AMSR - Audio Media

AUDIO-FOR-VIDEO • BROADCAST • INTERNET AUDIO • LIVE SOUND • MULTIMEDIA • POST PRODUCTION • RECORDING
AUDIOMEDIA
THE WORLD’S LEADING PROFESSIONAL AUDIO TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE
Final Cut Double Feature
Hellboy II +
Mamma Mia
LimeTree HD
Digital Workflow
On Hollyoaks
Conch 2008
Shortlist
Announced!
AMSR Plasa '08
Special Previews
Soundcraft SI3
Innovason Eclipse
A NEWBAY MEDIA PUBLICATION
0 9
Midas Pro6
9 7 7 0 9 6 0 7 4 7 0 2 4
WORLDWIDE EDITION
ISSUE 214 •SEPTEMBER 2008 • UK £3.80
Also: Marantz PMD620 • JZ The Black Hole • Rode NTG-3 • Chandler TG1 • Soho UNIT Post Production • SSL Matrix • Audio Precision APx525 • Imagion And Peter Brunt Mobiles • Electric Mastering • Power: Fact
And Fiction • AMSR: Sennheiser SR350 IEM • AMSR: At The Oslo Opera • AMSR: Product Sampler – Wireless Systems • AMSR: Cinema Expo Review • GeoFocus: Middle East • Recording News: Waves SSL 4000
Update; New Sonnox Elite Bundle • Broadcast News: New Boards For Nexus • Post News: Euphonix In Barcelona • AMSR News: Harman Plasa Bundle; Alcons UK Home • And More!

AMSR AMSR
contents
I S S U E 2 1 4 • s e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 8
ReGULARs
What’s Up Uk 14
KEVIN HILTON updates on the digital dividend
GeoFocus: Middle East 16
JIM EVANS reports on a record breaking PALME in
Dubai, and one of the Middle East’s top recording
studios undergoes a complete refurb.
For The Record 18
Where’s the line between pro and consumer goods
gone to, wonders JERRY IBBOTSON.
Special Repor t:
The Conch Shortlists 20
See who’ll be treading the red carpet, as Audio
Media rounds up the nominee shortlists for 2008.
Video Guide:
HD Acquisition Part 3 66
KEVIN HILTON returns to the world of HD cameras
with a look at the Panavision Genesis.
Reviews
Chandler TGI 40
Retro is key in the TG1; ROB TAVAGLIONE wonders
if its classic looks also mean classic sound.
SSL Matrix 46
The Matrix is here, and very much of today –
SIMON TILLBROOK scratches beneath the surface
and finds he just needs to keep digging to find the
extent of the console’s capabilities.
Audio Precision APx525 56
GRAHAM LANGLEY takes a look at AP’s newest
member of the APx analyser family.
Innovason EclipSE 76
SIMON ALLEN heads across the Channel, not to
sample the finest of French wine and cheese, but
for something even better – Innovason’s latest
digital console.
AMSR Produc t Sampler:
Wireless Mic Systems 86
Pull the wires out and hear the sound go on –
Audio Media gives the low down on the most
tuned-in of wireless mics.
AMSR
AMSR
AMSR
FEATURES
Final Cut Double
Feature: Hellboy II
& MAMMA MIa 28
STROTHER BULLINS and STEPHEN BENNETT put
this autumn's box office hits under the spotlight.
UNIT OF CHANGE 42
PAUL MAC talks to Unit about pace of change.
ImagioN 48
ANDREW GRAEME imagines a vision of the future
made in Imagion’s image.
Hollyoaks Goes hd 52
BEN WRIGHT talks to Lime Pictures about how
they brought their production suites up to date.
Electric MasterING 58
NIGEL PALMER talks to Guy Davie of Electric
Mastering about frogs and fireworks.
The Power of Sound 62
What difference does power conditioning make to
the quality of sound DAVID HELPLING finds out.
Cinema Expo
International 2008 72
TERRY NELSON wonders just how important
‘alternative content’ is to the cinema industry,.
A Night at the Opera 80
The stage is set in Oslo for the opening of a new
opera house; and JONATHAN MILLER pays a visit.
News
RecordING 8
Universal listening, and a Waves collection.
Post 10
Sonygraf wants to impress in Spain, while Fairlight
wins again down under.
Broadcast 12
Plans for SBES 2008, and a new path for Axia.
AMSr 70
Introductions aplenty, as AKG, dbx, and JBL launch
new products for PLASA08.
AMSR
AMSR
AMSR
RUSHES
Cover Stories
AUDIOMEDIA
AUDIO-FOR-VIDEO BROADCAST INTERNET AUDIO LIVE SOUND MULTIMEDIA POST PRODUCTION RECORDING
THE WORLD’S LEADING PROFESSIONAL AUDIO TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE
Final Cut Double Feature
Hellboy II +
Mamma Mia
LimeTree HD
Digital Workflow
On Hollyoaks
A NEWBAY MEDIA PUBLICATION
9 7 7 0 9 6 0 7 4 7 0 2 4
WORLDWIDEDITION
Final Cut Double
Feature: Hellboy II
& MAMMA MIa 28
STROTHER BULLINS and STEPHEN BENNETT go
behind the audio scenes to get the low down on
this summer's hottest flicks.
Rode NTG-3 22
‘One of its most exciting mics yet’, claims Rode. Can
the NTG-3 live up to the boast JERRY IBBOTSON
decides to find out.
Marantz PMD620 24
Shunning logic and inspiring warm fluffy feelings,
JERRY IBBOTSEN wants to confess: the PMD620 is
a recorder to fall in love with.
JZ Mics The Black Hole 26
It’s not all just about looking pretty, DAVE FOISTER
finds there’s much more to Latvia’s finest.
Soundcraft Si3 74
FRANK WELLS is allowed a sneak peak at the new
Soundcraft console.
Midas PRO6 75
FRANK WELLS decides to see what the fuss is
about the latest PRO series.
Sennheiser SR 350
IEM G2 78
With backlit displays and buttons, SIMON ALLEN
finds the SR 350 transmitter a bright light to work
with in a dark tunnel.
0 9
Special Previews
AMSR Plasa '08
Special Previews
Soundcraft SI3
Innovason Eclipse
Conch 2008
Shortlist
Announced!
Midas Pro6
4
AUDIO MEDIA september 2008

leader
RUSHES 75
mIdaS pro6
RUSHES 26
Jz mICS thE blaCk holE
I'd like to begin with a thank you to the organisers of the
Develop conference in Brighton, which Audio Media recently
participated in as a media sponsor of the audio track.
After a day in which all delegates immersed themselves in the world of
sound for games, the comments in the bar afterwards were the most telling.
'Inspirational', was the most common, and not unwarranted complIment
assigned to the proceedings.
You see, the day was not about what plug goes where, or whose software is
the best, or even the best way to record excitable trolls. It was about the art of
sound, what it can add to a story, how it can add to a story, and how it can best
be used to immerse the game player in an alternative reality. I'm not sure I've
ever witnessed a more creative session from a group of people whose working
day revolves so relentlessly around technology.
This tendency is not a new phenomenon – as the clips we dissected from
vintage movies with insight from some of the best in the business of movies,
as well as games, showed. However, I do think there is a growing necessity for
individuals to marry the creative and the technical in ways that were previously
unthinkable (or unnecessary).
It makes sense. How can you be truly creative with a technology unless you
know what that technology is capable of It's the opposite of the usual moan
about clients who assume anything can be fixed in the mix; sometimes people
don't go far enough simply because they don't know what is possible. A prime
example is that of web design, where too many people are commissioning
unimaginative or inflexible sites because they have too limited a sphere of
technical knowledge. The best new Internet technologies are a mix of technical
knowledge and creative vision – both equally important to the result.
We should acknowledge that the same attributes are necessary in our
own field, especially when lower costs and greater flexibility are the only way
forward. Someone who believes that good sound is all about the best gear is
obviously wrong – we've known that for a very long time. But there's also the
purist who recites the old 'it's all about creation and nothing about technology'
line that is supposed to garner respect and awe from all who overhear it.
They are also wrong.
Be both an expert and an artist, and the rewards will be greater than
the parts.
Paul Mac, Editor
AUDIO mEdIa is a Sustaining Member of the Audio Engineering Society.
AUDIO mEdIa
www.audiomedia.com
FEATURE 80
a NIGht at thE opEra
aUdIo mEdIa (Europe), 1st floor, 1 Cabot house, Compass point business park, St Ives, Cambs, Uk.
telephone: +44 (0)1480 461555 – facsimile: +44 (0)1480 461550
General E-mail: mail@audiomedia.com – press release E-mail: pr@audiomedia.com
Managing Director
Angela Brown
a.brown@audiomedia.com
Associate Group Publisher
Nick Humbert
n.humbert@audiomedia.com
Editor In Chief
Paul Mac
p.mac@audiomedia.com
Production Editor
Lanna Marshall
l.marshall@audiomedia.com
Design & Production Manager
John-Paul Shirreffs
jp.shirreffs@audiomedia.com
Regional Sales Manager
Bob Kennedy
bkennedy@imaspub.com
+44 (0)1279 861264
Circulations Manager/
Administration
Jo Perriss
mail@audiomedia.com
Subscriptions
subs@audiomedia.com
UK £43
News/AMSR Editor
Jonathan Miller
j.miller@audiomedia.com
US Sales Manager
Matt Rubenstein
mrubenstein@imaspub.com
+1 914 524 5045
European (airmail) £60
International (airmail) £72
Payable in Sterling through UK bank
RUSHES 24
maraNtz pmd620
the contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or in part, whether mechanical or electronic, is
expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the publishers. Great care is taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this publication but
neither ImaS publishing (Uk) limited nor the Editor can be held responsible for its contents. the views expressed are those of the contributors and not
necessarily those of the publishers or Editor. the publishers accept no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, or artwork.
© 2008 ImaS publishing (Uk) limited. all rights reserved.
*Within broadcast & production
aUdIo mEdIa SEptEmbEr 2008
5

The first Intelligent Controller
in this price range
from the designers of the Smart Console
Smart AV has combined their patented ARC Technology with a huge
22” (16:9) acoustic wave touchscreen to produce the most versatile
and intuitive workstation controller yet.
Super-fast Ethernet control of Logic Pro 8, Cubase, and Nuendo 4.
Tango offers unique music and post-production features. Interfaces
with other work stations will follow soon.
12 fader Extension Bays become available in September for those
who need more than 8 faders.
from £3,790

from £11,270
www.smartav.net
from £7,080
Tel: +61 2 9648 6744 Fax: +61 2 9648 6766
Email: talktous@smartav.net Website: www.smartav.net

ecording news
streaming news @ www.audiomedia.com
NEW PRODUCT
Equator Audio Research Q18S
Californian mission-critical
recording studio reference monitor
manufacturer Equator Audio
Research is
shipping its
new Q18S
subwoofer,
featuring an
18-inch lowfrequency
transducer (paired with a heavy-duty
four-inch voice coil) in a bass reflex
enclosure, mounted within a heavily
braced, 3/4-inch-thick, 13-ply Baltic
Birch-constructed enclosure with a
one-inch, high-density fibreboard
baffle. The resultant down-firing
system reproduces frequencies
down to 16Hz, driven by
built-in 2,000W amplification
(peak power at 4Ω).
Equator Audio Research
+1 888 772 0087
www.equatoraudio.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NEW PRODUCT
Telefunken|USA Ela M 260
Telefunken|USA is shipping the Ela
M 260, a newly-constructed and
modernised
version of its
1959-vintage
small-diaphragm
condenser
microphone,
featuring a NOS (New Old Stock)
Telefunken EF732 tube, and
packaged with a set of three
interchangeable (cardioid, hypercardioid,
and omni) capsules.
Each system comes complete with
a microphone box, 10m Gotham
Audio cable, owner’s manual, and
one-year warranty.
Unity Audio
+44 (0)1440 785843
www.unityaudio.co.uk
Telefunken|USA
+1 860 882 5919
www.telefunkenusa.com
PRODUCT UPDATES
Waves SSL 4000 Collection
Digital audio processing specialist Waves has released a
new addition to its SSL 4000 Collection; SSL G-Channel
is the fourth meticulously modelled plug-in developed
under licence from Solid State Logic, consolidating the
EQ (including pre-boost dip, pre-cut rise, and broad
Q) and dynamics (including soft-knee compression/
limiting, a gate/expander, and automatic makeup gain)
control of SSL G-Series consoles into one convenient
tool. The G-Channel is available free to owners of the
Waves SSL 4000 Collection or Studio Classics Collection
with current Waves Update Plan coverage.
Waves has also announced Version 6 enhancements for its plug-in line,
including a simplified registration and authorisation process courtesy of
iLok.com; TLC (Theft & Loss Coverage) protection
program, ensuring that product authorisations are
never lost due to iLok theft or loss; and completely
compatible with all major audio hosts and
operating systems, including Vista (PC) and Leopard
(Mac). Users upgrading to V6 can choose from
Essentials, Expanded, and Complete installations,
each with a specific subset of plug-ins and bundles.
Sonic Distribution
+44 (0)845 500 2 500
www.sonic-distribution.com
Waves
+1 865 909 9200
www.waves.com
NEW PRODUCT
MOTU UltraLite-mk3
Cambridge, Massachusetts-headquartered computer-based audio and
video production hardware and software peripherals developer Mark of
the Unicorn (MOTU) has
introduced the UltraLitemk3,
a portable, buspowered
FireWire audio
interface with onboard
effects and mixing,
providing 10 inputs and
14 outputs in a half-rack
form factor with all I/O
routed to a new onboard
14-bus digital mixer driven by hardware-based DSP with 32-bit floating point
precision allowing users to apply no-latency effects processing to inputs,
outputs, or buses, independent of the host computer.
Music Track
+44 (0)1767 313447
www.musictrack.co.uk
MOTU
+1 617 576 2760
www.motu.com
NEW PRODUCT
Wholegrain Digital Systems
Quartet DynPEQ
Wholegrain Digital Systems has
released its first signal processing
plug-in, Quartet
DynPEQ, featuring
four individuallyconfigurable,
proprietary DynPEQ
bands, plus a gain stage.
www.sonicstudio.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NEW PRODUCT
Softube Tube Delay
Softube is shipping its Tube Delay
plug-in for VST, AU, and RTAS,
combining the warmth and natural
compression
characteristics
of tubes with
the features and
versatility of
digital delay.
www.softube.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NEW PRODUCT
Audio Ease Altiverb 6.2.0
Audio Ease has announced Altiverb
6.2.0, the latest free update for its
convolution reverb
plug-in, offering
enhanced overall
reliability, plus full
compatibility with
Digidesign Pro Tools
7.4.2 on all platforms.
www.audioease.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NORWAY
XT Agrees With Trinity Audio
XT Software has signed an
agreement with Trinity Audio Group
to integrate its energyXT (Indamixx
Version) supercompact
DAW
with the latter’s
Indamixx, a
handheld,
portable Linux studio based on the
Samsung Q1 ultra mobile PC.
www.energy-xt.com
8
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

ecording news
streaming news @ www.audiomedia.com
NEW PRODUCT
matthewlane.com DrMS
matthewlane.com has
released DrMS, a spatial processor
plug-in (AU/VST2/RTAS on Mac OS X
and VST2/RTAS on Windows) based
on MS (mid-side) processing that
splits the stereo signal
into four sections.
www.matthewlane.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PRODUCT UPDATE
Overloud Audio Tools BREVERB 1.5
Overloud Audio Tools has released
version 1.5 of its
BREVERB highend
algorithmic
reverberation plugin
(Mac OS X/PC),
featuring a new set
of dynamic, level-driven parameters,
and new additional presets.
www.timespace.com
www.overloud.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PRODUCT UPDATE
Edirol R-09HR
Edirol has released a software update
(v1.04) for its R-09HR 24-bit/96kHz
WAVE/MP3 Recorder,
improving the signal-tonoise
ratio for 88,2kHz
and 96kHz recording/
playback, plus support
for SDHC cards up to
32GB.
www.edirol.co.uk
www.edirol.net
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NEW PRODUCT
DACS HeadMaster
Digital Audio Computer Systems
(DACS) has released the HeadMaster,
a combined D-A converter (from
Crookwood), monitor controller, and
headphone amplifier, featuring four
inputs (AES/EBU, SPDIF, balanced and
unbalanced analogue).
www.dacs-audio.com
NEW PRODUCT
Sonnox Plugins ELITE
Oxfordshire-headquartered Sonnox Plugins has
introduced Sonnox ELITE, a cost-effective (£1,554
TDM/£744 Native) box set of all seven Oxford plug-ins
(EQ, Dynamics, Inflater, Transient Modulator, Reverb,
Limiter, and SuprEsser), representing a 40% discount
over buying everything individually. Those needing less
could consider Sonnox Essential (EQ, Dynamics, Reverb,
and SuprEsser for £1,222 TDM/£571 Native) or Sonnox
Enhance (Inflator, Limiter, and Transient Modulator for
£634 TDM/£319 Native).
Out in the field, songwriter/producer Wayne Wilkins – famed for work
with Oasis, No Doubt, Beyonce, and Natasha Bedingfield – has been making
much use of Sonnox Oxford plug-ins, primarily in Apple Logic Pro: “I was
just in Miami, with my production team, The Runaways, working on Energy,
a single by Timbaland artist Keri Hilson; we made good use of Oxford
Dynamics and Inflator
while programming that
single. They’re especially
helpful in fine-tuning
my style of music. I’ve
used them on virtually
everything I’ve done –
especially vocals, and the
master bus.”
Sonnox Plugins
+44 (0)1608 638102
www.sonnoxplugins.com
CALIFORNIA
Universal Audio Listens To Focal
Universal Audio recently
installed Focal Professional
Solo6 Be monitors and an
accompanying Sub6 Be in
its new Scotts Valley-sited
recording studio, used by
the Californian high-quality
audio hardware and vintage
audio DSP modelling
specialist as a critical
listening environment for analogue hardware development, as well as regular
recording duties. “I rely on our Focal system every day that a new plug-in is in
development,” stated Product Manager Will Shanks. “The Focals give me instant
feedback from which I can clearly show my algorithm designer firsthand where a
subtle difference between the device modelled and the plug-in exists, and gives
us a tangible point of reference.”
SCV London
+44 (0)20 8418 0778
www.scvlondon.co.uk
Audio Plus Services
+1 800 663 9352
www.audioplusservices.com
NEW PRODUCTS
Digidesign MassivePack 7,
MassivePack Pro 7
Digidesign has announced availability
of specially-priced MassivePack 7
(£710) and MassivePack Pro 7 (£1,920)
mixing and sound processing plugin
bundles for
Pro Tools|HD
owners, offering
significant
savings on eight
in-demand
Digidesign Development Partners’
plug-ins, plus a choice of eight more
Digidesign plug-ins. Moreover, the
upgraded MassivePack Pro 7 also
includes an HD Accel card (in PCI or
PCIe format), plus two additional TC
Electronic plug-ins.
Digidesign (UK)
+44 (0)1753 655999
Digidesign (HQ)
+1 800 333 2137
www.digidesign.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NEW PRODUCT
KRK Systems KRK10S
KRK Systems has launched the
KRK10S, an updated version of its
10-inch subwoofer incorporating a
sleek industrial design that matches
its RokitG2 and
VXT monitors’
diffraction
reducing
shape. Updated
electronics
include a ground-lift switch and a
bypass footswitch (allowing users
to easily switch a mix from stereo to
2.1/5.1 sound environments) while
improved amplifier heat sinking
results in a lower distortion at high
power levels and a lower noise floor
than its predecessor.
Focusrite Audio Engineering
+44 (0)1494 462246
www.focusrite.com
KRK Systems
+1 954 316 1580
www.krksys.com
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008 9

post news
streaming news @ www.audiomedia.com
BARCELONA
Viva Espãna for ICON D-Control ES
Barcelona-based production company
Sonygraf has installed Spain’s first
Digidesign ICON D-Control ES work
surface in its Digit Sound dubbing
studio. According to Technical
Manager Miguel Torres, “Having a
48-fader ICON D-Control ES in Digit
Sound impresses any visitor that
comes into the facility.”
Digidesign (UK)
+44 (0)1753 655 999
Digidesign (HQ)
+1 800 333 2137
www.digidesign.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PRODUCT UPDATE
Fairlight Wins With Xynergi (Again)
Australian media production systems
designer/manufacturer Fairlight has
won a C+T Award for Innovation
designed to recognise innovation in
productions, projects, and product
in the media industries throughout
Australia, New Zealand, and
Southeast Asia.
Tekcare
+44 (0)1707 620090
www.tekcare.co.uk
Fairlight US
+1 626 793 3940
www.fairlightus.com
BARCELONA, HOLLYWOOD
Estudis Roca Produccions And 424 Get Euphonix
Barcelona-based full-service production
house Estudis Roca Produccions has installed
a Euphonix System 5-MC integrated DAW
controller in its main Steinberg Nuendoequipped
recording and editing studio. Stated
Euphonix Sales Manager Dominic Jacobson: “All
functions, including plug-ins, can be controlled
from the faders, knobs, and soft keys; in a studio like Roca this level of feedback and
control is essential.”
Closer to Euphonix’s Californian home, Mixing Engineer/Sound Supervisor Jon Ross
has built a state-of-the-art large film dubbing stage within his Hollywood home, based
around a dual-operator, 80-fader Euphonix System 5 digital audio mixing system with
over 300 channels of DSP and EuCon Hybrid DAW
control for each operator.
Euphonix Europe
+44 (0)20 8561 2566
Euphonix (HQ)
+1 650 855 0400
www.euphonix.com
PRODUCT UPDATE
Merging Technologies VCube 2.0
Swiss Windows PC platform-based DAW developer Merging Technologies has released
Version 2.0 software for its VCube video player/recorder. Notable new features include
Windows Vista 32-bit support, networked ADR features from Pyramix during visual
countdowns, Ovation theatre playout system support, VCube
LE and XE support, new video engine, Avid DnxHD codec
support, USB Sync board to enable RS-422 and LTC control,
and more.
Merging Technologies (UK)
+44 (0)1606 892788
Merging Technologies (HQ)
+41 21 946 0444
www.merging.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LONDON
AKA Has Designs On BBC
London-based
studio furniture
specialist AKA
Design has
equipped two
high-end online editing suites for
BBC Post Production in Television
Centre.
www.akadesign.co.uk
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NEW PRODUCTS
Avastor SDX
Soho-based data storage specialists
ProTape have announced availability
of Avastor’s new range of SDX hard
drives, ranging from
the USB2-only SDX
200 (starting at
160GB) to the SDX
1000 (up to 1TB).
www.protape.co.uk
www.avastor.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NEW PRODUCT
Blastwave FX BUZZSAW
Blastwave FX has released BUZZSAW
– “...the most pain-inducing, guttwisting
production
elements library in
the world,” totalling
1,500 sounds recorded
at 24-bit/96kHz,
then delivered as
24-bit/48kHz broadcast
WAV files, as well as additional MP3s
for quick referencing.
www.blastwavefx.com
media production centre
Pure
Inspiration
record • edit • mix • create
10
Audio Media mag '08.indd 1
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008
4/2/08 6:37:45 PM

COMPROMISE
IS NOT A VIRTUE
APx525 and APx520 two channel audio analyzers, new
from Audio Precision, the recognized standard in audio test.
One-click measurements, automated sequences, and the
intuitive UI of the award-winning APx Series, with −108 dB
typical THD+N and new tests for two channel applications.
No other audio analyzer is faster or easier to use.
There’s no need to compromise: pricing starts under
$10,000 in the US.
Learn more about two channel audio test made easy
at http://ap.com/apx525

oadcast news
Diary of Events – 2008
September 7-10
PLASA 2008
London, UK
September 11-16
IBC 2008
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Setpember 25
The Conch Awards
London, England
September 26-28
The NAB Radio Show
Charlotte, NC, USA
October 2-5
125th AES Convention
San Francisco, CA, USA
October 3-6
MEET Milano
Milan, Italy
October 4-6
PALME India Expo 2008
Mumbai, India
October 13-16
ShowEast
Orlando World Center, USA
October 17-20
ProLight + Sound
Shanghai, China
October 20-23
SATIS SIEL Radio 2008
Versailles, France
October 20-26
LDI Institute & Backstage 2008
Las Vegas, USA
October 24-26
LDI Exhibits 2008
Las Vegas, USA
12
streaming news @ www.audiomedia.com
NEW PRODUCTS
Axia Audio PathfinderPRO, Audio Nodes 2.5.2g
Axia Audio
has released
PathfinderPRO, an
enterprise-class
version of the
broadcast, sound reinforcement, and commercial audio Ethernetbased
IP-Audio professional products builder’s PathfinderPC
software that retains all its graphical features and route-building
tools while adding virtual mixer control, serial data routing, and
inbuilt server clustering capabilities, designed specifically for 24/7
broadcast operations.
Axia has also released version 2.5.0g software for its family of
analogue and AES/EBU Audio Nodes for converting broadcastquality
audio into routable, real-time Ethernet
streams for Axia IP-Audio networks.
Broadcast Bionics
+44 (0)1444 844183
www.bionics.co.uk
Axia Audio
+1 216 241 7225
www.axiaaudio.com
PRODUCT UPDATE
Stagetec Nexus Star
Berlin-based high-end audio technology developer/manufacturer
Stagetec has released two new component boards for its Nexus
Star large-scale audio routing system: the RMF 02 is a MADI
board that expands upon the functionality of its predecessor,
featuring BNC connectors and receptacles for SFP optical modules,
allowing conversion between optical- and copper-based I/Os
to be performed on a single board. The RSYNC is a sync board
that addresses users running Nexus Stars incorporating RCX
CPU/multiplexer boards, enabling the overall network to be
synchronised to a variety of sources.
Aspen Media
+44 (0)1296 681313
www.aspen-media.com
GMA
+1 818 701 6201
www.stagetecusa.com
BIRMINGHAM
SBES2008 Plans Apace
Plans are afoot for SBES2008 – the annual
Sound Broadcasting Equipment Show – to
be held in The Pavilion at Birmingham’s NEC
on November 5-6, with organisers Point Promotions announcing
that 73% of the exhibition space is already booked (at time of
writing). Confirmed exhibitors include: Sonifex, Sennheiser, HHB,
West Country Broadcasting, P Squared, Broadcast Bionics, Studer,
Soundcraft, AEQ, Vortex Communications, Audessence, Aspen
Media, Oxford Sound Company, Wood and Douglas, Reinhardt,
WinRadio, Nagra, Glensound, and more.
Point Promotions
+44 (0)845 612 0169
www.sbes2008.com
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

what’s up
UK
whatsupuk@audiomedia.com
Band Managing
KEVIN HILTON looks at the continuing saga of the digital switchover, with the spotlight on bidding for bands.
will the digital switchover
happen”, junk mail has been
“When
demanding of British householders
in the last few months. The answer is, probably too
soon for some, and not soon enough for others.
As we move towards 2012, when analogue
television in this country will become a part of
history, the ongoing saga of the Digital Dividend
Review enters a new phase in its protracted life.
This is all about Ofcom’s proposals for the
re-allocation of the frequency spectrum and over
the past two years broadcasters, mobile phone
companies and the PMSE (programme makers and
special events) sector have been making their cases
for why they need access to this valuable resource.
Over the summer Ofcom issued two documents
concerned with the UHF analogue TV bands that
will become fully available by the end of 2012,
in other words the cleared spectrum, and what
is in between the main frequencies, known as
interleaved spectrum.
Both affect PMSE, particularly as Ofcom sees
radio mics as ‘migrating’ to the interleaved area
rather than taking up conventional frequencies.
But a third paper, issued at the end of July, is
aimed directly at PMSE as it sets out proposals for
awarding, through a competitive bidding process,
a ‘single package of interleaved spectrum’ to a
licensee that would then allocate frequencies to
users and act as band manager.
Digital Dividend Review: Band Manager Award
and Consultation on Detailed Award Design, to give
the document its full, snappy title, also has hard
technical and administrative details, including
the revelation that the proposed package of
spectrum to be put up for grabs will include
most of what is being used right now for PMSE.
This will be arranged into 75 separate bands
between 47.55MHz and 48.4GHz, marked out by a
block-edge mask (BEM) technique.
Ofcom prefers a light touch, marketbased
approach to managing spectrum but
acknowledges that PMSE is a special case because
of its fragmented nature and different types of user.
In a more regulatory mode, Ofcom says for bands
used currently for PMSE it reserves the right to
alter or withdraw existing licences on grounds of
spectrum management, giving the band manager
notice of one year; it claims the same power for
frequencies not being used for PMSE, only with
five years’ notice.
These latest proposals have not been well
received by the Professional Users Group,
which includes such industry groups as the
Institute of Broadcast Sound (IBS) and BEIRG
(British Entertainment Industry Radio Group).
Concern had already been voiced over the potential
for cognitive devices, which sense if a frequency
is being used and so can move into a vacant slot
but which do not, as yet, recognise radio mics and
similar equipment.
In a statement IBS Chairman John Sullivan again
raised the issue of cognitive technology but said
the ‘real cause of alarm’ was Ofcom’s mention of
DTT (digital terrestrial television) services alongside
PMSE. “While the Executive Summary does indeed
mention PMSE as one of the potential users of the
interleaved spectrum the emphasis on local DTT
services does give rise to concern that, should they
proceed as indicated, they will further restrict the
availability of suitable spectrum for PMSE,” he says.
An even greater concern, as Alan March of BEIRG
points out, is the possibility that PMSE will be moved
out of Channel 69, currently its prime source of
suitable frequencies. Clearly there is the belief that
PMSE should have access to cleared spectrum until
2012, not just from organisations like BEIRG but also,
apparently, some mobile phone companies. With a
non-mandatory recommendation passed at the
World Radiocommunications Conference in 2007
that the 790-862 band range should be allocated for
advanced mobile wireless communications (IMT),
March says there is no indication where PMSE would
go if it is moved from its current frequencies.
While in the short-term there is confidence at
BEIRG that PMSE will be ‘alright’, March says that
unless conditions change the mid to long-term
could be ‘a bit bleak’. That would certainly be the
case if, in another ten years, Ofcom does make users
pay the true value of spectrum; something is worth
what someone else is prepared to cough up for
it, so if mobile phone companies are able to offer
millions of pounds, then that is what spectrum is
worth. PMSE, it seems, does not have this financial
weight, despite being part of multi-million pound
businesses like musical theatre.
JFMG broadly welcomed the proposals but is
concerned about how much would have to be paid
to Ofcom in licensing fees, which might put up the
overall cost of using radio mics and other wireless
gear. JFMG’s contract with Ofcom finishes at the end
of this month and although Managing Director Paul
Gill has said the company would be silly not to look
at bidding, it would not be ‘at any price’. At the time
of writing Ofcom was formulating a contingency
plan to cover management of PMSE bands until the
appointment of a new band manager.
There is still much more to happen in this
continuing tale. The current consultation period
runs until October 16, with another document
scheduled for the end of year, covering how
the band manager will authorise access to the
spectrum for PMSE and other users. And there is
a good chance that the political lobbying that has
got the Professional Users Group where it is today
will gear up again.
As old-style newsmen used to say, this one will
run and run. ∫
Introducing the new PortaGig.
Glyph’s second generation PortaGig 800 can handle over 55
tracks of 24bit/48k audio, with edits, running on FireWire bus
power. Weighing less than 10 ounces, all this power is backed
by Glyph’s Advance Replacement and Data Recovery Policies.
Up to 250GB capacity
(2) FireWire 800, (1) USB 2.0 port
7,200 or 5,400 RPM SATA II drives
Universal AC power supply included
Store in a cool place..
Steyler Str. 121 D-41334 Nettetal
+49 (0) 2157 870 22 32
mrichert@glyphtech.com
glyphtech.com
14
AUDIO MEDIA NOVEMBER 2005
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

Total Integration = Musical Creativity
Vincent di Pasquale - Producer, Artist, Remixer
Recent Projects:
Madonna’s Hard Candy “4 minutes (rebirth remix)”
“The Euphonix System 5-MC and Logic Pro work together as one
and I get to choose my favorite Apogee converters. It’s all one
integrated tool. So for me it’s fast, it’s flexible, it’s fun to work on and
it really has taken Logic Pro to a whole new level.”
Power Trio
Apogee, Apple and Euphonix, have
Symphony
Systems
Logic Pro
joined together to form a Power Trio of creative solutions
for music composing, recording, editing and mixing. From
the new Artist Series to the largest System 5-MC and System 5
music and film dubbing consoles, Apple’s Logic Pro and
Apogee’s audio interfaces now totally integrate with
Euphonix’ entire range of DAW controllers and mixing
consoles. Euphonix high-speed Ethernet EuCon control
protocol is now built into Logic Pro and Apogee’s Maestro
System 5-MC
software giving Euphonix control surfaces unrivalled
access to these software applications.
euphonix.com
Experience the Power Trio
at IBC Stand 8.C63
©2008 Euphonix, Inc. All Rights Reserved l 220 Portage Avenue l Palo Alto, CA 94306 l p. 650.855.0400 l f. 650.855.0410

