AM 286 October 2014

IN THIS ISSUE

Capturing dialogue on the Marvel blockbuster p24Guardians of the Galaxy

No. 286 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com

TECH FOCUS

Mic preamps

p30

AES/PLASA

What to look out for in LA and London

p14

CONSOLE

TECHNOLOGY

Demands are converging across live, broadcast, and studio

p18

IMMERSIVE AUDIO

Unravelling the mysterious art of mixing in immersive formats

p22

www.audiomedia.com October 2014 3

Ispoke to Jason Spence, president, J Sound

Services, recently. The Nashville designers

of audiovisual systems continue to see

more and more integration of audio,

video, and even lighting.

“I see a further convergence of technologies

in terms of integration, control, and how

and what content is delivered, not just in

the US but globally,” said Spence. “With

video resolution tripping over itself and

infrastructures that can handle the bandwidth

required increasingly in place – I think you’ll

see some interesting developments in how our

content is captured and delivered. This video

quality will push for the audio quality to be on

par (driven by the consumer), creating an even

bigger need for competent and qualified audio

engineers, mixers, technicians, and hardware

to match.”

At IBC2014, I grasped this quality balance

while visiting the booths in Hall 8, some of

which were hosting world product debuts. Our

roundup of some of the technology highlights

starts on page 6. Congratulations also to Aaton

Digital and Sony, the winners of Audio Media’s

Best of Show Awards, for their respective

Cantar X-3 audio field recorder and UWP-D

wireless microphone series. See page 12 for

more on the winners.

Speaking of new products, Kore was

recently excited to announce that the studio

had installed a 32-channel 1608 from API in

its Studio A. It was great to see the console in

the studio, which has worked with producer/

engineer Chris Kimsey, best known for

working with The Rolling Stones; producer

Eliot James (Noah And The Whale, Two Door

Cinema Club); and artist/producer/writer/

mixer David Kosten; not to mention past

clients Ronnie Wood, Richard Ashcroft, and

Florence and the Machine.

According to producer/engineer George

Apsion, who runs Kore, the API went in really

well, and the studio has released a time-lapse

video of the installation on its website, www.

kore-studios.com. Since then, Kore has had its

first tracking session on the API with engineer/

producer Guy Massey, who himself came

up through the ranks on an API at RAK

Studios. Massey was working with Kosten

and artist Cousin Marnie. My Studio Profile

is on page 28.

As we went to press, the second Pro Sound

Awards, co-sponsored by Lab.gruppen and

Sennheiser, kicked off at the Ministry of Sound

in south-east London. News on the winners

will be available in the next issue – but look

online now if you want a sneak peek!

Lastly, the Audio Media team will be at

PLASA London this month. If you’re heading

to ExCeL and fancy meeting with us drop me

an email at [email protected]. The

show organisers recently announced the first

ever Audio Village – an area dedicated to pro

audio – and a strong Professional Development

Programme. Our show preview on page 15 will

help you plan your visit.

Jake Young, Deputy Editor, @jakeandrewyoung

WELCOME

Meet the team

Deputy Editor – Jake Young

[email protected]

Managing Editor – Jo Ruddock

[email protected]

Commercial Director – Darrell Carter

[email protected]

Account Manager – Karma Bertelsen

[email protected]

Production Executive – Jason Dowie

[email protected]

Designer – Jat Garcha

[email protected]

Press releases to:

[email protected]

© NewBay Media 2014. No part of this publication may

be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior

permission of the copyright owners.

Audio Media is published by NewBay Media,

1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road,

London N1 8LN, England.

Editorial tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6002

Sales tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6000

Audio Media ISSN number: ISSN 0960-7471 (Print)

Circulation & Subscription enquiries

Tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6001

email: [email protected]

Printed by

Pensord Press Ltd

“Congratulations Aaton Digital and Sony, the winners of Audio Media’s Best of Show

Awards, for their respective Cantar X-3 audio field recorder and UWP-D wireless

microphone series.”

CONTENTS

4 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com

ADVERTISERSINDEXAES 17Audio-Technica 48Cedar Audio 3, 27CES 35DiGiCo 11Genelec 2

Lawo 5Lynx Studio Technology 21Mogami 12Nordoff Robbins 41Prism Sound 9Radial 47

Richmond Film Services 34RØDE Microphones 7Stagetec 15Steinberg 13Studiomaster 19Universal Audio 33

Page 18TECHNOLOGY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS

Audio Media Post Production Show-

case unveiled ..........................................10

First ever IBC Best of Show Awards

winners announced ...............................12

World debut from RØDE .....................6

‘All in one’ desk from Lawo .................7

New DSP board for Nexus ...................8

RMX16 from UA ....................................9

FINAL CUTJory Mackay talks to sound

mixer Simon Hayes about his

work on summer blockbuster

Guardians of the Galaxy

p24

TECHNOLOGY

Focus:

Mic preamps 30

Reviews:

Neve Genesys Black 38

EVE Audio SC408 40

Wavelab 8.5 42

SPL Crimson 44

Page 28

FEATURES

Audio Consoles ....................................18

Simon Allen looks at how demands

across the live, studio, and broadcast

markets are converging

Immersive Audio .................................22

Mixing in the new format offers

challenges and opportunities, finds Rob Allen

Game Audio .......................................... 26

John Broomhall talks to Rockstar Games

veterans Craig Conner and Will Morton

about their new venture

Studio Profile ....................................... 28

Jake Young takes a trip to MPG Award-

winning facility Kore Studios, which now

boasts a 32-channel 1608 from API

ALSO INSIDE

AES PREVIEW 14

PLASA LONDON PREVIEW 15

GEO FOCUS: USA 16

INTERVIEW: Chris Mace 46

TECHNOLOGY NEWS


Based on the S3L system, the VENUE

S3L-X was new from Avid in Amsterdam.

Said to enable live sound professionals

to more easily meet the increasing scope,

size, complexity, and diversity of today’s live

sound requirements, the VENUE S3L-X

enables engineers to efficiently mix and

record live shows, and create new material

or mix down live recordings for commercial

purposes.

The system delivers expanded

networking, control, and processing to meet

a range of live performance demands. It is

also possible to reduce complexity and cost

by sharing the same I/O across multiple

S3L-X systems, with full automatic gain

compensation. With support for 64-bit

AAX DSP plug-ins, plus the open

EUCON and Ethernet AVB network

protocols, Avid VENUE | S3L-X ensures

compatibility with a variety of Avid and

third-party products.

www.avid.com

Avid Unveils Compact Live Sound System

Harman’s Studer added to its digital

console range with the 52-fader Vista V.

Based on the same Quad Star technology

as the Vista X it comes in a more compact

footprint designed for smaller studios, OB

trucks, and large live productions.

The Vista V features a built-in meter

bridge, high-quality motorised faders, and

a built-in Dynamic Automation system

with DAW remote control. The console is

fully surround-sound capable, with versatile

panning and monitoring functionality.

At the heart of the Vista V is the Infinity

Core, which uses CPU-based processors

to deliver 800+ audio channels, and more

than 5,000 inputs and outputs. The use of

CPU-based processors suggests possibilities

for scaling up to even larger channel counts,

and for running third-party algorithms.

www.harman.com

Studer Releases Vista V

New at IBC World Debut for RØDE Stereo VideoMic X The HHB Communications stand hosted the premiere of

the RØDE Stereo VideoMic X (SVMX) at IBC2014.

The flagship SVMX is said to provide the highest level of

performance of any stereo microphone from RØDE by

providing broadcast-quality audio via an acoustically matched

pair of true-condenser capsules.

Broadcasters have the option of outputting audio with

either a 3.5mm stereo output or a balanced signal via mini

XLR. These features ensure a broadcast-grade output for

camera systems and audio recorders in any professional

application.

Housed in a lightweight aluminium body, SVMX maintains

high levels of resistance to RF interference. The capsule and

shoe mounts are precision machined to ensure the tightest

possible tolerances, thereby minimising any acoustic resonance.

“The Stereo VideoMic X not only raises the bar for

on-camera audio, it shatters it,” commented Damien Wilson,

RØDE’s global marketing & sales manager. “When we started

the ‘X’ project we had the objective of creating the best of

the best and I believe we’ve done just that. The SVMX is the

ultimate tool for superlative audio capture in any environment.”

www.hhb.co.uk

Riedel has released Tango TNG-200, the company’s first fully networked platform based on

the AES67 and AVB standards.

“We have always considered the networked approach to signal distribution to be the

most desirable option for today’s broadcasters,” said Thomas Riedel, CEO of Riedel

Communications. “We have been on the forefront of adoption of standards for several

years now, and we are proud to introduce the world’s first networked and expandable open

hardware platform that can also run a powerful intercom application.”

Tango TNG-200 is equipped with a high-resolution, full-colour thin-film-transistor

display that ensures readability at all times. The unit’s intuitive front-panel controls simplify

the recall of presets and adjustment of audio levels. Along with powerful processing

capabilities, the Tango TNG-200 features two integrated Riedel Digital Partylines, two

AES67 and AVB-compatible ports, two Ethernet ports, one option slot, and redundant

power supplies.

www.riedel.net

Step Change from Riedel

Genelec has added two compact two-way monitors, the

8320 and 8330, to its Smart Active Monitoring (SAM)

range. Also new are the 7350 subwoofer and GLM

2.0 – Genelec Loudspeaker Management Software –

complemented by a new measurement microphone and

network adapter unit.

The 8320 and 8330 feature Genelec’s Minimum

Diffraction Enclosure, made of recycled die-cast

aluminium, as well as advanced Directivity Control

Waveguide technology. Although small in stature, the

units feature floating point digital signal processing engines

and Genelec-designed Class D amplifiers.

www.genelec.com

Genelec Adds to SAM Range

DirectOut launched four new MADI

products at IBC2014.

ANNA-LISA (pictured) is a

handheld MADI analyser and signal

generator. It provides quick-check

indicators for signal condition,

input level and jitter plus extended

analysis, such as protocol and user bit

checks, is accessible using an external

application via USB or

Bluetooth.

KYRA is a four-source

MADI monitor mixer for

MADI monitoring and line

checking. Four stereo or eight

mono channels can be summed to

front panel or external speakers or a

headphone output.

MA2CHBOX.

XL is a flexible

reference class headphone and

MADI monitor controller. There are

three MADI ports; SC fibre, BNC

and SFP, and the AES3 input can

be routed independently to either

headphones, AES output or line out.

MONTONE.42, a 1U MADI

to Ravenna audio-over-IP bridge,

offers integration between MADI

and networked audio-over-IP devices.

Based on the Ravenna network

protocol and MADI, it serves as a

versatile link for broadcast, live and

studio applications.

www.directout.eu


TECHNOLOGY NEWS

New at IBC

Lawo’s mc²36 all-in-one audio console was

unveiled at a high-energy launch that included

a live audio-over-IP mix of German rockers

Rammstein. The compact console boasts powerful

DSP micro-core with internal 512 x 512 port

audio matrix and integrated I/O making it suited

to permanent installations with limited space, as

well as to rental companies looking to optimise

transportation. As it is natively equipped with

Ravenna/AES67 technology, the mc²36 integrates

into IP infrastructures.

Its 21.5in Full HD touchscreens work with

touch-sensitive colour-illuminated rotary

encoders to provide intuitive operation. In terms

of connectivity, the console’s interfaces include

32 mic/line inputs, 32 line outputs, eight digital

AES3 inputs, eight digital AES3 outputs, eight

GPIO ports, one MADI (SFP) port, three

Ravenna/AES67 channels, and a headphone jack.

In addition to the onboard I/O, a MADI tie-line

connection and three Ravenna/AES67 Audio-

over-IP ports provide future-proof connectivity

for up to 384 external inputs and outputs,

offering a total capacity of 496 physical inputs

and outputs.

www.lawo.com

‘All in One’ Desk from Lawo

New MADI Range

IBC2014 saw the launch of QUANTUM.Live Table-Top

(TT), the newest addition to Fairlight’s live console family.

Fairlight’s range of live consoles can switch between live

and post production at the touch of a button.

The entry-level QUANTUM.Live TT is the smallest

console in Fairlight’s live line-up. It comes with faders

accommodating 144 signal paths over 12 layers.

It delivers fast tactile access and full command over two

monitor systems.

A second TT frame can be added, increasing the

system to 24 faders.

A QUANTUM.Live Table-Top base configuration with

12 faders, a centre section, audio processing engine with 48

channels, 32 busses, and a full complement of local audio

I/O, starts at €30,000, $40,000.

www.fairlight.com.au

Fairlight Launches Table-Top Console Audio-Technica unveiled its AT8024 mono/stereo

camera-mount microphone at IBC2014. The short

shotgun mic is powered by a single AA battery

and connects to cameras with an unbalanced stereo

3.5mm TRS jack. It comes equipped with a low cut

filter to reduce low frequency rumble and -10dB

and -20dB pad settings to minimise the chance of

overloading the camera’s audio input. Switchable

mono or stereo operation extends its flexibility.

Additionally, the AT8024 features an integrated

shockmount and foam windscreen with wind muff.

www.eu.audio-technica.com

DSLR-Mount Mic from A-T

Stagetec has introduced a new generation of its signal-processing board XDSP for Nexus. Compact and lightweight as its predecessor, the new board quadruples processing power and integrates the Isostem upmix system invented by Berlin-based DSpecialists.

The XDSP board opens up new possibilities for audio signal processing within Nexus: for example, now up to 20 minutes delay, up to 66 30-band equalizers or up to 320 dynamic units can be realised per board. As before, all signal-processing modules can be combined individually according to customer requirements.

Designed for applications where multichannel mixes based on stereo are

part of the everyday work – for example in broadcast or in post-production – the Isostem algorithm generates a 5.1 mix from stereo input signals in real time that is fully reversible. Devices that are unable to play back (or to transmit) multichannel will receive the unadulterated stereo signal the multichannel mix was based on. www.stagetec.com

New DSP Board for Stagetec’s Nexus

JoeCo has released the

latest addition to its

BlackBox family of live

multichannel audio

recorders and players –

the flagship BlackBox

BBR1MP Recorder. The

24-channel, stand-alone,

live audio acquisition

solution delivers all

the standard BlackBox

functionality, while

featuring 24 in-house-

developed microphone

preamps, operating at up to

24bit/96kHz.

Primarily designed with

the broadcast engineer and

sound location recordist

in mind, the BBR1MP

offers a range of connection

options including

individually switchable

mic/line inputs, balanced

outputs, video sync,

timecode, and word clock

inputs. User installable

Dante and MADI interface

cards are also available as

options, adding 24 channels

of Dante or MADI I/O

to the BBR1MP unit.

Microphones can either be

connected to the unit via

tails from the rear D-Sub

connectors, or via an

optional 2U breakout panel

with XLR connectors.

System components are

available individually or as

part of a bundle.

The unit is fully

controllable via

JoeCoRemote for iPad.

www.joeco.co.uk

BlackBox BBR1MP Recorder from JoeCo

HHB Communications hosted the world

debut of co-exhibitor TC Electronic’s aNorm

loudness algorithm at IBC.

The normalisation algorithm provides

loudness adjustment features that offer a new

approach for user-defined Targets for Program

Loudness and Loudness Range (LRA).

Complementing aNorm is the new Butterfly

Processing Meter that offers both graphical

and numerical displays of Program Loudness

and Loudness Range

parameters at all stages

of the process.

The aNorm algorithm

and Butterfly Meter

are part of the new LoudnessWizard II

licence for TC Electronic’s DB6 Broadcast

Audio Processor.

“We are proud to offer second-generation

loudness normalisation and new loudness

processing metering to all audio-conscious

broadcasters,” said TC Electronic’s Thomas

Valter, VP of business management, broadcast

& production. “aNorm adapts seamlessly to

your content to achieve a transparent result

where delicate production

balances aren’t washed

out. It is also easy to use,

and it even leads to new

transition processing never

before possible.”

www.hhb.co.uk

TC Debuts aNorm

TECHNOLOGY NEWS


New at IBC

TECHNOLOGY NEWS


Developed over a two-year

period by AMS founder

Mark Crabtree, the AMS

RMX16 Digital Reverb

plug-in is now available

exclusively for the UAD

Powered Plug-Ins platform

and Apollo Th underbolt

Audio Interfaces. Th e

plug-in is off ered alongside

the Summit Audio TLA-

100A Compressor plug-in

developed for the UAD

platform by Softube.

In creating the UAD

plug-in version of this

processor, Crabtree used

his original schematics for

the hardware unit, yielding

an exact instruction-for-

instruction model of each

of the original algorithms in

the hardware.

