Audio Pro October 2009 - Issue 23

www.audioprointernational.com

Issue 23 • October 2009

PLASA REVIEW • STAGE WEDGES • TLA 5052 REVIEW • JOHN AGNELLO

LIVE • COMMERCIAL • RECORDING • BROADCAST

CONVERTING OPINIONS

Knopfler’s made his choice.

What’s your pick of the DAC bunch?

EVENTSAES PREVIEW • 8What’s hot for the NYC show

PLASA REVIEW • 11A review of the big news from Earls Court

IBC REVIEW • 16Broadcasting delights from Amsterdam

PRODUCT REVIEW • 24A look at TL Audio’s 5052 stereo processor

JOHN AGNELLO • 332010’s hottest engineer talks shop

STEVE LEVINE • 41MPG chairman and renowned producer

speaks on being a purist

STUDIO/BROADCAST

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

VOID ACOUSTICS • 21Alex Scan on the future of speaker technology

COVER FEATURECONVERTERS • 36A rundown of the latest in ADA technology

NOTTING HILL • 30What happened at London’s craziest carnival

LIVE SOUND/INSTALLATION

> Regulars: Behind the Board 45 In Session 46 People 48 Products 50 Marketplace 53 Mixdown 56

> IN THIS ISSSUE

CONTENTSISSUE 23 October 2009

Contacts for Audio Pro InternationalEditorial: +44 (0)1992 535646 Ads: +44 (0)1992 535647

Fax: +44 (0) 1992 535648

Editor: Andrew Low

[email protected]

Deputy Editor: Rob Hughes

[email protected]

Associate Editor: Samantha Loveday

[email protected]

Advertising Manager: Darrell Carter

[email protected]

Editorial Production: Helen French

[email protected]

Ad Production: Rosie McKeown

[email protected]

Subscriptions Manager: Hannah Short

[email protected]

Designer: Claire Brocklesby

[email protected]

Managing Editor: Andy Barrett

[email protected]

Publisher: Dave Roberts

[email protected]

As reported in our PLASA 09

review (pages 11 to 14), there

seems to be a positive vibe about

the financial future of the pro

audio market, as many have

reported that the installation

sector has began to show new

signs of life.

Despite the fact that both

PLASA and IBC suffered from lower attendance

numbers, one can hardly turn a nose at the

combined 56 thousand industry professionals who

made the trip to the shows, some of whom

bounced back and forth between London and

Amsterdam to check out both events.

Another trend noticed at the shows was the

phenomenon of the incredible shrinking console

as manufacturers such as Digico, Soundcraft and

Avid showed their latest and smallest digital mixers

for clubs, theatres and corporate events.

The one area that still seems to be lagging

behind is the rental market. The big hire companies

are reportedly keeping their cards close to their

chests as several summer festivals were cancelled

and tour budgets continue to tighten.

On the studio side of the business, we were

lucky enough to speak with two legends of the

craft, Steve Levine (page 41) and John Agnello (33).

Having engineered and produced two of this

year’s most anticipated indie records, Agnello

explains the multi-faceted role that he takes on

while working with veteran artists.

He started his career as an intern at NYC’s

famous Record Plant studios and went on to work

with big artists like Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi

Lauper and Kiss. The production techniques he

learned while working with producers like Jimmy

Lovine on mainstream albums have been creatively

tweaked and adapted to make the big sounds

found on his work with Dinosaur Jr, The Hold

Steady and others. This occurrence gives a true

sense of how an experienced engineer like Agnello

is revolutionising modern recording by putting his

own spin on the secrets and tricks learned from

the world’s top engineers.

Andrew Low - [email protected]

mobile.audioprointernational.com

A bookmark us in your phone

EDITORIAL

DIGITAL FUTURE • 4Yamaha’s plan for live sound mixing

DIGICO GIVE AWAY • 4500th SD8 console auction announced

AVNU ALLIANCE • 5AV heavyweights join forces

40 YEARS RUNNING • 6Allen & Heath celebrates four decades

NEWS

YAMAHA'S PROFESSIONALAudio Division has released a whitepaper outlining its plan for the futureof digital sound systems. It has alsoannounced a plan for thediscontinuation of its much-lovedPM1D console.

In the report, A New Age ForDigital Sound Systems, Yamaha stated:“Through our continuous dialoguewith industry professionals, it is clearthat for larger projects there is now ademand for higher levels of systemfunctionality in terms of audio andcontrol, distribution, DSP and userinterfacing options. These arerequired to support the ever-increasingsize and complexity of liveproductions for music, theatre,broadcast and corporate events.”

The audio giant cites the rapidexpansion of the use of digital audioand, in particular, the emergence ofthe all-in-one mixing console(combining the user interface, I/Oand DSP within a single consoleframe), which has become the‘industry norm’.

The company has now decided that,along with the obvious levels of soundquality and reliability, the ideal

scalable audio solution should alsoprovide configurable componentdevices for designing specific systemsfor installations or rental jobs,variable system sizes with distributedI/O, DSP and user interface,integration of audio and control datain one core wide bandwidth network,bandwidth and DSP to supportextremely high channel counts,extremely low latency (sampleaccurate across thenetwork), openinterfacing withother major audioformats andnetworks andredundancy fornetwork, DSPand PSU.

Yamaha hasannounced that,for some time, itsR&D engineers havebeen working on thenetworking technologies,as well as hardware and softwarecomponents necessary to develop notsimply a traditional mixing console,but rather an innovative completeaudio systems solution.

It proclaimed: “Bycombining a brand-

new, wide bandwidth,low latency network with

distributed I/O devices, DSPand assorted user interfaces, it is

possible to create not only variablesizes of mixing systems, but also tocreate powerful routing systems withpatching and DSP processing

capability that do not even require aconsole control surface.”

While the company noted that thisflagship component-based solution willnot be a replacement for it’s existingconsoles such as PM5D, M7CL andLS9, the following day, it went on toannounce that, after ten years, it’sPM1D console is to be discontinued.> yamahaproaudio.com

Yamaha unveils the future ofdigital live sound technology

4 audioPRO October 2009 www.audioprointernational.com

> NEWS

Digico donates 500th SD8 inmemory of revered engineersProceeds of console to be divided between

the families of John Roden and Jim Douglas

DIGICO IS to donate theproceeds of its 500th SD8 console– manufactured in May – to thefamilies of late sound engineersJohn Roden and Jim Douglas,both of whom were earlysupporters of the company andwell respected by their peers.

John Roden had an impressivelist of credits to his name, but wasperhaps best known as PaulMcCartney’s monitor engineer, arole he fulfilled for 18 years. Healso worked with many othermajor artists, including AnnieLennox, Eurythmics, MichaelJackson, George Harrison, BlackSabbath, AC/DC and the RollingStones, as well as David Gilmour

and George Michael.Jim Douglas spent 40 years in

the industry. He also listed PaulMcCartney among his monitoringcredits, along with the likes of TedNugent, Foreigner and Aerosmith. > digico.org

AV heavyweights form

the AVnu AllianceA GROUP of industry-leading audiovisual consumer electronics and siliconcompanies have banded together tocreate a new industry forum, named theAVnu Alliance.

The alliance is dedicated toenhancing professional-qualityaudio/video by promoting emergingIEEE 802.1 audio/video bridging (AVB)networking standards for a broad rangeof markets including automotive,consumer electronics, and professionalAV. The founding members of theAVnu Alliance include Broadcom,Cisco Systems, Harman International,Intel, Samsung, and Xilinx. In additionto the founders, Avid, Marvell andMeyer Sound have now joined thealliance as the first promoters.

AVnu Alliance aims to establish aprofessional quality AV experience innetworked environments, whether an

HD television or music studio, a car, aconcert hall, a stadium or a hometheatre. Today, out-of-sync audio andvideo, glitches and delays can occur inmany of these settings, unless complex,proprietary solutions are deployed.

To address these issues, the AVnuAlliance is promoting the IEEEstandards, currently in development, for802.1 AVB (Audio Video Bridging) andalso the related IEEE 1722 and 1733(which extends RTP for use with AVB).

The draft AVB standards are designedto work over widely-used IEEE 802 layer2 networks. These new standardsprovide networking features for tightlycontrolled media streamsynchronisation, buffering andreservation. Use of AVB enables higherlayer protocols and applications torealise professional quality A/V. > avnu.org

White paper reveals the new age for digital technology as its flagship PM1D is soon to be discontinued

www.audioprointernational.com audioPRO October 2009 5

Audio Pro Awards final-

ists

PAGE 18Live sound monitors

PAGE 29MPG chairman Steve

Levine

PAGE 41

ALEX COOPER, Midas’ director ofconsole development has won the2009 Gottelier award. Joiningprevious winners Tony Andrews ofFunktion One and John Stadius ofSoundtracs and Digico, Cooper isthe third pro audio designer to winthe award, meaning that it hasremained in the industry every yearsince its inauguration.

Named in honour of the latedesigner, developer andcommentator Tony Gottelier, theGottelier Award recognises theproduct developers who have made asignificant and sustainedcontribution to the development ofequipment and tools that haveenabled entertainment technologypractitioners to push the boundariesof event production, presentationand installation.

Cooper joined Klark Teknik in1979 and by the early eighties he washead of the test department. In 1985he was tasked with testing the newly-acquired Midas consoles and wenton to oversee the building anddebugging the first prototype XL3 in1990, which contained some of hiscircuit designs.

As head of R&D he designed theXL4, which was to become theindustry-standard live sound mixingconsole and, for many, remains the

only option to this day. He has alsodesigned, or had significant inputinto the KT DN800 stereo crossover,Midas XL250, Heritage 3000, 2000,B2000 and Verona consoles, theKlark Teknik DN540/DN530Creative series, Square One dynamicprocessor and the Midas XL8 digitalmixing console.

“It’s a great honour to receive thisaward recognising my efforts at KlarkTeknik and Midas over the years, andmy thanks go out to everyone who

voted for me,” said Cooper. “Theaudio industry is continuallychanging and I’d like to think I’ll bepushing its boundaries for manyyears to come. I continue to believethat sound matters above all else,and Midas has always had a verydistinctive sound, which breaths life,openness and character into sources.However we move forward withfuture product development, we willnever compromise on that.”> midasconsoles.com

Alex Cooper scoops the Gottelier

NEWS <

Midas and Klark Teknik designer keeps the award in audio for third year running

BROOKLYN-BASED DavidGiambusso, a reporter for the NewJersey Star-Ledger has brought a classaction lawsuit against US musicequipment trade association NAMM,along with retail giant Guitar Centerand Fender Musical Instruments, forprice fixing over a three-year periodfrom 2005 to 2007.

In filing the suit, the plaintiff, whohas frequently reported on class actionlawsuits for that paper and the NewYork Times claimed that the threeorganisations “conspired to raise priceson acoustic and electric guitars, violins,amplifiers, and strings”. Giambusso, isa guitarist with the band, AnnCourtney and the Late Bloomers. Healso bought a guitar from GuitarCenter in 2007.

Although the companies andproducts involved in the lawsuit arefirmly rooted in the MI sector, NAMMdoes represent the pro audioequipment trade in the States and itsannual winter show is well attended bythe industry. While the nature of theprofessional audio business makes itless susceptible to the phenomenon ofprice fixing, this case will nonethelessthrow up concerns for those in the USinvolved in the purchasing of audiogear in the US.

ALLEN & HEATH celebrated 40years in the pro audio productdesign business at PLASA 2009. TheBritish mixer manufacturer markedthe occasion with a party held onthe top floor of London’s famouslandmark, the Gherkin, attended bydistributors, industry partners andthe press.

Allen & Heath took theopportunity to announce itsdistributor of the year, which wasawarded to Audio-Technica inGermany, before introducing specialguest, former MD Neil Hauser, whoheaded up Allen & Heath from 1969until 1988. Current MD, GlennRogers, took the helm in 1990.

“It would not be an exaggeration toclaim that I have witnessed innovationon a daily basis at Allen & Heathsince I started as a junior engineer in1983,” stated Rogers. “For 40 years,the company has maintained aphilosophy of listening to customersand striving to provide the productsthat will enhance sound quality and

user productivity. We work in anindustry that is creative and emotive,and Allen & Heath’s success is downto the passion, skill, dedication andenthusiasm of its team.”

An extensive interview with GlennRogers will be featured in API’sNovember issue.> allen-heath.com

US Journalist

sues NAMM Class action filed for

price fixing

A&H celebrates 40 years at PLASA 09Neil Hauser

and Glenn

Rogers

celebrating 40

strong years

Audio Technica Germanywins Distributor of the Year

Gottelier: Klark Teknik and Midas’ Alex Cooper received this year’s award


> NEWS

RADIOHEAD’S GUITARISTJohnny Greenwood has stated in arecent interview in the New Yorkerthat he does not have a problemwith MP3s and criticises those whoplace too much importance on highsound quality.

Indicating that the band’s albumOK Computer may not actually be acondemnation of modern culture aspreviously suspected, Greenwoodbacked his support of MP3s bystating that the audio degradationcaused by the format is limited to a“slight shaving of sound quality toget to the convenience of the MP3”.He also noted that, in some cases,they add a “helpful crunchiness tosome recordings”.

These sentiments are likely toirritate many in the pro audiocommunity who spend a hugeamount of time and money toensure that recordings andreproduction equipment are madeto an exceptional standard, made

possible by years of experience andtechnological developments, such asthe emergence of 384kHz samplerates. MP3s are often considered bysuch people to render their hardwork futile.

Although he does not directlyrefer to the professional end of theindustry, some might construe hiscomments as a dismissal of theseefforts. He bemoaned consumerswho seek high fidelity audio andreferred to them as: “thirty-something men who lurk in hi-fishops, discussing signal purity,oxygen-free cables and FLACs”.

The guitarist did state that MP3sdistract people from spendingprolonged time with a recording dueto the sheer volume of music thatmost punters own these days. Hestated: “People will have MP3s ofevery Miles Davis record but neverthink of hearing any of them twicein a row – there’s just too much toget through.”

TRANTEC HAS launchedThe Big Trantec Trade-in andis offering a trade-in discountof up to £450 per channel forTrantec and other qualifyingmanufacturer’s radio mics,when purchasing new TrantecChannel 38 ready equipment.

Amid the ongoinguncertainty surrounding thefunding of the Channel 38switchover, Trantec hasbecome the first company to

offer manufacturer-fundedcompensation for end usersand dealers.

The scheme, which willwork in conjunction with theTrantec dealer and distributornetwork, is designed tosupport the end-user duringthe digital switchover.

Mark Parkhouse, Trantec’ssales and marketing managercommented: “We are proud tobe the first manufacturer to

offer this kind of support toour customers.

The end user will be able totrade-in a range of equipmentfrom S4.16s to S6000s, as wellas a variety of othermanufacturer’s equipment.We hope this will help tosoften the blow of theswitchover. We will continueto offer our customers supportin all situations. > trantec.co.uk

Trantec eyes up Channel 38

MP3s are okay, says Radiohead Johnny Greenwood supports the format

Avid helps scoopnumerous Emmys

AVID HAS announced thatthe vast majority of EmmyAward winners at the 61stAnnual Emmy Awards usedone or more Avid audio orvideo solutions to create thisyear’s top television shows.

In total, more than 125nominees in 33 categoriesused Avid systems includingfirst-time nominees andwinners such as GenerationKill: The Cradle of Civilization,Little Dorrit and Grey Gardensas well as repeat honoureessuch as 30 Rock, Damages,House, Mad Men and KathyGriffin: My Life on the D List.

This year’s Emmy Awardssupport the ongoing trendthat Avid solutions continueto be the tools of choice forprofessionals in postproduction. Earlier this year,the American Cinema Editors(ACE) board of directorsnamed Avid Media Composerthe ‘preferred choice’ ofprofessional editors.

Additionally, one or moreAvid solutions were onceagain used to create the vastmajority of 2009’s AcademyAward and ACE awardwinners, including 2009Academy Award powerhouseSlumdog Millionaire, whichwon the Oscar for MotionPicture of the Year,Achievement in SoundMixing and Achievement inFilm Editing. > avid.com

Developer reports that the ‘vast majority’

of 2009 winners are Avid users

Wireless mic specialist is the first company to offer manufac-

turer-funded compensation through trade-in scheme

and mixers, through the unsung heroesthat develop the components in themand on to those that create the not-so-delicate tools of the live andinstallation sectors. First and foremostthough, this is a recording show and it’sthe only place you’ll get to meet withthe people behind companies such asAvalon, Rupert Neve Designs,Mercenary, Royer and so on.

Talking of boutique analog firms,API has made it very clear that it willbe ‘partying like it’s 1969’ at the show,as it celebrates 40 years in the businessof supplying some of the most esteemedrecording houses with tasty consolesand outboard gear.

Elsewhere, PMC will launch theDB1S-A II and TB2S-A II high-resolution compact monitors. Theseenhanced versions of the successfulDB1S-A and TB2S-A activatedmodels are expected to raise the barfor nearfield monitoring in small tomedium-sized control rooms in eitherstereo or surround configurations.

CAD is to showcase its new E 100Scondensor mic for the first time.Engineered and built in the US, thenew Equitek E100S large-diaphragmsupercardioid condenser mic boasts thelowest noise floor in its class at 3.7dBA,along with the vintage tone and warmlow end the company is known for.

Applied Microphone Technology isalso to launch a number of new micproducts, but further details remain amystery, while from the outboard realmTransAudio Group will introduce theDaking FET3, a new dual-channel

limiter incorporating Class A discretecompressor circuitry and gain stages.

As always, there’s little white spaceon the technical programme calendarand educational events of variousdescriptions abound.

Fascinating entries in the workshopdiary include Teaching Electronics toAudio Recording Students – WhyBother?, Mastering in an Ever ExpandingUniverse (2009 and Beyond),Microphones – What to Listen For andWhat Specs to Look For, Intelligent DigitalAudio Effects and Can 21st CenturyTechnology Outdo the AudioAchievements of the 20th?

Paper sessions include VirtualAcoustics and Transducer Modeling andDesign, while tutorials will be held onsubjects such as The GrowingImportance of Mastering in the HomeStudio Era.

Many visitors will be looking forwardto the keynote speech, which this yearwill be given by Peabody Award-winning radio personality BillMcGlaughlin. McGlaughlin is a highlyregarded broadcaster, educator,composer and conductor.

