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GC Pro Helps Studio at the Palms Upgrade Its Pro Tools Systems

Studio X at Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas

Las Vegas-based Studio at the Palms—located at the Palms Casino Resort and host to such artists as Lady Gaga, Ne-Yo, The Killers, LMFAO and others—recently upgraded with three new Avid Pro Tools|HDX systems. The new systems were installed in Studio X and Studio Y, along with a “floater” system that lets any space in the studio become a fully compatible recording environment.

Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, sourced and supplied the Pro Tools|HDX systems

“We really pride ourselves on being state-of-the-art here and always ready at a moment’s notice to serve our clients,” says Studio at the Palms Director Zoe Thrall, noting that artists working on long-term projects or just passing through Las Vegas for performances or for awards shows often use some of their time there to record new tracks or finish up existing ones. “They expect the best from us, and that’s what we strive to deliver.”

Thrall, one of the most respected studio managers in the entire industry (prior to coming to the Studio at the Palms, she supervised operations for The Hit Factory and Avatar Studios in New York City), says that GC Pro has been an invaluable resource in keeping her studios at the cutting edge of music technology.

“They really know their stuff, and they can get me what I need quickly and cost-effectively,” she says, noting that she’s purchased DSP and software system through GC Pro, as well as used them as a portal to the inventory of musical instruments and equipment available at Guitar Center itself. “My relationship with GC Pro goes back to the New York days, and wherever I’ve worked with GC Pro, it’s always been a great experience,” she adds.

„We give a facility like Studio at the Palms a concierge level of service, because that’s what they require in order to serve that caliber of clientele,” says Las Vegas-based GC Pro Sales Associate Don Hartley, who will often personally bring equipment to the studio on short notice when necessary. “The Studio at the Palms has a huge inventory of great equipment, and a fantastic tech specialist in Brent Spear, who did the entire installation of the new Pro Tools|HDX systems himself. But GC Pro is always here to fill in any gaps they may encounter—from a console to a guitar stand—any day, any time.”

For more information, visit www.gcpro.com and Studio at the Palms.

Audio-Technica Introduces AT5040 Cardioid Condenser Microphone

Audio-Technica in Stow, Ohio, is launching its flagship 50 Series studio microphones with the AT5040 Cardioid Condenser Microphone ($2,999 MSRP; available in January 2013 ). The hand-built AT5040 side-address condenser employs four rectangular diaphragms measuring 2 microns each that function together, providing a combined surface area that is said to be unachievable in a standard round diaphragm. Designed as a first-choice vocal microphone with smooth top end and controlled sibilance, the AT5040’s large-diaphragm characteristics and fast transient response also make it ideal for recording acoustic instruments such as piano, guitar, strings, and saxophone.

In the AT5040, four matched diaphragms function together (with outputs proprietarily summed) as a single high-performance element, which is effectively the largest element that Audio-Technica has ever created. By using four diaphragms as a single capsule, the AT5040 is said to achieve remarkably large surface area without the increased weight and decreased transient response that are the expected limitations of expansive size.

The AT5040 also features internal shock-mounting that effectively decouples the capsule from the microphone body. For additional isolation, each AT5040 is also provided with Audio-Technica’s new AT8480 shock-mount. Featuring a proprietary design, the AT8480 was engineered to isolate the microphone and rid the apparatus itself of any unwanted resonances and other audio aberrations that could be transmitted to the microphone. It also features a specially designed locking mechanism that holds the microphone securely in place.

Every AT5040 is hand-assembled and inspected for 100-percent quality control, and is housed in an elegant case of aluminum and brass with gray chrome plating for durability and low reflectivity. Discrete components have been selected for optimized capsule performance; A-T adds that it considered every aspect of the microphone to minimize any effects on the audio signal. To protect the AT5040, each microphone comes in a custom-designed hard-shell carrying case, padded with die-cut foam compartments for the microphone and shock mount.