“Only a full and faithful

implementation of the

RMX16 would satisfy me,”

said Crabtree. “I’m excited

to have the RMX16 on

the UAD-2 platform. I

have spent nearly as long

designing the plug-in as

I did on designing the

original unit from scratch!”

Plug-in-only features

including Dry/Wet Mix,

Wet Solo, and easy ‘click-

and-type’ editing of control

values.

www.uaudio.com

Universal Audio Releases RMX16 Plug-in

Aviom has released what

it calls its most aff ordable

personal mixer ever, the

A320.

Designed for use with

in-ear monitors as well

as headphones, the A320

ensures all mixing features

are instantly available – no

menus to navigate, no

complex programming,

no computer required – so

customising and adjusting a

mix is fast and intuitive.

Th e A320 has a

32-channel mix engine

for mixing up to 16

mono or stereo sources.

It also includes the

Stereo Placement control

introduced on the A360,

but in a simplifi ed version

that combines the pan and

spread of stereo signals into

a single control. Th is allows

both mono and stereo

sources to be positioned

in the stereo

fi eld of the

mix as a whole,

signifi cantly improving the

user experience with in-ear

monitors and headphones,

while providing a

streamlined user interface.

Th e mixer is compatible

with all existing Pro16

Series devices and monitor

systems.

www.aviom.com

Aff ordable Personal Mixer from Aviom

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INDUSTRY NEWS Sign up for your digital AM at www.audiomedia.com


U2’s Songs Of Innocence is one of the first

commercial releases to come from the renovation

and rebirth of Paul Epworth’s Church Studios in

Crouch End. The album was part recorded in the

main Neve room there and partially produced by

Epworth as well as part mixed and engineered by

Miloco’s Matt Wiggins. Super-producer Flood

also contributed to the production of the album, at

Miloco’s Assault and Battery 2 Studio.

Two new studios have joined the Miloco stable

- Martin Terefe’s recording and writing room

Kensaltown Studio A based in Ladbroke Grove,

West London, and Irish studio Attica Audio Recording, which is owned by Villagers guitarist

Tommy McLaughlin.

Tyler Bates’ score for Guardians of the Galaxy

was recorded by Abbey Road’s Andrew Dudman

in Studio One, assisted by Lewis Jones and Matt

Jones.

Steve Levine has been using his new Audient

ASP880 at his Steve Levine Recording facility

to mix the live tracks from his Assembly Point

Sessions recorded at Liverpool International

Music Festival which featured live performances

by Boy George, Mark King, Bernard Butler, Tim

Burgess, Hollie Cook, Mary Epworth and Natalie

McCool, as well as Levine himself demonstrating

a live recording session.

Jean-Christian Maas, owner of Studio des Bruères, has added an Audient ASP8024,

supplied through Funky Junk France.

Want your studio news featured here? Send details to [email protected]

Heard Around TownRECORDING

Audio Media is proud to present our

first ever Post Production Showcase,

highlighting the varying work across

the field of audio post-production

for feature films, shorts, TV, and

advertising.

From the projects submitted, we

have picked six that stood out either

for innovation in the sound design

process, the ability to overcome

challenges, or for the strength of the

final product. The shortlist is:

Envy: Land Rover UK – Bear Grylls Can and Will Reach the Summit

One in a series of films for Land

Rover, all the sound design was

created and mixed in Pro Tools

in one day. The film also went to

cinema with a Dolby 5.1 mix.

“As Bear describes his life-

threatening experience on Everest

we hear the cityscape from his point

of view around him,” said Ian ‘Arge’

Hargest, senior sound designer and

dubbing mixer, Envy. “The sound

brief was to make Bear feel like he

was somewhat disconnected from

these sounds. Bursts of city noise are

occasionally heard as if to enhance

the disconcerting feeling of his

story. As the story becomes more

optimistic towards the end, so do the

sounds of the city.”

Factory: Honda – Hands

Since its release in July 2013,

‘Honda – Hands’ has become the

most awarded piece of commercial

sound design work over the past 12

months, and has amassed over 13

million YouTube views.

Recording was done using a

mixture of studio microphones,

including the Audio-Technica

AT4033 and Neumann U 87, with

additional location recording being

done with a Fostex Hard Disc

Recorder and stereo mic setup.

GCRS: The National Autistic Society – Sensory Sensitivity

This strong 70-second film showcases

the challenging experience of sensory

sensitivity that a person with autism

faces on a daily basis.

“The sounds were looped and

manipulated to disrupt the listener,”

explained sound designer Munzie

Thind. “By doing this we wanted

to make them feel uncomfortable

and alien – the repetitive and atonal

audio is meant to strike a chord with

the audience, communicating the

message in an unnerving manner. I

messed with the tempo of recorded

and library sounds to add that

arresting factor.

“In order to achieve a stark contrast

with the rest of the film, I cut it dead

at the end to surprise the viewer, as

the film cuts to a shot of Chi, who is

autistic.”

Jungle: PETA – Stop Buying Angora

This powerful film exposes how the

fur industry collects angora.

“The sound design process was

difficult and fun,” according to sound

designer Culum Simpson. “Difficult

as sifting through the footage to find

the right sounds for the rabbits was

not easy on the ears. Fun because I

was given free reign to do what I do.

The film came in mute so everything

had to be synthesised, recorded, or

sourced, pretty much a dream job

from a creative point of view. It

also gave me more control over the

direction of the soundtrack.

Prime Focus: Live from Space SeasonPrime Focus was tasked with mixing

two one-hour documentaries and

all the VT inserts for two of the

Channel 4 and Nat Geo programmes.

“A lot of the footage used was shot

in space, specifically for this project

and therefore it was also important

to ensure that any audio that was

captured by the astronauts would

be fully restorable,” said dubbing

mixer Phitz Herne. “We were given

examples of the audio in advance

of the cut and prepared a bespoke

set up for this project using a

combination of RX3 and Cedar.”

Technicolor: Cardinal Burns

The brief was to create a cinematic

feel for the British cult sketch show

starring Seb Cardinal and Dustin

Demri-Burns.

“To meet our brief, the show

demanded a very rich tracklay,” said

re-recording mixer Jules Woods.

“Along with the sound design and

Foley, each episode was crammed

full of commercial music, score,

and of course dialogue. The content

that came together for each episode

resembled more what you would

expect from a feature film session!”

Top Post Production Projects of 2014POST PRODUCTION

INDUSTRY NEWS


IBC2014 was the fi rst

European show to feature

Intent Media’s Best of Show

Awards. Various Intent

Media brands, including

Audio Media, invited

exhibitors launching new

products at the show to

enter them for the Awards.

Each brand runs its own

separate awards initiative, so

it can judge the entries from

its own perspective.

Audio Media made two

Best of Show Awards at

IBC2014:

Aaton Digital, Cantar X3: Th e new generation of

Cantar-X by Aaton Digital

is a 24-track digital audio

on-location recorder with

top-of-the-art analogue mic

inputs, Dante digital audio

– records on SSD, SD, USB

– and connectivity with

Bluetooth/WiFi.

Sony, UWP-D with SMAD-P3 MI shoe: Newly

developed digital audio

processing – which uses

DSP – provides high-quality

sound, underpinned by the

exceptionally stable audio

signal handled by the True

Diversity receiver (URX-

P03), which enables drop-

out free transmission. Th is is

all housed within a compact,

lightweight and robust

metal chassis.

Th e SMAD-P3 MI

shoe adapter creates a truly

wireless connection with the

UWP-D Series, eliminating

the need for any connecting

cables between the receiver

and camera in use.

A publication

highlighting all entrants to

the Best of Show Awards

will be available later this

month.

www.audiomedia.com

Best of Show Winners RevealedAWARDS

Encore has provided

sound and picture post

production services on

ITV’s new four-part crime

drama Chasing Shadows.

Senior post producer for

Encore London Alice

Greenland supervised

the project, which was

the fi rst DPP fi le-based

delivery for both Encore

and ITV. Re-recording

was undertaken by head of

sound David Old in Encore

Post Sound Studio 2.

Jungle has taken on a

number of exciting projects.

Hass Hassan completed

the mix on One Direction’s

Th e Vault fragrance ad and

Dominic Dew designed

the sound for Betfred’s new

brand campaign. Owen

Griffi ths and Jungle’s

music arm Native worked

on a new spot for Royal

British Legion. Native also

undertook music supervision

projects for M&S, including

its new Adventures in

Imagination food ad

and autumn collection

campaign.

LipSync Post has

invested in a 24-fader Avid

S6 M10 console and Pro

Tools upgrades from Scrub,

a division of HHB.

Dreamsound has become

the fi rst post production

studio in Poland to adopt

Dolby Atmos powered by

JBL and Crown.

From the Cutting RoomRECORDING

p

Markus Warlich and

James Leach of Sony

Game audio and high-resolution

audio are set to be two key

topics at the 137th AES

Convention, which runs from 9-12

October at the LA Convention Center.

The Game Audio Track runs across

all four days, with highlights including

‘Business of Music and Sound in

Games’ at 11.45 on Thursday, and

‘Dynamic Mixing for Games’ at

15.45 on Friday. Also on Friday,

game audio director and composer

Marty O’Donnell will deliver the

Heyser Lecture. Entitled ‘The Ear

Doesn’t Blink; Creating Culture with

Adaptive Audio’, O’Donnell will

draw on his experience, which covers

film and commercials as well as the

Halo franchise, to discuss the creative

challenges of working in non-linear

media, such as games. The lecture is

scheduled for 19.00.

Friday will also feature a High

Resolution Audio programme. The

result of a collaborative effort between

the AES and DEG: The Digital

Entertainment Group, the HRA

programme will include a number

of panels and sessions that address

the current and future direction of

HRA from various perspectives,

including content creation, digital

distribution, licensing of hi-res music

files, archiving, subscription models,

marketing/promotion of hi-res music,

compatibility of playback devices,

and more.

Away from the seminar rooms,

there will also be innovation on the

showfloor.

Audio-Technica will show

its 50 Series and 40 Series

studio microphones, Artist Elite

microphones, and the remastered

M-Series professional monitor

headphones led by the ATH-M50x.

Brainstorm Electronics is displaying

the SR-112 time code distripalizer

with Generator option, DCD-12

and DCD-8 word-clock generator/

distributor with Word-Clock, AES/

EBU, NTSC, PAL, HD tri-level,

SPDIF, ADAT Light-Pipe, Firewire

1394, and GPS.

Cedar Audio will be showing

the latest developments in noise

suppression, audio restoration, and

speech enhancement. Demonstrations

will include the DNS 8 Live dialogue

noise suppressor, the Cedar Cambridge

system, and the Cedar Studio 6 suite

of AAX and VST plug-ins.

DK Technologies will highlight its

new line of intelligent touchscreen

loudness logging systems, including

the T7 SDI embedded audio models.

The compact unit with a 7in screen

offers high precision metering tools

as well as 3G SDI and eight-channel

AES I/O with USB and Ethernet

control.

PMC will present the QB1-A

high-resolution main monitor in LA.

With 10,000W RMS of audiophile

power at its disposal, the QB1-A is

aimed at engineers, producers, and

studios that demand the highest sonic

quality. PMC will also be hosting a

range of presentations in the PMC

Masters of Audio Demo room with

leading engineers, producers, and

musicians including an exclusive high-

end 9.1 system demonstration.

SSL will be showcasing its complete

range of hybrid studio console/

controllers, analogue outboard, DAW

I/O, Duende Native plug-ins, and

Live consoles.

Visitors to the Studer stand will be

able to experience the Vista X console

with Infinity Core, which delivers

800+ audio channels with high sonic

quality, and more than 5,000 inputs

and outputs. The Vista X with Quad

Star technology uses four processors

to achieve aviation-standard levels

of redundancy in the control surface

while CPU-based DSP makes it

viable to provide two independent

DSP cores running in parallel with

‘instant’ change over.

The EMI TG12345 plug-in,

developed in association with Abbey

Road Studios, will be on the Waves

Audio stand. This new plug-in marks

the first time an entire TG Channel

console has been modelled. Modelled

features include a Dynamics section

with Limiter 8:1/Compressor 2:1/

Ganged, and EQ section with bass

and treble bands, and the presence

band from the group/main section,

for a total of three bands EQ. Added

features include MS processing

using the Spread matrix of both

EQ and dynamics, HP filter on the

compressors’ side-chain, and a mix

control for the dynamic section for an

easy parallel compression/limiter.

www.aes.org



SHOW NEWS

Staying on TrackThe 137th AES Convention returns to LA this month with the usual strong line up of

exhibitors and even stronger technical programme.


SHOW NEWS

Setting Down RootsAfter making the move to ExCeL in 2013, PLASA returns to east London from 5-8 October with more floor space and an expected growth in visitor numbers.

PLASA is continuing its efforts to woo the

pro-audio community with a Professional

Development Programme featuring a host of

names from across the industry. Funktion-One’s Tony

Andrews and John Newsham debate ‘Point Source.

Line Array. What Do These Terms Really Mean?’,

while FOH engineer Jon Burton offers his insight in

‘Sound Engineering for Bands’. Shure unravels the

mysteries of radio frequencies in ‘Wireless Mastered’,

and Soulsound tutors and sound engineers Justin

Grealy and Marcel van Limbeek tackle the issues with

phase in ‘The Nature of Phase’.

Products from PreSonus and WorxAudio will receive

their European debut on the Source Distribution stand.

WorxAudio’s Hugh Sarvis will be showcasing a selection

of the company’s compact line array and subwoofer

products, including the V5, X2, X115, and TL118

models. Also new is the PreSonus RM-series of rack

mount digital mixers, which offer complete recallable

touch control. Based on the StudioLive AI-series mix

engine and controlled with battle-ready UC Surface

software for Mac, Windows, and iOS, the RM-series

mixers are available in 16- and 32-channel versions and

are scalable, compact, and 100% recallable.

Shure Distribution UK (SDUK) will be giving

two new products their UK public debut at PLASA:

TouchMix from QSC and the QLX-D wireless

microphone system from Shure.

Available in two sizes, TouchMix-8 with 12 input

channels and TouchMix-16 with 20, the new mixers

include comprehensive EQ and dynamics processing

on each input, main and aux output channel, and

four mix busses feeding four internal digital effects

processors. Featuring four (TouchMix-8) or 10

(TouchMix-16) auxiliary output channels, TouchMix

also has ample stage monitor mixing capabilities.

Using the same underlying technology as Shure’s

high-end ULX-D digital wireless microphone system

Shure’s QLX-D delivers transparent 24-bit digital

audio with a flat frequency response, but comes in a

more affordable package and with a streamlined feature

set compared to ULX-D.

Cadac is showing its CDC eight-32, CDC eight-16

and CDC four digital consoles, as well as the LIVE1

compact analogue desk. The company is launching the

latest V2.3 CDC eight software, which brings a host of

new features to the flagship concert sound console, as

well as exhibiting the CDC MC Router and MC MADI

Bridge – integral components of the high-performance

MegaCOMMS network. Notable highlights of the CDC

eight software update include a Waves interface card

integrated within the console, providing connectivity to

the Waves MultiRack server and control via the console

touchscreens. This allows up to 64 channels of Waves

studio-grade processing tools to simultaneously run

alongside CDC eight’s own native effects options.

www.plasashow.com



Entertainment output remains strong but how is the

pro-audio industry faring? Jake Young fi nds out.

Mixed StatesGEO FOCUS USA

With great entertainment

– TV, Hollywood

fi lms, jazz, blues, rock,

and rap music, and more – comes

great pro-audio technology. But how

strong is the US market?

Grammy-winning producer,

mixer, and engineer Joe Chicarelli

thinks this is a challenging time for

the entire music industry. “We now

are in another format transition

between digital downloads and

streaming services,” he says. “Label

recording budgets have been cut back

dramatically all over the world. Th is

has certainly aff ected commercial

recording studios. Only a handful

of top-level artists are now able to

aff ord commercial studios for their

recordings. Most projects enter a

commercial studio for just a few days

of live tracking and then possibly

some mixing. All overdubs tend to

be done in private studios, on laptops

at home, or wherever is economically

feasible.”

Chicarelli does not feel that

the US studio industry is unique

in any way, and the problems

they are experiencing are a global

phenomenon. “Ten years ago the

majority of the recording projects

came from major record labels, he

says. “I would say that now it’s only

about 10% with the remainder either

coming from independent record

labels or from the artist themselves.

“Private studios are a must. A

percentage of all albums being

made is done in a personal studio –

whether it’s just songwriting demos

that become album masters or it’s

an artist working on his own in his

home environment. It’s rare that I

look at an album’s credit list and fi nd

just one major commercial recording

studio listed as the complete

recording environment.”

