Mix News for September

News September 1 – 15 (readSeptember 16-30 news)

Orban/CRL Mobile Broadcast Laboratory Tour Announced
Orban/CRL announced its first cross-country U.S. tour of the newOrban/CRL Mobile Broadcast Laboratory (MBL). The unit is a fullyequipped, 33-foot mobile vehicle that has been converted to allow fortesting and demonstrations of Orban and CRL products, as well as hostcomparisons with other products. The MBL also carries kioskrack-mounted displays of the entire product line of Orban/CRL.

A variety of equipment, including the new Optimod-PC 1100, theOptimod FM 8400HD and the Opticodec 7000 and 7400 Series ISDN machines,will be onboard. Presentations will be conducted on High-DefinitionRadio and the most recent developments in audio processing. The MBLwill offer broadcast engineers, technical service managers and ownersan opportunity for hands-on demonstrations and a chance for in-depthQ&A sessions with representatives from Orban/CRL.

Already on the road, the Lab will be in these cities on these dates:September 11, 2003, Minneapolis; September 16, 2003, Milwaukee, Wisc.;September 18, 2003, Chicago; October 1, 2003, at NAB Philadelphia;October 10-13, 2003, at AES in New York City; October 14, 2003, inCleveland; October 20, 2003, in Wichita, Kan.; October 28, 2003, inSacramento, Calif.; October 29, 2003, in San Francisco; October 30,2003, in Fresno, Calif.; November 11, 2003, in Los Angeles; andNovember 11, 2003, in San Bernadino, Calif. Additional stops in Denverand Phoenix are still in the planning stage. The Tour will continueinto 2004.

For more, visit www.orban.com.

Ultrasone Donates Headphones to Music for Life Alliance
EARS Audio Distribution donated 30 Ultrasone HFI-15G headphones to theMusic For Life Alliance. The Music for Life Alliance is a nonprofitorganization dedicated to providing new and refurbished musicalinstruments and audio equipment to underserved kids in school andcommunity-based music programs.

Linda Albright, sole proprietor of EARS Audio, said, “We are proudto have been able to contribute these Ultrasone headphones to theschool music program and to help educate future generations about theimportance of safe listening and protecting their hearing.”

The donations were in honor of Muriel Anderson’s All-Star GuitarNight featuring Les Paul, which took place at the Ryman Auditorium inNashville during the NAMM Summer Session. EARS Audio Distribution alsodonated an Ultrasone HFI-550 Beatmaster headphone and an UltrasoneHFI-650 Trackmaster headphone to the Silent Auction. All proceedsraised from the auction will benefit the Music For Life Alliance andNashville-area high school piano labs.

For more information, visit www.ultrasone.com.

Fall 2003 Football Games to be Presented in Dolby Digital5.1
Networks announced that this coming football season, pro and collegefootball games will be broadcast in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound;included in these broadcasts is ABC’s Monday Night Football.ABC, FOX and other networks will also broadcast select regular seasonSunday and post-season games in Dolby Digital 5.1.

“”Fox’s first Dolby Digital broadcast was the networkpresentation of the theatrical film Independence Day in 1998.Fox also produced Super Bowl XXXVI and has produced its NFL andNASCAR coverage in the format since last season. In fact, Fox has madea commitment to broadcast all of its Fox Widescreen sportspresentations in Dolby Digital 5.1, as we believe that the purestdigital audio enriches the viewing experience by making viewers feellike they are at the game,” said Andy Setos, president of engineeringat the Fox Group.

“Live programming, such as sports, is a great showcase for DolbyDigital 5.1,” said Tom Daily, director of marketing professional audiofor Dolby Laboratories. “Sports fans really appreciate the differencethat Dolby surround sound makes in experiencing the action.”

For more, visit Dolby online at www.dolby.com.

Recent Studio News From the Zone
Including numerous session dates at Atlanta-based Zone Studios, thestudio brought onboard engineer Joel Mullis and opened a third studio,”The G Room.” The new room has Pro Tools and is being used for mixing,editing and pre-production.

Ying Yang Twins recently completed recording and mixing their newalbum, Me and My Brother for TVT Records with producer DJ Smurf.The Zone’s Billy Hume mixed the record and played guitar. Devin Johnsonengineered in Studio B. Break ‘Em Off/Arista recording artistBonecrusher has begun work on the follow-up to his albumAttenchun!. Hume was again tapped for his production chops, withJoel Mullis and Devin Johnson engineering.

Hume was also found remixing David Banner’s “Like a Pimp,” featuringguest spots from Busta Rhymes and Twista. Banner was also working ontracks for his second release for Universal Records. Cloud 10 recordedtheir first full-length album at The Zone. Hume produced, engineeredand mixed the record.

For more session and studio news from The Zone, visit www.mindspring.com/~hume/zone.html.

MakeMusic! Releases Finale 2004
New features in 2004 include: Human Playback, which plays back yourmusic as the user has written it; FinaleScript, which uses English tocreate scripts of Finale commands to modify multiple filesautomatically; a free version of SmartMusic Software Synthesizer;SmartMusic SoundFont, the same professional-grade instrument soundsfound in the SmartMusic practice system; ability to create SmartMusicaccompaniments with advanced features for solo works, exercises,warm-ups, etc.; Save as Audio File to record onto an audio CD; andSmart Page Turns, which aligns individual parts for natural pageturns.

“”We have worked closely with the world’s best engravers andpublishers,” stated John Paulson, MakeMusic!’s president. “The power ofFinaleScript, the new note-entry design and the ease-of-use featuressuch as Smart Page Turns will make their work much more efficient.Similarly, we have worked closely with educators. The built-insynthesizer, great sounds and Human Playback will inspire students whenthey listen to their assignments created with Finale. The Save as AudioFile feature will let students share their music with friends andfamily and enable teachers to keep a record of each student’sprogress.”

For more, visit www.makemusic.com.

Euphonix Moves Manhattan Address
Euphonix has recently relocated its New York sales and serviceoperations into a new facility. The office will be used by Peter Kehoe,director of sales in the Eastern region; James Tunnicliffe, servicemanager for the Eastern region; and Tony Langly, VP of broadcastmarketing.

The new address is 424 West 33rd St., Ste. 560, New York, NY 10001;212/889-6869; fax 212/889-6897.

For more, visit Euphonix online at www.euphonix.com.

Emagic Releases Logic Platinum 6.2
With a simultaneous release date, Emagic released the first Logicversion optimized for Apple’s Power Mac G5. Version 6.2 update is arequirement when running Logic on a G5. All registered owners of LogicPlatinum 6.x can now find this as a free download at www.emagic.de/support/download/lpx.php?lang=EN.

“The G5 is a dream machine for musicians,” said Dr. GerhardLengeling, Emagic co-founder and chief architect of audio applications.”The introduction of the first 64-bit desktop processor means a hugestep toward an integrated, computer-based native music-productionsystem: one that includes software instruments, composing andpost-production tools. As a musician, you will experience an incredibleperformance boost. Not only CPU-hungry plug-ins, obviously, but alsothose functions that require moving lots of audio data in RAM benefitgreatly from the extremely fast new bus architecture.”

According to Lengeling, many aspects of audio applications willprofit from the new G5 frontside bus; for example, especially whenlarge amounts of audio data must be streamed or moved in memory. Thisincludes audio inputs and outputs, plus audio buses within anapplication’s internal mixer. In addition, Emagic’s EXS24 softwaresampler and all effects plug-ins, such as Emagic’s PlatinumVerb, willbenefit from the new bus architecture. Logic Platinum 6.2 also includesspecial performance optimizations for Power Mac G5 models with dualprocessors.

For more, visit www.emagic.de.

Peerless Mastering Installs SLS Loudspeakers
Mastering engineer and president/founder of Peerless Mastering, JeffLipton recently installed SLS Loudspeakers’ S1065 in his Newtonville,Mass. facility.

“”The decisions I make while listening on the SLS monitorstranslate incredibly well outside of the room, whether the record isplayed on an inexpensive boom box, in a car or on a home stereosystem,” Lipton explained. “They also enable me to work a lot fastersince I can hear exactly what needs to be changed right away and I cantrust what I’m hearing.”

An important feature of the SLS monitors, according to Lipton, istheir ribbon driver-based design, which eliminates artifacts that cancause ear fatigue. “I can go an 18-hour day, monitoring between 78 and82 dBs, feeling just as sharp at the end of the day as when Istarted.”

According to mastering facility designer and president ofAlactronics, Bob Alach, who provided and installed the speakers atPeerless Mastering, “I choose SLS for mastering facilities becausethere’s a huge difference between their monitors and just abouteverything else in the world due to the ribbons. The high-power ribbondrivers are just an entirely different technology; they don’t soundlike any other speaker. You don’t get a lot of artifacts using SLS likeyou can with regular metal-dome tweeters or horn drivers. They help youhear more of what is really recorded.”

Currently, Lipton is using the monitors to work on a Wishing TreeRecords compilation album called The Amos House III featuringWilco, the Aluminum Group and the Skating Club. Lipton’s other recentprojects include the Dropkick Murphys, the Pernice Brothers, theMagnetic Fields, Big Star, Leadbelly, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Woody Guthrie,Atom, Neil Carswell, Jack Drag, The Moles, Richard Davis and the DeadMilkmen.

For more, visit Peerless Mastering at www.peerlessmastering.com/splash. For more on SLS,visit www.slsloudspeakers.com.

Drums on Demand CD Available
With recordists and songwriters in mind, Drums on Demand($49.95) was created from studio recordings of contemporary songs,offering nearly 900 stereo, royalty-free loops (almost 700 Megs)organized into 41 Song Sets®, with each set including as many as33 verse, chorus, fill, bridge, break, intro, ending and otherloops.

The loops were tracked into 24-bit Pro Tools with state-of-the-artmics and mixed down using high-end compression and reverb. PC/MacCD-optimized for Acid and Cakewalk, the CD is also compatible with all.WAV-based audio recording programs that read 24-bit .WAV files (ProTools, Performer, etc.). Features include: “Acidized” loops; rock, popand country styles; multiple time signatures; 41 loop sets, Rangingfrom 72 to 170 bpm; multiple snares; and brush and rim-based loops.

