigid topology. Several years ago the IEEE working groups responsible for Ethernet started deploying effort to define a ‘Residential Ethernet’ to address audio and video streaming specifically. IEEE 802.1 is the group responsible for all the ‘cross network’ bridging specifications and is aiming to make sure that the new technology will be scaleable from home and automotive applications to high level professional standards. The umbrella term for the technology is ‘Audio Video Bridging’ or AVB An AVB network adds four principle things to a conventional Ethernet: • Precision synchronisation of multiple streams with low-jitter clocks. • A simple reservation protocol enabling a destination device to request all the physical network building blocks/bandwidth in a path to reserve the resources required to facilitate the transport of a stream. • Trafﬁc management to ensure that the stream will be delivered over the network within the delay window specified by the destination in its reservation request. • Identiﬁcation of AVB and non-AVB devices. These goals have been accomplished by adding comparatively small extensions to standard layer-2 MACs (Media Access Controllers). With this ‘minimal change’ philosophy AVB and conventional devices can communicate using standard IEEE802 frames. However, only AVB devices can reserve a portion of network resources and send and receive the new timing-based frames. AVB devices periodically exchange timing information that enables both ends of the link to sync their time-base reference clocks with high precision. This permits multiple streams to be synced and also enables the relative timing between streams to be maintained at the destination. Within a ‘timing domain’ of suitable devices a single device provides the master timing signal known as the ‘Grand Master Clock’, all the rest sync to this. In a pro network the Grand Master Clock will typically be locked to house Word clock or video syncs. AVB devices typically exchange information as to their respective capabilities soon after the physical connection is made. Devices capable of doing so will start to exchange clock-syncing frames. If a device proves to be incapable of syncing then an AVB timing domain boundary is established i.e. all devices downstream of the device incapable of syncing are excluded from that AVB timing domain. Thus it is possible to have several independent AVB timing domains connected for data purposes via bridges and switches that are not AVB capable. ‘Traffic shaping’ is employed to smooth out stream traffic so that packets are evenly distributed in time to avoid the tendency to ‘bunch’ into bursts that can saturate buffers in subsequent bridges, switches and other infrastructure devices. In essence, a source must use ‘leaky bucket’ shaping in which the bandwidth reserved for the stream determines the time between the packets. Bridges also employ this shaping with AVB frames given precedence over Best Effort Traffic’ i.e. normal, unreserved data traffic. Up to 75% of the bandwidth of any given link can normally be reserved for AVB streaming. IEEE 1722, the AVB Transport Protocol (AVBTP) builds on the AVB foundations by adapting IEEE 1394 media formats, wrappers, and synchronisation mechanisms. AVB requires full-duplex 100Mbits/ sec Ethernet infrastructure as a minimum. tAlKERS AND liStENERS — A talker is the source of a stream and a listener the destination. A talker initiates a transmission by sending a Talker Advertise message. Apart from MAC addresses of source and intended destination this includes the QoS (Quality of Service) requirements and worst case latency. The worst case latency is recalculated at every bridge in the path so that the listener can pass this information to the higher layers responsible for ensuring media synchronisation.

resolution

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:19

tEcHNOlOGy All intermediate bridges check for bandwidth availability when they receive a Talker Advertise message. If insufficient resources are available the bridge initiates a Talker Failed message that will be passed through subsequent bridges. If the necessary resources are available, these are earmarked for the connection and a Listener Ready message is returned to the talker. At this point the talker can begin to transmit the stream. The talker can terminate the stream by deregistering the Talker Advertise and a listener can likewise disconnect by deregistering the Listener Ready. Listeners and talkers must continue to send the appropriate registrations and messages at intervals to maintain the connection. READy fOR pRiMEtiME? — Some indication that these new variants on the Ethernet theme are nearing suitability for primetime can be found in the August announcement of the formation of the AVnu Alliance by a group of Audio/Video consumer electronics and silicon chip manufacturers. The Alliance is an industry forum dedicated to enhancing professional-quality audio/video by promoting emerging IEEE 802.1 Audio/ Video Bridging (AVB) networking standards for a broad range of markets including automotive, consumer electronics, and professional A/V. The founding members of the Alliance include Broadcom, Cisco, Harman International, Intel, Samsung, and Successful Xilinx. In addition, Avid, Marvell and Meyer reservation Sound Laboratories have joined the Alliance (talker advertise) as the first Promoters. The AVnu Alliance aims to establish a professional quality A/V experience in networked environments, whether an HD television or music studio, a car, a concert hall, a stadium or a home theatre. Use of AVB enables higher layer protocols and applications to achieve professional-quality A/V even if there are various lower-layer network links in the path between source and destination devices. AVnu expects to see initial deployment of AVB on Ethernet networks and anticipates other home networking standards will follow. The organisation will support the creation and implementation of compliance test procedures and processes that promote Reservation interoperability of AVB-enabled networked products, acknowledge helping to ensure A/V devices work together to provide (listener ready) a professional level of quality. These efforts will enhance the network backbone, complementing the ongoing work of existing organisations and standards bodies specifying higher layer A/V protocols and applications in each market. ‘A/V networks are becoming burdened by greater complexity and the everincreasing demands of streaming content, yet there are few options to ensure reliability in a heterogeneous network based upon open industry standards,’ says Jonathan Gaw, Research Manager at IT market research and advisory firm IDC. ‘Broad, cross-industry efforts are crucial to ensure that the quality-ofexperience is addressed early in the product development cycle, and to promote the