Chicarelli continues to track

albums in a great-sounding

commercial recording room and do

overdubs in a less expensive private

room, while his future projects

will incorporate more in-the-box

mixing. “In the past all my projects

have been mixed on large-format

analogue consoles,” he says. “Due

to the restrictions of budgets, the

requirements of multiple recalls, and

variations on a mix I will fi nd myself

mixing more and more inside the

DAW.”

Ocean Way studio manager Robin

Goodchild says that there is still a

healthy market for studios in the US.

“Of course, there are diff erent levels

of studios and it seems fairly safe

to say that smaller project studios

have enjoyed some of the business

that the larger studios have been

unable to cater for due to reduced

budgets,” he says. “Th is year we

have defi nitely seen an increase in

business over last year with a lot of

longer-term bookings as well. As

one of the bigger high-end studios I

would say this is a very good sign of

demand shifting towards higher-end

recording again.”

Goodchild is optimistic about

the future of the industry in the

US. “Just as vinyl has its place in

the consumer market because it just

sounds so bloody good, I feel there

will always be a market for high-end

recording studios,” he says. “Th e

high-end market seems to have

levelled off and is probably seeing

a bit of an increase. I see a higher

demand for good sounding smaller

studios and production spaces in

already established recording facilities

as producers and writers are often

looking for a sense of community and

creative atmosphere you just can’t get

in home studios or a warehouse in

the middle of the valley.”

Post ProductionTom McCarthy, EVP of post-

production services, Sony Pictures

Studios, says there has certainly

been a decline in independent post

facilities over the course of the past

fi ve years. McCarthy: “Some of

the major studios that have sound

facilities have an advantage over

these independent post facilities.

Th ey support the needs and

requirements of fi lmmakers creating

creative content for the studio’s

releases. It is much harder for the

independent facilities as they do not

have their own production arms and

rely solely on third-party product to

keep their doors open.”

McCarthy states that technology-

purchasing trends have defi nitely

changed. “Everyone needs to be

aware of the cost of each investment,”

he says. “It is important to make sure

that technologies being implemented

within a facility as large as ours will

interconnect and support other areas

of studio operations. We cannot

have each post operation being its

own island. When investing, you

need to consider the shelf life of

each technology you consider. What

is the payback? Does it have any?

Or is it required simply to maintain

current business and revenue stream?

If we do not invest in a particular

technology will we lose business?

Most importantly, what do our

fi lmmakers want? What technologies

are upcoming fi lmmakers and

sound artists using today? Virtual

mixing is defi nitely on the increase.

Investments for immersive sound

formats for theatres and home

distribution are required to keep up

with new delivery formats. Th ese are

among the factors to consider.”

Carl Tatz, who off ers design and

consulting services to entertainment

industry professionals, has fi ve active

studio projects right now, and sees

more demand for personal studios

over larger commercial spaces.

“Th ey came close a couple of years

ago to ‘legalising’ home studios in

Nashville but it did not pass because

there were too many points of view,”

he says. “As long as a personal studio

owner does not announce to the

zoning board that they are building

a home studio when applying for

a permit, they won’t care as long

as there are no complaints by the

neighbours about sound or traffi c.”

Tatz notices that most of his clients

are either working in the box or using

a controller as opposed to an actual

console. For the future, he plans to

develop more strategic alliances with

manufacturers as he has with Auralex,

Argosy, and Sound Anchors, and

predicts that the industry in the US

will continue in the personal studio

paradigm.

POPULATION: 316.4M



Taking a step back and looking

at the audio console market

over the last few years, or

even just the last 12 months, not only

shows how things have changed but

patterns and trends that are coming

together to form an exciting future.

Technological advances as usual are

driving these changes, but the business

side of the situation is changing in

ways we haven’t seen before in live,

broadcast, and studio.

Analogue and DigitalLet’s get this discussion out of the

way before we move on to in-depth

developments, which are mostly in the

digital domain. It is obvious to even the

most in-experienced that digital mixers

are more common today than analogue

mixers. There are over 100 reasons why

this is the case, which I’m sure I don’t

need to spell out here. However, there

are some interesting analogue trends

which still shouldn’t be overlooked.

Starting with customers on a budget,

ranging from amateurs at home

through to practical solutions for larger

operations, the small analogue console

market is still very strong. Even in

the most professional environments

whether it be a large venue, well-

known post-production house or

multi-room studio, you will always

come across a small analogue mixer.

Then, of course, there is the other

extreme. Expensive analogue mixers

are here to stay. Without running

any risk of starting the analogue vs

digital debate here, I’ll gloss over

these ‘perceived’ sonic qualities. What

is important in terms of market

development however, is who’s

building what. Mostly it’s the music

studios that will continue the analogue

legacy and some facilities are simply

refurbishing classic mixers. In terms

of new installs there are only a few

options to consider, and especially for

me, these are among the most exciting.

Yes you can do a million different

jobs with some of the latest digital

consoles, with workflow improvements

which we can’t afford to be without,

but deep down we all prefer the Aston

Martin over the Ferrari. Modern

analogue consoles have also taken

some tricks from the digital domain

including the ability to recall manual

settings and control modern DAW

software at the same time. The big

players, SSL and AMS Neve, are at

it in a big way, with examples such as

the Matrix2 that also has intelligent

analogue routing for your hardware,

and the Genesys Black (see page 42

for our review). Then there’s this year’s

release of API’s The Box console, which

although there isn’t a digital chip in

sight, can’t go unmentioned for filling

the niche that is the ever-growing

numbers of professional project studios.

But analogue consoles in the

broadcast market are almost already

redundant as Ian Cookson from Calrec

explains: “The broadcast industry,

especially at large facilities, has

outgrown what is economically and

technically possible using analogue

equipment. Modern technology allows

audio networks to be created and

resources to be shared and controlled

across the facility from a central

location. Calrec now only produces

digital consoles as the requirement for

analogue diminished completely over

the last decade.” The live sound market

is closely following this trend too.

Touchy MixersThe modern world in which we live

today is over-run with touchscreen

technology. This UI has enabled

accessing and controlling technology

to be so much more intuitive. Console

manufacturers have embraced this

with many consoles even having

multiple touchscreens. The major

benefit is the reduction in the amount

of physical controls that manufacturers

need to include on any mixer. As

Converging Consoles

FEATURE AUDIO CONSOLES

Simon Allen considers how technological advances and changing requirements are

bringing the broadcast, studio, and live audio consoles markets closer together.

London’s LipSync Post has been fitted

with a 24-fader Avid S6 M10 console

“Here at Lawo we feel the

demands of the different

markets coming closer

and closer together.”

Wolfgang Huber, Lawo


Cookson comments: “On a soft

surface this allows multiple functions

to be accessed from the same screen

depending on how the surface has

been arranged by the user. This in turn

provides greater power in a smaller

footprint, which is a fundamental

consideration, especially in the OB

truck market.”

Touchscreens have brought many

other advantages to digital consoles

which weren’t as feasible when solely

using hardware controls. For example,

consoles such as the SSL Live are

based around multiple touchscreens

to embrace the flexibility within their

customisable software of layers and

menus.

These benefits are common in

each market. Wolfgang Huber

from Lawo gives the example

of the manufacturer’s new radio

console crystalCLEAR which is

based completely on touchscreen

technology: “You can adopt the user

surface not just to suit every individual

user’s needs – even customising the

surface, and showing only those

parameters the user needs for the task

at hand, so they can concentrate on

their work.”

Touchscreens lead on to another

current trend: remote control via

iPads, tablets, and smartphones. As

console manufacturers develop their

software for touchscreen technology,

it also maps conveniently to other

devices for remote control possibilities.

Some recent discussions that I’ve had

with distributors show remote features

are now a must-have feature for many

customers, particularly in the live

sound market.

However, there is a potential

improvement in touchscreen

technology that manufacturers are

waiting for. Cookson explains: “In a

live broadcast scenario the engineer

will be constantly watching the video

screens so faders and rotary controls

have to be physical so they can be used

without looking at them. The physical

fader in this environment is here to

stay for the foreseeable future or until

the next generation of haptic feedback

from touchscreens makes it viable. The

smartphone/tablet market is putting a

lot of effort into new concepts which

could provide the solution.”

Modern AlternativesAs computer processing power gets

better and better, so do the abilities of

DAWs and pro-audio software. PCs

and computers can handle so much

more, both in terms of multichannel

mixing and audio processing, which of

course is now of a much higher quality.

DAW controllers aren’t a new

concept but the release of Avid’s S6

and Yamaha Nuage demonstrate

how we can now see the power of

computing being able to handle

mixing to a higher level. I’ve even seen

older C24s and Pro Controls finding

new leases of life as studios utilise

them as cheaper options for workflow

enhancements.

Andrew Hingley from HHB

comments that many of its customers

are considering the S6 and Nuage to

traditional consoles. Recently Scrub,

a division of HHB Communications

installed an S6 at LipSync Post in

Soho, London. LipSync senior re-

recording mixer and music composer

Rob Hughes says: “When we came

to update our desk in Studio 6,

we wanted ultimate flexibility and

integration with our Pro Tools HDX

system. It’s a busy room that needs to

serve as a mix studio for drama, short

form, and documentaries, as well as

feeding work into our larger theatres

and handling re-versioning and

deliverables.”

Similarities Across The ‘Board’From my own engineer’s point of

view, although there will always

be differences between the market

extremes, technology is bringing

the sectors closer together. Yes there

are many functions on a broadcast

console which you wouldn’t need in

a live scenario, for example, and the

aforementioned The Box from API is

aimed at a particular sector, but at the

same time manufacturers are bridging

their technology across the markets.

Huber highlights these growing

similarities: “Here at Lawo we feel

the demands of the different markets

coming closer and closer together. We

have noticed, that more and more of

our mc² broadcast consoles are being

asked for in the live market, especially

theatre, opera houses, and classical

venues. If anything is paramount, it

is reliability and redundancy. Events

are becoming much larger, with more

sponsors that won’t accept failure, and

with shows and concerts requiring

increased DSP power – all broadcast

features entering the live market.”

Tom Graham, pro audio mixing

segement marketing manager at Avid,

agrees: “We are witnessing that the

actual needs for these specific segments

[broadcast, live, and production] are

becoming more aligned, whereas in the

past they were very different: mixers

in each of these genres are expected to

not just mix the show, song or film, but

capture the media, tag it, and utilise it

to maximise the experience for both

artist and consumer. To achieve that,

our customers need a highly integrated

control surface that allows them to

build a system to their specific needs

and that can grow and keep up with

the ever changing dynamics for each of

these markets.”

It’s the live market where we’ve

seen the most cross-development of

technologies. There’s the similarities

of reliability and redundancy from

the broadcast world, and most digital

live consoles now also offer a very

convenient method of multi-track

recording providing the ‘virtual

soundcheck’ feature that larger tours

and shows are often using.

The very high level of audio

quality which is now capable from

modern PA systems has had a chain

reaction. Any audio processing from

modern digital mixers can go as

far as reflecting studio-level sound

quality. Therefore we’re seeing better

processing chains which include the

same plug-ins and algorithms as found

in the studio. This is possible due to

the increased processing power from

machines, even on very high channel

counts. Senior product manager,

Nicola Beretta from Allen & Heath

comments: “It’s all very well having all

this ‘outboard’ built into the mixer, but

it should match the quality of the gear

it is replacing.”

The Software Era As consoles are now able to do so

much more in one unit and traditional

external hardware is becoming less

and less necessary, manufacturers

are really starting to come together.

Manufacturers of digital audio

processing, often from the studio

market, are now able to collaborate

with the console market providing

them with a larger audience and a new

Sign up for your digital AM at www.audiomedia.comFEATURE AUDIO CONSOLES

Production company tpc –

technology and production center

switzerland ag – again relied on

Stagetec equipment to produce

the second season of The Voice of

Switzerland for Swiss Radio and TV

broadcaster SRF. The talent show’s

live broadcasts were produced at the

Bodensee Arena in Kreuzlingen,

Switzerland earlier this year. tpc

used its largest OB vehicle, the

HD1, which features an Aurus

control room with integrated Nexus

network. During the live shows

and pre-recording a Crescendo is

used for the live band premixes. The

singer’s microphone signal is fed to

the HD1 control room on a separate

line, enabling the sound supervisor

to concentrate on the voice.

An interesting aspect of this

production is the plug-in server that

replaces all external sound processing

devices. Its plug-ins are controlled

by the Crescendo scene automation.

This enables the sound engineer

to create a plug-in setup for each

contestant during the sound check

and to recall it later from the console.

Stagetec Reaches a Crescendo

Calrec’s Summa is

designed for broadcast

professionals


FEATURE AUDIO CONSOLES

angle of development. Technologies

such as plug-ins that run on Avid’s

Venue consoles for example, just as

they might inside Pro Tools or Logic

in the studio, are just the beginning.

Today, probably the most notable

development of its kind is the Waves

DiGiGrid system which opens up

the well-respected suite of Waves

plug-ins in a hardware solution for

simple access via nearly any digital

audio platform, including consoles.

To achieve this, Waves joined forces

with DiGiCo for its experience in

hardware processors. Then there’s the

latest release from Universal Audio

which teamed up with Soundcraft

developing Realtime Rack; a similar

solution for the UAD plug-ins to be

utilised by modern digital consoles.

But this new era of collaboration

is even bringing together once-

competitors within the console market

itself. Earlier this month we heard

the news of the DiGiCo, Allen &

Heath, and Calrec merger. Although

they will continue to trade as separate

brands, this is an exciting time as the

manufacturers know they can learn

from one another, even across markets.

For The FutureSo what can we look out for in the

future? It’s interesting what was fed

back to me as the hot topic for future

development. It wasn’t higher channel

counts, or developments in UI, or

even better quality audio processing.

It was to take the advantages of these

very powerful digital audio systems

and take them to the next level of

advanced audio networking. Again we

find ourselves turning to the broadcast

market for clues, as they are already

setting the wheels in motion.

We’ve been able to send

uncompressed multichannel audio

down very small numbers of cables

with industry standards such as MADI

connectivity for a few years now.

Following this was AoE (Audio over

Ethernet) with protocols such as Dante

and AVB. Dante is now a strong player

and has helped open such a large pool

of benefits, providing us with a tried

and tested audio network for anything

from multi-room scenarios, or just

high channel counts between many

different devices. This year’s release of

the Vi3000 demonstrates Soundcraft’s

support of this third-party protocol

with the first ever built-in Dante and

MADI switchable port.

However, there are limits. AoE

can only travel up to 100m before

a network switch or termination is

required. This limits the possibilities

of what we know as ‘networking’

today. Here comes AoIP (Audio

over IP). New industry standards are

here: Ravenna and AES67. Cookson

comments: “It’s an exciting time and we

are very keen to see the advancement

of more open transport technology. The

ratification of AES67 is a significant

step forward in this respect.”

Lawo too is keen about the new IP

standards as Huber expanded on: “The

future lies in changing conventional

workflows, as more manufacturers

join this standard by adapting their

products. Transfer of audio and video

signals will become easier and even

more efficient by using IP networks.

Feeds are uploaded to the IP Cloud

and can be collected anywhere as long

as there is network access. Another

point is that the new standard will

protect investments as facilities and

mobile units can integrate easily

systems of different manufacturers.”

Hingley can even see potential

growth of these IP-based networking

solutions: “Another influence on future

audio distribution is the adoption of

IP-based broadcast video management.

It’s likely that new 4K video facilities

will be developed around IP-based

distribution, and audio distribution will

be largely managed by these systems.”

Whichever market you are in –

studio, broadcast, or live – there have

been some very powerful developments

which we will wonder what we ever

did without. However, it’s this new

era of processing power, software,

and networked audio which marks

a turning point in the industries’

development. These new platforms are

opening up additional opportunities for

further growth in technology and the

business around it like we’ve never seen

before. These are very exciting times in

the world of pro-audio consoles.

www.allen-heath.comwww.avid.comwww.calrec.comwww.hhb.co.ukwww.lawo.comwww.solid-state-logic.comwww.stagetec.com



The concept of height channel

arrays and ‘engulfi ng’ cinema

audiences in sound is not

a new one. Yet the idea of working

with multichannel formats for some

mixing engineers is daunting. Th is

concern can partly be explained by

a wide gap between what is known

and what is published. Spatial audio

tools and concepts are developing

apace. Th e Dolby Atmos and Auro-

3D formats are rapidly being adopted

in India, China, Russia, and the

US by cinema exhibitors eager to

provide their audiences with premium

entertainment experiences. Despite

many of the technical hurdles that

have yet to be overcome, understanding

the tools and the process of mixing in

immersive audio can give audio mixers

a competitive advantage.

