News November 15 – 30 (readNovember 1 – 14 news)
Steve Kempster Uses Daking Compressor on RecentProjects
Recently, scoring mixer Steve Kempster has worked on new movies suchas Disney’s Brother Bear and the Haunted Mansion and Bad BoysII. Residing in Los Angeles, Kempster is a “first-call” recordingengineer/mixer for both major theatrical releases and record projects.During the years, he has collected a large amount of expensive outboardgear, including the Daking FET Compressor II.
According to Kempster, “The Daking FET Compressor II first caught myattention when I was loaned a pair for evaluation by Brad Lunde atTransamerica Audio. I already have loads of some of the bestcompressors made spread out amongst the five full racks of outboardgear I own. I thought I’d just use these on drums, percussion overdubsor other things where I may not want to exercise or commit a moreexpensive compressor I would hold in higher regard. What I noticed wasthat the FET II was an incredible and useful management tool, butsonically kept itself pretty much out of the way, which a lot ofcompressors don’t.
“Initially, when I first began using the Daking when recordingand/or mixing drums, percussion and miscellaneous items, I saw that itwas so fast in attack time that I could dial in good control and managevery transient material without leaving a big sonic footprint,”continued Kempster. “I found the FET II very flexible in release timeand the different characteristics of the release times with the sevendifferent time constants available. Pretty soon, I was up for tryingthe unit on more crucial jobs like lead vocal processing. During themixing of Brother Bear, we had a lead vocal by Tina Turner and Ifound the Daking FET II managed it in a very good way withoutsounding’compressed.'”
Kempster also used the FET II as a master stereo percussion stemcompressor on Lion King 1 1/2, a Disney animation for DVD. “Iused it on the percussion stem left/right. And you’re talking abouthuge tympani hits and all kinds of percussive information that on thedubbing stage needs to be controlled, but not heard as’controlled,’ sothe Daking was very helpful on that stereo pair. So what started out asa curio purchase a Swiss Army knife processor has evolved intosomething that has become very significant to me because the FET IIcontinually surprises me with its very clean and extremely flexibleoperation.”
For more on the Daking, visit www.daking.com or www.transaudiogroup.com.
Native Instruments, Sonic Implants Offer Music Package toSibelius
Native Instruments and Sonic Network, the developer of the SonicImplants sound libraries, provided a sample-playback sound library toSibelius, a leading music notation software. The package bundles theKontakt Player Silver sample player and Sonic Implants sound librariesto provide Sibelius 3 with a sound-generation engine and high-qualityset of instrument samples.
Kontakt Player Silver and Sonic Implants libraries allows Sibelius 3users to play back music using high-quality instrument samples, burncompositions to CD and create audio files for the Internet. The SilverEdition contains 20 instrumental sounds covering brass, woodwind,strings, percussion, voices and other symphonic categories. Many of theinstruments were taken from the Sonic Implants Symphonic StringCollection. Additionally, Sibelius 3 users are able to purchase KontaktPlayer Gold, which offers 64 instrumental and 100 percussionsounds.
For more, visit www.native-instruments.com or www.sibelius.com.
NMHA Launches’mpower: musicians for mental health’
The National Mental Health Association (NMHA) launched “mpower:musicians for mental health,” a national youth awareness campaign thatharnesses the power of music to raise awareness about mental health andsubstance abuse issues and encourages teens to seek help when they needit.
“Music inspires, motivates and often serves as a catalyst for socialchange,” said Michael Faenza, president and CEO of the National MentalHealth Association. “One in five young people have a diagnosable mentalhealth problem, but more than two-thirds do not get the help they need.By working with musicians on mpower, we can really get the word out toAmerica’s youth that mental health matters.”
To kick off the campaign, NMHA unveiled mpoweryouth.org, a Websitethat allows teens to share their real-life stories and featuresmessages on the importance of mental health from top musicians,including Michelle Branch, Jackson Browne, Vanessa Carlton, Dakona, FatJoe, Jennifer Holliday, The Neptunes and many others. Through concerts,special events, media outreach, PSAs and educational forums, mpower’ssupporting artists and youth leaders will raise awareness about mentalhealth and substance abuse.