In making the announcement,convention chair Agnieszka Roginskaremarked: “While the focus of ourconventions are largely technical innature, we are delighted to provide ourvisitors with an opportunity to enjoy adiscourse by a broadcaster celebratedfor his performance behind the micrather than sitting behind the controlroom window.”> aes.org

> EVENT PREVIEW AES

October 9th-12th Jacob K Javits Center, NYC

8 audioPRO Ocotober 2009 www.audioprointernational.com

It’s back to Manhattan this year for the East Coast leg of the AES convention – the biennial event that most

would agree is the jewel in the crown of the Audio Engineering Society. Rob Hughes checks the schedule…

Okay, so the venerated society had abit of a flop on its hands back inMay with the European AES

Convention in Munich, which, as theorganisers have nobly admitted, was a littleon the quiet side. But rather than makingexcuses and licking its wounds, the AEShit back with fresh ideas and a new venue.

Good on the AES for not throwing inthe towel and, perhaps more importantly,God bless America for getting behind theUS shows with such conviction, becausethat, I guess, is what puts the organisationin a fiscal position to make the Londonevent happen in 2010.

It should come as no surprise that theUS conventions are much more popular.You might think this a monstrousgeneralisation, but America seems to bethe nation that most readily embraces theacademic approach to pro audio, whichafter all, as many have pointed out, islargely an engineering subject. This factembodies the AES – its bimonthly journalwill make little sense to anyone who hasnever studied acoustics or electronics.

Maybe this throws up some clues as towhy AES San Francisco and AES NewYork are veritable behemoths incomparison to their old-continentcounterparts? This is mere speculationhowever, what’s important is that the NYshow is almost upon us, it’s the biggest ofthem all and, as you might expect, for thegeeks among us, there’s plenty to getexcited about.

I’ll start with the commercial aspectthough and the list of exhibitors this yearruns the gamut, from the usual studio-orientated manufacturers of mics, modules

NYC you there

“While the focusof our

conventions arelargely technical,we are delighted

to provide anopportunity to

enjoy adiscourse by a

broadcastercelebrated for

his performancebehind the micrather than the

control roomwindow.

Agnieszka

Roginska


Every event on this year’s tradeshow schedule has noticeablysuffered from the general panic

that the diseased world economy hasspread throughout the industry.

The word from the exhibitors andvisitors at PLASA 09 held last monthat London’s Earls Court, however, isthat things are slowly beginning to getbetter as the installation marketbegins to pick up, while the rentalmarket still seems to be suffering.

As for the show itself, the facts arethat attendance numbers were downon last year (11,518 total) and somepro audio manufacturers seemed tohave dropped their own booths toshare room with distributors.

Despite these factors there was adefinite sense of cautious optimismsurrounding the show.

Andrew Richardson, generalmanager of Adam Hall, noted: "I'mdelighted with the success of PLASA09. Building on from many recentproduct launches the show gave us anexcellent platform to continue thispromotion to new and existingcustomers from across Europe.

“We have grown our client baseand managed to penetrate newmarkets. I can easily say that withoutdoubt, we will be exhibiting at nextyear and we look forward to anothersuccessful show."

Ian Cullen, marketing director ofSound Technology, admitted to beinga bit nervy before proceedings gotunderway. “We weren't quite surewhat to expect given the currentclimate, but we were overwhelmed bythe quantity and, most noticeably, thequality of the visitors to our stand.We saw a huge number of key peoplefrom the commercial audio and livesound sectors and there's potential forsome very large-scale projects off theback of it,” he said.

The show floor was flooded withnew products, many of which hadtheir world debut at Earls Court. Thetheme of consolidation evident in theexhibition stands carried over intothe new equipment that waspresented over the four days, assmaller and less expensive productstook centre stage in many launches. > plasashow.com

ALCONS AUDIOAlcons Audio introduced theBRK5LR7 swivel yoke-mountingsolution that allows its LR7 micro linearray system to be pole-mounted,while retaining full curving functions.

The system can accommodate fiveLR7 cabinets in standingconfiguration and up to seven LR7cabinets in flown configuration. Boththe five-unit and seven-unit

configurations can be connected toone single ALC amplifier channel, foran efficient system layout.

In operation, the yoke is connectedto the middle cabinet with twoconnecting plates on the side of thecabinet, secured with two quick-release pins each. The connectingplates are attached to the yoke withconical joints.> alconsaudio.com

MIDAS Midas and Klark Teknik announcedthe formation of Midas ConsolesJapan and Midas Consoles Italy, bothof which take over as exclusivedistributors within their respectivecountries. The firm has also releasedthe latest version of software for itsflagship XL8 digital console.

Another show highlight camewhen Alex Cooper won theprestigious Gottelier Award for hisdesign achievements at Midas/KT.

Based in Tokyo, Midas ConsolesJapan is a division of Bestec Audioand is dedicated to the sales and aftersales support of Midas and KlarkTeknik products in the country.

Midas Consoles Italy is headed upby general manager PierfrancoGaleone, who previously representedthe Midas and Klark Teknik brands atTexim Audio.

Venue: Earls Court, London

Date: Sept 13th to 16th

Visitors: 11,518 (pre-audit)

Verdict: A quieter showthan last year, but all themore serious for that interms of business done.More compact, efficientstands meant both visitorsand exhibitors had toconcentrate efforts on thebottom line.

FACT FILE

PLASA 09 served as the springboard for dozens of new products and a generally positive outlook on the

coming year. Andrew Low and Rob Hughes stormed the floor at Earls Court to bring you this report…

Earls Court, London September 13th to 16th

EVENT REVIEW PLASA <

Shine a light on me

Earls Court, London Sept 13th to 16th

EVENT REVIEW PLASA <

www.audioprointernational.com audioPRO Ocotber 2009 13

Funktion One:

always ready to

polarise opinion

Finally, the Midas Heritage 3000celebrated its ten-year anniversary atthe show. > midasconsoles.com

OHM Ohm introduced the Ersa Major linearray system at PLASA. The Britishmanufacturer, which celebrated 30years of producing sound equipmentin the UK this year, also broughtback, with newly designed Ohmdrivers, the SS-3 Smack Stack bassbin – an iconic dance cabinet thatdelivers formidable low frequencies.

The re-designed SS-3 and ErsaMajor can be coupled to producehigh-level reinforcement for largerdance club and concert audiences.

The Ersa Major comprises two ten-inch, horn loaded Ohm drivers with acoaxial two-inch plus one-inchcompression driver, mounted on aproprietary waveguide. The systemruns in a three way active mode.ohm.co.uk

JBLWhile Harman released dozens ofnew products from their many brandsone that stood out was the debut ofthe new subcompact additions toJBL’s Vertec line array system.

Designed to deliver a high degreeof output and coverage capabilities ina very compact

package, JBL has introduced thesmallest system enclosures in itsVertec product family, the VT4886passive three-way high-directivity linearray element and its companionVT4883 cardioid-arrayable subwoofer.Incorporating innovative acousticaltechnologies and purpose-builttransducers, they are specificallydesigned for standalone use or inconjunction with other existingVertec models.

The new VT4886 and VT4883subcompact models are suitable foruse in a broad range of suspended-array, ground-based and fill speakerapplications, with a comprehensiverange of array and suspensionaccessories planned for the newsystem. Given its very compactdimensions, the VT4886 is suited fordistributed front fill or under-balconyuse. VT4886 line array elements canalso be suspended in large multi-boxarrays or ground-stacked, eitherstandalone or with its companionVT4883 low-frequency extension forFOH, offstage fill, stereo in-fill, centrecluster or delay cluster use. > jbl.com

POLAR AUDIOPolar Audio introduced several newproducts from its many distributedbrands as well as the announcement

that it has taken on the UKdistribution of Revolabswireless microphone systems.

On the booth visitors sawXTA Electronics’ foray intothe installation market withthe, the DC1048 integratedaudio management system andits first generation of networkaudio products, the NXBoB8 andNXBoB16.

Another addition to the Polarfamily is Australian Monitor, themaker of the Zone Revolution andAV Revolution, multi-zone solutionsfor the bar, club and AV markets.> polaraudio.co.uk

VOID ACOUSTICSVoid Acoustics announced severalnew products, including the StasysPrime wide-band arrayable point-source system offering, we are told,‘ground-breaking efficiency’. TheStasys 5 Mk2 low-frequency systemhas a pressure plate to enhancetransient response. The Arcline 12medium-format line-array enclosurewas also on show. Two new models inVoid’s UK-built Infinite X amplifierrange – the Infinite X7 and InfiniteX8 power amplifiers – wereshowcased and industry veteran KenDeLoria, who recently joined Void ashead of its US division, was presenton the company’s stand.

> voidaudio.com

DIGICO Digico launched theSD8-24 digital mixingconsole and the newOverdrive softwareupgrade for the SD8console at the show,each of which has agood deal of features

to catch the eye.Designed with a smaller

footprint for the corporate eventsector, the SD8-24 features the samefunctionality and number of inputsand outputs as the SD8 console. Theboard also comprises the same fixedarchitecture of the SD8, which usesthe smaller Super FPGA (FieldProgrammable Gate Array), atechnology that has been aroundalmost as long as DSP.

Much larger FPGAs and have beencreated, performing far greaternumbers of calculations than themost advanced DSP. These SuperFPGAs are used in the SD8 and 24.

The show also saw the introductionof new Overdrive software forDigico’s SD8 console. Digico’s MD,James Gordon, commented: “Overthe last year we’ve been looking atwhat extra processing John Stadius,our technical director, could squeezeout of the smaller FPGA. There ismore than even we imagined, withour new Overdrive softwaredelivering even more of the SD7features into the SD8.”

Digico also announced that it willdonate the proceeds of a competitionfor it’s 500th SD8 console to thefamilies of late sound engineers JohnRoden and Jim Douglas, both ofwhom were early supporters of thecompany and both respected andmissed by their peers.> digico.org

The new Roland

digital mixer: less is

more


Earls Court, London Sept 13th to 16th

> PLASA EVENT REVIEW

FUNKTION-ONEFunktion-One used the show tolaunch the F101 loudspeakerenclosure, which comprises a singleten-inch bass/mid driver and a one-inch high frequency device, and theResolution 3 loudspeaker, an all-in-one, three-way enclosure comprisinga special horn loaded 18-inch bassloudspeaker with a five-inch voicecoil, a new Axhead loaded ten-inchloudspeaker for midrange and a one-inch compression driver for highfrequencies. It also debuted theASPC1 audio system polarity checker.Launched as a tool for live sound andinstallation engineers to ensure theoptimisation of high performanceaudio systems, ASPC1 is light,compact and supplied with belt pouchfor easy accessibility.> funktion-one.com

ROLAND SYSTEMS GROUPRoland Systems Group

announced the launch ofthe RSS M-380

digital

mixing console, a smaller brother tothe M-400 V-Mixer. The M-380 is a48-channel console that possesses allof the features of the M-400, but in acompact, rackmount unit. Its arrivaladds to the growing V-Mixing systemline up that also includes digitalsnakes, personal mixing and multi-channel recording.

The mixer has a rapid recall ofsetups, 100mm motorised and touchsensitive faders, an 800 by 480 colourscreen and dedicated multi-functionknobs for eq, pan, gain and control ofdynamics. Its 48-channel mixingcapability includes digital patch-bayswith new and industry-requestedclassic Roland FX including RE201space echo and SDE3000 delay, 16aux/mono sends, eight matrices, eightDCAs, eight mute groups, built-instereo recording/playback and supportfor LCR configurations.> rolandsg.co.uk

CROWN Crown launched new amplifiers atPLASA, along with a processor forthe CTs series of amps.

The show saw the latest update toits Macro-Tech i series, with increasedpower and new dual port capability.

Comprised of three models, theMA-5000i, MA-9000i and MA-12000i, the Macro-Tech i seriesfeatures patented Class-I circuitry,which was integrated to providegreater power while reducing theamplifier’s weight by more than half.

The firm also developed the CDi6000 amplifier, the fourth amplifier inthe CDi series, for fixed installationapplications. The CDi 6000 is capableof running both low-impedance two,four and eight-Ohm loads as well as70 and 140-Volt outputs and alsofeatures 20 available presets that canbe recalled at the touch of a button.There are automatic presets for JBLcinema speaker systems for quick andeasy setup, with an intuitive frontpanel LCD panel and compatibleconfiguration through the HarmanHiQnet System Architect platform.> crownaudio.com

TRANTEC To coincide with the launch of thenew channel 38-ready S6 wirelesssystem, Trantec introduced The BigTrantec Trade-in scheme, offering atrade-in discount of up to £450 perchannel for Trantec and otherqualifying manufacturer’s radio mics,when purchasing new TrantecChannel 38 equipment.

Trantec has become the firstcompany to offer manufacturer-funded compensation for end usersand dealers amid the ongoinguncertainty surrounding the fundingof the Channel 38 switchover.> trantec.co.uk

SOUNDCRAFTSoundcraft introduced the latestboard in its Si range of digital mixingconsoles with the Si1. The 1,200mm

wide Si1 joins the Si3 and the Si2 inthe company’s range of mid-pricedmixers for live, install and HOW.

Launched off the back of the Viseries, Soundcraft is making it knownthat the Si consoles have alreadyearned five industry awards for theiruser-friendly format and for aiding inthe transition from analog to digital.

The Si1 was designed to fit thespace-restricted areas and features 32mic inputs mapped on 16 faders, fourdedicated Stereo Line channels, fourdedicated FX Returns from the fourstereo Lexicon FX processors and hasthe ability to mix up to 48 inputs.

The board also comprises eightbalanced insert sends and returnsalong with the same bus structure asthe Si2 and Si3 of 24 group/auxbusses, eight matrix busses and a fullcomplement of monitor talkback andmain bus outputs. These busses canbe freely assigned to any of the 16physical XLR connectors as well asthe dedicated mix and monitoringoutput XLRs. Every bus has adedicated 30-band BSS Audiographic eq, permanently patched inwith no drain on the DSP resource.> soundcraft.com

OPTOCOREOptocore released a digital audionetworking protocol called Sane.Using ring network topology, Saneclaims to offer the first synchronousCat5 network solution for streaminguninterrupted media in real time.

Billed as a new low cost with highefficiency, Sane is based on the triedand tested Optocore technology, andhas evolved from the company’sflexible new AD/DA X6R and V3Rconverters launched earlier this year;these offer split AES-EBU ports,sample rate conversion up to 192kHz,and five different card options.> optocore.com

Bagging the middle

market: the

Soundcraft Si1

Soundcraft T: +44 (0)1707 665000 E: [email protected] Soundcraft US T: 888-251-8352 E: [email protected]

www.soundcraft.com

Everything available.All of the time.

Love digital mixing but hate toggling between menus?

Soundcraft Si Series is the ‘one box’ digital live sound console thatmakes everything available, all of the time.

Dynamics, Gates, EQs, Effects – they’re all right where you need them,right when you need them.

Available in three sizes, the Si Series makes it easy to bring the power ofdigital mixing to theatre, houses of worship or tour sound applications.

Just plug it in where your analogue console used to be.

32 inputs, 4 stereo inputs, 24 bus outputs, 8 matrix, 12 VCAs, 8 mute groups




It is a knee-jerk reaction ofexhibitors and journalists to statethe obvious fact that trade show

attendance is down this year acrossthe board. Major shows like PALME,PLASA and even Frankfurt haveseen attendance drop from last year’snumbers and while this number mayaffect the aisles of the show and sizeof the booths, the market has notsuffered from a decrease in newproduct launches as everyone goessmaller and more affordable to suitthe changing times.

The final figures from the IBCshow, held at Amsterdam’s RAIConvention Centre last month, revealthat 45,547 people attended, which isseven per cent down on 2008. But it’sstill an impressive number and IBCCOO Mike Crimp says: “’IBC is aboutthe quality of the exhibition and theconference. And I think you’ll besurprised at how well we’ve done.We’re not just a trade show, but also anevent where people can see the resultsof all the hard work in our industry. Wecall this the IBC content experience.’’

This year 1,000-plus exhibitors from130 different countries were on show,with the pro audio community instrong force with stands from leadingbrands such as Audio Technica, Sadie,Sennheiser, Harman and Teac.

German microphone manufacturerNeumann showed the latest additionto its line of miniature digitalmicrophone series on Sennheiser’s

booth with the KMR 81 shotgun mic.Designed to meet the demands ofhigh-definition television (HDTV)broadcasts, KMR 81 was shownalongside a capsule head with a figure-eight directional characteristic (KK120). Both products were introducedto enhance its line of digital mics forelectronic newsgathering (ENG) andbroadcast applications.

Prism Sound introduced a series ofSadie software applications. Sadiedigital audio workstations have beenused for the last 18 years in musicrecording applications, but until nowbroadcast, mastering, post-productionand recording engineers neededspecific proprietary hardware to runits systems. The new software allowsusers to access the full functionality ofSadie gear on any computer runningWindows with ASIO compatibleaudio hardware, as well as existingSadie 5 hardware platforms.

Prism also released two new lower-cost versions of its dScope series IIIaudio analysers. They were developedfor R&D engineers and productionline managers who are currently onlyconcerned with audio analysis in theanalog domain. The analog-onlyvariants come at a much lower pricepoint than the dScope series III audioanalyser platform, yet Prism claimsthey provide the same functionality.

Manufacturer and distributor HHBdisplayed products from a range ofbrands including Wohler, Dolby,

Soundfield, Digidesign and Rolandalongside its own line-up of gear.

The new Wohler AMP1-16-3Gcompact audio monitoring system wasgiven its European debut alongsideRoland’s new M-48/S-4000Dpersonal monitoring system, whichwas designed to offer musiciansenhanced flexibility and controlduring their performances.

Additional products on HHB’sstand included the new SoundfieldUPM-1, a 19-inch rack processordesigned to create 5.1 surround fromarchive programme material that onlyhas a stereo soundtrack, its own Flashmic models, a new version of theCDR-882 DualBurn CD Recorder andthe UDP-89 Universal DVD/CDplayer. Alongside these were the fullrange of Flash recorders with offeringsfrom Sound Devices, Edirol, Fostex,Marantz, Nagra, Olympus, Sony,Tascam and Zoom.