For more, go to www.drumsondemand.com.

Tribune Studios Installs Twin Max Airs
Tribune Studios, a division of Tribune Broadcasting, has installed twinMax Air digital audio consoles in its Hollywood production facility.Both 96-channel, 5.1 surround-capable consoles will be used forlive-to-tape production sound on shows such as The Sharon OsbourneShow, Family Feud and Style Court.

Director of engineering and technology, Jim Toten, said, “Max Airpacks a lot of bang for the buck, and from an operator’s point of view,it’s easy to learn and use. The touchscreen and the full Superchannelin the center of the console make it easy to work with, which is veryimportant, as our mixers are freelancers. We have also been using theEuphonix System 5 for some time so we know the company very well andlike the reliability and the architecture of their systems.

“Although the shows we do now are in stereo, we wanted to be fully5.1 capable,” Toten continued. “We typically use between 40 to 60sources so Max’s 96 channels easily cover current needs and give ussome spare capacity, which will be needed in the future when we do moresurround work.”

For more, visit www.euphonix.com.

Propellerhead Announce Reason Adapted
Propellerhead Software announced that Reason Adapted, a special editionof its Reason application, will be included with Digidesign’s creativebundle, which is focused on innovative music applications thatimplement Propellerhead’s ReWire Inter-Application. Every newDigidesign Pro Tools system will now include the ReWire-infused ReasonAdapted, Ableton Live Digidesign Edition, and IK Multimedia AmpliTubeLE, SampleTank SE and T-RackS EQ, in addition to core Pro Toolssoftware.

ReWire is a cross-application technology to transfer both MIDI andaudio seamlessly between ReWire-compliant applications. ReWire wasdesigned as the software equivalent of a multichannel cable between twoaudio applications, and integrates MIDI, audio and transport control inone invisible application link. Synchronization between the devices isalso handled by ReWire. Once the applications have detected each other(which happens automatically), they are in complete sample-accuratesync. Originally created as a proprietary protocol, ReWire is now anopen standard implemented in Digidesign Pro Tools and over three dozenother music applications.

Reason Adapted is the essence of Reason 2.5, which emulates a rackof electronic synthesizers, samplers, drum machines and recordingequipment.

For more, visit www.propellerheads.se.

Mackie Introduces Spike
Mackie Designs Inc. announced an all-inclusive compact recordingsystem. Available in Q4 2003, the Spike Powered Recording System ($419)includes all of the hardware and software necessary to track, mix andrecord music on a Mac or PC, including Mackie’s new XD-2 USB 24-bit USBaudio/MIDI interface, integrated Tracktion audio recording andsequencing software, a copy of Ableton Live Mackie and more.

“Many musicians looking to get started in the world ofcomputer-based recording are discouraged by the complexity andlimitations of existing software and hardware systems,” commented DanMoore, recording product development manager at Mackie. “Spike isreally about providing a turnkey, out-of-box recording solution thatwill allow even the most technically challenged musician to be trackingand editing their music in a matter of minutes rather than days.”

The hardware portion of the Spike Powered Recording System is thenew 2-channel XD-2 USB audio/MIDI interface with 24-bit, 96kHzresolution and support for ASIO 2.0, WDM and OS X Core Audio. The XD-2features two of Mackie’s low-noise digital mic preamps that deliver lowdistortion, plenty of headroom and a clean, detailed sound. Each inputchannel features a “combo” jack that can support a line-level or aninstrument input, in addition to the mic preamp. Other input/outputoptions include S/PDIF I/O, MIDI I/O, stereo monitor outputs, andfront-panel headphone jack and level control.

The XD-2 also features an onboard SHARC® DSP chip that supportsa full suite of dynamics processing for recording. This includes a4-band parametric EQ, a compressor/limiter and a gate/expander, all ofwhich can be rearranged in order along the signal path for each inputor output channel. The onboard DSP also allows for low-latencymonitoring of effects while recording.

The software bundle that ships with the Spike Recording Systemincludes a copy of Tracktion, a new multitrack recording and MIDIsequencing software application from Raw Material Software. Tracktion’sinterface allows users to record, overdub, edit, mix and play back anycombination of audio tracks or MIDI sequences. Through a drag-and-dropinterface, Tracktion provides unlimited track count, and full VST andVSTi support automation. Tracktion ships with a number of bundledeffects and soft synths. As part of the Spike Powered Recording System,Mackie is also including is a copy of Ableton Live Mackie, a powerfulloop-based sequencing software application for live performance basedon the Live software from Ableton. Mackie will also bundle two freeplug-ins: the new AmpliTube LE guitar cabinet and distortion modelerfrom IK Multimedia, and the new Warmer-Phaser modulator based on theBlue Tubes bundle from Nomad Factory.

For more information, visit www.mackie.com.

Mackie Designs Inc. Now Loud Technologies
Mackie Designs Inc. announced today a change to the company’s corporatename from Mackie Designs Inc. to Loud Technologies Inc. This change isintended to eliminate confusion between “Mackie” the company and”Mackie” the brand.

Jamie Engen, CEO at Loud Technologies, said, “As the company hasgrown, it has become increasingly difficult to differentiate thecorporate entity ‘Mackie Designs Inc.’ from the brand ‘Mackie.’ Thischange will enable us to more clearly communicate within the financialand business communities, while at the same time, allow all of thebrands under the new corporate designation, Loud Technologies, tostrengthen their own unique identities and market positions.

“The transition from Mackie Designs Inc. to Loud Technologies Inc.will take place over a period of weeks rather than days. It’s a changein designation only that is intended to bring clarity to our brands anddoes not indicate a change in ownership, corporate structure or inday-to-day business operations. ‘Mackie’ the brand will remain and, assuch, will have greater clarity and messaging as a result.”

Currently, there are seven brands in the Loud Technologiesportfolio: Mackie, TAPCO, EAW, RCF, RCF Precision. SIA Software andAcuma Labs. Loud Technologies will continue to be headquartered inWoodinville, Wash., at the current Mackie Designs Inc.headquarters.

In other Mackie news, the company announced plans to position RCF asthe worldwide commercial sound brand within the Mackie Designs family.With this announcement, the company will begin transitioning currentMackie Industrial products to the RCF brand starting with the DX8/DX810Digital Mixer and the SP400C Ceiling Monitor.

“We have a fantastic network of dealers, distributors, systemdesigners and contractors in place that have been very supportive ofthe Mackie Industrial brand and we are fully committed to this team,”commented Ken Berger, senior VP of marketing at Mackie Designs Inc. “Wewant to build upon the momentum that they have helped us to establish,and at that same time, leverage RCF’s rich 50-year history incommercial sound into new markets, including North America.”

As part of this refocus, Mackie also introduced a new logo andgraphics identity for the RCF brand. These graphics, along with thenewly rebranded RCF DX8 and DX810 Digital Mixers, as well as the RCFSP400C Ceiling Monitor, are currently on display at the PLASA show inLondon. A new RCF Website is scheduled to launch later this year.

For more information, visit www.mackie.com. Coming soon: www.loud-technolgoies.com.

MediaComm Adds SSL 4056G+
After acquiring a Pro Tools|HD rig last year, MediaComm (Charlotte,N.C.) augmented its audio menu even further with an SSL 4056G+console.

The SSL suite will also perform audio sweetening, using the studio’sPro Tools|HD, which offers 128 channels for mixing in post, as well asfull sound-to-picture capability. To complement the SSL, MediaComminstalled a new isolation booth for simultaneously recording/mixing asmany as four talents. MediaComm’s head audio engineer Kelly Morse said,”The changes to this room will not only allow us to accommodatelarge-format productions, but will improve audio service to our Avidnonlinear suites, our audio sweetening rooms and our production controlrooms.” The 4056G+ took six engineers two weeks to install, duringwhich time MediaComm equipped the desk with plant-wideconnectivity.

For more, visit www.media-comm.com. For more on the board, visit www.solid-state-logic.com.

Peavey Intros New Digital Mixer
PVDJ, a division of Peavey Electronics Corporation, introduced the newRotomix professional modular mixer that is designed for remixer DJs andinstallation in clubs and restaurants.

The Rotomix professional 6-channel mixer utilizes modular design, soeach channel has its own independent circuit board, reducinginterference between the channels for a clear sound. Features include asleek aluminum rotary knobs; a high-performance preamp section; arugged metal casing; six fully configurable, stereo channels includingphono, line, balanced line and mic inputs; 3-band EQ with soft boostand frequency kill effects on each channel; six channels, eachassignable to zones A and B and main output; 48-volt phantom power forcondenser mics; and triple stereo outputs for each zone to meet anyconnection needs.

The Rotomix will be available in November 2003. For more, visit www.pvdj.com.

Avatar Studios Installs Yamaha DM2000
Resident mixer/engineer Roy Hendrickson has installed a new 96-inputYamaha DM2000 digital production console in his mix room, Studio R,located on the fourth floor of Avatar Studios (New York City).

Hendrickson initially installed the DM2000 for its 96kHz capabilityafter having mixed on it in a studio in Minneapolis, and was delightedwith the smart, well-thought-out features of the console. “”Theinternal patching is better than anything I have seen before,” he said.”The console has a very honest, big sound.”

The new Yamaha console is interfaced with a fully loaded ProTools|HD3 rig complete with 48 I/O. Hendrickson utilizes the Pro Toolslayer and locator on the DM2000 quite frequently: a feature that allowshim to mix much faster and not have to look at the computer screen atall during mixing. The built-in USB interface of the console makesconnections very easy, according to Hendrickson. The P2 interface isused to control the collection of analog machines located in Studio R.Now fully capable of 96k digital surround mixing, Studio R has a fullcomplement of multitrack and 2-track analog recorders, including Ampexand Studer machines. Other equipment includes a UREI LA-3A, Pultec EQs,Neve 1073 channel modules, an Eventide SP2016 and an Ampex ATR-102. Theroom is also tied into analog reverb units and an EMT 140ST located inthe basement. Studio R has direct access to Avatar’s vast collection ofoutboard gear.