ChallengesRe-recording is a large-format mixing

discipline. Th e time to perform the

fi nal mix, according to re-recording

mixer Gilbert Lake, can be anything

from one to 10 weeks depending on

the scale of the fi lm. With this in mind,

re-recording mixers have the challenge

of mixing for sizeable audiences

who occupy large auditoriums where

individual members of the audience

will be situated diff erently. When

working in Dolby Atmos, Lake fi nds

himself working in “a reference cinema”

environment “with a mixing desk

in the middle of it”. Unsurprisingly,

mixing for fi lm is not always performed

in an ideal auditorium. Re-recording

mixers occasionally fi nd themselves

working in smaller sized mixing suites

subject to production schedules and

production budget. Ideally, the fi nal

stages of a mix will happen, according

to Gareth Llewellyn, Auro-3D re-

recording mixer for Galaxy Studios, “in

the best room you can be in” yet “you

have to make the mix as coherent as

possible for everyone in the room”.

While having experience in legacy

formats such as 5.1 and 7.1 is helpful,

not only to understand how elements

may translate for the “fold-down” of

formats but also when sound object

panning is concerned, Llewellyn warns

that if you get too carried away and

draw attention to the speakers, “you’ve

failed in the art of fi lm mixing”.

Llewellyn says that from his

experience “an Auro-3D workfl ow is

not that diffi cult to implement, and it

allows you tremendous opportunities

to augment a traditional mix or to

take a fi lm’s sound into whole new

creative areas”. Speak to any sound

consultant or re-recording mixer who

works in immersive audio and they will

likely tell you that modern mixes for

fi lm are more about creating a sense

of immersion, ambience, and a sense

of ‘being there’ rather than the novel

opportunity of whizzing sounds around

and overhead. While all formats

provide an opportunity to manipulate

sound elements in space, there is always

a danger of removing the audience

from the screen. Llewellyn suggests

that immersion is a matter of practice

and mastery and is “not gimmicky

when it’s done well”. However, he

warns that despite the fun of using

“new toys on big action scenes… object

panning rockets, bullets, fl y-bys [and]

putting aircraft in the ceiling…” as

a re-recording mixer you have to be

aware of what may distract an audience

from the story being told as “it’s not all

about the loud bits”.

Benefi tsTh e recent evolution of easy-to-learn

spatial audio software means tools

that provide easy access to these new

formats are now available yet the art of

creating exciting and convincing mixes

is as challenging as it has ever been.

According to Llewellyn the advantage

of spatial audio mixing is that “you

can fi ll in the gaps… it allows you

to colour in the spaces… you’re not

reinventing the stereo image”.

Understandably technical concerns

among audio engineers when

reproducing audio through multiple

loudspeaker arrays will include phase

alignment, timbral distortion, and

sound coloration. Llewellyn quickly

points out that a benefi t of mixing

with a multichannel array is that

the process actually solves a lot of

problems that stereo once had. “It

makes sound more pleasant, more

realistic, and more relaxing,” he adds.

According to Wilfried Van Baelen,

CEO of Galaxy Studios, the home

of Auro-3D, this is partly due to a

reduced level of mental processing

as the ears receive more organic

information. New Audio Technology’s

Get Involved

FEATURE IMMERSIVE AUDIO

Rob Lawrence unravels the mysterious art of mixing in immersive audio and highlights

the key benefi ts, challenges, and opportunities for those looking to enter the market.

Warner Bros. De Lane Lea

recently became the fi rst central

London sound post-production

house to install Dolby Atmos


FEATURE IMMERSIVE AUDIO

Tom Ammerman prefers the stereo

versions of his mixes when they

originate in an immersive mix. His

theory is that he has “much more space”

for sound object placement to work

with and so can work much faster.

Finding a place to startWhile mixing in music and film are

subtly different techniques, there

are underlying principles that when

applied can quickly deliver convincing

results. For example, prior to mixing,

almost all immersive audio mixers

agree that existing (monophonic and

stereophonic) recording techniques

are valid sound sources. This implies

that natively (spatial audio) recorded

material is not always necessary. For mix

engineers willing to invest their own

time researching these tools, their prior

experience will support their endeavours

in terms of intuitively understanding

how multiple channels will collapse.

When looking for a place to start,

Ammerman adds: “I never start in

stereo… I always start in 3D.” Lake,

who has worked on The Hobbit and

District 9, starts by spending his time

premixing the effects and/or dialogue.

As with any audio production mix,

the mixer will need to make subjective

decisions based on the source material

and in collaboration with the sound

supervisors and sound editors. Lake

says they will often have had “a long-

running discourse with the director

as they build up the elements of the

soundtrack”.

Llewellyn adds: “The best approach

is to have the original sound team

available, with their source material, and

you simply add the 3D tools.” In such

scenarios, often involving AMS Neve

DFC or Harrison consoles, mixers can

build on a 7.1 mix by adding reverbs

and reflections in the height channel

arrays. In some instances, certain

sound elements are simply panned

up to the height channels. Such ideal

scenarios are not always achieved due to

production budgets, deadlines, and the

availability of the original sound team:

specialists are often booked months

ahead for other projects.

A more common approach is to start

with using the original Foley, ambience,

special effect, music, and dialogue stems

including options. Stems options are

dedicated mono or surround versions of

sound objects which provide the mixer

with choice.

Llewellyn says the ideal approach

to DAW workflow is to begin with

the immersive audio mix and have

a bussing structure that allows easy

monitoring and development of the

smaller formats in parallel with the

immersive mix. Your approach will also

depend on whether or not the mix is a

hybrid mix (ie console and DAW) or a

pure ‘in the box’ (DAW) mix (eg, using

Pro Tools). Llewellyn says working

in this way can provide a scalable

platform from which to configure

panning for additional formats further

down the line. Lake adds that, to

begin with, the team on The Hobbit

had to find complicated workarounds

to deal with the new Atmos format,

but console manufacturers have been

quick to integrate controls for 9.1 array

and object panning. Additionally new

software tools offer 3D linking:

a process where the ambient

effects respond to the original

panning choices.

Creative decisions often include

whether or not to use the height

channel information, for example

when collapsing natively recorded

music from 13.1 or 11.1 to 7.1 and

5.1. Ammerman suggests starting

with summing the height and rear

channels at their respective positions

(along the horizontal plane) with

a level reduction in the surround

channels (including the height

channels) by 3dB. Once the tools have

been better understood manipulating

reverb, equalisation, and panning is

relatively intuitive to learn. “Your prior

experience in stereo and 5.1 is enough

to inform you,” Llewellyn informs.

In film, 5.1 and 7.1 are still the final

versions most often approved by those

responsible for the delivery of the

final film release. Lake suggests “some

directors give you creative control”

whereas others “have very set ideas as

to what they want to hear”.

Beyond 7.1 there is still caution

and hesitation exercised among film

makers to commit fully to immersive

audio mixes. The cause? Such

formats are still relatively new and

potentially risky particularly given the

large production budgets involved.

Llewellyn adds: “Immersive audio

is still an unknown quantity… until

people see the ball rolling, there is

inertia…” While the number of film

exhibitors and production releases

capable of reproducing an immersive

audio experience is notably increasing,

convincing production houses to

pursue immersive audio film releases is

still, in their own terms, risky business.

ConclusionImmersive audio is new territory

for enthusiasts and professionals

to explore and advance their skills

and experience. Experimenting

with new workflows and software

tools can potentially provide mixers

with a competitive edge. Getting

started ought not to be as daunting

as one might expect despite some

of the initial technical and practical

hurdles that need to be overcome.

The advantages of modern software,

and the fact that almost any source

material is suitable, provide new

dimensions for artistic expression,

or film director interpretation,

while providing opportunities to

thrill audiences with enhanced

listening experiences. Even broader

opportunities exist when gaming,

headphone entertainment, and

broadcast audio are considered.

If in any doubt where to start,

Llewellyn’s advice is clear: “Hear the

formats… do some tests, do some

recordings, set up [speaker arrays] and

listen to them.” Lake suggests talking

to people in the industry and listening

to mixes – start with establishing

your own sensibilities. Wherever your

chosen starting point, what is evident

is that if you can find the time and

employ your own creativity, the source

material, the know-how, the audiences,

and the technology exist. It’s simply a

case of having a go.

www.auro-3d.comwww.dolby.comwww.galaxystudios.co.ukwww.newaudiotechnology.com

Today’s immersive audio producer, and mixer, has an

increasing number of authoring tools from which spatial

audio content can be created. While there are a growing

number of independent developers, both Dolby and Auro

Technologies provide bespoke tools to complement their

proprietary spatial audio reproduction formats.

Fundamentally, the Atmos suite has two tools, the

Dolby Atmos Monitor application and the Dolby Atmos

Panner plug-in. Both rely upon the Dolby Rendering and

Mastering Unit, or RMU and are to be installed on an

Avid Pro Tools HDX or HD system. The Dolby Atmos

Monitor application is stand-alone software that allows for

the recording and playback of a print master using Dolby

Atmos audio and metadata. The Atmos Panner is used to

position audio objects within a three-dimensional sound

field. Dolby has recently been working with AMS Neve,

Avid, and Harrison to integrate console functionality.

The Auro-3D authoring tools include the Auro-Panner,

which is a plug-in designed for 3D and surround sound

panning in all Auro-3D configurations. The Auro-Panner

features “object-based audio” support for upcoming

standards and provides dedicated ‘send’ controls for the

soon to be released Auro-Verb and other third-party

developer plug-ins. The Auro-Verb, available later in 2014,

is designed to create realistic three-dimensional sound

production reverberation. The Auro-Mixing Engine is

intended to augment DAW mixing busses circumventing

the eight-channel wide bus limitation found in many

DAWs, whereas the Auro-Bus plug-in extends flexibility

by collecting and controlling individual Auro-Panner

tracks. The Auro-Matic Pro tool is capable of up-mixing

to 5.1 (in the 2D version) and all Auro-3D formats from

Mono, Stereo, or 5.1 sources (in the 3D version). Last but

not least is the Auro-Codec designed as a distribution

codec to essentially mix and un-mix up to three PCM

Audio channels while staying in the PCM domain. The

Auro-Codec allows backwards-compatible distribution of

Auro-3D content on modern media, such as Blu-ray, and

can be transmitted via a standard HDMI connection to a

dedicated Auro-3D AV receiver.

Content Authoring Tools

“Immersive audio is still

an unknown quantity…

until people see the ball

rolling, there is inertia…”

Gareth Llewellyn



Twenty-six years after being

abducted from Earth

by a group of roaming

intergalactic thieves and outlaws, Peter

Quill (played by Parks and Recreation’s

Chris Pratt) finds himself the target of

the genocidal Ronan the Accuser after

stealing a powerful and ancient orb.

After forming a posse consisting of

his enemy’s cybernetically enhanced

adopted ‘daughter’ Gamora (Zoe

Saldana), revenge-fuelled muscleman

Drax (Dave Bautista), half-raccoon

half-robot Rocket (voiced by Bradley

Cooper), and a living Tree named

Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), Quill

and co head off to return the orb to

safety and save the universe from

destruction.

Sounds impressive, doesn’t it?

And with a production budget of

an estimated $170 million, it almost

certainly needed to be just that,

and more.

Yet beyond the massive

otherworldly and outer space sets,

impressive CGI, realistic special effects

make-ups, fight scenes, and huge

explosions, it’s the sound and music

that takes centre stage throughout

the film.

Quill’s Sony Walkman loaded

with a cassette of 70s hits is a focal

point of the film, from the opening

scene where a young Peter listens to a

cassette labeled ‘Awesome Mix Vol. 1’

while waiting to see his dying mother,

to the DIY sound system he builds on

his spaceship years later.

“[Writer and director] James Gunn

was very descriptive. I could tell from

the moment I met him that he had

really, really big plans for the movie

with regards to the sound and the

sound design,” explains Oscar- and

BAFTA-winning production sound

mixer Simon Hayes (Les Miserables,

Prometheus, Kick Ass).

“Lots of the time when you

meet a director they’re very visually

descriptive, but James knew exactly

what tracks he was going to have

playing in the score. The movie is

a celebration of 70’s music [and]

Peter Quill’s tape in his Walkman

punctuates his emotions and the mood

of the movie.”

Bringing the Set to LifePutting together a hit-laden

soundtrack after the fact is one thing,

but according to Hayes, Gunn felt

that the soul and feel of the 70’s was

so important to the film’s ethos that he

wanted to bring it directly to the set.

“James was absolutely, 100% into

getting that atmosphere onto the

movie set. It was almost like he has an

iTunes full of 70’s music in his brain

and would say ‘I already chose the

exact track for this moment’ to create

an atmosphere on a big explosive fight

scene based on music cues he had put

just as much planning and thought

into as the visual signature of the

movie,” explains Hayes.

“He had also already collaborated

on a lot of the score with composer

Tyler Bates and we played that too

so James could convey the musical

emotions of scene to the actors.”

“We had 10kW of sound on set.

We had a subwoofer. And that was to

create the correct mood and timing of

set pieces, not just for the cast but for

the camera moves and special fx cues

too. So when we wanted to crank it

up, which James did a lot, it would be

as loud as a nightclub on our stages.”

While this technique might help

Guardians of Audio

FEATURE FINAL CUT

Jory MacKay talks to Oscar-winning production sound mixer Simon Hayes about capturing dialogue

on the set of Marvel’s latest summer blockbuster and tent pole franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy.

DPA mics were used to overcome the

challenge of a bare-chested Drax


FEATURE FINAL CUT

the actors get into the feel of the

scene and provide the atmosphere

that Gunn was after, dealing with that

kind of sound level could potentially

become a nightmare for Hayes and his

sound team.

So just how do you record clean and

intelligible dialogue while at the same

time blasting 70’s club music on set?

Hayes: “Having spoken to James

about the noise levels and how full

of action this movie was going to

be, I decided my workflow was

going to be slightly different. On

other movies I like to celebrate

the changes in perspective of the

cameras and to actually celebrate the

different acoustics of different sized

shots. Having spoken to James and

understanding how much he wanted

the ability to pump the music and

how intricate and detailed his sound

design was going to be I decided

that this movie for me was about one

thing: getting the actors’ voices as

close up as possible.

“What I wanted to do was to

record the actors as cleanly and as

close as possible because that in

turn would give the re-recording

mixers (Christopher Boyes and

Lora Hirschberg) and James Gunn

the ability to really use music cues

expansively without compromising

the other elements of the sound design

in post and add layer upon layer

of sound.

“I wanted them to be able to push

the music as loud as they wanted and

still have dialogue that would cut

through and be intelligible.”

Capturing DraxWhile for most of the characters this

meant the usual combination of radio

mics, booms, and the skilled hands of

Hayes’ regular sound team, including

key first assistant sound Arthur

Fenn, first assistant sound Robin

Johnson, and second assistant sound

James Gibb, the character of Drax,

the heavily scarred yet impressively

eloquent interstellar knockaround guy

seeking vengeance for the death of

his wife and daughters, brought some

unique issues.

“The challenge with Drax was that

he’s topless – he never wears a shirt

– and if we hadn’t been able to get a

lavalier on him it would have meant

re-recording all of Dave Bautista’s

dialogue in ADR which James Gunn

definitely did not want to do,”

explains Hayes.

“Through collaborating with the

special make-up effects team, we

discovered that Drax was going to

have scars all over his upper body and

we worked four months in advance

of shooting to work out a way to run

the cable for the DPA 4071 lavalier

through the special make-up effects

scars from Dave’s waistline all the way

up to the centre of his chest without

the cable being seen. Then we just

had the grill of the microphone that

was designed as part of a scar in the

middle of his chest.”

Yet Drax wasn’t the only character

that required some on-the-spot

thinking in order to capture

clean dialogue.

“As usual we had lots of different

costumes that we had to mic up and

one of the other situations was that

Peter Quill wears a helmet a lot of the

time,” continues Hayes.

“We rigged a DPA microphone

into the helmet so that he could wear

that helmet and do his dialogue and

be understood by everyone but he

could also take his helmet off and the

microphone existed in the helmet with

its transmitters,” says Hayes.

“So in the middle of a scene while

he’s talking he could take his helmet

off and he was rigged with a second

radio mic on his body so that we

wouldn’t have to say that he couldn’t

take his helmet off without a cut,

which would have restricted James’

ability to make the movie the way he

wanted to.”