AKG announced the release of theDMM 4/2/2 automatic microphonemixer. It’s a processor controlled digitalautomatic mixing algorithm with fourbalanced universal (microphone/line)inputs and two stereo aux inputs. Themixing algorithm automaticallyallocates gain among the systemmicrophones (NOM attenuation) witha special noise detect function and the‘Noise Sensitive Threshold’ algorithmthat eliminates an accidentalswitching of the input channels.> ibc.org

Venue: RAI Convention

Centre, Amsterdam

Date: September 10th-15th

Exhibitors: 1,000-plus

Visitors: 45,547

Verdict: Although slightlydown on 2008 in terms ofvisitors, the 2009 IBC stillhad lots of big namesexhibiting and plenty ofpeople to see their waresdespite the current state ofthe economy.That said, with over 45,000in attendance, IBC is thesort of ‘quiet’ a lot of showsdream of

FACT FILE

September 10-15 Amsterdam

> IBC EVENT REVIEW

Live and directWith roots dating back to the 1960s, IBC remains one of the world’s biggest

shows for the international broadcasting community. While this year saw slimmer crowds and

competition from PLASA, the show organisers are focusing on quality over quantity…

> AUDIO PRO AWARDS FINALISTS


Live and Installed SoundBEST LIVE SOUND EVENT

Download Festival 09 MainStage: SSE AudioSSE Audio Hire gave the new L-Acoustics K1 system its firstairing at the Download Festival atDonington Park on 12th to 14thJune , providing sound for the mainstage. The festival has been namedEvent Of The Year at the MetalHammer Golden Gods Awards.

Glade Main Stage: Audio PlusThe Glade festival’s main stagefeatured a Funktion Oneloudspeaker system provided byAudio Plus. Funktion One’sowners, Tony Andrews and JohnNewsham were on hand makingcustom tunings to the main stage.

Take That, Circus Tour: Capital SoundAn estimated £10m was spent onthis tour. Production managed by

Chris Vaughan, Capital’s Soundsemployed Martin Audio systems asthe main PA, which was comprisedof 12-cell horizontal sub bass arrayeach side of the stage andelectronically ‘bend’ it to producethe required dispersion.

Roskilde Orange Stage: SeeliteDPA Soundco A/S employed itsJBL Vertec system as the main PAfor a crowed of over 65,000 people.The four day event hostedColdplay, Nick Cave & The BadSeeds, Oasis, Pet Shop Boys andFaith No More.

U2 360° Tour: Clair GlobalThe U2 360°stadium system iscomprised of a 360-degreeaudience configuration, ambitiousstaging, a Clair sound system,which marks the largest speakersystem collection in touring history.

MOST INNOVATIVEINSTALLATION

Ecco Ultra Lounge: Joe LodiThe Hollywood club sets standardsfor a greener nightlife by minimisingits impact on the environment. Thesystem comprises four TurbosoundTA-500H Aspect Wide systems.

Rock City, Nottingham: SSE Audio GroupThe Rock City system is built

around a dV-Dosc rig.Engineers can mix actsthrough Soundcraft64-channel Vi6 atFOH and 48-channel Vi4 at themonitor position.

Matter Club 02,London: Void AcousticsMatter’s VIP loungehas over 30 Void Acoustics

speakers. Two custom bass enclosures, an

Airten unit and aMycro X that havebeen customisedand installed in the area.

Atrium, London:Delta Sound

The Atrium is a6,500m area with two

central area with a cutting

edge audio infrastructure designedand installed by Surrey-based DeltaSound, representing a close co-operation between Delta Sound EMAcoustics, Yamaha andLab.gruppen.

Tripod, Dublin: Acoustic AudioWith a 3.5 million euro budget,Liam Rabbitt of Acoustic Audioprovided the club with a FunktionOne Resolution 2 sound system andDigidesign Venues.

BEST NEW LIVE SOUNDPRODUCT

L-Acoustics: K1/SB2B PAKudo is currently piloting a brandnew big-box system that it hopeswill be available to the market in2010. The new product combines athree-way, quad-amplifiedenclosure featuring a new Ktransducer arrangement, withboosted resources on the highfrequency section. > l-acoustics.com

Digico: SD8The SD8 has a fixed architecturepowered by Stealth DigitalProcessing and employs a smallerSuper FPGA than the SD7, whilebenefiting from the features of its D series at an entry-level consoleprice point.> digico.biz

MC2: E-90Based on new MC2proprietary Class-Dtechnology, E-90 has beendesigned to meet thedemands for higher powerwith increased efficiencywhilst delivering up to4,500W into four ohms and8,000W into two Ohms.> mc2-audio.co.uk

Midas: Pro 6The Midas Pro 6 Live audio systemis the second networked digitalaudio system from Midas.Employing technologies developedfrom the class-leading XL8, the Pro6 offers the same synchronisedaudio performance in a morecompact package.> midasconsoles.com

Tannoy: VQ LiveMarketed as the ‘line array killer’,VQ Live offers sonic superiority,less boxes required, lower costs andfull VNet implementation, allowingsystem setup and ongoing venuenetwork control.> tannoy.com

With votes beginning to be counted as API goes to press, we giveyou one final chance to look over the nominations of our inauguralawards before you cast your votes. Itʼs an impressive line-up...

The finalistsCountdown


FINALISTS AUDIO PRO AWARDS <

BEST LIVE SOUND ENGINEER

Gary BradshawFOH for Take That, as well asDepeche Mode and Pink Floyd.

Robbie McGrath FOH for Kasabian and best known

for his work with TheRolling Stones.

Kenneth ‘Pooch’ Van Druten Has worked withLinkin Park, System OfA Down and Limp Bizkit.

Clem Bennett Engineering for just overten years and has mixedFOH for some top acts inrock, pop and metal,including The Script,

Arch Enemy, Bullet For MyValentine and The Killers.

Andy ‘Baggy’ Robinson Robinson is George Michael’spersonal monitor engineer (for aband some 15-strong), as well as theartist’s head of sound, and hasworked on some of the most collosallive events such as, most recently,Live 8 and The Big Chill.

BEST NEW INSTALLATIONPRODUCT

Lab.gruppen: C 88:4The C 88:4 is the new flagship ofthe C series, this amp is enough forthe most demanding applications. > labgruppen.com

Powersof: Due Canali 5204Due Canali 5204 is an installationversion of the K-3 and K-2,efficient and reliable, with high-output and crystal clear audio. > powersoft.it

Adamson: Point seriesAimed at the contractor market,Point comprises five new modelswith Ease Data.> adamsonsystems.com

Furman: Pl-Pro Dmc ESuperior protection and

outstanding performance in asturdy, rack-mountable design, thisis one of the most advancedvoltage surge supressors.> furmansound.com

d&b audiotechnik: Q seriesCombines a variety of technologieswhile maintaining the maxims ofd&b. The speakers have rotatableCD horns, dipolar drivers andtoroidal wave shaping devices. > dbaudio.com

BEST NEW COMPANY

Ward Steedsy AssociatesStrives for quality and excellentservice, working with manufacturerssuch as Funktion One and MC2.> ward-steedsy.co.uk

EM AcousticsDesigned with the professionalsound engineer in mind, EM

Acoustics speaker systems combineprecision engineering with robustbuild quality to deliver performanceon demand. > emacoustics.co.uk/

Seesound SLA start-up in 2004, by 2007Seesound had gained the ProduccionAudio Best Spanish Audio CompanyAward. Seesound provides

marketing and support forDigidesign, Adamson, Furman,Lightviper Radial and alsomanufactures Vieta Pro. > seesound.es

HD Pro AudioA pro audio sales and distributioncompany with an experienced salesand support staff that offers acomplete, synchronised and focused

response to any project.

Red Square AudioRed Square Audio is a UK- basedcompany whose aim is to market themost interesting and relevantproducts in their category and tosupport those products with indepth knowledge, comprehensivetraining, and 24/7 support. > redsquareaudio.co.uk

BEST AFTER-SALES SUPPORT

SSE Audio GroupSSE Audio Group providesprofessional audio servicesincluding PA hire, audio sales andinstallations. It offers soundsolutions and support forapplications such as sound designfor shows, tours and installation.> sseaudiogroup.com

DigicoThe company was formed in 2002with the purchase of Soundtracs.The team’s success led to twodecades of audio innovation and,in 1992, its first development of adigital audio mixing console.

> digico.bizAdamson Systems EngineeringThe Canadian company developsand manufactures a complete line

of advanced speaker products forthe pro touring and installationmarket. Its pursuit of sonicexcellence led to a number ofpatents in key loudspeakertechnologies being published. > adamsonsystems.com

Audio TechnicaAudio Technica is a worldwidegroup of companies devoted to thedesign, manufacture, marketing,distribution and support ofproblem-solving audio equipment. > audio-technica.com

Midas ConsolesMidas has been designing andmanufacturing live performanceanalog and digital audio mixingconsoles for the world's mostdemanding live sound engineers,performers and rental companiess.> midasconsoles.com

Studio and Broadcast SoundBEST NEW STUDIOPRODUCT

Analogue Tube: AT-101The AT-101 is a faithful recreationof the original Fairchild 670 stereolimiter. Built using traditionalpoint-to-point wiring methods, it iscompletely free from any printedcircuit boards.> analoguetube.com

Avid: Pro Tools 8The latest audio creation andproduction software, with a newinterface, new scoring and MIDIfeatures, and deeper controllerintegration.> Digidesign.com

Universal Audio: UAD-2 Nevana The UAD2 Nevana 32 combinesthe classic sound of Neve withUniversal Audio's new DSP

acceleration hardware. Brings thecoveted Neve sound to DAWs.> uaudio.com

SE Electronics: RNR1 Neveribbon microphoneRupert Neve’s new custom circuitdesign allows HF to be capturedand sent from the capsule for thefirst time ever. Standardperformance is 20Hz to 25KHz –three times the frequency range ofthe best competitor ribbon mics.> seelectronics.com

Bricasti Design: M7 reverbThe Model 7 provides the highestlevel of musicality and ease ofcontrol imaginable in a reverbprocessor. DSP processors, provides a platform for the longoverdue next step in reverbprocessing algorithms.> bricasti.com

BEST STUDIO ENGINEER

John Agnello Has worked on influential albumsfor the past 25 years, includingBorn in the USA and CyndiLauper’s She’s So Unusual!.Recently worked with TheHold Steady, DinosaurJr and Sonic Youth.

Dan Carey Writer, mixer andremixer with creditsincluding FranzFerdinand, Hot Chip,Kylie, Brazilian Girls,Natty, Sly & Robbie andLily Allen.

Hayden Bendall Was an Abbey Road Studiosengineer for 17 years – ten as chiefengineer – before going freelance.

Credits include David Gilmour,Paul McCartney, Rush andFleetwood Mac.

Mick GlossopMick has been producing,

engineering and mixing forover 25 years. He had

huge successcollaborating withartists, includingThe Waterboys,Furniture, TheWonder Stuff,Frank Zappa, Ian

Gillan, John LeeHooker and

Lloyd Cole.

Tony PlattTony Platt is a music producer whohas worked with AC/DC, BobMarley, Iron Maiden, Buddy Guy,Foreigner and Motörhead.

> AUDIO PRO AWARDS FINALISTS

BEST BROADCAST SOUND

The Brits: ITVThe BPI's annual pop awards sawDerrick Zieba and Brit Row providesound systems and design.

Eurovision Song Contest: Channel

One, MoscowBroadcast by Channel One,Moscow, the contest used some 450tonnes of stage and lighting tech.

X Factor: ITVLeading talent search show with livebroadcast held throughout the UK

and Ireland to 10,000,000 viewers.

Wimbledon: BBCThe Beeb has broadcast WimbledonTennis championship since 1937,now available in HD, the matchesare broadcast to over 1,000,000viewers each day.

Guinness Premiership Ruby: SkyLive coverage of the games arebroadcasted by Sky Sports over allthree of the broadcaster’s sportschannels, as well as in HD.Extensive use of multiple cameraangles for action replays andhundreds of mics are involved.

BEST NEW STUDIO

Motor Museum: Liverpool, UKA world-class recording studiorunning alongside two of today'stop producers, Mike Crossey andJim Anderson.> miloco.co.uk

Odds On:Henderson, NV,USAA privatelyowned facilitythat caters torecord labels,managers, andartists, Odds On hasmarried state of the artand vintage recording technologies. > oddsonrecording.com

The Doghouse: Oxfordshire, UKA residential recording studio set

in secluded grounds on the banksof the River Thames, it has amixture of vintage and cuttingedge gear.> thedoghousestudio.co.uk

Kore Studios: LondonThe premises are

arranged over twofloors with therecording areas atground level andlounges on the firstfloor. It is a singlestudio facility, which

ensures that artistsget total privacy and

undivided attention.> kore-studios.com

Black Rock: Santorini, GreeceEmbodies everything thatrecording artists desire: completeluxury and bliss combined withtop-end studio facilities.

BEST AFTER-SALES SUPPORT

StudiosparesTop service before and after sales.The staff at Studiospares do notearn based on commission, whichmeans the company can offercompletely unbiased advice.> studiospares.com

Yellow TechnologyEstablished in 2002 as a proaudiosupplier, it provides continued aftersales support for recording, film andTV post-production and events.> yellowtechnology.co.uk

Audio TechnicaA worldwide group devoted to the

design, manufacture and support ofproblem-solving audio equipment. > audio-technica.com/en/

Sonic DistributionA free technical support service forUK customers of all distributedproducts in the UK.> sonic-distribution.com/uk

KMR AudioSupply and supportof the beststudio products,it provideslifetime techsupport on all itsupplies. > kmraudio.com

MOST ORIGINAL STUDIO INITIATIVE

Way StudioWay Studio has three parts: music,media and marketing. Its range ofservices focus on media andmarketing helping construct newmarketing packages that utilise theinternet and new marketingtechnologies to create awarenessonline – all managed by a cleverback-end solution. > thewaystudio.com

All Studios websiteEach month All Studios featuresone or two studios to promotesome of the spaces that still exist tooffer discounted recording timeopportunities in the UK. > allstudios.co.uk/

APRSAPRS organised a series of get-

togethers exploring newapproaches on behalf of therecording sector, seeking outrevenue streams unimpeded by astagnated rights hierarchy.> aprs.co.uk

Metropolis StudioMetropolis Group’s Digital Mediateam offer the ultimate one stopshop experience - Blu-ray, DVD,promos, web tools, photography,live shoots and more.> metropolis-group.co.uk/

GHQ Sonic CuisineProvides cost-effective recording,mixing, mastering, a referralscheme setup and loyaltyprogrammes for customers. Helpscompanies build strongerrelationships with customers andclients through creative thinkingand effective communication.> myspace.com/ghqsoniccuisine

BEST NEW COMPANY

T2A major Portuguese distributor foraudio equipment for theprofessional recording industry.> t2.com.pt

Dangerous MusicDesigned with mastering-qualitystandards and a practical aesthetic,the Dangerous Music equipmentline has been developed to bringdigital audio workstation recordingto a new level.>dangerousmusic.com/index2a.html

JDK AudioJDK Audio is an entirely newbrand developed by API. Thecompany was created tomanufacture products with newideas to expand the creativeoptions of API without restrictions.> jdkaudio.com

Rupert Neve DesignsRupert Neve Designs is a smallteam of dedicated engineers thathas designed a new range of proaudio gear and systems based onboth proven classic design conceptsand modern innovations. Its latestrange of gear is based on customdesigned transformers and singlesided amplification.> rupertneve.com

Bricasti DesignBricasti Design was founded in2004 by industry veterans BrianZolner and Casey Dowdell.The firm is dedicated to the designand manufacture of what itconsiders the finest professionalaudio products, including theModel 7 stereo reverb processor –considered by many as the newindustry standard – and the Model10 remote console.> bricasti.com

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENTAWARD

Fred Heuves CMO of Synco/Ampco Flashlight,a network of ten of Europe’s mostexperienced sound specialists,working to deliver class, cost-effective, border-free audio rentalacross Europe. The networkprovides artists, promoters andproduction managers with a trulyhassle-free, touring experience.

Steve LevineSteve Levine is best known for hiswork on Culture Club's studioalbums. He has also produced workfor China Crisis, Motörhead, ZiggyMarley and Gary Moore.

Peter GabrielMusician and songwriter known forhis involvement in the early days of

the bandGenesis, hewent on tofocus onproducingworldmusic andpioneeringdigitaldistributionmethods for music.

Charlie WatkinsCharlie Watkins is known forcreating the first guitar amps, theCopicat echo and the first festivalPA systems. Now approaching 90,Watkins still makes and sellsamplifiers, accordions and is aboutto launch a new Copicat.

Mike Lowe Was a production manager for ELPin the 70s, ran Turbosound rentals


A 100+ PANEL OF INDUSTRY EXPERTS WILL CAST THEIR VOTES AND THE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN NEXT MONTH'S AUDIO PRO.


When I switched over the VUs to monitor thelimiter, the gain reduction showed accurately.This is a ‘brick wall’ action limiter and aftertesting it with the compressor, eq, etc, I tried usingit on its own, bypassing everything else in thechain, bar the preamp. The results were verysmooth. Even pushing it far beyond the usual degreesof limiting created some interesting effects, whilemaintaining the warm sound of the preamp tubes.

STEREO LINKINGThe 5052 can be stereo-linked on the compressor, eq andlimiter functions. Channel 1 then becomes the master forboth channels. Not having to fiddle to get the samecompressor, eq or limiter settings on both sides is a real bonus.I was hoping that all of channel 1’s functions would mirror tothe slave, but there are a few functions that are not included.The phase reverse and pad are not linkable, but this isn’treally an issue. It would be useful to add optional input andoutput gains to future models.

The overall sound is warm, punchy and clean with no noise.Running audio through the 5052 pre-amp puts a glow/edge onmusic, even without putting the eq, compressor and limiterinto the chain. I also like the layout, the VUs, especially theswitching between inputs, outputs and gain reduction on thecompressor and limiters. If I had to pick a downside, it wouldbe that you can move the eq pre/post the compressor, but thereisn’t a facility to move the limiter within the chain. I know itwould usually appear at the end, but it would be nice to havethe option to move it elsewhere for certain effects. However,this is a dual channel unit so it is perfectly feasible to run theaudio through it twice. You can also purchase the optionalDO-2 24 bit AD converter output card, which providesoutputs from channels 1 and 2 to the SPDIF phono output.