For more, visit www.nmha.org.
Gibson Labs, Networksound Co-Develop Technology for ElectricGuitar
The electric guitar has plugged into the digital world usingNetworkSound’s real-time digital solutions over standard Ethernet.Developed in collaboration with Gibson Labs, the new Gibson DigitalGuitar features Gibson’s MaGIC connectivity protocol and a new pickupcapable of isolating the vibrations of each individual string. In orderto prevent loose Ethernet jacks and disconnections, the guitar isfitted with Neutrik’s EtherCon RJ-45 connector.
Uusing the MaGIC protocol developed by Gibson Labs, the guitarcompany’s technology division, NetworkSound was able to send 32 monochannels or 16 stereo channels in each direction over a single CAT-5cable. “What you could conceivably do with this guitar is quiteincredible,” stated Barani Subbiah, Founder and CEO of NetworkSound.”After running out of the Ethernet port and into the 8-output BreakoutBox, you can then use split mode to assign each of the six strings to adifferent amplifier. However, this technology just wouldn’t bepractical if you had frequent drops in your connections and cables, sowe had to go with the tight-locking and rock-solid Neutrik EtherConRJ-45. You could jump around onstage all day and not lose yourconnection.”
The digital guitar uses Gibson’s patented HEX pickup, which sensesup-and-down motions and side-to-side motions, and can detect andisolate the vibrations of each individual string.
For more, visit www.networksound.com or www.gibson.com.
Technovoice Uses Meitner Converters for DVD-A, SACDTitles
A leader in high-resolution, multichannel music mastering, Technovoiceexpects to hit its 150th title in either DVD-A or SACD by mid-2004.Helping Technovoice attain this achievement are Meitner Audio Products’ADC8 and DAC8 8-channel analog-to-digital and digital-to-analogconverters, as well as the Switchman multisource controller to manageand master complex titles.
Charlie Watts, president of Technovoice and former masteringengineer at 5.1 Entertainment, and who has mastered records for bluesartist Walter Trout, The Belrays and Def Jux, said that most of thesources for incoming multichannel masters are analog, so the ADC8 helpsto convert those masters to the digital domain. “The accuracy andwarmth of the ADC8 is tremendous,” Watts said. “I know I’m getting atransfer conversion that retains the characteristics of the originalanalog master. I’ve been doing mastering for many years, and this isthe first A-to-D converter I’ve heard that sounds like an analog tapemachine.” Meanwhile, during the mastering process, Watts often leavesthe digital arena and sends audio data to key analog outboardprocessing systems, such as the Manley EQ and compression chain. “Thereare still a few pieces of analog equipment that digital simply can’temulate,” he revealed. “When I need to access them, the DAC8 gets methere with no loss of quality in the conversion process.”
During the mastering process, Watts can control all of the audiosources using Meitner’s Switchman source controller, which allows himto A/B audio from the mastering console, analog tape decks and a DVDplayer. “What I especially like about the Switchman is that it has aTrim control on each input signal source. That lets me match levels onall input sources during comparison playbacks, ensuring that I get anaccurate sonic picture of what I’m working with.”
For more on the Meitner converters, visit its distributor, SADiE, atwww.sadie.com. Formore on Technovoice, visit www.technovoice.com.
Ashly Names International Sales Reps
Ashly Audio (Webster, N.Y.) announced the creation of three newinternational territories with independent representation.
For the United Kingdom, France, Iceland, India, Middle East andAfrica, Graham Allen will be the representative. Peter Malech of PMDistribution will handle Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece,Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,Turkey and Eastern European countries. International Sales’ Joe Manningand Kris Jackson will represent Ashly in Australia, Asia and thePacific Rim.
“As our sales and marketing efforts grow in scope, we needed todedicate additional centrally located resources to more effectivelydirect and manage this growth,” said Ashly Audio CEO Dave Parse. “Thesenew people bring valuable knowledge and experience to our company andwill benefit both our international customer base and Ashly Audio.”