 

Source : http://www.mixonline.com

Yamaha, Steinberg Launch NUAGE Networkable Recording System

Yamaha and Steinberg have collaborated to create a hardware and software system that adds the power of the Dante audio network to world-class recording, post-production, live-to-tape broadcast, and house of worship recording for re-broadcast. NUAGE is a complete, flexible system that allows engineers to choose and combine components to perfectly match individual application and workflow requirements.

A basic NUAGE system starts at a targeted MSRP of $18,000 and has an expected availability of second quarter of 2013. Computers and monitors are not included in the system components.

NUAGE is a networkable recording system comprising hardware work surface components, a sleek interface, comprehensive visual feedback, networkable audio interface units, and a software-based digital audio workstation. It promises advanced processing capabilities and superior sonic quality.

The Yamaha control surface features a combination of fader and main control units allowing for various system configurations, and the core of NUAGE is Steinberg’s Nuendo digital audio workstation software. Coupled with the power of Dante, this advanced production system offers mix engineers a synergistic studio solution. Dante audio networking provides unrestricted system design and expandability, both in the studio and in situations where audio is to be shared with live mixing systems.

A Dante Accelerator audio interface card can be installed in the computer running the Nuendo DAW to provide extra-low latency multichannel audio data transfer capacity, which is advantageous when communicating with NUAGE I/O units. A secondary port can be used to provide redundant connections for failsafe reliability.

Yamaha states that any 24-inch monitor can be used with the system. The system incorporates the computer LCD displays for “Extensive Console View” channel strip extension, customizable Nuendo shortcuts that can be freely assigned to numerous User Assignable Keys, Touch Slider functionality for instant channel navigation, touch sensitive faders and encoders, Channel Name Display, and Channel Color Bar. A precision jog wheel supports accurate, error-free editing on the master section.

NUAGE modular architecture and network audio interface enable broad system flexibility. Two types of control surface units can be used individually or in combination, according to system needs. Three types of high-end audio interfaces are available, used individually or in combination for up to 128 channels. 16-channel analog, 16-channel digital, and 8-channel analog plus 8-channel digital can be controlled at once with two encoders per channel, or all encoders can be mapped to one or two highlighted channels in the Channel Setting Mode. NUAGE I/O also features advanced JetPLL jitter reduction technology for extremely low jitter and superior AD/DA resolution.

NUAGE includes 32-bit/192 kHz support (Nuendo 6 supports sampling rates up to 384 kHz). Advanced audio interface DSP hardware offers “True Integrated Monitoring” for ultra-low-latency monitoring. The DSP surround processing capabilities provide all the essentials for state-of-the-art surround sound including speaker/level display adjustments and base management. The power of native system processing allows a large number of plug-ins to be used simultaneously across multiple channels/tracks. Nuendo Syncstation provides sample-accurate synchronization for audio and video.

The NUAGE system also offers space-saving keyboard/mouse editing capabilities as well as compact rack-mount dimensions.

Source : http://www.mixonline.com

Radial Introduces Submix 500 4×1 Mixer Module

Radial Engineering Ltd. in Vancouver, British Columbia, announces the Submix 4×1 mixer ($350), its latest 500 Series module. It has four front-mounted ¼-inch input connectors with individual level controls and employs Radial’s dual-gang Accustate input circuit, which at once lets users adjust sensitivity with gain and enables the Submix to be used with low level instruments and high output line level sources without the need for a level reducing pad.

Radial states that the Radial Submix 4×1 module is backward compatible with older 500 Series formats, is super quiet, delivers great sound, can be expanded at will and provides tremendous patching flexibility.

The mixer itself follows the same virtual-earth mix bus design as pioneered by classic console makers such as Neve and SSL. This enables the Submix to be cascaded without adding noise to create larger 8×1, 12×1 or 40×1 mix formats, depending on the number of modules in play and the Workhorse power rack in use. For example, this enables a 3-slot Radial Powerstrip to be converted into a 12×1 keyboard mixer for live use. Using two Submix modules side by side opens the door for stereo applications such as tape returns, digital samplers, stereo effects and analog summing.

