NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, JULY 24, 2008 – Although it is one of Nashville’s newest recording facilities, Alpha Studios Nashville is already making a splash not only within the local music scene but internationally as well. Included in its arsenal of new state-of-the-art gear are Aviom’s Personal Mixers, which are powered by A-Net®, the company’s groundbreaking high-speed digital audio transmission protocol. Musicians benefit from the increased monitoring control during recording sessions, and the studio enjoys the competitive advantage offered by having the mixers.
Recently, the Neve 8128 console-based recording studio, which is affiliated with Nashville’s Pied Piper Records, relied on the Aviom Pro16® system as a creative tool for pre-production sessions for the UK-based punk/rock/pop group KOOPA. Streamlining the workflow at Alpha Studios, the sturdy and dependable A-16II Personal Mixer, AN-16/i Input Module and A-16D Pro A-Net Distributor offer creative options not readily available from traditional console-based monitoring systems.
“When we were researching headphone systems for the studio, Aviom’s Personal Mixers caught our attention,� says Alpha Studios co-owner Creston Heltzel. “Beyond the capability the Aviom gear offers for each musician to be able to control their own mix in their headphones, I like the fact that the Aviom products give me the flexibility to find new ways to use and abuse the system. For example, I can have a guitar player sitting in the control room while I send the console channel through an Aviom A-16II mixer into a guitar amp in the recording room while miking the amp back through the console. It’s a little crazy, but the Aviom is a very effective creative tool.�
The system, which runs on a single Cat-5 cable, also offers the studio owners a cost-effective means of setting up the audio network. “We really like the fact that we can run a single Ethernet cable from the console to the recording rooms,� Heltzel says. “This saves time and money when you consider running audio wires through the wall over great distances. Installing the Aviom system was the easiest wiring job I’ve ever done.�
In this configuration, the Aviom AN-16/i Input Module accepts audio from the Neve console, converting 16 balanced line-level channels into 24-bit digital audio transmitted via the Pro16
A-Net audio distribution protocol. The A-Net digital audio is fed to the A-16D Pro A-Net Distributor module that allows for the connection of up to eight A-16II Personal Mixer units, while at the same time providing them with DC power. From there, the A-Net signal is fed to the Personal Mixer units, and this is where the creative magic comes into play with the KOOPA pre-production sessions.
“The Aviom Personal Mixer units provide us with a capable creative tool for the type of musical arrangement work we do in pre-production,� says Heltzel. “They provide 16 channels to a headphone where the artist controls the mix. When we work on the arrangements for the songs, I can send over several stereo mixes from the console at the same time. Then we just have the group turn up, say channel one and two for one version or channel three and four for another version. This way we can compare takes and add on new parts on the fly without asking the artists to come into the control room and go back and forth. The Aviom system helps us stay focused on the music, and that is yielding great results. It is high technology that keeps technology out of the way of the creative flow.�
“We’re thrilled to see our customers finding new and innovative ways to use our products by pushing the tools to new limits,� says Ray Legnini, Aviom’s product research and development manager. “We design products that are simple to use, and these tips are great examples of how digital technology can add new possibilities to the everyday workflow.�
Now signed to Pied Piper Records, KOOPA made chart history as the first ever unsigned band to land a UK top 40 chart hit with its download-only single “Blag, Steal & Borrow,â€? which entered the chart at number 31. The band’s most recent single “The Crash” debuted at number 16 last October.
“The entire team really enjoys working with the Aviom gear, and it all really fits together well,� Heltzel adds. “KOOPA is changing the way records are charted through their independent Internet release, and the Aviom gear is allowing us to arrange and record music in new ways, too.�
Aviom is the world leader and pioneer of personal monitor mixing technology with the popular Pro16® Series, as well as the exclusive developer of the revolutionary Pro64® Series of audio networking products. All Aviom products are powered by A-Net®, the company’s groundbreaking high-speed digital audio transmission protocol. Aviom products solve problems in a variety of different environments, including live sound reinforcement, audio recording studios, houses of worship, theater, broadcasting and post-production facilities and a host of commercial installations. Aviom’s entire line of high-quality professional audio products is designed and manufactured in the USA.
