AV MAX-March 2011 by Sumit Bhosle

EV IE S W

` 100

The Rock Star India Loves! March 2011

Vol 12 Issue 3

INTERVIEWED Bryan Adams

Epson Introduces EH-TW3600 HTProjector

2nd Showroom In Chennai

AV Vision Equipments Now Distributors Of Mitsubishi Electric

NEWS Torvin Opens

ALSO REVIEWED

Subscribers Copy

MARCH 2011

GOLDENOTE Demidoff Signature Amplifier

INDIA’S NO.1 AUDIO AND VIDEO MAGAZINE

FLOORSTANDING SPEAKERS SPECIAL

THE GRAND TEST OF 12 FLOORSTANDING SPEAKERS PARADIGM REFERENCE STUDIO 60 V.5 JAMO D 590 SVS STS-02 ACOUSTIC ENERGY AELITE 3 DLS M66 WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 10.7 KEF Q500 KLIPSCH RF-62 II MONITOR AUDIO M6 SAVOY YMC-08 TOTEM ACOUSTIC WIND WATERFALL IGUASCU EVO

INTERVIEWED ALI ZAFAR Talks About His Junoon For Music VOLUME 12 ISSUE 3

FIRST LOOK OLIVE 06HD Music Server

DVD REVIEWS

DESPICABLE ME DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS

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Contents

The map for browsing through AV MAX

Contents

MARCH 2011

VOLUME 12 ISSUE 3

NEWS 8

WATERFALL AUDIO

YAMAHA

TORVIN

Launches HFM 2.1 Serio

Opens 4th AV Square in Ahmedabad Opens Second Showroom In Chennai

24 EPSON

Introduces EH-TW3600 HT Projector

26 SONODYNE

Announces TAG As Its US Distributor

REVIEWED 32 ACOUSTIC ENERGY Aelite 3 Floorstanding Speakers

36 MONITOR AUDIO M6 Floorstanding Speakers

40 WHARFEDALE Diamond 10.7 Floorstanding Speakers

44 DLS M66

Floorstanding Speakers

48 KEF Q500

Floorstanding Speakers

52 PARADIGM Reference Studio 60 v.5 Floorstanding Speakers

56 JAMO D 590

Floorstanding Speakers

60 TOTEM ACOUSTIC Wind Floorstanding Speakers

64 SVS STS-02

Floorstanding Speakers

68 WATERFALL Iguascu Evo Floorstanding Speakers

72 SAVOY YMC-08

Floorstanding Speakers

76 KLIPSCH RF-62 II

Floorstanding Speakers

80 GOLDENOTE Demidoff Signature Stereo Amplifier

84 KODA iP801

Multimedia Speakers

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FLOORSTANDING SPEAKERS

All lined up to floor you with their performance

3/1/2011 10:05:57 AM

For AV MAX Feedback, write to avmax@infomedia18.in or Infomedia 18 Pvt Ltd., A Wing, Ruby House, J. K. Sawant Marg, Dadar West, Mumbai 400 028

FEATURES

148 MART

Atlas Elektra All

FIRST LOOK

118

BRYAN ADAMS

Olive 06HD

Takes fans on Cloud 9

MAXCLUSIVE

8 GADGETITIS

110 SOUNDSTAGE MAGIC

A sound experiment in our lab...

INTERVIEWS & PROFILES

Dispro 3D Glasses

104 ALI ZAFAR

MUSIC REVIEWS

The versatile artiste talks about his new album

Burlesque: OST

106 DESIGNER PROFILE Vincent Bruzzese Founder, Totem Acoustics

114

INDUSTRY VOICE Paradigm, Martin Logan, Anthem- The Canadian Superpower

120 BRYAN ADAMS

The rock star that India loves

122 NIKHIL D’SOUZA

A tete-a-tete with the jingle singer

REVIEWS 86

DVD REVIEWS

MUSIC REVIEWS

Despicable Me Dinner For Schmucks Patiala House Tanu Weds Manu Burlesque: OST Rihanna Omkara

READER'S SERVICE 132 BUYER’S GUIDE

Floorstanding Speakers, Amplifiers and Speaker Cables

148 MART

AV Stuff Worth Shoplifting

154 FAQs

Queries on Floorstanding Speakers answered

156 RESALE

A market place for used/discounted hi-fi products

158 ASK AV

Tips offered to buy the right products

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` 100

The Rock Star India Loves!

INTERVIEWED Bryan Adams March 2011

AV Vision Equipments Now Distributors Of Mitsubishi Electric

Epson Introduces EH-TW3600 HTProjector

2nd Showroom In Chennai

Vol 12 Issue 3

NEWS Torvin Opens

ALSO REVIEWED

MARCH 2011

GOLDENOTE Demidoff Signature Ampliﬁer

INDIA’S NO.1 AUDIO AND VIDEO MAGAZINE

FLOORSTANDING SPEAKERS SPECIAL

DESIGN

Santosh D Kamble

INTERVIEWED ALI ZAFAR Talks About His Junoon For Music VOLUME 12 ISSUE 3

86 DVD REVIEWS

COVER CREDITS

FIRST LOOK

COVER SHOOT

OLIVE 06HD Music Server

DVD REVIEWS

DESPICABLE ME DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS

Mexy Xavier

Despicable Me

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3/1/2011 10:06:19 AM

News

Gadgetitis\ Waterfall Audio

[AV M A X N E W S ] NEWS GADGETS BOOKS WEBSITES LATEST INDUSTRY UPDATES

GADGETITIS SAVING UP FOR IT ?