interoperability of products.’ tiME Of tHE tAlKER? — There are other signs that AVB over Ethernet is a technology whose time has come for consumer and pro AV applications. Even Gbit Ethernet doesn’t provide a huge amount of capacity for big facilities working in HD video. However, the cost of 10Gbit Ethernet infrastructure, previously astronomic, has been plummeting with 40Gbit and even 100Gbit now in prospect and no doubt the smarter manufacturers will make sure their products are AVB enabled. I expect AVB to have a profound effect, not only in the home where networking via the house wiring and wireless will eliminate a great deal of clutter and domestic resistance, but also in professional applications. It is more than possible to envisage entire high-end broadcast production studios with AVB-enabled devices allowing the miles of expensive AES-EBU and HD-SDI coax cables to be replaced by simple and cheap network cabling. All the intercom and tally light data would be carried by the same infrastructure but with less stringent requirements than the programme streams. Wall Clock time, which ensures every device is set to the same time of day, comes courtesy of the PTP (Precision Time Protocol) which is a basic part of the standard. There is still a lot of work to do before a totally Ethernet connected broadcast studio can be realised, not least fundamental performance requirements have to be met to achieve the QoS (Quality of Service) levels required in this environment. For example, extremely low jitter for A/V streaming and zero packet loss of audio and video data, reserved bandwidth for streams up to 1.5Gb/s or even 3Gb/s and latency of less than a few video lines over the entire network to guarantee the same levels of real-time performance as in a conventional studio. There must also be sufficient bandwidth to avoid congestion and deal with failures. Despite these challenges I can see nothing to prevent the inexorable steamroller progress of Ethernet as the future of audio and video interconnection. AVB enabled products are already starting to ship. Once AVB takes off and PCs are fitted with on-board AVB enabled Ethernet adaptors we can kiss goodbye to FireWire. Connecting computers to audio interfaces, mixing consoles, peripherals and each other will be simple and cheap. The same applies to video. SDI and HDMI can go, replaced by standard network cables. Sure, there will be the usual copy protection nonsense to overcome unless sanity prevails but, other than that, this is a development that will make life easier for all of us. n

REFERENCE

AVnu Alliance White Paper — No-excuses Audio/Video Networking: the Technology Behind AVnu.

High Performance Digital Audio Conversion ADAT™/ /AES3

As The link between AES3-, ADAT™ and S/P-DIF-based devices, the MUTEC MC-4 offers with help of its unique feature-set totally new possibilities to solve interconnection problems within post pro, broadcast or on stage.

Flexible Conversion Modes Audiophil Signal Regeneration Uni-/bidirectional Conversions 16-channel Sampling Rate Conversion Various Synchronization Options AES11, Grade 1, Low Jitter Clock Further Information Information Further MUTEC-net.de

MUTEC GmbH, Germany ++49-(0)30-746880-0 Contact@MUTEC-net.de www.MUTEC-net.de

MC4 engl2.indd 1

October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 65

resolution

24.09.2009 12:36:51

29/09/2009 10:19

slaying dragons

DAB The advertising for DAB would have us believe that it’s wonderful and that retaining analogue radio is as daft as having an outside toilet. JOHN WATKINSON isn’t convinced.