Kirk Imamura, president of Avatar Studios, said, “”Roy hasdone some amazing work on Yamaha consoles in the past, mixing over 30albums on a couple of 02R units. We can’t wait to hear what he does onthe new DM2000 with all its digital surround mixing capabilities.”

Hendrickson is currently mixing a live album in surround for a DVDrelease, and with the addition of the Yamaha DM2000, is gearing up for24-bit/96kHz digital surround mix projects. He has previously worked on5.1 surround mixes for Philippe Saisse and Cassandra Wilson.

For more information on Avatar, call 212/765-7500. For moreinformation on the DM2000, visit Yamaha online at www.yamaha.com/proaudio.

Tierney Sutton Records at Conway
Tierney Sutton’s upcoming CD, Dancing in the Dark is a tributeto Frank Sinatra and was recorded at Conway Studios (Hollywood) forTelarc. Engineering tasks were handled by multiple Grammy Award-winnerMichael Bishop.

“The idea was to have Tierney record a collection of tunes that madeSinatra famous,” said Bishop. “‘Come Fly With Me,’ for example, is aswell-known for the Nelson Riddle arrangement as it is for Sinatra’simpeccable vocal. Having a female vocalist sing these songs turnsthings around right away. Another twist was the new arrangements byTierney and the band. Tierney has a fantastic band, and we started outrecording her and the trio live to DSD. We’ll add strings, winds andlight brass later as a DSD overdub.

“Our initial plans,” continued Bishop, “were to record the basics inStudio B over at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, where Sinatra worked.But Diana Krall and Tommy Li Puma were working in Studio A at the timewe were going to track, and their record was similar to ours, so itdidn’t quite feel right. We moved over to Conway, which is like arecording heaven! In this day and age, a lot of recording goes on inpersonal rooms and hole-in-the-wall studios that have Pro Tools rigsand there’s a certain sameness to lots of the releases. Only afirst-class facility with world-class tech support would cut it on thisproject. I always depend on a great room that will give us that certainedge in getting a unique sound. The bleeding-edge gear we use demandsthe best in studio support staff. Even though we were working with justa trio, I wanted to record in a large space in order to get the soundof the room into the recording.”

To capture the sounds of a grand piano, Bishop used a pair ofSennheiser MKH 800s on the Steinway Hamburg concert grand during thesessions. “How you mike a piano depends a lot on the nature of therecording itself,” said Bishop. “Classical recordings require movingmics out into the room. Close-miking is often used on jazz and poppiano recordings, but I wanted the option of moving the mics furtherout from the instruments for a bigger sound at times. Studio C over atConway is large enough to track a small orchestra in. I essentiallyused it as a piano room, but I was able to take advantage of the sizeof the space to help me capture the sound and body of the instrument,and the altitude as well, which gives some great colors. Recording theambience of the room itself is critical, as important, in fact, as theinstrument itself.” According to Bishop, this record will be releasedon SACD, as well as in the conventional CD format. “If you have anyshortcomings in the room, the microphones or in the signal chain,they’ll all be revealed on the high-resolution release, so we’reparticularly careful when we make recordings planned for thesespecifications.”

In addition to the 800s, Bishop placed a Neumann KU 100 behind themain mics for surround pickup. On the band tracks, the KU 100 was usedfor overheads and main pickup on the drums. For the string session, itfunctioned as surround pickup in addition to being a big part of thestereo sound. Bishop also relied on a Neumann Solution-D mic, which hehad previously used on Sutton’s last Telarc release, SomethingCool. “The principle attraction of the Solution-D is its extremetransparency,” he continued. “Tierney doesn’t need any help on hervoice. We don’t want to cover up or enhance her sound at all, and theSolution-D doesn’t impart any coloration. I use a very simple signalchain, in part because the Solution-D requires no external preamp. Wego straight from the Solution-D to a Prism DA2 converter—one ofthe best PCM D-As ever made—at 96 kHz. Then we hit a GML 8900dynamics controller, which handles some overall compression when it’sneeded. The D’s internal high-frequency limiting is great to have whenyou’re working extremely close to a vocalist and you have to worryabout sibilants.

“I control everything from my laptop in the control room. TheSolution-D software lets me send control data over the same AES cablethat the signal is coming into the control room on using the system’sAES 42 interface. I can change a pickup pattern or alter thesensitivity and gain, and insert high frequency and peak limitingwithout ever leaving the control room! All of these functions arecontrolled at the microphone itself. Add to that the openness and theclarity of the microphone, and you’ve got a fabulous combination, whichhas become an invaluable tool for me. I couldn’t imagine going into asession with a vocalist who has such a wide tonal range and using anyother mic but the Solution-D. I’ve tried all sorts of classicmicrophones on Tierney, but I haven’t found anything that beats theD.”

For more on the microphones, visit www.sennheiserusa.com or www.neumannusa.com.

John Carroll Joins TL Audio
TL Audio announced that following a two-year absence from the industry,John Carroll has recently joined the company as an associate director.Carroll, who has over 30 years experience with pro audio manufacturers,was the sales and marketing director at Soundtracs plc up until August2001.

Tony Larking, owner and managing director of TL Audio, said,“”We are delighted to have convinced John to join our team,bringing with him a wealth of experience in all aspects of ourbusiness, gained from over three decades in our industry.”

Carroll can be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].

Crown Receives Quality Certification
Crown International recently announced that it has received ISO9001:2000 certification of its quality-management system.

Company president Blake Augsburger said, “This achievement isevidence for our customers and partners that Crown takes qualityseriously. Our quality-management system was designed to keep us ontrack as we develop and market products and services that are of thehighest quality, and that exceed our customer’s expectations. Seniorleadership at Crown have made it a priority to put this system in placeand to manage our business with a focus on quality.”

Crown originally achieved certification to the ISO 9002:1994standard in 1999. This new version of the ISO quality standard places agreater emphasis on top management involvement in the quality system,as well as a focus on continual improvement. Additionally, the auditfor compliance with the standard now examines the extent to which acompany’s quality system contains customer-focused elements, includingunderstanding needs, meeting requirements, keeping customers informedand measuring satisfaction. A company receives ISO 9001:2000certification upon verification by an independent auditor that it hascomplied with the standard.

Crown’s quality-management system will be re-examined every sixmonths to ensure on-going compliance with the standard. Augsburgernoted, “While achieving ISO 9001:2000 certification has been our goal,it does not represent an end unto itself. Rather, it is a significantmilestone in our ongoing efforts. Sustaining the level of performancethat this latest certification acknowledges is essential since qualityis a continuous process.”

For more, visit www.crownaudio.com.

Recent Session News at Wire Recording
Pushmonkey (www.pushmonkey.com) was at Wire Recording inAustin, Texas, mixing tracks for a new release on Wire’s 32×24 vintageAPI. Working with Pushmonkey were Wire Recording owner and mix engineerStuart Sullivan, producer Paul Leary (Sublime, U2, Meat Puppets) andPushmonkey guitarist/co-engineer Will Hoffman.

Hoffman was also at Wire in August producing and engineering tracksfor Texas-based Passerby.

For more, visit www.wirerecording.com.

Now Shipping: Melodyne 2.0
Celemony announced that it has begun shipping Melodyne 2.0, whichintroduces the “MelodyneBridge,” a new technology that allows Melodyneto be connected to any VST or AudioUnit host. Though Melodyne remainsas a stand-alone application, it can also be used as if it were aneffect plug-in.

Melodyne is a multitrack audio recording and editing applicationthat separates recordings into score notes and allows the user to editvocals, solo instruments and percussion similarly to editing MIDItracks.

Melodyne 2.0 implements the ReWire protocol and can be connected andsynched to all ReWire applications, including Cubase, DigitalPerformer, Live, Logic, Pro Tools or Reason. It can also be synched toMIDI Clock and SMPTE, and supports MIDI In/Out, as well. Users cancontrol Melodyne via MIDI keyboards and remote controls (MackieControl, Logic Control, Radical SAC and others) and can send themusical content of an audio file as MIDI to synthesizers in real time,including velocity and pitch phrasings.

Melodyne’s mixing features have also been improved, such as theaddition of EQs, insert effects, aux sends and returns, group tracks,and access to both VST and AudioUnit effect plug-ins. In addition torunning on ASIO, DirectX, SoundManager and CoreAudio-based hardware,the Studio Edition adds Direct I/O support.

Melodyne 2.0 runs on Mac OS X and Windows SE/ME/XP. Melodyne cre8allows the user to edit eight tracks simultaneously and supports filesup to 48 kHz and 24-bit. The Studio Edition can load and edit avirtually unlimited number of tracks and supports 32-bit files andsample rates up to 192 kHz. Both versions offer a 500-level undofunction.

For more, visit Celemony online at www.celemony.com.

NAB to Launch Post-Production World Conference
The National Association of Broadcasters have created a post-productioneducation conference: the NAB Post|Production World Conference, whichwill be held during NAB2004 (April 17-21 in Las Vegas).

The NAB Post|Production World Conference, co-produced with digitalmedia educator Future Media Concepts, will feature over 160 sessions ona large variety of topics, including digital video and film editing,news editing, compositing and special effects, 3-D animation, Webdesign, DVD authoring, video encoding for DVD and streaming, sounddesign, digital imaging, tech support for digital facilities and DVproduction tips.

“NAB research shows that our production/post-production attendeesare extremely talented professionals seeking only the highest-qualityeducational opportunities,” said John Marino, VP of science andtechnology at NAB. “This partnership with Future Media Concepts willoffer NAB2004 attendees a world-class educational event to complementthe massive display of audio and video-production hardware to be seenon the NAB2004 show floor.”