WATERFALL AUDIO

Launches HFM 2.1 Serio

DISPRO 3D GLASSES WHAT? With 3D products picking up slowly but steadily it's very important that you have the right gear to enjoy the 3D experience to its fullest. The problem with the 3D gear is its pricing. But now you have a solution in the form of the Active shutter 3D glasses from Dispro 3D. WHEN? Distributed by Dispro Visual Technologies, Hyderabad, it's available at select retail outlets all across India. HOW? The stylish high-tech 3D glasses allow you to enjoy vivid and realistic stereoscopic 3D images even while working with any active shutter 3D unit. It uses an IR emitter and a sync splitter that enables you to watch 3D movies and play 3D games. With the ghost depressing circuitry onboard, the glasses also claim to eliminate the ghosting issue seen in most 3D glasses. WHY? The stylish active 3D shutter glasses with built-in electronics are compatible with the latest 120 Hz/200Hz/240Hz, LCDs and 3D ready DLP HDTVs, and utilise the brightest and the fastest LCD lenses to bring you clear and bright images. The glasses require a single cell battery, which runs for almost 300 hours. The 3D glasses also boast of very low power consumption. While using these products, there provide very minimal ease-of-use and also ergonomic comfort. The Dispro 3D glasses, on the other hand, with their ergonomic fit and easy-touse operations promise a comfortable and hassle-free user experience. Sumit Bhosle

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GLASS LOUDSPEAKER EXPERTS Waterfall Audio has launched a groundbreaking new hi-fi loudspeaker concept that promises to offer the ultimate in discrete, compact audio. Called Serio, the diminutive 2.1 satellite speaker features Waterfall’s striking glass design expertise, while at the same time offers a high performance sound. Serio has been carefully crafted for both hi-fi and AV applications and comes with three mounting options—on-wall, ceiling, and tabletop stand-mount. It is available in three colours—black, white and silver—with matching grilles. Orange and green ‘fashion’ grilles are also available. Besides being aesthetically pleasing, Waterfall has incorporated its patented Heatstream technology into the design, which offers better power handling from a compact speaker unit. By cleverly coupling the speaker’s voice coil to the unit’s aluminium body, the speaker’s Atohm driver can efficiently dissipate enough heat for the high-power demands of high-quality audio and intensive home-cinema soundtracks.

All Serio models are based around a 3” Atohm transducer; housed in a die-cast aluminium chassis with a safety-glass surround. The overall cabinet depth of the Serio satellite is just 8.5cms and each package comes with an accessory pack, including a wall bracket and three rubber mounting devices for desk/shelf positioning. The package is supplied with Waterfall’s HFM (High Force) subwoofer. Compact, bass reflex and active, it boasts of 3 class D amplifiers—1x120W amplifier for the subwoofer and 2x60W amplifier for the satellites, while a full bodied and dynamic bass is delivered through a 7" bass driver with connectivity through a 3.5mm jack for all standard multimedia sources or a cinch cable for L&R stereo. General sound settings and subwoofer settings are independent of each other. There is a phase and frequency adjustment for the subwoofer section and dual voltage offered between 110/220 V. The package is ideally suited for use with home audio/ desktop PC/MAC/NotePad/direct iPod use or for use with Sonos-style systems or any variable level source.

AV MAX MARCH 2011

3/1/2011 10:08:32 AM

News

Website Review\Rock Stars

WEBSITE REVIEW AV WEBSITE OF THE MONTH

WWW.AUDIOCHECK.NET

ABOUT THE SITE As its name suggests, Audiocheck.net is a site that helps you gauge the sonic performance of your home-audio entertainment gear and it assists you in measuring your own hearing capabilities. Going by the copyright date, the site had its inception in the year 2007 and the primary goal of the site’s founder is to provide a freely available on-line access to audio files that can test room acoustics, loudspeakers and various other equipment in the audio signal chain. What’s more, you needn’t be an expert to carry out any of these audio tests. Once you’re on the home page of the site, it is easy to browse through the various tabs and all tests have an on-screen text support system to help you navigate through each process. WHAT THEY OFFER Now, here’s the best part. You needn’t download any of the sound test files (although the option is available by a simple left click on the icon) to your hard disk to check your audio system. In fact, everything happens in real-time. As you place your mouse over the selected icon of the page, playback of the audio file begins immediately. The files don’t have any latency problems and it requires no buffering time. The site also offers alternate links to other audio sites that contain in-depth information about various topics like decibels, sound pressure levels and so on. WHAT’S INTERESTING These audio tests bring the expertise of an audio engineer straight to your home via the internet and you get a hands on experience of testing and learning via these experiments. You can distinguish between frequencies, test the sensitivity of your ears, gauge the dynamic range of your music system, do a left-right stereo test and carry out various other analytical tests with individual test tones too. A word of caution from us, before you begin any playback, turn the master volume of your PC all the way down and ensure that your sound card accepts and reproduces these audio test files correctly. ESTABLISHED YEAR Unknown Lionel D’souza