The recent PALME Middle East
2008 in Dubai closed with a
record-breaking 8,600 visitors,
representing a 22% increase over
the 2007 event, say the organisers.
This year’s event has set new records
not only in terms of the number of
exhibitors (272 exhibitors, representing
over 800 companies and brands), but
the amount of exhibition space sold
and the number of visitors.
“We registered 1,500 more visitors
this year than we did last year, clearly
highlighting the industry growth and
underlining Dubai as the entertainment
capital of the Middle East. With five
exhibition halls covering 20,000m 2 ,
PALME has real ‘pulling power’ and is
now firmly established as the world’s
largest events industry showcase,”
commented Neil Hickman, Group
Exhibitions Director of event organisers
IIR Exhibitions Entertainment and
Installations Technology Group.
According to Hickman, it was the
strategic change in the event structure
geo focus: the Middle East
PALME Middle East Breaks Records
that has proved to be the catalyst for
PALME’s growth. “Three clearly defined
vertical sectors, Install, MUSAC, and
Event 360 have emerged from our
restructuring efforts. Combined they
cover the entire spectrum of the
entertainment industry, from cabling
and lighting solutions to musical
instruments and live acts,” he said.
Based in Sharjah, Mario
Mascarenhas’s Powerhouse provides
one of the most comprehensive
entertainment supply and production
services in the UAE. This was one
reason why the company was invited
to provide the technical infrastructure
for this year’s inaugural live stage at
PALME’s Event 360 show in Dubai.
The company had initially asked
for the opportunity to audition the
new Soundcraft Vi4 digital console,
requisitioning a system from local
distributors GSL Professional.
But instead of borrowing the desk,
Powerhouse’s sound engineers liked
the Vi4 so much that the company
promptly purchased it on the spot,
complete with Control Surface, Local
Rack, and Stagebox – and two 150m
fibre optic cable drums.
For Powerhouse, it is the latest
chapter in a 12-year history of a
company that began when event
companies were non-existent in Dubai
and customers looked to freelancers
to meet their entertainment needs.
Today Powerhouse provides a gamut of
services varying from live entertainment
to A/V and multimedia, sound and
lighting, staging, rigging, and décor.
A(&H) Design For Life
An Allen & Heath iLive digital system was recently
employed for Hewlett Packard’s Design Your Personal
Life event at Wafi City in Dubai. PA company, Udaya
Sound, was appointed to manage the AV requirements
for the event, and had recently acquired the iLive system
– comprising iDR10 mix rack and iLive-144 control surface –
from Allen & Heath’s distributor, VV & Sons.
“iLive’s proven technology will give Udaya an edge in terms
of sound processing, and VV & Sons has provided full training
and technical support in order to get the very best out of this
sophisticated hardware,” comments VV & Sons’ touring sound
specialist, J Ninel.
The Dubai event was part of a global campaign taking form
as a battle of the bands competition designed to draw youths
together from different countries with similar experiences
and environments. Events were staged simultaneously
in Athens, Istanbul, and Johannesburg, and live satellite
links were used throughout the evening to unite the four
different locations, as well as spectators who were following
proceedings online.
Renkus-Heinz Appoints Mediatronics ME
In a deal signed at the recent PALME Expo, Renkus-
Heinz has announced the appointment of Dubai-based
Mediatronics – Middle East as its new exclusive distributor
for the United Arab
Emirates (UAE).
Mediatronics ME is
a leading pro-audio
and communications
solution provider for
Dubai aspires to be a regional and international centre for television and
media services, alongside Egypt and Lebanon. An Electronic Commerce
and Media Zone Authority was created in 2000 to attract regional and
international media outlets.
Dubai Media City and its counterparts offer two key advantages:
tax benefits and freedom of speech.
Major media organisations – including Reuters and Sony – and
publishers, artists, and writers have moved in. Established satellite
entertainment, sports, and convention venues as well as for
TV and radio broadcasting, recording studios, the hospitality
industry, shopping malls, and airports.
The Middle East market has boomed for Renkus-Heinz
in recent years, with high-profile installations including the
Sharm El Sheikh Congress Centre in Egypt, the new Hajj
Terminal Building at King Abdul Aziz International Airport
in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the Naad al Sheba Horse race track
in Dubai, and the new luxurious Dubai Mall in UAE.
broadcaster MBC relocated to Dubai Media City from London.
The constitution provides for freedom of speech but there is strong
regulatory and political control of media content.
A 1988 law requires that publications be licensed and outlines
acceptable subjects of reporting. Foreign publications are censored before
distribution. Journalists tend to practise self-censorship when reporting on
such matters as government policy and ruling families.
Internet use is extensive; by 2007 there were 1.7 million users
VITAL STATISTICS
FULL NAME
United Arab Emirates
POPULATION 4.4 million (UN, 2007)
CAPITAL
LARGEST CITY
MAJOR LANGUAGE
MONETARY UNIT
MAIN EXPORTS
GNI PER CAPITA
INTERNET DOMAIN
Abu Dhabi
Dubai
AREA 77,700km 2 (30,000mls 2 )
Arabic
1 Dirham = 100 fils
Oil, gas
US$23,770
(World Bank, 2006)
.ae
INTERNATIONAL +971
DIALLING CODE
16 AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

Presented by
Dubai’s Funoon Al Emarat
which opened for
business in 1993, was the
first top of the range professional
recording studios to be built in
the Middle East. Fifteen years
on, under new ownership and
following completion of a major
refurbishment programme, it is
still very much in business.
“In many ways this was a
ground-breaking facility as it was
accommodated in a generouslyproportioned,
recently built
unit, and was realistically, if
not extravagantly, budgeted,”
says Eastlake Audio’s David
Hawkins, who was responsible
for the original design and
construction, and the update.
“It also commenced by
employing as Recording
Director, Moheb Milad, who
was an Egyptian engineer with
considerable technical ability
and recording talent.
“The building was basically
a large box without any
obstructions, so the ‘envelope’
in which the studio was
constructed was as near to ideal
for a recording facility as could
be imagined, and we were able
to do what we wanted. So we
gave it a good-sized control
room and live area, and a good
‘geometry’, with a clients’ lounge
above the control room.”
The studio’s new owner is
noted Arabic singer Hussain Al
Jasmi, who was a regular client
at Funoon Al Emarat before he
bought it. The facilities cater both
for his own recording projects
and commercial clients.
The refurbishment retains
many of the original features,
including the spacious live
recording area and its flexible
spaces, and the layout of the
control room. “It began as a
five-star recording studio, but
after 13 or so years of wear and
tear, it was looking shabby,” says
Hawkins. “As we still held all the
original drawings and records,
we knew exactly what materials
were needed for a refurbishment,
and so it was no problem.”
In addition to the cosmetic
improvements, there are major
changes within the control room.
The original installation featured
a Soundcraft analogue console
and an eight-track Studer tape
machine. The refurbishment
has seen a 16-fader Digidesign
D-Command mixing surface
and Pro Tools HD3 workstation
system installed.
The original Westlake/JBL
control room monitors have been
replaced by a Genelec system.
The outboard racks comprise
a long list, including a Manley
Slam preamp/compressor,
Manley Voxbox valve preamp/
compressor/de-esser/EQ, Manley
Massive Passive EQ, two Tube-
Tech MEC-1A valve preamp/
compressor/EQs, TL Audio Ivory
5062 valve preamp/compressor/
EQ, and two Universal Audio
1176LN levelling amplifiers.
The studio’s microphone
collection includes Neumann
M149 and U87 valve mics,
Manley Gold Reference multipattern
valve mics, and AKG
D112 dynamics among others.
In addition, a pair of AKG C414s
is permanently installed in the
large area of the live room for
ambience.
The live area has been retained
and can be divided using sliding
doors to provide acoustically
separate performance spaces.
As well as its studio, Funoon
Al Emarat has a composing/
programming room equipped
with a Digidesign D-Control and
M-Audio software for the use of
composers and arrangers, and a
video edit suite. It also operates
a CD replication facility for its
own productions.
For Eastlake, the
Middle East has
long been a key
business area and
the company has
been responsible
for the construction
of a number of topflight
facilities in
the recording and
broadcast sectors.
“Although we have
moved on technically
www.munro.co.uk
Funoon Al Amarat
Refurbished And Refreshed
One of the Middle East’s top recording studios has been given a complete
makeover, reports JIM EVANS.
a long way from the first build at
Funoon Al Emarat, the size and
layout is still perfectly appropriate
for the scale of recording that
takes place in the region today,”
says Hawkins. “It’s pleasing to see
this studio back in the top tier –
where it rightly belongs.”
He continues, “This is a market
that has grown steadily from a
very low base. Over the years
we have had the good fortune
to have worked in Bahrain, Abu
Dhabi, and Dubai as well as
Saudi, Egypt, and Libya.
“We first worked in Dubai
when it was in the early days of
establishing itself as a dynamic
Gulf trading state, and we built
what was the first reasonablysized
commercial studio there.
That became a magnet for
other Gulf recording activity,
and subsequently we’ve worked
extensively across the region –
including Kuwait City.
“Generally as far as pro
audio is concerned, the Middle
East is best described today
as a relatively mature market.
There is certainly growth in the
TV audio facilities sector because
of the increasing number of
broadcasters that are not now
subject to state control.
“Overall, I think the feeling is
positive in the region. In most
territories the income from oil
is constant and in GDP terms
it’s fabulous. In developing their
media facilities, there’s an interest
there that they can afford to
support, indulge and develop.
As we know, there are parts of the
area that are immensely stable
and there are other parts that are
best described as volatile.”
ORDER YOUR FREE
CATALOGUE (352
Bulk Cables
Connectors
KID BROADCAST
Distribution Systems
– AMPLIFIERS –
Active Components
Premade Cables
Headphones
Modular Systems
OEM Manufacturing
Live at Earls Court – London / GB
7 – 10 Sept. 2008
Visit us ! Booth M45
Visit us ! Booth F73
www.sommercable.com
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008 17
SOMMER CABLE GmbH
Audio Video Broadcast Media Technology HiFi
info@sommercable.com

For the Record
Somebody’s Moved The Line…
JERRY IBBOTSON wonders at the increasing blurred divisions between pro and consumer audio gadgets.
I’ve got my colleague Adam Rowley to thank for inspiring
my For The Record offering this month. We’d both gulf in price. In the last few weeks they’ve both won
they’re two highly desirable bits of kit despite the
been playing with the baby Marantz 620 portable a place in our hearts by delivering excellent quality.
recorder (reviewed elsewhere in this issue) and were The Rode was used on a couple of location interviews
staggered at how useful it had proved to be, when for a CD project, and my jaw dropped at how good it
he said this: “It’s amazing how blurred the line has sounded. What a microphone.
become between top end kit and hobbyist stuff.”
But the Marantz also takes the breath away: when
a steam train happens to pull up on the platform
He‘s so right: I’ve also just reviewed a new Rode
opposite yours, you want something you can whip
shotgun microphone, which I liked a lot but which
out, flick on and use. And it does it so well. I wanted
costs roughly double what the tiny recorder does.
to dismiss it but couldn’t.
Given Side the By choice Side I’d AM have both 26|02|2008 of them. No, 14:45 honestly, Side 1
sound engineering
RM8 TUBE MODULES
SIDE-BY-SIDE
I remember my first day on the job as a reporter
at Radio One Newsbeat back in 1996. A producer
handed me a brand new Sony Minidisc Walkman and
said, “This is yours, take the instructions home and
learn how to use it over the weekend.” That was the
first time I realised that if you’re open minded about
kit you can find some real gems out there, and that’s
truer than ever in 2008.
At the recent Develop conference in Brighton I saw
a number of in-house audio teams who had brought
small devices like the Zoom recorders with them.
One was even used to record claps and cheers at
the end of a session, for use in a forthcoming game.
I’m guessing that these guys have top notch
studios back at base, but were happy to take a consumer
device with them on the road. Okay, for a
full on location session you might use something
bigger and more expensive, but a tool like the
Marantz or a Zoom can be dropped into your bag on
the ‘off chance’.
FRONT TO BACK
There’s a word I’ve steered away from using:
prosumer. If the lines are being blurred between what
we think we should be using, and what will help us
in our work regardless of (low) cost, who needs tags
We’re still going to use the top end stuff of course (you
can prise my Genelecs, DPAs, and Edirol from my cold
dead hands) but we’d be wrong to dismiss something
that might just add to what we do as audio people.
Thanks Adam, the cheque’s in the post.
- CM1A, EM1A, PM1A & RM8 now shipping...
LYDKRAFT
www.tube-tech.com
JERRY IBBOTSON runs Media Mill, a York-based audio
production company started in 2000 that specialises in sound
for video games. Prior to this, Jerry was a BBC journalist for
ten years, ending his spell with the Beeb as a reporter and
newsreader at Radio One Newsbeat.
SOMETHING TO SAY
If you are an audio professional and have something constructive to say
about your field of expertise, or tips for your peers, contact us with your
ideas at ftr@audiomedia.com
AUDIO MEDIA NOVEMBER 2005
00 AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008
18

PMC.audio_media_advert.5456.1:Layout 1 28/7/08 10:21 Page 1
No Brainer
PMC’s technology provides mid-field performance from a near-field
Natural, neutral and dynamic with the abilty to resolve every nuance.
Our Industry standard 5.1 monitoring systems are relied on by:
BBC Scotland, BBC Research, BBC Cardiff, BBC TVC, BBC Mail box,
Telegenic & Arena TV OB, Molinaire, Unit TV, De Montford University,
Qube studios Visual Communication, Red BEE Media, NEP Visions,
Red TX O.B, Spirit Studios, Barber Shop Sound and many more.
Essential for HDTV broadcast, DVD mastering and post production.
www.pmc-speakers.com
THERM ROOSTER TAPE OP AD 2 4/2/08 14:53 Page 1
THERMIONIC CULTURE
ENGLAND
VALVE PRE-AMP WITH EQ & ATTITUDE
THE NEW THERMIONIC CULTURE ROOSTER
DUAL MONO MIC/LINE/DI PRE-AMP WITH EQ AND DISTORTION WITH ‘ATTITUDE’
International Distribution by
Tel: UK+ 1440 785843 Fax: UK+ 1440 785845 sales@unityaudio.co.uk
Check www.thermionicculture.com for dealer listings, reviews, and specs
FREE FROM SOLID STATE ADDITIVES 100% FULL FAT AUDIO CONTENT
GET CULTURED
AUDIO MEDIA september 2008 19

UK Screen Association - Conch Awards 2008
Conch Shortlists Announced
It’s almost time for the Awards, and the shortlists are in. This year the Conch Awards promise to be bigger and better than ever.
Audio Media has the lowdown on the potential winners...
It’s been another successful nominations process for the annual UK Screen Association Conch Awards this year. The process was
changed for 2008 to encourage a greater number and variety of nominations, as well as more democratic, peer-chosen shortlists.
In brief, nominations were open to all, and confirmed as qualifying for the category by the Conch Awards committee. Then
all nominations were put to a public vote. The most popular nominations were compiled and approved by the committee for
inclusion in the short-list for each category. Now, it’s just down to judging day, with show-reels and information put forward for
each nomination to the judging panel.
Paul Mac, Editor of Audio Media magazine, who has been involved in putting together the judging panel, commented: “We’ve
tried to put together an independent panel with exceptional credibility and insight into the audio production process and post
production market, and without compromising the integrity of the awards. As with previous years, I expect the judging process
to be rigorous, and fair – something that has contributed enormously to the success of the Conch Awards so far.”
ABOUT CONCH
The UK Screen Association’s Conch
Awards are an annual awards ceremony,
held in London, intended to celebrate
the expertise and achievements of the
UK audio post production community.
Now in their third year, the awards
have been widely acclaimed and gather
more support year on year. Audio Media
is proud to be a Media Sponsor of the
Conch Awards.
Always loved the sound of
RADAR A/D & D/A Converters
Now you can reach it.
Information: www.ukscreenassociation.
co.uk/conch
• 8, 16, or 24 channel configurations
• Fully customizable I/O ratios
- e.g. 8 In 24 Out
• Upgrade I/O as needed for up to 24
channels A/D & D/A in one box
• 24 bit, 48-192 kHz sample rates across all
channels
• Classic Nyquist and S-Nyquist converter
cards available
• Standard MADI digital I/O w. dual coax/
optical interface for fast transfers
• Optional direct interface with ProTools HD
Introducing ADA (Standalone RADAR Converters)
Since 1994, the converter technology that quickly established RADAR as the best
sounding multitrack in the business has only been available to RADAR users. Until now!
With the introduction of ADA, the famous Classic, Nyquist and S-Nyquist converters from
RADAR will be available for the first time in a standalone device for users of ProTools,
Logic, Nuendo, Digital Performer, etc. Bringing RADAR sound, at last, to your DAW.
For more information, contact Garry Robson on 020 8418 1474.
www.scvlondon.co.uk
THE AWARDS EVENING
The Conch Awards evening itself is set for September
25, 2008, at the Mayfair Hotel in London. The hotel’s
200 seat cinema will host the event itself, which
will be relayed onto screens into the adjoining
party room, set for up to 350 guests. The party then
continues until 1am with a live band and special
entertainment. It’s the big UK audio production
social event of the year.
Tickets are available from the UK Screen
Association for between £60 and £100, depending
on ticket type. Hurry up and book your space…
20
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008
ADA Ad Junior Resol 24-6-08-6-081 1 25/6/08 12:07:53

The Shortlists
Commercial of the Year
Cadbury ‘Gorilla’ – Wave Studios
Guinness ‘Tipping Point’ – Videosonics &
Wave Studios
Bob Monkhouse ‘Prostate Cancer’ – Grand
Central Studios
VW Golf ’Enjoy the Everyday’ – Marmalade
Category sponsored by Film London
Audio Media Unsung Hero Award
Nick Laing, Goldcrest
Adam Powell, Molinare
Smudger, formerly Videosonics
Category sponsored by Skillset
Film Soundtrack of the Year – under £10
million
The Cottage
Happy Go Lucky
In Bruges
Category sponsored by AMPS
Film Soundtrack of the Year – over £10
million
Atonement
Sweeney Todd
Stardust
Category sponsored by UK Film Council
Audio on TV Drama
Ashes to Ashes – Hackenbacker
The Curse of Comedy – Most Sincerely: Hughie
Green – Breathe
Secret Diary of a Call Girl – 142 Ascent Media
No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency - Soundelux
The Man Who Lost His Head – 142 Ascent Media
Category sponsored by Whitemark
Audio on TV/Film Documentary
The Passions of Vaughn Williams – Directors
Cut/Noise London
Michael Palin’s New Europe – Molinaire
Coast – BBC Post Production
Audio on TV Entertainment
Britain’s Got Talent Series 2 – London Studios
Masterchef 2008 – Molinare
The Restaurant – Envy
Top Gear: Polar Special – Evolutions
Category sponsored by Prism Sound
Music Production on Film/TV Project
Sweeney Todd
The Passions of Vaughn Williams
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward
Robert Ford
Best TV Dubbing Mixer
Rowan Jennings – United Audio Project
Pip Norton – Breathe
Alan Sallabank – 142 Ascent Media
Matt Skilton – Envy
Category sponsored by Media Lease
Best Film Re-recording Mixer
Chris Burdon
Mark Taylor
Mathew Knights
Mike Prestwood-Smith
Category sponsored by Euphonix
TV Sound Editor of the Year (Editor,
Designer, Dialogue, Supervising)
Chris Roberts – 142 Ascent Media
Paul McFadden
Simon Chase – Soundelux
Film Sound Editor of the Year (Editor,
Designer, Dialogue, Supervising)
James Boyle
Nigel Stone
Robert Ireland
Jeremy Price
Production Sound Mixer of the Year
Sean Taylor
Paul Paragon
Simon Hayes
To be announced in early September,
2008:
Film Facility of the Year, sponsored by Fineline
Media Finance
TV Facility of the Year, sponsored by Scrub
Commercials Facility
Newcomer Award
Fellowship Award, sponsored by Pinewood
Studios Group
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008 45

RØDE promise much of its most
exciting mic, but can it live up
to the boasts JERRY IBBOTSON
decides to put it to the test.
There are some bits of equipment that quickly become
essential weapons in your audio arsenal: a decent set
of monitors, a location recorder that never lets you
down or a set of headphones that just keep getting better
with age. I’ve got a pair of beyerdynamic shotgun
microphones that I’ve used for sound effects recording for
years now, and they’ve been lashed to the roof of a giant fire
engine, strapped to motocross bikes, and have recorded
more rally cars than is sensible. My motto: have shotgun,
will travel (and earn money).
So I was particularly interested in getting my hands
on the RØDE NTG-3. The Australian company claims
that it’s one of its ‘most exciting microphones’ and is
the result of years of development. RØDE’s claimed aim
was to provide audio professionals with an affordable
yet uncompromising microphone. It’s a shotgun
mic that boasts of being able to withstand adverse
environmental conditions, of having 50% less self-noise
than most of its rivals, and of having a high level of
immunity to RF interference.
Take it out of the box and the first thing that hits you
is the build quality: it’s nice. Nice in the way that a BMW
feels better put together than a Fiat. The body is finished
in a brushed steel colour (we debated this in the studio –
I wanted to say dark alloy, but was overruled) and, even
though it’s quite petite, feels solid and robust. I spent
some time just studying the XLR pins because they look
so well put together. Sad but true.
stuff to a sound designer.
I was using our Edirol R4 pro, set to mono mode and
recording at 96 kHz, 24 bit. The RØDE did a grand job of
isolating the background noise. The manual says it had
a wider than normal pattern for a shotgun microphone
to make it more forgiving. But it still managed to leave
the recording focused on the machine and no general
background noise on the base. The gruffness of the huge
diesel engine came across well, as did the moaning and
whining of the hydraulics and servo motors.
The other military vehicle that we recorded with
the RØDE was a Chinook helicopter. It had landed at
an army barracks near our studio and I persuaded the
guard on duty to let us record it taking off. The sound of
the turbine engines firing up and turning the enormous
blades on this eleven tonne beast was phenomenal.
Equally amazing was the amount of downdraft generated.
My colleague Adam ended up gripping the Rycote with
both hands to stop it being blown out of his grasp.
Some of the recording was spoiled by the vast amount of
wind noise but this was about as extreme a scenario as I
can imagine. The RØDE captured some amazing sounds
of a stunning machine taking off. No mic clipping, no hiss,
and no distortion.
Now for something completely different: recording
interviews in various locations with some quite softly
spoken individuals, including one bishop and one retired
archbishop. I’ve used a range of mics for this in the past,
RØDE NTG-3
Shotgun Microphone
THE REVIEWER
JERRY IBBOTSON runs Media Mill,
a York-based audio production
company started in 2000 that
specialises in sound for video
games. Prior to this, Jerry was
a BBC journalist for ten years,
ending his spell with the Beeb as a
reporter and newsreader at Radio
One Newsbeat.
Also in the box
is an aluminium
storage tube for
the microphone.
It looks like the
body of a Maglite
torch and has sealed end caps that screw into place.
The inside is padded and the idea is that the mic can sit
in there while in transit or storage, keeping the nasty
elements at bay. You also get a stand mount, a zip pouch,
and a foam windshield. To make my comparison with my
existing gun mic easier I choose to use a Rycote Softie and
grip when out and about, although RØDE do their own
brand of full-on windshield systems.
The Big Issues
The ways in which I put the Røde through its paces can
be broken down into two main areas: war and religion.
War covers military vehicles that we had the chance to
record while the RØDE was on test, and religion refers
to recording interviews on location for an audio CD project
we were working on. Imagine a Radio Four theology
programme on a disc. The two contrasting uses would be
a good test of the microphone’s flexibility if nothing else.
War. What is it good for Actually it’s quite good being
near military bases because you get to record things like
enormous mobile rocket launchers. A friend who’s in
the army was responsible for overseeing an open day at
York’s Imphal Barracks and, as he knows my fetish for all
things noisy, managed to get me on the parade ground
a few hours before the event kicked off. The reason:
a huge tracked vehicle with a massive rectangular crate
on the back that pivots upwards on hydraulics so it can
fire rockets. I had the chance to record it driving round in
a circle and then lifting and turning the rear unit. All useful
including a DPA lavalier. The RØDE was used either hand
held or on a stand. The results were the best I’ve ever
achieved in this situation. In virtually silent rooms the
amount of hiss was very low indeed and in one location
(the chapel at the rear of a church) the directional pattern
of the RØDE reduced the amount of reverb and echo to
acceptable levels. Some of the interviewees had very
bassy voices and the mic also reproduced these brilliantly.
The end customer, an ex BBC colleague of mine, was
stunned at the quality.
Needed, Or Just Wanted
The NTG-3 is an excellent bit of kit: superbly made,
supplied with some useful accessories and capable of
working in extreme conditions. It’s also quiet in use, from
both hiss and handling noise points of view. After just a
few weeks of use, I’d rate it as an essential bit of kit. ∫
....................................
INFORMATION
£ GB£382.93 (exc.VAT)
A Rode Microphones (International), 107 Carnarvon
Street, Silverwater, NSW 2128, Australia
T +61 2 9648 5855
F +61 2 9648 2455
W www.rodemic.com
E info@rodemic.com
A Source Distribution, Unit 6, Pembroke Buildings,
Cumberland Park, London, NW10 6RE
T +44 (0) 208 962 5080
F +44 (0) 208 968 3218
W www.sourcedistribution.co.uk
E sales@sourcedistribution.co.uk
22
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

TICKETS NOW
AVAILABLE
08
The Awards will take place on Thursday 25th September
2008 at the May Fair Hotel in central London. Doors will
open from 7pm for registration and a champagne reception,
with the actual Awards Ceremony taking place between
8pm - 10pm. This will be followed by a post-awards party
with some great entertainment until the early hours!
The event will once again capitalise on the
UK's reputation for audio craft by recognising,
rewarding and honouring individuals and companies for
outstanding achievement in audio post-production.
There are two types of tickets available for the event, as follows:
The Cinema Experience - UK Screen members
price £75/ Non-members £100
Ticket includes a champagne reception, a seat
in the cinema throughout the awards ceremony
and entrance to the post-awards party.
The Danziger Experience - UK Screen members
price £60/ Non-members £80
Ticket includes a champagne reception, big-screen
viewing of the awards ceremony via live-relay from the
cinema, and entrance to the post-awards party.
Tickets can be purchased safely and securely online
through the official Conch Awards website. Go to
www.ukscreenassociation.co.uk/conch
and click on the Buy Tickets option.
You can also buy tickets directly from Bubble & Squeak.
We accept payment by cheque or bank transfer, or we can invoice
your company. To place an order please email
sue@bubblesqueak.co.uk or telephone +44 (0)20 7287 4655.
HEADLINE SPONSORS
MEDIA PARTNERS:
SPONSORED BY:

This time, it’s for real.
JERRY IBBOTSON’s in love.
It’s cute, pocket-sized, and
battery powered; and happily
knocks aside preconceptions
about portable recorders.
Introducing, Marantz’s baby…
This has been a struggle. Not writing this review as
such, but trying not to give the game away at the start.
Normally when product testing for Audio Media I
waffle on a bit at the start about something slightly surreal,
talk about the hardware for a few paragraphs and use a
couple of real-life test examples to prove my point. Then I
wrap up with a summary of its good and bad points. Easy.
But right now I’m finding that sticking to that formula
is really hard because I have to confess right away: I love
this little machine. The PMD 620 is sitting on the desk
next to my laptop, with a USB lead dangling out of its
bottom. Earlier today I downloaded a recording I made
at York railway station last week, while waiting for a train
to whisk me to the Develop conference in Brighton.
A steam train had pulled in at the platform opposite for
a few minutes, before huffing and puffing its way up the
east coast mainline. I’d had the 620 tucked in my bag and
used it to record the engine moving off.
At first I wished they’d used a numbered level dial but
soon found that it works just fine as it is.
That first recording proved a few things. Firstly, that
having a recording from an easy-to-pocket machine
is better than no recording at all. Call me paranoid,
but I wouldn’t have wanted to whip out my Edirol R4
and a gun mic on a tube train in 2008. Secondly, that
the smallest Marantz of all is very, very good. I played
the recording back over and over, once I’d got back to
base, and prepared myself for a wall of pre amp noise.
But the hiss that I thought was coming from the two
microphones mounted on the two corners of the
machine turned out to be from the mechanics of the
tube train itself!
Since then we’ve lost track of what the 620 has been
used for. I’ve taken it home on a number of occasions
and recorded things like rain hitting the windscreen of
my car and thunder overheard. Adam grabbed it from
MARANTZ PMD 620
Portable Recorder
THE REVIEWER
JERRY IBBOTSEN runs Media Mill,
a York-based audio production
company started in 2000 that
specialises in sound for video
games. Prior to this, Jerry was
a BBC journalist for ten years,
ending his spell with the Beeb as a
reporter and newsreader at Radio
One Newsbeat.
Illogical, But It Works
The recording shouldn’t have been any good; at least
not according to the logic that I followed when
buying a rather expensive four channel
location recorder last year. Something the
size of a cigarette packet with two diddy
built in mics shouldn’t work.
But it did. I’ve been playing the train
recording back at increasing volume levels
just to enjoy the sound. The only wobbly
moments are when I can be heard running
in front of a trainspotter and when another
anorak clad gentlemen makes a strange noise
in response to the train’s horn being sounded.
The machine arrived in my office in the hands
of David Morbey and Mark Perrins of Marantz’s
UK operation. They wanted to pick my brains
about portable recorders, and we also spent quite
a while reminiscing about Marantz machines of
old, like the portable cassette recorder I used as
a radio journalism student eighteen years ago.
At the end of the day they dropped the 620 on to the
table, both of them grinning rather excitedly. I smiled
nicely and fiddled with it for a while but secretly (sorry
chaps) I wasn’t holding out much hope. Pre-amp hiss
is always the bug bear of small portable recorders and
I still shudder at the thought of a certain bit of kit I briefly
owned a couple of years ago (no names…).
London Underground Etiquette
A week later, I was heading down to London for a couple
of meetings and took the Marantz with me. While rattling
down the central line in a fairly empty carriage I slipped
it out of my bag and flicked it on. I’m not sure what the
etiquette is on London Underground, particularly in
the current climate, but the 620’s so small it looks like an
MP3 player. I figured I wouldn’t draw attention to myself
and I was right.
I’d already used the simple Menu to set it up to record
as a 48 kHz, 24-bit stereo WAV file (it’s a shame it can’t
manage 96kHz) and turned the auto gain control off.
Manual recording levels are set via two small buttons
on one side of the chassis. These correspond to the level
meters on the brightly backlit LCD screen and to the
db levels that appear as numbers on the same display.
my desk during a downpour one afternoon and got some
excellent material just by leaving it by an open window.
We also had to provide some wind roar for a video game
we’re working on and used the Marantz to record some
very ‘natural’ sounding effects.
Then there was the Chinook. I’ve mentioned this in
my review of the Rode NTG-3 gun mic elsewhere in this
issue. An RAF Chinook helicopter landed at the army base
near us and we were lucky enough to be allowed in to
record it taking off. The main recording was done on our
R4 Pro with the Rode inside a Rycote Softie windshield.
The Marantz came along for the ride.
Okay, so once the giant blades were whirring it
suffered massively from the downdraft but it did capture
some very useful material of the turbine engines firing up.
There was no distortion and no hiss. It’s just brilliant.
We End At The Beginning…
As I’ve started this review at the end I may as well wrap
up with the kind of technical stuff I normally start with.
The 621 has a nice metallic front to its body and easy
to use buttons that perform the key functions. It can
use either the built in mics or can take an external one
via a minijack input, and records as either MP3 or .WAV.
It comes with an SD card and uses just two AA batteries.
I don’t think we’ve changed ours since we got the device
a month ago. My only gripe is that the headphone socket
is a bit close to those inbuilt microphones.
Who would use it The list starts with people doing
podcasts, then moves on to multi-media journalists
(newspaper hacks who these days have to provide audio
material as well). Actually, scratch that: anyone who wants
a good quality audio recorder that can slip into a pocket.
That includes me then. ∫
....................................
£ GB£270.00 (exc.VAT)
INFORMATION
A D&M Installation, Kingsbridge House, Padbury Oaks,
Logford, Middlesex, UB7 0EH
T +44 (0) 1753 680023
F +44 (0) 1753 686020
W www.marantz.com
24
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

Own one piece
of history
ISA One
Classic Microphone Pre-amplifier with Independent D.I.
The original Focusrite consoles were custom built for a few discerning studio owners, like Allen Sides of Ocean Way, Hollywood.
Their unique sound has contributed to countless gold and platinum recordings over the last two decades.
The ISA110 microphone pre-amplifi er formed the cornerstone of the original consoles. The new ISA One shares the
same pre-amplifi er topology, featuring the original Lundahl LL1538 transformer and bespoke Zobel network.
A fl exible and independent D.I. channel, switchable impedance, a headphone output and an optional class-leading 192kHz
ADC ensure this classic design fits seamlessly into your modern studio environment. With ISA One, you too can own a piece
of history, and take the next step towards your own number One.
www.focusrite.com/ISAOne