“As digital media creation tools have become more sophisticated andcapable of doing more, the need for quality training has never been soevident,” said Ben Kozuch, president and co-founder of Future MediaConcepts and the conference chairperson. “We have created thePost|Production World Conference to provide digital media professionalsfrom all over the world with the opportunity to receive cutting-edgetraining that respects their professional skills and to serve as aninvaluable networking opportunity that is so crucial for success in ourindustry.”

Software covered in the sessions will include Avid Media Composer,Avid Xpress Pro, Avid Xpress DV, Avid|DS, Pro Tools, NewsCutter, AppleFinal Cut Pro, Shake, DVD Studio Pro and Logic, Adobe Photoshop, AfterEffects, Premiere and Encore, Macromedia Flash, Dreamweaver andFireworks, Discreet, Combustion and Cleaner, and Boris Red andContinum. In addition, the conference will feature Spanish-speakinginstructors for sessions on Avid, Final Cut Pro and After Effects. The”Inside the Creative Mind” track will feature industry leadersdemonstrating and discussing the aesthetic process used in creating aproject. The conference will also feature a business track designed toprovide digital artists with tips to enhance their career. Instructorsfrom Future Media Concepts, power users and digital artists will serveas presenters.

For more information on NAB2004, visit www.nabshow.com. Formore information on Future Media Concepts, visit www.FMCtraining.com.

A Designs Offers New Stereo Mic Pre
A Designs Audio has announced its MP-2r pure tube-in/out, high-gainstereo microphone preamplifier.

The MP-2r all-tube mic pre has a gain of 60 dB and uses azero-feedback loop design, employing a combination of custom-woundinput and output balanced transformers, Jensen transformers andhigh-end tubes. The front panel includes independent polarity, phantompower, level controls and large backlit VU meters. Also included is aNeutrik Combo XLR 1/4-inch connector, which can be used as a direct-infor instruments.

MSRP for the MP-2r is $1,899 and is already shipping.

In other company news, A Designs also introduced ATTY, an in-linelevel controller for mono/stereo audio signals that is intended toobtain more control over powered desktop speakers and amplified unitsthat do not offer an output control.

ATTY has two Neutrik combo input jacks (1/4-inch XLRs) for true stereoand two balanced output XLRs. There is a level control knob and a”panic button,” which can act as a mute switch that shorts the signaluntil full control is regained. ATTY is small and compact (2x3x5inches) and weights 2.5 pounds. MSRP is $95 and will begin shippingnext month.

For more, visit www.adesignsaudio.com.

Waves Releases Transform Bundle
Waves’ Transform Bundle—a collection of new sound-transformationtools—offers four plug-ins: Sound Shifter, Doubler, TransX andMorphoder, supporting sample rates up to 96 kHz.

Sound Shifter allows shaping of time and pitch with the ability topitch-shift over an octave with a time ratio of 50% to 200%, allowsusers to fit music to any duration while maintaining fidelity, punch,groove and transients without smearing. A preset library providespresets for common time- and pitch-related applications.

The Doubler adds dimensions and fattens up tracks withdouble-tracking, exciter-style and harmonization-type effects. Two- orfour-voice doubling is provided with 100-cent detune range, plus oneoctave downshift, and up to 200 cents of pitch modulation, providing alarge range of effects with maximum control, including independentgain, pan, delay, feedback, detune and modulation settings for eachvoice.

TransX shapes attacks and transients, and controls and shapesdynamics for punch without artifacts. TransX includes wideband andmultiband transient-contour shaping, automatic transient detection, andcontrol over transient sensitivity, balance, release and threshold.

Morphoder expands upon the concept of a vocoder, but adds featuressuch as formant shifting and compressor-enhanced filter-releasedynamics and many others.

The Transform Bundle supports native and TDM systems via TDM, RTASand AudioSuite for both Windows (including XP) and Mac (including OS X)systems. The Bundle is now available and is priced at $1,200 (native)and $2,400 (TDM).

For more, visit www.waves.com.

Emmy Noms to be Judged on DVD
This year, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences willdistribute shows that are nominated for Emmy Awards in OutstandingSound Editing and Outstanding Sound Mixing categories via DVD so thatjudges will be able to hear the shows in their original multichannelbroadcast formats. In addition, shows can be heard in Dolby Surround,Dolby Digital 5.1 and in stereo. Previously, the Academy distributednominated content on VHS cassettes.

Programs presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 that have been nominated fora sound-related category include The Sopranos, Live FromBaghdad, Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man, The 75th AnnualAcademy Awards, The 45th Annual Grammy Awards, Aliasand James Cameron’s Expedition: Bismarck.

“Audio professionals mix many shows in surround sound because theybelieve that the format improves the viewing experience, so we are nowdistributing content on DVD to allow the judges to hear the nominatedprogram the way mixers originally intended,” said John Leverence, VP ofAwards for the Television Academy.

“We’re very gratified about this development,” said Patrick Artiaga,director of automotive and broadcast marketing at Dolby Laboratories.”With this move to DVD, the Academy voters will consider the quality ofthe multichannel mixes the sound editors and mixers have worked so hardto produce.”

Onyx 2.0 Now Available
Jasmine Music Technology and NTONYX announced that Onyx 2.0, asequencer/arranger, is now available.

Onyx 2.0 operates not only with notes, but also with musical objects(harmony type, performance manner, instruments, meter, etc.). Thesefeatures can be adjusted in a wide range of parameters; for example,musical objects can be morphed together. Onyx creates musical objects(named OOStyles: Onyx Orchestrator Styles) from ready MIDI files orrecorded fragments. This allows the user to create a song from two tothree slices.

Onyx Musical Object Morphing (MOM) technology is able to make anysong sound in the manner of another song’s style by changing theharmony, tune, performing manner, rhythm and meter.

Other features include: bank/patch selection, volume and panenvelopes drawing, record/play/loop functions, MIDI FXs, multiport MIDIoutput, factory and user presets, additional views and much more.Minimum system requirements include 500MHz processor,Windows-compatible sound card, 128MB RAM, 30MB hard disk space andsupports Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP.

For more, visit www.ntonyx.com.

ESI Acquires ST Audio
ESI announced that it has acquired the ST Audio (www.staudio.com)brand beginning September 1, 2003. ESI will manufacture, distribute,develop and update hardware and drivers for the full range of ST Audioproducts. In addition, ESI will take over all pro audio production lineresponsibilities, as well as providing a sales department to serviceboth current and future ST Audio customers.

Chess Lim, president and CEO at ESI, said, “We are delighted towelcome ST Audio’s customers and distributors to the worldwide ESIfamily. Leveraging its audio expertise in designing high-end digitalaudio interfaces for the professional and project studio markets, theST Audio product line will significantly broaden ESI’s innovativeproduct range and provide additional solutions to our customers.”

For more, visit www.esi-pro.com.

Glyph Announces GT Series
Glyph Technologies’ new GT Series of FireWire-based storage subsystemsfeatures a hot-swappable FireWire hard drive that is compatible acrossthe line.

Cross-functional and expandable, the GT Series offers both tabletopand rack-mount solutions in durable stainless steel. The seriesincludes the GT 050 fixed-mount tabletop, the GT 051 hot-swap tabletop,the GT 103 single-space three-bay enclosure, and the GT 308 three-spaceeight-bay enclosure. The GT Key hard drive works with all of theenclosures and is available in 80GB, 120GB and 180GB capacities.

Backed by Glyph’s service and technical support, GT Seriesenclosures are covered by a three-year warranty. Hard drives comestandard with overnight advance replacement in the first year. Formore, visit www.glyphtech.com.

Mix News September 16-30

ESI Acquires ST Audio
ESI announced that it has acquired the ST Audio (www.staudio.com)brand beginning September 1, 2003. ESI will manufacture, distribute,develop and update hardware and drivers for the full range of ST Audioproducts. In addition, ESI will take over all pro audio production lineresponsibilities, as well as providing a sales department to serviceboth current and future ST Audio customers.

Chess Lim, president and CEO at ESI, said, “We are delighted towelcome ST Audio’s customers and distributors to the worldwide ESIfamily. Leveraging its audio expertise in designing high-end digitalaudio interfaces for the professional and project studio markets, theST Audio product line will significantly broaden ESI’s innovativeproduct range and provide additional solutions to our customers.”

For more, visit www.esi-pro.com.

Intelix Releases Product CD-ROM
Intelix U.S., manufacturer of audio/video hardware and software,has released an updated Product Specifications and InstallationCD-ROM.

The CD-ROM features the complete line of Intelix Designer andInstallation software, as well as product manuals, technical notes anddata sheets covering the company’s complete line of matrix mixers, roomcombine systems, mic/line mixers, monitor mixers and audio/videobaluns.

For more, visit www.intelix.com.

Behringer Launches Many New Products at PLASA
Behringer’s new Ultragraph Pro FBQ1502 is a 15-band stereo graphicequalizer with FBQ feedback-detection system in a single rackspace. Thepatent-pending FBQ feedback-detection system reveals criticalfrequencies and can also be used as an audio analyzer. The FBQ1502features a dedicated mono subwoofer output with adjustable crossoverfrequency. An additional low-cut filter removes unwanted frequenciessuch as floor rumble, while a highly accurate 4-digit LED outputmetering and input gain control enable easy level setting.Ultralow-noise audio operational amplifiers are used throughout, andconnections include servo-balanced inputs and outputs with 1/4-inch TRSand gold-plated XLR connectors. It is expected to ship Q4 2003.

The Ultragraph Pro FBQ6200 is a31-band stereo graphic equalizer thatalso offers the FBQ feedback-detection system. Features includededicated limiters with gain reduction meters for each channel and apink-noise generator provides test signals to equalize a sound systemto any room acoustics, as well as a mono subwoofer output withdedicated level control and adjustable crossover frequency gives yourmusic some extra verve. Additional sweepable high- and low-cut filtersfor each channel remove unwanted frequencies such as floor rumble andtape hiss. Level setting is provided via an accurate 8-digit LEDinput/output metering and input gain control. Top-drawer componentsinclude an ultralow-noise audio operational amplifiers, servo-balancedinputs and outputs with 1/4-inch TRS and gold-plated XLR connectors andthe relay-controlled hard bypass with an auto-bypass function.