any of us will have heard the commercial: ‘Not still using that old-fashioned hardto-tune analogue radio are you?’ from which the listener is supposed to infer that a new DAB digital radio is somehow easier to tune because it’s digital. The unfortunate thing is that in the real world, information channels such as cables and radio are fundamentally analogue. Go further along a cable and the signal gets smaller. Go further away from a DAB transmitter and the field strength goes down. The transmitted signal experiences exactly the same conditions as an analogue signal because the universe can’t tell the difference. Because of that, the front end of all radio receivers has a variable gain amplifier which is part of the automatic gain control (AGC) loop. That variable gain amplifier is an analogue device. In a superhet receiver, the gain processed signal from the antenna is multiplied by the output of the local oscillator, which is an analogue sine wave, in a mixer, another analogue device. One of the sidebands of this analogue multiplicative process falls within the passband of the IF strip, which is an analogue tuned circuit. In a modern radio designed to receive any type of transmission, the local oscillator will be a synthesiser. This is a circuit that multiplies up some stable reference frequency from a crystal by a fixed amount to obtain the correct local oscillator frequency to receive a given station. Such synthesisers are commonly digitally controlled. As a result, the tuning process and the ease or difficulty of operation does not differ fundamentally between analogue and DAB receivers. It’s the same circuitry doing the same job. Thus to suggest that an 66

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 66

analogue radio is harder to tune than a DAB radio is beyond misleading, it’s an untruth. As is well known, the thing that makes a transmission system digital is not the channel or the signal, because they wouldn’t know. It is the way the received signal is interpreted. When the amplitude, frequency or phase of a signal is interpreted in a continuous manner, like AM, FM or TV colour subcarrier respectively, the system is analogue. When the receiver makes discrete decisions about the state of the incoming signal, the result is digital. When a signal is discrete, it can be coded so that certain combinations of states are presumed correct and others are known to be wrong. This is the basis of error correction, which is a horse trading technique. Error correction trades a reduced error rate when the received signal is good for a worse error rate when it is bad. The result is that as the signal gets weaker analogue systems slowly deteriorate whereas digital systems pack up without warning. As dogs and bats don’t buy radios, an audio sampling rate of 32kHz is adequate, and 14 bits is enough for postproduced material. So with two channels and a chunk of error correction we get about a million bits per second. A decent 16-state modulation scheme can deliver four bits per cycle, so we end up with about 250kHz channel bandwidth for a stereo digital audio radio channel. It sounds as good as FM and not surprisingly uses similar bandwidth. It would also be pointless. Enter compression. This is a technology that reduces the bit rate needed to transmit an impression of an audio signal. It’s based on masking, the reduced audibility of one sound in the presence of another. In mono, the effect is powerful as all the sounds emanate from one place. In stereo masking is weak because sounds emanate from different places. A stereo compression system needs more than twice the bit rate of a mono system. I think that is obvious, because it’s trying to deliver an image as well. Unfortunately no-one told the designers that, and most of them assessed the quality on headphones, which can’t deliver a stereo image. Of course if a stereo codec is tested on loudspeakers that can’t deliver a stereo image, then it won’t appear to make it any worse. Is the speaker testing the codec, or vice-versa? Audio compression is an emerging technology and modern codecs, such as AAC, have much better performance at the same bit rate than earlier codecs. Unfortunately DAB standardised an early codec which is essentially obsolete. I observed during the development of audio codecs that on the one hand we have codec developers who say that compression is inaudible and on the other hand we have the proponents of SACD who say that the bit rate of CD is inadequate. Self-evidently they both cannot both be right and it appears that time is showing that they were both wrong. The final, and possibly the worst, characteristic of audio compressors is that the output bit rate is variable so that commercial pressures to use the lowest rates are satisfied on a whim. An audio compressor is a bit like an elephant outside a mouse hole. Everything has to go through the mouse hole and if anything is too big the elephant crushes it until it will go through. resolution