In other Ashly rep news, Cordial Riley (Clarkston, Mich.) willrepresent the company in Michigan.
To contact these reps, e-mail Graham Allen at [email protected],Peter Malech at [email protected],Joe Manning of International Sales at [email protected] or Kris Jacksonof International Sales at [email protected], and CordialRiley at [email protected].For more information on Ashly Audio, visit www.ashly.com.
Princeton Digital Now Shipping Reverb 2016 for ProTools|HD
Princeton Digital announced the immediate availability of Pro Tools|HDplug-in versions of the Eventide SP2016 reverbs. The plug-in set,called Reverb 2016, includes Stereo Room, Room Reverb and High-DensityPlate reverb effects.
“These reverbs originally ran on a purpose-built array processorand, until recently, DSPs weren’t up to the task,” said Tony Agnello,founder of Princeton Digital and developer of the original EventideSP2016. “DSP hardware has finally caught up with these algorithms, andI’ve got to give Digidesign credit for putting some serious, crazyhorsepower in the hands of plug-in developers. These great old reverbsrun with a bit of room to spare.”
The set of three Reverb 2016 plug-ins requires a Pro Tools|HD orAccel system running under Mac OS X 10.2 or higher. The initial releasesupports 44.1kHz and 48kHz sample rates. An upgrade with support for96kHz sample rates on Accel hardware will be available by January 2004.Purchasers of Rev 1.0 will receive free upgrades.
The Reverb 2016 reverb bundle is available now for $699 at www.princetondigital.com. A fully functionalversion with a 30-day demo license may also be downloaded from theWebsite.
Paramount/Ameraycan Studios Hires Bill Dooley
Paramount/Ameraycan Studios owners Adam Beilenson and Mike Kernsannounced the appointment of Bill Dooley as chief mastering engineerand director of post-production services at Paramount Recording Studiosin Los Angeles.
“We’re very excited to have Bill join our team at Paramount,” saidKerns. “Bill brings a wealth of talent, knowledge and experience toParamount Mastering.” Dooley, who has been involved in mastering sincebeing the chief recording engineer at Atlantic Recording Studios in NewYork City, has also built and operated CD mastering facilities at theformer A&M Recording Studios and the former Brooklyn, now ExtasyRecording Studios. Dooley’s mastering credits range from CD remasteringof Madonna’s Bedtime Stories and Me’shell N’degocello’s PeaceBeyond Passion, to Motley Crue’s “Lewd, Crude and Tattooed5.1 DVD.
For more on Paramount Recording Studios, visit www.paramountrecording.com.
Fox Television to Install SSL C200 Consoles
Fox Television has purchased six 32-fader, 96 in-line channel SolidState Logic C200 Digital Production Consoles to serve their on-airpromotion and sports departments. The first four consoles, slated forinstallation in late 2003, will be used for on-air promotion andreplaces the SSL Scenaria digital post-production mixing systems in usesince 1992. The other two C200 consoles will arrive in early 2004 andbe used for Fox Sports projects.
The Fox on-air promotion department is a high-volume productiongroup that creates hundreds of promos per week. The on-air promotiongroup’s C200s will be used in conjunction with the Fairlight editingsystem, with SSL customizing the console and rolling script tray toaccommodate the Fairlight controller. “Fox was one of the initialcompanies to invest in the Scenaria digital post-production system in1992,” said Phil Wagner, senior VP of SSL. “We are exceptionallypleased to see Fox’s significant re-commitment to SSL in 2003 with thepurchase of our new C200 digital production consoles.”
The two C200 consoles slated for Fox Sports will be used forsegments that air Fox Sports broadcast coverage including NFL, MLB,NASCAR, and sports promotions and presentations. The C200 consolesreplace two Scenaria digital post-production mixing systems in usesince 1994. The sports consoles will be used in conjunction with thePro Tools editing system.
For more information, visit www.solid-state-logic.com.