DAVE FOISTER finds a curiosity
in Latvia’s finest pays off, as
far from sucking audio into
nothingness, JZ’s Black Hole
delivers the finest sound
despite merciless testing.
The little club of people making microphones is truly
cosmopolitan, with companies from China, Australia,
Russia, and elsewhere rubbing shoulders with the
older traditional grandees; so it should be no surprise to
encounter a manufacturer from Latvia breaking out into the
mainstream market. JZ Microphones is new to me, but if
the strange device I’m looking at here is anything to go by,
they will be familiar enough before long.
The Black Hole is available in three variants; the BH-1
here is the original and the most flexible, and consequently
the most expensive. Its startling body is black and has a
big hole in it (hence the name, duh) and succeeds in its
obvious aim of being eye-catching. It’s a side-fire largediaphragm
condenser, and has a dual-diaphragm capsule
to allow multiple polar patterns. The other two versions
have a single diaphragm and are therefore restricted to
cardioid – the difference between those two is that one
has a pad and the other doesn’t. The finish and quality
of materials is excellent; the big capsule is clearly visible
through the surrounding rectangular basket, showing its
lack of centre terminal and the well-finished diaphragms.
Obviously it’s not apparent to the naked eye, but the
diaphragms feature a patented variable sputtering using
a special alloy – the details appear to be a trade secret.
roll-off towards 20kHz, where it’s 10dB down as it is at
20Hz. This looks like a classic large-diaphragm response,
combining warmth and presence, and this is borne out by
its sound, as we shall see. There’s no pad switch, but as the
spec quotes a maximum SPL of almost 135dB there should
be no need for one. There’s also no high-pass filter on any
of the models. The preamplifier circuitry is discrete Class
A, and its output is on a recessed gold-plated XLR.
Classical Shoot-Out
Everything about the Black Hole cries out to have it
put in front of a singer. I used it on a quartet of classical
voices, putting it in a shoot-out with a 414; on the first
voice, the soprano, we were immediately happy with
the Black Hole. It can’t be said to be completely neutral,
as there’s a subtle but undeniable presence boost, but
it’s not enough to get strident, and provides a useful
amount of flattery. The top end is nicely under control
and the lower parts of the spectrum are smooth and
full. This should make it work well on violin, and indeed
it does – I used it for some unaccompanied Bach, which
exposes the microphone mercilessly, and it performed
extremely well, giving a detailed but never harsh sound.
Later I had a folk duo in the studio featuring a melodeon,
JZ BLACK HOLE
Multi-Pattern Studio Microphone
THE REVIEWER
Since doing the Surrey (UK)
Tonmeister course, DAVE FOISTER
has produced, engineered, and
played on innumerable recordings
in the classical, commercial, folk,
jazz, and TV music areas, as well as
live sound operation. He currently
manages the Guildhall School
of Music and Drama recording
department, and spends spare
time watching racing cars and
wishing he was driving them.
Not Just For Effect
The big rectangular hole may be primarily for visual
effect, but it is put to good use by being the means
by which the Black Hole’s stand mount is attached.
Protruding pins top and bottom of the cut-out engage
with arms mounted resiliently on a bar which is in
turn attached to a stand-mounting swivel, giving the
appearance of a vertical abacus; this provides a degree
of shock resistance and also allows the microphone
to be swivelled sideways without moving the stand
or unscrewing anything. The down side is that it’s not
securely locked off as a result, but it’s a reasonably firm
mount. The one I got needed attention with a screwdriver
to tighten up the main stand-mount swivel.
For more elaborate mounting, JZ now does a dedicated
combined shockmount and wind shield assembly, which
complements the unusual styling of the microphone
very well, although I didn’t get to try it. The standard
kit comprises the microphone, the internally-fitting
mount, and a strange key or screwdriver whose function,
in the absence of a manual, remained a mystery until I
found a photo on the JZ website showing it as part of
the stand-mount swivel, so no doubt with that in place
the whole thing should become a bit more rigidly locked.
It all comes in a beautiful wooden box, but you nearly
didn’t get this review as it took two of us to work out
how to open it. There’s no clasp or lock; instead it’s
held shut with an immensely powerful magnet, and
wrenching it open nearly took my fingernails off.
Clearly you’d need to exercise the same caution when
putting this down near tapes and hard drives as you
would with a ribbon microphone.
The only switch on the Black Hole is for selecting its
polar pattern, and is hidden away on the inside surface
of the big cut-out. The usual three – cardioid, omni, and
figure-of-eight – are on offer, and the frequency response
curves printed on the cardboard outer packaging suggest
that there’s very little difference between them in that
respect. Otherwise they show a very promising level
response with a little lift around 10kHz and a smooth
and put the Black Hole on the right-hand melodic end of
the instrument. Any kind of squeeze box can get a little
bit insistent if you’re not careful, but the Black Hole made
it bright and punchy without being annoying. It was also
notable how quiet and uncoloured the off-axis pickup of
the adjacent violin was.
Finally, I had some percussion overdubs to do, with
two guys beating the crap out of a conga and some
strange ethnic drum (life’s never dull in my studio). I put
the Black Hole near the top of the conga, nervous of the
SPL, but it passed the test with flying colours, delivering
all the important transients, plenty of body, and no hint of
distortion. Once again the spill from the other drum was
well-controlled and clean.
This microphone looks like it’s going to be fun right
out of the box, and it is. There’s lots more I’d want to
try it on, because the variety of things it’s done well
for me so far suggest it can handle pretty much anything
and deliver the goods. Further models are eagerly
awaited, and if the prototypes shown on the website
are anything to go by, they’ll make the Black Hole look
positively ordinary. Meanwhile, check out Latvia’s finest
as soon as you can. ∫
....................................
INFORMATION
£ BH-1 - EUR 1690.00, BH-2 - EUR 1299.00,
BH-3 - EUR 1395.00, Shock & pop kit for BH - EUR 245.00
A JZ Microphones, Gaujas Street 30, Marupe,
Latvia, LV-2167
T +371 672 466 48
F +371 672 466 49
W www.jzmic.com
E info@jzmic.com
UK Distributor: Funky Junk
E sales@funky-junk.co.uk
T +44(0)207 281 4478
26
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

New PD Series Location Recorders
Audio acquisition that’s
as versatile as you are.
www.fostex.jp
Fostex Company, 3-2-35 Musashino,
Akishima, Tokyo, Japan 196-0021
Email: info_sales@fostex.jp
Designed from the ground up to excel in ‘real-world’ applications, wherever you
happen to be in the world. The new PD606 (8-track) and PD204 (2-track)
location recorders both offer spectacular audio quality, flexible recording
to 12cm DVD-RAM, hard disc or a combination of both, rock solid timecode
implementation, extended battery life, loads of ‘instant access’ knobs, buttons
and switches plus a whole battery of interface options.
But impressive features are only part of the script. Fostex’s unrivalled pedigree
in designing and manufacturing world class location recorders for over 16 years
and our unique understanding of the broadcast, film, tv and audio acquisition
environments means that these new recorders aren’t just the best PD recorders
ever, they’re simply the best professional location recorders available today.

FINAL CUT DOUBLE BILL!
Hellboy II & Mamma Mia
This month we're spotlighting two blockbusters for the price of one.
Both Mamma Mia and Hellboy II are tipped for the top in this summer's box
office race. From an audio point of view, they both presented their own
unique challenges. For Hellboy it was track count and logistics, so we've
focused on the technical and production support made available by
De Lane Lea, Soho. Mamma Mia, on the other hand, needed musical
performance to be priority number one, and so we've focused on an
alliance of music, production, and post production departments
that brought the necessary results.
34
A U D I O M E D I A S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8

PRESENTED BY:
The Sound of Entertainment
www.dolby.com/professional
At 75 Dean Street , London, audio excellence abounds.
At this address, De Lane Lea – the renowned worldclass,
full-service audio post-production facility in Soho
– is comprised of more than the latest and greatest gear for
blockbuster feature film audio production. Yes, they do have
a tendency to run more synchronised Pro Tools|HD rigs than
almost anyone in the world; and
yes, they welcome back projects
of envied film franchises like
James Bond – Bond 22, Quantum
of Solace will be a highlight of
De Lane Lea’s Fall/Winter 2008
workflow.
Yet the appeal of De Lane
Lea lies in its staff – including
Technical Manager Paul Jarvis
and Mix Technician Doug Cooper
– who recently supported the
final mix and premixing for
Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
De Lane Lea employees are
widely recognised for providing
the best in professional audio
post support through their
dedication to the job, as well
as their deep knowledge of the
technology involved.
Skilled Support
“We have a very strong culture
of support,” offers Cooper as he
reflects on his work alongside
the sound department of
Hellboy II at De Lane Lea.
“We have dedicated people in
the backrooms and assisting in
the studio – always. It means
that there’s a very high level
of skill available if something
goes wrong. The engineering
department here is very strong,
and that’s one of the main
reasons I joined the company
in the first place. We have a
very high level of expertise,
rather than using freelancers
that don’t really know the facility. I hope the clients realise
that because we’re not the cheapest in London. But we are
the most reliable.”
Jarvis, who personally installed De Lane Lea’s first AMS-
Neve DFC console, is responsible for all the maintenance and
technical operators at the facility. “Our standard procedure
is a series of pre-production meetings to establish exactly
the picture format the client will be using, the number of Pro
Tools they will be using, frequencies, frame rates, etc,” explains
Jarvis of the setup for such a major project as Hellboy II.
“Further, where they want the workstations placed in the
mixing room is discussed. Because we’re basically a dry-high
facility, every session is different; it’s all different editing
teams, different mixers and different requirements, basically.
Each session, we have to redesign the studio.”
A Physical, Mental Workout
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, Hellboy II: The Golden Army
is based on the Dark Horse Comics character, Hellboy.
For this sequel, ‘a golden
army’ of 4,900 soldiers, or ‘70
times 70 soldiers’, presents
Hellboy (Ron Perlman)
with a vivid, character-rich
nemesis throughout the
entire film.
Each reel of the film, offers
Cooper, ‘was enormous’ as
well as interesting. “If you
can imagine thousands of
bony creatures with razorsharp
teeth that like to
chew people’s bones, all
flying around the place,
being shot at, and crushed
by statues along with the
main characters of the film,
you’ll have it. Plus, there’s
really detailed cutting.
Editorially and mixingwise,
this ‘tooth fairy’ scene
was one of the biggest
scenes. But, every reel
has a massive scene in it.
Of course, there’s the golden
army at the end of the film
where there’s 700 to 1,000
giant golden robots that
attack Hellboy and his crew.
It was an incredibly detailed
track. They wanted to get as
much intricacy as possible.
When you look at the film,
it’s amazing; they wanted
to have that same effect
with the sound. It’s just
super detailed.”
Accord i n g to J a r v i s,
the Hellboy II gig could be
defined as “a physical workout – yes, they shook the dust off
the subwoofers,” he says. “The film is quite loud; they had the
whole building rattling.”
Near the final stretch, Hellboy II also offered challenges
in time. “Towards the end, they were working 12 to 14-hour
days. We had rotating shifts in the back room. The release date
was set in stone, as the premiere date was something like 10
days or a week after we finished mixing. It was a bit stressful.”
This is where being at De Lane Lea was a good move for
the Hellboy II audio staff; the track count and demands were
high – possibly an industry record high – and nothing less
than smooth sailing would suffice. “We were configuring
14 Pro Tools systems,” explains Jarvis. “One machine was for
HELLBOY II:
THE GOLDEN ARMY
The staff of De Lane Lea
configured 14 Pro Tools|HD
rigs for the final mix of
Hellboy II: The Golden Army,
and lived to regale on
the subject. STROTHER
BULLINS reports.
>
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008 29

recording and 13 were there for playback; it was
the biggest configuration that we’ve ever had
and possibly one of the biggest on the planet.
The necessity came from the vast number of
tracks they had.”
Pro Tools|HD and Merging Technologies’
Pyramix V-Cube were employed by the audio
staff, side by side. “Three years ago, I don’t think
we would’ve been able to do this,” tells Jarvis.
“At the time, Pro Tools systems weren’t stable
enough in terms of playing back large amounts
of tracks. We got more of the possibility of up to
500 paths with the console… and we could’ve
used more, really. Now, we just have the ability to
chain Pro Tools systems and throw them in, one
on top of the other.”
The consoles – AMS-Neve DFC Gemini, used
in Studio 1 and Studio 3 as main mix room and
effect premixes, respectively – needed to be in
tip-top condition, and the Pro Tools installation
needed very stable clocking and synchronisation.
“We have Soundmaster synchronisation that
looks after most of it, which does a very good
job,” says Jarvis. “The Soundmaster ION system is
very stable, very reliable.”
“As tracks were laid up, they would be premix
dubbed in 3 and then printed downstairs in 1 for
the final,” explains Cooper of the dual studio process.
“The final mix took three weeks, but I actually
spent at least 80-90 hours a week here for
those three. There were a lot of man-hours that
went into it by that point. I think they could’ve
even spent more time, but that’s the same for any
film. You always spend at least as much time as
you have available to you for the mix.”
The Hellboy II project was also the first time
that De Lane Lea used a KVM-based system, a
device to control multiple computers from a single
keyboard. “It allowed us to collect any one
of the playback machines from any one of the
workstations in the main theatre,” Jarvis explains.
“We just put in a brand new, very simple, system.
It allows you to handle two DVI screens, in
one USB port and an audio pair, by one system.
It’s KVM over IP, so you can manage switching.”
Director – Guillermo del Toro
Technical Manager – Paul Jarvis
Sound Mix Technicians –
Doug Cooper, Markus Moll
Supervising Sound Editors –
Scott Martin Gershin, Martín Hernández
Sound Re-Recording Mixers –
Michael Keller, Mike Prestwood Smith,
Mike Prestwood Smith
Supervising Dialogue & ADR Editor –
Tom Bellfort
Sound Effects Supervisor – Markus Moll
Foley Editor – Christopher Wilson
On Staff, On Call
For Hellboy II, Cooper was ultimately the man on
call. The challenge of this particular job mainly
resided in its aural scope and material at mix time.
“It was the sheer amount of what was to be done
and the time constraints of trying to achieve
it,” Cooper offers. “The film is very busy; there’s
loads going on in every reel. It was a challenge in
trying to get all the material that was laid up for
the sequences presented within that frame… but
probably more so for the mixers and the editorial
staff than for us.”
As a staff mix technician, Cooper configures
the AMS-Neve DFC for De Lane Lea clients
who utilise his skills. “For each film, there is a
different configuration on the DFC, as the music,
dialogue, effects, background, Foley, reverbs, and
so on, are all different. Really, the DFC is just a
console completely tailor-made for a particular film.
Once that’s all done, my job is just to manage
the automation through pre-mixing and the
final mix stages.”
Working With The Gear
To Cooper, the attributes of the DFC lie in its
limitless functionality, which served Hellboy II
well. “You can tailor it for how the film is laid out,”
he says. “Some may criticise the DFC because,
effectively, you must build the console from
scratch each time you use it. For my concern,
that’s good; you may need a different processing
layout from another guy, and it’s achievable very
easily with the DFC. It can be achieved with other
consoles but not as easily. From an operational
point of view, I think it feels great to use.”
Meanwhile, the film’s final stage mixers
also had Digidesign D-Commands on stage at
the same time. Other notable gear included
Euphonix Artist Series MC Mix controllers for
backgrounds, two Lexicon 960L units and one TC
Electronic Series 6000 for reverbs, and dbx 120A
subwoofer synthesisers. “Because they were so
large, some of the sessions were pre-mixed virtually
within Pro Tools,” explains Cooper. “They needed
to have control of both sessions externally to the
DFC as well.”
Flexible Foley
All of the Foley for characters Abe (Abraham
‘Abe’ Sapien) and (Johann) Krauss were mixed
virtually, offers Cooper. “Krauss’ gas suit is filled
with moving parts and is very involved as far
as sound design. The mixers didn’t feel that it
would be a good idea to tie stuff together into
hard pre-mixes. They just wanted to keep all their
options open until the final, when the Director
was in, so they could get to everything easily.
It was something like 130 tracks of Foley between
those characters as well. If there’s a rotating metal
part of Krauss’ voice box that required a level of
adjustment at any point, keeping flexibility was
a good idea.”
Professionals Work ing For
Professionals
While the gear and track count of Hellboy II may
have been record-setting, the pace was nothing
but professional: “The way [our clients] use their
equipment is very static; they’re generally all very
professional people and know the limitations of
the equipment. Things go wrong, and we have to
provide a solution as quickly as possible.”
And it certainly doesn’t hurt that Jarvis and
company are intimately aware of their gear.
“We generally do everything ourselves,” proudly
offers Jarvis of his firm’s gear maintenance skills.
“Before I was here, I worked at AMS-Neve for
about seven years, so I’m very familiar with the
consoles. I’ve been a regular visitor to De Lane
Lea since then.” ∫
Report – Strother Bullins
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

STEPHEN BENNETT offers up
a big thank you for the music
to Mamma Mia’s sound guys,
Simon Hayes and Tony Lewis,
and finds out how they took
the musical script from stage
Director – Phyllida Lloyd
Production Sound Mixer –
Simon Hayes
Supervising Music Editor –
Tony Lewis
Supervising Sound Editor –
Nick Adams
Supervising Foley Editor –
Alex Joseph
Supervising ADR & Dialogue
Mixer – Tim Hands
Report – Stephen Bennett
to silver screen.
It’s all Ben Elton’s fault. While you could apply this statement
to many things in life, the reason I mention the former
ranting comedian is because he was the man behind the
first London-based show to take the simple idea of marrying
a brace of classic well known songs alongside an original plot.
The idea is such a simple one and was bound to generate sure
fire hits, it makes you wonder why no-one had thought of it
before. The runaway success of We Will Rock You, featuring
the songs of Queen, has been followed by a string of hit
shows in a similar vein – the latest of which features the
music of, arguably, the world’s most famous band, ABBA.
Mamma Mia has made the transition from stage to silver
screen with the help of Production Sound Mixer, Simon Hayes,
and Music Editor, Tony Lewis. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd and
starring Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, and Pierce
Brosnan, it’s the story of a bride-to-be searching for her real
father and features ABBA’s memorable songs alongside the
more traditional dramatic narrative.
“All of the songs were re-recorded for the movie,” says
Lewis “and Benny Andersson used pretty much the original
ABBA backing band at Monovision Studios in Stockholm”.
Unusually for this type of
project, the album was still
being mixed while the the
post production team were
working on the film. “Benny was getting the stereo and 5:1
mixes sorted, so the first couple of months they got on with
creating the soundtrack album and we got on with the film,”
says Lewis. “Then our two worlds started to combine and we
began to conform what they had produced and to lip sync
these recordings.”
Post On Location
Another unusual element of the production was that
the post production music crew were on set during the
shooting of the movie. “My role was looking after lip sync
and the associated technicalities involved, and I worked
closely with Simon Hayes to obtain exactly what was
required from a post production viewpoint,” says Lewis.
Martin Lowe, the Musical Director of the original West End
stage show was the primary contact with the talent, and it
was he who coached Streep and the other cast members to
refine their performances as they lip synced, or performed
live, their particular ABBA track. “I sat with the Director and
her crew and was able to comment when I felt the lip sync
was questionable and perhaps suggest a retake,” says Lewis,
“I obviously have more experience of what can and cannot
be fixed in post than most of the others working on the
set – especially those who don’t work in post!” he laughs.
Lewis was on site to argue the case when he felt that a
particular take didn’t look convincing. “You need to bear
in mind we had a massive crew and various weather issues
out in Greece, so we had to carefully choose our moments
when we asked for another take,” he says. “We still had a
couple of issues back in the studio, but I strongly believe
that because we were involved from the outset that we had
less problems in post.”
Lewis then had to contend with the ongoing saga of
getting the actors to look as if they were actually performing
the songs live and the not inconsiderable challenge of
MAMMA MIA
cutting these famous songs together alongside the picture.
“One of the difficult things we found in post was that we had
tunes such as Dancing Queen and Super Trouper, all of which
are strict 4/4 time yet which we had to fit alongside an ever
malleable picture. Of course Benny and Björn are very proud
of their ABBA heritage and wanted to be involved at every
level – so basically we found that if we wanted to do anything
we had to call them first!”, says Lewis. As he is usually based
very much in post production in the studio, being able to
persuade the producers to have them on board from the off
meant that the task of sitting in a cutting room in front of Pro
Tools all day and sorting out problems was greatly simplified.
“It was a brilliant opportunity to be involved in the initial
creation process so we could attempt to sort out problems
before they arose,” says Lewis, “Obviously things do happen
as people change their creative minds and other problems
occur, but it was great to see the fantastic talent of Streep
and her supporting cast in action – it was a once in a lifetime
opportunity for me.”
The film’s most famous star turned out to be very adept
at facing the challenges of performing in a musical, as Lewis
explains. “Streep loves
ADR,” he laughs. “She is one
of those actors who can
see exactly what it’s for and
understands what it can do for her performance – she doesn’t
make a meal out of it and just gets on with it rather than, as
some others do, go on about why the sound person hasn’t
done their job properly.” The film required a lot of vocal rerecording
partly to make sure the performance and lip- sync
were just right, but also to make sure the movie retained a
somewhat live feel. “The Director had a vision that the singing
should have an ‘essential liveness’,” says Lewis, “If you see the
film it’s quite raw, but has this amazing life – everyone looks
like they are enjoying themselves tremendously.” There was a
lot of re-recording of both lead and crowd vocals and the film
had backing vocals in all the locations of the shoot – again to
maintain this live feel.
Performance Capture
Hayes’ task was also complicated by the Director’s unusual
requirements, “Phyllida explained that she wanted the film
to actually appear as if the actors were singing live and
asked me if this were achievable – to which I of course
replied yes!”, he explains. “So if an actor is performing some
physical task, we wanted to incorporate this into their
performance.“ The singing was recorded live alongside
the backing tracks using Sennheiser and Schoeps boom
microphones and, more importantly from Hayes’ viewpoint,
DPA tie-clip lavaliers. “The ABBA guys had suggested we
use DPAs as they found from their experiences with the
Swedish stage show, they cut better alongside pre recorded
tracks,” says Hayes. “Luckily, we were already using DPAs
and found them more useful than the boom microphones
– which had to often be placed quite far away from the
action due to the multi-camera nature of the shoot.”
Clothes rustle, which can be a major problem in movies
with stark backgrounds, wasn’t considered too much of a
problem in this film, “When you have Meryl Streep climbing
up the side of a goat shed and singing, you’re bound to
32
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

have a bit of clothes rustle!”, laughs Hayes. The live
and/or the pre-recorded tracks were then used
wherever they were considered the best choice
to achieve the Director’s goal of preventing the
audience from jolting out of the fantasy world
the film attempts to create.
Lewis says that Hayes was essential to them
achieving their results in post. “Simon recorded
everything,” says Lewis. “He had radio mics on each
performer and captured practically everything that
was done.” Having these recordings enabled Lewis
to compare the actual performances of the actors
to those recorded on the soundtrack so they could
get an actor back in to re-record if they felt that the
projection was wrong. “Simon was brilliant and his
team were such an asset in post,” says Lewis, “We sat
him down and said ‘this is what we want to achieve
– so how do we do that’ Simon and his team
basically moved heaven and earth to make things
possible for us. For example, they organised the
shifting of some huge generators by 200 metres,
which involved lots of people and a massive
crane all working over the bank holiday weekend.”
To achieve this mammoth task of recording the
singers live as much as was possible, Hayes decided
not to use a ‘thumper track’, a low frequency beat to
give the performers a cue and which can be EQ’ed
out, but rather to equip Pinewood’s huge 007
soundstage and location shoots with induction
loops. “We went directly to the companies that
produce these for theatres and cinemas, and
had the performers wear ‘earwigs’, which are tiny
hearing aids for monitoring,” he says.
In The Studio
The final touches of the 5:1 mix were done in
Stockholm and a large number of stems were
taken to New York for completion. “We had pretty
much the multi-tracks running alongside the
film – it was essentially musical Foley,” says Lewis.
The mixes were done at Studio L in New York’s
Sound 1 alongside Michael Barry and Dominick
Tavella. “Benny was still there and still involved,
tweaking the mixes into the dub live,” says Lewis.
“It took us three weeks working with respected
Sound Designer Nick Adams, and his team again
helped maintain the live feel of the production
as they generated a lot of Foley. We wanted to
avoid that situation where you come to a song in
a musical and all of the sound dies bar the music
itself – which usually just gives the impression
that the only thing the Sound Designer has done
is press ‘play’!” The audio team worked extensively
with Digidesign hardware and software – as Lewis
explains. “Benny was writing and pre-producing
the score on one of those little USB MBOX micros,
and we played back on the set using the MBOX
2 and 003 backup rig. We had a pair of HD2s in
the cutting room during post each with a with
a Control 24, and in New York we had a another
pair of HD3s, one of which was hooked up to a D
Command – so it was pretty much all Digidesign
all the way.”
Michael Barry used a lot of real time use of
>
DPA 4017/4080 JP AudioMedia.indd 1 27/08/08 15:04:42
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008
33

plug-ins for the mix, as Lewis explains. “As we
were essentially running the stems live we had a
lot of plug-ins running live too. We also had some
hardware inserts connected up including a Lexicon
480.” However, the team encountered a few latency
problems with some of the plug -ins – notably
with Clemony’s Melodyne. “We used it a lot to tune
vocals,” says Lewis, “but the PDC (Plug-in Delay
Compensation) worked beautifully in most cases.
It was a very educational experience for me, as I
had to throw away some of my preconceptions,”
he continues. “I was used to having mixes and dubs
all pre- rendered and fixed into 5:1 surround – so
this was very different! I was faced with 120 to 140
tracks all running live into a dub, all with automation
and plug-ins – we had to be completely flexible for
Benny and Björn, which is something they quite
rightly expected from our team. I think that this was
a bigger deal for them than the old ABBA The Movie,
and they felt that it was only going to really come
together at the final dub – and I take my hat off to
them for realising that was the case. It was a lot of
work, but it paid off in the end.” ∫
Perfect for amplifying a vintage ribbon mic, modern condenser, or a plugged-in acoustic guitar, our new m101 mic
preamplifier delivers the kind of high fidelity performance previously only available to the upper class. Now consider
the many cool new features and enhanced performance for the same price as the original, and the picture becomes
pretty clear – the m101 is one revolutionary little piece of pro audio gear. For the masses.
The Revolution Continues.
WWW.GRACEDESIGN.COM
34 AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

• Master Classes
• Training Sessions
• Tutorials
• Live Sound Seminars
• Broadcast Events
• Exhibits
• Platinum Panels
• Special Events
• Historical Events
• Tours
• Exhibitor Seminars
• Technical Papers
• Educational Events
• Workshops
www.AESshow.com
125 th AES CONVENTION
MAKE THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS
Conference: October 2-5, 2008
Exhibits: October 3-5, 2008
Moscone Center
San Francisco, CA
PHOTO PHILLIP ANGERT

WATERLOO
Location Foley With Alex Joseph
Alex Joseph, Foley Editor of note, is well known for his enthusiastic
embrace of adventurous Foley recording, and Mamma Mia had some very
specific requirements – mostly water-based. Here, Alex shares a few
adventures from the high (and low) seas...
No Bombing
There are a lot of splashes and water in this film, and Nick [Nick Adams,
Sound Supervisor], Alistair [Alistair Sirkett, Sound Designer], and I
decided that the library ones didn’t really cut it (I do record Foley ones,
but it’s difficult to get impacts in a tank as the water hits the sides too
quickly)…You need the real thing or close – unless you cheat it with
another sound.
We hired out a local pool for the afternoon, and with various mics
recorded lots of water noises. The DPA miniatures came in extremely
useful, as we could place them (to get a stereo pair) right on the sides of
the pool. The recording proved to be useful in combination with other
mics, in giving the splashes a bit of punch.
Sonic Boom
Another location recording we undertook was a yacht recording. To do
this we went to Ocean Village in Southampton, as I have a friend there
(Peter Dansie) who owns a 30ft yacht (similar to the one in the film).
The reason we wanted to record the yacht was that there are very few
good library tracks of yachts, and certainly not specific to this film.
Also, any boat recordings from location wouldn’t have been much help,
as the brief there was to get the dialogue right, not the fx and ambience.
In order to get a close matching sound we had to sail out into the Solent,
to get away from traffic and so on.
The way we miked the yacht was a bit of an experiment. I enlisted the
help of friends and colleagues, Martin Cantwell, Neel Dhorajawla, and
Walter Samuel from Sound Network. We wanted to try a multi-miking sync
recording, from various perspectives. I wasn’t really going for the 5.1 thing
but I wanted to get control of different aspects of the yacht’s sounds.
We did several passes of recordings. On the first pass, I had Martin
on the boat interior doing a quad recording of that. Then I was upstairs
on deck helped by Walter and
Neel. We strapped a DPA 4062 on
the stern of the yacht near the
exhaust, but high enough not
to get wet, and we also twinboomed
the bow of the boat, one
with a DPA 4017, and one with
a Sennheiser MK60 (call this the
unnamed mic), I also stuck a side
mic on a boom (to record MS for a
general stereo and mono).
We recorded the boat with
engine on first, then got Captain
Peter Dansie to do various sailing
manoeuvres, so we could get
different types of sound: choppy
>
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

water, calm water strong wind, light wind,
and so on.
The results were great. If you’re on the boat,
physically experiencing it without recording it,
there are a lot of sounds going on at once, and
it is quite hard to decipher what you’re
hearing…it sounds a little bit like white noise…
The recording was different though. We were
able to pinpoint different aspects of the boat’s
sounds with different mics. So the two bow mics
would pick up the bow wash, while the MS set-up
would pick up a stereo image of the middle of the
boat, and the DPA on the exhaust would pick up
the wash going behind.
When it got choppy the bow wash sounds were
fantastic, and I nearly fell in twice – managed to
dip the tip of both booms in the water at various
points. Even when the wind is relatively calm, it
can still get pretty hairy on yachts.
Take 2
On the second pass, one of the three mics pointed
at the sail, with Martin still downstairs… The sail
flapping was excellent. As were the halyards, and all
the various mechanisms (winch, etc) in action.
Before the third pass we went back to the
harbour and recorded a lot of static sounds (boat
moored) creaking gently on calm water, harbour
atmos, static manoeuvres (raising the gib sail),
fenders knocking, interior fx and atmosses, and
even a multi-miked recording of me running
on the jetty trying to emulate Meryl Streep (it’s
strange what you do when Abba are involved).
That was miked up with a 4062 on the jetty, for
Calrec Audio Media Ads 28/8/08 12:28 Page 2
weight, and then twin-boomed from each end of
the jetty using the 4017 and Sennheiser. It was a
great recording, until I fell over.
On the third pass, we adopted
a different array to see what
sort of results it would bring. This time
we felt we had enough interior recording
and bought Martin up on deck. We kept
a 4062 on the exhaust, and strapped
a combo of mid and high (4060, 4061)
sensitivity mics on the mast of the yacht
– I figured if one went down for whatever
reason, then the other would be just as valid.
Martin then put a 4060 on the bow itself (very
brave as it could so easily get wet), and then
also the 4017 once again pointing at the bow,
but also out to sea, and the other two mics on
the sails. We got some excellent results again,
but the bow microphone got wet. Luckily it had
dried out by the time we finished the
recording, so no harm done, and the mic is
working fine. ∫
WHATEVER THE ACTION
CALREC AUDIO MAKES THE NEWS
calrec.com
There are no second chances in live broadcast. That’s why demanding broadcasters in Europe,
Asia and across the USA choose Calrec consoles for national and international news applications.
Whatever the story, we are making the headlines. From the smallest regional news stations to the largest,
multi-control room, national news centres, demanding producers know they can rely on Calrec to deliver
hard-hitting, must-watch news content.
Our consoles are renowned for automatic redundancy and incredibly intuitive control surfaces – all you need
to get you on the air fast, and keep you on the air.
If that sounds like good news to you, get the full story at calrec.com
Putting Sound in the Picture

CHANDLER LIMITED TG1
Abbey Road/EMI Series Limiter/Compressor
This recreation of the classic
and rare EMI TG12413 is a
sturdily built, incredibly
flexible limiter/compressor
with unique ‘rack appeal’.
ROB TAVAGLIONE takes a look.
ironically, our modern digital production environment has
made most things retro and analogue very desirable
again. This trend can be easily recognised in the line of
classically-inspired products from American manufacturer
Chandler Limited.
A case in point is the TG1, a limiter/compressor
emulating the EMI TG12413 Limiter that was so abundantly
used at Abbey Road Studios, built into EMI consoles, and
heard on countless records by the Beatles, the Rolling
Stones, Pink Floyd, and others. The original TG12413 was
actually made to replicate the sound of the Fairchild
660/670 with its ability to warmly colour the sound and
propensity for ‘pumping’. It’s a worthy heritage and these
are lofty goals, indeed; does the Chandler TG1 really claim
such hallowed ground
Features
According to Chandler, the stereo/dual mono TG1 “has
THE REVIEWER been remade from the original design information and
ROB TAVAGLIONE is owner circuit board drawings as provided by Abbey Road
DK_MSD100C_Audio o f C a t a l y s t R e c o r dMedia i n g i n Qtr:Layout and EMI to ensure 1 6/2/08 extreme authenticity”. 16:26 Page This 1EMI/Abbey
Road Series product is built with a solid steel industrial
chassis, and nothing but top-notch components both
inside and out. This includes all discrete circuitry,
transformers on both input and output, and a diode
network for gain reduction. Such diode networks create
a smooth, pleasing distortion (i.e., many older Valley
People products). This design was selected to emulate
the prevalent Fairchild 660s and 670s of the day with
transparency at conservative levels and a certain ‘squishy’
quality at more extreme settings.
The TG1’s look is classic with a pair of unique, kidneyshaped
VU meters for gain reduction and colourful
‘chicken head’ knobs on a 2U chassis. The rear panel sports
nothing but a pair of XLRs for I/O and an XLR4 jack to
connect the TG1’s PSU-1 power supply. Each PSU-1 can
power two Chandler units (convenient if you should you
get hooked and end up buying a second unit). The front
panel contains the two meters, a power switch, a stereo
or dual-mono selector, two THD/Limiter switches, two
bypass switches, two input knobs, two stepped output
knobs, and two six-position release knobs.
The TG1 also offers a unique feature beyond its gain
reduction ‘raison d’etre’ – a mode called THD. In this
Charlotte, USA. >
“Solutions in Audio & Video”
Features
• Economical,
dedicated loudness meter
• AES3 & Stereo Analogue Inputs
• Meets Loudness Standard ITU BS1770 & 1771
• Software upgrade also available for MSD600m++
including graphical display and PC interface.
Email: info@dk-technologies.com • Web: www.dk-technologies.com • Tel: +45 4485 0255 • Fax: +45 4485 0250
DK-Technologies A/S, Marielundvej 37D, Herlev DK-2730, Denmark.
40
audio media september 2008