VERDICTThis is a high-end processor with high-end results, with avalue for money that is hard to match. The build quality isexcellent and although at 3U it’s a little larger than all theothers in the Ivory 2 family, I’m glad TL didn’t compromiseease of use for size.

I’ve uploaded an assortment of mp3s to our website (below)in the media section under ‘TLAudio’. Please contact us ifyou would like to hear WAV versions. > graphicnature.co.uk

Chris Frost of Graphic Nature Studios takes a look at (and listens to) the

finer points of TL Audio’s 5052 stereo valve processor...

TL Audio’s Ivory 2 series 5052 stereo valve processor is a3U, two channel unit comprising a compressor, eq andpeak limiter on each. Having quickly and easily made all

of the possible connections, I tested the unit on a wide varietyof applications and was pleased to find that its performancelived up to its impressive spec.

The 5052 has three Sovtek ECC83 dual triode valvesmaking up to six valve stages. One in each of the pre-amp,compressor and eq sections, repeated on both channels.

I fed the audio into the 5052 and the Drive LED indicatedthe valves were working (illuminating from +6 to +16dBu).Line inputs are via balanced XLR, switchable +4/+18dBu(this also goes for balanced mic inputs with switchable +48Vphantom power) and unbalanced via quarter-inch jack,switchable -10/+4dBu. The unit also has two instrumentinputs on the front with a gain range of 0dB to +40dB. Allinputs have phase reverse, 90Hz high pass filter and a bypassfor the compressor, eq and limiter as a group.

I found the backlight VUs extremely accurate and the four-point centred switch made it easy to distinguish what the unitwas doing at every part of the chain. Switching is betweeninput/output levels and compressor/limiter gain reduction.The 10dB meter pad switch is also effective when monitoringinput and output levels.

The compressor is equipped with a hard/soft knee switch,eq side-chain switch, as well as the usual threshold, ratio, gainmake up, attack and release. I was very impressed with theoverall sound. It was lovely and smooth on vocals, crunchy onbass drums and warmed up the final mix. The compressor wasvery easy to use, especially with the attack/release pots notbeing dented, thus making it easy to dial in exactly what Iwanted. The only dented pots on the 5052 are on theinput/outputs in the ‘0’ centres and eq gain parameters.

EQUALISATION The eq is four band with switchable peak/shelf on the LF andHF and parametric bandwidth on the LM/HM frequencies.Having a valve in the eq stage, as well as the compressor andlimiter, gives it a rich sound. The eq can be positioned pre orpost compressor and individually bypassed like the compressorand limiter.

The limiter is on a pull to activate pot, post fader, and has athreshold of 0dBu to +20dBu. Once pulled, the adjacentgreen LED lights up to show the limiter is on and as I rollback, the red LED lights up when the limiter starts to kick in.

Double your sound

”The overall

sound is warm,

punchy and

clean with

no noise.Chris Frost

Graphic Nature

Studios

> REVIEW 5052 STEREO VALVE PROCESSOR

In reality, we were just going where the market was feeding us.I think, because of that, people liked to put us into a little boxand say: ‘Yeah, they’re the guys who just mess about with

party systems’. Well, no, we’re not – especially given ourlatest round of products, that couldn’t be further

from the truth.“It’s simple, if customers who knowtheir stuff get to actually hear the

speakers, they realise that they’rereally very good and then they tendto want them. So we’re slowlybreaking down the barriers in thatsense, but sometimes you have togo for the safer option and offerthem a square box. We can do this,because we have that type ofproduct too, but more and more

often, as people come to me and theytake away the visual-type

loudspeakers, they become more openminded about them. We get calls

everyday now, so it’s no bad thing.”What began as something of an extended

hobby for Skan and his business partner, renownedcabinet designer Rog Mogale, has been successfully mouldedinto a successful business by the pair. Void now plans to moveinto the corporate sector and the development of new productlines that will broaden its target market dramatically, isalready at an advanced stage.

“We started from scratch,” he continues. “Although Rogand I both came form a PA background, we didn’t have a

With a US branch now fully established and a PA range that’s garnering recognition in spades, few would

now deny the calibre of this British loudspeaker firm. Rob Hughes finds out how Void is fast changing the

industry’s perceptions.

Belonging to a pretty exclusive club of PA manufacturersthat were established this century, Void has practicallyreinvented the model of such a business. But after

developing a line of loudspeakers that thumped with thebest of them and, visually, were in a league oftheir own, the firm quickly found itself avictim of its own success, as someprospective customers dismissed it out ofhand, based on pre-conceived ideas ofwhat a speaker should look like.

“We changed the concept of aloudspeaker,” recalls MD AlexSkan. “We proved that there’s nostandard for what a speaker shouldlook like, but that added anadditional variable element that alot of people weren’t expecting toencounter. Many people thought aspeaker was always a square box andthat they didn’t have to make a decisionas to what it should look like. All of asudden they had to make that decision andfor some people it was like trying to contemplatean infinite universe – they thought: ‘I can’t get myhead round that, I’ll go with the easier option’, which was nottrying to understand.

“By the third or fourth year, people were coming up to us atshows and saying: ‘we didn’t think you were still going to behere’. They really didn’t take us seriously enough. Plus, wewere doing a lot on the underground dance scene back thenand many thought we were just a load of guys on the make.

The penny drops

> COMPANY PROFILE VOID

“People take away

the visual-type

loudspeakers and

they become

more open

minded about

them.Alex Skan


VOID COMPANY PROFILE<

“In the US market, everything is powered, so we’redeveloping powered versions of all our high-level products.What we intend to do is integrate all the amplification we’vealready developed into the cabinetry, along with the DSP.

“This is quite a straightforward operation for us, becausethe performance of a 19-inch rack amplifier has to be a lothigher than an amp module in a cabinet. In a rack, you’ve gota much higher level of heat, so you need cooling systems andwhat you’re plugging into is always going to be variable, so onenight you might have four bass bins and another night youmight have just two mid-highs. But for the purposes of acabinet, it’s a known load, so a lot of the protectioncircuitry you strip out. You design it to run optimally ateight Ohms and so on. If you can make a 19-inch rackamplifier, which we can, then making a module is amuch more simplistic task.

“And that brings me onto the next thing, the factthat we are building our own amplifiers. I think it’sparamount to understand the importance of tailoringthe amplification in sound systems. If you go and buya proprietary amp off the shelf from someone else,you’re subjecting your system to the performance ofthat other manufacturer. It’s not until you ‘A/B’amplifiers, that you realise howsignificant the differences inperformance are. If you’rebuying a sound system,an integral part of this isthe amplification, sothat’s why it’s vitallyimportant that you havecontrol of that variable.The driver, cabinetryand their marriage to the amplifier are paramount ingetting it right. If you understand both technologies,you understand how they react to each other. This alsoapplies to processing, desks, cables; the whole lot. Forsome of the bigger guys, that’s their goal – to makeeverything between performer and listener. That waythey get control of the complete system and the endperformance is much, much better. If you can do itwith integrity and a good set of ears, you will end upwith something that is twice as good a product than itcould have been and for a lot less money. My truebelief is full system integration right across the board.That’s where it’s at.”> voidaudio.com

collection of connections in the industry, we didn’t have anyready customers, we didn’t have any ready products and wedidn’t have any money. We’ve grown from a grassroots level –being out there and driving things hard and seeing whatbreaks and we’ve learnt a hell of a lot from it. We’ve learntour craft now; we’ve got both the manufacturing and theproduct range to the stage that we wanted it to be at and nowwe’re ready to move up there with the big boys.”

As it heads towards the uppers echelons of the live soundmarket, Void, like any manufacturer rising through the ranks,is duty-bound to compete in terms of performance as apriority. To this end, the firm has invested enough time andmoney in R&D to put it in a position where it feels confidentenough to claim that not only can it produce systems morecheaply than many competitors, but also to a higher standard.This will be critical to ensure the success of its first large-format line array, which, all being well, will debut next year.

“We’re spending a lot of time on line array products andwe’re moving everything forward from where a lot of peopleare currently at. We’re trying to fully exploit the principlerather than just putting drivers in a line, because you canpotentially achieve a lot more. We’re looking at steerablearrays, multi-cell arrays, digital elements and the wholebackground of digital matrixing. So we’re always forward-thinking about what we’re going to do next and looking atnew ways of doing things.

“Our primary motivation is the performance of ourproducts, that’s what we’re really interested in,” insists Skan.“We don’t just give people what they want, we show themwhat they can have – the next step from what’s already outthere. We take a good look at current market products andthen listen carefully to the requirements of our customers.That’s the starting point of our design criteria. The final productis then developed by optimising all aspects of the specificationto achieve an all-round, high-performance piece of kit.

“We pay attention to what people ask us to do. It’s not likewe sit in a concrete bunker and invent something; it’s a two-way street. Almost every product we have developed has beenbased on customer interaction and feedback. Take speakerslike the Mycro 6 and Arcline 6 – I can remember specificallythe communication that we went through to come up withthe design spec for these products. There were specificcustomer requirements involved.”

On entering the US market, Void quickly discovered thatthe customer requirements in North America differ slightly tothose in its native industry. But rather than try to bring itsAmerican customers around to its own preferred way ofthinking, the company’s response has been to develop itsexisting products even further and tailor them specifically to bein line with the traditional way of doing things Stateside –namely by negating the need for traditional 19-inch rackamplifiers and processors.

www.audioprointernational.com

“We don’t just give people what they want, we

show them what they can have” - Alex Skan

The Notting Hill carnival is not somewhere to go if youhave a hangover. With over a million visitors, 40 staticsound systems and a fleet of beat-blasting floats, the

sounds of the annual event, held over 20 miles in London’sNotting Hill, is an auditory nightmare to someone with aheadache. However, visiting the carnival as a fresh-faced andrested punter is an experience like no other.

Carnival has been held every August bank holiday since1966. Originally started by the West Indian community inNotting Hill, the annual event now draws crowds from allover the world for two days of street party madness. Thecolourful floats, ethnic foods and block-rocking beats fromendless stacks of speakers strewn about the neighbourhoodare signature to the festival and serve as a showcase ofloudspeaker technology in an unorthodox outdoor setting.

Among this year’s floats was a line array stack from LDSystem’s new Premium line of line-array loudspeakertechnology. The system was assembled on the back of an 18-wheeler and comprised 16 of LD’s VA-8 line array elementsand eight LD VAPS-215 subs.

Having only landed in the UK two weeks prior, Carnivalwas the UK debut of the system. LD Systems productmanager Ben Millson and Dave Brown from the company’sUK distributor, Adam Hall, manned the trucks to ensurepremium output of the system throughout the weekend.

Millson comments: “All we had was three rack cases and astack of arrays and subs, which is minimal compared to whatsome of the other trucks were using and we were gettingcomplaints that we were interfering with the sound up to fourfloats behind us. The design of the Premium system is veryefficient. The VA-8 is not big, but coupling them with the215s’ double 15-full band bass enclosures delivers a big sound. We only used one column up the middle of the set-up,

but it provided a 100-degree dispersion so we didn’t need to use two per side. Some of the bigger names on the market come with much heftier price tags than LD Premium,but it can deliver just as much in terms of coverage, SPLs and throw.”

The LD Premium VA-8 is a dual two-way line arrayspeaker with two eight-inch Neodymium woofers and twoone-inch Neodynium compression drivers with a 1.35-inchvoice coil. With a 100 by ten-degree rotatable dispersion, itsfrequency range is 70Hz to 19kHz. The speaker also provides138dB max SPL and weighs 27.5kg.

The accompanying LD VAPS-215 is a dual 15-inch fourthorder bandpass sub with 1,200W RMS, featuring two wooferswith four-inch voice coil delivering a 34 to 400Hz frequencyrange. A max SPL of 131dB, the VAPS-215 is 740mm wide,506mm high and 705mm deep and weighs 81.5 kgs.

The system was accompanied by LD’s LDSP6K amplifiersfor low end, set at two Ohms, which provided 2,950Watts perchannel and a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz. The VA-8was powered by LDSDP4K amplifiers. Both amps are Class Hand are listed as providing optimum audio at low distortionin the range of 1.5 to six kilowatts, yet weighing in aroundeight kilos and 30cm deep.

System designer Robbie Barrow is no stranger to bigsystems as he has used many other loudspeakers for pastcarnival floats. He was very happy with the Premiumspeakers over the weekend. Millson explains: “I invitedBarrow down to our offices to hear a demo of the newspeakers and he was very impressed. So much so that heimmediately chose to use them for Carnvial. He has usedsome really high-end stuff in the past, so we were very happyat how pleased he was with the new Premium line.” > ld-premium.com

“Block-rocking

beats from stacks

of speakers were

a showcase of

loudspeaker

technology in

an unorthodox

setting.

Notting Hill’s annual carnival transforms the streets of an otherwise posh neighbourhood into a full-scale

block party of grand proportions. This year’s show served as the UK debut of the new LD Systems Premium

line array system. Andrew Low took the tube and fought the crowds to bring you this report…


NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL LIVE SOUND <

It was LD Systems a gogo at

Notting Hill Carnival

The heat is on the streets

Funktion One's new RM18 triple concentric stage monitor is a radical departure from the standard 15" and compression

driver configuration, delivering a significant perfromance advantage over conventional monitors.

The innovative design comprises an ultra-fast Neodymium 18" driver with 5" coil and a special mid range driver with a built in super tweeter

passively crossed over at 9kHz. The 700Hz crossover point and the natural materials used in the mid device give a previously unheard clarity and definition to the vocal range. The bass response of the

18" driver also makes it well suited to use as a drum monitor.www.funktion-one.com

Power and Clarity

With the advent of wireless in ear monitoring system onewould think that stage wedges have become a thing ofthe past. However, it seems that the days of wedges are

here to stay as new monitors with digital technology andenhanced components are released at each new tradeshow.

The truth is that stage wedges are still very much in use andas the technology is furthered the sound quality gets betterwhile their durability and performance is enhanced. The latestbreed of stage monitors are unobtrusive, road-ready boxes withDSP functions to provide quick and user-friendly set up for themost demanding live applications.

ADAMSON M12Released at this year’s Prolight+Sound, Adamson’s newlightweight M12 monitor is a low profile stage wedge designedfor optimised gain before feedback, precise pattern control andhigh output with low distortion.

The M12s symmetrical trapezoid design and 65-degreeconical waveguide allow any two cabinets to operate as amirrored pair. It also features the ND12L, Adamson’s firstlightweight, long-excursion 12-inch Kevlar Neodymium driverdesigned for premium power handling and mid frequencyresponse. Adamson is boasting that the ND12L exhibitsremarkably low distortion due to the qualities of its multilayerKevlar cone combined with Advanced Cone Architecture, aproprietary technology that increases the linearized mid-rangeresponse by reducing the radial and chaotic modes in thedriver’s passband. The Kevlar cone design also maintainsdurability in the wet and is well suited for outdoor events.

The M12’s HF section features a lightweight three-inchdiaphragm, 1.4-inch exit neodymium driver, fitted with anAdamson waveguide. Its dimensions are 8 x 25.125 x 11-inches.> adamsonsystems.com

DB TECHNOLOGIES DVX DM15The DVX DM15 is a low-profile stage monitorwith an unobtrusive design for soundreinforcement applications that require low-end performance without the addition ofextra subwoofers.

The monitor features RCF’s 15-inch neodymium woofer, a3.5-inch voice coil and a 1.4-inch neodymium compressiondriver coupled to analuminum CD horn. Theseelements were incorporated toprovide accurate response across the fullvoice range.

The monitor is also paired with high-outputDigipro digital power amps in a bi-ampedconfiguration. An onboard controllermanages the entire system, servingas an active equalizer, activecrossover with phase and timealignment and a limiter. TheDSP also offers switchablesystem presets that adapt themonitor’s performance to suitthe given application at hand.

With a Max SPL of 132 dB,the DM15 features a 40 x 60-degree aluminium CD horn. Itis powered by a Class-D 250W/RMS amp for HFs and a Class-D 500 W/RMS for LFs. > dbtechnologies.com

Hiding on the lip of big concert stages are the black boxes that can make or break an artist’s performance.

Acurate stage monitoring has become its own science as artists and monitor engineers expect the same

results from their wedges as FOH expects from the main PA. Andrew Low kneels down and inspects what

lies inside these slanted little wedges…


SECTOR SPOTLIGHT STAGE WEDGES<

Jammin off the wedge


> STAGE WEDGES SECTOR SPOTLIGHT

FUNKTION ONE RM18Funktion One's new RM18 was also launched atProlight+Sound 09. The triple concentric stage monitor islisted as a radical departure from the standard 15-inch andcompression driver configuration. As such, Funktion One isclaims that the RM18 is capable of delivering a significantperformance advantage over conventional monitors. Its tripleconcentric arrangement comprises an 18-inch driver with five-inch coil and neodymium magnet and an additional five-inchdriver with a built-in HF compression driver passively crossed-over at 9kHz.

The 700Hz crossover point and the natural materials used inRM18’s mid-device are integrated to provide clarity anddefinition to the vocal range. The bass response of the 18-inchdriver also makes it well suited as a drum monitor. The design ofthe driver is such that the RM18 does not require built-in eqcorrection, leaving the enclosure phase coherent with lots ofheadroom. Its conical dispersion is 70-degrees, with theenclosure measuring 17-inches high by 30 wide and 20 inchesdeep, while weighing in at 35kg. > funktion-one.com

HK AUDIO CT 115HK Audio’s CT 115 has been part of the stage monitoringsystem at Glastonbury’s John Peel Stage for two years running.This year the stage employed 18 of the 15-inch CT 115 cabinetsin biamp-mode, powered by DSM 2060 controllers andLab.gruppen FP 10000 power amps.

Bruce Springsteen used the HK monitors when he jumped onstage for a short impromptu session with the band GasLight Anthem. Echo and the Bunnymen, TheWombats, White Lies, Jarvis Cocker and Doves alsoused the CT 115s throughout the weekend.

Part of HK Audio’s Contour series of concertloudspeakers, the CT 115 comprises a 15-inch

neodymium low/mid woofer and a 1.4-inch HF

driver with a three-inch voice coil. Its coverage is 60 by 40-degrees with a crossover frequency of 12dB/octave andcrossover modes including bi-amp and passive.> hkaudio.com

JBL VRX915MThe JBL VRX915M is a dedicated, compact and lightweight15-inch two-way touring-class floor monitor, with only a 14-inch stage height and JBL’s latest neodymium-magnettransducers. It can be operated in passive or biamp mode andhas a maximum SPL of 127dB.