M-Audio Upgrades Delta for G5
M-Audio has been working with Apple to ensure that all of M-Audio’sPCI-based products will be compatible with the PCI-X architectureintroduced with the G5s. M-Audio’s Audiophile 2496, Delta 1010, Delta44, Delta 66 and Delta 1010LT are now being upgraded. The Revolution7.1 consumer surround sound card is already PCI-X-compatible.
The original versions of M-Audio Delta cards operated on 5 volts assupplied by the original PCI bus standard. The newly revised cards aredesigned to be powered from the 3.3-volt standard intrinsic to the64-bit PCI-X standard and all G5s. Onboard sensing technology will alsoallow the new Delta cards to be backward-compatible to work in 32-bit5-volt PCI systems. All revised M-Audio cards will also be compatiblewith current and next-generation Windows machines.
For those who purchased a Delta card on or after August 1, 2003,there is no charge to upgrade the card. For users who purchased theirDelta cards prior to August 1, there is an upgrade fee of $50 (plus $5in shipping) for U.S. customers.
To arrange for your upgrade, contact M-Audio at [email protected].
SIRIUS Broadcasts Recordings From Electric Lady Studios
SIRIUS announced that it will broadcast classic recordings from NewYork City’s Electric Lady Studios. “Live From Electric Lady” presentsinterviews and performances from decades past with artists includingSantana, Jethro Tull, Foreigner and Bad Company.
“The addition of’Live From Electric Lady’ to our lineup of musicprogramming is another example of the wealth of music history SIRIUSgives its subscribers,” said Joel Salkowitz, VP of programmingoperations at SIRIUS.
“We have always worked to foster a creative environment formusicians,” said Alan Selby and Richard Flanzer, co-owners of ElectricLady Studios. “These rare broadcasts reflect this and offer SIRIUSlisteners a unique opportunity to enjoy some of the greatest classicrock performances in history.”
The series will be broadcast on SIRIUS Sessions//100 on Saturdaysand Sundays. The schedule of artists is available at www.sirius.com.
Neumann Debuts Broadcast Line
Neumann has launched its new broadcast line of microphones with the BCM104 (MSRP: $999). The K 104 large-diaphragm condenser capsule used inthe BCM 104 has a cardioid directional pattern with switchableproximity effect compensation, introducing a highpass filter thatreduces frequencies below 100 Hz by 12 dB/octave. A secondpre-attenuation switch allows the sensitivity to be reduced by 14 dB tooptimize performance for circuits designed for dynamic microphones.Both switches are internally mounted within the microphone housing.
The K 104 capsule offers a flat frequency response up to 3 kHz,while higher frequencies have a maximum increased presence of 2 dB. TheBCM 104 amplifier has a linear operation down to 20 Hz. The BCM 104microphone head grille twists off for quick cleaning. Directly in frontof the capsule, mounted on a frame holder, is a piece of fine gauzethat serves as a built-in pop screen. Neumann will be offeringoptional, color-coded head grilles so that each announcer may use hisor her individual head grille. The pop screen can be removed forcleaning without the use of tools. The BCM 104 is additionally fittedwith an elastic mount against structure-borne noise that is compatiblewith standard broadcast-segment microphone arms.
“With the introduction of the new broadcast line, Neumann hasextended the variety and applications of its microphone solutions,”said Jeff Alexander, director at Neumann. “The mix of solidengineering, unique features and functional design in the broadcastline is sure to be very well received in the world of public andcommercial radio broadcasting in North America.”
For more, visit Neumann online at www.neumannusa.com.
Smart Loops Releases Phat to Phreaky
Smart Loops, a developer of ACID-format loop-based music content andcreation tools, announced the release of Phat to Phreaky (SRP: $69), acollection of authentic hip hop loops, including urban beats,breakdowns and fills.