Chandler | tg1
>
mode, signals run through all the TG1’s circuitry
except the threshold of the compressor/limiter,
imparting anything from a subtle hi-fi sheen
(à la the transformers) to a maximum of 2%
distortion (reportedly double that of analogue
tape) by driving the input hard.
In Use
With a hopping schedule and no time to waste,
I had to jump right in with the TG1 on a critical
tracking date, applying it to my stereo drum
overheads (using a Sennheiser MKH 8040 pair,
ORTF configuration, and Earthworks 1024 mic
preamps with thick Monster cables) directly to
my multi-track. This gorgeous signal path picked
up ridiculous amounts of drum detail and realism,
but the TG1 proved to be the ‘colour’ of the rig.
I was hoping for just a little grit and saturation,
so I hit the front end hard, selected the
limiter, and got about 9dB of gain reduction.
However, the release was pumping too much so I
slowed it, but the slowest release setting reduced
some of the colour and excitement factor.
I backed off on the input a touch and settled
on a release of four; that got me some pleasant
aggressiveness without audible pumping.
I also tried a number of parallel processing
tasks with the TG1 using the subgroup inserts
of my Soundcraft Ghost mixer, with mostly
great results. A stereo subgroup of drums
was subtly enhanced with the TG1 set for THD
– bypassing the working parts, but gaining a
little extra presence that could be helpful. Set on
compression, the TG1 could simply do no wrong
no matter how I set it up; whether hitting it hard
with a slower release for rock ‘n’ roll aggression,
or lightly tapping the front end and allowing a
faster release, this is simply a dream compressor
for drums and vocals. Set up as a limiter, I had
much less pleasing results, too much of that
trademark pumping was easily achieved; you’d
have to watch input and release to get usable
limiter settings. Don’t get me wrong, I found a
wealth of sounds here, too, but I’m just pointing
out that care is required.
Bass guitar and synths are massaged by the
TG1 in ways that are so good they’re almost
sexual. I tried every setting the TG1 can do with
bass guitar, and I found merit with nearly all of
them. Whether compressing or limiting – dirtily
with fast releases or cleanly with slower ones –
this box screams ‘bass guitar’. This much flexibility
in dynamic and tonal shaping is a mixer’s delight;
just be prepared to tweak around for a while as
you’ll probably enjoy the myriad of combinations
she can grant the curious.
The TG1 can do some very nice guitar things in
this parallel manner as well. I found myself using
it gently as a compressor with moderate release
as a nice glue that held my guitars together
without tearing at their delicate balance. Already
distorted guitars will prefer compressor settings
over limiter ones, but either way the TG1 never
got muddy like some
compressors do on
guitar tracks.
Inserted on your
mix, the keyword for
the TG1 is caution.
Although subtler
settings are easily
achieved, be careful
to avoid hitting the front end too hard or allowing
too quick a release. If you are looking for some
bite or edge, just watch the relationship between
input and release times; their interactive nature
will allow success to the patient.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt about it: the TG1 is the real deal,
and is flexible enough to accomplish most of all
dynamic control tasks. Fact is, every studio needs
one, but the list price will be a barrier for many
users. The TG1 may be expensive, but it sounds
expensive – much like the aforementioned
Fairchild 660/670, but at a fraction of the price
– whether lending your mixes subtle sheen,
some aggressive rock ‘n’ roll grit, or pumping
your overheads in a way that would make Ringo
long for the throne again. In the age of digital
production, it’s nice to have such a ‘retro’ piece
that’s not virtual, not looking at obsolescence,
and permanently desirable. ∫
....................................
£ US$4,080.00 (list price)
INFORMATION
A Chandler Limited, PO Box 38, Shell Rock,
Iowa 50670
T +1 319 885 4200
W www.chandlerlimited.com
A UK Distributor: Unity Audio, The Elms Barn,
Orpheusrock122x173.qxd 28/05/2008 10:15 Baythorne AM End, Page Halstead, 1 Essex CO9 4AB
T +44 (0) 1440 785843
prismsoundrecording
With unbeatable sound quality, state-of-the-art
clock technology, low-latency, flexible monitoring
for control room or foldback...
...Orpheus by Prism Sound is the
professional’s choice.
Orpheus - the ultimate professional
FireWire audio interface by Prism Sound
THE ULTIMATE PERFORMER
+44 1223 424988
+1 973 983 9577
Contact us now to arrange your demo
www.prismsound.com/orpheus
Email: sales@prismsound.com
audio media september 2008 41

Unit Of Change
UNIT POST PRODUCTION
PAUL MAC investigates claims of
Apple overload in Soho, London, at
a post facility that has dared to be
different, and succeeded.
The pace of change is accelerating in every aspect
of our technological lives, and the content creation
business is no exception. Stalwarts go to bed and
then wake to find they’re suddenly ragwort. Thus the
search for the next best business model is relentless, and
most recently the trend has been to agility – growing where
there is need and demand, but not risking outlandish
capital or the soul of the business on a foundation that
can’t be dug up when something else is needed.
UNIT has grown up (on several levels) amidst this
context, and is now reaping the rewards of foresight,
timing, and a very realistic view of the content market.
You could call it ‘client compliant’.
Audio is certainly a beneficiary of UNIT’s success, but
it wasn’t the catalyst. That could easily be summed up in
two words: Final Cut. From the outset, UNIT was designed
as an Apple-only video post production facility – and that
doesn’t just refer to hardware. Apple’s large and impressive
suite of professional video tools, for which Final Cut is on
point, was chosen as the mainstay of UNIT’s technology
stock at a time when the skeptics were still roaming
the streets of Soho in herds. Now, of course, it’s a
very different story.
Luke Colson, Facility Director at UNIT, explained the
beginnings of UNIT: “We started from scratch two years
ago with an all-Apple workflow. We were six edit suites.”
A six-month make-or-break period then followed:
“I think the turning point was perhaps a year and a half
ago. Whether it was a decent display by Apple at NAB,
or whether it was the fact that we had stayed alive after
everybody said, ‘a few people have tried and failed’,
for six months with our then eight suites,
and we were absolutely choc-a-bloc and
overflowing. That then led us to acquire a
second building and expand,” (including
more serious consideration of audio).
“From the beginning of this year, literally
since we got back after the Christmas break,
I noticed an even more remarkable change in
that clients, or potential clients, bigger than
we could have ever hoped at this stage, were
calling me. I was making fewer outbound
calls, and dealing with many more inbound
enquiries. We were going head to head with
some of the biggest facilities in the country, and better
still, were winning work off them for the whole package…
That’s not because we’ve been able to offer it at half price
– we’ve basically been able to slightly beat what they were
paying… Our rates are reassuringly competitive.”
...And Growing
According to Colson, the growth has taken a more
recent turn, with a significant increase in the number of
prestige clients turning to the UNIT way. I asked where
the main growth has been. “I would say that since the
beginning of this year, the commercials, the agencies,
and the commercial production companies,” says Colson.
“It’s almost like somebody’s gone around with their little
wand at Christmas and said, ‘Final Cut for 2008’.
“But also naturally progressing down the route of
Final Cut are the big-wig terrestrial and satellite channels,
and whatever production companies come with them,
whether it be ITV, National Geographic, Discovery Channel,
BBC – we do stuff for ITV2 as well. It seems that all of
those guys are now more au fait with Final Cut and Apple
workflow. They’re more au fait with the Final Cut route of
delivering an HD master than they are with an Avid way
of delivering an HD master.”
In parallel, though to be fair not quite in step, was the
road to audio services. Initially, says Colson, UNIT hired in
Pro Tools as and when it was needed and relied on an old
voiceover booth bought on eBay. As the calibre of clients
went up, UNIT became ‘wholly embarrassed’ by its audio
offering and as an act of admission, hid it.
But then Colson, with a background dominated by the
audio side, brought in Kim Storey, an audio post operative
originally from Canada, and gave him the enviable task of
building his own audio suite. It turned out to be a nice big
Digidesign Pro Tools HD system with D-Command and
PMC monitoring – all connected to the studio’s racks of
shared storage. Admittedly, Pro Tools is definitely not in
keeping with the all-Apple policy, but it is in tune.
“We did some quite extensive interviewing for
the role,” explains Colson, “Because we wanted
somebody to manage the facility as a separate entity
– to build up clientele for just the audio side, as well as
it being here for all our picture post, commercial, and
documentary clients.
>
42
A U D I O M E D I A S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8

With genuine dual drive recording, the feature-packed new HHB CDR-882
DualBurn delivers twice the performance in the most demanding live and studio CD
record/replay applications. And unlike consumer-derived technology, the CDR-882 is designed
from the ground up with a massive steel chassis, robust IDE CD-R drives and audiophile circuitry
to ensure uncompromised sound quality and long-term dependability.
• DiscSpan seamless recording across 2 or more discs
• DualBurn simultaneous recording on 2 discs
• High speed disc duplication
• Industrial strength design and build quality
• Professional cueing and seamless track increments
CDR-882 DualBurn: The ultimate CD recorder
Find out more at www.hhb.co.uk
HHB Communications Ltd T: +44 (0)20 8962 5000 E: sales@hhb.co.uk
In the USA and Latin America: Sennheiser Electronic Corporation T: 860 434 9190 E: HHBSales@sennheiserusa.com
In Canada: HHB Communications Canada Ltd T: 416 867 9000 E: sales@hhbcanada.com

“Kim probably works the hardest out of
anybody. The visual effects department are
in-house ops, but there are six of them. On the
editing side of things we’ve got 17 suites manned
by six in-house editors and the freelancers who
come and go as they please. For anything that’s
track and pre-lay, Kim has to find the staff for it.
Anything beyond that – all the full dubbing and
mixing and voiceover recording and so on – he
takes care of it. Some weeks we’re running to about
90 percent, which is just insane. But that means Kim
is running to 100% pretty much all the time.”
So not only does Storey manage the audio
workload at UNIT, he is also the Recordist and
Editor on most projects that come through
UNIT. That sounds like a big task, and it is, but
Storey has a sunny outlook: “A lot of people
that are my age are stuck doing just ADR, or
just editing dialogue, or just sound design.
I get to do everything from the ground up, so
it’s pretty great.”
And it is in-line with the rest of the business
– make something pay and only then make it
bigger – but stay agile. “I think there’s an older
business model out there that’s kind of had its
time,” continues Colson. “There’s a new breed of
engineer or audio professional out there, more
used to doing everything themselves, and used to
a more digital environment where they can keep
up with the workflow.
Colson: “It’s the facilities that have a Foley room,
and a track lay room, and a drama room, and a
commercials rooms, and there’s one guy manning
each of those. If they’re busy because they’re the
flavour of the month with a commercials client,
the documentary guy says, ‘I don’t know how to
mix a commercial’.
“And when the documentary dude’s sitting
around twiddling his thumbs, smoking cigarettes
out of the window, and wondering what he’s going
to do with his enormous pay packet at the end of
the month, then the post facility right there and
then is in all sorts of trouble.”
So now the audio at UNIT has caught up and
is attracting its very own clients… Ones that have
come just to do audio. And Colson is already
looking forward to the next sound move: “A bigger
room would be better, especially with the more
commercial work that we’re going into. We’re doing
mixes for cinema but, as there is no Dolby license,
there’s something slightly painful about taking a
mix to a certain point and then sending it out to
a man who can finish it off for you.”
UNIT is now the next evolution of the onestop-shop,
which has always created ripples in
the choppy waters of traditional post production
competition. But, more to the point, audio is in, is
thriving, and is valued.
“With both picture and audio now, people are
trusting an all-Apple facility for their finishing,” says
Colson. “Which is crazy compared to the perception
three years ago – that was ‘start on Final Cut, and
then get it into something more solid’. Now it’s ‘start
on Final Cut, and finish on Final Cut’.
‘For flexibility and value for money, Final Cut
is the way forward. If you want somewhere nice,
capable, and organised to do that, then UNIT’s the
place to do it.” ∫
..................................
INFORMATION
W www.unit.tv
THAT APPLE FEELING
Saying, and even being, an ‘all-Apple facility’ is all very
well, but all we’re talking about is a make of computer
and some decent software, aren’t we Well, not exactly.
No-one can have escaped the rise of ‘Apple cool’ over
the past few years, with innovative design, desirable
gadgets, and the fusion of tech, nerd, and creative that
is, according to many, a large part of Apple’s recent
phenomenal success. I wanted to know how much that
has impacted on footfalls at Unit…
Luke Colson: “I think that the majority of new clientele
that we get are young, cool… very much in line with the
Apple Store image. And a lot of them, who are new
to an agency or production company are insisting on
working on Apple. So yes, absolutely, we have benefited
from the rise of the image of Apple as a brand. We have
done everything we can to actually make Unit kind
of coincide with what, say, the Apple store looks like.
That’s not a coincidence. The desks in our edit suites have
been bespoke designed by a company, so they look like
they are attached to the Mac.
“We live in an age where image is absolutely
everything, and we do categorically win clients based
on our image.
“But then, a growing percentage of our business has
come in from repeat business and return clients. So it’s
all very well to get people in the door, and say ‘check out
our facility, it looks like the Apple shop’, but if we were
rubbish, then we wouldn’t have a growing reputation…
It’s down to grass roots – actually getting the job done.
I think that the two aspects coupled together are a pretty
good formula for ongoing success.
www.ultrasone.com
PROPRO
Natural Surround Sound headphones
THE headphone company
Exquisitely faithful sound + Exclusive design + Latest proprietary technologies
meet the most exacting needs of professionals
➤
44 00
A U D I O M E D I A S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8

Anywhere.
Sound Devices introduces the newest portable digital recorder, the 788T.
A powerful eight input, eight-track digital audio recorder designed for
production sound. Building on the success of the proven 7-Series architecture,
the 788T offers greatly expanded input and output connectivity while
continuing the 7-Series heritage of extensive control in a compact package.
T 01992 703058 E info@shuredistribution.co.uk
www.shuredistribution.co.uk
© 2008 Shure Incorporated

SOLID STATE LOGIC MATRIX
Mixing Console
A few months after Audio Media
featured a special preview
of SSL’s mixing console,
SIMON TILLBROOK puts one into
a studio and through its paces.
Over the past few months, I have had a number of
opportunities to use the SSL Duality. The Duality
introduced a few new ideas to workflow, breaking
away from more traditional routing schemes and also
integrating more of the core DAW systems that are at the
heart of many of the facilities we now use.
The Duality is a high-end console product, and there is
nothing wrong with that, of course, but a smaller system
following the same principles for smaller production
rooms or project studio at a more cost effective price
Enter the Matrix.
Matrix System Overview
The SSL Matrix is a 16-channel line mixer utilising the SSL
SuperAnalogue signal path seen on its premier range
of large frame mixing consoles. There are two inputs
per channel, giving a total of 32 simultaneous analogue
inputs along with fully integrated DAW control. The SSL
Matrix follows both the HUI and MCU controller protocols
and so is able to work with the majority of popular DAW
systems in use today.
Up to four DAW systems can be controlled through
the Matrix simultaneously, split between different
control layers without the need for complex switching or
rebooting… very nice indeed.
Midi-controlled automation, Total Recall for the
console, and any loaded SSL XRack equipment, is part of
the SSL Matrix system as standard.
There are four stereo auxiliary returns that can be
assigned to the main mix bus, so this would then allow a
total of 40 simultaneous analogue inputs at mixdown.
A single stereo and four mono auxiliary sends can
be utilised for FX and Cue mixing purposes, and the
SSL SuperCue system for switching between source
and DAW return is fitted for zero latency monitoring
when recording.
There are no microphone inputs or preamps, and no
onboard processing of any kind. This brings us to where
the Matrix takes its name. There are 16 insert points, one
per channel, but rather than being fixed they are floating
insert points. Their patching is controlled through an insert
switching matrix accessed through the supplied software.
You can plug all your analogue output equipment
into the system, then insert it either singly or in a chain to
any channel you wish. More on this accompanying
software control later.
control between the Matrix and your DAW or DAWs.
The USB connection is used as a keyboard emulator
where the Matrix can send customised keyboard control
information to your DAW from a variety of soft keys.
Digital connection is through XLR for AES, and Toslink
for SPDIF. The vast array of analogue inputs and outputs
are all via Tascam format 25-pin DSubs, and a pair of
XLRs for connection to a pair of monitors. Connection
to an external SSL XRack is supplied along with an
SD Card slot to store recalls, templates, etc. An SD Card is
even supplied.
The SSL Matrix has an external power supply and this
is connected through a large multi-pin socket.
Surface Ergonomics
A quick scan over the control surface of the SSL Matrix has
that same familiar feel with other SSL consoles, a clear,
easy to follow layout.
The Meter Bridge contains dual 12-segment LED
meters for each of the 16 channels that display either the
DAW or analogue channel level. Status and analogue
bus routing are also displayed through a series of
appropriate legends next to each meter pair. Twin VU
meters display the selected source output, and a further
set of 12 segment LED meters display the bus outputs
(Mix, Rec, and Mon) as well as output levels for each of the
auxiliary master sends.
The 16 channels of the SSL Matrix can be looked at in
three sections. The top section is our analogue console
with +/-20dB input gain phase and insert return switches.
The analogue direct outputs have +/-20dB of gain control,
and the auxiliary send and channel pans follow this.
Bus routing and selection buttons complete the array for
each channel.
The digital scribble strip marks the division to the next
section, which includes, for each channel, a V-Pot and
channel selection switch for DAW use, and Solo and Cut
buttons for use with the fader bank.
A dry wipe scribble strip separates the final section,
which is our fader bank.
There are 16 motor driven faders that can be used
for fader control in both the analogue and DAW control
modes. Automation of the faders in analogue mode is
controlled via Midi from your DAW system.
There is a single, separate fader with associated V-Pot
and buttons called the Focus Fader. This is linked to the
two Focus modes of the Matrix, which is mainly dealing
with the V-Pot and Fader bank. This simply means you are
principally controlling the analogue mixer, or your DAW
system, at that moment.
When in DAW Mode, the Focus Fader is your analogue
THE REVIEWER
SIMON TILLBROOK is the Principal
Music Tutor at Islington Music
Workshop in London. The rest of
his time is spent as a freelance
engineer, mainly in the USA.
Interconnection
Connection to your host computer is via Ethernet and USB.
The Ethernet connection uses the IP MIDI protocol, and
can carry up to 20 channels of MIDI data for principal Midi
>
46
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

SSL | Matrix
>
master fader and, when in Analogue Mode, it is
your DAW Master Fader (only with MCU protocol).
This fader can also be assigned to control any
selected DAW channel.
Next to the analogue section is the Master
Channel, a global set of assignment buttons that
selects things such as bus routing and channel
input selection for selected channels of your
analogue mixer, as well as your Focus Mode.
A section of buttons for selecting the source
for your VU meters, source for control room
monitors, level of the talkback microphone, bus
levels, artist monitor source, and level are all
collected together and clearly marked.
Master send levels and routing sit above the
level and routing controls for the four stereo
returns. A large time display linked to your DAW
timeline is below with Save and Undo buttons,
which again feed to your DAW.
We now come to the 16 softkeys with display
and mode buttons. This is where we can program
a number of keyboard commands to use with
your chosen DAW. Up to four DAW systems can
be controlled, so you switch between them
here, and your softkeys follow. Each DAW layer
has five sets of five banks of 16 softkeys, which
gives you up to 320 key commands per DAW…
that should do!
Finally, there’s a machine control section with
transport buttons and jog/shuttle wheel with a
few navigation buttons for DAW control.
This has been a quick run through rather
than a function for function account. There are
extensive breakdowns of this information on the
SSL website, and the majority of the controls will
be familiar enough for most to work through
without the need for constant
manual reference.
Matrix Remote
The software supplied with
the SSL Matrix is called Matrix
Remote, and deals with a
number of things. Simple
session management is in the
same vein as other SSL console
computers. Each Project, as
they are called, stores general
personnel information, track
sheets, total recall setups, and
digital channel strip labelling
when in Analogue Focus. The
main area of interest is the matrix
patching. This is where we can
patch any connected outboard equipment into
the floating insert points, and also create chains
for different purposes, such as analogue path
for recording vocals, then save this to be called
up as required.
A simple drop down menu on each of the
inserts lets you make your selection.
This was as simple as it can be to operate,
everything very clear and obvious with each area
selected by its tab at the bottom of the screen.
System Integration in Use
I was using the SSL Matrix with ProTools HD and
the Digidesign 96i/o for the bulk of the testing
period. I have seen the system used with Logic
7 and the SSL Alpha Link interface, and can
feedback that the system exhibited no issues.
A basic recording test using a multi-track fed
into the DAW returns and an analogue chain
patched through the matrix software was quick
to setup, and the SuperCue monitoring setup was
latency free as expected.
Having a dedicated artist feed already in place
sped up the workflow a little, and that is one of
the key things with the Matrix, these numerous
small aids add up to a simplified and smoother
workflow overall. I could quickly check the artist
feed through the onboard headphone socket and
volume control.
The combination of channel direct outputs
and the two record busses were ample for
general recording purposes, and the Super-
Analogue path pleases as it always does. You just
need a nice array of boutique preamps to help
you on your way.
Mixing is where the SSL Matrix will find most
of its use I suspect, so with this in mind I fed the
first 16 DAW signals from the interface into the 16
DAW returns and continued with the remaining
signals into the 16 Line Inputs to see how all 32
SuperAnalogue paths worked together.
The first 16 channels I controlled through the
main fader bank and the second set fed into
the main output Mix bus through the Stereo Cue.
No problems here at all. As I set up the routing
for this example, the routing/control potential
of the Matrix becomes very clear. The compact
nature of the SSL Matrix is truly deceptive, this is
a comprehensive and powerful product.
Using the Matrix Remote, I programmed
a few of the softkeys, and these worked with
no glitches. I called up and controlled plug-in
settings from the softkey section with ease,
just as you would expect with any reasonable
controller.
I found that, after compiling a set of
commands with the softkeys, I was virtually
controlling all aspects of the session from the
Matrix in no time.
Conclusion
I have barely scratched the surface with this
review. The more you use the SSL Matrix, the
more you understand the power of the system.
The ability to easily integrate your analogue rack
units, simple switching of control from analogue
to DAW, and between DAWs, I only needed about
an hour to be running the SSL Matrix as if I had
been with it for considerable time.
The sound of the SuperAnalogue path lives
up to expectations, and the Matrix Remote
software keeps all your session information nice
and tidy.
The SSL Matrix is a product that has been
designed for the way we work today and, at
the centre of your production set up, you will
not be disappointed. ∫
..................................
INFORMATION
£GB£12,500.00 (exc.VAT)
A Solid State Logic, 25 Spring Hill Road, Begbroke,
Oxford, OX5 1RU
T +44 (0) 1865 842300
F +44 (0) 1865 842118
W www.solidstatelogic.com
IS YOUR ROOM
UNDER CONTROL
www.trinnov.com
Trinnov’s Optimizer:
UK Distribution: Sound-Link Marketing - tel: 01223 264 765 - trinnov@sound-link.co.uk
www.sound-link.co.uk
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008 47

Imagion-ing
The Future
ANDREW GRAEME stumbles
across a DVD authoring studio
that may prove to be a vision of
what’s to come for the industry;
and imagines a future built in
Imagion’s image.
If three of the most successful location recording
operations in the world got together to form a single
network, that would be news. If some companies got
together to form one large DVD authoring facility, that
too would be news. If that facility then backed the
creation of a fleet of small mobiles, and had been
pioneering various media that might end up replacing
the CD, then that would be news as well.
When I went to visit the DVD authoring facility Imagion
in Germany, I discovered all of the above!
Mobiles Join Forces
Three market leaders in mobile recording, Peter Brandt
Remote Recording in Germany, Fleetwood in the UK,
and Remote Recording in New York, have joined forces
in a global partnership to provide and share staff
and equipment, and implement new technologies.
Between them, they must have recorded nearly every
major international act out there, and many have used
all three at one time or another. All three saw themselves
as part of the rapid evolution of HDTV, Blu-Ray, and
new methods of distribution, such as online and USB
sticks, and the growing complexities of the market.
The partnership also brings together some of the world’s
finest engineers with Peter Brandt, David Hewitt, Ronald
Prent, and Jerry Boys.
Karen Brinton, owner
of Remote Recording, said,
“It’s a thrill to be part of this
elite group. We are now
in a position to offer our
clients a worldwide service
combining the highest
levels of experience, quality,
and consistency in each
area from pre-production
through to final post.”
Remote Recording
has several mobile rigs,
including the prestige
‘Silver Studio,’ a 44-foot,
18-wheeler mobile, centred around a 48-frame Neve VR
and the Polar Express, a 22-foot, all-digital rig.
Peter Brandt, Manager of Peter Brandt Remote added,
“Capturing the essence of each artist’s performance and
interaction with the audience is key to all our clients,
and is at the heart of all great live recordings. I have been
working closely with Fleetwood recently and I believe
this new venture offers us all the opportunity to expand
without compromising quality.”
Peter’s operation began life as part of the Dutch studio
group Eurosound. By 1999, the German office had become
an independent company and in 2004 was renamed, in
part to avoid the growing confusion with several other
totally unrelated companies of the same name. A strange
record of sorts was unwittingly set this year, when the
German public culture TV channel 3-Sat broadcast 24
hours of various one-hour rock concert excerpts, and
of the 24 hours, 23 had been recorded by the same
engineer, Peter Brandt!
A common thread across the three mobile businesses
is the compatibility of their audio facilities and the
scalability that the equipment provides for new formats
and new technologies. This means that members of
the three teams can use one another’s mobiles and
other equipment and continue to work in a familiar
environment and projects can move easily from one
facility to the other.
Fleetwood sports three large trucks, two with
96-channel Euphonix desks and one with a 48-channel
SSL, augmented by 24 channels of API . Past customers
are a veritable who’s who of music, and since becoming
independent of the Sanctuary group, more recent
concerts have included Avril Lavigne and Led Zeppelin.
This new co-operation is already paying dividends,
and the boom in concert DVDs has led to the mobiles
hiring one another in order to overcome demand peaks.
Brandt: “I have three concerts this weekend, so Fleetwood
have come over to cover one of them. They have a very,
very high standard of equipment and personnel, so
working with them is always a pleasure.”
Ian Cooper, Director of Fleetwood commented, “I’m
>
48
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

Recoil Stabilizer
“Elegant in principle
brilliant in execution”
-Andy Hong
“My nearfield speakers sound
better on the Recoil Stabilizers
than they did without
them. The bottom is solid,
the vocals are clear and my
speakers don’t fall down. It’s
a great product.”
~ Daniel Lanois
Engineer/producer - U2, Bob
Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou
Harris, Ron Sexsmith,
Robbie Robertson
“Fantastic! - the Recoil
Stabilizers really tightened up
the sound of my near-fields -
clearer low-mids and greater
spatial definition. They
are great… a good, solid
product.”
~ Mick Glossop
Engineer/Producer - Van
Morrison, Sinead O’Connor,
The Waterboys, Frank Zappa,
Tangerine Dream, Mike
Olfield, Revolver
Recoil Stabilizer
Introducing the Recoil Stabilizer, a unique reference
monitor platform that decouples the speaker and
introduces mass to provide a stable, stationary base. The
principal is simple – and the results are astonishing, as
these top recording engineers and producers can attest
to. But don’t just take their word for it... hear for yourself
at aPrimacoustic dealer near you. Hearing is believing!
Razorblade
quadratic
diffuser
FullTrap
broadband
absorber
MaxTrap
corner
bass trap
GoboTrap
stackable
absorber
Stratus
acoustic
ceiling cloud
Freeport
portable
gobo
Cumulus
mid-bass
trap
Venice
panel
system
Australis
corner bass
trap
Broadway
fabric covered
panels
Shure Distribution UK, Unit2, The IO Centre,
Lea Road, Waltham Abbey, Herts EN9 1AS
T : +44 (0) 1992 703058
F : +44 (0) 1992 703057
E : info@shuredistribution.co.uk
© 2007 Shure Incorporated

IMAGION-ING THE FUTURE
>
impressed with the quality that these facilities
offer and think this is a good fit with our own
business model. We’ve always respected the
knowledge and experience shown by Peter and
Karen’s world class companies, and feel that there
is a lot we can learn and share from this new
partnership – the future is very bright.”
Call A Cab
As part of this global co-operation, three ‘Remote
Taxi’ companies have been set up, each run by
the local company. The German operation has
already recorded over 60 concerts, including
45 shows by Fury in the Slaughterhouse, which
were recorded live and put onto USB sticks
to be sold immediately after the concert by
Munich production company Di-Rec GmbH.
For those who may doubt the viability of this
new medium, sales are said to have ‘wellexceeded
expectations’.
The idea of a taxi as a mobile came to Peter
Brandt as he was on his way to record a concert
in London. He mentioned it to Andreas Thran
and Michael Becker of DVD authoring company
Imagion, and they were only too happy to provide
additional management and financial backing.
Brandt: “We had several concerts where
getting a full-scale mobile on site was difficult,
and we were forced to use flight cases.
These problems were going through my mind,
when I sat in the back of the cab and then it
dawned on me. Right there, where I was sitting,
was the ideal space for a small mobile!”
“When we were speaking to Karen Brinton and
Ian Cooper, we also mentioned the Remote Taxi
idea and they were very keen to join in.”
Peter sees his
creation as filling
a much needed
gap between small
rigs in flight cases
and large mobiles.
“There will always
be a role for the
large, analogue
remote, with 96- or
192-track recording
with full backup,
but we have
discovered a need
for small mobiles
at prices every act
can afford, but
still using the very
best professional
equipment and
manned by experienced engineers.”
I magion
Tucked away in the little German hamlet of
Udelfangen, on a hilltop near Trier and not far
from the Luxembourg border, a collection of
domestic buildings house one of the largest
independent DVD authoring facilities in Europe.
Imagion may be the name on the door, but
in part, it relies on close co-operation with local
media creation companies Bob Design and
Skywalk, and the three managers, Michael Becker,
who takes care of audio, Thomas Gerten, in charge
of technical services, and Andreas Thran, Creative
Director. With a staff of 50 in Udelfangen and a
further 20 in Trier, as well as a healthy contingent
adAT4050(audio media)186x129mm.qxd:Mise en page 1 9/06/08 16:18 Page 1
of freelancers, they have worked on some 6,000
major projects so far, and take in some 1,000
minutes of fresh material every working day!
The bulk of this material is film and television,
but corporate videos and live concerts are
now important and growing. Creative Director
Andreas Thran: “The concert DVD is fast
becoming the replacement for the CD, and
we have 11 years experience in this field.
For example, we were the first in Europe to
produce a DVD with 96kHz sound, and we are
producing product in 5.1 on a daily basis, so we
really do understand this medium.”
About one third of their business comes
from outside Germany and includes such major
projects as the entire James Bond collection from
MGM, a 40 disc presentation case, which had
>
AT4050:
created by one,
used by everyone.
Before a product becomes so legendary that it is used by everyone, someone has to create it.
When Akino-san, an employee of Audio-Technica for many years, spent hundreds of hours on
the creation of the AT4050, he was working to obtain the AT4050’s superb quality of sound
reproduction.
Not only did he succeed in his ambition, but today, the AT4050 is used all over the world in a
wide variety of applications, from recording studios to live sound to broadcast.
And when he’s not creating legends, Akino-san loves the serenity of fishing.
Audio-Technica’s range of studio microphones start from just £100*. To find out more, email
info@audio-technica.co.uk or telephone +44 (0) 113 292 0463.
*AT2020 suggested retail price
www.audio-technica.com
50
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