As with all Radial products the Submix is made in Canada using solid steel and finished in a baked enamel to ensure longer life; plus, the added shielding of the fully enclosed design is said to help reduce noise from outside electro-magnetic pollution. Inside, steel potentiometers connect to a double sided military grade PCB with an RF resistant full-surface ground plane. Double sided gold contacts assure a positive connection inside the rack.

Sursa : http://www.mixonline.com

Dave Matthews Band 2012 Tour

In late summer, the Dave Matthews Band kicked off a massive tour in support of their 2012 release, Away From the World. Mix caught them on their second night out, at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif.

© Steve Jennings

Dave Matthews at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif.

Source : http://www.mixmusic.com

Capitol Studios

Quality Takes Center Stage in Hollywood

The new Neve 88R in the refurbished, re-wired Studio A.Photo: Amber Sterling

Something very interesting has been going on for the last 18 months or so at the historic Capitol Records Tower and Studios in Hollywood. Although embroiled in uncertainty during that time due to the impending sale of parent company EMI to Universal Music, the studios, label archives, and overall facility headquartered at 1750 North Vine Street have all been part of an ambitious effort to position EMI Capitol on the leading edge of the current music industry trend toward both sonic and artistic quality.

The Creative Hub

EMI, of course, is one of the last remaining labels to own studios. Both Capitol and London’s Abbey Road are unquestionably historic treasures, temples of sound that encompass a rich heritage of quality. Capitol’s studios, for example, were designed in the 1950s to accommodate the debut of stereophonic recordings, and are well known for classic recordings by artists from Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and the Beach Boys to Ray Charles and Diana Krall. Now, the Capitol team is building on that imposing legacy of quality sound as the industry moves into the future.

“Capitol’s studios were purpose-built to make superior recordings for Capitol Records,” explains Dan McCarroll, president of Capitol Records. “We want to re-live that theme. Especially in today’s world, where almost anyone can get access to some kind of music-making software, having a true world-class studio at our fingertips is an incredible tool to help distinguish our recordings from everything else that’s out there.”

Among the three main studios, multiple mastering rooms and numerous other recording spaces housed in the multi-story building, a new philosophy aimed at maximizing creativity has taken hold.

“We want to ensure that the Tower and the studios are a place where artists can feel, and be, at their most creative,” says EMI Music EVP Barak Moffitt. “We also want to encourage serendipity in the creative process. On a daily basis, we have talent flowing throughout the building. People are making amazing, and sometimes unplanned, creative connections with each other. Now our goal is to let the industry overall know that we are building an innovative, active—and iconic—creative center where the Capitol historical legacy is also creating the legacy of the future.”

To do all this, the team started by going back to the basics. “We wanted an ‘artist first’ experience,” says Moffitt. “We started by tracking the steps of an artist working here and examining what their recording experience was like. We made room in the front of the parking lot for performers and creative professionals. We added welcome signs, along with badged entry and parking cards for our regular artist, musician, producer and engineer clients. And although the studios, of course, have private lounges, we also built attractive common spaces where people can interact—and that serendipity can happen.”

Several well-known producers and engineers have become artists-in-residence with personal studios in the Tower, among them Jon Brion, Greg Koller and Eric Cadieux, who work with McCarroll on a wide range of projects, and Niko Bolas, who moved into the Tower more than a year ago. Says McCarroll, “Artists need to be in an environment where experimentation is encouraged. Having Jon Brion and his team in the building has been amazing—whether it’s behind the console putting their mojo into a mix or working in the live room with an artist. When you get that kind of creativity going with your artists, you’d better make sure you’re recording.”

Capitol President Dan McCarroll with Capitol friends and crew, from left: Don Was, Barak Moffitt, Eric Caudieux, McCarroll, Greg Koller, Jon Brion and Drew Waters.

Photo: Amber Sterling

New songwriter rooms have also been designed and built to bridge the traditional lines between songwriter, producer, engineer and artist. “We see those lines blurring,” states Moffitt, “and we want to foster an environment where that can happen in the best possible way.” Equipped with high-quality recording gear, it’s now easy for elements of demo recordings to transition to masters. The rooms are also used for overdubs, providing an economical and low-pressure alternative for clients tracking and/or mixing in Capitol’s three main studios.