The set contains more than 800 grooves in a wide array of styles andincludes beats from Joey P. (TLC, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Fabolous,Jagged Edge), James “DJ Melo”” Davies of Underground Productions(Queen Latifah, Marky Mark, LFO, Popstars Eden’s Crush), Dale “Rambro”Ramsey (Jay-Z, U.G.K., Ludacris, Justin Timberlake), Michael Nickolas(music for ABC, NBC, CBS and Showtime), drummer Frank Basile, TraceyClarke (producer with RJAM/Island Records) and Corey Presley (JaggedEdge, Oprah Winfrey). Because the files are provided in .WAV format,the set works on PC or Macintosh music recording or playback software,such as Pro Tools, Cubase, Logic Audio, Phrazer, Unity, Live andDigital Performer.
As a free bonus to registered users of Phat to Phreaky, Smart Loopsis providing additional loop variations online. After registeringPhat to Phreaky, customers will receive access to more loops,breakdowns, fills, drops and variations, as well as other bonuses.
For more information, visit www.SmartLoops.com.
DMT Rentals Opens Transfer Department
DMT Rentals has established a new transfer department that is headed byBrad Cobb and Vicki Giordano. The new department’s first clientsinclude Columbia Pictures, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Picturesand Universal Pictures, plus DTS Entertainment. In addition tohigh-precision archiving of film score elements to tape/optical mediafor the motion picture community, DMT is now handling analog anddigital transfers of multichannel music material for release by DTSEntertainment.
“The new department can accommodate virtually any analog or digitaltape format, ranging from 35 mm mag to DASH and ProDigi formats,” saidDMT Rentals president Doug Botnick.
“We can handle just about anything here at the DMT transferdepartment,” said Cobb, who is heading up the new department,”including 24-track analog, mag elements, PCM-3324/48 and MitsubishiX800/850/880 digital tapes. We can output to Digidesign Pro Tools,Steinberg Nuendo and Merging Technologies Pyramix drives, Genex GX9048hard drives or any client-specified format.”
Giordano will supervise the traffic department. “There is a lot ofarchiving going on at the moment,” she said. “With our wide selectionof playback systems and recorders, we can handle anything a clientmight ask us to transfer.”
During a recent transfer project for Nancy Sinatra, multitrackelements existed on iZ Technology RADAR drives recorded at a samplerate of 44.1 kHz and needed to be transferred to a Digidesign ProTools|HD DAW for editing at 48 kHz. “The transfer was made in theanalog domain,” Cobb explained, “because it sounds better than one donethrough a digital sample rate converter. We came out of the RADAR,upsampling via dB Technologies digital-to-analog converters to 88.1kHz. Since each sample is played twice, any Nyquist filter ringing israised an octave, well beyond hearing range. We then resampled viaGenex GXA8 A-to-D converters to Pro Tools|HD. This is an example of asituation where access to DMT’s large inventory of converters made abig difference.”
For more information, visit www.dmtrentals.com.
RubberBand Music Company Launches
RubberBand Music (Los Angeles), a company that crosses over recordingartists, rock bands, DJs, and film and television composers intoalternative media, recently launch. Primal Scream will operate withinthe RubberBand group as the selected music company for RubberBandCommercials, and has already completed a spot for Ford and a campaignfor SBC Yahoo!.
Several of the industry veterans who make up the founding teaminclude Immortal Records’ founder Happy Walters, Nicole Dionne ofPrimal Scream, KCRW program dost Greg DaPonte and Comedy Central’s”Music Geek” Andy Zax, with more to be announced. Through PrimalScream, RubberBand provides original music composition, musicsupervision, research and licensing to production companies andadvertising agencies worldwide.
RubberBand has taken space within the offices of Immortal Records,home to Korn and Incubus. Through its relationship with Primal Scream,some of the artists that RubberBand will be working with includefeature film composer Klaus Badelt, who completed the scores forPirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, The TimeMachine and K-19: The Widowmaker, among others; filmcomposers Ramin Djawadi and Michael Wandamacher; recording artistsPeter Himmelman, Remy Zero and Godhead; and many others.
The active divisions under the RubberBand umbrella includeRubberBand Commercials, in partnership with Primal Scream, andRubberBand Trailers, with additional divisions to be announced.RubberBand Trailers has been actively licensing tracks for televisionfilm trailers including, The Knack’s “My Sharona” for Charlie’sAngels, Andy Hunter’s “Go” for Catch That Kid, originaltracks from Godhead and Julian Beeston for League of ExtraordinaryGentlemen and KG’s “Stomper” for Scary Movie 3, amongothers.