IMAGION-ING THE FUTURE
>
to be authored in five different versions, or 280
DVDs for the entire Stargate series.
Wrangling this massive flow of data is done
by eight project managers, four for the creative
work, and four who take care of the technical
side of things. A complete, in-house project
management system allows all involved to see
exactly which processes have been completed
at any time, and whether a project is on time.
Data arrives in just about every imaginable
form, and has to be quality controlled and
transferred to disk.
As with all DVD creation work, security is vital
and there are two networks, one ordinary office
network and one secure network, with no link
between the two. Links to clients and pressing
plants is done via a 155Mb data line.
Imagion has two audio mastering suites,
one audio-for-video and one audio-only, based
around racks of SPL analogue equipment.
Mastering Engineer Marko Schneider finds
himself having to reject between 10- 20% of
audio material. “Some recording studios just
do not seem to have any quality control, and
projects come to us with clicks, pops, 0dBFSovershoots,
and all sorts of issues that anyone
who has actually sat down and listened to the
material would have spotted straight away!”
Michael Becker, who combines responsibilities
for audio, with premastering and authoring, is
keen to point out the exciting possibilities
that Blu-Ray will bring. “You can get 50GB onto
a Blu-Ray disk. We only need 20GB for a highdef
concert, so that leaves thirty for things like
‘The Making Of’, or even alternative mixes and
camera angles, or even a multi-track recording
for the customer to experiment with. It could
also include software or games, and be combined
with online access to special websites and chat
rooms. The possibilities are just about endless!”
Andreas Thran shares this vision of the
future, but points out, “Integrating Blu-Ray with
various types of software and on-line services
into one seamless package is a complex task,
and that is why in-depth co-operation with
other companies of all types is so important.
Record labels and production companies like
to deal with one firm that is able to give them a
complete and integrated package.”
Closing Thoughts
It is not just the scale of those involved that is
really surprising, but the scale of the co-operation.
The way Imagion, Peter Brandt, Remote New York,
and Fleetwood are working together to create
new business should be a lesson to us all.
The recording industry may be high-profile, but
it remains a cottage industry. The most expensive
desk you can buy still costs less than a combine
harvester. The largest recording studio represents
a small fraction of the investment required for a
small manufacturing facility. In other words, we
are small and, in parts, getting smaller by the
day. Strangely, this malaise is happening when
society’s total spend on music is expanding.
Medium and smaller facilities often seem
to work in isolation of one another, trying (and
often failing) to provide a viable range of services.
Perhaps we should all be looking at setting up
similar joint ventures right across the industry.
Rather than expecting a customer to sort out
the bookings for studios, engineers, mastering,
location recording, video facilities and all the
associated artwork
and packaging
involved in a major
project, we could be
offering complete
packages that still
give the customer a
choice of engineers,
facilities, locations,
and a degree of
flexibility that
would be otherwise
impossible.
I visited Imagion
by chance and prior
to going there, I
assumed it would
be just another
DVD authoring facility – a few workstations, a few
screens, a few employees. I hardly expected over
70 employees, spread out over several buildings
in two locations. More importantly, I hardly
expected to see a vision of what may, in the end,
prove to be the future of our industry. ∫
The new SoundField SPS200 ‘software
controlled’ microphone generates mono, stereo,
5.1 and beyond and gives the user complete
control over all microphone parameters within
the audio workstation. Designed and built to the
same exacting high standards as other
SoundField models, the SPS200 is supplied with
its own Surround Zone software for both Pro
® Tools HD and VST platforms.
By using a single SPS200 microphone and laptop
computer, making world class surround and
stereo recordings has never been so easy.
..................................
INFORMATION
W www.remotetaxi.com
W www.remoterecording.net
W www.fleetwoodmobiles.com
W www.imagion.de/en
Mono, Stereo, 5.1 and Beyond...
The NEW SoundField SPS200 Microphone
SoundField • t: +44 (0) 1924 201089 • e: info@soundfield.com • w: soundfield.com
SOUNDFIELD ® is a registered trademark of SOUNDFIELD Ltd.
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008 51

HOLLYOAKS GOES HD
Upgrading for high-definition at Lime Pictures.
BEN WRIGHT learns how
the TV production company
behind UK soap Hollyoaks
made the best of a move to
high definition, and completely
re-imagined their audio and
video production processes.
THE REVIEWER
PAUL MAC is the Editor of Audio
Media magazine.
is it Lime Pictures – or Strawberry Fields When you first
enter the grounds of Merseyside’s foremost independent
television production company, there’s a similar nothingis-real
atmosphere, the impression aided by the fact that
John Lennon’s old stomping ground is only a couple of miles
from the leafy Liverpool suburb where Lime are based.
If you’ve ever taken a Hollywood studio tour, you’ll know
what I mean. Is that crèche by the entrance a real one for
employees, or is it part of a permanent Hollyoaks set Is this
the entrance to Lime’s production facilities, part of the now
sadly defunct Grange Hill, or the entrance to Hollyoaks High
School Confusingly, it turns out that the answer to all of the
above questions is ‘yes’. Most of the Lime Pictures premises
are also used as sets, inside and out, to the extent that the
company’s employees are frequently trapped in their
dubbing suites or offices while a bevy of impossibly welltoned
bodies completes a take in what has temporarily
become a ‘school corridor’ outside. To complete the sense of
mental disorientation, it turns out that the reason why so
much of Lime’s premises looks like a secondary school or art
college is that it used to be, well, an art college.
But then there is much that sets Lime Pictures apart
from other independent TV production companies.
Known originally as Mersey Television, it was founded
by Grange Hill and Brookside creator Phil Redmond
in the early ‘80s, and has been home to both of those
former shows at different times. Since 1995, Hollyoaks,
now Channel 4’s flagship soap, has been made there,
and production is now continuous, most days a week,
52 weeks a year. To support this rolling production, Lime
owns its own premises, builds its own sets, services
its own equipment, and has its own on-site video and
audio post-production facilities. As Lime’s Group Head
of Production Jamie Hall points out, Lime is really more
like a small division of an older-style broadcaster on the
BBC or Granada model than the usual small-footprint TV
production company.
Technically, too, the company has distinguished
itself, adopting a server-based production process for
Hollyoaks in 2001, and earlier this year, becoming one of
the world’s first continuously produced soaps to move to
high-definition production. It’s rare that a TV company
gets an opportunity to completely revamp its audio and
video equipment, workflows and production methods –
to say nothing of the funding – and yet Lime’s HD upgrade
allowed it to do just that. Moreover, the unforgiving allyear-round
schedule of a continuous soap leaves little
room for such far-reaching changes to the production
process. Yet somehow, Lime have pulled it off.
End Of The Tape
The major impetus for the changes at Lime came from
satellite broadcaster Sky, which wanted more highdefinition
drama to complement its impressive roster of
HD Sports coverage. Channel 4 decided to offer Hollyoaks
to Sky in HD – which in turn required them to make
some serious investment in new video equipment at
Lime Pictures. However, it was Jamie Hall’s decision to
find additional funding to take the improvements a
stage further. An upgrade of Lime’s aging AMS AudioFile
DAWs and dubbing suites had already been under
consideration for some time, and there was a tentative
plan to switch to Merging’s Pyramix. But Hall decided to
do even more. “It was a question of funding; you always
have to demonstrate what benefit you can bring to
the programme by investing in new equipment. And the
impetus to go HD was the perfect opportunity.”
The upgrade proved to be a break with the past
in many ways. With Hollyoaks’ relentless production
schedule, there was no downtime or between-seasons
hiatus in which to install the new equipment, so
preparations were made for the new HD video and
audio facilities to be installed alongside the old SD
systems. This also gave Lime the opportunity to bring
all their video and audio production suites together on
one floor of their offices, with a new Central Apparatus
Room (CAR) on the floor below, next to the in-house
engineering workshops.
>
52
audio media september 2008

20-23
oct’08
PARIS EXPO
PORTE DE VERSAILLES - PAVILLON 7.3
All your audio professional Solutions
Your free badge: www.siel-satis.com
MEDIA PLAN SPONSORED BY

Hollyoaks goes hd
>
As part of these sweeping changes, Jamie
Hall decided that there was too much tape
involved in Lime’s production process. He asked
various Lime staff, including the-then Director of
Technology Graham Deaves, Installation Projects
Manager Andy Murray, and Head of Sound Dub
Chris Lovgreen, to bring Lime Pictures as close
to tapeless operation as possible, in addition to
managing the other equipment and workflow
changes. As the work proceeded, Graham Deaves
retired (although he continued to contribute
to the design of the HD system as a consultant),
and the team was joined by Chris Davey,
who became Lime’s Head of Post-production
in February 2008.
Not all of the workflows were revamped.
Thanks to the foresight of the now-retired
Graham Deaves, who foresaw the rise of serverbased
production systems years ago, Lime have
had a central video production SAN since 2001,
and ingest video shot on site for Hollyoaks
directly from their cameras onto their server
(location material, by contrast, has always been
ingested from HDCAM tape). From here, the
company’s dubbing engineers could extract
the audio as OMF files to begin the work of
track-laying. Nobody wanted to change this part
of the operation – as Chris Davey comments,
“There’s no point bringing in new processes if
they’re going to make things harder to handle.”
But Chris Lovgreen admits, “Previously, we were
just drowning in tapes; every shelf was covered.”
Andy Murray agrees, “Every Hollyoaks episode
used up about 40 or 50 DigiBetas,” while Lovgreen
begins ticking just the master copies off on
his fingers: “Master, Filmic Master, TX copy, an
Omnibus master, Omnibus TX copy...”, “... and a
clone of each of those for safety!” cuts in Murray.
“And the audio dubbing editors had to be given
edited episodes on tape before they could start
work” recalls Chris Davey.
Enter Apple And Merging
As part of the upgrade to the video systems at
Lime, the company’s old Lightworks video editing
systems were replaced, after much debate,
with Apple Mac systems running Final Cut Pro.
This, and the introduction of a much larger
production SAN, with integrated audio dubbing
and associated video playback systems from
Merging Technologies (Pyramix DAWs, VCube
HD video players, and Ramses control surfaces)
put paid to the use of tape during the audio
dubbing process for good.
Jamie Hall: “There were a lot of reasons to
switch to Final Cut Pro. It was becoming harder
and harder to find good freelance Lightworks
operators. We were having to choose operators
based on their ability to use the kit, rather than
on their talent – whereas every kid coming out of
university, the editing talent of tomorrow, works
on Final Cut Pro. Hollyoaks has also become
a much more effects-rich, graphics-heavy
production, with a lot of dream sequences, and it
seemed to me that Final Cut Pro was better suited
to those tasks. It even integrates better with our
new media division, Conker, who reformat all
of our Hollyoaks content for web and mobile
phone playback; they’re all Final Cut Pro users too.
And finally, of course, it was a much more
affordable solution than a comparable set of Avid
editing systems.”
The choice of Final Cut Pro over Avid and
Lightworks had an immediate knock-on effect
on the choice of Lime’s new audio dubbing
systems. Chris Lovgreen had established Pyramix
as his preferred DAW choice since early on in the
upgrade, when the only aim had been to replace
the audio production chain. “I began talking
about Pyramix to Paul Mortimer at eMerging,
Merging Technologies’ UK office, over two years
ago”, he recalls. “Of course, we looked at all the
other systems as well, and we had Pro Tools and
SADiE in here for a while. But pretty quickly, the
consensus was that Pyramix was the way to go.
Paul introduced me to former AudioFile users
who had upgraded to Pyramix at post houses
in Soho, and they were able to describe to me
the changeover from one system to another.
I fell in love with it, really – it integrates
fantastically well into the post-production
process, and it’s very customisable. If you’re used
to working with an AudioFile, it’s easy to set
up macros and shortcuts to emulate functions
that you’re used to. We liked that, as it helped
us smooth the transition a bit.” “Pyramix was
the best fit for what we were trying to do,”
agrees Andy Murray. “Pro Tools is probably on
a par with it, but that’s geared towards working
with an Avid video system. So once we’d
decided to go for Final Cut Pro, we were free to
choose Pyramix.”
The choice of Merging’s VCube HD and
Ramses followed logically, as Chris Lovgreen
continues. “It’s all about integrating well with
>
54
audio media september 2008

Hollyoaks goes hd
>
the network, basically. We didn’t want work
to tape at the dubbing stage any more, we
wanted to stream all the pictures straight from
the production SAN, and, put simply, the VCube
HD is the high-definition video playback tool
that integrates best with Pyramix. Similarly, with
Ramses, I liked the integration with Pyramix, and
again, the options to customise it.”
“Also, integrating an untried desk into
a Pyramix system could have caused a lot of
heartache,” adds Andy Murray, “whereas we
knew the Ramses would work. Of course the
other thing that’s beneficial about that kind of
arrangement is that you’ve got one set of people
supplying your kit, who you can go to for help if
it’s not working. Naming no names, but we’ve
all heard of situations where there are two
manufacturers supplying equipment that turns
out not to work properly together, and all they
do is point the finger of blame at each other.
The guys at eMerging, by contrast, have been
great. During the install, if we’ve had a problem,
they’ve just dealt with it, which is what you want
from a supplier.”
Installation
Following a dry run, when Lime successfully
tested the new equipment by producing a
complete five-episode block of Hollyoaks in
HD, the new systems were installed throughout
Spring 2008. Jamie Hall: “We did everything
we would normally do, in the same time we
normally have to do it – except that we did it
in HD. And then we just down-converted those
episodes to SD before transmission. It also gave
us an opportunity to hold internal viewings of the
episodes we’d shot in HD, to make sure we were
happy with the look of the show: that the sets still
stood up, that the make-up was OK, and so on.”
In the end, six new video editing suites based
around Final Cut Pro were installed at Lime,
together with six new audio dubbing suites,
each with a Pyramix post-production system,
a VCube HD, and a Ramses controller. Five of
these have eight-fader Ramses, while the master
dubbing suite is equipped with a 16-fader model.
There’s an additional audio suite for tracklaying
only, running a VCube HD and a Pyramix
Native System. Everything integrates with the
production SAN, based on a 102-Terabyte Data
Direct array, and tapes are only employed at the
ingest stage, when rushes are being imported
from XDCAM location shoots – all of the material
shot on the new Sony HDC-1500 cameras at
Lime’s HQ is ingested directly to the SAN via
four HD production galleries. Hollyoaks began
transmitting in HD at the beginning of June.
Jamie Hall’s goal of ‘virtually tapeless’
production has been reached: as Chris Davey
puts it succinctly, “All the media, audio, and video,
is now dealt with over the network.” OMF files
can be extracted from the rushes on the SAN
for the dubbing editors to work from, as before,
and dubbing is carried out to Final Cut-edited
video files being played back on the VCube HDs.
The finished audio tracks are laid back to Final
Cut Pro via the SAN, and the final export of a
consolidated episode of Hollyoaks takes place
from Final Cut Pro.
The only thing obviously missing from
the HD production environment at Lime
at present is 5.1 monitoring in the dubbing
suites, but it turns out that this is deliberate.
Andy Murray: “Channel 4 didn’t request
5.1 audio, so it’s just stereo at the moment.
Of course, the Pyramixes will handle 5.1
OK, so we’ll just need some extra monitors
when the time comes.” “Channel 4 will
probably start looking at the audio in
about a year’s time,” adds Jamie Hall.
We’ve Got It… Taped
Ironically, given the tapeless nature of
much of Lime’s new workflow, the final
output format for broadcast is still a tape
– Channel 4 does not yet have the facilities
to receive files for broadcast tapelessly.
But aside from this minor issue, everyone
at Lime is pleased with the new systems.
Chris Davey expresses relief that despite
the far-reaching nature of the works and
the punishing Hollyoaks schedule, transmission
has not been delayed or interrupted once.
“That’s pretty impressive, when you consider
everything that’s been going on here. Hollyoaks
viewers wouldn’t know, which is how it should
be.” And Jamie Hall looks back on what Lime
Behind the Hollyoaks scenes.
have achieved with pride: “The move to HD
gave us this fantastic chance to review the way
we did things, and we’ve made good on that.”
Andy Murray and Chris Lovgreen concur.
Andy: “This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity;
it was never going to come along again.” “So we
had to do it right,” adds Chris, “And we did.” ∫
audio media september 2008 55

AUDIO PRECISION APX525
Two Channel Analyser
GRAHAM LANGLEY sets to work
with the newest audio test and
measurement kit from AP.
The Audio Precision APx525 is the newest model in the
APx Series of audio test sets. The range was launched
with the APx585 and APx586, eight- and 16-channel
analysers, aimed specifically at power amplifier and CD/
DVD/MP3 player manufacturers, for use in R&D and
production test.
The APx525 is a two channel model available with both
analogue and digital I/O, and there is a version without
the digital I/O designated the APx520. The system I/O can
be expanded using a variety of switchers which need an
additional computer USB port.
Both are intended for use by a wide
range of engineers who want to obtain
fast and easy audio test measurement but
do not need the ultra high performance
of AP’s 2700 Series, or the multi-channel
facilities of the APx585/586.
Following in the steps of the ATS-2,
signals are generated and analysed in
the digital domain using 24-bit/192kHz
converters. Measurements can be analysed
from DC to 90kHz.
Signals can be generated internally,
or for playback only devices, an external
source can be used. AP provides a Resource
disc which includes documentation, a
full suite of test signals and a waveform
creation tool.
The basic measurements include level and gain, THD+N,
frequency response, S/N ratio, crosstalk, interchannel
phase, and CMRR. DC level, IMD, tone burst, and very high
resolution FFT measurements are also available.
All APx systems include a precision measuring
instrument and the APx500 software, which runs on a
PC. The connection to the host PC is made by a USB 2.0
cable. Data processing is carried out in the PC, therefore
system performance is related to processor speed.
The APx500 series are data intensive and AP recommends
at least an Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64 X2 CPU
with a minimum of 2GB of RAM for optimal performance.
Both Windows Vista and XP are supported, but not
in 64-bit versions. AP advises against running other
“The look is
completely different
from previous AP
software with
the intention of
providing an intuitive
user interface and
improvement in
testing time.”
First Impressions
The front panel has a clean and logical layout with
modules for analogue output, analogue input and digital
I/O, and a mains power switch. Analogue signals can be
accessed by balanced XLR or banana connectors, and
BNC connectors are provided for unbalanced signals.
Digital I/O features AES3, SPDIF/SMPTE, and optical
Toslink connectors all with a sample rate of up to 192kHz.
There are no user controls, all settings and measurements
are made from the software interface.
The rear panel provides connectors for
power, USB computer interface, aux control
in and out, and software options.
The construction is to AP’s usual sturdy
standards with a grey and blue finish.
A 3U rack mounting kit is available and the
optional carrying handle makes the 10.9kg
APx525 a portable test set in conjunction
with a laptop.
The Navigator
The look is completely different from
previous AP software with the intention of
providing an intuitive user interface and
improvement in testing time.
The first impression of the new GUI is
the straightforward measurement-oriented
layout. Most of the screen is occupied by a graph of the
test selected, together with the necessary controls and a
Start button to run the measurement.
A tree structure Measurement Navigator is displayed in
a window to the left of the screen. This allows the user to
set up a Project containing signal path setup information,
a series of customisable measurements, and to include
user prompt and test limit information if required.
THE REVIEWER
This may be saved as a shareable file that contains control
GRAHAM LANGLEY has been
information only and can be run on any compatible APx
active in pro audio for 35 years.
system. It does not include any measurement results,
As co-founder of Amek and Total
reporting information or external programs called up
Audio Concepts, he designed
by the prompts. Measurements carried out in R&D can
many of their consoles. He now
consults on audio projects. www.
therefore be replicated in manufacturing, or production
langley-design.com tests can be carried out in any location.
>
applications concurrently.
56
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

AUDIO PRECISION | APX525
>
At the bottom of the Navigator panel there is
a display that continuously monitors the signal at
the analyser input. Three displays are available in
the form of a Scope, FFT, or meter, and these may
all be undocked and moved around the screen.
The default Navigator tree shows one signal
path. The elements of the tree can be expanded
or contracted by clicking on the adjacent + or
– box. The main measurement branches are
the signal path and reference level setup, and a
number of standard audio measurements.
To select a measurement, click on the
measurement branch. The view for that
measurement opens in the main window.
Measurements have more than one view, and
these are indicated by the sub branches below,
which can be viewed in the same manner.
Measurements can be added from a
comprehensive list or by using copy and paste,
or drag and drop. They can also be deleted and
the running order can be changed by dragging
the elements.
A key feature is the Run Sequence button
at the top of the Navigator. When this is
pressed all measurements in the sequence are
processed. To include them in the report, place
a tick in the box alongside the appropriate
measurement branch.
Right clicking on any of the main
measurements brings up a menu of editing and
command functions, most interesting of which
is the ‘edit prompts and properties’. This allows
visual and audio prompts to be
presented before the sequence
can continue. It can also trigger
another program to start.
Carr ying Out
Measurements
All APx500 measurement
windows share a similar view
and similar controls, and after a
brief familiarisation, operation
becomes intuitive.
A nice feature of the main
screen for Signal Path Setup
is a representation of the
front panel of the APx525.
This changes to reflect the
connections made, whether
digital, analogue, balanced,
unbalanced, or external.
The Generator screen is the starting point for
most measurements, where stimulus settings such
as frequency and level, maximum bandwidth,
and input and output connections are made.
A loopback facility
allows the analyser
to directly monitor
the
generator
rather than the
device under test.
A
graph
shows the signal
measured by the
output module
and the
“Many of the
measurements and
facilities provided
new insights into
the products I tested,
and the time saving
in setting up the
measurements and
running them is
considerable.”
small Signal Monitor
screen shows the
selected oscilloscope
or FFT display.
As with all AP
analysers, units of
measurement, source
and load impedances,
measurement bandwidths,
and labels can all easily
be changed.
All graphs have zoom and pan facilities,
and export options. Right clicking on the
mouse brings up a list of scaling, view, editing,
and other options.
A comprehensive Help facility is available
either by pressing the F1 key or, for in-context
help, by right clicking on the button or function
or control to query.
The Reference Level Navigator branch enables
the user to optimise the generator output level
and analyser input levels for the tests to be carried
out. These settings can be saved and referenced
in meter and graph results.
The APx525 carries out measurements in three
main ways, depending on the test selected:
• Single value measurements using one or
two sine waves as stimuli.
• Continuous sweeps using a short burst of
continuously swept broadband signal.
• Stepped sweeps where one parameter
is swept across a range of values while
another is measured.
The signal analysis uses a high
resolution FFT technique for
both the scope and FFT displays.
There is also a measurement
recorder for measuring functions
against time, and a multitone
analyser.
Reports are the primary output
of the system. They are generated
automatically at the end of a
sequence of tests or can be
created for a single measurement.
Reports can be exported in a
number of formats, the most
convenient of which is PDF.
A number of editing facilities are
available including customised
page layout and addition of a
company logo. When a report is generated it is
automatically displayed in an undocked window.
Additionally graphs and tabulated data can be
exported into other applications.
Hands-On
Setting up the system was straightforward under
Windows Vista. The software loaded correctly and
immediately the USB 2.0 connection was made,
the drivers were loaded.
I spent a few hours defining a lengthy sequence
of measurements to produce a full test report
on an Amek Series 9098 Equaliser. This included
setting limits for THD+N, and adding prompts to
change settings. A few of my normal tests, such
as CMRR against stepped frequency, were not
readily available from the menus, however it is
straightforward to produce these.
The sequence itself took only a few minutes
to run and produced a 25 page report. As the
test progressed, green ticks appeared alongside
tests which had been completed successfully.
A warning exclamation mark would have
appeared if a test had failed, and the report clearly
indicates a failed sequence on its first page.
I then used the same Project file as a
template and edited it to produce new sequences
for other products which included the use of
external waveforms.
Many of the measurements and facilities
provided new insights into the products I
tested, and the time saving in setting up
the measurements and running them is
considerable.
Conclusion
There are a few niggles. I found the fan noise
too high. Some form of analyser monitor
output would have been an asset, as often it is
essential to listen to the signal, after all we are
talking audio here. I missed the wide bandwidth
analogue measurement of some other models,
but realise that this would have increased the
cost. The presentation of the reports is excellent,
however from an R&D point of view, I would
have liked to have been able to add notes within
a report, without making any changes to the
generated information. This is not possible with
the convenient PDF output.
Evaluating the APx525 for a week was a
pleasure. The system did exactly what I expected,
and much more. The user interface soon became
second nature to use.
The system is equally at home in production
test or R&D. Once the tests have been set up,
the speed of running them and generating a
distributable report was impressive.
I would recommend the use of twin screens
if practical. This can show the contents of
undocked windows such as reports or Scope,
without obscuring the main screen.
I would also recommend potential purchasers
evaluating the demo version of the software by
downloading it from AP’s website.
Audio Precision has produced an instrument
that will be hard to beat for the price. ∫
....................................
£ GB£/US$POA
INFORMATION
A Audio Precision, 5750 SW Arctic Drive,
Beaverton, OR 97005
T +1 503 627 0832
W www.ap.com
E sales@audioprecision.com
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008
57

Rock Down
To Electric
Avenue
NIGEL PALMER talks to
Guy Davie of Electric Mastering
about loudness, décor, peaceable
frogs and fireworks.
Electric Mastering is a relative newcomer to the London
mastering studio scene, having been set up two years
ago in Notting Hill by Pete Hutchison, owner of the
Peacefrog Records label. From small beginnings Electric
has grown in stature with a healthy mix of major and Indie
label work presided over by resident Mastering Engineer
Guy Davie and freelancer Mandy Parnell, experienced
professionals with fine track records.
The studio has attractive but functional décor with
retro furniture plus an extraordinary cityscape view
with Westway traffic passing silently not far away thanks
to effective soundproofing.
What was your progression as a mastering engineer, and
how did you come to be at Electric
When I was in my early teens I got interested in recording,
and saved up for a multi-track cassette recorder, a cheap
keyboard and stuff like that, messing about as many
people do. My first job was in a music shop in Epsom
selling keyboards, drum machines, and recording gear:
I began getting Music Week to look for a job in recording
and saw a position for a trainee engineer at The
Exchange in Camden. I started there in the copy room
making cassette bin masters the day after my 21st birthday
in 1989.
Photos courtesy of www.recordproduction.com
Electrifying Equipment
Equipment-wise, Electric is up there with the best of
them with Meyer X-10 monitoring, Pyramix and Logic
workstations, a Neumann VMS-70 vinyl cutting lathe, and
a Studer A820 stereo tape machine with both ¼ and ½”
blocks and guides; outboard is to die for with a Maselec
MEA-2, an SPL PQ, and an original Sontec – a rare and
sought-after line-up of analogue EQs – and other goodies
include a Manley SLAM! analogue limiter, a Fairchild 670
compressor, and the Weiss DS1 digital compressor.
All that said, the centrepiece and undoubted star of
the show is an original EMI TG mastering console acquired
from EMI’s studio in Nigeria, with patchable onboard
compression and EQ. The console brings something
special to the party, as I was able to hear for myself when
I visited the studio for a Q&A session with Guy, who
had some interesting insights into both the studio and
mastering in general. I started by trying to get a feel for
the kind of workload he handles.
NP: What have you been working on today
GD: Material for a band called Firework Night: it’s acoustic
and orchestral, seventies, a seven-piece band with cellos,
double basses, drums and guitars. Really good, a twenty
minute track. Then a band called A K Momo for Peacefrog
downstairs, and now I’m about to embark on a bit of a wellknown
band that I’m not meant to tell anyone about!
Did you have to do non-audio menial jobs
None actually – luckily Graham at The Exchange didn’t
believe in having tea boys, runners and so on, he wanted
everyone there to be involved in mastering to some
degree, an enlightened attitude at the time. John Dent
was there then, he was a partner in the business with
Graham, and Ray Staff was also there. I slowly progressed
to tape editing, I suppose I was at the tail end of that era
really, then suddenly you’re in a mastering room cutting
a 7” for someone and you’re not sure how it happened.
The work was about 50/50 vinyl and CD, [the latter] on
the old Sony Umatic editor which sounded atrocious
– looking back at the huge hit albums that were done
through those things maybe we were all wrong, but
compared to what we’ve got now it sounded pretty bad.
I think the longest fade time you could have was 0.9 of a
second – there was a fader on it but that sounded even
worse with dithery crackle at the end, and then of course
[there were] muting Umatic tapes, but that was all part
of the fun.
Presumably the technology improved during your
time there
Yes, we moved to Sonic Solutions early on and
stayed with that for quite a few years before getting
SADiE 4, and later SADiE 5, then earlier this year I came
across to Electric.
>
58
A U D I O M E D I A S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8

PMC.audio_media_advert.5456.1:Layout 1 28/7/08 10:21 Page 1
NTG-3
THE EXTREME LOCATION MICROPHONE
No Brainer
PMC’s technology provides mid-field performance from a near-field
All Natural, The neutral Performance. and dynamic with the abilty to resolve Half every nuance. The Price.
Like Our the Industry current standard high-end 5.1shotgun monitoring mic systems of choice are relied among by: professional sound recordists,
the new Røde NTG-3 is almost entirely moisture resistant, and equipped to deliver
impeccable BBC Scotland, results BBCin Research, the most BBC extreme Cardiff, conditions. BBC TVC, BBC The Mail difference box, is, it’s half the price.
Telegenic & Arena TV OB, Molinaire, Unit TV, De Montford University,
True Condenser (Externally RF biased)
Qube studios Visual Communication, Red BEE Media, NEP Visions,
50% less noise than most shotgun microphones
Red TX O.B, Spirit Studios, Barber Shop Sound Extremely and manylow more. handling noise
Weighs in at just 163g
Essential for HDTV broadcast, DVD mastering and post production.
High level of immunity to RF interference
100% designed and manufactured in Australia
£449
SSP INC VAT
UK distribution by Source • Find a dealer at www.sourcedistribution.co.uk/rode • T: 020 8962 5080
Project1 30/5/08 3:02 pm Page 3
www.pmc-speakers.com
The Bricasti Design Model7
Stereo Reverb Processor
The team:
The Bricasti Design Model 7 provides the highest level
of musicality and ease of control imaginable in a processor
dedicated to the task of reverberation.
A modern high resolution digital design, utilizing a stunning
array of the latest DSP processors, provides a platform for the
long overdue next step in reverb processing algorithms.
A separate fully differential analogue section and dedicated
transformer based linear power supply provide the finest
analogy specifications of any product of its kind.
The new Bricasti Design Model 10 remote console is
a dedicated hardware remote Controller for use with the M7
stereo reverb processor, it can control up to 8 units.
The people team behind Bricasti, Brian Zolner and
Charles Dowdell, have been in the reverb business for a long
time, with many years experience working on the cutting edge
of reverb technology design.
The design philosophy of the Model 7 is a carefully considered
statement of Bricasti’s vision of what the evolution of
reverberation processing in its most classic form can be.
SCV London, 40 Chigwell Lane, Oakwood Hill Industrial Estate, Loughton, Essex, IG10 3NY UK Tel: 020 8418 1470 www.scvlondon.co.uk

ELECTRIC MASTERING
Mandy also came through The Exchange,
didn’t she
She started there a week before
me, so our journey through
mastering has been parallel
from the copy room onwards.
She decided to go freelance a
couple of years ago so she could
diversify into recording as well
as mastering.
What’s the history of Electric
Mastering
Pete [Hutchison] owns the
Peacefrog label, which started in
1991, and runs it with Phil Vernol
who’s the Studio Manager here.
Pete was an Exchange client
and is a fairly serious audiophile,
and a couple of years ago decided
to build his own high end mastering room.
To begin with he did the mastering himself with
“I was sitting with Pete
the other day comparing
going through one bit of
equipment to another and
he said, “Do you think one
day we’ll just come in here
and know it’s all absolutely
right” and I said, “If we do,
that’s the day I retire.””
good results, but when he heard Mandy had left
The Exchange he invited her to work in his room.
Then they approached me, and
after a bit of chatting and a
few drinks I started at the end
of February this year. For me it
was a vote of confidence in the
company – because it’s quite
new it feels like we’re building
it up which is worth doing.
So you do the Peacefrog label
work here, how about other
clients
We deal with the majors, and
also independent labels, artists,
and producers. Mandy’s doing a
lot of major French label work at
the moment, and [other work]
ebbs and flows: it feels like
you do a couple of weeks of a lot of indie people
or [self-funded] unsigned bands and then you
seem to do major work for Virgin, Island, Warners,
or whoever else. Even after 18½ years it’s still a
challenge, every mix is different – I listen to stuff
I’ve done in my car, listen at home, then come
back and listen to it again in here and [maybe] try
a slightly different signal path. I was sitting with
Pete the other day comparing going through one
bit of equipment to another and he said, “Do you
think one day we’ll just come in here and know
it’s all absolutely right” and I said, “If we do, that’s
the day I retire.”
How about the ‘L’ word, ‘loudness’ – do you inform
customers about the pros and cons
Yes I do, but you have to do it carefully. I wouldn’t
want to preach to anyone that any particular
approach is right but I think you make the client
aware of what the difference is between a fairly
good level with dynamic range and something
that’s completely pushed and squashed.
A producer client of mine [put it well when] he
said, “Every album feels like we’re tiptoeing round
the edge of a volcano”, but I’m also providing a
service so if they want it to be the loudest possible
thing I endeavour to do that and somehow keep it
sounding beautiful within those constraints. I like
the limiter in the Weiss DS1 which doesn’t seem to
compromise the energy of the track, and although
I go through the Manley SLAM! quite a lot because
I think it has nice sound I don’t do much in the way
of compression and limiting with it, I use it more
as part of my gain structure.
“I had an SPL PQ EQ at The Exchange
that I used a lot and liked very much –
even on tiny tweaks it has an assertive,
confident sound to it. Here I use it and
the Sontec equally, and together they
make beautiful music.”
What are some of your other gear favourites
here
I had an SPL PQ EQ at The Exchange that I used a
lot and liked very much – even on tiny tweaks it
has an assertive, confident sound to it. Here I use
it and the Sontec equally, and together they make
beautiful music.
How much vinyl work do you do
About 30%. Majors are doing quite a lot of 7”,
they’re definitely back and very popular, and small
labels are also doing 7” and 12” singles. Album cuts
have gone down, but there’s still a fair few.
You did a direct-to-vinyl recording recently,
I believe
Yes, I’d talked about it with Tim from Transgressive
Records probably two or three years ago.
We finally got round to it once I was here, and
the three people in the band The Young Knives
came in with a small drum kit, acoustic guitar,
and bass with bass amp. We set up two Royer
ribbon microphones in the Blumlein arrangement
right in the middle of them at the back of the
room through vintage Neve mic preamps into our
60
A U D I O M E D I A S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8