ROCK STARS

Meet Rock Sitars

Tom Gimbel of Foreigner performing on stage

FOREIGNER, THE POPULAR British-American contemporary poprock band of the 1970s, performed in Mumbai at St Andrew’s auditorium, Bandra, Mumbai on 13 February as part of their five-city fusion concert tour along with sitar maestro Niladri Kumar, who specialises in the electric sitar (zitar). After Niladri’s 70-minute set, it was a trip down memory lane as Foreigner’s Mick Jones and his band took to the stage performing favourites like “Say You Will”, “Waiting For A Girl Like You”, “Cold As Ice”, “Hot Blooded”, “Juke Box Hero”, not forgetting the saxophone-flavoured “Urgent” to eager fans in the audience. With a totally new lineup comprising founder and lead guitarist Mick Jones, and five new faces—Jeff Pilson, Tom Gimbel, Michael Bluestein, Jason Sutter and vocalist Kelly Hansen, the band tried its best to recreate the hits that made them famous. Hansen’s showmanship was the highlight. From mingling into the crowd, to inviting the audience to the front of the stage and rocking with him, he truly was the man of the moment. The 90-minute set concluded with the soul stirring ballad “I Want To Know What Love Is” with almost everyone in the audience joining in. Mick Jones recalls the formation of the band, “I was one of three friends besides Lou Gramm and Ian McDonald. I was living in America and that too,

illegally. I would regularly jam with them. There was also Dennis Elliott, Al Greenwood and Ed Gagliardi besides the three of us. So that’s what began as a sextet where McDonald, Elliott and myself were English, while Gramm, Greenwood, and Gagliardi were Americans. We formed the band naming ourselves Foreigner as we all came from different parts of the world”. “There are many problems that we have faced down the road. But Foreigner has been doing much better now than it was doing 10 years ago. It is not easy to live as a musician any more; much harder for bands to survive and do what they want to do,” felt Jones. Hansen can’t thank his stars enough for having got a chance to be a part of Foreigner. “I think it is a great honour to be here and also be a part of such a legendary band. I grew up listening to the band’s music and I must say, I knew almost all their songs. It’s probably the reason why I can sing them so well.” So ﬁnally what made “I Want To Know What Love Is” such a global hit? Jones smiles as he says, “The song was actually written and dedicated to my girlfriend, who is now my wife. I don’t know what, but the lyrics and melody were so magical that many young girls and boys loved it. This song also gave the band instant recognition”. Text & Photo: Verus Ferreira

FEBRUARY 2011 AV MAX

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Feature

First Look

First Look OLIVE 06HD MUSIC SERVER As it is with AV MAX’s ritual to introduce a new brand every month, this time we present to you Olive, an audiophile company that was founded in 2005 by Dr Oliver Bergmann and Robert Altmann, both ardent lovers of music and technology. Olive Media Products Inc has a product line of novel and innovative devices like media servers, ground-breaking phone applications and so on, and the product that we’re featuring here is the Olive 06HD music server. This guy can be delivered to you in either a silver or black anodised fine-grade aluminium finish. With just the first look, Olive completely dazzled us with its masterpiece silver finish, it looked divine and extraterrestrial—a design that is not seen so often. The outer shell of Olive projected an image of an alien-like spacecraft; that will sit atop your table and command a lot of space as it has huge dimensions—it’s around 17” wide, has a depth of around 14” and around 4.5” at its highest point (it tapers upwards from the front panel). The front of the Olive 06HD looks simple with just a 6.4mm stereo headphone out, a volume control rotary knob, a CD loading mechanism and a sensor for the remote control. On the top end of the device, a 10.1” wide colour screen allows to feel your music through the sense of touch. Yes, that’s right; it’s a 800x400 high resolution touchscreen, that features the latest glass-on-glass

First Look.indd 28

technology, and for easy everyday listening the music genres can be colour-coded for quick selection, adding visual vibrancy to your musical experience. There are also the standard navigation, play and pause buttons on the top panel that come in handy for CD playback. But astoundingly, Olive turns the table and allows you to not only play but also to record your audio, MP3 and data CDs on the built-in 2TB AV hard drive. This massive HDD runs quietly and it doesn’t incorporate a cooling fan for heat dissipation. The hard disk in Olive’s belly can store up to 20,000 songs, all in its original high resolution format. Moving to the rear panel, one can lay their hands on a pair of 24k gold-plated stereo RCA and XLR (Neutrik finish) outs for the warmth of analogue and for those on a digital planet, a 24k gold-plated coaxial out is accompanied along with an optical and XLR out. A pair of Wi-fi outs besides a USB, a HDMI and Ethernet for networking purposes is also available on the rear. Olive 06HD also acts as a DAC (Digital-analog Converter) that carries out a flawless encoding and decoding of your lossless audio formats. Speaking of formats, WAV, FLAC, MP3 (128 to 320kbps) and AAC (128kbps) all of these are supported by this master music server. Also, its power has a differential supply for analogue and digital components, leading to

