AMI October 2015 Digital Edition

October 2015 www.audiomediainternational.com

International

TECHNOLOGY AND TRENDS FOR THE PRO-AUDIO PROFESSIONAL

FEATUREWe ask a number of fi rms what makes a good club system? p20

BROADCAST FOCUSThe TLS team on mixing some of ITVs top shows p26

REVIEWAn in-depth test of Nugens Halo Upmix p32

Oscar winners Glenn Freemantle, Niv Adiri and Ian Tapp discuss the demanding sound of Everest p24

A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB

01 AMI October 2015 FC_Final.indd 1 24/09/2015 14:08

STAGE ESSENTIALS

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Im well aware this could be wishful thinking, and possibly something thats been said many times before, but it does seem as though the huge contribution that film sound

professionals bring to successful big-budget movies is being more widely recognised.

Just take a look at some of the reviews of the new adventure thriller Everest one of the main focuses of this issue, as you will have discovered already thanks to our cover image and youll see what I mean. Comments like powerful sound design effectively accentuates the sense of stormy isolation (Mark Kermode for The Observer) and the most transporting element of the technical package may be the superior sound design and mix (Justin Chang for Variety) are good signs that people are at last waking up to the fact that these epic cinematic experiences dont happen without a great many hours of hard graft in both production and post.

I dont know if its just me, but I found it pleasantly, of course surprising to

see so much praise for the films aural qualities, rather than a rambling analysis of the mise-en-scne, or whatever else your typical arty film critic usually harps on about.

Were probably a few years away from a situation whereby hordes of cinemagoers flock to their local multiplex solely to experience the sound of the latest star-studded flick to hit the big screen, but if technology continues to improve which it no doubt will and we begin to see a greater adoption of new immersive formats and more investment in cinema sound systems then who knows, maybe well start to see audio professionals further up the bill at the Oscars and BAFTAs in future.

While it might be debatable whether sound editors and re-recording mixers get the credit they deserve, one area of application where sound is unquestionably of key importance is the nightclub business.

Its not hard to see why. You could own the best-looking venue in town, run impeccably with a line-up of DJs and club nights that otherwise would have people queuing out the door, but if you have a rubbish sound system then you wont get very far. Thats all pretty obvious, but how has the club sound sector changed over the years, and in what ways has the technology moved forward in recent times? Turn to page 20 for a feature that tackles these very topics.

October 2015 3

WELCOMEwww.audiomediainternational.com

1 Color - 100 White

Adam Savage EditorAudio Media International

Mike Aiton was weaned at the BBC, but after breaking free nearly 25 years ago and becoming one of Londons busiest freelance dubbing

mixers, he can now mostly be found in his Twickenham dubbing suite, mikerophonics.

Jim Evans has been involved in and reported on the professional audio and music industries for more than four decades.

Founding editor of Pro Sound News Europe, he has written for Audio Media since its inception and is a regular contributor to a number of leading industry publications and websites.

Mike Collins is a studio musician, recording engineer and producer who has worked on music recording, TV and film scoring sessions since 1981, and since 1988

has written more than 2,000 articles and equipment reviews for various magazines. From the year 2000 onwards, Mike has written nine books for Focal Press, mostly about Pro Tools.

Ryan McCambridge is a freelance audio engineer, writer, producer and programmer from Toronto, Canada. He has taught audio production in workshops and universities, is the creator

of the production blog Bit Crushing and is the frontman of A Calmer Collision.

EDITORAdam [email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR Jo [email protected]

STAFF WRITER Matt [email protected]

ADVERTISING MANAGERRyan [email protected]

ACCOUNT MANAGER Rian [email protected]

HEAD OF DESIGNJat [email protected]

DESIGNERTom [email protected]

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTWarren [email protected]

Press releases to:[email protected]

NewBay Media 2015. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners.

Audio Media International is published by NewBay Media, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London N1 8LN, England.