Capturing the Performance

Creating an environment where artists feel creative and inspired to perform to the best of their abilities is one thing. Capturing the performances of the music they create is another.

“If you don’t capture a performance with the highest of sonic integrity, you are not doing justice to the artist,” says Drew Waters, Head of Studios Strategy and Operations. “We want to help create music that is sonically where the artist intended it to be. That requires creative and technical innovation, continual research into protocol and best practices, and investment in infrastructure.”

Capitol in recent years has labored under the same economic pressures as every other label and recording studio. Tight cost controls put a hold on expenditures, and time and its normal wear and tear were starting to take a toll. In 2011, a bold decision was made to address equipment, acoustical and infrastructure issues in the studios, most notably with the rebuild and re-outfitting of Studio A, the Tower’s largest control room and recording space.

The refurbishing of Studio A was a collaborative effort with input from a committee of technicians and seasoned engineers, including mainstay Capitol client Al Schmitt, Bolas, film mixer Frank Wolf and many others. Along with acoustic and design renovations by Kevin Hughes and Art Kelm, a new Neve 88R console was installed and power and wiring were replaced from the ground up. Key to the project was incorporating the flexibility to accommodate today’s varied sessions and their different workflow styles, from orchestra and string recording sessions to multiple surround formats for film mixing, with attention also paid to the specific requirements for recording live rock and current trends in pop and urban genres.

“I’m so excited by what was done to Studio A,” Schmitt says. “I love the new Neve 88R board, the acoustics in the control room are better than ever, and it still has the magic that makes Capitol one of the great studios ever.”

Passionately Reviving the Heritage

The phrase “stewarding the music” is one you’ll hear frequently at Capitol these days. That initiative encompasses not only capturing performances but also the treatment of archival assets and a new emphasis on research and protocol.

“The discipline of capturing a performance extends to our digital archives, tape transfers and remastering procedures,” notes Moffitt. “Revitalizing our catalog is one of our core strategies. With catalog, the art of capturing a performance for digital formats often starts in the analog realm. But we also need to employ the metadata disciplines that are required to ensure future-proofing and the ongoing commercial potential of the recordings.”

Drums and percussion

Photo: Amber Sterling

An emerging jewel in the crown of this effort are recent Capitol and Blue Note catalog re-masterings. Much time was spent on R&D and testing of the archival signal chain and many of the resulting exquisite remasters, from classic Blue Note titles to masterworks by Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, are now commercially available.

Renowned producer/musician Don Was, now President of the legendary Blue Note label, says, “It’s an honor and a thrill to be the caretakers of this musical legacy. We want to protect and serve the original intentions of the artists, engineers and producers without editorializing about what we may think they ‘should’ have done. The challenge is to maintain the feel of the original vinyl releases while reintroducing the transparency and depth of the original master tapes. So far the results are sublime!”

Quality, of course, is also about people. Technology and processes are ever changing, and technical and creative personnel must be able to maintain the kind of motivation and inspiration that allows them to continually go the extra mile. Capitol’s heritage and the skill sets required to maintain it provide an opportunity for the Tower to be a place where those skill sets—from live music recording to tape handling, vinyl cutting, and archival re-mastering—can be developed, nurtured, and passed on to the community at large as well as to coming generations.

“We are so fortunate that, on any given day, we are likely to have some of the world’s most legendary artists, producers, and engineers as clients,” comments Paula Salvatore, Capitol’s Senior Director, Studios, and the person in charge of booking and studio management. “Because of that, we have always had high standards for our employees. But also because of that, our employees get the advantage of working with, and learning from, the absolute best in the business.”

Adds Waters, “Whether it’s building our own gear, leveraging the knowledge base of our staff, or pushing the envelope to create new techniques and sounds, we want our staff to be able to innovate when opportunities present themselves, whether they are a technician, a mastering engineer, a tape transfer specialist or a studio engineer.”