AV MAX MARCH 2011

3/1/2011 10:09:40 AM

Get a glimpse of the Next Big Thing on the horizon of the AV world…

KEY FEATURES Inbuilt 2TB HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 10.1” Wide Colour Touchscreen Copy CDs directly to the inbuilt HDD via the record button Ability to burn audio CDs, MP3 CDs and Data CDs Stream music through WiFi 802.11n

a high performance and low noise stage for a better sonic output. On the other hand, a single look at the spec sheet says 0.0007% total harmonic distortion over a 20Hz–22kHz audio spectrum is a very low rating for a device like this. With such improved functionality, this device is truly, ‘Designed For Audiophiles’. Moreover, every Olive 06HD is handbuilt at the company's San Francisco

plant; the product is given the best ﬁnishing touch that enhances its aesthetics and also augments its sonic performance. Fx Entertainment is the sole distributor for Olive in India, the product retails at Rs 3,45,000 With features as irresistible as this one, we’re hoping that the Olive 06HD takes us by storm. Lionel D’souza

MARCH 2011 AV MAX

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Reviews

Foorstanding Speakers

Reviews

PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY

Mexy Xavier, Neha Mithbawkar & Joshua Navalkar

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TEST PROCESS

From the AV MAX Test Lab AV MAX reviews have a lot of preparation that goes into them. Here is a lowdown on what goes into a review before it hits the page. TEST PARAMETERS

All the products that AV MAX gets to review are put through our ‘specification’ test that deals with build quality, aesthetics, value-for-money, ease of use, and last but not least, performance. Each of these elements are looked at subjectively, which means that the price range that the product caters to, affects the way we judge the other parameters. TEST LABS

Our testing studio measures 15 feet in length, 12 feet in width and 8 feet in height, making it a reasonable sized studio to test various sized products. With these dimensions, we can take up to a 60” flat panel, a 4½ feet tall floorstander, and a projector that can render a 110” image size. The studio is acoustically balanced with variable panels for reflection and absorption. We possess a fair collection of calibration Blu-ray discs, burn-in CDs along with exhaustive list of Blu-rays, DVDs, CDs and SACDs. The testing material i.e. high grade cables and optimum power conditioning, and the testing environment is kept the same for all products reviewed, giving each of them a fair chance to prove themselves and are rated accordingly. FOORSTANDING SPEAKERS

AV MAX RATINGS Poor Below Average Average Above Average Very Good Great Stuff Excellent Fabulous Perfect

Much like our ‘Stereo Setups’, the tower speaker is given ample burn-in time to begin with, if the pair that has been delivered to us is brand-new. We spend a lot of time on observing the speaker, without it even turned on so that its performance doesn’t hamper with the aesthetics. If the speaker has a well integrated design, then the performance and aesthetics would go hand-in-hand. Testing the speakers always starts with setting them up, which includes distance from the walls, distance from each other, how much they should be towed-in (if at all), speaker cables, and amplifier-speaker power/impedance matching. We try to keep the testing material as consistent as possible so that we give each speaker an equal chance at proving themselves, while at the same time, we get a more accurate illustration of how each speaker behaves with the same music. MARCH 2011 AV MAX

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3/1/2011 10:04:41 AM

DVD Review

Despicable Me / Dinner For Schmucks

DESPICABLE ME Director : Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud Cast : Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand & Julie Andrews Audio : Dolby Digital 5.1 Video : 1.85 : 1

n the recent times there has been a surge of sorts of animation movies than ever before…and we ain’t complaining. From the stable of Illumination Entertainment comes a heartwarming tale of a coldhearted villain. The aspiring super-villain Gru (Steve Carell) after knowing that an Egyptian pyramid is stolen, plans to pull off the most incredible heist by stealing the moon! The movie has all the elements of a dark comedy such as the bank of evil to sponsor the heist, headed by Mr Perkins (Will Arnett) and Gru’s nemesis

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Tried & Tested ONKYO TX-SR706

AV Receiver

Vector (Jason Segel) who ends up upstaging Gru. When Gru applies for a loan to steal the moon, the bank refuses to grant Gru the loan until he obtains the shrink ray necessary for the plan to be successful. The shrink ray happens to be with Vector and Gru is unsuccessful to steal the weapon. Gru discovers Vector’s weakness for the cookies which are sold by three orphaned girls, Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Elsie Fisher). So he adopts the orphans to beneﬁt from their access to Vector’s lair. Without Gru’s knowledge, he forms a bond with the orphaned girls; but does he have a change of heart of the ambitious heist? What follows is a drama that’s touching but quite predictable. From the moment you start

watching the movie, you get a fair enough idea of how it’s going to end and so it does. Not one of the best storylines but deﬁnitely some very witty repartees between the children and Gru.

