Daly City, CA — Since its introduction at last year’s Audio Engineering Society (AES) Convention, Digidesign’s ICON D-Control™ ES has been gaining widespread popularity across a range of production facilities. From music recording to post production, ICON D-Control ES is rapidly becoming the centerpiece at studios everywhere.
Veteran engineer Bruce Irvine’s GYB Entertainment Group has just taken delivery of a D-Control ES for the company’s new production facility in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I tend to do most of my mixing inside the box,� Irvine says, “and the ICON [D-Control] ES is laid out so intuitively, it just made sense immediately.�
Irvine, whose credits include Jimmy Buffett, Keith Sweat, and Anthony Hamilton, says that his new console is ideally suited for the way he works. “I’ve been working with digital since the old DASH machines, but I’ve always been an old-school, hands-on mixer. When I ride a vocal, I’m still a human compressor; the console is a part of me. The ICON is so much a part of the process; it’s not like a control surface controlling the DAW [digital audio workstation] — it is the DAW.� Although Irvine has only had the console a few weeks, he’s already well-versed in its functions. “I sat down with it for the first time, without knowing anything about it, and I was up and running in no time. In less than a week, I was in love with it, and mixing with the monitor turned off. Outside of marrying my wife, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.�
PostWorks/Orbit Digital recently installed an ICON D-Control ES console into its New York facility. As the company behind the post-production work on such notable films as The Bourne Ultimatum and Michael Moore’s Sicko, as well as the audio finishing on the indie hit The Waitress and PBS Television’s premiere tentpole documentary series Carrier, PostWorks is one of the industry’s busiest post-production houses for film and TV. “The ICON’s tight integration with Pro Tools has significantly streamlined the mixing process,� explains Bill Ivie, vice president of PostWorks Sound Group, “and the updated aesthetics on the new D-Control ES have made it even easier to navigate the work surface. In the world of post production, time is money. The ICON D-Control ES is allowing us to deliver finished sessions to our clients faster than ever before.�
Timothy B. Schmit, bassist for the Eagles, recently installed an ICON-ES in his personal project room, and for Schmidt’s engineer Hank Linderman, the ICON feels like a return to his analog roots. “After a few hours of working on the ICON-ES, I had the feeling I’d moved out of the screen and onto the console,” says Linderman. “It’s every bit as intuitive as mixing on an analog console, but with all the modern convenience of digital mixing.”
John Bidasio, president of Burbank, California-based Westwind Media, shares the same admiration. “Six of our mixers went for a demo session on the ICON [D-Control] ES, and they all came back saying this is it — this is the next step in mixing technology.� The company behind such television shows as Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice recently installed a two-station ICON D-Control ES system to meet the demand for more inputs and tighter integration with its Pro Tools|HD® system. “The decision was unanimous,� Bidasio says. “There’s really nothing that’s as powerful or offers as many features, and the graphic layout of the console really makes an impact on our workflow.�
The Chop Shop in the Hollywood Hills took delivery of the ICON-ES system earlier this year, and Chief Engineer Chris Baseford says it’s already clear the decision was a good one. “I’ve always worked on large-format analog consoles, simply because it’s more intuitive to mix that way,� he observes. The Chop Shop’s recent projects include releases by Rob Zombie, Tommy Lee, Fuel and John 5. “The ICON really bridges the gap between console and control surface. When I reach for an EQ or an effect, I don’t need to pul myself out of the mixdown state-of-mind to think about where the knobs are, or what parameters are used on a given plug-in. The ICON-ES’s graphical layout allows me to work as intuitively as I do on an analog console.�
For music producer Jordan Tarlow, ICON D-Control ES was part of a broader move to Pro Tools® software. “I used another program for many years, and frankly I just got tired of staring at my screen — that’s not why I got into music,� Tarlow explains. A 15-year veteran of national radio and TV spots, Tarlow’s newly built Malibu, California, facility also produces the immensely popular Martha Quinn Presents Gods of the Big ’80s show on Sirius satellite radio.
“After three months with the ICON, I actually shut off my screen half the time,� Tarlow says. “The visibility of the worksurface is huge. And it feels like working on a big console. I love having dedicated knobs for all my functions. ICON has me jazzed about working again.�
About ICON D-Control ES
Originally introduced in early 2004, Digidesign’s ICON line of consoles has become an established entity in music and post-production facilities around the world, with over 2,500 ICON consoles sold. The D-Control ES worksurface continues the ICON evolution, offering a new graphical layout with updated text and higher contrast for improved legibility in low light, new switch LED color distribution, a revamped component layout for even better ease of use, and a darker color scheme that blends easily with today’s modern studio décor.
About Digidesign
Digidesign is a worldwide leading manufacturer of digital audio production systems and the winner of the 2001 Technical Grammy® Award and 2003 Oscar® statuette representing the Academy Scientific and Technical Award for the design, development, and implementation of the Pro Tools® digital audio workstation. Digidesign provides the professional music, film, video, multimedia, and radio broadcast industries with tools for digital recording, MIDI sequencing, editing, signal processing, and surround mixing. Digidesign products are marketed in more than 40 countries worldwide through a distribution network of value-added dealers, distributors, and OEM relationships. Digidesign is a part of Avid Technology, Inc. For more information, visit www.digidesign.com.
About Avid Technology, Inc.
Avid (Nasdaq: AVID) is a worldwide leader in tools for film, video, audio, 3D animation, gaming and broadcast professionals – as well as for home audio and video enthusiasts. Avid professional and consumer brands include Avid, Digidesign, M-Audio, Pinnacle Systems, Sibelius, Softimage and Sundance Digital. The vast majority of primetime television shows, feature films, commercials and chart-topping music hits are made using one or more Avid products. Whether used by seasoned professionals or beginning students, Avid’s products and services enable customers to work more efficiently, productively and creatively. Avid received an Oscar statuette representing the 1998 Scientific and Technical Award for the concept, design, and engineering of the Avid® Film Composer® system for motion picture editing. For more information about the company’s Oscar, Grammy and Emmy® award-winning products and services, visit www.avid.com.