For more on the new FBQ Series, visit www.behringer.com.

HW International Renamed to Shure Distribution UK
HW International announced that it will commence trading as ShureDistribution UK after recently being acquired by Shure Inc.

As a Shure subsidiary, Shure Distribution UK will continue to carryShure, Phonic, PreSonus and QSC Audio brands, as well as the latestaddition to its portfolio, Aviom. According to the company, the namechange will not affect customer’s day-to-day dealings with the company,as the staff and company structure remain unchanged.

For more, visit www.shuredistribution.co.uk.

Now Shipping: Tascam FW-1884
Tascam’s new FW-1884 professional DAW control surface andaudio/MIDI interface is now shipping. Designed by Tascam and FrontierDesign Group, the FW-1884 uses the FireWire high-speed data-transferprotocol and offers 18-channel audio interface, eight mic pre’s, 4x4MIDI interface and flexible editing and mixing controls.

Features include: eight analog, eight ADAT digital and two S/PDIFcoaxial or optical; comprehensive mixing, automation, editing andnavigation controls for almost any DAW application; nine 100mmmotorized touch-sensitive faders; dedicated controls for pan, solo,mute and select per channel, tactile control over four bands of EQ;eight balanced XLR mic/line inputs with high-quality mic preamps andphantom power; 24-bit/96kHz recording resolution with surroundmonitoring control; four MIDI inputs and outputs; and FE-8 faderexpander adds an additional eight control channels and faders, up to129 channel control (available in winter ’’03).

“The FW-1884 is much more than just a fader controller, it takescommand of your entire studio,” said Jim Bailey, Tascam productspecialist. “With all of its mic pre’s, audio and MIDI interfacing,editing, mixing and monitoring control, it replaces much of the gearyou need to record into a DAW.”

For more, visit www.tascam.com.

Michael Beinhorn, Frank Filipetti Rely on SSL XL SuperPre forGuitar Tracks
While recording Fuel’s latest project at Chalice Recording Studios,producer Michael Beinhorn and multiple Grammy Award-winner FrankFilipetti used an Solid State Logic XL SuperPre” SuperAnalogue RemoteSignal-Acquisition microphone preamp system.

“We listened to a wide variety of microphone preamps because we wererecording guitars and we wanted to find the best ones for the job,”said Beinhorn. “We were very fortunate to get the SSL SuperPre’s to trythem. Out of all the microphone preamps that we tried, the results weredefinitely a revelation. We found that the SSL’s were simply superior.The response was faster than everything else, and the detail on themwas really spectacular to the point that the artist was actually ableto notice the improvement over their experience with other gear.”

Filipetti added: “The results were especially eye-opening, becausewe put the SSL’s up against vintage, discrete circuit mic pre’s, andthe SSL SuperPre’s were better. The entire experience with theSuperPre’s was terrific. The SuperPre’s seem to do a lot of thingsequally well. One, they have a lot of bottom-end power, and at the sametime, they have a lot of air and openness at the top. They were alsovery smooth in the upper-mids. It is a very nice combination, and Iwish we could have used them on the entire project.”

According to Beinhorn, the advantage of the remote SuperPre systemis that it provides the shortest path to the preamp of a microphonelevel signal, reducing any negative cable artifacts. “They are outsideof the console, and can therefore be positioned anywhere inside of thestudio environment. The SuperPre’s are different than other microphonepreamps that can be moved around, in that you can actually controltheir relative volume from a remote-control device inside the controlroom. That’s just an amazing bit of flexibility.”

For more, visit www.solid-state-logic.com.

New Sessions at Threshold Sound & Vision
Recently in at Threshold Sound & Vision (West L.A.)Singer/songwriting Kenny Loggins mastered his newest release It’sAbout Time with chief mastering engineer Stephen Marsh, producerTony Shepperd and engineer Dominic Camardella. Among those lendingtheir writing (and vocal) abilities to this new album are Clint Black,Richard Marx and Michael McDonald. It’s About Time is set to bereleased on Loggin’s new All The Best! Records this summer.

Also in, blues guitarist Keb’ Mo’ worked with Marsh mastering abonus track for his upcoming Best Of collection set for releaseon Sony’s Epic/Legacy imprint.

For more on the studio, visit www.thresholdsound.com.

Digidesign Announces Free Update From Pro Tools 6.1 to Pro ToolsLE 6.1.1
Digidesign announced Pro Tools LE 6.1.1 software, a free,cross-platform update featuring an overhauled low-level driverarchitecture and providing a true open-hardware platform for users ofthird-party software products. The software update and stand-alonedriver installers are available to Pro Tools 6.1 software owners viadownload from the Digidesign Website at www.digidesign.com.

Recommended for Pro Tools LE 6.1 software users, the Pro Tools 6.1.1update offers improved system stability and performance when using bothaudio and MIDI I/O on Digi 001 and Digi 002/Digi 002 Rack systems. ProTools LE 6.1.1 also provides other enhancements such as Core Audiodriver support for Digi 002/Digi 002 Rack; new stand-alone installersfor Core Audio, ASIO and Wave drivers that can be used without havingto install Pro Tools; and other Pro Tools software enhancements such asWindows Media 9 export on Windows XP-based systems.

Improved Core Audio drivers now fully support the Digi 002/Digi 002Rack units, plus a new “Opt-In” method to exclude known incompatiblesoftware from accessing the hardware. The enhanced Core Audio drivercan also be used with Mac OS X-based TDM systems. Other featuresinclude an improved playback-only .WAV driver, Windows Media 9 support(Windows XP-only) when working with Internet-centric applications, anda customizable Shuttle Lock Speed feature that allows setting shuttlespeeds between 50% and 800%.

Musictech College Hires First Dean of Music and Music IndustryStudies
Dr. David Wray joined Musictech College (St. Paul, Minn.) in August asthe first Dean of Music and Music Industry Studies. A practicing musicindustry attorney, former municipal court judge, college administrator,educator and drummer in the late ’60s, Wray plans to expand Musictech’sbusiness curriculum, developing an international exchange studentprogram and pursuing four-year Bachelor’s degree accreditation for thecollege.

“Of the many highly qualified candidates we interviewed from aroundthe country, Dr. Wray stood out as the most widely talented andcertainly most versatile person for the position,” said Jack McNally,president of Musictech College. “We are glad that he made the decisionto leave the University of Memphis and excited to have a dean of hiscaliber and experience join our staff.”

A graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a Law degree fromMemphis State, Wray has worked as a lawyer for such business clients asAllstate Insurance, Lorentz, Brunn Co., Southern Pacific and MJCInternational. On the entertainment side, he has provided legal adviceto Time-Warner, Sony, MGM/UA, Amplitude Entertainment, ASCAP andPolygram Intl. Wray has also served as legal counsel for bandsForeigner, Survivor and Steve Miller Band. Wray also sat on the benchfrom 1997 to 1998 as municipal court judge in Amity, Ore. He became amusic industry academic in 1998 when he joined the administration ofthe University of Memphis, Music Industry Division, to enhance itsmusic business curriculum and raise admission standards. Soon, he wasnamed chairman of the school’s Music Business and Recording Technologyprogram and implemented the school’s first foreign-exchange programwith Buckinghamshire University outside of London. He was also thefirst tenured associate profession in the university’s Music IndustryDivision.

“What attracted me to Musictech was the opportunity to work in anacademic setting with faculty who have made a living in the musicbusiness,” said Dr. Wray. “Musictech is an enclave for instructors whowork in the music industry, and they provide their invaluableperspective to the students. Musictech is unlike any other contemporarymusic school I’ve seen, and I’m really looking forward to being part ofits future.”

For more, visit www.musictech.edu.

PAD Hires Chris Walsh
Professional Audio Design (PAD) appointed industry veteran Chris Walshas the company’s new director of West Coast sales.

“We are very happy to have Chris join our team,” said DaveMalekpour, president of Professional Audio Design Inc. “Chris bringswith him a wealth of experience, from studio engineering and managingat Warner Bros. Publishing to sales management for several large audiofirms. Chris’ well-rounded background in all aspects of audio makes himthe ideal choice for our West Coast sales division, and we are lookingforward to expanding our business with him onboard.”

Walsh graduated from the Institute of Audio Research’s one-yearprogram and began engineering jobs at several major-record labels,including Elektra/Asylum Records and 20th Century Records. From there,he migrated over to Warner Bros. Publishing, where he was in charge ofstudio operations and engineering. His sales career began with StudioMaintenance Inc., where he sold and installed large audio consoles. Hewas the studio manager and staff engineer for Yo-Dad Productions,general manager for The Guitar Center, overseeing several retailoutlets, and he was the VP of sales and marketing for Martinsound Inc.Just prior to joining PAD, Walsh served as the sales manager for studioproducts for Tannoy North America and as a product manager for DPAMicrophones.

“I’m thrilled to have such an exciting opportunity at a provencompany such as PAD,” said Walsh. “I look forward to leveraging theexperience and industry contacts I have gained over the years to helpgenerate additional exposure for PAD on the West Coast.”

For more, visit www.ProAudioDesign.com.

Fans Can ‘Play’ With New David Crowder Album
David Crowder Band announced a first-ever promotion with M-Audio thatwill be featured on the September 16 release of its sophomoresixsteps/Sparrow Records album, Illuminate. UsingPropellerhead’s Reason 2.5 software (distributed by M-Audio in theU.S.) for almost all of the programming featured on the disc, DavidCrowder approached the company with the idea of including the softwareon the upcoming CD. The company responded favorably, making the band’sIlluminate the first Christian artist’s CD to include thesoftware.

“As soon as David Crowder learns about a new piece of technologythat facilitates his creative process, he turns around and shares itwith others,” said Kevin Walt, head of M-Audio media and artistrelations. “M-Audio strongly identifies with his enthusiasm forequipping songwriters with the means to realize their creative dreams.This collaboration between M-Audio and the David Crowder Band embodiesour mutual passion for empowering the music community as a whole.”