The better codecs pre-crush in a controlled manner so the uncontrolled efforts of the elephant are minimised, whereas in the case of some short delay codes the elephant would do a better job. So the quality catastrophe that is DAB starts with a codec that was prematurely rushed into service before the technology matured that was also based on mono masking that fails in stereo and which was inadequately tested and whose bit rate, in any case, is under the control of the accountants. That’s what they mean by digital quality in the commercials. What DAB has achieved is to render the term ‘digital quality’ meaningless. Does it mean the satisfying blemish free sound of a professionally produced Compact Disc, or the waveform with elephant foot prints? I suspect that digital has become trendy in the same way as quartz and turbo did in earlier decades. In the grossly over simplified mind set of the marketing life forms, digital is associated only with wonderful things. No technology is automatically good. If you have been plucked from the sea by a helicopter you have a different view from someone who has been shot up by an Apache. The images that paedophiles download are digital aren’t they? Things are what they are and we should assess them on their merits and not according to hopeless generalisations. I have a radio that can receive FM or DAB. Oddly enough it’s no harder to tune to the old-fashioned FM channels, nor is it any easier than on my FM only radio in the outside toilet. However, if I switch between the same station broadcast on sparkling new DAB or old fashioned FM, I invariably find that the sound quality on old fashioned FM is better. DAB gives stereo images where the dominant sound sources are like cardboard cut-outs and where the air or ambience between them has disappeared. Reverberant tails cut off prematurely. Intelligibility of speech is often not good. Was that commercial for NS and I, or was it MF and I? Obviously admitting that DAB is a quality failure is out of the question as that would involve loss of face and politicians historically prefer denial and someone else’s loss of life to their own loss of face. The solution seems to be two fold. First, use advertising claims that are so far away from reality that they have become propaganda. Second, get the existing FM channels off the air as soon as possible so that no-one will be able to make a comparison. So what is to become of the FM bands? In the UK we are told that they will be made available for ultralocal radio stations. No doubt the revenue from the licensing of these is uppermost in Lord Carter’s mind, uncluttered as it is by any technical knowledge. I can’t see any evidence that society wants or needs ultra local radio stations. However, even if there was a demand for ultralocal radio, it is self-evident that it will be done on a budget and that sound quality will not be a priority. To force national stations onto the poor quality DAB transmissions while putting cut-price stations on the high quality FM transmissions seems so utterly cretinous that it can only be rationalised by postulating an un-stated ulterior motive. Of course, we must never even suspect that there is any intention to damage the BBC here. The audio industry is partly to blame for the situation. If a metric for stereophonic image quality existed, it would be abundantly clear how bad a lot of audio codecs are. Possibly of more consequence is that there is no metric for the performance of politicians, nor do they need any qualifications for what they do. ‘Not still listening to those old fashioned hard-toeducate politicians are you?’ n October 2009

29/09/2009 10:19

SHOWcASE

AWARDS NOMINATED

2009

Resolution-2009-09.indd 1

8/4/2009 8:19:02 PM

Missed an issue? Need to build up your collection? You can buy Resolution back issues and complete volumes on CD-Rom.

Acoustic consultancy and studio build for broadcast, post, recording and multimedia facilities

Everything you need to know to keep ahead

www.resolutionmag.com October 2009

far-audio.com Fundamental Acoustic Research

resolution FAR Audio 0409 (Classified).indd 1

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 67

info@far-audio.com

28/3/09 13:35:58

29/09/2009 10:20

YOUR BUSINESS

The all-access mentality If you can pay to spend time with a skateboarding or minor musical celebrity then why couldn’t you buy time with a producer or engineer? DAN DALEY discusses getting really, really intimate for fun and profit.

ow would you like to spend a day with Sir George Martin? How about Glyn or Andy Johns? Maybe a bit of Nile Rodgers’ soulful funk would be fun to hang with for a day. Talk photography and microphones with Eddie Kramer, who’s expertly conversant with both. John Boylan will regale you with tales of producing Boston and Charlie Daniels. Spend a few hours trading hair styling tips with Kevin Shirley. David Z can give you the skinny on making Prince sound good. All of the above are daydreams — for the moment, anyway. But they are also candidates for participating in a cultural phenomenon that many newer, younger music artists and celebrities are already knee-deep in: giving their fans and admirers all access to them, up close and personal, for anywhere from a few hours to a few days, all for a price, of course.

And in some cases, you may get sticker shock. For instance, skateboard artist and X-Games champion Tony Hawk has a literal menu of access he offers fans, starting with an autographed skateboard and a personal phone call -– he’ll also leave you with a new outgoing message on your voicemail –- for a mere $2,000. For $25,000, you and three friends can visit Hawk at his ‘world headquarters’ for some private skateboard tips and tricks. For $75,000, you and your mates will spend an entire day touring hip spots in your choice of Las Vegas, Los Angeles or San Diego (go figure). The top all-access product, for $100,000, is a day at Hawk’s home, dinner, skating, the works, or you bring him to your home and take him to your school for show-and-tell. (Seriously.) This approach to generating income has been enthusiastically embraced by the indie music universe, offering bits of themselves for varying sums. There are even aggregator websites that help connect artists with would-be sponsors/buyers. At Kickstarter.com you can find bands like State of Man who, for $8,500, will come to your house anywhere in the US and do a private concert, in the process of trying to raise $325,000 for their next album. (They’re up to $170 as this writing.) If you can get yourself to Athens, Georgia, the band Critical Darlings will take you out for dinner and drinks at TransMetropolitan, the pub where the band was founded, and chauffeur you around in a red Saturn Astra ‘with the sun roof open