AUDIO The sound design of ‘Despicable Me’ is intelligent—from the panning sounds of spaceships ﬂying on the screen, to the rumble of the lasers ﬁred keep your setup on toes. The score of the movie envelopes you along with the ambient sounds, that are mixed well. The dialogues are clearly audible.

VIDEO Like the story, it’s a fact that with direct to digital, there hardly are any discrepancies in video transfer in animation. The images onscreen are nothing short of impeccable; you can see the layers and textures that give a lifelike feel to the visuals and the colour saturation is to die for.

EXTRAS The bonus features comprise the

AV MAX MARCH 2011

3/1/2011 10:26:17 AM

DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS Director : Cast : Audio : Video :

Jay Roach Steve Carell Paul Rudd and Zack Galifiankis 5.1 Dolby Digital 1.78 : 1 Widescreen

DVD RATINGS Audio Video

commentary by directors Pierre Cofﬁn and Chris Renaud giving out fascinating details of the movie. Behind The Scenes With The World Of Despicable Me features the entire cast and crew and Global Effort shows how animators from two different continents collaborated for ‘Despicable Me’. The beautiful score by Pharell Williams is talked about in the extra Despicable Beats.

or the Hindi film movie viewer, this might have a striking similarity with ‘Bheja Fry’—that’s because both the films are inspired from the French film ‘Le Diner de Cons’. Tim Conrad (Paul Rudd) is a midlevel financial executive, who aspires to take the fast ride to the top with his talent and ideas—one of them is striking a deal with a baron. Impressed by Tim’s idea, his boss Lance Fender (Bruce Greenwood) invites him for a special dinner, for which he must find an idiot with a ridiculous talent; the winner amongst the idiots wins a prize and the executive who brings the idiot, earns brownie points. Coincidentally, Tim bumps into Barry Speck (Steve Carell) who has the passion for bizarre dioramas of mice. But the arrival of Barry only complicates things for Tim when Julie is lead to believe that Tim is cheating on her with a girl named Darla who actually is Tim’s stalker. Tim still has to take Barry to the party and win the contest, but Barry has to compete with another strong rival Therman Murch (Zach Galifianakis) who happens to be his boss and the new lover of his ex-wife.

The ﬁlm’s worth a watch for the endearing performances by Steve Carell, Zach Galiﬁanakis and Paul Rudd, not to forget the soundtrack and well shot sequences.

AUDIO Not perhaps the first choice of a DVD to refer to for audio mix. The 5.1 dolby digital concentrates on the centre channel with an occasional pan in the mix while things fly across the dining table. The soundtrack is a blend of the European feel and zany animation films that fill up the HT setup. The dialogues are clearly audible.

VIDEO Right from the opening credits, the DVD has quite a rich video transfer. With skin tones that are lifelike, even the colour saturation in most of the scenes are soothing to the eye the reds in the movie are particularly striking. The detailing in visuals is immaculate right from the plush ofﬁces to the hair of the stuffed mice to the fabrics that give us the feel of the visuals.

WHAT SAY AV? DVD presentation is no longer taken for granted and DVD with a good video transfer and audio mix only compels you to revisit the movie that also has excellent entertainment value. The ‘Dinner For Schmucks’ is a DVD that can be viewed a few times.

WATCH THIS SCENE Opening Credits Tim Conrad Bumps His Car Into Barry Speck The Dinner Hosted For “Idiots” The Battle Between Barry And Therman Murch Swapnil Raje

WHAT SAY AV? It’s a DVD with all the top-of-theline ingredients such as ﬂawless video rendered and audio mix that packs a punch. What it deserved was a storyline that was above commonplace and it would have been a DVD to recommend not just for its technical brilliance.

WATCH THIS SCENE The Pyramid Is Stolen Gru Is Attacked By A Shark In Vector’s Lair The Race Between Gru And Vector Swapnil Raje

DVD RATINGS Audio Video

MARCH 2011 AV MAX

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Music Review

Patiala House

PATIALA HOUSE Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Lyrics: Anvita Dutt Label: T Series

MUSIC RATINGS Music Lyrics Vocals Orchestration

on an album, and the two instantly manage to create the right mood with a little lift from Hard Kaur. The vocal effects on Mahalaxmi’s voice add to the dance feel of the track. Shafqat Amanat Ali also manages to bring in that intenseness of the protagonist’s character with his expressive modulations switching effortlessly from the higher octaves to the lower ones tuning the lyrics magically with his vocals. Within minutes, Richa Sharma shines through the track “Aval Allah” with a beautiful and engaging vocal presence. Vishal Dadlani does a Mohit Chauhan sounding sultry in “Aadat Hai Woh” gradually soaring higher mid-way only to unravel his original voice.