ELECTRIC MASTERING
>
This text is not part of the advert - No bleed on this edge
Fairchild compressor, through the EMI desk and straight on to the lathe, and
cut a 7” with them playing it live.
The resulting record works very well, perhaps because everything including
voices was balanced acoustically.
Yes, it’s a very intimate and dry recording and really feels like they’re in the
room with you, playing for you. There was no reverb, very little EQ, a bit of
compression for safety purposes and not much else.
Tell me about the retro décor...
That was from Pete – he’s very much into vintage mastering and recording
gear, furniture and everything else – attention to detail is important to all
of us, to have a room that’s conducive to making great sounding records.
One nice object is a 1950s Heals table to the side, supporting the Apple
laptop running Logic [used for higher sample rate playback] and the
Prism Dream converters.
How do you envision the future for both Electric and mastering in general
More of the same at Electric, though vinyl will probably continue to decline
slowly. It would be nice to think in the future we’d have another room, but
then finding another EMI desk might not be very easy! I think the future in
mastering and recording has got to be low overheads, I can’t see big uberstudios
surviving, and I’d also like to think people will start backing off a bit
on the loudness. I keep going on about trying to get a beautiful sound, and
hopefully it’ll go more in that direction with both vinyl and CD, rather than a
tearing-your-face-off sound. To be honest, I don’t know – if I did know…
You wouldn’t be doing what you’re doing
I probably would, actually. Put it this way: I wouldn’t go and work in a bank for
four times what I earn now. ∫
That says a lot – thank you, Guy.
....................................
INFORMATION
A Electric Mastering, Studio 308, Westbourne Studios, 242 Acklam Road
London W10 5JJ
W www.electricmastering.com
E info@electricmastering.com

POWER
FACT & FICTION
Pulling apart the fluff from the fact…
DAVID HELPLING wonders
what a difference a bit of
cabling and power regulation
can make to sound quality, and
so begins down the road of
discovery to find the truth of
what really powers sound.
I
have what I think is some rather exciting news about just
what squeaky clean power can do for the world of pro
audio, from the major studio to the closet rocker. With my
best intentions put forth to achieve the best sound possible,
can it be true that I have fallen short of studio genius
Sadly it seems that much of the studio equipment that I love
so much has one thing in common… something that I
thought was taken care of. Just about everything benefits
significantly from good, clean electricity! And apparently my
little rack mount power strips aren’t coming close to
honouring my fleet of special machines. So I have been in
the throws of researching, listening to, and exploring power
regulation, balanced power, filtering and surprisingly,
cables. In my quest, it seems that all roads have a common
end. I am out to prove that this is not an esoteric or status
subject, but a link that has been overlooked by many and
embraced by few. But first I need proof. What is fact,
and what is fluff
Voltage Regulation
The first link in the power theory is protection (from
electrical abnormalities and power spikes coming down
the wire)… but substantial proven audio benefits are
what I’m really after. So does a good voltage regulator at
the top of your power chain make things sound better
Coincidentally (or not), every engineer we met with for
this feature was using the exact same voltage regulator –
the Furman AR-15 II. There must be a solid reason for this
My first stop was to the studio of Howard Givens – audio
engineer, artist, and general sound guru with Spotted
Peccary Music, InsightEPK, True Systems, and Stereotypes
Audio. He had this to say about regulation: “Our power
path has always started with a Furman AR-15 Voltage
Regulator/Line Stabilizer that then feeds several Furman
multi-outlet Power Conditioners. Their attention to detail
in power conditioning and power supply is unparalleled.
The AR-15 will protect all other equipent down the line
– especially your balanced power unit. Some may not
directly relate it to better sound but a stable stream of
regulated voltage will definitely prolong the life of most
audio gear.”
After researching voltage regulators I tested the power
here in my studio. I was shocked to see a fluctuation in
voltage from as low as 114V to as high as 124V throughout
the day. Furman was gracious enough to send us several
different units for testing which included an AR-15 II,
and while I haven’t experienced a malfunction in the
past I can’t help but feel that all of my gear is a good
deal happier with the stable stream of voltage that the
AR-15 II is now providing. It will take an input voltage
from the extremes of 97V to 137V, and transform it to a
constant 120 volts of AC power – protecting your audio
gear from AC line voltage irregularities such as sags,
brownouts, or over-voltages (all of which can cause
sensitive electronic equipment to malfunction or sustain
damage). One side observation about Furman products
is their appearance – they are rather plain black boxes
with the proper indicators and switches necessary for
operation. I have taken notice that the fancier units with
a barrage of blinking lights and LED readouts are rarely
found in the high-end studios. It is the classic rule –
the more a product looks like it is trying to impress
you, the more it needs to rely on its good looks. I think
the AR-15 II would be a wise step towards protecting
the equipment in any studio.
Balanced Power
Regardless of whether or not you use a voltage regulator
in your system, it seems that an important part of any
great sounding studio is balanced power. But what the
heck is balanced power In much the same way that
balanced audio lines can reduce the pickup of hum and
other types of electromagnetic interference (EMI), the use
of balanced AC power lines in sensitive audio installations
can make an enormous difference in system noise and
signal integrity. Power distribution here in North America,
unfortunately, is not balanced. The standards currently in
>
62
A U D I O M E D I A S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8

POWER FACT & FICTION
>
use were derived from practices established over a
century ago, employing a three-wire distribution
scheme in which branch circuits have a hot wire
and a neutral wire, with the neutral tied to a third
wire connected for safety to an earth ground.
This unbalanced scheme can create significant
hum in audio circuits. The current flowing in
the hot wire induces hum in any other nearby
wires, which may carry vulnerable low-level audio
signals. This low level noise then becomes part of
the audio itself.
In a balanced power conditioner (in our case
a Furman IT-20 II) a centre-tapped isolation
transformer allows the AC power feeding a
studio to be balanced at its source. The currentcarrying
wires then are no longer ‘hot’ (120V)
and ‘neutral’ (0V), but two 60V lines of opposite
polarity whose difference is 120V. This type of
power, when run around a room, does not induce
hum into nearby audio wiring, because the two
conductors induce equal and opposite voltages
that cancel each other out. Similarly, ground
currents are all but eliminated by the same
common-mode cancellation effect. Even further,
the Furman IT-20 II features a centre tap ground
lift, which may reduce ground induced noise even
further. I asked Mr. Givens to share his thoughts
on balanced power: “More than any other area it
seems that audio production really needs good
clean power. Whether it’s in the analogue world
or in current digital studios, good clean power is
essential and it really does affect the quality and
the definition of the sound. Going to a balanced
system may not be appreciated in everybody’s
setup. Again it’s one of those things where you
can’t apply a rule and say that it’s always
going to work the same for everyone.
I’ve heard differences with balanced
power when it’s been put into major
studios that were having strange
problems with ground issues or
softness in the low frequencies.
Then after going to a balanced system,
the entire sound was appreciably
better. So it seems like balanced power
is just one more step towards getting the
cleanest possible power to the equipment.
In my thinking, it's one of the most important
investments that anyone can make in a recording
studio or an audio production environment.”
A Cass Case
A proven case study in balanced power is the
mastering facility of Cass Anawaty. In Portland
Oregon Cass specialises in high-resolution
stereo and surround mastering for major clients:
“The obvious benefits in a balanced power setup
are the actual rejections and cancellations that
occur, but the real impact that I see in my facility
is the increase in headroom.
When performing multiple digital
to analogue and analogue to
digital conversions and processing
via an analogue signal chain, the
conversion needs to be as clean as
possible. Most people are aware
of this but they don’t usually
think of it in terms of power.
With reduced oscillations on the
line you have a lower noise floor,
and you can actually see this
on the meters… in analogue or
digital gear – and that equals
more headroom in my business.
With the current state of convertors you are
already losing bits to the noise-floor within the
convertors themselves, so anything you can do
to preserve any amount of headroom is always a
very positive thing.”
“Many of the power strips suggest that they
perform some sort of RFI or EMI rejection, but
I’ve found that I get an even cleaner signal by
using a balanced power system. As a mastering
engineer I get a lot of different material from
“There will be no
bench tests, specs, and
measurements – I want
to hear the goldeneared
professionals
tell us what they hear,
or don’t hear, in a
different cable.”
different studios, and I can almost tell which
ones are running a clean power scheme versus
ones that are not. The differences I heard after
going to balanced power were drastic. I can
turn my monitors up to full power and not hear
any noise at all – I would classify it as a 20%
improvement in my noise floor, and that is a very
important 20%.”
“I am working with a classical harpist in a
mastering capacity and she is worried about
having to re-record her record. She sent me a
track containing actual radio chatter somewhere
around -40Db full-scale – you can’t do anything
with that – the track is ruined. If the studio that
recorded that had balanced power and proper
conditioning their client wouldn’t have to be
searching out other recording studios to redo the
work – and I hear stuff like that quite a bit.”
Balancing The Benefits
I myself have been running the Furman IT-20 II in
my studio for a few weeks now and I am blown
away by the audible reduction in noise floor.
I experienced the exact same thing that Cass
claimed with my ADAM studio
monitors. My Apogee convertors
and True Systems microphone
preamplifiers are benefiting
from balanced power as well.
When I started researching for
this feature I didn’t even know
what balanced power was, or
how it worked. To think that for
the last ten years I’ve been running
only a small Furman PL-8 power
conditioner! Who would think that
the positive impacts of balanced
power would be so dramatic and
obvious Any passionate engineer,
musician, or sound designer would be foolish not
to look into a balanced power system – especially
those who have invested much time and money
into creating a great sounding room with
high-end gear.
Power Cables
Are you going to tell me that a different power cable
can make things sound better… I know that this
topic enrages some and fascinates others, but
>
A1 Discrete Class A and
Tube Dual Preamp / DI
A2 Discrete Class A and
Tube Stereo Processor
Ice Cool Looks
Discrete Class A Electronics Plus Tube Warmth
All Ebony Series feature tube stages with variable drive in addition
to the discrete Class A circuitry putting you in total control of how
‘warm’ or how ‘cool’ you want the sound.
PASSIONATE ABOUT TUBES
NEW
A3 Discrete Class A and
Tube Mono Channel Strip
From £499 ex vat.
tlaudio.co.uk
A4 Discrete Class A and
Tube 16:2 Summing Amp

POWER FACT & FICTION
>
I’ve heard far too many stories about fancy power
cables to not explore this topic. Audiophile cabling
has always been a heatedly debated topic – from
speaker and line cables to, yes, IEC power cables.
Since I am out to prove what is fact and what is
fluff, it is my duty to put these cables to the test.
Now I am not a scientist or a mathematician…
I am an artist and audio engineer. There will be no
bench tests, specs, and measurements – I want
to hear the golden-eared professionals tell us
what they hear, or don’t hear, in a different cable.
If you take a look on the Internet for audiophile
power cables, one name will surface more than
any other – Analysis Plus. Analysis Plus is an
innovator in audio cable design whose customers
include major names in high-end audio and home
theatre equipment. In addition to being electrical
engineers these guys are also audiophiles – so
the cables should be awesome right I won’t
go deep into engineer geekiness but several
things including skin effect, current bunching,
hollow oval cable solution, braided conductor
advantage, characteristic impedance complexity,
and frequency blurring are involved in the design
of these cables (all of which are rather fascinating
and available in the Analysis Plus White Paper
‘Report 981’). The folks at Analysis Plus were nice
enough to send us several different pairs of their
Oval series IEC power cables for testing. As a side
note, I must mention that these are by far the
coolest looking cables I have ever seen.
I now recall seeing
these exact cables
powering many
of the high-end
manufacturers’
studio monitors
at winter NAMM
in January. Now I think I
know why.
I sat down with San Diego’s own Jon Jenkins –
sought after voice talent, recording artist, record
producer, and audio post engineer. We brought a
pair of the Power Oval 2 IEC power cables with us
for him to try out. When the topic of power cables
came up Jon immediately mentioned Analysis
Plus, and had a related story to tell: “Actually I
just replaced my studio monitor’s speaker cables
with the Analysis Plus Oval 12’s and the difference
was very noticeable. There was an increased
depth of field and a tighter low end – more 3D –
everything just became clearer – so I understand
the difference that a cable can make.”
After listening to a variety of different mixes
and projects he
was working on
with the Analysis
Plus power cables
in use, I asked
the big question:
“So honestly… can
you hear a difference”
“Yes – the same type of changes
I heard with the speaker cables were
happening here – just in a more subtle way.
The three dimensional soundstage, the more
defined low end – certain things just kind of
came to life. The centre channel image and vocal
presence was more defined. This kind of stuff can
be really important for monitoring – trying to
hear all of the details you can for quality critical
audio. I’m on the mic every week recording and
mixing promos, bumpers and spots for major
sports and movie networks – having an accurate
and good sounding system is very important.
Also having good clean power for my tube mics
and microphone pre-amps is a key part of getting
a great sound – I have only been using the Furman
stuff for a couple of years but I love it – it is a
serious part of my set up.”
The Other Side
Being an audiophile consultant and co-designer
of high-end professional audio products,
Howard Givens has been exposed to his fair
share of this topic from both sides… and the sort
of controversy surrounding it: “Cables do definitely
sound different – there is no question about that.
People in the HiFi world have certainly known this
and people have even been discovering in Pro
Audio that you can really hear those differences.
With all of the factors that go into what makes a
cable sound different it often comes down to the
subjective aspects of your particular situation…
essentially, do you like what this cable is doing in
this application”
“With all of the factors that go into
what makes a cable sound different it
often comes down to the subjective
aspects of your particular situation…
essentially, do you like what this cable
is doing in this application”
“We found that power cords tend to make
the most amount of difference when related to
high-current situations like amplifiers. So even
though there is an amplifier built into the speaker
it definitely has a different current demand.
After replacing the standard IEC power cord that
came stock with my ADAM monitors with the
Analysis Plus Power Oval 10, it was really obvious
that the sound improved – the clarity, we heard
more definition in the lows, we could make out
more details in the sound. When going back to
>
64
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

listening with the stock IEC cable the transparency
was greatly diminished.”
Is This Fluff
Wow – these guys are really hearing what a
replacement power cable can do – on top of
everything else that has been done in their setup
to improve the sound quality! Apparently this
is not fluff… but wait just a second – Cass
Anawaty had a different reaction from the
results of his tests:
“To be honest… I didn’t notice a difference
in my studio – I read the white papers and some
of the other materials that they have. I certainly
understand that the shielding they are using
could result in some RFI/EMI rejection in some
sense, but since that is not a problem that I have
in my studio I didn’t notice a benefit along those
lines. Audiophile power cables and audio cables
are a hotly debated topic – as far as I am aware
there have never been any scientific studies
that have validated any claims of an improved
audio experience or even one that is necessarily
different. Everybody owns their own experience…
during the time I had with the Analysis Plus
IEC power cables and the different techniques
I used to try to detect a difference, and I just
didn’t hear one.”
'Ear Anything Different
So, we have two very experienced engineers,
one that heard a difference, and one that didn’t.
Could it be that Cass’ studio is so perfectly powered
and outfitted that these cables aren’t noticed
I suppose that leaves a certain air of mystery here.
It was time to put the Power Oval 2 cables to test
in my room. More than the improved precision
in the stereo image and the focused bottom
end, I instantly noticed something different in
the placement of good vocal recordings in the
centre channel relative to the rest of the mix.
Now this was a very subtle change, but a change
nonetheless. I switched the cables back and
forth several times to ensure that this was no
placebo effect, and there was definitely
something different in the sound. I would
not consider it measurable by any means
that I could think of – though I don’t think
I quite have the ears that these other
engineers do. One thing I could prove was
the cell phone interference that I almost
always get from my wife’s Apple iPhone.
It’s similar to the Imperial Probe Droid’s
transmission in The Empire Strikes Back
(though hardly as cool). With the Power
Oval 2 cables connected I could not get
the classic interference to rear its ugly
head. I spoke with an engineer at Analysis Plus
and they attribute this to the low inductance and
braided shield on the power cable itself among
other things. Power cables – who knew
After spending so much time with these
engineers and learning of the profound
advantages of power regulation and balanced
power, I have added the Furman units to my studio
setup – how could I not after Cass’ measurements
and discoveries The upgraded Analysis Plus
cabling is pretty darn cool too… I may be forced
to have a few of those on my key components…
after all, every bit helps when audio is your
well being. ∫
....................................
INFORMATION
W www.analysis-plus.com/index.html
W www.furmansound.com/
POWER FACT & FICTION
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008 65

video guide
A Sound Pro’s Guide To Video
HD Acquisition: Part 3
KEVIN HILTON continues
his wandering through
the widening land of HD
camcorders; and this month
visits the Panavision Genesis
and Arriflex D-20.
SOUND PRO'S VIDEO GLOSSARY
Depth of Field
This is the section of satisfactory
focus that is both in front of and
behind the principal plane of
focus in a camera shot, and is
realised by using a wide-angle
lens, which delivers a short
focal length, narrow apertures,
usually through setting smaller
f-stops, more depth from the
lights, a longer exposure time,
or more distance from the
main plane of focus to the
camera. More depth of field
comes with deep focus, while
its shallower counterpart needs
focus to be changed in relation
to the action.
The relatively short history of film and television cameras is
the usual story of pioneering units that set the trend and
then are superseded by the next generation, which itself
can come under threat from any newcomers to the market.
The established names in film cameras like Panavision and
Arri, which replaced earlier brands such as Mitchell, have
appeared to be unperturbed by the appearance of more
sophisticated video models, but their positions are now more
under threat from digital cinema.
These look like the real thing, as makers of traditional film
cameras would doubtless think of them, and work with most
of the lenses favoured by cinematographers, but capture
high resolution pictures on digital HD tape or hard disk
media. Where they differ from video cameras and their HD
equivalents is that footage is uncompressed and of high
resolution, which makes them comparable to the good old
film machines that their proponents hope they will usurp.
In The Scrum
The digital cinema camera market has become
quite crowded in a short space of time and film
stalwarts Panavision and Arri are staking their
claims while fending off competition from not
only long-time video contender Sony, and Thomson
with the Viper (see AM July 08), but also bright new
media contenders Dalsa and Red. In an effort to produce the
next generation of feature film cameras, Panavision had
originally collaborated with Sony, bringing together the
film and video/HD expertise of each.
This resulted in a ‘Panavised’ version of Sony’s CineAlta
HDW-F900 (see AM June 08) HDCAM camcorder, which
was used on Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
(2002). Several operational problems arose with this camera,
concerning both the lenses and the camcorder itself, so
George Lucas made a momentous break with tradition and
did not use Panavision at all for Episode III - Return of the Sith
(2005), instead shooting on Sony HDC-F950 cameras with
Plus8Digital lenses.
Chastened by this rejection, Panavision set about
designing its own new age camera and came up with the
rather self-consciously named Genesis. The manufacturer’s
stated aim was to produce ‘a film camera that shoots digital’,
which is how the Genesis is promoted, but the priority
for the designers was to make Panavision’s proven 35mm
lenses part of the system to ensure the best possible quality
picture going through the electronics and on to the chosen
recording medium.
The problem with the Panavised CineAlta was that, as a
3-chip video camera, most lenses designed originally for film
cameras cannot be fitted to its body. With many 35mm lenses,
and this was the case for Panavision’s range, the prism block
of the camcorder did not have enough space for the back
end of a film lens. In such a situation, with the lens not fitting
properly into the housing, the anomalies produced through
the prism seriously degraded picture quality.
To further put film types off the idea of using a camcorder
designed primarily for video, despite it producing HD
pictures, the chips used produced a frame size more like
16mm film, with a corresponding depth of field (see glossary).
To get around this, Panavision employed optical adaptors
placed between the lens and the camera body but this still
caused a reduction in the quality of images that was deemed
unacceptable for feature films. Because of this, Sony HDCAM
camcorders are usually teamed with Zeiss, Angenieux, Canon,
or Fujinon lenses.
After absorbing these setbacks and losing ground
to competitors from the video sector, a concerted
effort was made to create a digital camera that would
be wholly a Panavision product, with the
cinematic sensibilities associated
with the company’s
film models. To this end Genesis appeared in
2004 with the promise that depth of field was
not compromised and it had the same movability,
dynamic range and colour, and sensitivity features as
its film forebears.
Revelationary Technology
Like the Thomson Viper, the Genesis is a full
bandwidth (4:4:4) camera featuring a high level of
colourimetry (colour perception) and sensitometry
(relating to light sensitive materials) and, possibly the
most critical feature of all, a recording area corresponding
to the Super 35 mm format. This last feature means that
the focal construction of the Genesis matches standard
Cine Primo lenses, as well as zooms, and so can produce a
genuine 35mm depth of field.
Unlike most video cameras used for features and TV
dramas the Genesis is based on a single CCD chip, rather than
three, which has raised doubts about colour quality. This sole
array has a capacity of 12.4 mega pixels and operates using
5760x2160 horizontal RGB filtering, with the same number of
pixels for each of the three primary colours. Vertical resolution
is reduced to 1080 lines through the process of pixel binning,
where charges are combined by an on-chip CCD clock timing
circuit to improve frame rates and signal to noise ratios and
decrease picture noise, giving a pixel resolution of 1920x1080,
approximately two thirds the resolution of a 2k film scan.
>
66
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

video guide A Sound Pro’s Guide To Video
HD Acquisition: Part 3
Although Panavision and Sony ended their
collaborative relationship in 2004 the Japanese
manufacturer produces the primary imaging unit
of the Genesis, which has an aspect ration of 16:9
(1.78:1), corresponding to the HDTV frame shape,
and is comparable to that of Super 35mm, 3-perf
(i.e., the number of sprocket holes along the
sides) film. This means the majority of Panavision
spherical 35mm lenses can be attached to the
camera housing.
Shutter angles on the Genesis begin at 3.8°
and go all the way round to 360°. The full-circle
angle is something new in film cinematography
and gives directors of photography an additional
stop of exposure and increased motion blur.
Consequently the usual sensitivity rating of EI
400 can go up to EI 600 and even higher, making
shooting in low light possible. Frame rates range
from 1 to 50fps.
The Genesis’ first outings on feature films
were two productions heavy on visual effects,
Superman Returns and Flyboys (both 2006).
Its live action debut was the slightly less than
illustrious Scary Movie 4, but it has gained
more credibility on the Adam Sandler comedy
Click and the Mel Gibson epic Apocalypto
(both also 2006).
The replacement for film itself as a means of
storing the pictures is either Panavision’s own
SSR-1 solid state recorder, or the Sony HDCAM-
SR videotape machine, both of which connect
to the top or rear of the Genesis, which means
no cables are involved. Both units are controlled
from panels on the Genesis. The SSR-1 records
uncompressed video at either 4:4:4 or 4:2:2, with
21 minutes of material at 23.98 fps in 4:4:4 SP mode,
or 43 minutes of 23.98 fps in 4:2:2 LP. There is also
an integral 525/625 down-converter for when the
camera is used in a Steadicam harness.
A common complaint from cameramen using
newer style cameras, especially video models,
is that the integral black and white viewfinders
are too small and lack the definition needed
to properly frame shots. To provide the best
quality possible the Genesis is fitted with the
Sony HDVF-C30W TFT colour LCD viewfinder,
which has 960x540 pixels and is compatible with
CineAlta camcorders.
Hurry Up Arri…
Of the main digital cinema competitors to
the Genesis, the Dalsa Origin, the SI 2K, and
the Arri D-20 have taken the detachable reflex
optical viewfinder route. Like Panavision, Arri
is a manufacturer with a long history in film
equipment that produces cameras and lenses.
To maintain continuity with its film cameras
the German manufacturer’s digital offering is
properly known as the Arriflex D-20, but shows its
new technology credentials by having one CMOS
sensor that provides the same width as a Super 35
film gate aperture. What this means in practice is
that when using modern 35mm PL mount cine
lenses, the D-20 delivers a field of view and a
depth of field comparable to Super 35 cameras.
Introduced on to the market in late 2005 the
D-20 has two forms of operation, Data and HD
Video. In the first of these the camera’s chip array
employs 2880x2160 active pixels to produce RAW
Bayer-data at 12 bit, with a 4:3 aspect ratio (as in
the old TV picture in the days before widescreen).
Once captured the data has to be passed through
a separate processing chain
to produce full colour images.
To create a cinema shaped image the
picture is usually cropped to the
1.85:1 ratio, as often happens
with 35mm material.
When working in Data mode
the sensor is big enough to
accommodate images shot
through anamorphic lenses,
resulting in 2.35:1 widescreen
pictures. Footage is recorded to either
Flash memory or a hard drive, very often the
sTwo data recorder.
While in HD Video mode the D-20’s sensor
operates with 2880x1620 active pixels, producing
THE SYMPHONY SYSTEM
The Most Powerful Audio Workstation Available
a 16:9 aspect ratio image, corresponding to the
shape of most TV screens today. The result has
1920x1080 pixels and, depending on the form of
output, is in either YUV 4:2:2 10-bit (single
link HD-SDI) or RGB 4:4:4 10-bit
(dual link HD-SDI). Usually the
D-20 records on to a Sony
HDCamSR machine for
HD Video, connected
by a cable, but can also
work with Grass Valley/
Thomson Flash memory,
which is docked on the
camera and gives up to 15 minutes of RGB
4:4:4 recording for each ‘mag’.
The D-20 has now been superseded by the
D-21 and this new camera’s precise specifications
and capabilities will be described in greater
detail in next month’s Video Guide. ∫
The Symphony System combines Apogee’s legendary X-Series and Rosetta Series converters with
Apple’s revolutionary Mac Pro and Logic Pro audio workstation using the 32-channel Symphony
PCI card.
BEST SOUNDING
The most sonically advanced audio hardware
interfaces combined with the most advanced
music creation and production tool.
HIGHEST PERFORMANCE
1.6 milliseconds at 96k and up to 192
simultaneous channels of audio.
GREATEST VALUE
A fraction of the cost of popular card-based,
DSP systems.
The Total Package
Introducing Logic Studio
A suite of powerful, easy-to-use music
creation and production tools, Logic Studio
gives musicians everything they need to
write, record, edit, mix and perform.
Symphony PCIE Card
32-Channels of I/O per
card & up to 96 channels
per system.
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008
67

TOURING • INSTALLATION • THEATRE • SYSTEMS INTEGRATION • PRODUCTION
AUDIO MEDIA
Sound Reinforcement
Contents
AMSR News 70
Technology, application, and installation news from the
global sound reinforcement community.
Cinema Expo International 2008 72
TERRY NELSON reports that the cinema exhibition industry is still very much alive and
kicking, gearing itself up for catering to ‘alternative content’ audio requirements.
Soundcraft Si3 74
Opening this month’s three-part ‘Special PLASA08 Preview’, FRANK WELLS
gets a sneak peak of Soundcraft’s new integrated digital live console.
Midas PRO6 75
Will everyone get to play with Midas’ upcoming more cost-conscious
digital so-called Live Audio System FRANK WELLS helps us decide.
Innovason Eclipse 76
SIMON ALLEN concludes our ‘Special PLASA08 Preview’ with a hands-on look
at France’s latest entry into the live performance digital console fray.
Sennheiser SR 350 IEM G2 78
SIMON ALLEN gets wire(less)d for sound with Sennheiser’s
new UHF/twin transmitter for wireless monitoring.
A Night At The Opera 82
JONATHAN MILLER jets over to the Norwegian capital to see
and hear Oslo’s spectacular new opera house.
Product Sampler: Wireless Microphone Systems 86
AUDIO MEDIA turns on and tunes in the latest wireless microphone
systems from manufacturers bigger and smaller.
AMSR is the regular AUDIO MEDIA Sound Reinforcement section, aimed squarely at
SR professionals across Europe. Following the Audio Media ethos, the emphasis
will be on the product reviews and technical features written by working
industry professionals that anybody in SR will find relevant and useful.

www.audiomedia.com
Spain’s VMB Audio has launched
the Lynx Series LX-V8 compact
powered line array module,
purportedly the world’s first
loudspeaker cabinet with built-in
inclinometer, whereby the angle
information is fed to the DSP
processor which then changes the
signal conditioning algorithms
accordingly. A 1000W Class-D
amplifier drives each eight-inch LF
driver, while a 500W one
handles the HF unit.
w www.vmb.es
BSS Audio has introduced four
new members to its Soundweb
London family of digital signal
processors. The new BLU-800, BLU-
320, BLU-160, and BLU-120 units all
feature a low-latency, fault-tolerant
digital audio bus of 256 channels,
which uses standard CAT 5e or
CAT 6 cable, enabling distances
of up to 100m between devices
(extendable up to 40km using
fibre media converters).
w www.soundtech.co.uk
w www.bssaudio.com
Italian loudspeaker designer/
manufacturer FaitalPRO has
introduced the 10HP1020 Mid-
Woofer, featuring two identical
spiders mounted in a mirror-like
arrangement, one facing the other
to decrease asymmetries and yield,
together with a slightly raised
membrane to increase acoustic
performance in the medium-high
range, combined to produce a
96dB sensitivity with 1400W power
handling (maximum).
w www.faitalpro.com
Allen & Heath has launched iLive
Configuration Utility, a Flash-based
web application enabling users
to build their own iLive system,
selecting iLive control surfaces,
iDR10 MixRacks, and
any extra modules or accessories
by ‘dragging and dropping’ them to
corresponding slots on the
back of an iLive surface and
MixRack with item codes
automatically being generated in
readiness for forwarding to local
sales representatives.
w www.allen-heath.com
Harman Heads
For PLASA08
Upcoming AKG, dbx, and JBL launches
AKG Acoustics will be using PLASA08 (Earls Court, London, bass response for a bigger bottom end. Also new from
September 7-10) as an introductory platform for its dbx, the SC32 and SC64 Digital Matrix Processors,
new WMS 4500 wireless microphone system – see this
respectively hosting 32 and 64 channels
month’s ‘Product Sampler’ on p86 for more info – and
of analogue I/O, configurable in banks of
D7 high-performance vocal microphone, a dynamic
eight, plus one (SC32) and two (SC64) highspeed
option slots for adding upcoming
design featuring a
super-cardioid pickup, high-bandwidth audio transport I/O
Laminate Varimotion cards, alongside dedicated DSP for
diaphragm technology,
common processing functions, including
an integrated high-
AFS, Ambient Noise Compensation (ANC),
pass filter, custom-built
priority ducking, parametric EQ, delay,
capsule mounting, and dynamics.
spring steel wire-mesh
Finally, JBL Professional will be
grill, and a heavy-duty all-metal body.
introducing its new 8100 Series full-range
Meanwhile, fellow Harman Pro Group company dbx
in-ceiling loudspeakers, comprising the
Professional Products will be introducing its new DriveRack
8124, a four-inch loudspeaker with wide
PX Powered Speaker Optimiser, designed to enhance and
coverage, and the larger (eight-inch) 8128,
optimise the performance of powered speakers; an included
offering extended bass response and
dbx M2 measurement microphone uses Auto-EQ to correct
higher SPL output. Low-saturation
for audible deficiencies in the room environment, while
transformers permit the use of many
dbx’s patented Advanced Feedback Suppression (AFS)
such speakers on 70V/100V distributed
tames harsh feedback,
loudspeaker system lines.
allowing for trouble-free
Sound Technology
+44 (0)1462 480000
operation at higher sound
www.soundtech.co.uk
pressure levels, and the
Harman Pro Group
patented Subharmonic
+1 818 894 8850
Synthesiser extends
www.harmanpro.com
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MC2 Expands T Series Amps And Adds To Ti Series
Devon-based British ultra high-fidelity pro audio amplifier
manufacturer MC22 has introduced the latest addition to
its T Series of fixed installation-orientated amplifiers in the
2U form of the two-channel (1750W per channel, 4Ω @ 1kHz)
T-3500. Weighing in at 22.5kg, the T-3500 is fitted with either
a 100/120V or 220/230/240V tapped transformer – according
to customer requirements, and delivers a 20Hz to 20kHz
frequency response.
MC22 has also launched the Ti Series of network audio
components for use in Cobranet and/or Ethersound systems,
offering a complete solution to audio integrators wishing
to combine remote monitoring,
configuration, and control
with the renowned audio
quality and reliability of MC22
amplification with XTA digital
expertise. “Taking the existing
T Series amplifiers as
the start point, we have
incorporated remote
monitoring of output
voltage, current, power,
protection status, and temperature via RS485,” stated XTA/
MC22 Sales & Marketing Director Bill Woods. “We have
also added the remote control of bridged/dual mono/
stereo modes, level, mute, and standby function. Analogue
inputs are via XLR and Phoenix Eurostyle connectors, as are
RS485 comms for control and monitoring. Speaker outputs
remain on NL4C Speakon connectors.”
MC22 Audio
+44 (0)1404 44633
www.mc2-audio.co.uk
Group One
+1 516 249 1399
www.g1limited.com
70
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

www.audiomedia.com
Alcons in the UK
Alcons establishes UK office
Following in the expansive footsteps of its
German satellite operation (Alcons Audio
Germany), Dutch professional sound
system developer/manufacturer Alcon
Audio has opened a dedicated UK office
(Alcons Audio UK), headed up by 10-year
pro audio veteran Stephen Badham. Noted
Managing Director Tom Back, who launched the company
in 2002: “The UK is important in many ways; it influences
the European music scene, and it also influences the US.
Taking all that into account, setting up the UK operation was
purely a matter of when, so having the right person heading
up Alcons UK is very important. Steve has the passion and
personal integrity we value so highly; he also has experience
and know-how that makes him an asset to us not only in the
UK, but to the company as a whole – and to the next phase
of the Alcons Audio evolution.”
To that end, Alcons Audio is shipping the LR14/90 proribbon
line-array, a passive two-way ultra-compact line-array
module designed to be used in vertical stacked or flown
arrays – ideal for medium-sized applications, thanks to its
Community Professional has introduced new powered
versions of every model in its SONUS range of portable,
linear-response loudspeaker systems, adding high-efficiency
Class D amplifiers for better performance, less heat, and
maximum reliability – namely, the two-way (400W LF/100W
HF) S-1296A and S-1596A; three-way S-3294A and S-3594A
(adding 100W MF); plus dual-15-inch S-215SA and dual-18-
inch S-218SA (1000W) subs.
Additional introductions include ENTASYS – a new
high-performance, three-way, full-range column linearray
loudspeaker system comprising six low-frequency
neodymium drivers; 18 2.35-inch midrange drivers; and six
seven-inch- long, one-inch-wide, planar-coupled, patentpending
Compact Ribbon Emulator (CRE) high-frequency
elements – and the new VLF (Versatile Low Frequency)
range of loudspeakers, comprising the dual eight-inch
VLF208 and dual 12-inch VLF212, with respective frequency
responses down to 70Hz passive/60Hz DSP (VLF208) and
50Hz passive/43Hz DSP (VLF212).
In response to customer feedback, the Chester,
130dB-plus SPL, throw, and even coverage. This additional
90º x 15º version of the already well-received LR14/120
offers even more flexibility and tailored projection, with
the patented Real-90 dispersion working in harmony with
the Morpher lens in the newly developed Alutec waveguide
of the RBN401 to bring active frontal radiation up to 94%
for ‘spike-less’ vertical dispersions. Sub-1kHz frequencies
are handled by two 6.5-inch Neodymium mid-bass drivers,
while attention has been paid to the woofer/reflex-port
combination for extended LF out (down to 51Hz), despite the
system’s ultra-compact size.
Alcons Audio
+31 229 28 30 90
www.alconsaudio.com
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Community Creates And Updates
Pennsylvania-based company has redesigned its M12 stage
monitor – now available in black or white with the HF horn
folded into the faceplate either to the left or the right of the
driver – to include rubber pocket grip handles to improve
portability and larger, easier-to-access connector base,
streamlining setup and teardown times for live events and
portable applications.
Community UK
+44 (0)141 440 5333
Community Professional
+1 610 876 3400
www.communitypro.com
Greensboro, North Carolina-based
loudspeaker developer WorxAudio
Technologies has introduced
the M80X2-P, a two-way, highefficiency,
ultracompact
line array
loudspeaker
system
featuring
two modules
with a
medium format, one-inch exit
compression driver coupled to
a stablised proprietary FlatWave
Former wave-shaping device,
paired with dual eight-inch cone
transducers coupled to an Acoustic
Intergrading Module.
w www.worxaudio.com
Røde has launched the M2, a
live performance condenser
microphone
with a
feedbackrejecting
supercardioid
pickup
pattern, plus an integrated
shock-mounting system to
minimise handling noise. “Sound
professionals have been hesitant
to use condenser microphones
for live applications due to their
fragile nature and susceptibility to
feedback; I wanted to change that,”
stated Røde Microphones President
Peter Freedman.
w www.rodemic.com
Kylie Minogue’s
current
KYLIEX2008
European tour
features a
Capital Sounddesigned/
supplied
Meyer Sound
rig comprising left and right
hangs of MILO and two MILO line
array loudspeakers each, plus six
flown 600-HP and eight groundstacked
700-HP subwoofers per
side handling the low end. Its
elaborate stage design dictates
using a centre hang of six M’elodie
line array loudspeakers instead of
frontfill, with more ground levelpositioned
M’elodies to balance
the imaging.
w www.meyersound.com
American alt rockers R.E.M. are
touring the world with two Midas
XL8 Live
Performance
Systems and
a Klark Teknik
DN9696 highresolution
hard disk recorder in tow, all
provided by US rental company
Rat Sound.
w www.midasconsoles.com
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008 71