David Crowder Band fans can sample Reason 2.5 by accessing the demoof the software featured on the Illuminate enhanced CD withtheir Mac or PC computer.

“We hope you like the demo of this software. It has changed the waywe’ve made music in the past couple of years, and we got to thinkingthat you guys that are making music yourselves might just flip outabout it too,” said the band. “It’s just ridiculous how much you can dowith it. So it’s our hope that your music is inspired and empowered andthat you create sounds and songs that push this whole thingforward!”

In addition to the software, the David Crowder Band placed masteredstudio tracks for two songs on the album: “Revolutionary Love” and “OPraise Him (All This for a King),” the first single from the CD. Fanswill not only see how the songs were recorded and mixed, but also beable to use Reason to create their own remix of the songs.

In addition to Reason software, the David Crowder Band alsoincorporated the producing talents of Charlie Peacock (dcTalk,Switchfoot), Mitch Watkins (Joe Ely, Abra Moore) and Zach Lind, whofurther played drums on the song “How Great.”

More information on the David Crowder Band can be found at www.davidcrowderband.com. More information onReason 2.5 can be found at www.m-audio.com.

2004 Acura TL Includes DTS 5.1
DTS announced the availability of the first standard OEM car audiosystem to feature DTS 5.1-channel digital surround in the UnitedStates: the 2004 Acura TL. The 2004 Acura TL’s ELS Premiumeight-speaker surround sound system with DVD-Audio, DTS and CD six-discchanger, AM/FM tuner and Dolby cassette was designed with multipleGrammy-winning recording engineer and producer Elliot Scheiner.Producing six channels of sound, the system plays DTS 5.1 music discs,as well as DVD-Audio titles.

The first OEM-standard vehicle to carry a DTS-capable system was theToyota Brevis, available in Japan, and DTS-capable systems arecurrently available as an optional feature in the Lexus RX330 and LexusGX430. Additionally, most major after-market car audio manufacturerscurrently produce systems featuring DTS decoders, including Alpine,Clarion, Eclipse, JVC, Kenwood, Panasonic, Pioneer, Sanyo and Sony.

“The widespread adoption of home-theater systems has drivenincreased popularity in surround music in general—and DTSSurround Sound specifically—which is quickly leading to consumersdemanding the same experience in the car,” said Jon Kirchner, presidentand CEO of DTS. Acura’s decision to include DTS as a standard featurein the 2004 Acura TL shows how they recognize and value the future ofin-car entertainment.”

For more, visit www.dtsonline.com.

Moonlight Mastering Works on Ray Charles Concert
Nancy Matter of Moonlight Mastering has recently mastered RayCharles: In Concert, a 29-song two-disc collection from five livealbums: Ray Charles at Newport, Ray Charles in Person,Berlin, 1962, Ray Charles Live in Concert and RayCharles Live in Japan. The collection also includes performancesthat were recorded between 1958 and 1975.

Matter, owner/engineer of Moonlight Mastering, said, “This two-discset takes you through an era of a legend that shares his talent throughhis voice and his music. Without a doubt, working on this project showswhy Ray Charles is one of our world’s greatest superstars whose careerhas lasted several decades.”

Terry Howard, Ray Charles’ engineer and a Grammy-nominated engineerwho compiled the tracks for In Concert, immediately returned toMoonlight Mastering after Matter’s previous work on the RayCharles-produced Jimmy Scott CD. Howard said, “Over the years, I haveworked with the top-name mastering engineers such as Bernie Grundman,Doug Sax and so on. It’s one thing to have the right equipment, butreally knowing how to produce such a sonically great-sounding work isanother. In my opinion, I believe Nancy Matter is up there with theBernie Grundman’s and Doug Sax’s of the mastering world.”

For more, visit www.moonlightmastering.com.

Le Mobile Summer News
Recent gigs for Le Mobile during the summer have included:

Le Mobile owner/engineer Guy Charbonneau recorded No Doubt’s RockSteady tour in Long Beach, Calif., and then mixed the project forstereo video and 5.1 DVD (both slated for November release) while thetruck was parked in its Vista, Calif., headquarters. He did the samefor The Pretenders forthcoming Loose in L.A. DVD, recordingChrissie Hynde and company at L.A.’s Wiltern Theater. For countrysuperstar Kenny Chesney, Le Mobile traveled to Knoxville, Tenn., fortracking of his Back Where I Come From Party. When the truckreturned to California, Charbonneau did the stereo mix for the CMTbroadcast, as well as some premixing for a future 5.1 DVD release.

Summer tracking-only projects for Le Mobile covered a broad range offestival, TV and multimedia assignments. Chief engineer Charlie Bouiswas in Le Mobile’s vintage Neve for all seven live taping sessions ofThe WB’s Pepsi Smash TV series at Hollywood’s Ren-Mar soundstage. Le Mobile also recorded two MTV projects, the MTV Bashand the MTV Movie Awards, along with the annual CoachellaFestival and the Warped Tour for Warner Bros. Prior to Fleetwood Mac’ssummer tour, Le Mobile recorded some live sessions for AOL, and GoodMorning America later booked the truck to record a guestperformance by Lisa Marie Presley. Other bookings included a balletscore for New York’s WNET-13 and orchestral music for a Disney cruiseship project.

“This summer really marked a turning point for the Le Mobile as amixing studio, particularly for surround projects,” said Charbonneau.”We had a great response from all our clients. I just got an e-mailfrom Gail Colson, Chrissie Hynde’s manager, and she said that the mixessounded great and everybody in the band thought the sound wasfantastic. So, who says you can’t do surround mixes in a truck?!”

Find out more at www.lemobile.com.

Gibson Announces New Audio Division, New President
Gibson Guitar Corp. is expanding beyond its core musical instrumentbusiness into the consumer electronics business with its new entity,Gibson Audio.

“As digital audio technology brings more and more power toconsumers, there is a great need for simplifying the user experience sothat normal Joe and Jane Consumer—who don’t have engineeringdegrees—can enjoy all of the amazing benefits that thesetechnologies bring,” said Kris Carter, president of Gibson Audio. “Thissimplification of the user experience is a key component of what GibsonAudio is all about.”

While Gibson Audio has yet to announce specific product offerings, aclassified project known only as the Remember Music Project is underdevelopment, with a full product launch set for January at the 2004Consumer Electronics Show. “We can’t say much just yet, but theproducts that come out of this project will indeed be groundbreakingand will set a new standard for comprehensive digital music solutions,”said Carter.

Prior to joining Gibson, Carter was founder and CEO of EcoustixInc., a company that designed and built a high-end digital jukeboxsystem for hotel guestrooms that delivered thousands of CDs of musiclicensed directly from the major record labels.

“It is very exciting to join a company like Gibson with such astoried history,” Carter said. “During the last 100 years, Gibson hascrafted the instruments that allow artists to create great music.During the next 100 years, Gibson Audio will craft ‘listeninginstruments’ that provide new and innovative ways for listeners toenjoy music as it was meant to be: purely and simply.”

Visit Gibson’s Website at www.gibson.com.

Furman Power Source Keeps Mazer Up and Running
When the blackout this summer hit northeastern U.S. and much of Canada,Elliot Mazer’s New York studio, running off a Furman Sound IT-ReferenceDiscrete Symmetrical AC Power Source, suffered from the power outage inthe middle of a very important session.

Diana Haig (Mazer’s wife) was in the process of putting the finalpre-mastering touches on a DVD-Audio project for Warner Recordsfeaturing a live performance by Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis and DeanMartin, titled The Summit: An Evening With the Rat Pack. Mazersaid, “While using Pro Tools, she noticed that the mouse began actingstrange. We saved the session and the lights went out. Then, the entirestudio gracefully shut itself down. I heard the relays click in theIT-Reference immediately after the power went down.”

The Furman Sound IT-Reference and the individual Furman Sound PL8Power Conditioners protected Mazer’s Pro Tools|HD system and racks ofoutboard gear when the power was restored. Mazer said, “After the powercame back on, we checked the computer hard drives and they were fine.We looked at the folder for the project and saw that the session wassaved at 4:09 p.m., which is the exact time the blackout occurred. Withthe power restored, I ran Disk Warrior on the hard drives and then itwas business as usual.

“The IT Reference box is fantastic,” Mazer continued. “It helped uslower the noise floor in the system and allowed us to interconnect thevarious digital and analog systems. We used to have to run groundingcables around the studio and you could measure 10 volts potentialbetween gear. Once we put the IT-Reference in, all of that went away,everything sounded better and became more stable. Aside from theblackout on August 14, 2003, fuses have blown in the past and thesystem always went down gracefully. We use 192kHz sampling rates andhave to make sure that the entire signal chain is extremely clean, andthe IT-Reference ensures that it always is!”

For more on the power supply, visit www.furmansound.com.

Full Sail Adds Third Amek 9098i
Full Sail Real World Education recently installed and commissioned itsthird Amek 9098i. Serving as the heart of the school’s new Studio C,the fully loaded 72-channel desk is being used to teach signal flow,automation and recall in the “Recording and Mixing Consoles”course.

After employing a pair of 9098is for more than two yearsnow—including an identical 72-channel model in Studio A and a40-channel in Suite 1—Full Sail Recording Arts program directorBill Smith commented, “Aside from the fact that we love the sound ofthe desk, having several identical consoles provides us with maximumflexibility in scheduling; we can easily move projects between studiosin order to use our facility most efficiently. It also allows us tofine-tune the usage of each console for specific types of lab. Forexample, we don’t need to tie up a large tracking facility to teachautomation; we can use one studio to track while another is teachingsignal flow/automation and a third is doing overdubs. This allows ourstudents to have the most effective learning experience.”

Studio C, completed in July, is laid out for instruction andfeatures a large plasma display for console computer functions, ProTools display and video playback, as well as a large isolation boothfor teaching, tracking and overdubs. In addition to the new 9098i, theroom is equipped with a Pro Tools|HD system, Tascam MX-2424 hard diskrecorder, a myriad outboard signal processors and Dynaudio BM15Amonitors.