Editorial tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6002 Sales tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6000

Audio Media InternationalISSN number: ISSN 2057-5165 (Print)

Circulation & Subscription enquiries Tel: +44 (0)1580 883848 email: [email protected] by Pensord Press Ltd

Front Cover: (credit: Jasin Boland)

Experts in the issue SOUND MATTERS

03 AMI Oct 2015 Welcome_Final.indd 1 24/09/2015 15:16

October 20154

CONTENTS www.audiomediainternational.com

PRODUCT NEWS

PEOPLE

6 Six new broadcast products from RDE

7 AMIs IBC2015 Best of Show winners

8 Studer unveils Vista 1 Black

10 Calrec demos transparent broadcast automation

14 OPINION Kevin Hilton runs through the main audio-related talking points from last months IBC event in Amsterdam 16 Mike Collins on tape-to-WAV transfers and the importance of preserving old recordings

42 INTERVIEW Dean Jones discusses life at Dublins newest post house

ALSO INSIDE12 SHOW PREVIEWS: AES Convention and PLASA London

18 GEO FOCUS: SWEDEN Cautious optimism sets the tone for this transitional market

FEATURES20 CLUB SOUND: Jim Evans looks at the state of the club industry and finds out how technology is helping venues to diversify in this difficult market

24 FINAL CUT: The sound team behind Everest reveal the techniques they used to take audiences to the highest point on Earth

26 BROADCAST FOCUS: The London Studios team explain how loudness regulations have changed their way of working

28 STUDIO FOCUS: We step inside the newly expanded Factory Studios the UKs first Dolby Atmos-licensed facility for commercials and trailers

30 LIVE FOCUS: Creating a focused sound design suitable for The King and I on Broadway

REVIEWS32 Nugen Audio Halo Upmix34 Spitfire Audio BML210 Bone Phalanx38 Source Elements Source-Live Pro 3.040 Yamaha TF3

7 20

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42

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October 20156

PRODUCT NEWS www.audiomediainternational.com

Sennheiser has introduced a new slot-in camera receiver. The manufacturer describes the EK 6042 as a true-diversity, two-channel receiver that works with both analogue and digital Sennheiser transmitters across a bandwidth of 184MHz.

The unit is able to operate with all analogue transmitters that feature Sennheisers HiDyn plus or HDX companders. The camera receiver chooses its own operating mode depending on the transmitter, and also selects the appropriate bandwidth and frequency in the UHF range between 470 and 654MHz. As a true diversity receiver with four separate receiver circuits, the EK 6042 promises extra-reliability, even in difficult RF environments.

The EK 6042 can be combined with either a 15-pin adaptor to slot directly into Sony cameras, or a 25-pin adaptor

for Unislot- and SuperSlot-compatible devices.

For camcorders without an audio receiver slot, a backpanel adaptor for the EK 6042 is available as an accessory. If the camera does not supply power to the receiver, a piggyback power adapter can be attached to this housing and fitted with two hot-swappable BA 61 battery packs.

The EK 6042 camera receiver will be available in Spring 2016.

www.sennheiser.com

ONE FOR ALL SLOT-IN CAMERA RECEIVER FROM SENNHEISER

RDE launched a host of new gear at IBC2015, including the Newsshooter Kit, an addition to the RDELink range that includes a camera-mounted transmitter and the new XLR transmitter (TX-XLR, pictured), compatible with both handheld presentation microphones and shotgun microphones.

Two new models in the VideoMic on-camera microphone range were also unveiled: the VideoMicro, an 80mm-long lightweight directional mic designed for use on compact cameras, and the VideoMic Me, a directional microphone designed for iPhone and iPad, featuring a TRRS connector and adjustable mount. Both

microphones include a deluxe furry windshield, aluminium construction for a high level of RF rejection and are finished in RDEs ceramic anti-glare black coating.