(weather permitting),’ for $1,000. You haven’t heard of these people, of course. But this kind of social media outreach is making its way up through the ranks. At eSession.com, you’ve already been able to access some of your favourite musicians, at least virtually, by sending your tracks, minus the hole they are to fill, by email or FTP. Users are paying as much for the experience and virtual proximity as for the talent -– you’ll get more than just bass and drums as you explain what you’re looking for to Jerry Marotta and Tony Levin. So I’m not surprised to find a handful of well-known production talents hanging out their virtual shingles there, as well, such as Joe Jackson/Supertramp/Traci Chapman producer David Kershenbaum and Ed Stasium, he of the Ramones, Talking Heads and Soul Asylum. The all-access mentality — Access to those at the top was always a money game, political contributors being the most ubiquitous example and the annual bidding for a lunch with investment genius Warren Buffett being the most egregious. (This year it went for $1.68 million to a Canadian hedge fund honcho.) But prices are coming down as the commodity effect kicks in: Bodega Girls up in Boston charge a measly $250 to accompany you, with a boombox, serenading your future ex-spouse below his or her balcony or fire escape. (Take some heart from the fact that their highest all-access tier, at $2,000, includes an executive producer credit, although the selling of these sorts of titles is what led to the Reformation. God knows we’re due.) This all-access mentality has become part of the menu for the world’s largest live concert producer, Live Nation, whose Red Carpet Concierge Services ushers those willing to spend upwards of $500 per ticket into a VIP parking area, take them on a preshow tour of the venue and then to a VIP club for a quiet place to entertain comfortably before the show,

Advertiser Index AEA.............................................. 67

Kmr.............................................. 67

Al.So Dynax.................................. 67

Kmr Ams-Neve ......................... 46

Audient.................................... 34-35

Lydkraft/Tube Tech...................... 15

Audio-Technica............................ 4-5

Merging Technologies................. 25

Brauner......................................... 52 Bricasti.......................................... 23 Calrec........................................... 51 Charteroak................................... 55 Daking ........................................ 48

Radial............................................ 35 Reidel........................................... 53

Dangerous Music......................... 33 Dolby..................................... 3 & 70

RND.............................................. 61

Euphonix........................................ 7

SCV London / Focal..................... 56

Fairlight.......................................... 9

Sonic Dist / RNR.......................... 18

FAR............................................... 67

Sonic Dist / SE............................. 45

Flux............................................... 62

Sonifex......................................... 21

Focusrite .................................... 19

Soundfield.................................... 27

Genelec........... Outside Back Cover Georg Neumann ........................ 17 Grace............................................ 11 Gyraff........................................... 67

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 68

Odds On Records........................ 41

Roland RSS................................... 14

Fostex........................................... 43

Mutec........................................... 65

SSL................................................ 29 Studio Spares............................... 37 Summit Audio.............................. 54 TL Audio..............Inside Back Cover