Studios as Strategic Asset

In the most basic terms, one could suggest that a record label has a straightforward role: To discover and develop talent, and to connect that talent to successful outcomes—to help establish, and then deepen, the emotional connection between artist and fan, and to reward the artist for that connection.

“If you believe, as we do,” says Moffitt, “that the depth of the emotional connection between the artist and the fan is directly related to the quality of the listening experience, then it follows that it’s the label’s mandate to champion quality in the recording itself.”

So do fans need to be provided with an optimal audio experience on whatever platform or format they use to listen to their music?

“We can’t control how the consumer hears music,” Moffitt continues, “so it is our responsibility to understand the music and consumer ecosystems and to ensure that we provide the most optimal audio experience for whatever platform they are listening on—an iPod, a TV commercial, a movie soundtrack, a state-of-the-art auto sound system, or one of the hundreds of millions of mobile devices in use every day.

“In order to do that, for new works, we strive to start from the highest-definition source possible. For our catalog, we always start with the original tapes. The transfer process is paramount to the kind of quality we need to achieve; it’s not an afterthought.”

Underlying this effort are tightly engineered protocols related to managing the analog-to-digital chain, from electrical power to tape machines, cables, converters, software and conversion protocols at the highest resolution.

“It’s important to note that when it comes to re-issuing our catalog into the digital world,” says Moffitt, “we consider digital a format in its own right. We’re at a unique crossroads in music technology where we no longer have a physical media that influences the sound of the recording. And while digital has its challenges, there’s opportunity for high-definition formats where the listener can hear the artist’s performance—perhaps in the most transparent way possible since the advent of the recording.”

Ultimately, the team at Capitol recognizes that the studios are a valuable strategic asset—sort of a manufacturing floor for the company’s core product: music recordings. But, although they are a special place that nurtures creativity, they also need to earn revenue. The task is therefore to balance a sensible commercial approach with the fact that the studios are a unique creative asset.

”You can never stop getting better, and sometimes you’re not starting from where you’d like to,” concludes Moffitt. “In many ways we’re just getting started. We want to be a center of excellence and we need to help carry our cost with revenue. We do that through the studios, brand partnerships, Capitol Engineering where we offer engineering services outside the building, Capitol Mastering with mastering and transfer services, and Capitol Beacon, our newly launching, unattended, online mastering, engineering and transfer sessions.

“The industry in general is finally getting to a place where quality is becoming central to the discussion. We’re really excited about that, and about having the opportunity to start living that out with the privilege of Capitol Studios.”

Maureen Droney is Senior Executive Director of The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing.

Source : http://www.mixonline.com

Ardent Studios in Memphis Now Offers Full ISDN Services

 

From left: Ardent Studios chief engineer Chris Jackson, studio founder John Fry, Emmy Award-winning film composer Scott Bomar, and studio manager Jody Stephens.

Photo: Anja Conrad

Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tenn., is now offering full ISDN audio services, making it possible for local clients to share real-time sessions with thousands of studios worldwide. The new service makes it possible for Ardent sessions to include musicians and vocal talent from around the world, and likewise for other studios worldwide to draw upon top Memphis talent and record in their own facilities.

„Our new ISDN and codec opens up a whole new world of possibilities for Ardent,” says studio founder John Fry. „With such a wealth of local talent, we are encouraging studios around the world to call on us for what we can offer. And we are also looking forward to our local clientele pulling in talent from around the world.”

ISDN, the acronym for Integrated Systems Digital Network, is a highly cost-effective means of linking up studios over long distances for sessions involving musicians, vocalists, and voiceover talent. Clients include ad agencies, film studios, and record companies, among others.

„Busy producers can run sessions remotely while auditioning in full quality,” explains studio manager Jody Stephens. „Another example of ISDN benefits might be a band set up here at Ardent doing a virtual nationwide press tour, giving all their interviews and ‘live’ performances without ever leaving the studio. Speaking from experience, that could turn an exhaustive promotional project into a really pleasant experience.”