Getting LoopyAnother trick that Hayes used to

help deal with on-set noise levels

was picked up from his work on Les

Misérables. By running induction loops

on every single set (even if it wasn’t

requested) Hayes allowed the music to

be run out of the 10kW rig until the

moment one of the characters began

to speak, during which the music

would dip out of the speakers. When

they were finished, the music would

seamlessly come back into

the speakers.

For Gunn, the producers, and any

actors who required hearing the music

in the scene, say for walking in rhythm

or dancing in outer space (yes, it

happens in the movie) the music could

be sent directly to their ears using the

induction loop and earwigs.

“It’s all about collaboration, I try

to never present the director with

any kind of problem that restricts his

ability to tell the story visually the way

he needs to tell it,” concludes Hayes.

“If I get through a day without

having to ask the director to adjust

something visually so I can record

clean dialogue I know I’ve had a great

day at work.”

www.simon-hayes.com

“There used to be three issues with

radio mics: the first issue was range,

the second was sound quality, and

the third was rigging them on

quiet costumes. Now that I’ve got

the DPA lavaliers I don’t have to

worry about sound quality, and

now that I’ve got the Lectrosonics

transmitters I don’t have to worry

about range.

“With the Lectrosonics, the

frequency response on them is

stunning. It’s an extremely wide

band and it sounds great to

my ears.”

Recorders“Zaxcom has been great to me. They

made sure I was the first mixer in

the UK with a DEVA 16 because I

was requiring more and more tracks

for the movies I was shooting.

“We used a DEVA 16 on Les

Misérables and Guardians was no

different. What the 16 tracks enable

me to do is give the dialogue editors

lots of choices – I can have everyone

on a lavalier and I can also have two

booms running all of the time.”

Booms“On Guardians we didn’t just use

radio mics, we also used Schoeps

SuperCMITS on the booms. Now

theSuperCMITs are extremely

advanced microphones. They

basically have a DSP processor

within them, which process the

off-mic sounds and reduces them

in volume. This is a big step in

filmmaking, but it’s something that

we’ve embraced because we certainly

know on a film like Guardians that

any noise in the background isn’t

going to be noise that we want to

pick up.

“Recently I’ve had a few

conversations with people who say

they aren’t sure about this processing

of background noise and it got

me back to thinking about the

days when the first gun mics came

out, say the Sennheiser 815. I feel

the SuperCMIT is no different

to the new analogue technology

of the very first gun mics with an

interference tube to help reduce

unwanted off-axis background noise.

I feel like we’re making exactly

the same type of advance in film

audio now moving from analogue

microphones onto the digital

Schoeps SuperCMIT but using

modern technological advances.

“As we shoot more and take more

and more risks in movies and we’re

using more special effects and there

are more challenges on a movie set

for sound we have to keep moving

forward with technology and I’m

certainly a big fan of it.”

www.dpamicrophones.comwww.lectrosonics.com www.schoeps.de

Inside the Kit BagSimon Hayes walks us through the technology

that allows him to capture clean and clear

dialogue on set every day.



Another game audio services

company is launched. So

what? That is, until you

eyeball this duo’s giant-killing CV

which includes contributions to Red

Dead Redemption, L.A. Noire, Max

Payne 3, Manhunt, and the Grand Theft

Auto series.

GTA’s widely respected audio involves thousands upon thousands of sound assets. How does it work?Morton: Most everything you see

makes a sound – people on the street,

birds in the sky, cars in the distance,

the coffee cup hitting the floor as a

man runs from gunfire... Technically,

the heart of it all is the RAGE Audio

engine, designed and built by the

in-house team – meaning it’s perfectly

suited for these sorts of games.

Conner: RAGE Audio calculates

and tracks about 1,000 virtual

sounds (or voices) at any one time,

96 of which will be rendered in the

mix. When sounds are added, the

volume of each file is calculated. The

engine then uses that information

in conjunction with what else is

happening in-game to work out which

sounds/voices should be heard. For

instance, a loud sound happening

miles away may not be heard over a

quieter sound happening close up. It’s

a great system for prioritising sounds

automatically and working out what is,

and isn’t important to the player.

How are sounds packaged?Conner: Many sounds are created in

real time from tiny components rather

than using a single pre-built sfx. The

benefits are zero memory-waste –

every byte of data is used – and it also

gives the sound designers flexibility,

as components can be juggled in real-

time – for instance, creating variations

whenever they are triggered or when

they’re affected by distance – they may

vary slightly or be drastically different

depending on what the sound designer

has set up.

Does the game use ‘real-time’ synthesis and DSP effects?Conner: Yes, we included real-time

synthesis in GTA V by using AMP

– a modular ‘connect-the-cables’-

type interface, fully integrated with

RAGE Audio. The benefit of synthesis

over samples is creating infinitely

variable sounds. Sounds that would

normally be quite static if represented

by recorded effects suddenly have

life breathed into them – and their

behaviour appears more realistic.

It’s also very memory-efficient. You

can do a lot with noise and filters, for

instance, creating the sound of air

conditioning units. In terms of DSP,

again, we used AMP, for example

in GTA V you can switch between

three characters during missions.

They’re often talking to each other via

headsets so the voices heard through

an earpiece need to be changed on-

the-fly as the player switches roles.

We designed a headset effect chain

to process the voices at run-time as

required.

With 150,000 script lines, the GTA dialogue alone is a mammoth project. How’s it handled?Morton: It’s an enormous process

involving many people. It starts very

early in development and carries on

right to the end. Really, you could

write a book about it but in summary:

the game city demographics are

looked at and the population will be

decided on – which types of people

are needed, the areas they live in, and

so on. Models are made for the ‘peds’

(pedestrians) and then we go about

planning voices.

Dan (Dan Houser, co-founder of

Rockstar Games) will come up with a

mini character brief and back-story for

each one, which then goes to the ped

writing team who create a bespoke

script for them – about 200 lines of

dialogue on average depending on

what they’re being used for. The actors

are cast and recording time booked.

Dealing with hundreds of actors,

means recording peds has to begin

months before the game is complete

– and there are often revisions – to

cope with ever-evolving game features.

Several large recording sessions are

run throughout production, often

recording 100 peds in a week – most

can be recorded in an hour. Three

studios work simultaneously, each

having a director from Rockstar and

an audio person like me is there to

ensure that what gets recorded is

exactly what’s needed. It’s manic, but

Rockstar has been building games

on a huge scale for years and the

production team in NY is expert at

this stuff.

Conner: A great deal of what

the player’s characters do in GTA V

was motion captured – they would

act out the scene together and the

actors’ movements, facial expressions,

and dialogue would all be recorded

together. When you can capture

an ensemble performance with the

right actors you get incredible results,

far more detailed than recording

everything separately the old way.

Congratulations on an amazing journey! Having racked up a whopping 30 man-years’ service between you, leaving the Rockstar lifestyle behind can’t have been an easy decision…Morton: For me, it was about being

able to work from my own studio,

closer to my family, and expand my

horizons project-wise. There are lots

of interesting games being developed

– both indie and AAA – I wanted

to try something different. First of

all, I fell into doing film work – a

sound design and mix job on British

horror feature Plan Z. That led to

another feature – The Fairy Flag. At

a pre-shoot meeting, I bumped into

old Rockstar pal, Craig. We discussed

working together, subsequently setting

up Solid Audioworks to offer a full

audio service encompassing dialogue,

sound effects and score, as well as

movie post…

So what’s next?Morton: Following recording the

production sound on The Fairy Flag,

we were asked to also take care of the

post-production audio. After that,

we’ll turn our attention back to games.

While a change is as good as a rest,

and it’s been great to work on films,

we’re very much looking forward to

getting back into game audio.

The Rockstar LifestyleFEATURE GAME SOUND

John Broomhall talks to Craig Conner and Will Morton, both veterans of Rockstar Games, about their

tenure on GTA at the game development legend, and their new venture, Solid Audioworks.

Will Morton and Craig Conner



Looking into the control room

at Kore, only a fraction of

what you see was here when

the studio started 10 years ago. At

that time, producer/engineer George

Apsion, who runs Kore, could see

tracking projects sustaining income

going forward. “It was obvious that the

days of the big SSL room, and people

booking two weeks to mix, and recalls

were on the way out,” he says. “It felt

like to stay current and useful to people

the best thing to do would be to put

together a fantastic tracking space.” The

initial investment went on mics and

decent mic preamps and compressors.

The studio had an Audient ASP8024

console that was just the monitor path,

so the outboard racks were the first

things everything would hit.

Now, Kore has an API 1608

console that has stepped things up a

gear. Apsion: “The desk is now much

more the centrepiece of the studio.

It’s fantastic. We’ve still got the great

outboard but also the desk is pulling

its weight a lot more because it’s on

the recording side of things.”

Installing the API was a combined

effort between Source Distribution,

acoustic and technical designers White

Mark, and retailer Funky Junk. “The

guys at Funky Junk were fantastic,”

says Apsion. “There were some custom

mods that we asked for on this console

and a few things that had to be

adapted to fit into our wiring situation

and the way we work, and that was all

just really effortless. They were really

helpful with all of that.”

The studio offers a lot of the

equipment that seasoned engineers

and producers would expect to

see, and then there’s the Fairchild

670mkII, which was custom-built

for Kore by a tech called Pierre-

Olivier Margerand. It has custom

core modifications, so it is not like a

normal Fairchild.

The studio’s live room is really

flexible in terms of live band

recording. Apsion: “With drums you

can get a nice, airy, fat sound in here.

It’s not explosively ambient. It’s quite

controlled. But if you want that mega

ambience thing you can open up the

doors and do the mic in the corridor

trick. We do a big mixture of stuff in

the room. It’s mainly guitar band stuff,

but we can get 16 string players in

here, and we’ve done children’s choirs,

jazz, filming, playbacks, parties, and

all sorts!”

In IsolationFor tighter, dryer drum sounds the

kit can be set up in one of Kore’s two

booths, which have double-glazed

screens for isolation and Formula

Sound’s Que-8 mixer systems for

artists to get their own balance. The

studio has a custom-built patchbay

and there are patch lines all over the

building, which came in handy when

somebody wanted to record the sound

of a tap in the sink!

A pre-WW2 Chappell upright

piano was recently restrung. Apsion:

“A lot of uprights can be quite plinky

and bright and this one has a very

thick, mellow tone which works

really well for recording.” Apsion

tries to avoid headphones if possible

and thinks using a PA system helps

performance a lot. “With drums we

throw the kick and the snare out into

the room through the PA,” he says. “If

you’re compressing room mics a lot

of the time, the thing that they can

bring out more is cymbals, and you

might not necessarily want that. It

gets too splashy, and what you really

want them to be squashing is the kick

and the snare. So if you pump more of

the kick and the snare into the room

so that they’re overtaking the cymbals

you can get a better quality on your

smash room miking.”

When Kore moved into the space

KORE STUDIOS

Colossal Sound

FEATURE STUDIO PROFILE

Jake Young pays a visit to an MPG Award-winning recording space in Chiswick, west London that has

installed a brand-new 32-channel 1608 from API.

Credit: IBA Graphics


FEATURE STUDIO PROFILE

it was just a warehouse, and the studio

is now completely floating because

there is a printing press on one

side that has big, heavy embossing

machines. Apsion: “We took initial

measurements when we first got the

keys, and we left some microphones

up testing ambient noise so we’d get

a good idea of what the situation

was. That stuff makes a lot of noise

so we had to really go for it with the

soundproofing, which I’m really glad

we did because it’s just pin drop quiet

in here.”

The guys from White Mark also

dealt with the architecture, the

acoustics, and the wiring. “They’ve

just been fantastic,” adds Apsion.

“The great thing about them is it’s

all under one roof. It’s really well co-

ordinated. I sat down with them and

we hammered it all out for about three

or four months, designing the idea of

it. And then once they got in here it

went up in about three months, which

was really quick. They’re perhaps

more expensive than a lot of the

other people out there, but running

a commercial studio everything

has to work. We’ve always had a

reputation for good maintenance and

things appearing where they should,

and a huge part of that is down to

White Mark doing a great job at the

beginning with the wiring.”

Private SpaceThere is an additional private suite

on an upper floor that can be made

available if there is overspill, but

the room belongs to Apsion, who

composes a lot of library music and

increasingly felt the need for his own

workspace. Apsion: “That is more of

an absorbers off the internet slapped to

the wall kind of space. It’s got an old

vintage Tweed console, which is great

because it’s got that Neve flavour, and

it’s great to be able to offer the two

different things. The API is superfast,

and transient, and clean; and then

the Tweed upstairs has got that thick,

gooey Neve thing. So it’s nice to be

able to record something down here

and then mix it out through there.”

www.kore-studios.com

What was the setup in the live room?In the past we’d relied on

overdubbing, building it up. When

they were younger players we would

get a tidier sound on it if we did

them one by one, and for [Uncruel],

because it had this soulful, almost

Motowny element, I was keen to

make sure it was a live thing. It was

really about reacting off each other,

and experimentation, and capturing

a moment. We made sure that the

singer knew that the vocals were not

a guide. He had to approach every

vocal like it was the one. It was really

exciting for them because that was

the first time they’d recorded like

that. Music as a band is all about

reacting off each other, and you

never know what you’re going to do

because you don’t know what you’re

going to feel or the way you’re going

to react when you hear somebody

else in the band do something in

a certain way, and that will then

inform the way that you play. So it

was about getting that magic take

to happen. The poor guys were

in there for a whole day! And we

probably did it about 30 times. We

just hit a pocket somewhere in the

mid-afternoon where there were

two or three that were just magic,

and then we lost it. A couple of

percussion overdubs, and that was it.

It’s interesting as well to listen to the

stuff we’d done previously versus that.

There’s a real energy, and soulfulness

and feeling to it that wasn’t in the

recordings we’d done before so

that is now the way that we will be

approaching the EP.

The other thing we’re very keen on

is fairly minimal miking. We’ve got

a great drum tech that we use, a guy

called Martin Oldham, and he comes

in and spends some time on the

drums. So in the end it’s pretty basic

miking; overheads, kick, snare, maybe

a room. Likewise with the guitarist

we spent a bit of time making sure

the sound at source was right, and the

sound in the room was right. So once

all of that’s set, just let them do the

work and sit back and drink coffee!

What was the main challenge during the session?To keep the band excited, to keep

their energy up. With young bands

they have a limited window of

attention span sometimes and it can

be a long day. It’s easy for us because

we’re in here having great fun

fiddling with buttons and pressing

things, but they’re the guys in

there who have to do the work.

It’s quite tiring doing the same

song back-to-front for a day, so it’s

keeping their energy up, keeping

them excited, making them

understand what it is that we’re

reaching for.

The Lions Bred for Roaring SuccessThe studio has just started a small record label called Kore, and House of Lions are the first signings.

Apsion, who manages the band, produced and engineered their first single, Uncruel.

George Apsion

House of Lions

Credit: James Drew Turner


It’s all about the iron – or maybe

not,” said the owner of Eve Studios

when asked what makes a good

mic pre. With his studio full of

the strangest vintage gear I pushed

him further to discover which he

likes best. “My BBC valve passive

preamplifiers…” he said and went into

an explanation of how they worked. By

“the iron”, he is of course referring to

the transformers.

I was taught that the perfect

amplifier would be a piece of wire with

gain. What goes in comes out exactly

the same, only louder. This clearly isn’t

what studio engineers actually want in

a preamp. They want something that

changes the sound and will cheerfully

spend thousands on a box that actually

adds distortion, noise, and peculiar

phase shifts.

Many engineers consider the

Rupert Neve-designed Amek 9098

their dream front end. The console at

Gracieland Studios has 48 built-in.

While doing some maintenance there

recently I had to enquire why they had

an Avalon and a whole rack of AML

modules sitting on top of the racks.

The house producer/engineer laughed:

“I know. It’s silly really. But they do

sound nice.”

My customers, both rich and poor,

are all doing it: Jam Factory spent

£1,600 on an eight-channel Avid PRE

but records almost everything with a

Neve 1073DPA.

80 Hertz Studios with its Neve

console feels the need for an AEA and

a few Chandler Germanium pres. A

composer in his budget home studio

uses a Joemeek threeQ when his audio

interface has a perfectly good mic pre.

Console and audio interface

designers put their heart into

designing the best preamp they can

and everyone seems to bypass it with

something external. So what is going

on? Let’s get a bit technical and look at

what a mic pre is trying to do.

GainA microphone’s output ranges from

below a 1mV whisper to a trumpet

at over 1V. Our primary requirement

is to amplify all signals to a standard

level for recording, processing, and

mixing. Most mic pres can add up

to 60dB meaning the output can be

1,000 times louder than the input.