ORCHESTRATION

WHAT’S IT ABOUT Director Nikhil Advani’s ‘Patiala House’ traces the journey of a cricketer who makes a decision much against the will of his father—a gripping tale that will have emotions loyal to either side. Imagine a huge Punjabi family living abroad, a conﬂ icting decision made by the protagonist, and a game of cricket— needless to say, the plot spells ample scope for musicians Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy to employ their skills. With eight originals and four remixes, the soundtrack of ‘Patiala House’ is inviting enough.

MUSIC The music has essentially a few Punjabi fusion numbers, especially dance numbers “Laung Da Lashkara” and “Rola Pe Gaya”. “Kyun Main Jaagoon” is a conventional, mellow, pensive track that is bound to grip you for it’s the core track of the ﬁ lm that evokes a sense of intenseness in you. You will be reminded of the track “Main Jaha Rahoon” from Namastey London in some parts of the song or even “Noor-E-Khuda” from My Name Is Khan for that matter. “Aadat” is a slow and soft

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ballad sung by Vishal Dadlani and it certainly stands out on the list for its minimal orchestration. “Baby When You Talk To Me” is another popstyle, sing-along track, while “Tumba Tumba” has a very traditional, folksy melody, similar to the ones you hear at typical Punjabi weddings.

LYRICS With a dash of Hindi and Punjabi, Anvita Dutt has balanced the lyrics quite well. Lyrics of “Aadat” and “Baby When You Talk To Me” are hummable, feel-good variety and tune well to the melody. “Tumba Tumba” is one of those rare variety of unheard Punjabi tracks, speciﬁcally based on the groom, which is second only to the commercially popular “Bhootni Ke” from ‘Singh is King’. The song, “Kyun Main Jaagoon”, is simple yet thought-provoking and explores the depth of the protagonist’s situation of ‘identity crisis’ where he feels alienated due to the decisions taken by him and thus, seeks answers to get rid of his misery.

VOCALS After a long time, Hans Raj Hans and Mahalakshmi Iyer unite together

With Punjabi numbers there is always the fear of they exceeding the normal listening threshold causing ear fatigue. But be it “Laung Da Lashkara” or “Rola Pe Gaya” or “Thumba Thumba” all of them sound just right. Even, the dhol has been used purely for the rhythm and when teamed with synth arrangements, the effect is convincingly good. The minimal use of arrangements, led by the guitars and soft synths in “Kyun Main Jaagoon” and “Aadat Hai Woh” help elevate the vocals, thus driving the overall feel of the song. The song “Aval Allah” has a nice enveloping feel, promising a spiritually fulﬁ lling listening experience.

SUM UP Despite a few dance-worthy numbers, the soundtrack of ‘Patiala House’ is light and falls easy on the ears. Tracks like “Kyun Main Jaagoon” “Aadat” and “Aval Allah” ride high on lyrics and vocals with the last one qualifying for an encore. Even the qawwali inspired folksy “Tumba Tumba” makes for an interesting listen and grows on you with time.

TRACKS TO EXPERIENCE Laung Da Lashkara Tumba Tumba Aval Allah Divya Nair

AV MAX MARCH 2011

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TANU WEDS MANU Music Krsna Label: T series Lyrics: Rajshekhar WHAT’S IT ABOUT After being stalled for quite sometime now, the romcom project ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ finally sees the light of the day. Don’t be surprised to fi nd new names on the album inlay since the fi lm has been produced and directed by first timers. Even the fi lm’s music has been composed by debutante Krsna with lyrics written by Raj Shekhar—adding newness to a lot of areas.

MUSIC The music is relatively good, especially coming from a newcomer. It has good commercial value, yet doesn’t stick to that purpose alone. The fi rst track “Saddi Galli” is quintessentially the Punjabi dance song, i.e., the shake your leg variety, slightly repetitive in its feel, but convincingly good and better than the ones that you must’ve heard in the recent past. “Yun Hi” is a soft romantic-ballad, which is soothing and leaves a smile on your face, making you want to hum the lyrics everytime it’s played. “Rangrez” is a Sufi-influenced track, while “Piya” is a semi-classical track sung by Shafqat Amanat Ali. Once again, the magical

word ‘Jugni’, which is also a track in this abum leaves an impression on the listener. Another interesting track is the playful “Manu Bhaiyya” which has a nice rhythm to it.

LYRICS First timer, Rajshekar certainly impresses with “Yun Hi”, which talks about a guy innocently confessing his selﬂess love for a girl and convincing her to say yes to him—simple yet elegantly put. The use of Urdu lyrics in the qawwalistyled Suﬁ track sounds effective, which narrates the plight of an NRI guy who misses his country and the lyrics convey them beautifully. “Manu bhaiyya” is a very peppy track that has playful narration of a guy’s plight after marriage.