Active tunings for many processors, including dbx, BSS andLake can be downloaded from JBL’s website.

Low frequencies are handled by the monitors 15-inch JBL2265HPL differential drive woofer, while HFs are broadcastedby a four-inch JBL 2452H a 1.5 exit and a neodymium magnetcompression driver. Its coverage pattern is 50 by 90-degrees,nominal. It also features passive/bi-amp crossover modes and acrossover frequency of 1.1 kHz.

The dimensions of VRX915M are 24.75 high by 17 wide and12.75 deep with a weight of 46 lbs.> jblpro.com

OHM TRS-115 With the help of Ohm’s TRS-115 monitor, Britannia Stadium,the home to Stoke City Football Club, has been named theloudest stadium in the UK by the audio tech team of Sky+HD– and that’s without the sound system.

With a capacity of only 28,383, the fans still out-cheer thelikes of huge clubs like Arsenal and Manchester United. Britishloudspeaker manufacturer, Ohm has supplied the field with 24of its TRS-115 monitors to broadcast the announcersthroughout the stadium. The TRS-15 is from Ohm’s touringline and features and a 15-inch with three-inch voice coil bassdriver and a half-inch compression driver mounted on a 60 by40-degree horn flare.

The design of the cabinet allows it to be used as a full rangesystem or within a two-way system as the mid/highs for asub/sat system. Applications include stage monitors and front of house> ohm.co.uk

VMB’S ADP-15M VMB’s new ADP-15M is an active stage monitor thatincorporates an internal DSP. It is a high output 130dBmonitor powered by 1500W class D amplification (1000W forthe low frequencies and 500W for the driver) and uses a 15-inch neodymium woofer and a 1.4-inch compression driverwhile weighing only 27kg.

The company is boasting that the coaxial ADP-15Mprovides a virtually flat phase response and enables variousmonitors configured in stereo to achieve greater coherence.

”Funktion One’s

new RM18 is a

radical departure

from the

standard 15-inch

woofer and

compression

driver

configuration.


SECTOR SPOTLIGHT STAGE WEDGES <

Its 60Hz to 20KHz frequency response reduces the need for eqfilters and an LCD screen enables the user to change betweendifferent configurations without the need for an externalprocessor. The power module can also be turned 180-degrees toprovide clean connection cable placement. Optional Ethernetprovides information on temperature of the hottest powermodule and input levels.> vmb.es

RCF TT45-SMA RCF boasts that its TT45-SMA monitor has flat amplituderesponse, extended bass reproduction and premium output. Itscabinet angle and 90 by 40-degree uniform directivity isdesigned to work in pairs for tour grade monitoring.

Featuring 1,500W digital amplification power with integratedonboard signal processing and transducer protections, TT45-SMA’s low frequency section comprises two 12-inch high powerneodymium vented woofers. The two transducers are driven inparallel, while in its low midrange frequency region only one ofthe two transducers is driven in order to avoid sidecancellations. Clever stuff.

A new three-inch diaphragm compression driver with a 1.4-inch exit throat deliver natural midrange and high frequency.The diaphragm is precision formed from pure titanium, thesuspension is based on a vented and damped design in order toprovide very low distortion.

The TT45-SMA is powered by a 1,500W digital two-wayamplifier: 1000W for the two 12-inch woofers and 500W drivethe three-inch voice coil horn loaded driver. The input boardfeatures a special switch to align the curve response equalisationfor use of the speaker system in pairs.> rcf.it

EV XW15AEV’s Xw15A is a two-way, 15-inch floor monitor featuring itsND6 three-inch Titanium HF compression driver withneodymium motor. A member of the company’s X-Array family,the monitor has a max SPL of 135dB and a nominal coverage of55 by 80-degree. It features an LF woofer with a 15-inchtransducer and a 1.4-inch HF transducer. > electrovoice.com

APEX SMX15The SMX15 stage monitor is the latest product in the APG’sDispersion series of multi-purpose loudspeakers. It is based oncoaxial technology to provide a coherent conical acoustic fieldand was designed for applications requiring a combination ofsonic accuracy and very high SPLs down to low frequencies.

This new loudspeaker takes advantage of a proprietarytechnique of forced thermal transfer, which reduces thermalcompression effects, resulting in optimised sound pressurecapacity down to 60Hz. The low frequency section uses a newgeneration neodymium 15-inch cone speaker mounted in aported enclosure, while the high frequency section uses a

neodymium compression driver with low distortion andfrequency extension up to 20kHz.

The ergonomics of the SMX15 enable it to be tilted at fivedifferent angles. Each position offers the lowest possible profile.Three integrated handles ensure straightforward lifting andhandling. There is also an optional rigging system. Applicationsinclude everything from traditional stage monitoring at FOH,or in clubs, bars and other small installations to TV applicationsas well as side-fill or drum-fill. > apg.tm.fr

EAW MW15 MICROWEDGEThe MW15 features a coaxial driver arrangement that pairs a15-inch woofer with a three-inch HF compression driver on ahorn, which provides a 90-degree horizontal dispersion. TheMW15 is processor-enhanced (rather than processor-dependant) for plug and play operation. It is also offered inswitchable passive or active modes.> eaw.com.

SYNCO CW152Synco’s CW152 monitor was developed with the input of ateam of experienced monitor engineers and technicians fromaround the world. The two-way active CW-152 wedge offerspoint source performance due to its coaxial design, whichensures proper signal alignment and constant directivity and Qthrough crossover. Synco states that this unique design featherenables the CW152 to provide tonal balance and resolutionnot attainable from any other design.

The Synco monitor provides a maximum SPL of 132dB. ItsHF driver is a CD2-8, two-inch driver and its LF driver is a 15-inch woofer. > synco-network.com

PEAVEY QW MONITORThe Peavey QW monitor features a 15-inch Pro Rider wooferwith a Kevlar impregnated, water-resistant treated cone anddust cap for environmental stability. Its four-inch 44XTcompression driver handles the high frequencies and featuresthe Radialinear Planar phase correction system, while its CH-6conical constant directivity horn provides an even 60-degreecoverage in all directions.> peavey.com

MARTIN AUDIO LE1500SThe Martin Audio LE1500S is a compact, high performancestage monitor combining high output and controlled dispersionwith discreet, contemporary design. It features a highspecification 15-inch low frequency drive unit and a 1.4-inchexit compression driver mounted on a differential dispersionhorn. This dispersion technology increases the area over whicha constant SPL and consistent frequency response ismaintained at ear height> martin-audio.com

”The VMB ADP-

15M enables

various monitors

configured in

stereo to achieve

greater

coherence

nominate nowfor the music producers guild awards 2010Your chance to nominate for the Music Producers GuildAwards 2010 continues until Monday 19th October.

The 2010 event will see the introduction of two newcategories, Breakthrough Producer and BreakthroughEngineer and the qualifying period for work isSeptember 1st 2008 – September 31st 2009.

The Music Producers Guild Awards have has been createdto appreciate and honour the UK’s invaluable producers,engineers, mixers and remixers, whilst also giving anopportunity for the less recognised individuals within theindustry to shine through in the Best Newcomer andUnsung Hero awards.

Visit www.mpgawards.co.uk to see all the categoriesand to nominate.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact:Natalie Besbrode @ Bubble & Squeake-mail: [email protected]

headline sponsors

media partners media supporters sponsors sponsored charity

John Agnello walks the line between major labelproducer and indie band herder. Having worked on twoof the biggest indie releases of 2009, he realises his role

as an engineer and producer can mean many things. DinosaurJr’s new album Farm and Sonic Youth’s latest, The Eternal,showcase the diversity of his craft while encompassing thecore elements he learned watching top engineers work duringhis days at NYC’s legendary Record Plant.

Agnello cut his teeth putting in long hours atthe Record Plant, working with engineers inthe mid 80s on albums from big rock andpop artists such as Cyndi Lauper,Meatloaf, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteenand Kiss. “I was very fortunate to be inrooms all day with people who reallyknew what they were doing andthrough osmosis I learned myengineering craft,” he explains.

In the early ‘90s Agnello metDinosaur Jr frontman J Mascis througha ‘young and hip’ A&R rep who wastrying to court the band to ColumbiaRecords. Although Mascis never signed toColumbia, Agnello was eventually contactedto work on the band’s album Where You Been andhas worked on almost all of his recordings ever since.

“When we first joined forces, I was able to get guitar andsnare drum sounds down the way he wanted them reallyeasily and that was his major focus for the songs. We got alongwell in the studio and I put up with a lot of his craziness.”

When working on the critically acclaimed album Farm,Agnello found himself returning to old methods learned atthe Record Plant, as an API monitor section plucked out ofan old 70s console became an integral part of the recordings.

He explains: “The monitor section we used comprised 32inputs with little faders, four sends, four cues with solo inplace, pre and post on the cues and sends and no eq or micpres. We ran everything through it. It has those really greatop-amps and the API character, so it sounds wonderful.

“I remember working at the Record Plant with JimmyLovine – he would do rough mixes for the record label off the

juke box because it sounded much bigger, so evenback then people thought those monitor sections

had a bigger and much cleaner sound.

CONSOLE BUGABOOS“It is common sense because mybugaboo with the new consoles is –and I love Neve consoles – that withthe new 88Rs, once you add so manyamplifiers and set up and step downamps into your signal path, it reallychanges the sound. When you record

your entire record on Pro Tools andone of those consoles it sounds on

record like it sounds in the studio.“Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t sound

horrible, but when you compare the sound itreally is different. Part of my credo as an engineer

to this day is that people hire me to make the bestsounding record that I can and I strive to do just that. I usetape and the specific gear that will work and sound the best. Idon’t believe in saying, ‘SSL is very convenient so let me justmix the record with that’. I don’t like how those consolessound, so I don’t use them.”

Farm was recorded in J Mascis’ studio in Amherst,Massachusetts. The gear chosen for the space was mostlyformed around pieces that Agnello used for past sessions.

“I was fortunate to

be in rooms all

day with people

who knew what

they were doing

and through

osmosis I learned

my craft.John Agnello

John Agnello has spent his career working on albums with everyone from mega

rock bands to indie innovators. Andrew Low talks to Agnello about his work style,

choice of gear and how he makes records sound so good…


JOHN AGNELLO INTERVIEW <

Out on the Farm

John Agnello

> INTERVIEW JOHN AGNELLO

“Back in 93 I would roll in all my gear and Mascis saw allthe API graphics and mic pres and the Neve compressorsand really liked the sound I got,” he enthuses. “Later on Igot my hands on Dakings compressors and started workingwith a lot of things we had used in the past. He reallyloved the API 560s because he likes to eq thesnare drum and push the blue slider, which isthe 1k fader. He would laugh and say, ‘giveme more blue slider’. He also has someNeve 1073s, vintage Neve andTelefunken V72s mic pres. He isreally into running his guitarsthrough some of the new Chandlergear and uses tons of monster cableequipment, so he uses a bit of newand older gear.”

LOUD AND IN YOUR FACEThe key to the immense guitar soundon Dinosaur Jr’s albums is not layers ofguitars as one would assume, but rather,Agnello cranks the tracks through Dakingequalisers. “We hit the bus pretty hard,” hecomments. “All those things add up to the records being veryin your face and very loud, but not crazy, distorted loud likea Metallica record, more like Neil Young loud.”

Although these seemingly unconventional methods mightdisturb some of Agnello’s Record Plant mentors, he feelsthat it’s what sounds best for the style of music.

“Slamming the stereo bus would upset some people. Ifthey actually knew it was too much compression theywouldn’t like it, but since they don’t, they just think itsounds great. I have had a lot of people ask me to pull itback because they don’t like the sound of compression. Thathappens too, but it will never happen on Dinosaur Jr records– we both just like that sound. It enables Mascis to put downtwo guitar tracks and make it sound huge, as opposed to, say,the Smashing Pumpkins, who will put down 30 tracks ofguitars, take a year to record and it doesn’t sound clean.”

SONIC ENGINEERINGAgnello’s role during the Dinosaur Jr sessions was more inthe set up and mixing of the songs, while he was involved inSonic Youth’s latest album from start to finish.

“For Sonic Youth I am there 100 per cent of the time, co-producing the records. I worked with Thurstson, Lee andKim on vocals and gave opinions and ideas. They wanted tokeep The Eternal fresh, so they learned the songs andrecorded them on the spot, which was cool as we got firstand second takes.

“My role varies on every record I work on, but with SonicYouth I don’t talk about re-arranging songs with ThurstonMoore, because there is no point and the same goes forDinosaur Jr. I have gone past just being the engineering guyon some records, but I’m sure the guys who engineer for BobDylan don’t walk into the studio and say, ‘Hey Bob, thatverse is a little long’. At a certain point you need to let the

guys who have been doing it forever do their thing. “I work with a lot of people who need a lot of different kinds of

help. For instance, Sonic Youth needed me to herd everybodyinto a situation where I could get everyone to work when they

were available. We had a deadline to deliver the record andI had to get people to promise to give me the time

they needed to get all their overdubs done anddeliver it on time. They are all very busy, so it

was like herding cats. The point is that is whatyou have to do. Everyone needs differentthings and I am there to provide anythingneeded to get the job done.”> johnagnello.com

“Everyone needs

different things

and I’m there to

provide what’s

needed to get

the job done.John Agnello


Thurston Moore uses

Agnello as much for

organisational duties

as engineering

Sonic Youth learnt

and recorded Eternal

on the spot

Dinosaur Jr (below):

High voltage and in

yer face

More power

Digital BiAmp Asymmetric horn

Perfect dispersion

Reduced weight

Easy handling

kg kg

Multifunctional

FOH & monitor

24-Bit-DSP

Perfect sound


> SECTOR SPOTLIGHT DIGITAL AUDIO CONVERTERS

For the prestigious facilities that were once the only placewhere you could ‘cut a disc’, the ubiquitous home studiohas, over the last few years, become an increasingly

painful thorn in the side. It is sometimes blamed, in part, forthe closure of venerated recording houses such as Olympicand the subsequent redundancies of some of the bestengineers in the business. But, as thoroughly pissed off (andunderstandably so) as those left high and dry might be, mostfind it impossible to deny what a technological triumph thehome studio actually is.

While the personal computer was fundamental in allowing usto realise the incredible potential of what can now be achievedin a converted garage, the cornerstone of digital audio, therevolution that made all this possible in the first place, are theAD and DA converters. For an analog audio signal to become adigital one, it has to be converted into ‘on/off’ electricalpulses, as opposed to electro-mechanical signals. This mustalso be reversed for it to become audible once again.Retaining the sound quality of the signal throughout thisprocess is, even today, a field subject to constant refinementthat occupies some of the sharpest minds in electronics.

Although the advancement of these converters hasrecently put the technology in the hands of amateurmusicians, the disparity between models that can be pickedup for the price of a Casio keyboard and those that set youback something more akin to the cost of a vintage Moog isembodied, almost entirely, by the sound quality they offer.Needless to say, the built-in soundcard boasted by the averagePC won’t provide the necessary I/O to record a regular three-

piece, but even if it did, the resulting recording would beunlikely to be met with much acclaim.

Fortunately for the studios able to invest in them, musiciansare now realising that the best converters provide a soundworth paying for. And the following are the kind of the unitsthat will make a desirable and tangible sonic difference…

PRISM SOUNDPrism is a manufacturer with a straightforward, no-nonsenserange of converters. Exponents include Peter Cobbin, GeorgeMassenburg and Mick Glossop, the latter citing Prism Soundconversion as the best in the world.

Individual AD or DA conversion is available from eitherthe AD-2 or DA-2, which boast industry-leading featuressuch as a dynamic range of 130dB and incoming jittereliminating ‘Master Clock’ mode, respectively. The firm refersto these units as the ultimate converters and insists that ithas compromised on nothing, suggesting that if the best ofthe best is your requirement, these units will most likely beyour pick of the Prism bunch.

However, it’s difficult to ignore what the company bills asthe ‘the only converter you’ll ever need’, the ADA-8XRmodular converter – a METAlliance-certified, multi-channelADA converter that can be configured in a variety of ways(16-channel AD, 16-channel DA or eight-channel ADA)using plugin modules.

Last but certainly not least is Prism’s most recentdevelopment, Orpheus, a recording interface that’s aimed atpersonal recording and music production, but wouldn’t beout of place in any recording studio. The unit combinesPrism conversion and mic preamps into a 1U box at a moreaccessible price point. It has the same no-compromise analogfront and back ends with the same fully balancedarchitecture throughout, along with the isolation barriersthat protect the analog from digital and computerinterference, as does the rest of the company’s range.> prismsound.com

”Fortunately, forthe studiosinvesting inthem, musiciansare now realisingthat the bestconvertersprovide a soundworth paying for.

Getting music in and out of the virtual domain has always been a key area of focus

in the advancement of digital audio. Rob Hughes looks at the kind of DA and AD

converters that are currently separating the men from the boys…

DACto the future

All of Solid State

Logic’s Alpha Link

units can operate as

standalone units

DIGIDESIGNIf you’re using Pro Tools as yourmain DAW, which in alllikelihood you are, then you’llneed at least one dedicatedDigidesign interface to run it. Thecompany hasn’t left you short ofoptions in this respect, but once you’vegot your first model, whether you chooseto stick with the brand for the purposes ofexpanding I/O capabilities, upping yourconversion quality or whatever, is up to you. Digidesigninterfaces also work with any other software as long as itsupports core audio (Mac) or ASIO drivers.

There are four models on offer – two running up to 96kand two up to 192 – although anyone providing theirrecording services for a living will almost certainly plump forthe flagship unit, the 192 I/O, which supports up to 16channels of input/output, including eight analog, eightAES/EBU, eight TDIF, 16 ADAT and two additionalchannels of AES/EBU or S/PDIF digital I/O.