“To sum things up, we’ve been very happy with our 9098is,” Smithadded. “Not only do they sound fantastic, but they’ve proven themselvesto be extremely reliable, and I doubt that you could find more brutalconditions for a console! Our students are working on these desks 24/7and really putting them through their paces.”

For more on the school, visit www.fullsail.com. For more information on theboard, visit www.amek.com.

SSL Sells 15 C Series Consoles Worldwide
Since the release of Solid State Logic’s C100 Digital Broadcast Consoleand the C200 Digital Production Console at NAB 2003 four months ago,the company announced that it has sold15 consoles worldwide.

C100 Digital Broadcast Consoles have been sold to facilitiesincluding two consoles for the Danish Broadcasting Corporation inDenmark; one console for NHK in Japan; one console for The Golf Channelin the U.S.; two consoles for SBS in Korea; and one for NationalBasketball Association Entertainment (NBAE) in the U.S. The C200Digital Production Consoles are in action on both sides of the Pacific,including one console each at Nippon TV (Office Terra) and ImagicaAkasaka in Japan, and installations in the U.S. at Western CarolinaUniversity, Underdog Entertainment and Bicoastal Music.

“SSL has been serving the broadcast industry for almost 30 years andwe have learned a great deal about the demands on facilities andoperators,” said Niall Feldman, director of product marketing for SolidState Logic. “The C100 and C200 are designed to offer the utmost inreliability, while meeting the demanding needs of broadcastersoperating in a multiformat HD environment. Our consoles providetremendous power in a small footprint. We have combined a user-friendlycontrol surface with displays that allow the operator to accuratelymonitor all signal paths and operational status. The consoles arescalable, making them more accessible to a wide range of applicationsand budgets.”

For more on the consoles, visit www.solid-state-logic.com.

Applied Acoustics Systems Launches Online User Library
Applied Acoustics Systems has launched an online library for registeredusers of the Tassman Sound Synthesis Studio and Lounge Lizard EP-2Electric Piano.

Providing an expanding online database of new Tassman instrumentsand presets for both products, the new user library allows Tassman andLounge Lizard users to exchange their creations, as well as offers newusers a wide range of examples to develop their own synths andsounds.

“One of the key issues we wanted to address in the most recentupdates to Tassman and Lounge Lizard was encouraging our users to worktogether as a community in exploiting the full creative potential ofthese instruments, and the new import/export features were implementedin both products with this is mind,” said AAS CEO Marc Pierre Verge.”Creating a place where our users could easily exchange their creationswas the last piece of the puzzle, and I’m very happy we’re now be ableto provide this. It will certainly be exciting to watch the userlibrary grow in the coming months.”

In other AAS news, Berklee College of Music has added the TassmanSound Synthesis Studio in the Modular Functions and Signal Flow andPhysical Modeling/Additive Synthesis courses for Music Synthesismajors.

“Tassman provides us with not only a powerful production tool, butalso a highly effective teaching tool,” said Kurt Biederwolf, chair ofBerklee’s Music Synthesis department. “The maturity and sophisticationof software synthesis has allowed our Music Synthesis department tomove in interesting new directions, and we are excited about theinclusion of Tassman in support of our cutting-edge courses.”

For more information, visit AAS online at www.applied-acoustics.com. For more on Berklee,visit www.berkleemusic.com.

API Vision Surround Mixing Console to Debut at AES 2003NYC
API Audio will introduce its Vision Surround Mixing Console at AES 2003in New York City. The console combines API’s analog circuitry withall-new multichannel features. The debut of the new console coincideswith API’s announcement of the first Vision Console installation atGalaxy Studios in Belgium.

API’s director of engineering, Paul Wolff, with input from GalaxyStudios’ head engineer Ronald Prent, designed the Vision console. Thecreative dialog on the new console design began with Prent’s originalrequest for a custom-built, 6-channel version of API’s 2-channel 2500mastering compressor.

The new 24-bus Vision features three stereo mix buses, a dedicated5-channel surround mix bus and 10 aux buses. Each three-pot pan sectioncomprises a mode-switchable LR/LCR “main” pan pot for the frontchannels, a front-to-rear fader pan and a rear-channel pan pot. Evenwhen the front-channel panning mode is set to the LCR mode, the L/Rstereo bus is still active, allowing for a simultaneous stereo mix.Vision’s master section embodies a full complement of multichannelmonitoring facilities, providing flexible bass management, routing anddown-mix monitoring options, plus the master bus, monitor path insertsand multichannel effects returns with surround panning. Vision alsoincludes a noise generator with multiple measurement test points forprecision setup of the complete multichannel monitoring system.

Each of Vision’s channel strips can accommodate two classic API 200Series modules, and has two fully automated 100mm full-throw movingfaders on each channel that can easily be linked for stereo operation.Each of these moving faders (and there are two in every input) has a5-channel panner. All buses are controlled by API’s Instant ResetSwitch System, using sealed, analog relays that are controllable fromeach individual channel, as well as from the center computer or aremote laptop. Console automation is handled via the API VisionAutomation System controlling a total 176 moving faders. Forequalization, each channel can be outfitted with either the 550L 4-bandswitchable EQ module or the 560L graphic EQ module, a smaller-footprintversion of the classic API 560 EQ. Additionally, the main fader pathhas a tunable filter section similar to the 215L.

Visit API at AES in demo room #2D08 or go online to www.audiotoys.com.

Michael Brauer Mixes Paul McCartney
Slated for broadcast on the A&E cable network, Paul McCartney InRed Square highlights the ex-Beatle’s visit to (and first-everconcert in) the Russian capital in May. McCartney played for a crowd ofalmost 100,000 and made a side trip to St. Petersburg, where hereceived an honorary doctorate from the St. PetersburgConservatory.

The show employed a staff of industry veterans, including videoproducer/director Mark Haefeli, music producer David Kahne and mixengineer Michael Brauer (pictured), who mixed the footage in stereo and5.1 for broadcast and a future DVD release at Henson Studios (theformer A&M facility) during the week of July 14.

“I actually got involved in the project through David [Kahne],” saidBrauer. “He called me to mix Paul’s last live release, Back In theU.S. Live 2002. I did the 5.1 and stereo mixes for those, so Davidcontacted me again to do the Red Square show. Henson is a greatfacility, and it also happens to be one of David’s favorites, as he hashis own studio within the building for his production work.

“The original recording was a direct board recording to two Tascam2424 hard disk systems, done by Pablo Boothroyd, the live soundengineer, and the original material was excellent, very clean,” Brauercontinued. “The only additional channels were near and far-audiencemics.” Brauer and Kahne worked in Henson’s Studio A, using an SSLSL9080 J, Nuendo and Pro Tools recording media. “I chose the MSP10Studios after some serious evaluation. The sound was clear and didn’tbreak up at higher volumes. The room I was mixing in had high ceilings,so I had to crank it up a bit more, but they filled up the room nicely.The range was also good: I didn’t need to take out any bottom end or doa 75dB cut; we kept everything very flat. We also used the Yamaha SW10sublow, due to the fact that so many home-theater systems that areequipped for 5.1 employ a sub cabinet. When David listened back to theproject in mastering, the things we intended on doing came out exactlyas planned.

“I’m not into 5.1 tricks,”” he added. “My approach to5.1—especially for a live show—is to present theperformance as though you were about 15 rows back from the stage, asopposed to way back. That way, the perception is not really abouthearing what’s going on behind you. Instead, it’s about feeling a lotmore dimension in front of you. For instance, when the audience comesup, that audience should surround the listener both panoramically andrealistically.”

Brauer’s outboard gear included an Avalon VT-747ST for the stereoprocessing. “For the front L-C-R, I used a Neve 33609 compressor alongwith a couple of Pultecs,” Brauer said. “For the rear, we added aPendulum compressor. As for the instruments, the drums got EL8Distressors; the bass, Avalon 737s; and the guitars, a combination ofEAR 660s and some Fairchild compressors. The vocals got my favoritecompressors: the VacRac on the main, or maybe the Federal. I also usedsome old Motown EQs on the drums and Neve EQs on the toms.”

Meyer Sound Offers Leasing Plan
Meyer Sound’s new special leasing plan provides qualifying sound rentalcompanies and facilities with an opportunity to acquire Meyer Soundloudspeakers and ancillary items with minimal initial investment andlow monthly obligations.

The Meyer Sound leasing program an easy online application,fast-track approval process and responsive service throughout the termof the lease. The program is provided through the Business Financedivision of American Express, and is designed to allow customers makingpurchases over $50,000 to pay in 12 monthly payments with no interestcharged and a $1 buyout at the end of the lease term. Special financingrates are also available for longer lease terms. These plans offerflexible structuring options, including a payment schedule tailored tothe seasonal income variations of the tour sound business. The leasingprogram is currently available to businesses in the United States andCanada only and is a limited-time offer.

Information can also be gained by e-mailing [email protected]. Visitthe company online at www.meyersound.com.

World Class Audio Installs New Loudspeakers
World Class Audio Inc. (Anaheim, Calif.), a recording facility owned byengineer Shawn Sullivan, has recently outfitted the studio with some ofthe highest-quality analog and digital recording and mixing equipment,including a pair of ATC SCM20 Pro self-powered, portable referencemonitor speakers.

According to Sullivan, “I pulled [the ATC speakers] out of the boxand basically started working on them 12 hours a day. My mixes wereinstantly better. I’ve been using them every single day.

“They’re extremely revealing monitors,” Sullivan continued. “I don’thave to second-guess anything. Everything is dead-on. They have steppedup what I do. I don’t have to hype the mix: It’s reality. So far,everything has been absolutely spot-on.”

Sullivan recently employed the speakers on a mixing project forartist Zayra.” I did a one-pass vocal ride with the A&R guy sittingbehind me. I handed the disc to him and he said, ‘That’s it? Aren’t yougoing to listen to it on anything else?’ I said I don’t need to. Hewent home and listened to it on six different systems and could notfind one fault with it.”