VOCALS After the lyrics, the composer needs to be given all the credit for investing in the right choice of singers. From the “Saddi Galli” track sung by Lehmber Hussainpuri to having two versions of “Rangrez”, he has ensured that the listener gets a range of listening pleasure. Mohit Chauhan’s rendition of “Yun Hi” is

MUSIC RATINGS Music Lyrics Vocals Orchestration

quite a respite in a soundtrack that reeks of a North Indian wedding setting. Other tracks that are an elevated listening experience are “Piya” by Shafqat Amanat Ali who mesmerises you with his charismatic and intense singing and “Rangrez” sung by Krsna, the composer himself. Krsna has a very rustic voice that is very Indian and striking in its vocal presence. “Jugni” by Mika also forces you to take notice—thanks to the singer who marinates it with his signature modulations and gives you an entertaining masala number.

ORCHESTRATION The orchestration of this ﬁ lm has subtle variations, the funky electronic dhol like beats on “Saddi Galli” sets the tone right for the soundtrack of this wedding caper. “Yun Hi” is strikingly minimal in its orchestration, the intermittent humming and the little keyboard quirks in the background tickle you. The clapping effect on the qawaali styled “Rangrez” are equally interesting while Krsna’s expressive vocals weave magic around them quite successfully. The stringed prelude to the semi-classical “Piya” dotted by the rhythm of the tabla, making it another worthy sound track.

SUM UP From the fi rst listen, you will agree that the newbie composer has steered clear of commercialism, even in a low budget project like this, showing off his calibre in the right spirit. The songs have touched upon a range of genres from Sufi to bhangra along with retaining the strong Indian flavour. The lyrics and vocals are another plus and that’s how the soundtrack of ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ challenges you to give it a listen.

TRACKS TO EXPERIENCE Sadi Galli Yun Hi Rangrez Piya Divya Nair MARCH 2011 AV MAX

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Sound Experiment Photographs: Joshua navalkar

Maxclusive

SOundStAGE

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A Loudspeaker Story

We, at AV MAX, feel that loudspeakers are man’s greatest invention for audiophiles. Testing speakers is most fun. After the thrilling exercise of drawing parallels between live and recorded music, we now take a look at ‘soundstage’—a virtue that defines a good speaker. Here’s what we did... 110

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he kind of music you usually listen to forms the basic core of buying your kind of speakers. At AV MAX, with our reviews, we try to facilitate your buying decisions by providing you with a broader perspective and an overall feedback on any given product we test. We have always taken that extra step to help you choose the ‘apt’ product. And by apt we mean a product that suits your taste and also fits your budget. Last year, we did an interesting experiment on the difference/similarity between live and recorded music, and how ‘closer to life’ can recorded music be. This time around AV MAX reviewers, Karan Gour, Sumit Bhosle and Lionel D'souza went a notch ahead to decipher the intricacies of a ‘Soundstage’.

What were we looking for?

Our basic aim was to know the capability of a speaker to render a desired soundstage. There are numerous factors such as the types of drivers used, positioning of the drivers, resolution of the speaker and also the size of the cabinet that need to be considered for this task. We had a diverse variety of floorstanding speakers, from horn speakers to soft-dome tweeters to glass speakers. We put all of them to test to see the kind of soundstage they render.

Why were we looking for soundstage?

Just like the frequency response, tonality and sensitivity of a speaker, soundstage is one of the crucial characteristics that needs to be tested while assessing a speaker. Soundstage is a true

representative of the stereo format. It is practically impossible to portray any spatial information in a mono recording, but stereo has the liberty of exhibiting a plethora of spatial information like depth, placement of instruments and sound effects. Soundstage exploits all these features and, hence, becomes a vital aspect while listening to music. It helps the listeners perceive a place for the musicians they are listening to and also makes the listening experience more involvement.

What is Soundstage?

Soundstage is the actual expanse of a song mix. After a song is recorded, it goes through a mixing process. The mixing engineer binds all the elements in a mix to create a uniform sound. It's here that the engineer also works on another aspect and that is ‘soundstaging’. For this, every element in the mix is placed (panned) at a particular position in the horizontal expanse of the song mix using a couple of tools such as the pan (left or right) and equalisers for tonal separation). A vast and a well-spaced out soundstage helps the listener to appreciate all the elements (vocals, instruments, sound fx) equally and adds a organically dynamic feel to the song making it entertaining.

How did we do it?