PadDesigning an input for such a large

range is tricky so many incorporate

passive pads. Really loud signals,

which would overload the input stage

or transformer, will be padded down

before entering a variable gain stage.

NoiseThe molecules in metal generate a

noise signal. So any mic and its lead

will have thermal noise before you

start to amplify it. Trying to approach

this theoretical minimum noise

requires a skilled designer.

Input ImpedanceOur next requirement is to choose the

input impedance. A high impedance

(like a guitar input) gives maximum

signal but is prone to interference

because a mic lead also acts like an

aerial. A low impedance solves this but

needs more gain (and therefore noise)

to boost the reduced signal. Decades

of designers have produced

a compromise of 200-ohm mics

feeding 1,200-ohm inputs that works

pretty well.

Changing the input impedance

can dramatically change the sound of

the mic. It accounts for much of the

variation between preamp designs.

Most older ribbon mics have an

output impedance around 50 ohms

which is a poor match for many

mic pres. Products from Focusrite,

Millennia, and others have an input

impedance switch. The Avalon

AD2022 has a choice of five.

PhaseIt is scary how many of my customers

don’t know how to use a phase switch.

While a drummer hits the snare, try

listening to just the overhead mics.

Slowly fade up the snare mic and you

should expect it to continually get

louder. If it dips down in level first and

goes all thin sounding but then starts

to increase, the snare mic needs phase

inverting. Likewise, a mic in front of a

bass cabinet may not be in phase with

the DI output that you are blending

it with.

Phantom PowerCondenser mics need power for their

preamplifier and some need a high

voltage to polarise the capsule. Most

mics will happily run from as little as

12V but some require the full industry

standard 48V.

FiltersMics can pick up very low frequency

sounds like air movement and traffic

rumble. This can colour the sound

of a preamp and can alter the way a

compressor works further down the

line. The LF signal may not even be

heard on small monitors. Record

some silence and check the meters,

then filter out any very low frequency

rumble that you can’t hear.

Transformer or Electronic Balancing?Transformers are big, heavy, and

expensive. You wouldn’t want them

in a portable recorder. They distort

easily, can be susceptible to hum,

and don’t pass the low bass very

well. However, they are excellent at

rejecting radio interference and can

sound wonderful. The Portico and

9098 pre use a fascinating design

that Rupert Neve calls the TLA or

Transformer Like Amplifier. It mimics

the nice-sounding characteristics

of a transformer but has the wide

frequency response, low noise, and

distortion of an electronic stage. It is

then coupled with a real transformer

using his ‘tertiary feedback’ system.

Solid State or Valve?It is nice to have the choice and good

valve designs are not noisy. When

over-driven they generate even

harmonics that can give a warmth

to a recording that many engineers

love. There are some great budget

valve pres from ART, PreSonus,

Samson, and SM Pro that usually

have an instrument input too. Playing

with the way the valve is biased can

dramatically change the sound. ART

makes the Tube MP Studio V3 with

‘Variable Valve Voicing’. You can just

dial up 16 different valve sounds.

ModulesI am customising a lovely Classic

API VP28 module for a customer

who wants a separate mic, line, and

DI input. It would appear that every

manufacturer who designed a preamp

in the 1970s is re-releasing it as a 500

series module. Take PMI, one of my

favourite suppliers. It owns Joemeek,

Studio Projects, Tonelux, and Trident

and has mic pre modules now for all

of them.

So why spend good money buying

a mic pre? Because “they sound nice”.

Which one? “It’s all about the iron

– or maybe not.” Perhaps it’s just the

designer’s fairy dust.

Expert WitnessTECHNOLOGY FOCUS MIC PREAMPS

Boomerang Sounds’ Martin Pedder explains how mic preamps give a quality to your recording.

Expert witnessMartin Pedder is the owner of Boomerang Sounds, a specialist pro-audio retailer and studio installer based in Bury, just north of Manchester. Founded in 1980, Boomerang Sounds has installed studios for Lisa Stansfield, The Charlatans, Johnny Marr, The Stone Roses, and numerous commercial studios and radio stations. Boomerang Sounds, Britannia Mills, Cobden Street, Bury, Lancs, BL9 6AW. +44 (0)161 761 5050. [email protected]. www.boomerangsounds.co.uk

Martin Pedder

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TECHNOLOGY FOCUS


Mic Preamps A microphone needs a microphone preamplifi er, and they’re not all the same.

Your choice of preamplifi er should be made carefully. Here’s a selection.

BEHRINGERULTRAGAIN DIGITAL ADA8200

The ADA8200 is an audiophile-grade eight in/eight out ADAT audio interface

that fi ts neatly into a single rack space, and thanks to its Midas-designed

preamps and integrated A/D-D/A converters, users will enjoy distortion-free

signal conversion. The ADA8200’s operating frequency range is an ultra-wide

10Hz to 24kHz – at a very respectable, 48kHz sampling rate.

• Ultra-high quality eight-channel A/D and D/A interface

• Eight state-of-the-art Midas-designed mic preamplifi ers

• Phantom power on all microphone inputs

• Reference-class Cirrus Logic 24-bit converters for ultimate signal integrity

• Processes 48 and 44.1kHz sample rates

• External sample rate synchronisation via word clock or ADAT input

• Optical ADAT in/out interface for ultimate compatibility

www.behringer.com

AVALONVT737SP

The Avalon VT737sp is a Class A channel strip featuring

a tube preamplifi er, opto-compressor, and four-band

sweepable EQ. The order of the compressor and EQ can

be switched, and the mid-range bands can feed into the

compressor’s side-chain for frequency-related eff ects like

de-essing.

• Class A preamp design with three input selections

• EQ delivers smooth highs and deep, powerful lows

• Features four military-grade vacuum triode tubes

• Illuminated VU metering for output and gain reduction

• Compressor and EQ each have hardwired bypass

www.avalonproaudio.co.uk

AMS NEVE1073LB

The 1073LB provides a Neve 1073 microphone

preamplifi er in a single 500 series module. The

1073’s sound with classic Neve signature makes it

a useful mic pre for recording vocals, guitars, and

acoustic instruments of all descriptions, delivering

the Neve sound featured on some of the most

famous recordings of the past 40 years.

• 500 series form-factor, without the additional EQ

found on the classic 1073 unit

• A mic or line input feeds a Class A gain stage, with

adjustable gain control and selectable 48V available

on the mic input

• The Class A analogue output is controlled via

adjustable front-panel +5/-10dB trim control

www.ams-neve.com

API3124+

The API 3124+ is API’s fl agship preamp, rolling the equivalent of four API 512cs

into one very handy 1U 19in rack space. It packs all the same associated classic

family circuitry (including RE-115 K mic input transformer and proprietary API

output transformer) – it is four 512cs in one, and so makes a great choice for

building a recording rig with the innate sound of a classic API desk.

• Uses API 2520 op-amps

• Uses classic API console circuits

• Includes Hi-Z inputs for guitar and keyboard connections

• Provides up to 65dB of gain per channel

www.sourcedistribution.co.uk

AUDIENTASP880

The ASP880 is an eight-channel microphone preamplifi er

and ADC that the company says will transform your

sessions into world-class recordings. The ASP880 provides

eight of Audient’s console mic pres, pristine converter

technology and a feature set that includes variable

impedance and variable high pass fi lters, all in a 1RU rack.

• Eight Audient console mic pres

• All new, Burr Brown AD converter technology

• Variable input impedance and variable high pass fi lters

• Eight insert points between the mic preamps and

AD converters

• Two channels of Class A discrete JFET D.I

instrument inputs

• Digital outputs – ADAT, AES, and S/PDIF

www.audient.com

Record with stunning 24/192 kHz conversionGet the best dynamic range and clarity of any desktop interface. Digitally controlled analogue monitor outputs provide full resolution at all listening levels.

Plug-in to a world ofvintage UAD tonesRecord your music in real timethrough a full range of UADplug-ins from Neve, Studer,Roland, Lexicon, dbx, Ampex,API, SSL, and more.*

Mic preamp emulations,powered by Unison™Explore the character andcolour of classic mic preampdesigns with integrated Unisonmic preamp modelling.

High-speed Thunderbolt™connection to your MacGet blazing fast PCIe speedand rock-solid performance oncompatible Macs.

*Apollo Twin includes the “Realtime Analogue Classics” UAD plug-in bundle. All other plug-ins are sold separately at www.uaudio.com. All trademarks are property of their respective owners. Requires Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion or 10.9 Mavericks. Thunderbolt™ cable sold separately.

uaudio.com/twin

Legendary analogue sound on your desktop.

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when you purchasean Apollo Interface.

* Visit uaudio.com for details.


TECHNOLOGY FOCUS

FOCUSRITEISA430 MKII

The ISA430 MkII is a comprehensive channel strip that brings

together a set of classic Focusrite heritage elements. The four

main elements of the unit – mic pre, EQ, dynamics, and A-D

converter – can be accessed individually and each used as a

separate processor.

• Classic Focusrite ISA transformer-based mic pre with variable

input impedance

• Versatile equalisation including two dual-range parametrics,

HPF and LPF

• Dual-mode compressor with both VCA and optical circuitry

• VCA-based expander/gate with ‘hysteresis’ setting to

avoid chattering

• Phase-cancellation de-esser for more natural processing

• Optional 192kHz/24-bit A-D conversion with soft limiter

www.focusrite.com

The Chandler Limited TG2-500 preamp

brings the sound of the Chandler TG2

preamp/DI to the 500 series format. The

TG2-500 is a recreation of the rare EMI

TG12428 preamp used in EMI/Abbey Road

Studios recording and mastering consoles

from the late 60s and early 70s. The sound

of the EMI/Abbey Road Studios equipment

is world renowned, and has been heard on

many famous recordings done at Abbey

Road, including The Beatles’ Abbey Road and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon albums.

• Discrete transformer-balanced

microphone preamplifi er

• Coarse gain, Fine gain, and Output

control, Total Gain +60dB

• Mic/line switchable, Impedance

1200/300-ohms switchable

• Phase switchable, phantom power

+48V switchable

• Creamy, smooth tone with a surprisingly

open, clear top-end

• Handmade in the USA

www.chandlerlimited.com

DBX286S

The dbx 286s is a channel strip processor that delivers a

studio-quality microphone/instrument preamplifi er and

four processors that can be used independently or in any

combination. Features of the dbx 286s include wide-ranging

input gain control, switchable +48V phantom power, and an

80Hz high-pass fi lter to remove low frequency hum, rumble,

or wind.

• Classic dbx compression puts great sound within easy reach

• Frequency tuneable de-esser reduces sibilance and high

frequency distortion

• Enhancer increases the detail and defi nition of high and

low frequencies

• Program adaptive expander/gate

• Insert jack allows users to add an external processor

• Full complement of meters and status LEDs

• Precision detented controls

www.dbxpro.com

CHANDLER LIMITEDTG2-500

MANLEY LABS CORE

New from Manley Labs, the CORE is an innovative and intuitive

channel strip combining tried and tested features with fresh

technology.

• Compressor uniquely before the mic preamp making it virtually

impossible to clip

• A new Baxendall EQ with sweepable midrange

• Fast attack FET brick-wall limiter ELOP technology (from the

Manley Voxbox)

• Large illuminated VU meter

• Balanced XLR mic and line inputs plus front panel jack DI

• Insert point between mic preamp and EQ/limiter via TRS jack

• Balanced XLR direct output (after preamp/compressor)

• Balanced XLR main output

• New hand-wound Manley Iron input transformer

www.sablemarketing.co.uk


TECHNOLOGY FOCUS

MIDASXL48

The Midas XL48 packs eight XL4 mic preamps into a 1U box,

complete with swept high and low pass filters, eight XL8

A-D converters, and a super-low jitter 1 ppm clock.

The XL48 features both analogue and digital outputs

in ADAT and AES/EBU format, eight-segment LED input

meters, individual phantom power, polarity invert, and

-20dB pad. All inputs are on Neutrik XLR and duplicated on

D-sub connectors as standard.

• Midas XL4 analogue microphone preamplifiers with

switchable +48V phantom power

• Low latency 24-bit 96kHz ADC converters with

overload protection

• All-analogue Midas XL4 swept low and high pass

filters per input

• Two ADAT output ports with 75-ohm BNC connector for

external word clock

• Selectable 96kHz, 88.2kHz, 48kHz, or 44.1kHz sample

rate operation

• Internal AES Grade 1 temperature-compensated word

clock (1 ppm)

www.midasconsoles.com

PRESONUSADL 700

The ADL 700 channel strip combines a single-channel version of the ADL 600 Class A tube

preamplifier with one 12AT7 and two 6922 vacuum tubes, high-voltage power rails, and

variable mic-input impedance; a fully variable FET compressor; and a four-band semi-

parametric equaliser. This high-end, 2U rack-mount unit provides separate, balanced XLR

mic, balanced XLR line, and 0.25in TS instrument inputs with source select and a balanced

XLR output and includes phantom power, a -20dB pad, and polarity reverse.

• High-voltage, all-tube, Class A, dual-transformer design

• One 12AT7 and two 6922 vacuum tubes

• High-voltage power rails and variable mic-input impedance

• Fully variable FET compressor/limiter with stereo link

• Four-band semi-parametric equaliser

• Microphone, instrument, and line inputs with source select

www.presonus.com

RMEOCTAMIC XTC

RME’s OctaMic XTC is a new generation of microphone, line, and

instrument preamp, A-D converter, digital patchbay, and format

converter. It offers flexible monitoring and routing functions, easy

operation via colour TFT display and can be controlled with an iPad.

• Eight digitally controlled microphone inputs with 85dB gain

• Phantom power switchable for each channel individually

• Four inputs switchable to line, four to Hi-Z

• Two stereo analogue outputs (headphones)

• Digital I/O: Optical MADI, 4x AES/EBU, ADAT, MIDI

• Flexible routing between all analogue and digital inputs and

outputs

• Fully remote controllable via MIDI, MIDI over MADI, or Class

Compliant Mode operation

• Full colour TFT for easy setup and operation

www.rme-audio.com

UNIVERSAL AUDIO4-710D

The Universal Audio 4-710d is a four-channel microphone/line preamplifier with

tube and solid-state tone blending capabilities – designed for a wide range of

microphone and instrument sources. This multichannel preamp offers selectable

1176-style compression circuitry on each channel, plus four additional line inputs

feeding eight channels of pristine analogue-to-digital conversion. Building upon

UA’s classic analogue design approach, combined with smart modern features,

the 4-710d is said to be the most flexible preamp in the UA lineup.

• Four TEC Award-winning 710 Twin-Finity microphone/line preamps

• Phase-aligned tone-blending of tube and solid state circuits, creamy to crunchy

• Newly designed 1176-style compression circuit per preamp channel

www.uaudio.com

PRISM SOUND MASELEC MMA-4XR

Its high level of transparency, ultra-low noise and distortion, and

consistent performance at all gain settings has earned the MMA-4XR

the reputation as a true audiophile’s mic preamp. Every element of the

preamp has been designed with professional applications in mind; a

frequency response of 200kHz means every nuance and all harmonic

content is guaranteed to be captured, a higher-than-usual phantom

power current ensures maximum performance when driving any mic type,

while the minimalist and intuitive layout provides quick and easy access to

the important controls.

• Four-channel transparent mic preamp

• Ultra-low noise and distortion

• 69dB of gain, in 3dB steps

• High-output switchable phantom power

• 200kHz frequency response

www.prismsound.com

RADIALPOWERTUBE

The Radial PowerTube is a single

slot, lunchbox-compatible tube

preamp designed to fit the popular

500 series format. It combines

100% discrete Class A electronics

with a low-noise 12AX7 tube along

with a Jensen output transformer

to deliver exceptional warmth and

detail making it the ideal analogue

front end for recording. The

VaryState input stage controls both

sensitivity and gain, thus reducing

background noise.

• High-performance 12AX7 tube mic preamp

• Discrete Class A circuit with Jensen transformer

• VaryState input control for optimal signal to noise

• Compatible with API and Radial Workhorse racks

www.radialeng.com

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TECHNOLOGY REVIEW


Neve Genesys BlackANALOGUE CONSOLE AND DAW CONTROLLER

The industry today

is demanding

more and more

efficiency from our workflows.

Technology has kept up

with this demand, driven

from our customer’s needs.

The need to quickly deliver

results, collaborate on projects

across time-zones, and switch

between many different

projects in one day, has never

been so important. While

content is king, we’re all slaves

to fast turnaround.