The new i-XLR, a digital XLR interface to connect professional XLR microphones to an iPhone or iPad for field recording, features a headphone jack with variable level located on the body and a +20dB level boost for low-output dynamic microphones.

Finally, two new professional carbon fibre boompoles, the RDE Boompole Pro and Micro Boompole Pro, complement the companys existing range of aluminium poles.

www.rode.com

RDE REVEALS SIX NEW PRODUCTS

Jnger Audio used IBC to showcase a prototype audio monitoring solution that will allow broadcasters to check the quality of all immersive audio transmissions, regardless of format. It will also help maintain compliance with existing loudness regulations, while avoiding the known processing artifacts of traditional loudness control approaches.

The hardware-based product will offer a future platform to host all the emerging immersive 3D audio encoding formats from different vendors, including the MPEG-H TV audio system and Dolbys Atmos.

Peter Poers, Jnger Audios managing director, said: We envisage that this solution will be deployed not just in production and post-production, but at all stages of the audio workflow where programs running future immersive audio standards need to be controlled or monitored effectively.

Comprising a combination of hardware containing I/O, decoding

stage, monitoring functionality, audio control software and an advanced user interface, the unit allows for monitoring and auditioning of up to 16 channels of audio. All metadata, including dynamic description of included objects for 3D projection, or personalisation of audio services, can be handled and controlled.

A variety of physical input and output formats will be offered including SDI, MADI and AoIP. For object-based encoded content, the graphical interface allows the user to perform 3D panning for audio objects to move and pan them around the screen, along with controlling the level.

At the Amsterdam show, Jnger showed its audio monitoring system working with the Fraunhofer IIS MPEG-H TV Audio System.

www.jungeraudio.com

JNGER IMMERSES ITSELF IN 3D AUDIO

iZotope has released its new RX Post Production Suite of editing and mixing tools, as well as RX 5 Audio Editor, an update to its RX platform.

The RX Post Production Suite contains solution-oriented tools for everything from audio repair and editing, to mix enhancement and final delivery, including RX 5 Advanced Audio Editor, RX Final Mix, RX Loudness Control, a one-year pass to Groove3 online video courses and training and a choice of 50 free sound effects from Pro Sound Effects.

RX 5 Audio Editor and RX 5 Advanced Audio Editor are designed to repair and enhance common problematic production audio while

speeding up workflows. They include tools such as the new Instant Process to paint out unwanted sonic elements directly on the spectral display and the new Module Chain, which allows users to define a custom chain of processing and then save that chain as a preset.

For even faster workflows between Pro Tools and RX 5, RX Connect has been enhanced to support individual Pro Tools clips and crossfades with any associated handles.

In RX 5 Advanced, a new De-plosive module has also been developed to minimise plosives, while the Leveler module has been enhanced with breath and sibilance detection.

www.izotope.com

IZOTOPE SHOWCASES RX 5 AND NEW POST PRODUCTION SUITE

06 AMI Oct 2015 News_Final.indd 1 24/09/2015 12:01

Prior to this years IBC, exhibiting companies were invited to nominate new products they were set to showcase in Amsterdam; those submitting entries were then asked to carry out a demonstration to a member of our judging team during the show, making sure to outline key features and point out any unique selling points. The winning entries along with comments from the judges are as follows:

Nugen Audio Halo UpmixA remarkably easy to use but feature-packed stereo to 5.1/7.1 upmixer that provides the user with an array of control options for both TV and film work. Tools such as the Exact downmix mode and full dialogue isolation are particularly impressive and it wont take long to find your way around the very well presented interface.

Sennheiser AVXFor video camera users who would rather not have to worry about the complications of setting up and operating a wireless microphone system, the AVX is certainly worth considering. Getting started couldnt be much simpler: the EKP receiver switches on straight away when plugged into the camera pairing with the transmitter automatically and license-free 1.9GHz operation is another clear plus point. Overall, a very clever product.

A digital publication featuring all the products nominated across the spectrum of the NewBay Media Best of Show Awards will be available later this month.

