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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 jake.young@intentmedia.co.uk. 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
jake.young@intentmedia.co.uk
Managing Editor – Jo Ruddock
jo.ruddock@intentmedia.co.uk
Commercial Director – Darrell Carter
Darrell.Carter@intentmedia.co.uk
Account Manager – Karma Bertelsen
karma.bertelsen@intentmedia.co.uk
Production Executive – Jason Dowie
jason.dowie@intentmedia.co.uk
Designer – Jat Garcha
jat.garcha@intentmedia.co.uk
Press releases to:
pressreleases@intentmedia.co.uk
© 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
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Printed by
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“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
6 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
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
www.audiomedia.com October 2014 7
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
8 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
New at IBC
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
www.audiomedia.com October 2014 9
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
Sign up for your digital AM at www.audiomedia.com
INDUSTRY NEWS Sign up for your digital AM at www.audiomedia.com
10 October 2014 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 jo.ruddock@intentmedia.co.uk
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
12 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
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
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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.
www.audiomedia.com October 2014 15
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
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16 October 2014 www.audiomedia.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.
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18 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
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
20 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
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
www.audiomedia.com October 2014 21
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
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22 October 2014 www.audiomedia.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
www.audiomedia.com October 2014 23
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
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24 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
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
www.audiomedia.com October 2014 25
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.
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26 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
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
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28 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
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
www.audiomedia.com October 2014 29
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
30 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
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. sales@boomerangsounds.co.uk. www.boomerangsounds.co.uk
Martin Pedder
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TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
32 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
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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UAD Plug-Ins from
and more
when you purchasean Apollo Interface.
* Visit uaudio.com for details.
34 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
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
36 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
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
38 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
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
www.audiomedia.com October 2014 39
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
40 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
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
42 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
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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+44 (0)20 7354 6000
For US sponsorship opportunities contact:
mjmitchell@broadcast-media.tv+1 631 673 0072
Category Sponsor: Capture Category Sponsor: Marketing
TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
44 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
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: darrell.carter@intentmedia.co.uk
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46 October 2014 www.audiomedia.com
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.