09|08
AMSR
Cinema Expo
International 2008
In the mix for a full-on
concert experience, TERRY
NELSON wonders just how
an important an ingredient
‘alternative content’ is
A possible course of action for
concerts would be to install a
supplementary sound system. We
asked the hire company, Britannia
Row, for their view (thanks to Mike
Lowe).
“Unless a cinema has the
necessary physical infrastructure
for the temporary installation of
supplementary sound system, it is
usually not financially viable (unless
it is a really special event that could
command a very high ticket price
to make a temporary installation
financially economical).
“If they are going to show
a season of programmes, the
best course of action would
be to upgrade the installation
entirely (although the expense
of a temporary installation could
become more viable as certain
related costs would be amortised
over several days or weeks).
“We have done a variety of
film and DVD premières in concert
venues, and these are more
conducive to the concert experience
due to the size of the hall. Concert
levels in a cinema may prove rather
frightening!”
The 17th edition of Cinema Expo International at the
RAI Convention Centre in June showed that the cinema
exhibition industry is still very much alive
and well!
D-Cinema figured prominently in the seminar
programme and, by and large, it can be said that this
is at last underway, with the full implications of the
technology now being discussed. For
some, the new turn of events will be too
much; for others, an opportunity to be
exploited.
An aspect that is finally being
recognised as an important ingredient
for success is alternative content, and a
comprehensive seminar was devoted to
this ‘new frontier’, with contributions from
Europe and the USA.
So what is ‘alternative content’
Opinions do differ slightly, but it could be
said that it covers everything apart from
current releases of feature films.
Charlotte Jones of Screen Digest
defined it as “…events (mainly live),
media and venue-based” (including gaming,
education, and corporate presentations, etc). Though still
a niche market, it is evolving as it opens venues to a wider
audience.
Drew Kaza of Odeon/UCI pointed out that music
does not necessarily mean big acts and that the most
important aspect is regularity, with programming being
as diverse as local or upcoming bands, or the Royal Opera
House and Glyndebourne.
Rafael Urio, Yelmo Cinemas/
Spain, described the concerts by
the Spanish supergroup Héroes
del Silencio! as being a win-win
situation, where supplemented
ticket prices for the cinemas were
still far lower than the concert
prices, the latter being sold out in
minutes. An important point was
that the group and management
were very motivated to do the
cinecasts, and that work ing
with people with vision is the way
forward.
Marc John, Picture House cinema group, noted
that alternative content could be up to 20%-30%
of programming. The company does full project
management for events and has just reached an
The Alcons Prototype.
The new JBL.
agreement with the Metropolitan Opera for live
transmissions.
Paul Chesney of Arts Alliance said that cinema is an
‘alternative’ venue that can swing between live events
and ‘classic’ cinema with one-day screenings. Their
portfolio includes La Scala and the Royal Opera House,
including ballet.
Evan Saxon of D&E Entertainment asked
the question: “Are you in the cinema business,
or the entertainment business”, before
making the important statement: “Sound
quality is very important to content, in fact, it
is a vital ingredient.” Well, well…
With people such as Sony and Disney
creating new divisions for alternative content
in 3D, things are indeed moving. However, in
my opinion, there are still serious issues that
need to be addressed concerning sound, and
three main questions came to mind during
the presentations.
• How and where is the mix done
• How will the average cinema sound
system translate the audio
• Lip sync! This was often way out, and
painfully so with some programme
material.
There needs to be more emphasis on sound, and just
saying, ‘the audio is 5.1…’ is not enough. In most of the
examples shown, the sound was very much behind the
screen, with virtually no surround or envelopment.
A common failing is that the mix just does not
translate to a large space, hence the first question. If you
are mixing in a broom cupboard for
a control room, it will not work (and I
speak from experience).
For concerts, the sound system
will have to be able to recreate the
live experience and in many cases,
this will require an upgrade of the
installation.
This could open up a new
o p p o r t u n i t y fo r l o u d s p e a k e r
manufacturers for systems that can
handle both cinema and concert
sound in the manner to which they are
accustomed! However, it is clear that to get all of the
benefits offered by alternative content, it will not be on
the cheap. ∫
Thanks are in order to the CEI team for their kind
collaboration.
72
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

UNCOVER
WHAT'S NEW
IN 2009
www.plasashow.com

09|08
AMSR
FRANK WELLS can’t wait until
PLASA ’08 – so he gains a sneak
preview of the Soundcraft Si3, a
fully integrated bridge between
analogue and digital consoles.
At this month’s PLASA show in London, Soundcraft will
formally introduce the Si3 digital live sound console,
the first (and the flagship model) of a new console
line. “It’s a totally integrated unit,” says Product Manager
James Shears, “no racks, power supplies are built in, audio
ins and outs are on the back on physical XLRs.”
The Si3 is conceived as a plug and play replacement for
a conventional mid-format analogue console, “effectively,
take your analogue one out,” says Shears, and “put your
digital one in.” Shears says there won’t be ‘a half-fitted’ Si3;
the configuration is fixed, though ample for a broad range
of applications, including the House of Worship market.
The Si3 has 64 physical mic/line inputs, 24 busses, and
eight matrix outputs. Each bus output has a dedicated
physical connection and metering. “You can assign those
as groups or auxes, however you wish,” says Shears,
“You want 24 auxes, you’ve got 24 auxes.”
panel handling such signals as the main output busses,
assignable analogue insert I/O, and external stereo
playback device input. In addition, Lexicon signal
processing units are built-in to the Si3 – four of the same
units employed on Soundcraft’s Vi6. The few options
available for the already full-featured desk will include
power supply redundancy and, for four option slots,
cards to handle additional interfaces like MADI, CobraNet,
and I/O suitable for direct connect to digital stage boxes
and headphone systems. Harman HiQnet connection is,
as one would expect, standard.
Two sixteen-channel fader sections sit either side of
centre, each controlling 32 channels of input. In a ‘Global’
mode (think ‘horizontal’), the encoder and corresponding
OLEDs for each strip control the identical functions
for each channel allowing a quick view of pans, bus
sends, mic gains and so forth across each input channel.
SOUNDCRAFT SI3
Digital Live Console
THE REVIEWER
FRANK WELLS is the Editor of
Audio Media's sister magazine, Pro
Sound News in the US. His career
includes experiences in military
communications and radio broadcast
engineering. He spent nearly 10
years as Chief of Technical Services
for Masterfonics studios in Nashville
and was the founding editor of Audio
Media USA.
“The technology we developed for this is called
EMMA, Embedded Multi-processor Mixing Architecture.
Basically, it’s a console on a board, and we can then use
that for different platforms depending on how much
I/O we want,” says Shears. The Vistonics control surface
technology developed by fellow Harman Pro company
Studer, and employed on Soundcraft’s Vi6 console, and
the outboard DSP engine that Studer and Soundcraft
share for the Vi6 and other consoles, are currently cost
prohibitive to deploy at the target price point of the Si3 –
in the mid five figures (roughly half the price of a Vi6 with
the same nominal I/O). The Analog Devices SHARC-based
EMMA platform will be migrated down to a number of
future products. The Si3 uses a single encoder knob and
fader per control strip, the control and display topology
still benefiting from the Vistonics-like philosophy of
distributed and agile displays. Local OLED blocks at each
encoder provide information like channel names, current
encoder function, metering, and status (i.e., VCA assign,
phantom power, polarity reverse). “What we’re trying to
do is get away from having to go into a screen to see
something,” explains Shears. Indeed, though the Si3 will
be able to support an external screen and editor software,
the onboard touch screen is diminutive and is primarily
used for housekeeping and set-up functions, and for
display of EQ curves.
The Si3’s four modular rear panel I/O modules each
has 16 inputs and eight outputs, with a central I/O
In the ‘Channel’ view (or vertical), the full range of
controls (gain, pan, EQ, dynamics, etc) for a selected
channel are laid out across the 16 encoders and displays.
“Channel mode is like you’ve taken your analogue channel
strip and you’re just lying it on its side,” explains Shears.
In the centre section, 12 faders, and two rows of 12
encoders and displays, allow similar control of output and
VCA group functions, and the parameters of the Lexicon
processors. Soundcraft’s FaderGlow illuminated fader
tracks change illumination color by function for a quick
indication of whether the faders are controlling groups,
VCA’s, mute group assignments. or channel levels.
Snapshot automation, preset, and user definable keys
round out the Si3’s capabilities. A walk through of the Si3
draws the simple conclusion, ‘It’s a console’, bridging the
simplicity and familiarity of an analogue console with
the power and flexibility of digital. ∫
..................................
INFORMATION
£ Guide Price -GB£20,000.00
A Soundcraft, Harman International Industries Ltd., Cranborne
House, Cranborne Road, Potters Bar, Herts EN6 3JN
T +44 (0) 1707 665000
F +44 (0) 1707 660742
W www.soundcraftdigital.com
74
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

AMSR 09|08
Warwickshire, UK – Midas is taking the next step in
the implementation of technologies developed for
its flagship XL8 Live Performance System digital
mixer with the introduction of a new console and the
reintroduction of a legacy nomenclature. The PRO6 Live
Audio System, the first Midas console to carry a PRO series
designation since the analogue console line’s successful run
was introduced 33 years ago, uses the same software engine
as the XL8 and offers a generous subset of the XL8’s
capabilities in a smaller footprint (the control surface is
about the size of a 32-channel Verona, and the external I/O
and processing engine are housed in two 7R rack units).
MIDAS PRO6
Live Audio System
Design Heritage
The PRO6 mic pre amps utilise all discrete components
in a design based on that used in the analogue XL and
Heritage series of consoles. The pre implementation
has both analogue and digital gain stages. Midas says
that when developing the XL8, it went into a great
deal of investigation into quantifying why its analogue
desks have their unique sonic character – that research
resulting in digital processing algorithms that are shared
by the PRO6. Believing also that the operational feel
of the controls is critical to the user experience – the
interaction between tactile control response and what
33 years ago, Midas’
PRO-designated series was
introduced. Now, at PLASA
2008, Midas will launch a
wholly new PRO series, but
will it be just as successful
FRANK WELLS is allowed an
early look at the PRO6.
The standard PRO6 package affords up to 80
simultaneous input channels and 32 (+3) discrete mix
channels, with EQ and dynamics on each. By adding
additional I/O, the networked system’s capabilities can be
expanded to 264 inputs and 264 outputs. The PRO6 also
employs the plug-in compliment developed for the XL8,
and as three new ones. All FX and processing is incorporated
into the PRO6’s integral automatic processing delay
management system (one of the reasons that Midas limits
plug-in implementation to their own proprietary plug-ins)
to ensure sample accurate phase coherency between
channels, regardless of differing processing latencies.
As with the XL8, the PRO6 system is networked using the
AES50 protocol, which carries not only audio and clocking,
but also time-stamping information that Midas says is
critical to its delay management system.
Colour Control
The control surface, sporting a somewhat subdued colour
scheme in comparison to the XL8, does borrow much
from its big brother. A 12-fader input channel section
occupies the left third of the mix controller, with available
controls and layout familiar and friendly to analogue
console operators in what Midas calls ‘Fast Zones’.
Four identically laid out control strips reside on the right
end of the desk. ‘Dual Operator Channel Strips’ in the
XL8 style – a pair of more densely populated sections of
control knobs and buttons for use on a selected channel
– are fitted between the Fast Zones and the output and
master sections.
Ten ‘VCA’ faders sit at the bottom of control surface
centre. The PRO6 follows the ease-of-use model developed
for the XL8. Colour-coded VCA group keys and six colourcoded
‘POP’ or population group keys sit above the VCA
faders. With user assignable channel groupings, legends,
and colour-coding, the VCA and POP groups let users
bring clusters of channels to the fader banks at the touch
of a button and in a layout that makes logical sense for
their production and operational style, rather than the
user having to page through virtual layers of faders to
access a given channel. The remaining portions of the
output section consist of knobs and switches to control
levels and other parameters of auxes and groups.
The final control surface section houses master faders,
monitor control, automation (including eight mute
groups), talkback/coms/oscillator controls, user assignable
knobs and dual track balls (that can also serve as surround
panners). Two ‘daylight visible’ screens share the right twothirds
of the bridge, giving access to a host of set-up and
operational displays.
the engineer hears – led Midas to design in ‘real-time’ control
operation and the use of sampled potentiometers, rather
than digital encoders, for all rotary controls and faders.
Reliability features of the PRO6 include redundant power
supplies, modular FPGA based processing with a spare
module option (with automatic deployment if needed),
AES50’s mature error correction capabilities, redundant
network cabling, and dual-redundant Linux-based master
control computers.
At the time Midas entered the digital console market
with the remarkably full-featured XL8 (at a price point that
guaranteed an elite level of adoption, though 100 XL8s
will be in the market by mid September), the company
foreshadowed its intention to base additional consoles
on the same core technologies, broadening their ability
to penetrate additional segments of the digital console
market. Midas Managing Director John Oakley heralded
the PRO6 introduction saying, “This is the one where
everybody gets to play.” Midas reports that the standard
PRO6 package was conceived to be competitive in both
features and price with their Heritage 3000 48 TP (Touring
Package) console. ∫
..................................
£ GB£/US$ - TBA
INFORMATION
A Midas Europe HQ, Walter Nash Road, Kidderminster,
Worcs, DY11 7HJ
T +44 (0) 1562 741515
F +44 (0) 1562 745371
W www.midasconsoles.com
THE REVIEWER
FRANK WELLS is the Editor of
Audio Media's sister magazine,
Pro Sound News in the US. His career
includes experiences in military
communications and radio broadcast
engineering. He spent nearly 10
years as Chief of Technical Services
for Masterfonics studios in Nashville,
and was the founding editor of
Audio Media USA.
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008 75

09|08
AMSR
INNOVASON ECLIPSE
Live Digital Mixing Console
SIMON ALLEN heads across the
Channel to check out the latest
French delicacy, Innovason’s
digital console, but will it count
among the finest of French
exports along with good wine
and soft cheese
THE REVIEWER
SIMON ALLEN is Stage and Studio
Manager of High Barn.
France has given us: The Eiffel Tower, soft cheese, good
wine, Daft Punk, and now The Eclipse. With live digital
mixing consoles starting to become the norm at
venues and festivals all around the globe, France has entered
its new contender. Digital consoles have proven to have so
many advantages over analogue systems, Innovason, it
seems, want to add a few more to that list.
History
Even though Innovason has been active in live sound
since 1993, it has been nearly five years since the
company launched a new product. Recently Innovason
has had investment from German desk manufacturer
Lawo, which has sparked the build of this new desk.
Not many people realise that Innovason was the first
company to bring digital consoles and digital audio
snakes onto the live sound scene. It was also the first
to develop live networking with its Digigram and
EtherSound digital snakes. All this time in the market
and with such good results so far, this new product
launch has got many people really keen to see what’s
going on in Brittany, France.
Innovason’s current consoles, the Sy48 and its
flagship Sy80, are strong international desks that still
hold their own even four years on. The Sy80 provides
a whopping 80 digital faders and a clear layout that
has helped engineers move from analogue to digital.
The other advantage Innovason consoles have retained
over the years is accessibility for everyone; even today
there are desks out there that have limited connectivity.
Nearly every manufacturer has launched their digital
live mixing console, and it is interesting to see what
Innovason are now offering with the Eclipse to make it
stand out from the crowd, and I believe the desk will be
pleasing to many engineers.
The Brief
Innovason is claiming that everything you need is
onboard this console and from my first encounter with
the desk I could see why, even though I wasn’t able to
hear any results from the desk as they’re still building
it! Yes that’s right, Innovason is working around the
clock to get this finished to launch at the PLASA show
in September. You have to hand it to them really, as they
only started work on this project towards the end of 2007.
For a small company, this is quite an achievement.
If you’ve ever wondered how a manufacturer sets
about designing a new control surface, then this will
surprise you; Innovason started by asking a design
company to draw up how it should look, and then filled
the insides. I think this has paid off, as the look of the
desk is great, and the layout of the controls is clear and
ergonomic. Innovason also concentrated on making sure
the controls and displays were easily read in all lights.
Too many pieces of audio equipment are either useless in
the dark, which is surprising considering concert venues
are often very dark places, or festivals during the day that
can be in bright sunlight. The labels are clear and the
display lights such as the LED VU meters can be dimmed
or brightened easily.
Innovason then asked what engineers wanted from a
control surface, and tried to take everything into account.
Even little details like being able to access the USB slot to
load and save mixes was moved to a more accessible
position as this is a complaint from their current desks.
Innovason’s philosophy is: “the console is a tool that
must adapt to the sound engineer’s needs, not the other
way round,” so they have made this desk very versatile
and user-programmable. This also allows the desk to
be adaptable for all aspects of live sound such as; FOH,
monitors/IEM, broadcast, OB van, and recording.
>
76
AUDIO MEDIA sEptEMbEr 2008

AMSR 09|08
>
Even though Innovason is able to draw on past
experience and technologies, this is a completely
new desk. There are new control panels, fader
blocks, software including plug-ins, a multi-track
recording system, a touch screen, and of course
the new compact layout. Eclipse does however
have some current Innovason technology such
as the same mic pre-amps as the Sy80 due to
Innovason having had nothing but praise for its
very translucent mic pres. The desk also draws
on Innovason’s original SmartFAD concept which
allows better grouping and layering of faders
than conventional layers and groups on other
digital desks giving the Eclipse ‘virtually’ 96 faders.
Fit For Use
The desk can mix 104 inputs, and has 48 mix
busses at any one time. However it has a 320
I/O capability so it can switch between different
stages or acts at festivals for example. This is
possible through five racks each delivering 64 I/O.
The Eclipse is compatible with many digital audio
networks, unlike some digital desks on the market
at the moment. This is something I wish would
be standardised in the future as it would allow
much more patching capability for engineers, and
save time and money. These digital audio looms/
snakes are great only when you stick to one
system. Innovason however has tried to bridge
that gap and offer the following with Eclipse: their
own Muxipaire format, which gives 64 channels
travelling distances up to 500m down coax cable,
EtherSound which also offers 64 channels but
with distances up to 100m down CAT5 cable,
A-Net16 for AVIOM 16 channel personal mixers
or MADI with an optional DioMadiES converter.
This desk is also compatible with all other
Innovason racks and modules.
On the surface of the control unit are touch
sensitive faders and a touch screen to capture
the creative element of working on a mixing
desk. When digital desks first arrived, engineers
found it hard to ‘feel’ their way around because
sound engineering is mainly ‘building a picture’
and digital desks were originally constraining.
Innovason have delivered something that fits
with natural instinct; if you want to change a
parameter then you just dive in and do so by
following your nose. There is no need to get hung
up with the mouse or keyboard.
You can imagine this desk as a control
surface that you program to use how you like.
Any parameter can be altered from any control,
its all up to you. If you want to assign the EQ
high-shelf to a channel’s pan pot, then you can
within seconds. You can
build the desk around
your mix and make it
work for you in a very
creative way. I think
this will add a new feel
for engineers from the
ground up, and may
develop new methods
or even sonic ideas.
Eclipse also offers LED
IDs on each fader so you
can easily see what’s
what from a glance. The
LEDs on each channel
are dependant on what you have assigned to
it, whether it be an input, an output, a group, a
master, an FX, or an Aux, and so on.
As well as the LED IDs above each fader there
is a user definable rotary knob to which any
function can be assigned, such as pan, gain, or
trim. There is also a low cut direct access that
gives speed during line checking, and this is new
to Innovason desks. On-top of the 48 faders there
is a Smart Panel with 12 rotary knobs which again
is all completely user definable. You could use this
section for more channels or maybe as a more
conventional method for your Aux returns.
There is also a smart gain control, which is
another new feature of the Eclipse. According to
Innovason’s research, some engineers commented
that one problem with digital network looms
is that the gain is set for each channel by the
master module, and any other modules on
the network set to slave were unable to alter the
gain. When two Eclipse consoles share the same
distant rack, only one (the master) has access to
the preamp’s gain, and that has always been a
problem. With the new SmartGain feature, the
master console sets the gain of the preamps once
for all, and then both engineers switch to 'trim'
which is a digital gain and gives each engineer a
range of +/- 16dB completely independently.
Other on-board features are gate and
compressor VU meters, direct delay adjustment
and a user defined section with six assignable
VU meters, four assignable rotary knobs, and
four assignable switches. The computer’s mouse
is found as a rotary ball which sits comfortably
near the screen and glows an attractive blue.
Underneath the desk there is also a tray for the
PC’s keyboard. Innovason has also installed two
power supplies making it fit for the road and
those unpredictable festival power supplies.
There will be two versions of the Eclipse,
the standard straight mixing unit and a more
expensive version with a second PC inside with a
second piece of software ‘MARS’ (Multitrack Audio
Recording System). As well as offering a complete
recording solution the second PC acts as an all
important back-up. Innovason are offering two
versions of the Eclipse, as the recording PC needs
to be of a much higher power to cope with multitrack
recording, so the straight mixing unit is
therefore reasonably cheaper.
There is a bay on the back of the console for
a removable hard drive where the MARS will
record to. This then allows the files to be taken
off and worked on in a studio. An observation
at this point is that the software for recording is
only designed to record a live show, conveniently
without the need for a separate rig and engineer,
but it doesn’t have any editing facilities.
You have to take the files out to work on
elsewhere. There are plus points to having the
built in recorder such as being able to record
sound check. This would mean you can do a
relatively short sound check with the band/act
and then work on the sound as long as you like
while you play the recording back.
The effects inside the console have been taken
from the Sy48 and Sy80, with a few updates to
the plug-ins. There are some nice features, like the
EQ of the reverb return can be found next to the
FX plug-in itself rather than having to physically
go to the return and apply an EQ. The quality
of the plug-ins is expected to be good, as the
gentleman who has designed them used to work
on the Pyramix algorithms.
The software on the two PCs in the Eclipse runs
off a Windows XP platform. Mixes and sessions can
be saved to any USB mass storage device, which
makes this a great desk for engineers to tour with,
and for PA hire companies to offer. It also benefits
in house installations as venues can save band/
act settings for each visit, so shortening sound
check times. The desk also proves to be efficient
out and about as mixes/patching can be edited
on a PC or laptop before being loaded onto the
desk. For example, an engineer touring with a
band on the road may be warned that the band
want something slightly different one night as
there might be a guest on stage. The engineer
can then prepare for this before they even reach
the venue. It is a shame, however, that there is no
auto-save function on the desk, and so if there is
a power cut, the last manually saved mix will load
once power has been restored.
Conclusion
The Eclipse’s extra functions will help it stand
out in today’s market. The user definable control
surface is very well thought through, and I am
sure it will help nurture the creative element
of mixing. I feel the recording function and the
partnership with Lawo is just the start of some
very exciting products to look out for in the
future. Only time will tell if the desk operates and
sounds as good as it is set out to. With so much
being built into digital consoles now, I think it will
have an effect on live show costing in the future
as tour managers realise technical crew don’t
need to carry as much weight to each concert,
and soon engineers will be asked to spec small.
∫
....................................
£ €59,000-70,000
INFORMATION
A Innovason – France, Zone du Kenyah Nord,
56400 Plougoumelen, France
T +33 297 24 34 34
F +33 297 24 34 30
W www.innovason.com
E info@innovason.com
AUDIO MEDIA september 2008 77

09|08
AMSR
Working in the dark, SIMON
ALLEN finds a beacon of light in
the Sennheiser SR 350.
Stage monitoring has developed a long way. As we all
know, one of the biggest worries for live sound
engineers has always been whether or not the
performers can actually hear themselves on stage.
Technology has developed from nothing at all into some
very elaborate methods to try and meet the needs of
musicians and performers. Sennheiser, now well established
in this field, has launched its second generation wireless
monitoring solution that guarantees much greater range
along with added flexibility.
Overview
The SR 350 fits into one unit of any standard 19-inch rack,
and considering the weight of the module, Sennheiser
has squeezed a lot in. First impressions are good, the unit
is well built out of solid materials proving it to be ideal for
the road. Being rack mountable and with each transmitter
having its own network port for Sennheiser’s ‘net 1’ set
up, which allows multiple transmitters to be configured
simultaneously, the SR 350 is in my opinion more versatile
than some other wireless monitoring solutions.
away in minutes. There are 11 items to choose from in the
menu including; Bank, Channel, Tune, Sensitivity, Display,
Name, Reset, LCD contrast, Mode, Lock, and Exit, which
are all fairly self explanatory and what you would expect.
Exiting the menu at any point is quick and easy – simply
press the on/off switch.
Tuning in the packs are also easy. You have the choice
to do it manually or through the pre-assigned banks
and channels. In total there are a massive 1,440 UHF
frequencies available for interference-free transmission.
Every transmitter has eight channel banks, each of which
has twelve pre-sets, as well as a bank for user defined
channels. Keeping tabs on which mix is going to which
transmitter and to which receiver couldn’t be easier as
you can apply a name to each one.
You can choose what you have on the back-lit LCD
displays, but the VU meters are clear and responsive.
Should the input be peaking at any point, the transmitter
screen changes to red and says ‘PEAK’ in capitals which I
really like. This, along with back-lit buttons, makes this
unit very easy to work on in the dark.
SENNHEISER SR 350 IEM G2
UHF/Twin Transmitter For Wireless Monitoring
THE REVIEWER
SIMON ALLEN is Stage and Studio
Manager of High Barn.
The SR 350 contains two independent stereo
transmitters. On the front panel there are three menu
buttons, an LCD screen and an on/off button for each
transmitter. Both transmitters also have a headphone
jack for monitoring the mix, each with a separate
volume control knob. The colours and layout of the
unit are very similar to Sennheiser’s previous units,
which will be welcoming to engineers already used to
Sennheiser equipment.
On the rear there is a 3-pin IEC power socket with cable
grip to prevent power loss during transmission. Each unit
also has two balanced or unbalanced XLR inputs for stereo
use, but like most audio equipment, the left input can be
used for mono use. My only grumble here is that there isn’t
the choice to have balanced or unbalanced jack inputs,
which is surprising considering most applications will
be used with a mixing desk that outputs from auxiliaries
and matrixes on balanced jacks most of the time.
There are also two BNC sockets to connect the antennae
to. The antennae are nice and compact, and will easily fold
away at the end of a show into the back of the unit.
There is also a switch on the rear to change the RF
emitting power. This is a new feature on the generation
2, switching the power from 15mW to 100mW making the
SR 350 ideal for stages of all sizes. Being able to switch
the power setting allows the unit to be used anywhere
and can prevent interference with other RF equipment.
However, because it can emit 100mW of RF power, some
places may require a licence from the respective authority
for radio transmission.
In Use
It didn’t take me long to have the unit out of the box, set
up, and running with two EK 300 IEM G2 receiver packs.
The SR 350 works with Sennheiser’s EK 300 IEM G2 and EK
3253 monitor receivers. The menu on the SR 350 is very
intuitive and very easy to use. There are no unusual terms,
and it follows on from earlier Sennheiser radio modules;
and having previously used other modules myself, I was
I kept one EK 300 body pack for myself and gave
another to the drummer in the band one night, at first I
thought the sound was very thin but realised very quickly
the EK 300 receivers had EQ settings. You are able to
add extra top, and it becomes clear why when trying
to monitor the sound back with the band playing live
to add clarity. I happened to have some other evolution
receivers on at the time for wireless mics, so tuned in
one of the receivers to monitor the transmitted sound
back on some DT150 headphones and was pleasantly
surprised. Even though I could tell it was a radio signal the
noise level is considerably less than some other wireless
monitoring solutions. At the end of the show I couldn’t
help but notice how hot the unit had got, which must
be a result of all that power it emits, so it is definitely
something to place carefully in a rack.
Conclusion
Sennheiser’s SR 350 IEM G2 has some serious power to
suit all applications and does the job effortlessly and
efficiently. There is no fuss and yet the unit is still versatile.
I already have some Sennheiser RF equipment and am
very pleased with it. They have got their generation 2
just right. It is a good, compact solution for monitor
engineers, and painless enough for engineers looking
after the whole operation on their own. ∫
..................................
INFORMATION
£ GB£2,495.00 (exc.VAT)
A Sennheiser UK Ltd., 3 Century Point,
Halifax Road, High Wycombe, Bucks HP12 3SL
T +44 (0) 1494 551551
F +44 (0) 1494 551550
W www.sennheiser.com
78
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

Say goodbye to the central screen
And say hello to the new Soundcraft ® Si3 – the digital live sound mixer that frees you from the constraints of mixing via a
central screen. A one box solution that simply plugs in where your analogue console used to be, the Si3 delivers massive
flexibility, sophisticated features and pristine sound quality – all with the ‘engineer friendly’ operation for which Soundcraft
digital mixers have become famous.
64 inputs, 4 stereo inputs, 24 bus outputs • 8 matrix outputs, 12 VCAs, 8 mute groups
4-band fully parametric EQ with high and low cut filters • On-board dynamics • Four independent Lexicon processors
A physical output and meter for every bus • Everything in one box, everything right where you want it.
You know what a
channel strip looks like.
So does the Si3.
Distributed Display
Technology.
Clearly a better idea.
In no time,
it’s showtime.
Set up the show, on the
way to the show.
Isn’t it cool when the world’s
leading effects company is
in your group.
In Channel Mode, there’s a
rotary encoder for every
function. Then switch to
Global mode and all your
Pans, Input Gains, etc. are
right there in a row.
Doesn’t it make sense to have
your visual feedback right where
you’re working That’s why we
gave the Si3 a series of superbright,
hi-res OLEDs instead of
a single, central screen.
With the Si3, how you work is
up to you. Put your VCA groups
wherever you want them –
Soundcraft’s revolutionary
FaderGlow will always remind
you what mode you’re in.
With Virtual Si software
running on your laptop, you
can set up the show anytime,
anywhere, and simply load in
your configurations using a
USB stick.
The Si3 features built-in
effects from our friends at
Lexicon, and dynamics
processing that draws on the
heritage of BSS Audio and dbx.
Soundcraft T: +44 (0)1707 665000 E: info@soundcraft.com
Soundcraft US T: 888-251-8352 E: soundcraft-USA@harman.com
www.soundcraftdigital.com