New and improved

software features as well as

considerable improvements

in quality have punished the

hardware market in recent

years. Mixing ‘in the box’

has moved on from being

considered as acceptable, to

becoming the norm. However,

among these time-saving

methods that the digital world

has made possible, we all wish

that analogue mixing could

be as seamless. For those who

want to integrate traditional

analogue processing into their

digital workflow, there are a

number of products which

try to make it happen while

introducing some modern

advantages. However, the

Genesys Black has taken

integration of the analogue

sound into today’s digital

studios to a whole new level.

I went up to see Neve at

its life-long home in Burnley,

UK and met up with David

Walton, who was keen to

show me the manufacturer’s

one-stop solution for

integrating the Neve analogue

sound into today’s digital

workflows.

Digitally Controlled Analogue MixerWhile this console boasts

digital integration as a DAW

controller and with on-board

computer management, at

its heart it offers a true Neve

analogue mixer. I use the

prefix ‘Neve’-analogue mixer

as we are all fully aware of the

heritage involved here. Neve

is as legendary as it gets when

you want analogue processing.

What’s more, although

this is a new design sitting

in a new frame, the analogue

circuitry is taken from some

of Neve’s classic gear. In true

Neve fashion, these circuits

are exactly the same wiring

and use the same components

as the originals. Therefore if

you want that classic ‘Neve

sound’, then it’s safe to say

this console has it covered.

Here’s the really exciting

part, like the original Genesys

console, a lot of the physical

parameters are digitally

controlled. There is an

on-board PC-based computer,

which is there for a number

of configuration controls as

well as facilitating the control

of these analogue parameters.

Editing these parameters

is done in two ways. For

example, the built-in preamps

each have a rotary encoder,

whereas the controls for each

EQ and dynamics module are

all edited from four encoders

in the master section or on

screen like a plug-in.

The mixer is laid out like

a true in-line console. At

first this seems a strange

idea when Neve has aimed

this product at the modern

recording world, but you

soon realise that this is a very

smart move. While recording,

the analogue section behaves

just like any in-line desk.

However, when you want to

run a mix, the additional I/O

gives you input points on

both faders for each channel

and both sets of faders can be

routed to the mix bus. This

doubles your channel count

for mixing and summing.

The base configuration of

the Genesys Black comes with

eight in-line channels which

have a single EQ, an optional

dynamics module and two

insert points per strip. These

analogue signal processors

and inserts can then be placed

on either input point of each

channel, and in any order. This

can be done via soft buttons

on the channels themselves

or more conveniently via a

drag and drop method with

the console’s computer, which

I loved.

So what ‘classic-gear’ from

Neve does the Genesys Black

utilise? Predictably, the mic

preamps are the famous 1073.

By default the EQs come

as the 88R-style four-band

EQ which can be swapped

for the 1084 classic EQ.

The dynamics modules are

optional VCA-style dynamics.

Both EQ and dynamics

options can be changed in

groups of eight via loading

different cassettes at the rear.

The analogue channel count

can be scaled up in these

groups of eight to a total of

32 channels, which would

give you 64 tracks of analogue

summing.

The bonuses of the

digital control speak for

themselves. Firstly, there’s

the ability to totally recall

the analogue mixing section

almost instantaneously. With

motorised faders, soft buttons,

and some rotary encoders,

most settings load with a mix

file. For the non-motorised

controls such as auxiliary

sends, on-screen instructions

help you set these back to

their original position with

accuracy and speed. I tried

loading different mixes with

David and it was very fast

and painless.

With the analogue mixer

state being saved as digital

information to the built-in

computer, the mix file can also

be transferred to your host

DAW machine via USB for

convenient file organisation

and archiving. Another,

sometimes overlooked, benefit

of the digital control is the

considerable lack of physical

controls and moving parts.

This has kept the design of

the console much simpler

with fewer moving parts and

switches that could run in to

future problems. It also has

allowed the console to occupy

a much smaller footprint,

which keeps the engineer in

the sweet spot and will fit

comfortably into the typical

facility for which the console

is aimed.

Complete IntegrationJust by having a large screen

in the centre of the desk

and a proper place for your

keyboard to sit, demonstrates

how Neve has respected the

way we work today. No more

awkward keyboard trays with

the cable getting trapped in

the faders. No more long

distant viewing of your host

computer screen where you

actually spend most of your

The classic analogue Neve experience has been reworked for today’s digital workflow, writes Simon Allen.

“The sky’s the limit with this console in

terms of what you can do with it and the

sound quality.”

Simon Allen

Simon Allen with the

Neve Genesys Black

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW


time, and no longer will

the monitor positioning be

affected by trying to fit in a

large screen as well. In fact,

there are available seats for

near-field monitors to sit in

the ideal location.

On top of the ergonomic

layout comes the DAW

controller section. It’s great

that this too is laid out in the

centre, directly underneath the

host’s screen. DAW control

is always there in front of

you with 16 dedicated faders.

With a simple button press,

you can expand the DAW

control across all available

faders. Combine this with the

touchscreen that’s compatible

with PC and Mac operating

systems and this gives you

an enhanced experience of

your DAW. I can see the

likes of Avid and Apple

developing our DAWs to

utilise touchscreen technology

further and we’ll soon be

editing audio with easy

iPhone-style gestures.

The Genesys Black also

comes as standard with Neve’s

sought after A-D/D-A

converters built-in. From

there access as a digital audio

interface via one simple

FireWire cable has been

provided. While MADI and

AES formats are also available

for the likes of Pro Tools HD

users, the FireWire option

will interface with your DAW

seamlessly. With one Ethernet

cable for the DAW control

and a FireWire cable for your

audio, you’re ready for any

project. Inputs to the channels

on both parts of the in-line

style mixer can be selected to

monitor from these D to A

converters for quick setup of

a mixing session without a

patchbay. However, my advice

to potential buyers would be

to go for the additional A-D/

D-A option for the monitor

section. If working, especially

with the FireWire cable,

then you’ll want to access the

master bus outs for recording

your analogue mixes.

Neve is continuing to

develop the Genesys as it has

been doing since its original

release in 2007. I asked David

what updates we’re likely to

see and he mentioned a new

Genesys Black control plug-

in. This really would conclude

the ‘total integration’ story.

Currently to transfer data

such as mix recall settings a

USB flash drive is needed.

With a plug-in that will sit

inside your DAW session,

this data could be transferred

and saved directly with

the project. Additionally,

digitally controlled hardware

parameters and console

configurations could also be

controlled from within your

DAW, which I think would

add a final enhancement to

the Genesys Black experience.

One final point I’d like to

make regarding the digital

aspect of the console is a

remote system that’s in place

for maintenance testing. As

the control for the console

exists on an internal PC,

this can be connected to

the internet where Neve

can log-in remotely and run

diagnostic tests. If you’ve got

a problem with a channel, for

example, Neve will remotely

find out what’s wrong,

and if necessary send out

replacement parts which can

be user installed. This is great

customer support and will

ensure that if you do run into

a problem, you’ll be up and

running again very quickly.

Total Studio ControlThis, being a Neve, is

intended to be a fully-

fledged centrepiece of any

small to medium-sized

studio. The master section

offers comprehensive studio

management and monitoring

options. Here you will find

everything any recording

facility would need from two

stereo cue mixes, powerful

talkback functions, multiple

monitor outputs with

individual speaker controls,

transport, red light control,

and so on.

There are notable Neve

features which they’ve

included in the Genesys Black

master section including;

solo in front, which allows

monitoring of solo to be

brought out within the

mix, and RTB talkback for

solid studio talkback when

overdubbing. The specification

concludes with four stereo

returns (which can also act

as further analogue summing

inputs), two cue mixes, and

four mono auxiliaries.

Then just as you thought

a compact analogue console

couldn’t be any more advanced

there’s the eight track

bus outputs which enable

surround sound mixing and

monitoring. Channel pans

operate in stereo or true LCR

panning modes. The master

section can also generate the

LFE channel with inbuilt bass

management for a surround

mix or you can mix the ‘point-

one’ channel with an auxiliary.

As the master busses consist

of eight tracks, 5.1 mixes

can be analogue summed for

stereo mixdown versions at

the same time, and to enable

stereo compatibility checks.

ConclusionEverything about the

Genesys Black makes

perfect sense. I can’t think

of any stone that’s been left

unturned, offering so much

in one product. The sky’s

the limit with this console

in terms of what you can do

with it and the sound quality.

Some will look at the price

tag that comes with a desired

configuration of a Genesys

Black and fall over backwards.

However, if you were to buy

all the elements inside this

console as individual pieces

of equipment, you’d quickly

realise how much you’re

getting for your money.

Provided you can afford one,

this is a safe investment with

a lower depreciation rate than

a car for similar cash – it

will possibly even make you

money straight away. Having

the Neve name, especially

with the classic gear selection

will draw in certain clients,

and then you have to factor in

the time you’ll save per

job if you are moving

over from other analogue

environments. You might

even find you’ll sell loads

of your existing equipment

because it will become

surplus to the Genesys Black’s

available features and sonic

quality.

Feature Set• Eight channels of Neve 1073 mic pre/line amplifiers

• 16 channel DAW monitoring

• Dedicated DAW control section with touch display

• Total Reset and Total Recall

• Motorised Analogue/DAW control faders

• RRP: £29,995 (ex VAT)

www.ams-neve.com

INFORMATION

How important was aesthetics when designing the Genesys Black?Very. We want the console

to look appealing in a studio

as clients like to see they are

getting value for money, but

we also spent a long time

making sure buttons, level

controls faders etc were in

the correct position for good

work flow.

What other considerations were central to the design process?The ability for the console

to dovetail with a DAW but

also that the recorded sound

can be pristinely capture

within the session.

The Genesys Black is more compact than its predecessor – is it aimed more at project studios than larger facilities?Both really, as the console

is immensely powerful then

it has all the features of a

large recording console. So

really it’s down to size. A

small Genesys can be just

8 channels or 16 so it is

scalable.

What are some of the console’s key features that set it apart from the competition?Sound, flexibility, Total Reset,

connectivity, scalability,

ergonomics, and small

footprint.

Can you pick out your favourite feature?Drag and Drop signal

processing ordering, great

choice of EQs and dynamic

options, world-class

microphone preamplifiers,

Total Reset for fast session

turnarounds.

Genesys Black in the Words of Designer Robin Porter

The ReviewerSimon AllenA freelance internationally recognised sound engineer and pro-audio professional with over a decade of experience. Working mostly in music, his reputation as a mix engineer continues to grow.

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW


EVE Audio SC408 FOUR-WAY ACTIVE LOUDSPEAKER

As I said in a recent

Audio Media Buyer’s

Guide article, EVE

Audio is a company going

places fast. Starting in 2011,

it’s risen in three short years

to become a recognised and

trusted brand combining cost

eff ectiveness with quality.

Roland Stenz, managing

director and chief designer,

has a particular talent for

extracting the last few percent

from any given confi guration,

making his company’s range

of DSP-controlled active

loudspeakers one to watch.

OverviewTh e SC408 is the largest

four-way loudspeaker EVE

currently makes, measuring

710 x 330 x 440mm (27.95 x

12.99 x 17.32in) WHD and

weighing in at a fairly hefty

29.5kg or 65lb. Th e front

aspect’s appearance owes

something to the D’Appolito

confi guration, with twin

200mm woofers set either side

of a 130mm mid driver and

an Air Motion Transformer

tweeter – these latter two

occupy a silver-coloured plate

which can be rotated 90˚ by

undoing four screws so the

monitor can be set up either

vertically or horizontally.

A feature of the plate is a

push-and-turn rotary encoder

that performs a number of

functions: the default is as

a volume control with an

80dB range, level selection

being indicated by a series of

LEDs around the encoder;

a number of fi lters are also

available. First is a low shelf

aff ecting frequencies below

300Hz in 0.5dB steps, with

up to 3dB boost and 5dB

attenuation; this is partnered

by a 3kHz high shelf, also +3

and -5. In addition there’s

a bell EQ which behaves

diff erently depending on

whether you’re cutting or

boosting: if the former, it

acts as a narrow-band fi lter

at 160Hz to help mitigate

the eff ect of refl ections from

consoles or other hard nearby

surfaces, and in the latter

case it off ers a broader lift at

80Hz to ‘punch up’ the lower

frequencies. At fi rst sight the

available EQ doesn’t appear

to provide much in the way

of correction in the midrange,

however raising or lowering

the two shelves together can

help this important area.

A look around the back of

the loudspeaker reveals a set of

DIP switches to lock volume

and EQ settings if required

– a sensible feature, especially

in a facility with multiple

users – and also set the overall

operating level. Audio inputs

consist of analogue balanced

XLR and unbalanced RCA

phono connectors: the

SC480 is DSP-controlled

and immediately converts

incoming signals to digits

via a Burr-Brown AD for

greater precision, so the

omission of AES and/or

SPDIF digital inputs is at

fi rst slightly surprising. Th at

said, my experience of running

‘digital’ speakers both ways

tells me there’s little practical

diff erence, and reducing the

connector count must surely

help when designing to a

price point.

Th e speaker has four

amplifi ers, one per driver:

two 250W units for the LF

drivers, a further 250W for

the midrange and fi nally

a 50W for the tweeter; all

are Class D, an effi cient

design generating relatively

little heat and in this case

protected by a limiter.

Optimising the low

frequency response are

two large rear-fi ring

refl ex ports across the

shortest sides of the

cabinet – these have

rounded corners to

reduce noise, and to my ears

produced a nicely extended

and vice-free LF response.

In UseSetting up the SC408s in the

mastering room at Lowland

Masters was simple enough,

albeit requiring a friend

to help with placing them

on stands; this resulted in

tweeters at ear height in

portrait orientation which

I maintained with, after

various experiments, fl at EQ

for the review period. It was

quickly apparent that the

408s like space and a good-

sized listening triangle: in

my 30sqm room, sitting 2m

back from the monitors gave

a generous open sound with

controlled bass and no sense

of port hype, and although I

was quite comfortable I had

the sense that I was about as

close as one would want to

be with these speakers. As

usual, I started by listening to

some familiar material before

working with them, and

favourites such as tracks from

Grace Jones’ Hurricane album

(mixed by Cameron Craig

and mastered by Bob Ludwig)

sounded every bit as big and

bold as they should. I was

untroubled by any obvious

anomalies at the 250Hz and

3kHz crossover points, and

was treated to a very smooth

and powerful ride right across

the EVE’s 30Hz-21kHz

bandwidth.

To get an external opinion,

the SC408 pair was installed

at Crooks Hall Studio in

Suff olk, which is owned

by John Metcalfe. He

commented: “Th ey’re a high-

quality piece of kit, mostly

suitable for large rooms and

at their best when positioned

some way back from the

listening position – too close,

and I notice something phasey

about the sound in the mid

to upper mid range. Th is is

less noticeable when you sit

further back and they resemble

my normal system better”.

While the phaseyness wasn’t

evident back at Lowland

Masters (and may have been

helped by the 160Hz fi lter),

the general point about room

capacity is well made. As

this is a midfi eld monitor

listeners should, of course,

keep recommended distances

and not use it as a near fi eld

monitor.

ConclusionIn a larger space there’s a lot

to like about this loudspeaker,

the way it combines clever

design and reasonable cost

with a big, neutral-but-

involving sound making it a

winner. Defi nitely one to put

on the audition list for those

who want to move air without

sacrifi cing the niceties, make

room for the EVE Audio

SC408.

Nigel Palmer fi nds that it’s worth making room for the

largest loudspeaker in the EVE Audio product family.

The ReviewerNigel Palmerhas been a freelance sound engineer and producer for over 20 years. He runs his CD mastering business Lowland Masters (www.lowlandmasters.com) from rural Essex where he lives with his family and two dogs.

Feature Set• A pair of 8in SilverCone woofers cover the frequency

range from 30Hz-250Hz

• A 1.5in voice coil is responsible for creating a greater

linear excursion

• Featuring EVE’s Air Motion Transformer RS3, which

houses a bigger magnet system to deliver a higher

output level with less distortion

• Balanced XLR inputs and unbalanced RCA inputs

www.eve-audio.com

INFORMATION

“Defi nitely one to

put on the audition

list for those who

want to move air

without sacrifi cing

the niceties.”

Nigel Palmer

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW


Wavelab 8.5DIGITAL AUDIO EDITOR

‘How much is too much in

the business of pro audio?’,

I wondered as I meandered

through a blog about audio

apps for iOS the other day.

Had I been drinking tea I

might have resprayed my

BenQ on coming across the

statement that one piece of

software was priced ‘at a point

that would only be of interest

to professionals.’ Th irty

dollars. If you are shocked by

this appalling price tag you

better sit down my friend and

pour yourself a stiff drink, and

now swallow. Wavelab 8.5

is a forty quid upgrade from

version 8.