He Studio..................................... 67

Tonelux...............Inside Front Cover

HHB CDR..................................... 16

Trinnov.......................................... 59

HHB Lynx..................................... 47

Unity Audio.................................. 31

Josephson.................................... 68

Vintage King................................. 63

resolution

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:20

BROADCAST ASIDE hovered over by your own concierge. At downbeat, you’re escorted to your seat, guaranteed to be within the first ten rows. This sort of thing used to be the grand prize on radio station giveaways years ago — be the fifth caller and get a meet-and-greet backstage with the artist. I don’t know that it’s necessarily tainted now it’s a commodity for the affluent rather than a stroke of good luck. Anyone willing to part with $500 to peer into Nickelback’s dressing room is probably at least as much of a fan as someone who tried to time that call to the radio station to the millisecond. It’s just the stakes that have changed. All the more reason to get the producer involved. Producers and engineers are finding new ways to get closer to their constituents. The number of professional audio events seems to be proliferating in an inverse ratio with the sales of CDs, and it’s not uncommon to find a Grammy Producer and Engineers Wing or Music Tank event that puts a few named producers on stage, led through a monologue memoir peppered with technical tidbits, followed by a Q&A session. Producers and engineers also have more to sell lately, as they begin to brand themselves in the form of software packages, such as Waves’s Jack Joseph Puig and Tony Maserati plug-ins. (More about the economics and mechanics of this phenomenon next issue.) No different than authors with a book to plug, they do the rounds of events and trade shows, making themselves accessible to the public. Some producer/artists have integrated the notion of intimacy to a fairly high degree. Imogen Heap has self-produced, co-produced as much as she’s been produced. She’s been diligent about keeping her fan base up to date via her website and social networking sites, but for her most recent release, Ellipse, she spent much of the year making it Twittering her followers, soliciting feedback on songs and production ideas and crowd-sourcing ideas on things like album graphics. She even posted online an early version of one song, Tidal, asking fans to vote for their favourite chorus. This kind of intimacy with the public engages the fan (or the consumer, whatever you prefer) by essentially partnering with them in an ongoing, narrative fashion. It’s the Idol model. But now apply it to the professional side of things: instead of voting for a winning singer, the crowd vote for their favourite reverb setting, or yea or nay on applying AutoTune. Presenting the production process as transparent and narrative, and making collaborators out of virtual passers-by could be the next paradigm for music producers. Even if every idea or suggestion that comes across the digital transom is pure rubbish, it’s one more engaged music buyer who wants to see how it all turns out. But that approach still leaves a barrier of distance between the producer and the fan. An even more proximal approach is the notion of the master class, such as the ones that Roger Nichols, Phil Tan, Charles Dye, Ed Seay, David Frangioni and Eric Schilling, among others, have done at the Promedia Training school in Miami earlier this year. True, you are essentially preaching to the converted in these situations, and if you don’t have your own plug-ins to sell then the compensation from one-off itinerant lectures may not pay the rent. (Promedia don’t disclose presenter payments but attendance cost is typically $500-$750 per day per student.) The bottom line is that producers have as much to gain long-term by connecting with potential audiences as artists do. Selling services is, in the end, not that different from selling songs. And hopefully the talents of your services can’t be as readily cloned. n October 2009

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 69

A sound initiative Everyone knows we need new young blood in broadcast audio but the question is how to attract and train them, according to DENNIS BAXTER.

aniel Webster defines initiative a couple of different ways: 1, an introductory step “took the initiative in attempting to settle the issue” 2, energy or aptitude displayed in initiation of action “showed great initiative” 3, on one’s own initiative: at one’s own discretion: independently of outside influence or control. Give that man a headset … Webster’s 18th century dictionary definitions aptly fit the challenge we have today in meeting the growing need for quality broadcast audio engineers and industry practices. Taking the initiative to provide training is crucial to the global broadcast industry but where do you start? In my first column for Resolution (V8.1), I wrote that there isn’t a direct path to becoming a soundman. Most people fall serendipitously into the field — coming from a music, recording or PA background. But where does a young person go to get the handson technical experience of live broadcast sound before their first television gig? Over the last couple of decades, pursuing my career in sound has followed a long and winding road. I’ve been involved from almost every angle — musician, recording artist, recording studio owner, TV sitcom audio guy, live TV sports sound mixer, and Olympic sound designer. Since 1993, one of the most important roles I’ve had is that of teacher — instructing young people on the job in the most crucial aspects of live television audio engineering. Serendipity again — who would have thought I’d be a teacher? You’re reading this column by a chap who spent most of the 4th grade in the hallway for misbehaving in class. Someone who was constantly reprimanded in French class. I can still hear Ms Pugh singling me out among my classmates with, ‘Denis, Denis, la répétition est la clef du success, eh, Denis?” Seriously though, when working on the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, I found myself looking into the eager faces of college students who had been selected to be a part of the broadcast team — hungry for information — and I recognised myself. My career with the Olympics has included teaching with the Olympic legacy programme, the Host Broadcast Training Programme, where the Host Broadcaster hires and trains college students to work in entry-level broadcast positions, including audio. Many of the young people we trained went on to resolution