09|08
AMSR
A Night at the Opera
Setting the stage in Scandinavia
The once ‘opera-less’ Oslo
now boasts one of the finest
opera houses in the world,
literally rising – almost iceberglike
– from the Norwegian
capital’s Bjørvika waterfront.
JONATHAN MILLER marvels at its
impressive sights and awesome
sounds in the capable company
of pivotal personnel from
audio equipment installer
Benum siv. ing AV.
With its extensive North Atlantic coastline peppered
by its famous fjords – that rugged coastline
stretching over 83,000km, Norway is an impressive
country by any standard. Equally economically rich,
Norwegians enjoy the second-highest gross domestic
product (GDP) per capita after Luxembourg, and the thirdhighest
GDP per capita in the world.
It is, therefore, fitting that no expense was spared in
constructing and equipping the new state-of-the-art
opera house that dominates the Bjørvika waterfront, an
amazing architectural feat of eye-catching La Facciata
(white Italian Carrara marble) and Norwegian ‘Ice Green’
granite (from Sør-Trøndelag) that rises out of the fjord
like a giant ice floe, where it is perfectly positioned to
serve around 500,000 residents – roughly one-tenth of
the country’s population. That's what a generous NOK 4.4
billion (approximately £430 million) building budget can
create. The government footed the entire bill for the nineyear
project, which actually finished ahead of schedule
and under budget.
Outside In
Norwegian architects Snøhetta’s design is certainly
beautiful, yet it’s what’s on the inside that really counts.
Here its vital statistics make for impressive isolated
reading: 38,500m2 gross floor area (divided into 1,100
rooms), of which 11,200m2 is dedicated to three audience
areas – the 1,364-seat self-explanatory Main Hall (Store
Sal), 440-seat so-called Scene 2 or Little Hall (Lille Sal),
plus a 200-audience capacity Rehearsal Stage; stage
areas totalling 8,300m2 – including one of the most
advanced opera stages in the world with a 16m x 16m
main stage supported by side stages, back stages, and
an under-stage allowing 9m-high scenery to be prepared
under the main stage and elevated during performances;
while a generous 19,100m2 is turned over to rehearsal,
administration, and workshop duties.
Remaining inside, Snøhetta turned to the combined
talents of London-based Theatre Projects Consultants
– ‘Theatre Designers to the World’ – and acoustic
designers BrekkeStrandArup, a joint venture between
local consultants Brekke & Strand Akustikk and global
consultants Arup Acoustics, also responsible for the
Copenhagen Opera House. According to Rob Harris,
director of Arup’s global performing arts business,
“Many old opera houses have short reverberation times,
making the words sound clear, but the orchestra sounds
dry, while modern opera houses tend to have a longer
reverberation time to produce a more concert-like
orchestral sound. The design brief in Oslo followed this
trend, so our challenge was to provide the right balance
between the two. It was a pleasure to experience the
acoustic first hand at the opening event, and to witness
the audience’s appreciation for what we have achieved.”
Yet construction and acoustics working together in
harmony are not the whole story. The Benum Group
– more specifically its Oslo-based Norwegian division,
Benum siv. ing. AS – were invited to compete for a
lucrative sound tender for the Oslo Opera House that was
originally drawn up back in 2000. In reality, the latter’s
Peder Krohn (Project Manager), Ronald Hernes (Sales
Manager), Egil Eide (Product Manager Audio), and Sverre
Jøssund (Product Manager Audio) spent three months
– and many sleepless nights – at the tail end of 2005
writing and delivering the winning tender, following a
protracted pre-qualification round that itself took six
months to negotiate.
An animated Hernes remembers receiving the
good news in true Scandinavian style: “I was standing
on a mountain, and Peder called me: ‘Ronald; we
got the deal!’” Given that the deal involved installing
around $10- to $12-million of audio equipment,
Hernes was understandably elated: “I went inside,
drank a big beer, and then back out again: ‘Yes!’
It was fantastic.”
Krohn: “I don’t know if it’s common or not, but
one interesting thing is that we actually supplied
the majority of the equipment, because most of
the equipment is represented by Benum in Norway.
We didn’t have to shop around.”
>
80
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

09|08
AMSR
>
Standing on the spacious main stage,
looking out onto the beautifully finished Main
Hall – whose inner and outer walls, balcony
fronts, and circular ceiling element are clad in
oak (to match the high, wave-curved wall
separating the foyer and auditoriums), Eide
embellishes the success story further still, adding,
“Before we started doing the tender, we asked if
we could get inside the building, but they said no
because it was quite early on in the construction
process," says Hernes. "So the first time we got
in was after we got the contract, because then
it was possible – though not for visitors – to
walk around. Below the stage it goes down 16m
to accommodate the big rotating stage.
“It’s not everyday that we do an installation
while wearing a helmet and steel toe-capped
shoes! And with a lot of dust – too much dust!”
Sounds Like A Million NOK!
The Oslo Opera House’s extensive (and expensive)
audio system was designed and specified by
Swedish (Gothenburg-based) consultants Artifon
AB in collaboration with Norway’s own Oslobased
COWI AS – the former’s Alf Bernston being
responsible for both halls, plus their complex,
custom-designed Stage Management System,
while the latter’s Frode Bye was closely involved
in signal distribution. For their not inconsiderable
part in the (initially) dusty proceedings, those
hard-working Benum boys provided over 200
SMRT audio distribution boxes, multiple Renkus-
Heinz loudspeakers, Stage Tec consoles, Clear
Com wireless and wired comms, Medialondistributed
paging for the orchestra, and much
more besides. “One of the good things about
this project has been how well we’ve been able
to work with the consultants – and the users,”
notes Hernes. Yet it should perhaps come as little
surprise that Renkus-Heinz and Stage Tec ended
up being so central to the resulting installation
bearing in mind that Benum distributes both
product lines in Norway. Declares Jøssund:
“We decided that was the equipment that should
be in here – simple as that...” To which Krohn lightheartedly
interjects, “...and the one-million NOK
you paid them!”
“We know that Renkus can do the job, and
also, of course, the Stage Tec system – at least
with the fibre optic system that covers the whole
building,” continues Jøssund.
Eide: “I remember reading the specification;
it was very clear that it was very close to Stage Tec,
because they needed two consoles in this Main
Hall that should be able to work in parallel, plus
another console in the Small Hall, and a fourth
console in the recording studio – all working on
the same network. That was one part of it – making
some effects in the studio, which could then be
taken up to here, mixer to mixer, or whatever.
So I think that flexibility and the fact that they
have a very good reputation around Europe for
opera houses and theatres was quite important.
"Of course, it’s expensive, but it’s very reliable,
and it has very few critical cards.”
Here Eide is referring to the AURUS, Stage Tec’s
delightful digital so-called Direct-Access Console,
a 40 channel strip version of which resides in
the separate control room located at the back of
the Large Hall, working in parallel with a smaller
one (24 channel strip) sited in the Main Hall itself.
Nothing unusual about that, one might well
assume, except that the smaller AURUS sits on
a platform that cleverly lowers below the floor
level, James Bond-style, allowing more seats to
take its place.
“As I understand it, there’s always a big fight
with the management, because they want
to sell those seats, so their feeling is that the
console should be raised during rehearsals, but
lowered during performances, with the mix being
done on the bigger console in the back room,”
Eide maintains. “Once they have got used to
sitting out in the Big Hall eventually they will
be able to cope quite well from within the back
room. After a year or two, let’s say, they will have
great fun sitting with the windows closed!”
Hernes: “One funny question from the
management before they moved in here was,
‘Do you know which seat numbers cover the
console’ Because they can’t sell a yearly
subscription for that area, so they actually called
us to ask... We had no idea – the seats weren’t in!”
Back to the amazing disappearing console
though, Eide explains, “It’s a track system
– like a train track, so you can slide the
platform one way, then the console comes up.
That’s the theory; in reality, it’s quite a heavy
construction, because the console weighs about
70 to 80 kilos, but this is probably built for a
locomotive of several-hundred tonnes! There must
have been a big misunderstanding, because this is
really over-engineered.”
The system is a step above what they’ve been
used to working with before,” Eide notes, “but
now that they have started to understand the
routing, they’re very happy with it.”
Recalls Hernes: “When Sverre was installing
the speakers suddenly some music came from
somewhere; one of the users sitting in the
sound studio downstairs had routed something
wrong, so it came out of the Main Hall’s speakers!
Training is quite important.” Indeed it is...
Speakeasy
Of course, those flexible, reliable, and expensive
Stage Tec AURUS consoles and their attendant
NEXUS-STAR audio-router systems – designed
by Stage Tec specifically to handle the most
extensive routing requirements of broadcast
centres, large production companies, and even
truly 21st Century opera houses – would be
of little use if the resultant resplendent audio
could not be heard – accidentally, or otherwise,
and for that the Oslo Opera House largely relies
on Renkus-Heinz, thanks, in part to Jøssund’s
tenacity. “The consultants had thought long
and hard about what they wanted,” he posits.
“They had specifications on every speaker, and
every speaker had to be inside this specification,
so we had to find speakers that matched
that, and we found that with Renkus-Heinz.”
Suitably hooked, electro-acoustic evaluation for
loudspeaker system design purposes was carried
out by Jøssund – together with Renkus-Heinz’s
Vice President of R&D, Ralph Heinz; Robert
Nilsson, Project Leader of Swedish design and
installation company DAT AB; and Artifon AB’s
aforementioned Alf Bernston – using Ahnert
Feister Media Group’s EASE (Enhanced Acoustic
Simulator for Engineers) and EASERA (Electronic
and Acoustic System Evaluation and Response
Analysis) tools alongside Norsonic’s Nor118 sound
level meter. Yet, amazingly, according to Eide,
“The only time we’ve actually heard the speakers
was during the tests!”
So, what’s where and why Where to start,
even The Main Hall’s expansive (and expensive)
stage seems sensible, since that’s where we’re
still standing. Here two Renkus-Heinz ST4/4-2T
self-powered PowerNet Reference Point Arrays
are positioned in moveable loudspeaker towers
hidden behind specially tested acoustically
transparent cloths either side of the stage,
together with another pair of centrally-flown
ST4/4-2Ts to form the main Left-Centre-Right
(L-C-R) system, augmented by four DR18-2 selfpowered
dual 18-inch subwoofers, plus four
PN61 PowerNet self-powered loudspeakers
providing front fill.
All are controlled by Renkus-Heinz’s proprietary
R-Control network, interfaced with a Yamaha
DME64 Digital Mix Engine, in turn connected
to the above-mentioned networked Stage Tec
NEXUS-STAR audio-router systems via AES/EBU.
Krohn: “The ST Series cabinets were selected
for their very low distortion and colouration,
combined with compact dimensions relative
to their maximum output level. The latter was
important, because of the need for the complete
system to be aesthetically unobtrusive, yet able
to deliver very high SPLs, when required, for jazz
and rock performances, as well as very pure vocals
and solo instrumentalists.”
>
82
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

Buying a new
Microphone,
Monitor, or
Console this year
AUDIOMEDIA
AUDIO-FOR-VIDEO BROADCAST INTERNET AUDIO LIVE SOUND MULTIMEDIA POST PRODUCTION RECORDING
THE INTERNATIONAL
BUYER’S GUIDE
T HE WORLD’S LEADING PROFESSIONAL AUDIO TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE
A SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL PUBLICATION FROM THE NEWBAY MEDIA GROUP
AUDIO
CONSOLES
2008
AUDIOMEDIA
AUDIO-FOR-VIDEO BROADCAST INTERNET AUDIO LIVE SOUND MULTIMEDIA POST PRODUCTION RECORDING
THE INTERNATIONAL
BUYER’S GUIDE
THE WORLD’S LEADING PROFESSIONAL AUDIO TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE
A SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL PUBLICATION FROM THE NEWBAY MEDIA GROUP
MONITORS
2008
AUDIO MEDIA
AUDIOMEDIA
AUDIO-FOR-VIDEO BROADCAST INTERNET AUDIO LIVE SOUND MULTIMEDIA POST PRODUCTION RECORDING
THE INTERNATIONAL
BUYER’S GUIDE
THE WORLD’S LEADING PROFESSIONAL AUDIO TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE
A SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL PUBLICATION FROM THE NEWBAY MEDIA GROUP
MICROPHONES
2008
AUDIO MEDIA
AUDIO MEDIA
Then check out the 2008 International Buyer’s Guides
at www.audiomedia.com

09|08
AMSR
>
To that end, the Main Hall’s loudspeaker
system is specified to handle anything up to
and including full rock concerts, providing four
individually selectable modes, electronically
configurable via the Yamaha DME64 Digital
Mix Engine’s 64-way output matrix, allowing
instrumental and vocal signals to be routed to
different loudspeaker combinations to suit the
performance in question: Mode 1 (‘Song System’)
configures the main proscenium system as L-C-R,
plus fill; Mode 2 (‘Instrument System’) is configured
as Left-Right, plus fill; Mode 3 is designated as
Source-Oriented Reinforcement (‘SOR’); and Mode
4 provides 5.1 surround sound. “That’s not our
decision; that was asked for in the tender,” states
Jøssund, most matter-of-factly. Meanwhile, underbalcony
fills are handled by passive Renkus-Heinz
PNX81/9 and PNX61 loudspeakers powered
by QSC CX501 and CX1102 2-Channel Series
amplifiers housed within dedicated temperaturecontrolled
machine rooms (alongside an array of
additional rack-mounted equipment, including
a 48-channel Digidesign Pro Tools recording
system and associated Studio Network Solutions
server, multiple TC Electronic System 6000s, and
much more besides), while no fewer than 52
additional QSC-driven PNX61s handle surround
and delay fill duties when called upon to do so.
Finally, four more PNX81/9s and PNX61s are
flown from the circular lighting bridge – more
commonly called ‘The Doughnut’ – suspended
some 30m above the stalls. For the sake of
continuity, Renkus-Heinz is also out in force in
the adjacent Little Hall, where a mobile, fully selfpowered
stage monitor system comprises nine
PN81/9s, 10 PN121Ms, eight PN61s, plus DR18-2
subs (elsewhere, the venue also boasts another
mobile sound reinforcement system comprising
four Renkus-Heinz PN82/9s and two PN112-SUBs,
controlled by a Yamaha LS9-16 digital mixing
console).“Both halls sound beautiful,” concludes
a justifiably satisfied Eide. “They have very good
acoustics, and the response from various critics
has been fantastic.” Hernes concurs: “For us, it was
fantastic when they opened Scene 2, and at its
premiere journalists wrote that it was heavenly!
The sound engineer did a very good job, also;
it almost sounded acoustic when coming from
the speakers, so it sounded right.”
Curtain Call
And on that uplifting note, who better to bring
our enjoyable evening visit to Oslo’s latest
landmark building project to a fitting close than
the tolerant man charged with overseeing the
long-winded installation of all that wonderfulsounding
audio equipment Peder Krohn kindly
offers up the following summation on behalf of
his hard-working colleagues from Benum siv.
ing. AS: “We are extremely proud; we are also
humbled by the task and the consultants that
we have been working together with, as well as
the users. It’s been a hard but fantastic journey.
We’d like to do it again.”
Anyone visiting the memorable Oslo
Opera House will want to do so again. In the
opening words of King Harald himself, “Here
we may experience ourselves and the world we
live in. Our challenge will be to make this
available to all.” ∫
audio media september 2008 85

PRODUCT SAMPLER
Wireless Mic Systems
Audio Media tunes in and turns on the latest wireless microphone systems.
For the times they are a-changin’. So sang Bob Dylan (though originally not through a wireless microphone). Yet, in keeping
with Dylan’s pertinent lyrical observation, today’s microphone manufacturers are competing to produce ever-improving
systems suited to communications, intercoms, and stage performance. Cliff Richard need never (literally) sing
‘Wired For Sound’ live again!
AKG Acoustics’ WMS 4500 wireless mic system
offers improved audio capabilities. Available
in two new frequency bands – Band 7 (500-
530MHz) and Band 8 (570-600MHz), it comprises
the SR 4500 receiver unit (featuring various settings,
including adjustable backlight, AutoSetup,
EnvironmentScan, and
RehearsalMode); PT 4500
emitter (redesigned to
withstand rugged stage
use); PT 4500 bodypack
(accepting mic and linelevel
signals); and HT 4500 handheld transmitter
(accepting interchangeable mic modules).
www.akg.com
Behringer’s ULTRALINK UL2000B UHF True
Diversity Receiver beltpack/headset system
utilises 320 transmission frequencies, and allows
users to simultaneously
operate up to
20 wireless systems.
Other features
include a proprietary
long-range antenna
design for freedom
of movement, wide
audio bandwidth, high-performance IRC compander,
and a headset microphone featuring a
Panasonic condenser transducer.
www.behringer.com
Italian dB Technologies makes a digital wireless
system (DWS2400) operating in the 2.4GHz
range, and claims an unheard of frequency
response of 20Hz to
22.1kHz at a 44.1kHz
sampling rate (compared
to the 50Hz
to 15kHz typically
achieved by analogue
systems). Said system
comprises the DWS2400
R dual-band true-diversity
receiver with intelligent frequency-scan software,
plus the UH2400M handheld microphone.
www.dbtechnologies.com
Audio Limited’s DX2040 true diversity receiver
is central to its RMS2040 range of radio microphone
systems. With 32
pre-programmed frequencies
and a switching
bandwidth of up to
24MHz, the receiver has
an infrared control interface
for ‘SwitchiR’, a keyfob-sized
remote unit,
and can be powered by
two 1.5V AA-type batteries.
Optional AudiR for
Palm software allows for
on-location signal-strength scanning.
www.audioltd.com
beyerdynamic’s IMS 900 in-ear system features
16 pre-programmed UHF frequencies. Housed
in a 9.5-inch metal case with a group-/levelindicating
LCD,
combo inputs,
and headphone
output, the SE 900
stereo transmitter
can accommodate
up to eight channels
per frequency
range with interference; the TE 900 pocket
receiver is equipped with a mono/stereo switch,
volume and balance control, two RF antennas,
plus a switchable limiter.
www.beyerdynamic.com
Electro-Voice’s REV professional wireless system
offers an array of new features over and above
those of its RE-1 predecessor, including an
optimised analogue audio path developed with
Digital Audio Labs, plus RV-Link PC software to
enable remote monitoring, control, and programming.
Factory-set channel groups allow up
to 16 systems to simultaneously operate in one
frequency band in over 950 possible channels.
www.electrovoice.com
Audio-Technica’s M2 and M3 UHF systems
include a lightweight bodypack stereo receiver
and dual 1/4-inch/XLR-equipped stereo transmitter.
The M2 is designed for semi-professional
and solo musicians, presenters, and small- to
medium-sized
concert systems
with 10
UHF frequency
bands, while
the M3 fulfils larger-scale music, theatre, and
broadcast production requirements with six
selectable frequency bands and three user-programmable
ones (with 16 channels each).
www.audio-technica.com
Carvin Corporation’s UX1000 Wireless System
is available in two configurations: the UX1000-B
comprises the UPB 1000
UHF bodypack, plus
the UX1000 PPL 960
Channel True Diversity
Receiver, which supports
960 user-selectable
channels, dividable into
four assignable groups,
while the UX1000-MC
includes the UMC1000
hand-held microphone, especially developed for
use with the same receiver (also included).
www.carvin.com
JTS’ INIFINITY wireless series’ IN64R UHF PLL
Single Channel Diversity Receiver features
REMOSET (using an RF signal to send frequency
change settings to
the IN64 Transmitter
in a fraction of a
second, allowing for
instant frequency
changes during a
performance), 64 UHF
channels (arranged
in four preset groups), plus an informative LCD
(showing RF Level, Audio Level, Battery Life
Level, Antenna Status, and Channel Selection).
www.jts.com.tw
86
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

PRODUCT SAMPLER | WIRELESS MIC SYSTEMS
New Mexico-based audio systems
developer Lectrosonics’
SMQ ‘Super-Mini’ quarter-
Watt wireless transmitter is
capable of delivering 250mW
WRF output with features
including a membrane-switch
front panel, and an LCD
mounted in a special aluminium
housing. The SMQ ships
with a leather belt clip pouch,
four rechargeable batteries,
plus a charger.
www.lectrosonics.com
Sabine’s SWM7000-ND Series 2.4gHz band
receivers are available in single- and dualchannel
models, both featuring built-in Targeted
Input Processing, which includes the FBX
Feedback Exterminator, a compressor/limiter,
an adaptive de-esser, and ten parametric filters.
They include both analogue and digital audio
outputs, and allow for networking of up to 70
channels using the manufacturer’s SWM7000
remote software.
www.sabineusa.com
Smartwireless’ Solo systems are all based
around a single-frequency Solo receiver, which
pairs an unbalanced audio output with a telescopic
antenna to create one of the simplest
wireless systems
around. Other
notable features
include stable VHF
handling (available
on 173.8, 174.6,
and 175.0mHz) and
robust build quality – perfect for schools, colleges,
and fitness centres, et al.
www.smartwireless.co.uk
London-based Micron’s high-performance
systems are renowned for their reliability in the
field. Its Explorer
100 Series includes
the SR116 ultracompact
receiver,
designed to operate
with DV camcorders.
It offers
16 switchable frequencies
across a
24mHz bandwidth
to avoid interference
from RF sources.
www.micronwireless.co.uk
Airline 77 is the newest addition to Samson’s
high-flying Airline series that, according to the
manufacturer, features the first micro-technology
transmitters in the pro audio industry.
No belt-packs
or cables is the
name of the game
here – hence that
Airline moniker. A
selection of transmitters
are available,
together with the CR77 UHF True Diversity
Receiver with multi-segment audio level, RF
level, and A/B antenna operation LED meters.
www.samsontech.com
Telex Communications’ MR-500 UHF Frequency
Agile Wireless Mic System is designed to suit
professional small to medium installations of
one to 20 systems. Features include optimised
channel frequencies to allow up to 20 systems to
operate simultaneously by combining channels
from three available bands or up to 10 within
one band, and Digital Posi-Phrase Diversity
receiver technology to provide clear, dropout-free
audio (includes
an Electro-Voice N/DYM
767 dynamic microphone
element, or an RE410
Condenser element).
www.telex.com
Taiwanese wireless microphone and portable
sound system manufacturer MIPRO’s 24-bit
ACT-81/-82 wireless microphone systems feature
digital RF transmission with proprietary
DSP algorithms, 128-bit proprietary encryption,
a background noise-eliminating sub-band
ADPCM algorithm, and DigitnamicPlus compander
noise-eliminating
technology,
all housed in rugged
metal receivers with
full-colour displays,
plus AutoScan and
ACT functions.
www.mipro.com.tw
Sennheiser’s EM 3732 True Diversity Receiver
is a twin receiver with 90MHz switching bandwidth,
featuring six user-selectable fixed frequency
banks and one user bank with up to
60 channels that can be programmed in increments
of 5kHz. An integrated antenna splitter
allows up to eight units to be daisy-chained
together, while the system receiver itself can
be remote-controlled and monitored using the
provided Wireless Systems Manager (with the
host PC being
connected to
the EM 3732
via Ethernet).
www.sennheiser.com
Trantec’s S5 system is specifically designed for
aerobics instructors, courtesy of the headworn
SJ66 sweat-proof microphone with a flexible
gooseneck (available
in black, blue, and
yellow). Two formats
are available: the
S5:3LH operates up
to 12 simultaneous
channels, while the
S5.5LH caters for larger projects, and is capable
of operating up to 24 channels with a wider
choice of frequencies with fully-interactive PC
monitoring.
www.trantec.co.uk
Nady Systems’ U-41 Quad offers four discrete
UHF wireless receivers in a single rugged
19-inch, 1U, all-metal rack-mount housing,
operating on UHF frequency bands between
794MHz to
806MHz with
Tone Squelch
circuitry for
protection
from RF interference.
Nady’s
exclusive, patented companding circuitry produces
high-quality audio for ‘unsurpassed’ UHF
performance with a 120dB dynamic range.
www.nady.com
Shure’s UR1M micro-bodypack operates as part
of Shure’s UHF-R wireless microphone system
using the latest version
of the Shure Wireless
Workbench software
to purportedly deliver
crystal clear audio with a
60-75MHz (region dependent)
tuning range, tuneable
in 25kHz increments
to provide up to 3,000
selectable frequencies with
up to nine hours of battery
life.
www.shure.com
Zaxcom’s IFB100 transmitter is designed to
integrate with its TRX900 wireless microphone
series, transmitting a single RF carrier containing
timecode, IFB audio, and
remote control signals to
any number of TRX900
wireless systems. Notable
features include a patentpending
ability to record
a group of channels and
play them back as a virtual
multi-track recording, a two-channel audio
mixer, plus SMPTE timecode acceptance, and
line level balanced audio.
www.zaxcom.com
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008 87

AUDIO MEDIA CLASSIFIED
Angela Brown on +44 (0)1480 461555 E-mail: a.brown@audiomedia.com
R E C R U I T M E N T
S E R V I C E S
Based in Ealing Angela Campus Brown on +44 (0)1480 461555
Faculty of Arts
Audio Technician (x2)
£27,918 - £32,043 pa incl
Ref: FOA009
The University is seeking to appoint 2 audio technicians to join the existing
team in supporting students using both Analogue and Digital Audio Studio
and Mac lab facilities on the TVU Ealing site.
The working hours for both these posts will be between 5.00pm and 10.00pm
Monday to Friday and between 10.00am and 6.00pm Saturdays and Sundays
throughout the academic year.
The successful candidate will need to be qualified to graduate level and have a
background in Music technology and electronic music production. They must
be familiar with all major audio software packages on both Mac and PC platforms
and be able to demonstrate practical experience with current hardware
recoding methods.
The successful candidates will need to be self motivated, have excellent
communication skills and a creative approach to problem solving within the
University’s studio environments.
Closing date for receipt of applications: Friday 19 September 2008
In return, TVU offers you the benefits of the final salary pension scheme,
excellent financially supported development opportunities and generous
holiday entitlement.
For further information and an application form, please visit
www.tvu.ac.uk or contact the Human Resources
Department on 020 8231 2321 (24hr voicemail) or
alternatively email hr@tvu.ac.uk quoting the relevant
reference number.
TVU is committed to
the promotion of equality
and social justice.
Further and Higher
LOOKING TO HIRE
ADVERTISE YOUR POSITION HERE
CALL ANGELA ON: +44 (0)1480 461555
S E R V I C E S
FO R ALL YO U R RE C O R D I N G NEEDS
AMPEX – BASF – MAXELL – JVC
AUTHORISED NATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR
Spools, boxes, blades, splicing and leader tape.
Custom wound cassettes C1-120, labels, library cases, cards.
Bulk audio C-Os, cases, pancake. Broadcast cartridges.
E-mail: a.brown@audiomedia.com
SOUND & VIDEO SERVICES
Shentonfield Road, Sharston Industrial Estate,
Manchester M22 4RW Tel 0161 491 6660
FO R QUA L I T Y, PRICE AND SERVICE
Buying a new
Microphone,
Monitor, or
Console this year
AUDIOMEDIA
THE INTERNATIONAL
BUYER’S GUIDE
T HE WORLD’S LEADING PROFESSIONAL AUDIO TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE
A SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL PUBLICATION FROM THE NEWBAY MEDIA GROUP
MONITORS
2008
A U D I O MEDIA
AUDIOMEDIA
THE INTERNATIONAL
BUYER’S GUIDE
T HE WORLD’S LEADING PROFESSIONAL AUDIO TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE
A SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL PUBLICATION FROM THE NEWBAY MEDIA GROUP
AUDIO
CONSOLES
2008
A U D I O MEDIA
AUDIOMEDIA
THE INTERNATIONAL
BUYER’S GUIDE
T HE WORLD’S LEADING PROFESSIONAL AUDIO TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE
A SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL PUBLICATION FROM THE NEWBAY MEDIA GROUP
MICROPHONES
2008
A U D I O MEDIA
Then check out the 2008
International Buyer’s Guides
at www.audiomedia.com
AUDIO MEDIA
New Improved
Digital Edition!
The industry’s leading professional
audio technology magazine now
has an even more user friendly
digital edition that can be
delivered direct to your desktop,
no matter where you are!
Register on-line today and get the same
great content as the print edition plus
bonus rich media and direct weblinks!
To see a sample of this unique Flash-based
format visit www.audiomedia.com
Subscriptions to the print issue
remain unaffected.
88
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

THE
‘VINTAGE’
NEVE
SPECIALIST!
S E R V I C E S
WANTED!
OLD NEVE CONSOLES
(IN ANY CONDITION)
& SSL CONSOLES
WE PURCHASE WORLDWIDE
AES PRO AUDIO IS A UNITED KINGDOM COMPANY
TEL: 01932 872672 FAX: 01932 874364 TEL INT. 44 1932 872672 FAX INT. 44 1932 874364
email: aesaudio@intonet.co.uk
www.aesproaudio.com
LOOKING
TO HIRE
ADVERTISE YOUR
POSITION HERE
CALL ANGELA ON:
+44 (0)1480 461555
S T U D I O A C O U S T I C S
1000 CDs with Booklet+Inlay c.£600
Quality CDR / DVD copies from 51p
CD/CD-ROM Mastering £70ph
DVD, CD-audio, CD-ROM, Cassettes
Over 21 years experience
Graphic design, colour print
Large and small run specialists
Excellent quality and presentation
THE MANUFACTURERS APPOINTED
PROFESSIONAL AUDIO SERVICE CENTRE
SONY Professional DAT, PCM, M/Disc · OTARI MTR to DTR · AKAI DIGITAL
TASCAM DAT, DA88 · FAIRLIGHT · REVOX · MRL Test Tapes · ATHAN
Product Dedicated Specialists
Meticulous Estimating
Rapid Response Turnaround
Excellent!
Repeat Performance
Multimedia
6 Grand Union Centre
West Row
London W10 5AS
Tel. 020 8960 7222
visit us at
www.repeat-performance.co.uk
Collection and Delivery
On Site or In House Service
Comprehensive Warranties
Trading 10 Years. The Initiators of “Service Only” Contracts to Pro Audio Manufacturers
USE THE APPOINTED SERVICE COMPANY, WE HAVE THE TRAINING, THE PARTS,
THE NECESSARY JIGS, THE MANUFACTURERS AGREEMENT, THE KNOWLEDGE.
TTL House, Sheeptick End, Near Lidlington, Bedfordshire, MK43 0SF
Telephone 01525 841999 Facsimile 01525 841009
A I R C O N D I T I O N I N G
AIR CONDITIONING &
VENTILATION TO
SOUND STUDIOS IS
OUR SPECIALITY
WE PROVIDE DESIGN ONLY OR DESIGN AND
INSTALLATION FOR MANY WELL KNOWN
CLIENTS.
WHETHER IT BE FOR DISPLACEMENT, FREE
COOLING, V.A.V., V.R.V., SPLIT, UNITARY OR
CENTRALISED CALL MIKE HARDY OF
AMBTHAIR SERVICES LTD ON
01403 250306 OR FAX 01403 211269
WEB: www.ambthair.com
Email: cool@ambthair.com
Solid State Logic
S O U N D | | V I S I O N
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008
89

*
ADVERTISERS INDEX
ADK 65
AES 36
Audio Limited 39
Audio Precision 11
Audio Technica 50
Berliner 54
Bricasti 59
Calrec 38
Conch 23
DiGiCo 92
DK Audio 40
DPA 33
Drawmer 51
Euphonix 15
Fairlight 10
FAR 90
Focusrite 25
Fostex 27
Glyph 14
Grace 34
HHB 43, 59
Innovason 83
Klark Teknik 81
McDSP 21
Merging 37
Midas 68
Millennia 31
Neutrik 85
Plasa 73
PMC 19
Primacoustic 49
Prism 41
Richmond 90
RME 12, 13
SBES 61
SCV London 20
SIEL 53
Smart AV 6, 7
Sommer Cable 17
Sonic Distribution 2, 3, 60, 64, 67
Soundcraft 79
Sound Devices 45
Sound Link 90
Tascam 35
TLA 63
Trinnov 47
TubeTech 18
Ultrasone 44
Unity 19
Zaxcom 55
90
AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008

LRX2 audio workstation
location recorder
Record... Where you want,
when you want
The SADiE LRX2
is the most flexible
location recorder
available, meeting the
demands of the modern
recording environment.
This feature-rich, compact unit
provides the ultimate solution for
increasing the productivity of the
time-conscious professional.
• Up to 48 tracks of AES/line/phantom powered
mic inputs or 64 channels MADI I/O
• Mirrored recording for secure back up
• User intuitive software for instant multi track recording
• Stereo mix creation during recording
• Redbook CD burning on location
• BWAV recording format for instant transfer into your system
• Waveforms drawn whilst recording and no rendering
• Edit whilst recording to ensure fast turnaround of product
A
Prism Sound Company
Contact us now to arrange your demo:
Email: sales@sadie.com
www.sadie.com
+44 (0)1223 424988 +1-973-983-9577