To conduct this experiment, we invited singer-songwriter and composer Shantala Bellare to our studios. The idea here was to make a simple mix with a considerable amount of information on the spatial front. Shantala composed a pleasant number for

Equipment used Macbook Pro With Logic Studio 9 Edirol UA-25 Soundcard Shure KSM44 Condenser Microphone (Courtesy: Performance Audio)

Sumit Bhosle records seven different takes of Shantala Bellare’s vocals using the MacBook Pro with Logic Studio 9 MARCH 2011 AV MAX

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Interview

Ali Zafar

Ali-ance

ZAFAR

Photographs: Neha Mithbawkar

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Adams Takes Fans On Cloud No 9

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Industry Voice

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Paradigm/Martin Logan/Anthem

NIKHIL D’SOUZA

NIKHIL D’SOUZA’S PORTFOLIO Fuel Deo TVC Indian Terrain “It’s Time To Change A Little Airtel “Dil Titli Sa” Samsung Metro “Zindagi Chak Lo” Bharat Petroleum “I’ll Be There” Chivas Studio Swift Dzire Snow “My Desire” Vodafone mobile number portability “The World Is Our Playground”

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Designer Profile

Vincent Bruzzese

Founder & Chief Designer, Totem Acoustics He is known to build speakers that form a spiritual connect with their listeners. The timeless and priceless quality that Vincent adds to his innovations makes him enigmatic in the eyes of many. AV MAX has reviewed Rainmaker and Hawk in the recent past, and we believe that his unusually named speakers deliver every nuance with great precision and detail.

he company, Totem Acoustics was launched in the late-’80s, a time when the market was dominated by products with large dimensions in Montreal, Canada. Nevertheless, Vincent also broke into the market and gained recognition as a designer and manufacturer from a country that did not make its own speakers at the time; most of Canada’s speakers were made outside. When Totem’s monitor speakers were launched, they created ripples in the market, especially with their clear and larger that life sound.

FLASHBACK Vincent Bruzzese graduated from Montreal’s McGill University as a science major, and even taught math and physics in high school and junior college for a while. He has been reported to have always been interested in music and liked the sound of electrostatics, but wasn’t happy with their “off-axis response, dynamic limitations, and lack of mechanical reliability. What gives Totem Acoustics an edge over other

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trivia  



Founded in 1987

Is of Italian descent but is based in Montreal, Canada First model was Model 1 (Listen & Believe) priced at US$ 1,800 in 1987 First company ever to use the 15w75 (woofers) from Dynaudio

products is the founder’s principle of making a product that the consumer could “aspire to afford” and as he puts it, “We as a company can never rip them off.” Totem means a guide that instructs and educates you. The idea is based on the Red Indian spiritual principle. In the mid1980s, when Vincent was searching for a name for his company, he had a native American friend to whom he gifted a pair of speakers. The friend gratefully acknowledged later that the speakers “guided him” through his dark days. He suggested that Vincent should name his company ‘Totem’. Initially his team also comprised of Native Americans and he had totem poles and artefacts in his manufacturing base. Vincent revealed that he prefers to name his products based on the intrinsic characteristics, and not be given a title that is “ostentatious and stupid.” In an exclusive interview with AV MAX, Vincent recalls the early years in 1985 when one of the engineers copied his on-wall product and came up with a cheap replica of the same. Two years later, he met the engineer who graciously confessed to copying the design but was unable to pull it off successfully. Such is the inimitable genius of the speakers designed by Bruzzese.

ELEMENTS OF DESIGN Stated Vincent to AV MAX, with respect to his design vision for his speakers, “I wanted to capture the beauty, the clarity of Quad units, but those that would blast, and wouldn’t degrade with time. And that is why Model 1 came aboard.” He continued, “We knew that our models wouldn’t change, and

ELEMENT RANGE While describing the Totem innovations, Jason Knott from CEPro observed that the Element loudspeakers include several technical innovations developed by Totem. First, each model features Totem’s 7” Torrent hand-assembled drivers and an exclusive magnetic technology. The Element woofers, built in-house, have a precision-machined chassis that is not moulded or stamped. The thick, stainless steel aluminium-based voice coils are under-hung within the magnetic and fully immersed in a localised magnetic field. This specialised enclosure-like cradle holds multiple claw-shaped magnetic segments that allow for a full 1” throw of the driver. The 7” cone is fully rear damped yet light and stiff. All Element drivers have free air resonances in the 16Hz to 17Hz range. The reason for the magnetic and construction is to make the Element series use “no active or passive crossover parts” in the woofer. Once this challenge is resolved, it offers advantages in clarity and phase correctness with control and accuracy both on and off axis. The crossoverfree network in the woofer path allows for a broad soundstage and unfettered flow of information, sound and energy. The tweeter has been used in the Tribe V 3/8” thick faceplate and finned aluminium alloy. “It was five years of work,” said Bruzzese, who further added that the design was inspired by the hallbach array, a special design in which magnetics are used to augment and cancel each other. The array is the basis for maglev high-speed train locomotion. “I call it the Totem array,” said Bruzzese, adding that “the larger the room, the better” to handle the huge imaging produced by the Element loudspeakers. The three units (Fire, Earth and Metal) are available with the centre channel (Wood) and subwoofer (Water) that has been out since February 2011.” MARCH 2011 AV MAX

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Buyer's Guide

Stereo AmpliďŹ ers / Floorstanding Speakers / Speaker Cables

BUYER'S

GUIDE A complete reference for the readers with tips and suggestions to choose from the enlisted wide-ranging products of home entertainment.

STEREO AMPLIFIERS FLOORSTANDING SPEAKERS AND SPEAKER CABLES

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