For more information, visit www.rubberbandmusic.com.
Shepard’s Mobile Recording Setup Pits Analog WithDigital
Engineer/producer Chris Shepard’s Tour My Studio (Chicago) mobilerecording setup can be packed into six road cases and features 40channels of True Systems Precision 8 transformerless microphone preampsand a collection of high-quality microphones, including models fromNeumann and Sennheiser, and a Digidesign Pro Tools|HD Version 6.0workstation.
“It’s a great-sounding preamp, and the noise floor is incredible,”said Shepard, studio manager at the Chicago Recording Company and ownerof Tour My Studio. Shepard established Tour My Studio three years agoto complement CRC by providing location recording services. “The twoare linked together and work hand-in-hand real well. The combination ofreaching out from a major studio and being able to supply a live rig iskey to both ventures staying current.”
According to Shepard, Tour My Studio was born out of necessity. “Iwas doing more and more engineering and producing for people who wereasking me to set up studios in weird environments with bastard gear. Iwanted better tools. So I went and I put together what I figured wasgoing to be the ultimate studio, with the best mics and preamps I couldafford, the ultimate headphone mixing ability, the best mic stands, andput that together as a package that people can actually afford. My goalis to provide musicians a way of doing remote recording economicallywith quality gear. All projects vary in cost due to complexity andtime. But the key here is having a musician walk away from a show witha CD of the recording, a good decent mix and a hard drive with theindividual tracks. This is what musicians want. It’s empowering theartist. They walk away with the hard drive or their performance.”
Commenting on the preamp, Shepard said, “It’s just great stuff anddependable. Plus, the built-in splitting ability comes in handy for me.I put DB25 panels on the back of both my racks,” explained Shepard. “Sobasically, all I’m using is a DB25 patch cord to connect the preamprack to the Pro Tools rack. It’s so simple, clean and fast. Our rig isset up in about half-an-hour. It loads off the truck, the fronts of thecases come off, just a few wires connect it together and we’rerocking.
“The road case that holds the mic pre’s took a hit at the House ofBlues recently, doing KMFDM,” he continued. “It came off of the loadingdock with their loaders and went face down. And it went real hard. Butwe tested them and they were fine.”
Regarding his mic collection, Shepard enthused that “the Neumann KM184s are probably my most desired room mics. I carry a Neumann TLM 103and use that a lot for low end or for strings. We do a lot of gospelwork, where we go to a church and record the full strings, piano,choir, and obviously the room mics are so important in thatscenario.”
For more information, visit Chicago Recording Company at www.chgo-rec.com.For more on Tour My Studio, visit www.tourmystudio.com.
“Prince Charles” Alexander Installs Event Speakers
Only a few short months after the release of Event’s Studio Precision 8Biamplified Direct Field Monitors, multi-Platinum, award-winningproducer/engineer “Prince Charles” Alexander (Jennifer Lopez, Mary J.Blige, Faith Evans, Luther Vandross, Alicia Keys, Destiny’s Child) hasinstalled a set in his studio.
“When I’m in the studio, I need the artists to be excited about whatthey’re hearing,” Alexander explained. “I can’t expect them to imaginethe bass frequencies and high-end snap that my old monitors simplydidn’t reproduce. The Studio Precision 8 gives me smooth, full-rangereproduction that sounds great and has plenty of low-end thump, whichis essential for hip hop and R&B production. And when my clientsplay my Studio Precision mixes at home or in their car, they sound justlike they did in the studio.”
For more information on the Studio Precision line, visit www.event1.com.
New Studio Installs Genex Hard Disk Systems
Genex Audio supplied a pair of GX9048 48-track and a single GX90008-track Multiformat Digital Systems to a new studio based in Montana,owned and operated by Brett Allen and his father. Scheduled to open inthe spring of 2004, Lookout Studios will feature a main recording areaequipped with a Solid State Logic XL9048 K Series analog console andonline delivery systems for Internet streaming.