The company is quite modest about the sound quality ofits interfaces, refraining from claiming the best sound on themarket. It does note, however, that the 192 I/O is the best-sounding interface it offers and that it rivals similar productscosting more than twice its price. Taken on its own merits,regardless of the Pro Tools software, the 192 is certainly apopular interface with respect to its sound, which is oftenpraised for its transparency among those that frequent themurky world of industry forums. It would seem that thismight be a good option for those looking to avoid the‘colouring’ characteristics of some converters.> digidesign.com

LYNX STUDIO TECHNOLOGIESLynx’s Aurora 16 and Aurora 8 ADA converters offer wide,open, uncompressed and unequalised (avoiding colouration)conversion up to 192kHz for studios, mastering facilities,remote recording, broadcast and production – and anyonewould admit, it’s hard to be more universal in application.The unit supports AES/EBU I/O in single and dual wiremodes, simultaneously to analog I/O.

Lynx’s own SynchroLock wordclock claims ‘extreme’ jitterreduction, while other standout featuresthat set it apart from many pro-level convertersinclude the absence of a noisy fan and its ability to maintain thechannel count at higher sample rates, not requiring the use ofcostly analog and digital modules to achieve the unit’s fullchannel count.

Several interfaces enable Aurora to be used in a number ofdifferent configurations. LT-HD allows Aurora to be recognisedby and controlled from a Digidesign ProTools HD system.Firewire access is enabled using the LT-FW, while 16 channels ofADAT Lightpipe I/O is made available with the LT-ADAT.> lynxstudio.com

UNIVERSAL AUDIOThe 2192 master audio interface is the one and only converteroffering from UA, a manufacturer normally associated withhighest end of outboard gear.

As you might expect then, the device packs in more than thestandard offering of chips and transistors, sporting DC-coupled,fully dual-differential, matched-FET, all discrete Class-A circuitry– something for which UA is renowned – alongside the digitaltechnology necessary to provide ultra-low noise 44.1kHz to192kHz AD and DA conversion.

Signal paths are free from capacitors that could degrade soundquality or introduce phase distortion.

With two stereo inputs and outputs (on four balanced XLRsockets) the 2192 also features two-channel ADAT S-MUX I/O,two-channel transformer coupled AES/EBU I/O with support for

“ Digidesign notes that the192 I/O is the

best-soundinginterface it

offers and that itrivals similar

productscosting more

than twice the price.

DIGITAL AUDIO CONVERTERS SECTOR SPOTLIGHT <



> SECTOR SPOTLIGHT DIGITAL AUDIO CONVERTERS

single and dual wire AES/EBU at 96 and 192kHz rates, two-channel transformer coupled S/PDIF I/O, real-timetranscoding between digital formats and independent digitaland analog output routing.> uaudio.com

SOLID STATE LOGICAimed at studio, live and broadcast applications, thetransistor specialist offers its new XLogic Alpha-Link audioI/O range of multi-channel audio converters.

The two MADI-enabled models in the range, the AlphaLink MADI AX and SX, both feature SSL’s 24-channel, 24-bit/96kHz ADA converter circuitry and 24 analog inputs andoutputs on D-Sub connectors (for use with D-Sub to XLRlooms) and up to 64 channels of digital MADI I/O at 48kHz(or 32 channels at 96kHz). Both have word and Superclockinput and output with video sync input functionality,comprehensive I/O routing and analog metering via 24tricolour LEDs. The AX offers up to 24 channels of ADATLightpipe digital I/O at 48kHz (12 at 96kHz), while the SXversion has 12 stereo AES/EBU inputs and outputs. All inputand output channels can be used simultaneously in anyconfiguration.

The Alpha Link AX shares an almost identical feature-setto the Alpha Link MADI AX, but strips away the MADIfunctionality to produce an ADAT Lightpipe converter at anoptimum price to performance ratio.

All Alpha Link units can operate as standalone formatconverters, but used in combination with the firm’s DeltaLink MADI HD ProTools HD converter, MadiXtreme orMX4 cards, they provide a flexible I/O solution for digitalaudio workstations, including Digidesign’s industry standardsoftware. With a Soundscape Mixpander PCI card they canintegrate with PC-based audio workstations.> solid-state-logic.com

APOGEEApogee cut its teeth designing filters to overcome the countlessproblems of early digital audio, which gives it no small amount ofcredence among recording professionals. It manufacturesconverters and interfaces for the wider market, but as far as prosare concerned, it has a small range that covers all the bases.

Toward the bottom end, the Ensemble interface doesn’tseem to be considered as part of its pro range, but with eightchannels of AD and DA conversion, four transparent digitallycontrolled 75db mic preamps, eight channels of ADAT I/O,two channels of S/PDIF coax and optical I/O, and Firewire, itwould serve many professional project studios impeccably.

If your remit falls somewhere between a project studioand a big buck facility then you’ll be looking at either theRosetta or X-Series. The former is a combined AD andDA converter with UV22HR (word length reduction to16-bit for the internet and CD mastering), Intelliclockdual stage jitter reduction and SoftLimit limiters.

The X-Series is a top-flight system of separate DA andAD converters, which offer 16 channels of conversion,each along with the company’s most advanced clockingtechnology, Big Ben C777.> apogeedigital.com

RMEOne of the youngest manufacturers on the converter/interfacescene, RME nevertheless has its fair share of advocates, partlydue to its reputation for staying abreast of technologicaldevelopments, which it demonstrated recently with the launchof its M-series of converters with MADI and ADAT interfaces.

The M-32 AD and DA boxes offer 32-channel conversionto or from MADI and ADAT in reference quality, with fullysymmetrical analog circuit design to guarantee excellent S/Nand THD specs across a wide analog level range. The requisite192kHz capability is present, as is a real-world signal-to-noiseratio of 116dBA on all channels.

RME’s standout model, however, has to be the pleasinglynamed Mixstacy – an eight-channel mic/line preamp and ADconverter combining typical RME features with a an innovativeconcept that allows for amplification and digitisation of allanalog signal sources, whether high-level stage signals,typical studio signals, lower level and high-impedanceinstruments, or dynamic, condenser or ribbon microphones.> rme-audio.com

DADDigital Audio Denmark, or DAD as it is better known, is themanufacturer of the groundbreaking AX24, which offerssample rates up to a blistering 384kHz. The system is fullymodular, allowing 224 different configurations via externalmodules also manufactured by DAD. It supports between twoto eight analog line or mic input channels and between two toeight analog output channels.

The AX24 is based on DAD’s high quality multi-bitconverter and modulator design, using a five-bit delta sigmamodulator. As well as AD and DA conversion in PCM (pulsecode modulation) at 384kHz, it also offers DSD (direct streamdigital) conversion at 2.8,224 & 5.6,448MHz (64fs or 128fs)and DXD (digital extreme definition) at a sample-rate of 352.8kHz. AX24 covers applications for music recording as well asmastering and monitoring in DSD.

Mic pre with analog gain in 3dB steps and digital gain with0.25dB accuracy is available for AX24, providing a transparentintegrated mic pre and ADC design. The dynamic range isbetween 118 and 121dB and the mic pre equivalent noise flooris at -130dB. This, DAD claims, makes it the quietest andmost transparent converter on the market.> digitalaudio.dk

“RME has its

fair share of

advocates,

partly due to its

reputation for

staying abreast

of technological

developments.

Apogee covers

all the bases with its

range of DACs

Whatever your choice,

the current crop of

converters offer

unoprecedented quality

and variety

Back in May, I interviewed Moby and Sigur Ros producer/engineer Ken Thomas, who discussed his technicallyuncomplicated and often unconventional approach to

music production and getting the best out of artists. Iinterpreted his methods as an objection to more modernrecording techniques and technology – mistakenly, as it turnedout – and asked Thomas if he considered himself to be a purist.His nonchalant response was to suggest that he may be slightlyso, in some senses, but “certainly not to the extent thatsomeone such as Steve Levine is”. Thomas was quite adamantthat he embraces technology and will use any tools at hisdisposal if they help him get the most out of a recording.

DEFYING EXPECTATIONSFast forward to July and I was lucky enough to be presentedwith an opportunity to interview the MPG chairman and acelebrated producer himself, Steve Levine. On arriving at hishome studio in West London, the words of Thomas were ringingin my head and I’d already developed an expectation of findinga room filled with expensive analog outboard gear and not aplugin or digital processor in sight. Conversely, I was surprisedto find a comprehensive and balanced mix of both analog anddigital, which immediately prompted me to relay Thomas’comments to Levine.

Levine’s response began with an introduction to how heworks: “Here’s an interesting thing that I’ve recentlydiscovered. This company, Chord, makes guitar cables and itapproached me and asked me if I’d like to try some of them out.I’m always a stickler for the quality of the cables I use, becauseI’ve learnt that they make a huge difference – not just thequality of the cable itself, but proper screening and so on. It’salso critical to use the right cable for the right job; if I want aspeaker cable, I’ll use a proper speaker cable, rather than just astandard guitar or mic cable. If I want a digital cable, thendepending on whether it’s for AES of SPDIF or whatever, I’vegot the right cable for the right job, because it does make a bigdifference. If I’m plugging into my desk for the phantom power,that will be a proper old-style GPO brass cable because that’sreally important, to have a brass plug.

A CABLE REVELATION“So Chord sent me these guitar cables and the band I’m

working with at the moment, Patch Willliam, had aStrat. We plugged it in and the result was a revelation.Strats are notoriously difficult because of the loading,

particularly when you have a few pedals and so on,but the reaction in this case was: ‘Wow, that sounds

really bright.’ It was as if we’d got 20 per centmore top end out of the thing. So I asked Chordto make me some mic cables, which it did andI’m using them now.

“In terms of purity, all my mains powercomes directly in here – and this is always

something that many studios overlook.Although this is a home recordingenvironment, I have a 30-A supply

coming in from the street, totallyseparate to the house. And I have

both 110 and 240-Volt in this roombecause I have a lot of Americanfriends and I also have a lot oflegacy American equipment.

STEVE LEVINE INTERVIEW <


As well as being one of the most respected producers and member of countless organisations, Steve

Levine is one of the hardest working guys in the recording industry. Rob Hughes pays him a visit to discuss

his reputation of being something of a purist…

Whatever it takes

> INTERVIEW STEVE LEVINE

I can plug anything in anywhere and not have to worryabout a transformer or anything. Everything in this room isstabilised, including the air conditioning, so, for example, atthe moment it’s really humid so we need the air con on.

“Now, if you heard that little ‘bink’ sound a couple ofseconds ago, I have to confess that’s because, when the aircon switches on, rather than me getting a massive spike onmy audio, a Furman power conditioner stabilises the mains.The noise is because I had to get to get behind the blankingpanel to change something and I haven’t put the screws backin tightly, so when the transformer does its job it flexes thepanel slightly. It’s not an issue, I just need to tighten itup, but what I’m saying is that I’d rather have thatacoustic noise, which is just the panel, ratherthan a spike that I can’t get rid of.

PURE SOUND“When I say I’m a purist, I want thesignal to be as good as it can be withoutanything getting in the way. I don’t wantto record mains hum; I don’t want torecord unnecessary hiss. However, if Idecide to plug it through a valvecompressor, or a valve front end or valvemicrophone, I’m quite happy with the noisethat it would inherently have. I just don’t wantany more of anything – anything that shouldn’t be there.

“When people talk about analog recording, I guess 99 percent of what they like is the reaction of the electronics of thetape machine, the reaction of the tape somewhat saturating.What they probably don’t want are dropouts and tape hiss.But these positive factors can be achieved quite easilydigitally and, should I want to do that – and I occasionallydo – I can. The plugins for this desk, the Yamaha dm2000,are phenomenal. In the desk itself, from the day it wasdesigned, is a whole separate board of processing power thatthese plugins work on. But this one [Levine points to hiscomputer screen, on which sits the graphic interface of atape emulator plugin] is fantastic, you can change it from anAmerican machine – an Ampex machine, clearly – to aStuder machine from the 70s or from the 80s. And what isreally great about it, is that you can over-record it, applyoverbias and put it on ‘not-so-good’ tape. Now I know thegraphics aren’t that great, but sonically it does actually addsome of those effects, which is really good.

“This is just why I have the Focusrite Liquid Channel,which once again can add some of those things. Now it maynot be mathematically accurate, but when I’m going for asound and the artist is sitting with me and they say: ‘we wantit a bit more this’ or ‘a bit more that’, you have to pull out afew things quickly and that happens often. Some of thecompressor models on this do impart something to the signaland whether it sounds exactly how it is supposed to, I don’treally care to be honest, it makes it good and the artist likesit and that’s the important thing. Particularly with vocals – ifyou create a sound in their headphones that the vocalistreally likes hearing back, they can sing better, because it’slike you’re super-enhancing what they’re doing and they loveit. The [sE Electronics] Gemini mic creates a feeling ofwellbeing, it absolutely does. And once the signal is in there,it’s in there.

“I’m not a snob about analog or digital, it’s just that whenI changed over to digital, the advantages it gave me faroutweighed sonic nuances. While I’m a purist, absolutely, Ithink creativity is really important. So for me, around 1982to 83, I think analog recording got really good. That wasprobably about the peak, when we were running 48-track,two-inch machines. Studers and MCIs were mainly themachines I used – Studer maybe being slightly better – butgenerally speaking, those two lots of machines gave you apretty good level of control. However, the massivedisadvantages were that – particularly at that time when Iwas working with Culture Club – the backing vocals weremulti, multi, multi-tracked up and you’d still have to bouncethem down and the quality would go down a little bit.

“I’m a whiz when

it comes to tape

editing. But it’s

still a major task

– to take two-

inch tape and

cut it is sweaty

armpit stuff.Steve Levine

Of course, they had a brass sectionin there and, particularly as there

were lots of stabs, you could hear theprint-through, no matter how you

recorded it. “You’d work on track one and then a

month later you’d get the tape out and workon another track and there’d be print-through

all over the tape. So those things kind of annoyed me andalso George was constantly changing his mind. I’m a whizwhen it comes to tape editing; I was taught by Mike Rossfrom a classical point of view and I’ve had to edit fromclassical sessions with scissors, so I am pretty good at analogediting. However, it is still a major task – to take two-inchtape and cut it is sweaty armpit stuff.

CREATIVE CHOICES“Digital offered an amazing array of choices from thebeginning. First of all, even in the earlier stages of using theSony 3324 tape machine, number one, I could do a clone ofthe tape. Initially I only had one machine, but if I wanted aclone, Sony would do one for me. Soon after that I had asecond machine. So I still did slices on the original tape, butI’d already backed it up, so therefore if I made a mistake, Icould go back to the copy. And once I had the twomachines and the two remotes, then I could editelectronically, which was just unbelievably creative.

It wasn’t as good as it is now with a hard disk system, butit was bloody close. Then you could multi-track yourbacking vocals, you could bounce them down and put themon to copy tracks with no loss of quality, no brass print-through. So while we know that that 16-bit, 44/48K systemsand its converters aren’t as good as what we have now, thecreative process was fantastic, nevertheless, and Ithink we made a better record creativity-wise byhaving those digital tools, rather thanbeing saddled some of the problemswe had with analog.

Using the right cables

meant recording with Patch

William was a revelation



From Pro Tools to Pultecs, Californian

producer, engineer, mixer and

composer, Danny Naim tells of his love

for audio gear (and lava lamps)…

DANNY NAIM

Which band/project are you

currently working on?

I am currently working with AdamGaynor, who played guitar and sangbackgrounds with Matchbox 20until 2005 and is now working onsongs for movie soundtracks. He isan incredibly talented producer,singer and songwriter.

Where are you at the moment?

I’m just about finished mixing.

What audio console are you

utilising? And how many channels?

I am using an SSL J Series console.It has 104 channels, but I am onlyusing about 70 of them.

What decision process was behind

the choice of this audio console?

I love the sound of the J for mixing.It has plenty of headroom and theeqs and dynamics on board arestellar. Not to mention the stereobuss compressor is second to none.

Do you utilise any outboard

effects/eq?

When I set the mixes up at mystudio, The Cave, I use lots ofplugins to shape sounds in Pro Tools.Then when I get to the ‘big’room I use outboard tocolour the sounds. Ilike LA-2As andPultecs on kicks,bass guitars andvocals. Neve33609s andAPI 550s onsynths. 1073sand Distressorson snares.Avalon 2055s andSummit DCL200son strings. 1176s, TubeTech LCA-2Bs and DBX160s on guitars and backgroundvocals. And I will blend the SSLseqs and dynamics in with all of thoseelements. I still use the Lexicon480L for reverbs and Digidesign and

Waves delays. At the end of the mix,I’ll strap a GML 8200 eq across thestereo buss for a little extra sheen.

Favourite console?

My favourite tracking console isthe Neve VR. My favourite

mixing console is theSSL J series.

Favourite PA

system (or

monitors)?

My favouritenearfield monitorsare still the Yamaha

NS-10s along withthe Genelec 1032As.

For mains, gotta haveAugspurgers.

Favourite venue/festival/studio?

My favourite tracking studios are TheRecord Plant and Westlake Audio inHollywood. My favorite mixing roomis Encore Studio A in Burbank.

Best toy you take to the studio?

The best toy I take in the studio is myTascam DVRA-1000 high definitionmaster recorder. I use it to print mymixes as 24bit 96kHz wave files. As ithas no internal converters, I use anApogee Rosetta 200 for conversion.

What’s been your worst

professional experience to date?

Working with artists that need lots ofwizardry in Pro Tools. It’s becomingmuch more common these days.

What’s been your career highlight?

Working with artists that I admiredgrowing up and artists that are reallytalented. This makes for a pleasantexperience.

What pisses you off when working?

Lots of people in the control room. Itjust totally kills the vibe.

What makes you happy at work?

My lava lamps and a big food budget.

BEHIND THE BOARD WITH…

> IN SESSION


Blue Frog Studios, Mumbai

Telephone: +91 22 4033 2375 Web: www.bluefrog.co.in

Steerpike mobile studios

Rooms: Depends where it travels

Console: SSL 4064 G+ with Ultimation

Mics: Neumann, Blue, DPA, Sure, Sennheiser, Coles, Royer, AKG, Sony

Outboard: API, Neve, Milennia, Focusrite, Amek, Shep, Demiter, Summit, Lexicon

Monitoring: Quested, KRK, Yamaha, ATC

Telephone: +44 7778 743743 Web: www.steerpikestudio.com

THE FOUNDATIONS OF Steerpike

Studio were laid by The Police

frontman Sting in 1992 – though this is

perhaps an unsuitable analogy since,

instead of being constructed within a

traditional brick and mortar building,

the studio is completely mobile and

travels to its clients rather than the other

way around. Steerpike is run by former

Trident Studios recording engineer,

Donal Hodgson, who has worked with

Counting Crows, Primal Scream and

Tina Turner, among others.