Sullivan has also used the loudspeakers on a band namedGreenwich.

World Class Audio features a Chris Pelonis-designed control room.”It’s one of the top studios in Orange County,” Sullivan said.”Everything we do is straight into Pro Tools. We’ve got an expandedProControl and quite a bit of outboard gear, with a nice-sized trackingroom and iso booth. I’m all about analog outboard gear. I got tired ofblowing money on plug-ins, so I have all Class-A, top-of-the-line,killer outboard gear.”

For more on the loudspeakers, visit www.transaudiogroup.com. Visit the studio online atwww.worldclassaudio.com.

Mackie Releases DreamVerb Plug-In for UAD-1
Mackie, a Loud Technologies Inc. brand and Universal Audio announcedthe availability of DreamVerb, the newest Powered Plug-In for theMackie UAD-1 DSP card. DreamVerb is available free of charge from theMackie Website (www.mackie.com) for registered UAD-1 owners. Thisspecial offer will only last for 30 days after the release (i.e., untilOctober 23, 2003), at which time DreamVerb will be sold regularly for$149 USD.

DreamVerb is Universal Audio’s flagship stereo reverb for the MackieUAD-1. It features an intuitive and powerful interface that allowsusers to create an acoustic space from a large list of differentmaterials and room shapes. These acoustic spaces can be customized byblending or “morphing” different room shapes and surface materials,adjusting the effect of the room materials on the sound space, and evenvarying the density of the air to simulate different ambientsituations.

Other DreamVerb features include a flexible 5-band parametric EQ andunique level ramping for the early and late reflections for soundsranging from extremely realistic dynamic room simulations to lushreverb effects. With Universal Audio’s proprietary Smoothing algorithm,all parameters can be adjusted in real time with no “zipper-noise,” oraudible artifacts. A single UAD-1 can run up to six DreamVerb plug-insat 44.1k. And like all UAD-1 plug-ins, DreamVerb can run at multiplesample rates for 44.1k to 192k recording. One authorization can runDreamVerb on up to four cards.

“DreamVerb sets a new standard for plug-in reverbs,” said DanielMoore, recording product manager at Mackie. “It’s able to mimic thedense reverberation characteristics common to dedicated hardware unitsthat typically sell for much more than the entire UAD-1 PoweredPlug-Ins bundle.”

Mike Barnes, director of marketing at Universal Audio, added,”DreamVerb not only offers the sumptuous sound users have been askingfor, but it ships with a comprehensive set of highly usable,studio-designed presets for quick session work and an advanced toolkitof editing parameters for programmers who want to intricately shape anddesign virtually any kind of real or surreal acoustic space.”

A DreamVerb demo version can currently be downloaded for free fromeither the Mackie or Universal Audio (www.uaudio.com) Websites.

Blackberry Hill Studios Opens
Blackberry Hill, a new, 3,200-square-foot studio in the southwesternhills of Eugene, Ore., owned by acoustic guitarist Justin King, hasopened its doors with a 60-channel, all-analog Amek Media 51 console atits helm.

Although Blackberry Hill is a traditional commercial studio, King,who has released three solo albums (S/T, Opening andLe Bleu), as well as toured with the likes of James Taylor, B.B.King, Steve Winwood, Diana Krall and Nickel Creek, is christening thenew facility by recording demos and tracks for his upcoming fourthalbum.

King commented on the new console: “Even though the desk was justcommissioned a few weeks ago, I’ve already completed quite a fewrecordings on it. Several of the pieces were tracked out with a fullband, so I’ve had the chance to hear not only acoustic guitar, butpiano, drums and all sorts of other instruments through the desk now.The highest compliment I can think to pay the Media 51 is to say thateverything sounds like itself. I’m definitely from the school ofrecording where you first get a beautiful sound from an instrument andthen preserve that as accurately as possible, rather than have to use alot of EQ to try and make it sound natural. The Amek almosteffortlessly makes everything sound terrific.

“In particular,” he continued, “I’ve found that the Media 51provides a wonderful clarity and separation between instruments. TheRupert Neve-designed preamps are incredibly pristine, and I often findmyself tracking things through them despite the fact that I have tonsof outboard gear. And, of course, the famed British EQ is equally nice,too.”

Officially celebrating its grand opening in early October,Blackberry Hill affords stunning panoramic views of the Three SistersMountains and Willamette Valley from 1,500 feet above sea level. Thestudio facilities, located on the first floor of the uniqueround-shaped two-story building, comprises a 1,300-square-foot trackingroom, two large isolation rooms, a machine room and 500-square-footcontrol room. The studio is also equipped with Studer A80 and MCI JH242-inch 24-track machines, a 12-channel Neve 5106 sidecar, Pro Tools|HD,and a wide selection of both vintage and state-of-the-art mics,outboard preamps and processing. The studio boasts three well-appointedapartments on the second floor, full on-site meal preparation, aprivate jet service, sailboat, and unlimited access to miles of trailsfor hiking, among other amenities.

For more details on Blackberry Hill, please contact the studio at541/485-2202 or via e-mail at [email protected].For more on the board, visit www.amek.com.

BluWave Audio Remixes Foreign-Language Version of KubrickFilms
BluWave Audio, a division of Universal Sound Department, has completedthe foreign-language remix for the DVD Region 4 releases for seven offilm director Stanley Kubrick’s works: Lolita, BarryLyndon, A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey,The Shining, Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shutreceived new Brazilian, Portuguese and Latin American Spanish dialogtracks. With the exception of the 1962 Lolita, which has arestored mono soundtrack, all of the newly recorded dialog accompaniesa remastered 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack.

Manager of audio restoration services Tom Regal and re-recordingmixer Jim Fitzpatrick did the remix, and Leon Vitali from the Kubrickestate supervised.

While restoration was being performed in Universal City, Calif.,actors were recording the dialog in Mexico City and Buenos Aires. Therecordings were converted into digital files and posted to an FTP siteand then downloaded to BluWave Audio’s Stage B, a state-of-the-artmixing room dedicated to soundtrack restoration. All the files werethen incorporated into the mix. The remixed versions were completed injust 37 days.

For more, visit BluWave online at www.bluwaveaudio.com.

Digigram Adds Another Linux Driver for Sound Cards
Digigram announced the availability of a Linux driver under open-sourcelicensing for its miXart 8 and miXart 8 AES/EBU multichannel soundcards. The driver follows the most advanced audio standard for Linuxcalled ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture) and is available fordownload at www.alsa-project.org.

The miXart 8 platform combines Digigram’s onboard processing withcomprehensive audio mixing functions. Professional audio applicationsrequiring multiple I/Os for distributing, recording, routing and mixingcan take advantage of the miXart s 8/8 analog mono I/Os. The miXart 8AES/EBU features 4/4 additional stereo AES/EBU inputs/outputs, and dueto its synchronization capabilities, it can be used to integrate audiowith video systems.

Digidesign Releases Free Software Bundle
Digidesign’s free creation software bundle that will be included withall new Pro Tools® TDM or LE systems comes with PropellerheadSoftware Reason Adapted, Ableton Live Digidesign Edition, and IKMultimedia AmpliTube LE, SampleTank SE and T-RackS EQ, in addition tocore Pro Tools software.

“Our new partnerships with Ableton, IK Multimedia and Propellerheadprovide Pro Tools users with an incredible rich, varied and powerfulpalate of tools that allow them to start creating in new ways ‘rightout of the box,'” stated Dave Lebolt, Digidesign general manager. “Now,musicians will have a vast new ‘construction set’ of music-makingpossibilities available to them, regardless of their differing stylesor interests. Wherever you want to go creatively, these tools can helptake you there. And they’re included free in every Pro Tools system,from Mbox to Pro Tools|HD—across the entire Pro Tools productline.”

Propellerhead Software Reason Adapted provides a virtual rack ofMIDI-based innovative synthesizers, samplers, drum machines andeffects. All audio from Reason Adapted can be streamed directly intothe Pro Tools mixer via ReWire for additional processing within ProTools.

Ableton Live allows the user to launch loops or sound effectson-the-fly. Live also features automatic beat-matching and real-timequantization. IK Multimedia SampleTank SE is a special-edition RTASvirtual instrument plug-in. AmpliTube LE is an RTAS guitar processingand amp modeling plug-in that provides users a variety of amplifier andcabinet models, as well as classic stomp box and other effects. T-RackSEQ is the EQ module from the company’s T-RackS analog mastering suite.T-RackS EQ offers Pro Tools users a powerful, high quality tube-modeledparametric EQ as an RTAS plug-in for use in mixing and mastering.

For information on the full versions of Ableton, IK Multimedia andPropellerhead software, visit www.ableton.com, www.ikmultimedia.com and www.propellerheads.se, respectively. VisitDigidesign’s Website at www.digidesign.com.

Tascam Intros SX-1LE
Designed for musicians and recording professionals, Tascam’s SX-1LEprofessional digital workstation is based on the company’s SX-1, andprovides features such as 16-track/24-bit recording, 40-input surroundmixing, touch-sensitive moving faders, a VGA output and 128-track MIDIsequencing for an estimated street price under $3,000. The product willbegin shipping in late September 2003.

Other features include: flexible 40-input, 32×8 digital mixingconsole; 5.1 surround mixing; 16 high-quality phantom-powered XLR micinputs; 16-track uncompressed recording at 48 kHz/24-bit; 6-channelstem recorder; intuitive user interface using mouse, keyboard and twodisplays to view waveform, MIDI and automation data; SMPTE timecodeinput; built-in CD-RW drive; up to four real-time processors withTascam DSP effects like reverb and chorus; 8-channel ADAT opticaldigital input and output; three expansion slots create an additional 24inputs and outputs; 320×240 LCD; VGA display output; jog/shuttle wheel;128-track MIDI sequencer; and two MIDI inputs and four MIDI outputs for64-channel MIDI output.

For more, visit www.tascam.com.