“We are a private facility that will experiment with modernproduction and streaming of data transfer over the Internet,” BrettAllen said. “The studio will be for our personal use, in addition toselected professional clients and nonprofit organizations. We envisionarchiving and recording sessions, and Webcasted house concerts.”
Regarding his choice of recording hardware, 24-year-old Allen said,”The Genex systems are a key factor to the uniqueness of our studio.Our new SSL console offers an extended bandwidth performance and wasdesigned with DSD in mind. And our network-based server will have theability to provide simultaneous multiformat Webcasts.”
Tom Paddock, CEO of the San Francisco-based Sonic Focus Inc., andDavid Schwind, VP of Charles Salter Associates, are handling acousticand systems design for the new facility.
For more information on Lookout Studios, e-mail Brett Allen at [email protected]. For more informationon Genex, visit www.genexaudio.com.
ILIO Distributes Applied Acoustic Systems in NorthAmerica
ILIO Entertainments has announced that it is the exclusive distributorof Applied Acoustic Systems’ products in North America. AppliedAcoustic Systems is a Montreal-based company specializing insoftware-based synthesis tools. The company’s product offerings includethe Tassman, an expansive collection of synths and presets, and theLounge Lizard EP, a virtual electric piano.
“We are very excited to work with Applied Acoustics,” said MarkHiskey, principal of ILIO Entertainments. “They’re a research-drivencompany whose unique blend of music and science has resulted ininnovative instruments that teem with musical and artistic integrity.We look forward to delivering these virtual instruments to our clientbase.”
For more, visit www.ilio.com.
ATR Services Intros Replacement Headblock for StuderA827
ATR Services Inc. has introduced a new, custom-made 2-inch 8-trackheadblock specifically designed to convert Studer A827 transports intohigh-end, surround sound mixdown and mastering recorders.
The new headblock plate, manufactured in-house by ATR Services, ismachined to extremely close tolerances from a solid piece ofaircraft-grade aluminum. The headblock package comes complete with aset of Flux Magnetics Mastering heads (including extended response playhead) optimized for use with the Aria Reference Series Class-A discreteelectronics. Designed by David Hill, Aria electronics are availableseparately through ATR Services.
“The A827 is a great transport, and with the addition of our Ariareference electronics and new head block, the sonics of the machine aregreatly enhanced at both the 15 and 30 ips speeds,” said ATR Servicespresident Michael Spitz. “High-definition recordings made on thesemodified A827s will translate perfectly to our ATR108C compactmastering decks, which are also equipped with Aria electronics.”
ATR Services also offers another version of the headblock designedfor use with the 16-track 2-inch format. It includes the connectormounting bracket and the “D” connectors for plug-and-play using thestock Studer electronics. Flux Magnetics heads are standard on thisversion, as well.
Contact ATR Services Inc. at 717/852-7700 or www.atrservice.comfor pricing.
Pioneer Electronics Announced New DVJ-X1
Pioneer Electronics announced its new DVJ-X1 digital audio and videoturntable, which allows users to manipulate and playback synchronizeddigital audio and video.
DJs will be able to use Pioneer’s new unit to manipulate DVD visualsin the same way as they would music. So real-time digital videoscratches, loops and instant cues are all possible with the DVJ-X1,while the video and audio streams stay in sync, even when they’re beingreversed and pitched. The DVJ-X1 brings together existing A/Vtechnologies into a single unit that interfaces with currentlyavailable software and hardware.
The DVJ-X1 offers onboard memory capacity and a SD Card slot similarto the CDJ-1000MK2 for flexibility in performance. This allows for A/Vloops and cue points to be stored either onboard or on a removablememory card. A memory card that is bundled with the DVJ-X1 can store upto 500 loop or cue points. During playback, the saved cue and looppoints can be searched, selected and previewed using an externalpreview monitor. An emergency loop automatically loops four beatsseamlessly. Pioneer will offer a video switcher to interface with theFader Start function of many professional audio mixers.