Every part of Steerpike is flight cased

and can be wheeled in and out as

required. The SSL G series desk (the first

piece to be acquired by Sting) was

made in three sections which connect

together with interlink cables. The

desk’s PSU and computer racks attach

on long extension cables and can be

placed in an adjacent room. Nothing

has been compromised and all cabling

is of the highest quality. Most of the

studio is powered on 120 Volts, but the

racks have since been upgraded to

provide stabilised 120 and 240 Volts via

a custom isolation transformer.

An extensive outboard and

microphone collection has grown over

the years through requirement, as

different projects have made use of the

facility. EMT plate reverbs are also

available and Steerpike uses a 64 I/O

Pro Tools rig with Prism Sound

converters and as such has sold one of

the two Sony 3348 digital tape

machines that it once had. The second

has been retained for legacy and library

purposes only. For the The Police tour,

Steerpike added another Pro Tools

system – an HD3 with 48 channels of

Milennia mic preamps for mobile gig

recordings. This system was expanded by

Hodgson to 72 inputs for the DVD shoot

of Sting’s new album If on a Winters

Night, recently completed in Durham.

Sting’s first album, made using

Steerpike, was Ten Summoner's Tales.

The studio was hired by Bob

Clearmountain from October 1993 to

April 1994. Some of the projects he

used Steerpike for include, Bruce

Springsteen's Oscar-winning Streets of

Philadelphia, The Pretenders' album

Last of the Independents, the Wet, Wet,

Wet remake of the Troggs tune Love is

All Around, Paul McCartney's Biker Like

an Icon single and the Woodstock 94

album. Since then, every song Sting has

created has either been recorded,

mixed or both, using Steerpike.

Every part of Steerpike is flight cased and can be

wheeled in and out as required. Nothing has been

compromised and all cabling is of the highest quality.

BLUE FROG IS a comprehensive,

integrated music project in Mumbai,

India. It consists of the country's

leading live music venue, an

independent record label and artist

management service and – as you

might expect since you’re reading

about it on these pages – a recording

studio complex and music production

division. It is home to several top-notch

composers, musicians and producers.

Blue Frog’s studios were designed by

Andy Munro of Munro Acoustics who is

responsible for designing some of the

most famous studio spaces in the

world. His credits include studios at

Pinewood and Shepperton, Elstree,

Dave Gilmore’s Studio, and Mark

Knopfler’s British Grove. Blue Frog’s

monitoring is up to the same standard

as its acoustics – studios A and B use a

pair of custom designed Dynaudio M3s

– for which Munro Acoustics was also

responsible – along with Adam P33As

for near field monitoring. Studios C and

D use a pair of custom Dynaudio C3s,

while Studio B is equipped with a 5.1

set-up using Dynaudio AIR15s.

Recording is onto hard disk via Logic

Pro and Prism Dream ADA 8XR

converters, but the rest of the signal

chain is analog. The decision to use

Logic Pro instead of the ubiquitous Pro

Tools was based on the fact that Blue

Frog has been set up for composers as

well as engineers. With this in mind,

after weighing up the pros and cons of

all the software available, the studio

opted to use Logic as its main DAW

because it was more musician-friendly.

The program has its exponents in the

artistic realm, including Peter Gabriel,

Roger Waters and Herbie Hancock.

Blue Frog uses a hardwire that

connects the club to the studios

providing 16 discrete channels for

recording and allows composers to

take advantage of the club for use of an

alternative live room. This provides a

large space to accommodate acts such

as a string section and offers distinctive

acoustical properties that aren’t found

in standard, tuned live rooms.

Some of Blue Frog’s esteemed

clients include AR Rehman, John

Mclaughlin, Richard Bona, Electronic

Arts, advertising/feature film production

houses, such as Nirvana Films, Corcoise

Films, Ramesh Deo Productions, Good

Morning productions and TV

production companies including CNBC

and Walt Disney.

Blue Frog’s studios were designed by Andy Munro of

Munro Acoustics who is responsible for designing

some of the most famous studio spaces in the world.

Studios:

Rooms: Studios A, B, C, and D (each with live room, plus four vocal booths)

Consoles: SSL AWS 900+, custom Manley 16X4

Mics: Neumann, Blue Bottle, Microtech Gefell, Shure, Coles, Royer, AKG

Outboard: SSL, Manley, Rupert Neve Designs, Focusrite

Monitoring: Dynaudio, Adam, Genelec

People and equipment behind studios

in the UK and around the world...

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Air Studios, LondonAIR WAS FORMED in 1969 whenSir George Martin left EMI andstarted an independent recordingcomplex in central London. He alsobuilt a sister studio in 1970 on theCaribbean Island of Montserrat,which was devastated in 1989 byHurricane Hugo and forced to close.With the Montserrat studio gone andAir’s UK studio needing more space,Martin moved to the current locationin Lyndhurst Hall in London, whichopened in 1992.

Since then, Air has seen the likes ofPaul McCartney, Robbie Williams,Coldplay and U2 pass through its doors.It has established itself as Britain’spremier scoring facility, attracting theworld’s biggest movie scores such as therecent award-winning films Atonementand Sweeney Todd.

In February 2006, Air waspurchased by Strongroom ownerRichard Boote and the facility hascontinued to thrive and expand, nowincorporating TV post productionfacilities to rival those in the West End.

Air Mastering, the newest divisionof the Air Lyndhurst Group, wasestablished in conjunction with MPGaward-winning mastering engineerRay Staff and former Alchemyengineer Matt Colton. It offersmastering services for CD,parts/stems, surround soundmastering for DVD, HD TV, film,SACD and DVD audio formats,audio restoration and vinyl mastering.

Between them, Staff and Colton’scredits include Led Zeppelin, TheRolling Stones, Kylie Minogue, DavidBowie, Pearl Jam, AC/DC, CorrineBailey Ray, Elliot Smith and TheLibertines to name but a few.

The Air complex features eightcontrol rooms, each with their ownlive room, the biggest of which is thestunning Lyndhurst Hall, suitable forfull symphony orchestras, chambermusic and choirs of up to 120 peopleand features a Steinway D concertgrand piano. Further to its giantrecording room is the world’s largestNeve 88R with 96 channel strips.

Rooms: Lyndhurst Hall; Studios 1,2 and 3; mastering and post production rooms

Consoles: Custom Neve 88R, AMS DFC Gemini, AMS Logic, SSL 8000 G

Mics: AKG, Schoeps, Neumann, Microtech Gefell, Coles, Reslo, AEA

Outboard: BSS, dbx, Drawmer, Manley, Fairchild, Summit, Empirical Labs, GML

Monitoring: Dynaudio, ATC, Pro Ac, B&W, Genelec, Auratone, Yamaha

Telephone: +44 20 7794 0660 Web: www.airstudios.com

Air has established itself as Britain’s premier scoring

facility, attracting the biggest movie scores such as

award-winning films Atonement and Sweeney Todd.

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To have your studio featured in this section, please send all details to:

[email protected] or call +44 1992 535646

MAKING MONEY in musicrecording is challenging. So,should you spend hard cash onrecording software and hardware?

There are important differencesbetween hardware-based DSPsystems and those using nativecomputer power, not least the gulfbetween the cost of a Pro ToolsHD system and a comparablenative system such as SADiE 6,Logic, Nuendo or Sequoia. Why?Hardware based systems such asPro-Tools HD or SADiE (SADiE6 can also run natively) are TDMsystems using computer expansioncards for number crunching andaudio I/O. This is expensive andcomplex to program. Nativesystems harness computer powerand utilise your soundcard for I/O.As a result, native solutions arecheaper to produce and offer amore cost effective alternative.

IF IT SOUNDS RIGHT, IT IS RIGHT

It’s important to consider theintegrity of your signal path.Microphones, their placement,preamps, FX, and monitoring arecarefully considered, butsoundcard performance is takenfor granted. DSP functionality canbe transparently absorbed by afaster computer, but analog-digitalconversion can’t be avoided.Conversion isn’t generic – everyconverter gives different results.Native technology providescheaper DSP and potentiallyaffords better ADA conversion.

Pro Tools HD is almost a way oflife, but is it the best? Will you beheading down to Abbey Road torecord the next Harry Pottermovie soundtrack with theLondon Symphony Orchestra?No. Importing sessions into ProTools might be important,ensuring you can transfer betweenyour own and another facility.With OMF and SSL Pro Convert,data transfer is straightforward, forexample, you might look at systemscompatible with them, such asSADiE 6, Nuendo or Sequoia,

maybe coupled with an Orpheus.The other factor is you. Do you

have the expertise to configure areliable system? Will the supplierhelp you? Clicks, drop-outs orsynchronisation problems arecommon configuration issues.Hardware-based systems can helpto avoid problems with Windowsor Core Audio devices, but mayneed specialist expertise.

The second question is howmuch do you know abouttechnology? Are you a technologyspecialist or focused on creativeissues? Consider the complexityand knowledge required tounderstand and use systems. Issueslike this require a bit of digging orasking around because they aren’tcovered by sales literature.

These practical skills make thedifference between success andchaos. Your understanding canhelp deliver the best from yourtechnology and the performer.

SUMMARY

Write down a list of ‘must-have’and ‘would be nice’ features. Don’tbuy something because it’sfashionable – make sure it doeswhat you want. Make sure theessentials are properly covered andgood quality. Audition prospectivepurchases – conduct a blind test ifyou can, a good dealership willhave facilities for it.

To learn more aboutprofessional recording tools andtechnology, come along to one ofour Mic to Monitor or MasteringMastering free seminar events tomeet with other professionals andour suppliers.CHECK OUT

http://www.prismsound.com/music_recording/studio_events.php

Prism Sound’s Jody Thorne on

making your pro audio selections

count...

Practical skills make

the difference

between success

and chaos.

Jody Thorne holds the position of sales and marketing manager for Prism

Sound Group. He has worked for the company for the past 12 years and is

a graduate of Salford University. Prior to joining Prism Sound, he worked

for renowned producer, songwriter and musical director, Mike Stevens.

Purchasing Power

www.audioprointernational.com To contact Prism Sound Tel: +44 1353 648888 Email: [email protected] www.prismsound.com


Sarah Page joins Metropolis

LONDON’S METROPOLISrecording studio has recentlyappointed Sarah Page as its digitalmedia sales manager.

A former Sony Music executive,Page spent seven years working acrossthe company’s frontline marketing,account management, strategic andbrand partnerships and content dealswith brands. With the Chiswick,London, UK Metropolis, she will beresponsible for generating and drivingnew business for the studio’saward-winning digital team.

Since his appointment inNovember last year, Metropolis’managing director Ian Brenchley hasbusied himself hand picking a team todrive the studio’s business forward onas many fronts as possible andexploring a range of opportunities.

“I am elated that Sarah is part ofthe team here at Metropolis and it’svery exciting to have someone sodynamic and experienced in theentertainment industry join us,”commented Brenchley. “She hasproven experience in turning briefsinto creative and functionaldeliverables and with our expertdigital team at her disposal, Sarah’sco-ordinated approach will ensure thatshe can deliver at extremelycompetitive rates.”

The Metropolis digital mediadepartment has been looking atdevelopments for ten years in the areaof digital media and productions andsees itself as capable of providing acomplete spectrum of services formusic, film, television and web. > metropolis-group.co.uk

Max Lindsay-Johnsonarrives at Duran Audio

MAX LINDSAY-JOHNSON hasbeen appointed to Duran Audio asinternational sales manager.Andrew Taylor has also joined thecompany, while Steffan Lewis hasbeen promoted in a move tostrengthen Duran Audio’s salesand marketing team.

Former Harman Pro UK MD,Lindsay-Johnson joins the companyfrom Studiomaster. He will bebased at the company's new R&Dand production facility inZaltbommel, Netherlands.

“It's an exciting time for DuranAudio with everything that hasbeen put in place over the past fewyears and I feel it’s a realopportunity to capitalise on thesefoundations,” Lindsay-Johnsonstated. “Seldom do you get anopportunity to be involved insomething so far reaching with aninspirational team of people.”

Lindsay-Johnson has the remit todevelop the worldwide distributionnetwork for Duran’s Axys brand,while offering support to Duran’scurrent partners.

He will work in close associationwith, and reporting to, NickScreen, who was recently appointedas international businessdevelopment manager.

Duran’s Steffan Lewis, who hasbeen with the company since 2002,now takes on the role of technicalsales for the PA/VA market, whileAndrew Taylor joins the companyto focus on technical sales for thetheatre and touring markets.

Taylor joined Duran Audio UKfrom Stage Electrics, where he wasan audio project manager.

He will be working closely withChris Full, Duran Audio’s theatreand touring sound consultant, alsocharged with increasing thepresence of the Axys brand in these markets.> duranaudio.com

New appointments bolster sales and marketing

Time+Space

appoints new

director

TIME+SPACE HAS announced theappointment of Toby Daniel to itsboard of directors. The new positionwill see Daniel working closely withfellow executive director, Alex McKie,covering all aspects of companyfinance, operations and development.

Daniel has worked at Time+Spacesince 2006 as business developmentmanager and this move comes as T+Sexpands in the hi-tech market with theaddition of Ask Video to its portfolioof suppliers earlier this year.

“We are delighted to welcome Tobyas a director of Time+Space,”commented Zia McKie, T+S’managing director. “He has beenextremely successful as developmentmanager. We see him being afundamental part of the ongoingdevelopment of the company.”> timespace.com

> PEOPLE

SONIC DISTRIBUTION has

appointed Ian Young as

director of sales.

Young joined Sonic

Distribution in February 2004

and has worked as UK sales

manager for the past five years.

With the founding partners

of Sonic focusing on their

manufacturing venture

with sE

Electronics,

Young will

work on the

promotion of

Waves,

Apogee,

Rupert Neve

and sE products

in the UK.

> sonic-distribution.com

ROLAND UK has announced

the appointment of Simon

Griffiths to the board of

directors, replacing Paul

Stephens who left the

company in July.

Griffiths joins Roland from

Communications Direct, one of

the UK’s leading independent

mobile phone contact centres.

Before that he was a senior

investment manager for 3i, a

major European venture

capitalist firm. He has also

worked for Ernst & Young

chartered accountants.

Paul Stephens, who had

been with Roland UK for

23 years, left the

company

seeking new

challenges and

is now working

outside the

audio industry

> roland.co.uk

NAMM HAS announced

the election of Mark Goff,

president of Paige’s Music, as

secretary of its 2009 to 2011

executive committee.

Goff joined Paige’s Music in

1985 as a sales associate after

graduating from Indiana

Wesleyan University with a

music business degree. Paige's

Music is an MI retailer in

Indianapolis that partners more

than 400 school music

programmes throughout

Indiana to provide

recommended instruments and

in-school support necessary to

give school musicians the best

chance to succeed.

> namm.org

IN BRIEF

LINDSAY-JOHNSON: Exciting

“It’s a real opportnity to capitalise on the foundations

Duran has put in place in the past few years.”Max Lindsay-Johnson - Duran Audio

Former Sony exec added to drive new business for established digital team

DANIEL: Growing portfolio

PAGE: Proven experience


DISTRIBUTION <

TL AUDIO HAS announced thatMI7 Japan will now serve as thedistributor for its products in Japan.

The appointment was made at AESTokyo and both parties are veryenthusiastic about the newpossibilities for the future.

In just five years, MI7 has quickly

established itself as a major force inthe Japanese pro audio market. It isthe pioneer of a unique real-timelogistics and accounting systemdevised to help provide premiumservice and reliability to its customersand clients.

Managing director, Seiji Murai has

many years of experience in the musicand technology industry and bringsthese useful skills and knowledge toMI7 Japan.

Sarah Yule, sales director for TLAudio, commented: “We aredelighted to be working with MI7 inJapan, it is a professional and

innovative company and Seiji is aclever and inspiring business partner to have – together we are veryexcited about the future and what wecan achieve.”

> tlaudio.co.uk> mi7.co.jp

TL Audio happy with new Japanese connection

MURAI AND YULE: Professional and innovative

Proel takes on Beyerdynamicand Turbosound in ItalyMI and pro audio conglomerate granted exclusive

distribution rights in major European region

PROEL HAS announced newadditions to its portfolio by nabbingthe distribution of Beyerdynamicand Turbosound in Italy.

Based in Abruzzo, Italy, Proel willnow handle Beyerdynamic’s rangeof products for the conference,music and performance, broadcast,studio, video production andconsumer sectors. It will also nowhandle Turbosound’s full range ofloudspeakers. Both deals areexclusive to Proel in the region.

“The choice to undertakeexclusive distribution of a brand

such as Beyerdynamic fits perfectlyinto our company strategy, whichremains sensitive to the demandsand changes in the market,”commented Fabrizio Sorbi,president of the Proel Group.“Proel can now offer its customersdiversified and complete solutionsin every market sector, includingthe professional segment.

“The new partnership withBeyerdynamic will produce evermore significant results in terms ofcompetitiveness and growth.”> proelgroup.com

THEY SAY: PIP-USP4 delivers

unprecedented power and flexibility

while offering clear sound and the

widest dynamic range possible

SPECIFICATIONS: Fourth generation

DSP-based PIP (programmable input

processor) module for Crown’s CTs

series two-channel amps. Harman

HiQnet series component and

connects to audio control/monitor

network using 100MB Ethernet

hardware, comprising audio

distribution, control and monitoring.

Omnidrive HD processor provides

enhanced processing with 24-bit, 192

kHz Cirrus Logic SHARC AD and DA

converters and 96kHz processing.

Level/max peak, RMS and transducer

thermal voltage limiters. Proprietary FIR

and IIR filters

Allows transport of real-time digital

audio via Cobranet or Ethernet AVB.

> crownaudio.com

Crown PIP-USP4

THEY SAY: Over 18 years of product

development has gone into the FM-3

SPECIFICATIONS: Three balanced input

channels and two balanced main

outputs, with individual signal

transformers. Variety of sub outputs,

housed in solid aluminum body with an

Organic EL display with both VU and

peak level with selectable stereo and

mono indication.