Now I know what you are

thinking – Ronaldo, Messi,

Bale they may have £40 in

loose change kicking around

their wallets, for the rest of

us it’s but a distant dream.

And anyway what do you

get for this outlandish sum

of money? An orchestra of

drum samples, support for

DSD and MP3 on the same

track? Well not exactly, the

most obvious changes are

the addition of watch folders

for the batch processor;

simultaneous multi-format

rendering and an encoder

checker for comparing coding

quality; and last and maybe

least, an onboard AAC

encoder.

As Karl Marx would have

it, the key to economics is

the ownership of the means

of production. And for many

of us Wavelab 8.5 is certainly

a means of production. It is

the thing that adds value to

the raw material (your audio)

in order to produce things

of economic value. What

Karl wasn’t anticipating was

people owning the means of

production without actually

producing anything, or at

least anything worth selling.

But in the hard-nosed world

of production things that

make the crucial output

work fl ow better are worth

investing in. And the astute

among us will notice that all

of Wavelab 8.5’s newness is

aimed at better, faster, more

fl exible output.

Encoder checkerMy favourite new feature

is the real-time encoder

checker – probably encoder

auditioner gives a better

idea of its function. Th is sits

in the new post processing

slot in the master section.

Th e idea is that you want to

listen to your encoded audio

and compare settings before

rendering. Th e obvious gain

here is not going round the

choose encoder and settings,

render, listen, reject, choose

encoder, and settings loop.

Th e encoder checker

gives you three slots in

which to load your choice

MOF encoders complete

with individual settings and

allows you to seamlessly

switch between them and

the unprocessed fi le. Well,

mostly seamlessly, there are

occasional low level clicks or

small jumps but nothing that

undermines the usefulness

of the tool. And if you really

want to give your ears a

workout there’s an option to

do blind testing where the

checker hides which encoder

you are listening to but

allows you to rate the sound

of each encoder using the

plus and minus keys on your

keyboard. Endless fun for

all the family. If like me you

are a natural cheat then keep

your eye on the compression

dialogue, but you didn’t hear

it from me.

Next up watch folders. Th e

idea is very simple: you create

or designate a folder to be

watched and then Wavelab

watches it. You defi ne a

process for the folder and

then anything dropped in it

gets processed. Simple, ah

but also sophisticated, you

can keep the source fi le or

throw away, fi les unable to be

processed are ignored (oops

I dropped a spreadsheet in

there!) or if they are audio

fi les and cannot be processed

then they are sent to a

naughty error folder. WL

can run a log fi le so you can

check all has gone according

to plan and even schedule

the processing to suit your

timetable. So your playout

system wants MPEG2 fi les

at 48kHz, and you have a pile

of new songs to process. Set

up your process, say loudness

normalise to make them play

nice together, choose your

output format, et voila the

watch folder awaits your fi les.

Once set up you don’t

even have to open Wavelab,

because the watch folder

can be watched in the

background and be initialised

at start up.

And suppose you are a

conscientious type and you

want a set of uncompressed

fi les against the day you ditch

that crap 1990s tech and

throw off the oppression of

compression. Well you can

quite easily set up a separate

watch folder for that.

Or if you are looking for

multiple output formats

from a fi le you have already

edited and processed you

can use another new feature,

simultaneous multi-format

rendering. Th is is available

in the File or Montage

workspaces, and very simply

when selecting a fi le render

operation you have the option

to make that a multi-format

operation. You can control

the output folder destination

based on the format and

those output folders could in

turn be watch folders. So for

ultimate fl exibility you could

load and edit your source

fi le, then output the edited

fi le in diff erent formats

to diff erent folders where

individual watch folder-based

processing can be applied.

Steinberg even allows you to

distribute the processing load

across multiple CPU cores for

maximum power.

Th e addition of AAC

coding is the last major

highlight of the 8.5 release

and enables you to encode

your audio in all manner

of AAC formats, including

HE-AAC. One of the

biggest advantages of having

the AAC coding on board

is that when you get down

to using your new codec-

checking tool then you have

access to the world of AAC.

You will know what your

tunes will sound like on

iTunes. In some ways this

is making the best of a bad

job, really the world deserves

to enjoy the audio you have

worked so hard on in all its

uncompressed glory.

But reality often forces

us into compromises, Karl

would I’m sure agree. And in

this less than perfect world

the codec auditioning features

of Wavelab 8.5 coupled with

the new AAC coding options

will help you make the best

of things, till the revolution

Alistair McGhee test drives the latest evolution of Steinberg’s

audio mastering, editing, and batch processing solution.

Feature SetWatch folders: Drag-and-drop automated

offl ine-processing feature, using standard folders of

the operating system to process and render audio fi les

Encoder checker: Compare and contrast codec quality

and settings on the fl y without perceivable latency and

with up to three streams simultaneously, such as MP3,

AAC, and OGG Vorbis

Multi-format rendering: Render to multiple audio fi le

formats simultaneously and save encoding chains as

presets

AAC encoder: Encode straight to AAC formats,

such as HE-AAC, HE-AAC v2, HD-AAC and 3GPP, for

compatibility to Apple products

www.steinberg.net

INFORMATION

The ReviewerAlistair McGheebegan audio life in Hi-Fi before joining the BBC as an audio engineer. After 10 years in radio and TV, he moved to production. When BBC Choice started, he pioneered personal digital production in television. Most recently, Alistair was assistant editor, BBC Radio Wales and has been helping the UN with broadcast operations in Juba.

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Category Sponsor: Capture Category Sponsor: Marketing

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW


SPL CrimsonDESKTOP MONITOR INTERFACE

Up until this review,

I’ve never used a

desktop interface

or monitor controller,

as I drive a console with

rack-mounted converters/

interfaces. Sure, I’ve watched

my less-fortunate colleagues

struggle with some pretty bad

(and quite popular and cheap)

devices that are inadequate

for pro use in many ways –

including their mic preamps,

converters, headphone amps

and general build quality.

The SPL Crimson appears to

solve these problems and offer

enough flexibility to claim the

top perch in this category.

FeaturesInput section: two single-

transistor discrete mic preamps

(with phantom power, HPF,

XLR inputs), two pairs of line

inputs on 0.25in balanced

TRS connections, two Hi-Z

instrument inputs on 0.25in

TS, a pair of RCAs and an

eighth-inch stereo miniplug

for -10dB consumer devices

(with an automatic, bypassable

gain boost to pro level), and a

digital input via SPDIF.

Monitor section: a large

unstepped control-room level

control, two sets of control

room outputs (set A on XLR,

set B on quarter-inch TRS

with “tweaker” trim controls),

two headphone amps with

0.25in TRS outputs and high

output, a balance control

for blending between the

analogue input section and

the DAW returns.

DAW implementation:

two pairs of DAW returns

via one USB 2.0 input (not

3.0, but 2.0 for its faster

and more stable drivers with

1ms of latency), a total of

six simultaneous channels of

conversion to/from DAW,

24-bit processing, sample

rates up to 192kHz, and low-

jitter fixed internal master

clock. The Crimson will

operate sans drivers (using

Core Audio), but high sample

rates and low latency requires

SPL drivers.

In UseI started out using the

Crimson as a stand-alone

monitor controller and was

immediately struck by its

‘feel’. The steel chassis, the

large control room level pot,

the trim and headphone level

pots, the switches – they all

had that firm and smooth

operation that inspires long-

term confidence. The rear-

panel legend was printed

twice, once upside down, for

easy connecting from either

viewpoint. Savvy ergonomics?

My interest was piqued.

As I ran through the

functions in my mix session,

the Crimson did not

disappoint. I summed to

mono to check for phasing

issues; monitor switching

was convenient with a single

button push between A and

B; and I kept two sets of

cans (for me and the client)

always connected for quick

comparison checks. I noticed

that the control room level

did not go all the way down

to muting the hot +4 outputs

of my D-A converter, but the

manual explained that these

pots offer about -80dB of

attenuation, enough to silence

most sources. I did notice that

the control room level was

not balanced and centred at

lower levels; I’d prefer stepped

attenuators for such very low-

level balance checks.

I downloaded the Mac

drivers from SPL’s website

(they offer Windows drivers,

too, for XP and Vista 7

and 8) and suffered a bad

install. Once I reinstalled

the drivers, I received stable

and excellent operation from

the Crimson as a front end/

DAW companion. For a

naked, no-bed voice over, the

Crimson mic preamps did

a fine job. I’d describe their

voicing as neutral and flat as

they lacked any significant

color but were super quiet and

distortion free, even with lots

(up to 60dB) of gain. They

are maybe not as euphonic

as some out there, but wisely

clean and non-obtrusive. The

instrument inputs were quite

similar; with passive basses,

active basses, acoustic guitars

and electric guitars I received

ample gain, low noise, and

neutral voicing (again, not

as ‘pretty’ as my reference

preamp, the Millennia-Media

STT-1, but smartly flat

and flexible) with plenty of

headroom.

For overdubbing vocals and

such, the Crimson again nailed

the job. The blend control

allows no-latency monitoring

of the analogue input signal

and acts as a convenient one-

knob ‘more me’ control when

the singer needs just a little

more level over the music. The

multiple sets of DAW returns

are also quite useful for setting

up separate monitor mixes or

wet/dry balances.

For more complicated

scenarios (two headphone

mixes, the need for talkback,

and checking reference mixes)

the Crimson has a number of

advanced routing flexibilities.

These are basically achieved

with the Artist mode which

routes analogue inputs in

realtime, monitoring of DAW

returns 1/2 to producer via

Phones 1, returns 1/2 or 3/4

routing out to Speaker B for

a headphone amp and Phones

2. Talkback is achievable with

a externally amplified mic

into analogue source 1-left;

upon hitting the ‘talk’ button,

talkback routes to Phones

2 and Speakers B, while

Speaker A is dimmed to

prevent feedback.

With so many functions

available for a number of

the jacks and connections, I

had to constantly re-patch

to achieve different set-ups

(eg, inserting plugs in 0.25in

inputs 1/2 will override mic

inputs 1/2, instrument inputs

3/4 override lines 3/4, etc).

Nonetheless, there’s enough

flexibility and utility here to

satisfy the needs of all but a

traditional pro facility – and

that’s a lot more function than

typical out of a desktop device.

I used the Crimson at 44.1

and 48kHz and it sounded

even better at 96kHz (a

bit more open, shiny’ and

precise) with basses, vox,

guitars, acoustic guitars, and

percussion.

To My EarsIn my opinion, the

performance of the Crimson

measures up to professional

grade. Clean and neutral

mic pres and converters

as well as excellent sonic

performance (high headroom,

wide frequency response,

ample bottom end, excellent

imaging) from all the

analogue inputs are highlights

(surely due to the Crimson’s

high internal 34 VDC

operating voltage). Digital

capabilities are up to par as

well with excellent, stable’ and

fast drivers, low latency and a

lack of issues from sample rate

conversions or external clocks.

Despite a few technical

concerns, I am going to give

the Crimson an unmitigated

approval for the most basic

reasons. For $699, buyers

get a steel chassis and a set

of strong components that

I estimate will last four to

five times longer than those

plastic toys which populate

the desktops of my studio

students/interns and newbie

clients.

Rob Tavaglione enjoys his first

experience with a desktop interface.

The ReviewerRob Tavaglione has owned and operated Catalyst Recording in Charlotte, North Carolina since 1995. Rob has also dabbled in nearly all forms of pro-audio work including mixing live and taped TV broadcasts (winning two regional Emmy Awards); mixing concert and club sound. He is a regular contributor to Pro Audio Review. www.prosoundnetwork.com

Feature Set• Up to six recording and six playback channels

• 10 source connections, 20 monitoring channels

• 34V operational voltage for pro levels up to +22dBu

• Two discrete mic preamplifiers

• Two instrument preamplifiers (Hi-Z, +22dBu)

• RRP: $699

www.spl.info

INFORMATION

The International Audio Guide seriesfrom Audio Media

Each International Audio Guide focuses on an important pro-audio product line, giving independent articles followed

by in depth advertorials, covering the history and current range from the leading manufacturers in their field.

Available now:2014 International Console Guide

2014 International DAW & plugins Guide

2014 Live Sound & Theatre Guide

2014 International Monitors & Headphone Guide

2014 International Microphone Guide

2014 Broadcast Audio Guide

Later in the year:2015 International Console Guide

Contact me today to discuss

your requirements and to make

sure your company is represented.

Darrell CarterTel:+44 (0) 20 7226 7246

e-mail: [email protected]



Jake Young meets Pro Sound Awards Best Theatre Sound winner Chris Mace at the

Shaftesbury Theatre in London to speak about Memphis the Musical and I Can’t Sing –

The X Factor Musical, which he was production sound engineer on.

Chris Mace

INTERVIEW

You are working on the production of Memphis at the Shaftesbury Theatre at the moment. What was the concept for this?With the style of music it needs quite

a large PA, a lot of big speakers, a lot

of sub, and a lot of energy in the room.

Are there any big issues presenting themselves?Space is probably the biggest issue

with this theatre. It’s a tiny theatre.

It’s nine metres wide by nine metres

deep so it’s quite a small stage to try

and fi t moving bits of set and a lot of

stage monitoring. Th e band’s on the

stage as well.

What is the basic setup – mixers, monitors, mics, and speakers?Th is one is an Avid VENUE at

front-of-house, an Avid VENUE on

monitors, a d&b V-Series on the pros

for all three levels, a d&b V-SUBs

sub array, T10 centres, J-INFRA subs

downstairs, a sub array downstairs,

and then 120 small d&b speakers

throughout the theatre.

What’s been your favourite project of the last 12 months?Probably I Can’t Sing. Th at was

something we could really get our

teeth stuck into with the complexity

of the sound system that was there

and the sheer volume of it. It was

something like 280 amp channels

and 360 speakers so it was something

you really had to plan. Th ere was no

margin to really screw up on that one.

If we got ourselves in a tangle with

that many speaker lines and amplifi ers

we could have been there for weeks

sorting it out.

What did winning the Best Theatre Sound award mean to you?To be honest I’m a bit shocked by

the whole thing. It’s not very normal

for someone in my area of work to be

nominated for an award; it’s usually

the more creative types. I try to work

with the same people and I think it

means a lot to them as well, to be

recognised with the work that we all

do on diff erent jobs.

How do you overcome the various problems you encounter from the acoustics in the theatres?It’s very diffi cult in the London

theatres because of all the

architecture, the plasterwork, and the

marble work. Generally these kinds of

theatres do have fairly good acoustics

because they were built for doing

sound without any amplifi cation, but

a lot of the European theatres aren’t

built like that and they are more like

factory buildings turned into theatres.

It’s very easy to say, “We want the

whole roof acoustically foam tiled, we

want drapes hanging here”, a bit like

they do in arenas with drapes hanging

up to dilute a lot of the refl ections

in the building. But English theatres

you can’t really do much anyway. If

it sucks, it sucks. You have to stick

with it and you have to do whatever

you can with your speaker positions to

make it as unrefl ective as you possibly

can. Europe’s the best place. Just do

what you want.

Mixing consoles – which do you favour and why?We pretty much only stick with the

Avid one for musicals and we’re all

just looking forward to the new

Avid S3L-X.

How do you decide which loudspeaker systems to use?We tend to stick with d&b because

we’ve had great success with d&b.

We’ve never really made the move

over on to the Meyer side and it’s

all about ‘stick with what you know’.

Depending on the size of the show,

depending on the style of the show

music-wise, depending on the theatre

size, they have a good range of line

array systems from J-Series down

to T-Series, and now with the new

Y-Series there’s a bigger range,

there’s four diff erent speakers to pick

from for the main arrays. And small

speakers, well whatever fi ts in the hole

basically, whatever’s not too intrusive

on the ceiling, but mainly d&b again

because matching the small speakers

to the big speakers makes our life a

bit easier.

Which have been your most challenging productions to work on?I think most of the gigs in Europe.

Th ere’s a big culture diff erence between

the ways some of the European

countries do theatre in comparison

to us, so you have to be very careful

about not upsetting everyone as soon

as you walk in because they’re not

doing it the way you want them to

do it. Th ere’s a potential three-month

stint in Brazil; January, February, and

March on a show. It’s not confi rmed

yet. Th at could be challenging again.

Th e language is not such a problem

in countries like Holland but certainly

Brazil could be a problem. Th e

European ones are more challenging,

but they’re challenging in diff erent

ways. Th ey’re challenging more on a

personal level because you’re working

with people who you don’t work

with normally. In London I think

the challenge is the diffi cult working

environment in the theatre, the

amount of people and the amount of

equipment that’s here.

Documents

AM 286 October 2014