The DVJ-X1 will be available in spring 2004. For more information,visit www.PioneerProDJ.com.
Instrumentalist/Producer Rick Braun Purchases Blue SkySystem
Instrumentalist and producer Rick Braun has purchased a Blue Sky 5.1Sky System One monitoring system, which was installed in Braun’s LosAngeles-area home studio, where he is preparing to do remixes onseveral of his solo recording releases.
“I first encountered the Blue Sky monitors at [film scoringcomposer] Gary Chang’s personal studio, and I was told by severalmusicians that these were the monitors to get,” remarked Braun, whosework as a producer has led to Number One records for artists DavidBenoit, Marc Antoine, Avenue Blue and Bryan Savage, has outfitted hishome studio facility with Cubase and Nuendo software systems and aYamaha DM2000 digital console. “What I needed was a great surroundmonitoring system so that, in preparation for remixing my own recordsin 5.1, I could give myself an education in surround mixing bylistening to what other artists I respect have done with it. The BlueSky 5.1 system has really let me hear those recordings in a way that noother speaker system has ever done.”
For more information, visit Blue Sky online at www.abluesky.com.
Patent Awarded to Shure for KSM141
Shure Incorporated announced that its KSM141 studio mic has beenawarded U.S. Design Patent No. Des. 478,068. Entitled “Microphone(KSM141),” the patent was granted on August 5, 2003, and will be inforce until 14 years from its date of issue.
“As vital components within the Shure catalog of intellectualproperty, patents contribute greatly to our competitive marketposition,” said Rick Frank, Shure’s category director of performancemicrophones. “With the issuance of the KSM141 patent, kudos should goto our KSM141 design team, which once again has done its best todemonstrate technological leadership.”
The KSM141 offers users a selection of either cardioid oromnidirectional polar patterns with the simple turn of a rotatingmechanical switch. Other features found on the mic include Shure’sClass-A transformerless preamp circuitry; an ultrathin, highlysensitive diaphragm; and a switchable three-position low-frequencyfilter that limits unwanted background noise and proximity effect.Operable between 20 and 20,000 Hz, the microphone offers a switchablepad (15 or 25 dB) for managing extremely high SPL sources such aselectric guitar cabinets and snare drums.
A single-pattern (cardioid) version of the KSM141, Shure’s KSM137,was also granted a patent recently (No. Des. 479,837). Like itsdual-pattern counterpart, the KSM137 sports a champagne finish andcomes with accessories including a break-resistant mic clip, carryingcase and Popper Stopper!” pop filter.
For more information, visit Shure online at www.shure.com.
Composer Doug Hall to Open Own Company
In January 2004, composer Doug Hall will open PROPELLER, New York’snewest full-service music company. Partnering with former MTV producerIris Schaffer, Hall has created a state-of-the-art boutique dedicatedto providing innovative original music and sound design complemented byover-the-top client services.
PROPELLER’s new midtown Manhattan space is being designed from theground up. The West 45th Street studio features a John Storyk-designedlive recording room, which can accommodate a dozen musicians. The MIDIcomposing room, with a view of Rockefeller Center, is outfitted withMOTU’s Digital Performer running on a Macintosh G4, a variety of softsynths and other music software, and an inventory of analog preamps andoutboard processing gear.
“What I’ve missed most while freelancing was not having directcontact with agency creatives,” he said. “One of my strengths is beingable to draw out the information I need when I talk to them about theirprojects. It really puts clients at ease when they know that a composerbegins the creative process with a clear understanding of theirvision.
“Music and sound have the uniquely powerful ability to elevatemeaning and emotion when combined with visual image. The right soundscan take a message and propel it directly into the viewer’ssubconscious. The music and sound created by PROPELLER can takemessages to the next level of emotion and memorability.””
PROPELLER will also provide a platform for developing a roster offresh, young music talent. “We want to be thought of as a creativeresource, which features exciting up-and-coming composers and sounddesigners who can bring some really unique points of view to the mix,”Hall said.