FM-3 also features a sub output, tape

output, two phones outs and aux

output with channel select. It has

switchable level settings at +4/0/

-20/-60 on main and sub outputs.

Additional features include dedicated

monitor return input to check audio

from VTR or camera feeds and an

analog limiter with the threshold and

ratio adjustments. The units aux input

can be merged to the stereo bus for

cascade connection.

> scvlondon.co.uk

Fostex FM-3 field mixer

THEY SAY: Icon LTS sets new standards

for performance and digital signal

management capability.

SPECIFICATIONS: HK Audio’s new Icon

LTS is a digitally controlled, horn-

loaded, active PA, primarily designed for

use in ground-stacked configurations.

The horn-driven 12-inch/1.4-inch IC

112 LA mid-high unit, with 60-degree x

40-degree CD horn design provides

optimum directivity and features an

onboard digital controller that serves as

the stack’s control center.

Two 18-inch band-pass subs for low-

end, Class-D power amp technology is

integrated to provide for optimum

reach and SPLs. IC 112 LA mid/high unit

driven in biamp mode with 1,000W,

four-Ohm amp for midrange and

600W, four-Ohm amp for highs. IC 118

BA subs each with 2,000W, four-Ohm

amp. Max SPL of 136dB (peak).

> jhs.co.uk

HK Audio Icon LTS

THEY SAY: : It is like a Resolution 2 –

only on steroids

SPECIFICATIONS: The Resolution 3 is

an all in one three-way enclosure

comprising a special horn loaded 18-

inch bass loudspeaker with five-inch

voice coil, a new Axhead loaded 10-

inch loudspeaker for midrange and a

one-inch compression driver for

high frequencies.

The Res 3 is listed as producing

exceptional SPL for its size with very

convincing bass rendering additional

sub bass unnecessary. In addition, its

mid-high section can be rotated to

facilitate horizontal installation.

> funktion-one.com

Funktion-One Resolution3 loudspeaker

THEY SAY: Based on the Apollo platform,

Calrec’s Artemis console features the

same core technologies, such as

Bluefin2 and Hydra2.

SPECIFICATIONS: At 48kHz, Bluefin2

gives Artemis up to 640 channel

processing paths, 128 program busses,

64 IFB/Track outputs and 32 auxiliaries.

A second compressor/limiter per

channel, over 70 minutes of assignable

delay, three independent APFL systems

for multiple operator use (do not share

resources so are available at all times).

Utilises a dedicated integrated router

so I/O functions can be performed by

networking system, Hydra2, which uses

8192 x 8192 cross-point routers and

provides I/O units to offer analog, AES,

MADI, SDI and Dolby E formats.

Automatic hot-swap redundancy, all

DSP, control processor, router, power

and connections fully redundant.

> calrec.com

Calrec Artemis


> PRODUCT

THEY SAY: To cope with imminent

regulation changes, S6 is Channel 38

ready, operating from 606MHz to

865MHz.

SPECIFICATIONS: Rack-mounted 19-

inch, eight-channel S6 receiver with

eight receiver modules, internal

antenna distribution, headphone

monitor and USB. Comprehensive user

front panel interface for control of all

channels, with or without PC.

Standalone mode for frequency, user

name and mute level modification. RF

levels, AF levels and battery status

display, individual audio channel

monitoring. Frequency set

downloadable to transmitters. Under

PC control system can be monitored

remotely.

80MHz RF bandwidth, 10+ hours

from single AA cell. Compatible with

S6000 belt and handheld transmitters.

> trantec.co.uk

THEY SAY: Meyer’s Cinema Experience

lines of loudspeaker products redefine

how movies are experienced.

SPECIFICATIONS: Self-powered dual

15-inch mid-bass loudspeaker designed

for exclusive use with Meyer's Acheron

80 or Acheron 100 loudspeakers to

provide LF headroom in larger theatres.

Headroom on LCR channels by

converting each Acheron screen channel

loudspeaker into a system with three LF

drivers in an aligned column.

The Acheron LF provides 37Hz to

370Hz operating frequency range and

136dB maximum peak SPL, a high-power

15-inch cone driver and high-excursion,

back- vented drivers with four-inch

voice coils housed in a tuned, vented.

An onboard two-channel class AB/H

amp with MOSFET output stages powers

the Acheron LF. Its total output power is

2250W (4500W peak).

> meyersound.com

>> Recent releases in audio technology

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

NEW GEAR

Trantec S6 WirelessSystem

Meyer Sound AcheronLF

THEY SAY: A complete solution

uniquely designed for VMB’s

loudspeakers

SPECIFICATIONS: Electro-acoustical

prediction software with horizontal and

vertical modelling.

Windows-based simulation of

complete systems, library of

loudspeaker systems, built-in

inclinometer (LX-V8 and LX-F6 with

accordion-folded ribbon HF driver).

High res (24 point per octave)

speaker polar data with magnitude and

phase information for modelling down

to 30Hz, enabling user-designed

subwoofer arrays. Predicts cardioid,

end-fired arrangements.

Imports external WMF format

drawing files for architectural details or

rigging structures. Quick readout of

SPL, distance to the speakers, distance,

angle or delay between two points.

> vmb.es

VMB Rainbow

1

8

4

2


7

PRODUCT <

6

3

5

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SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT

SONIC CUISINE

WES MAEBE set up The Sonic Cuisineat GHQ in West London in 2007,moving to London from his nativeBelgium in 2003. Since then he hasestablished an enviable reputation as afreelance engineer, providing recording,mixing, mastering and front of houseservices to an eclectic, loyal and ever-growing list of clients.

As a recording engineer, Maebe isequally at home on location or in thestudio, working with his clients to findthe right solution to realise their visionwithin their budget. This could beanything from rigging a country churchto record a lute album, capturing a liveperformance at a sweaty venue orrecording and mixing a variety of artistsat some of the best studios in the country.

Mixing can also be done ‘in the box’ atThe Sonic Cuisine, when budgets don’tstretch to hiring bigger studios.

Sonic Cuisine fans appreciate Maebe’spassionate commitment to classicproduction values, combined with hisextensive knowledge of contemporaryaudio technology.

Whatever the available budget, theresults speak for themselves and mostclients come from personal referrals.

The mastering side of the business isalways busy, with clients enjoying therelaxed atmosphere of The SonicCuisine, as well as the natural light, thegreat coffee and the food. And, of course,the consistently high quality of themastering work.

Why The Sonic Cuisine? Because it’snot the ingredients, it’s what you cookwith them. Expensive and extensivecomponents are no guarantee of a greatfinished project – you have to know howto make the best of your ‘ingredients’. > wesonator.co.uk

MANUFACTURER

“One great sounding amplif ier”

Highlights Flat, fully load-independent response Very low output impedance Low, frequency-independent THD Very low noise Industry best EMC

Kattegat 8 | 9723 JP Groningen The Netherlands | +31 50 52 64 993

[email protected]

TMPerformance meets power! The famed UcD sound quality is now TMavailable at over 2kW. If you must know more precisely: the UcD2k

module delivers up to 120Vrms and up to 35Arms to the load, depending on the capabilities of the power supply. Conservative thermal design insures all parts remain well within their ratings even with the most unfavourable programme. Contact Hypex or have a look at www.hypex.nl for more information.

Introducing the

Conservative thermal design

actual size:141x110x35mm

wno

hipp ngs i

> MARKETPLACE

O n t h e l a r g e s t s t a g e s

Complete Sound System Solutions by Electro-Voice

Kenny Chesney on tour with EV

System Design by Phillip Scobee, Morris Leasing

MANUFACTURER

MANUFACTURER

+1-858-535-6060www.HMEDX.com

WS200 Wireless Speaker Station

NEW

All-in-One Headset or Beltpac Options

MANUFACTURER

PR PR

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STUDIO

Wes MaebeThe GHQ Sonic Cuisine, West London

Freelance recording,mixing,mastering and live engineer.

T: 020 8749 5654M: 07875 401114

E: [email protected]

www.wesonator.co.ukPhoto of Exit 10 at Download by Wes Maebe

“You’d better hopethe guy with thisview knows whathe’s doing”

When you get up in front of your fans, you want to focus on yourperformance, not on what you sound like out front.You want toknow that the man who’s mixing your live sound is neither deafnor bored, knows how to get the best out of the kit he’s workingwith and is going to make you sound as good as you can be.

Not everyone knows how to do ‘loud’ without endangering the audience’shearing, blowing up some crucial piece of gear or alienating the local crew.

Fortunately, when Wes is out front, you can relax, knowing it’s going tobe great. He’s mixed live sound in over 120 venues throughout the UKand Europe on umpteen different desks, He’s mixed heavy metal at theDownload Festival and Sting’s lute in the Albert Hall. He’s done Goth inWhitby and Blues in Malta. This depth of experience is priceless.

Being fluent in four languages and having an encyclopedic knowledgeof the cool restaurants and bars of Europe’s major cities is also anadvantage of course. Wes even makes a mean quesadilla on the tour bus.

So next time you want someone really great out front who’s on your side,give Wes a call. And if you visit www.wesonator.co.uk and sign up for the SonicCuisine newsletter, he’ll even send you his recipe for Tour Bus Quesadilla!

STUDIO


Midas’ director of console development,Alex Cooper, was awarded the thirdGottelier Award during PLASA 2009 inrecognition of his design work on the Midasrange of mixing consoles and Klark Tekniksignal processing equipment, work which hasresulted in such industry classics as the Midas XL3,XL4 and H3000, and in recent years the new generation ofMidas digital products, the XL8 and Pro 6.

PRODIGIOUS TUBES Liam Howlett of The Prodigy wasthe first customer to purchase a

Phoenix compressor andCulture Vulture distortion

from Unity Audio before itsdistributor or dealernetworks were established.In an interview in RemixMagazine, Howlett said of

the Culture Vulture: “Thisis a mad valve unit built by

this British guy in the 70s.”Unity is celebrating its 11th year

of business by releasing the CultureVulture Limited Edition series.

The last word in Audio Pro

The Audio Pro paparazzi is infiltrating all audio events, snapping away for our

monthly Mixdown, which features friendly faces of people in the business and

shots from industry events. If you have any pictures from an event that you

would like us to include, please send them to [email protected].

PIC OF THE MONTH

HOW IT’S DONEWhen we interviewed Stuart Hallerman of Avast! Recording a fewmonths ago, he told us that a young unknown band that was fam-ily friends of producer Phil Ek had just been in the studio. Thatband turned out to be Fleet Foxes, which has recently receivedfour stars from Rolling Stone, ten stars from Pitchfork.com andreached number one on the CMJ Radio chart. The Foxes reliedheavily on an EMT 140 plate reverb to attain the echoey,drenched vocals and instruments that take center stage on theband’s highly acclaimed debut album.

INNOVATION AWARDS The 2009 PLASA Awards forInnovation were presented at ThePLASA Show this month,continuing to reflect the widediversity of products nominatedfrom across the entertainment andinstallation technology spectrum,ranging from the spectacular to newtwists on essential tools of the trade.Over 60 products were nominatedfor the awards.

Adam Afriyie MP, shadowminister for innovation, universitiesand skills (pictured below withJoeCo’s Joe Bull) presented theawards, which were judged by apanel of independent judges drawnfrom across the industry.

Awards chairman, James Eade,stated: “This year the entriesdisplayed a range of technologicaladvances that resulted in aconsiderable amount of productsvying for one of the eight awards.”

Pro audio winners on the eveningincluded Coda Audio (in cricle onright) for the SC8 Sensor controlledsubwoofer, JoeCo for the new BlackBox Recorder and Klein &Hummel’s SMS speaker installation tools.

Fleet Foxes self-titled debut album was

engineered by Phil Eck at Avast! studios

>>www.audioprointernational.com audioPRO October 2009 57

TAKING IT EASY

These chilled out PLASA visitorshad clearly done plenty ofbusiness as they surrendered tothe bean bags of the show’scentral area after four non-stop,foot-destroying days at London’sEarls Court.

The area was the centre ofrelaxation for the bustling crowdsand featured comfortable chairs, amassage station and the mostimportant feature of anytradeshow, a fully-stockednetworking bar

BEHIND THE BILLBOARD

BANG YOUR (CONE) HEADBen Latham takes the Bestival theme of 2009: A Space Oddity toanother level as Pam, the sassy middle aged conehead women,attracts a gang of admirining coneheads followers at the festival.

Held on the UK’s Isle of White from September 11th to the13th, Bestival featured mainstage headliners Kraftwerk, Elbow andMassive Attack.

This year’s festival has been nominated for several awards at thisyears UK Festival Awards, including Best Medium Sized Festival,Best Dance Event, Best Toilets, Best Headline Performance forKraftwerk, Elbow and Massive and the Virtual Festivals Critics'Choice Award.

API was not able to attend Bestival this year due to a scheduleconflict with the PLASA show. We have put in formal complaintsto have the dates of one of the shows changed for 2010.

THE TOP FIVE WEDDING FIRST DANCE PRODUCERS

1. Dann Huff - Lonestar, Amazed2. Matt Serletic - Aerosmith, Don’t Want to Miss a Thing

3. Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange - Shania Twain, From this Moment On4. Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange - Bryan Adams, Everything I Do

5. John Shanks - Take That, Rule the World

Midas XL4 analog live console

Launched in the summer of 1995, Midas’ XL4 was received with instantand almost universal acclaim. It quickly established itself as, statistically,the world's favourite PA rental desk, with some leading sound engineers

refusing to use anything else.It was designed by Midas’ head of R&D, Alex Cooper, who recently

became the third Gottelier Award winner at the PLASA 09 show. Thisrecognition was, without a doubt, in part, for his creation of the board,

which, although discontinued three years ago, remains a familiar sight atFOH today.

The XL4 was introduced in an era where smaller and cheaper mixerswere becoming the norm, but as other manufacturers addressed thelower end of the market, Cooper decided to make a console that was

bigger, better and, unavoidably, more expensive than anything previously designed.

Despite its price tag, which, at the time of its launch, was akin to that ofa four-bedroom house, it sold in unprecedented numbers, not only intothe touring sector, but also into the broadcast and fixed install markets.In the summer of 2006, after 12 years in production, the two final XL4

mixing consoles left Midas' Kidderminster factory en route to customers in Korea.

AUDIO ARCHETYPES


To discuss advertising contact Darrell Carter on 01992 535647 [email protected] editorial enquiries email Andrew Low [email protected] or call 01992 535646

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and the Periodical

Publishers Association

Audio Pro International is published 11 times a year by Intent Media

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A>>

NOISETTES AND V FESTIVAL FOH ENGINEERBRYONY OCTOBER ON THE SOUNDCRAFT VI6If I had to take any desk to a desert island it would have to beSoundcraft’s Vi6. It sounds amazing due to the Studer preamps, butwhat I like most about the desk is the fact that you can see every aspectof every channel simultaneously. Everything is right in front of youwithout scrolling through pages and menus, and you can see theoutboard and aux sends on each channel all of the time. In thepressured live environment – for example, mixing drifters such as RebBeach – you just don't want to have to chase through pages to see whata certain channel's gate or comp is doing, or where you have routed toFX or monitor mixes. On this desk you can see everything, just like youcould if you had loads of analog outboard and FX by your side. It’s alsorock solid, so I’m also pretty sure that it would stand up to theoccasional falling coconut.

40-YEARS YOUNGAllen & Heath celebrated its 40th anniversary by holding a party atthe top of London’s stand-out Gherkin building on the first eveningof the PLASA show.

Pictured above is the former MD, Neil Hauser (right), with current MD, Glenn Rogers (left) as they shake hands during the bigthe top-floor party.

This month’s Audio Fish of the Month award goes to Five’s general

manager, Liviu Stanescu for the 19-pound common carp that he

fished from the waters of the Danube Delta in Romania. Send pictures

of your big catch to [email protected].

AUDIO FISH OFTHE MONTH

November, Issue 24 – A look at the mics used in top studios aroundthe world, in addition to a sector spotlight on the post productionmarket and a review of the news from AES NYC and Eventech Ireland(extra circulation)December/January – API is combining its December and January issueinto one big holiday issue with all the essential information for theNAMM show, plus a focus on the latest in studio outboard and digitalsnakes and audio transport

FORWARD FEATURE LIST

36.35”/923.5mm

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22”/31mm

0.47”/12mm

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In 2008 we ticked all the boxes. In 2009 we˙ve created some

new ones...Feature SD8 SD8 Overdrive

Complete with 48/8 Stage Rack with 100m Digital MADI snake.

Up to 60 mono or stereo channels with full processing (equal to 120 channels of DSP processing).

24 mono or stereo busses + Stereo Master with full processing (equal to 50 busses of DSP processing).

On Board local I/O with 8 Mic/Line inputs, 8 Line Outputs and 8 AES I/O.

Open format & platform recording.

12 x 32 Graphic Equalisers.

12x12 Matrix with full output processing.

6 stereo fl oating point FX processors.

2 independent solo busses for monitoring.

Snapshot cue control with crossfade.

Touch screen control.

Full worksurface precision metering.

Networking and remote control.

Floating point processing.

Future proofed FPGA audio core.

Remote studio grade mic pre’s.

MADI connection.

USB compatible for session saving & transfer.

Offl ine & online session control.

Optional Stereo or LCR Master Buss.

24 x 32 Graphic Equalisers.

16x12 Matrix with full output processing.

8 stereo fl oating point FX processors (including Stealth FGPA FX imported from SD7 Mach 2).

Snapshot Scopes and Crossfades expanded to allow per channel settings and per feature.

Dynamic EQ 8 on any input or output path on each band, equivalent to 64 dynamic Eqs in DSP processing.

Multi Band Compression Available on any 8 input or output processing paths, mono or stereo. This is equivalent to 48

Multi Band Compressors in DSP processing.

Snapshot List per snapshot editable text styles for Snapshot names (uses snapshot notes style).

Snapshot Timing Progress Bar.

MIDI Machine Control this has been implemented to allow Play/Stop and Locate commands to be triggered by Snapshots.

Assign / Unassign allows the building of custom fader banks via channel functions on the worksurface.

Dedicated Talkback Channel.

Security Modes Unattended and custom Live mode with user defi nable password protection.

Optical I/O Option.

Overdrive software available for both SD8 and the new smaller footprint SD8 - 24www.digico.org

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Audio Pro October 2009 - Issue 23

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