become sound practitioners in their own right. By the way, this Host Broadcast Training Programme exists for the London 2012 Olympic Games as well. The excellence of the Olympics needs to be passed on. The Olympic Host Broadcaster uses production partners from around the world. The production partners provide the expertise for broadcast coverage of a particular sport plus production and engineering crew. In Beijing, we used crews from 20 different countries, while I had just a handful of audio mixers with any Surround experience. To overcome the lack of knowledge and experience, Manolo Romero, head of the Olympic Broadcast Services (OBS), told me that we would teach them. I set about defining what we were trying to achieve sport-by-sport, the relevant standards and practices of the Host Broadcaster and the general stereo and surround sound deliverables. When I started going to Beijing in 2002, I heard some pretty awful sound and you could argue that distortion was a standard. At the Beijing Summer Games, I had nine Chinese sound mixers between the ages of 28 and 38 with a massive amount of desire and pride and Mr Romero was right. We can teach them. Last month, I returned to Beijing exactly one year after the Olympics. I left absolutely convinced that any broadcasters can achieve good results with the proper transfer of knowledge and inspiration. So here is the obvious question: what can we do to build and standardise best practices in broadcast audio engineering? As professionals, don’t we have an obligation to pass on the trade practices and innovative secrets that elevate broadcast sound in clarity and quality? With budget cuts in training within the UK broadcast industry, I believe we each have, as practitioners, a greater obligation to mentor, to teach, and to transfer knowledge to those who strive to be a part of the broadcast engineering team. I’m glad to be a part of groundbreaking initiatives that also have that objective. In the US, a group of seasoned network executives and sound practitioners are joining together to create a training initiative for television audio engineering and mixing. Focusing on the wide disparities in broadcast sound quality and the lack of standards, we are looking to raise awareness of the importance of broadcast sound, set standards and offer training to those students and practitioners who cannot find it anywhere else. Personally, I am launching an Outside Broadcast audio engineering initiative — the TVSoundLabSM — an OB van equipped with donated equipment from manufacturers like Audio-Technica, Lawo, DTS, Genelec, Riedel, Telecast and many more. Their mixing consoles, speakers and microphones, coupled with instruction by senior audio practitioners, will provide students and rising audio mixers alike with realistic, hands-on training in a simultaneous live broadcast environment. At the end of the day, there is no guarantee that any of these training initiatives will result in a major change in television industry practices or influence the future of broadcast audio. But there is no doubt that it’s time we took the initiative to create an environment where students — and practitioners — can learn about the realities of television broadcast engineering and contribute to the future of broadcast sound. Maybe my French teacher, Ms Pugh, was right after all … practice does make perfect. n 69

29/09/2009 10:20

HEADROOM CEDAR question J u s t g o t t h e re v i e w (DNS3000 Resolution V8.6)… many thanks. One point: it seems that Neil completely missed the dynamic automation when the DNS3000 is hooked up to Pro Tools. He described using Pro Tools as a trigger for the DNS’s on-board snapshots, but you can of course dynamically automate the Remote Control Software (and therefore the DNS3000 itself) like any other RTAS plug-in. This is, in many ways, the DNS3000’s most important feature for dubbing mixers, and he missed it! Gordon Reid, CEDAR Audio, Fulbourn, UK [Neil Hillman refers to other comments made to him by Gordon Reid directly] I’m always worried that a designer’s key-feature may be played down, (or even left-out in this case!), to their obvious dismay when I’m writing a review. I do believe as reviewers we are in a position of enormous trust — not just to the reader, but to the manufacturer too; so I take your point completely. I’m sorry that the dynamic automation feature didn’t appear in the article as you may have hoped; but as you rightly suggest, it wasn’t an oversight, but a judgement call on my part. In defence of my decision, my primary thought was of providing a ‘balanced’ overview of the product for all systems within the limited space available, so that it wouldn’t be a case of a reader feeling it was purely a Pro Tools device; and if they weren’t a Pro Tools user (yes, there are plenty who aren’t, despite what we are lead to believe!) possibly switching off to the device early on in the article. As a CEDAR user of some years now, I wanted to convey its unquestionable usefulness, whatever the DAW/mixer it is married to. I hope that certainly came through.

Many thanks for the kind comments regarding the structure of the article; I do try to make any review as accessible and interesting as possible and where I do pass an opinion, I’ve hopefully still provided sufficient balanced background detail in the piece that a fellow engineer might understand the fuller applications of it being deployed in his own studio. Basically, where appropriate, I’d like to think that any review of mine would serve to whet an engineer’s appetite for more information and a hands-on experience. Thanks for taking the time to respond to Zen, and to me; I do hope I’ve put your very valid point into some sort of context. Neil Hillman

RAID failure I have been reading John Watkinson’s comments and articles now since about 20 years or so. I always had lots of pleasure with your humour and with your way to look at things. In Resolution July/August he mentioned that there is nothing to stop RAID systems. Unfortunately this is not true, as I had to learn last year. All RAID systems use a controller, which makes the decision how data are written onto the disks. Those algorithms are complex, and the different RAID systems available all seem to use different algorithms. I had a RAID system level 5, which means, data were spread among three disks (IDE). One day, when I started my recording site by switching the main central power switch on, the RAID housing began to send smoke signals that didn’t smell very confidence inspiring. Although I instantly switched the unit off, the power supply was damaged, and the controller went into nirvana too. The three disks though were spinning happily in their housings. My efforts to get a new controller were not successful, because the system was no longer manufactured. In such a case, the data are lost. My data were lost too. Fortunately I am very distrustful of computers so I did backup data regularly and I lost only very little. I admit that the data off the disks could have been rescued by a specialist for lots of money but in my case the cost for the rescue action exceeded the value of the data by far. I decided to reformat the disks and use them for other purposes. My conclusion: if I ever will use a RAID system again, I’ll at least buy two units. Or the system needs to write data