„A producer can listen in real time to a performance,” says chief engineer Chris Jackson. „We send over the Internet a Pro Tools session for the talent and then listen in over ISDN in real time and make sure we are happy with the performance and sound. Then they send the files back to us over the Internet. Creativity can flow freely back and forth and the final recording is the highest quality available today.”

Visit Ardent Studios at ardentstudios.com.

GenAudio, Audiokinetic Form Alliance to Deliver Real-Time 3-D Spatial Audio Technology

GenAudio reports that the integration of GenAudio’s AstoundSound for Gaming with Audiokinetic’s award winning Wwise game audio engine offers game developers the ability to provide a new dimension in audio performance, ranging from stereo enhancement to full-blown, immersive audio spatialization.

Using the Wwise audio engine with AstoundSound for Gaming, developers can enable their games to send sound objects above and below the player, enhancing the gaming experience for players by greatly increasing the level of immersion. AstoundSound for Gaming features tools for sound designers and integrators to select sounds to incorporate horizontal panning (azimuth), vertical placement (elevation), and depth perception (distance).

AstoundSound for Gaming will be available for PC, console and mobile games. The company states that no custom ear/head matching or special decoding hardware is needed by the player or required to enjoy the true 3-D audio experience. The AstoundSound processing core is extremely versatile and is being integrated throughout multiple market applications.

„To truly find widespread adoption, 3-D spatial audio must work on every platform, work on stereo speakers as well as headphones, not require special hardware and most importantly not add significant time/cost to development,” says Audiokinetic CEO Martin Klein. „GenAudio’s AstoundSound for Gaming is the only multi-dimensional audio technology that meets all these requirements. Now, for the first time, developers have a way to deliver a superior 3-D positional audio reality in video games and create an audio experience for gamers unlike anything they have ever heard before.”

AstoundSound for Gaming is heavily optimized and incorporates tools to ensure low processor expenditure for target platforms. GenAudio and Audiokinetic have developed a solution to intelligently deliver 3-D audio gaming performance while ensuring no compromise of processing for important visual elements like graphics and AI.

„Since its market entry in 2006, the Wwise game audio engine from Audiokinetic has been recognized for delivering high performance audio solutions and setting the industry standard for game audio technology,” says GenAudio CEO and President Jerry Mahabub. „The integration of AstoundSound for Gaming will deliver a new paradigm of audio performance for the game community by significantly increasing game player awareness and reaction time.”

The tightly integrated 3-D audio solution and standardized workflow integration is scalable in performance, offering game developers the needed flexibility to create and deliver the best audio solution in conjunction with other gaming elements. Developers can use AstoundSound and Wwise technology on existing platforms as well as future platforms.

GenAudio states that it expects the AstoundSound for Gaming plug-ins for Wwise to be available by Q4 2012.

For more information, visit www.genaudioinc.com, www.astoundsurround.com and www.audiokinetic.com.

 

Roland Systems Group Announces iPad Control for M-480 Digital Console

Roland Systems Group announces a dedicated iPad application to control the Roland M-480 digital mixing console.The application is designed to control parameters of the M-480 allowing the user to store scenes and edit the Channel Strip (EQ), GEQ, and Sends on Fader.

Using Wireless LAN to connect, customers are able to adjust mixing parameters on stage or around the room, away from the M-480 positioned at front-of-house. By connecting Roland’s new Wireless Connect USB adapter to the M-480 USB port, the M-480 can appear on a wireless network enabling the iPad to connect and control the M-480.

“The success of the iPad as a tool in live audio applications is clear,” says John Broadhead, Vice President of Technology and Communications for Roland Systems Group. „This dedicated app is an important step in a series of logical progressions in our development of remote controlled applications for operators.”

The company will demonstrate the beta version of the app at InfoComm 2012 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, June 13-15, in booth #C10308. Roland Systems Group states that it expects to release the iPad Control in the App Store in the third quarter of 2012.

Source : http://www.mixonline.com