to the disks in a way that I can read the data without the original controller — just by plugging one of the hard drives into my computer and copying it. Thomas Kern, Cologne, Germany Thomas Kern’s experience reveals the problems that can beset systems having a single point of failure. He is absolutely correct that if the single control system goes down a RAID system will fail. However, from an archiving standpoint, failure of the control system should not result in any data loss and upon replacement of the control system the data should still be fully recoverable. John Watkinson

Delivery cuts Another great leader (V8.6) which we all enjoyed. It doesn’t bode that well for the multiple TV channel age that we seem to be charging towards. There seems to be more laziness these days in terms of what seems to be ‘adequate’ when it comes to what is broadcast. I believe that the cutbacks broadcasters (not just in the UK) have been making for years are finally coming home to roost. It comes down to people making decisions and when you don’t have the people then many decisions aren’t made and it slips by. It becomes the culture then. Keep up the good work. D Layton, Worcester, UK There may be something in your cutbacks theory but even the most savage cuts have been accompanied by an investment in technology to, among other things, increase efficiency. That’s great and it is the future but if you’re handing over control to a technology then you still have to monitor it and you have to build in some slack; and the slack is human beings. When something goes adrift, the technology won’t sort it out but a human could. I’ve been in regional TV news stations around Europe that have one operator driving the audio, the video, the cameras, the playbacks, everything and it all seems to go swimmingly. In my part of the UK the local news insert to the main TV news frequently and regularly starts without the presenter’s mic up, will lose lipsync at some point, and will have the weather lady talking through what sounds like a distant floor mic. That’s people not knowing what they’re doing. So people are the problem; not enough of them to sort out the problems that will always arise but still enough to screw it up royally and dependably. ZS

The Ultimate File-based Processing Platform for Audio

DP600 Program Optimizer

Designed for Work-flow Flexibility and Ease of Use • Intelligent Audio Analysis and Automated Loudness Normalization • Faster than Real-time Audio Encode and Decode • Complete Audio Format Conversion and Correction • Supports the Latest Dolby and Industry Formats • Includes Full Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Pulse Support • Creates, Interprets and Converts Dolby Metadata dolby.com/DP600

W09_21858_DP600_Resolution_ad.indd 1

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 70

resolution

27/08/2009 15:33

October 2009

29/09/2009 10:21

EMI Music Publishing London with VTC 48 channel console

VTC at EMI “

“Ever since we’ve installed our TL Audio VTC consoles we have had many compliments regarding the tonal warmth of the recordings we make down here. In our opinion retaining this quality is the most important aspect when working with digital recording software systems.”

“Some of the artists we have recorded on the TL Audio and have been happy with the results include: Tinchy Stryder, Madness, The Rumble Strips, Noel Gallagher, Ricky Gervais, Chris Martin, Dizzee Rascal, Lady Gaga, Kele Okerele (Bloc Party), Roisin Murphy, Salaam Remi, VV Brown and Taio Cruz.”

Scott McCormick, EMI Studios - London

IVORY 2 SERIES

EBONY SERIES

CLASSIC SERIES

VALVE MIXERS

DESIGNED & MADE IN THE UK TL Audio Limited • Letchworth • Herts • SG6 1TN • United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1462 492090 • Fax: 44 (0)1462 492097 • Email: info@tlaudio.co.uk Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 71

29/09/2009 10:22

Some Questions are Easy to Answer “Where do these lumps in the lower midrange come from? Should I move my furniture or get a smaller display?”

“How can I add more bass trapping in my small room to avoid this boominess?”

“All this with a 5.1 system! How am I supposed to find the time to calibrate my system accurately?”

“I should just get a Genelec DSP system!”

When you are building or fine-tuning your audio monitoring environment there are many aspects to consider: the design and geometry of the room, loudspeaker placement, acoustical treatments, the type of

Genelec DSP Series

equipment to use and making sure everything works well together. When it comes to optimized audio reproduction and proper adjustments of your response curves, the decision is easy. Genelec DSP systems with AutoCal™ automatic calibration can attack common problems in your room response with just a few mouse clicks. Get familiar with our DSP systems at www.genelecDSP.com

Resolution October 09 V8.7.indd 72

29/09/2009 10:22