AUDIO MEDIA INTERNATIONALS IBC BEST OF SHOW AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Nugen Audio co-founder and technical director Paul Tapper accepts the award Sennheisers Achim Gleissner and Stephanie Schmidt with their certificate

PRODUCT NEWSwww.audiomediainternational.com

October 2015 7


October 20158


Lawo has lifted the curtain on KICK, a new automated control solution for close-ball mixing in live sports production.

When interfaced with modern image analysis and tracking systems, KICK delivers a consistent, fully-automated, close-ball audio mix, the firm says. Its graphical user interface allows adjustment of all of its parameters, including the placement of microphones, their polar patterns and microphone prioritisation.

The system ensures transparent sound pickup with its noise-to-kick ratio, reducing crowd noise, and

a consistent audio level without noticeable fades for a mix that is 100% repeatable from match to match.

KICK is available as a software-only solution for productions using Lawo mc mixing consoles, as well as a hardware bundled solution for productions using consoles from other manufacturers. It requires a standard host PC (running Windows 7 or Windows 8) for the host application, and an HTML5-capable browser for the user interface. An optional Lawo mc Micro Core hardware processing engine is

available for interfacing micro core to third-party consoles via MADI and Ravenna/AES67, and can be controlled by a variety of external studio control systems, as well as Lawos touchscreen mxGUI software.

www.lawo.com

ITS ALL KICKING OFF AT LAWO

TC Electronic has announced a number of changes to its Clarity X multi-format monitoring system. The company plans to release a new MADI version of the system in response to user requests this month.

TC Electronic is also changing the Clarity X pricing structure to a licence-based concept that decreases the starting price point from $7,000 to $4,200. A number of features are now available as optional licences. For instance, 7.1 surround is optional, but Clarity X will still run 5.1 surround as default, and AES channel 9-16 also becomes optional along with other selected features.

Another request from audio professionals has been support for 96kHz. This is now a reality with a free software update that also includes multiple sweetspots, dose meter for headphones and SPL on headphones. It also introduces an

improved speaker calibration process as well as improved SPL calculation.

www.tcelectronic.com

TC ELECTRONIC UPDATES CLARITY X SYSTEM

Studer has introduced a new iteration of its Vista 1 digital mixing console, the Vista 1 Black Edition.

With a look and feel identical to that of its larger sister models the Vista X and Vista V, the Vista 1 features true broadcast monitoring, talkback, red light control, GPIO, N-x (Mix Minus) busses, snapshot automation and DAW control.

Its enhanced theatre CUE list includes Character/Actor Library event handling, with MUTE and VCA events handling. CUEs can fire MIDI/MMC events as well as load different Strip Setups and UAD plug-in snapshots. With software v5.3, the Vista 1 Black Edition user will also get the most powerful SpillZone and FollowSolo functionality, according to the manufacturer, as well as a server-based event logger application, which logs Vista system and user-events.

With an integral DSP engine of 96 channels, the Vista 1 can handle mono, stereo and 5.1 inputs and is provided with a standard configuration of 32 mic/line inputs, 16 line outputs and four pairs of AES inputs and outputs on rear panel connections.

I/O can be expanded using the standard Studer D21m card slot on the rear, to allow MADI, AES, AoIP (including AES67), ADAT, TDIF, CobraNet, Dolby E/Digital, SDI connections, etc. MADI links can connect to any of the Studer Stagebox range for XLR connectivity, as well as other formats.

The Studer Vista 1 Black Edition also features a redundant PSU, while RELINK integration with other Studer Vista and OnAir consoles means the Vista 1 can share signals across an entire console network.

www.studer.ch

STUDER UNVEILS VISTA 1 BLACK EDITION

DTS:X, the object-based multi-dimensional audio technology for immersive experiences received its European debut at IBC2015. According to DTS, it conveys the fluid movement of sound to create an incredibly rich, realistic and immersive soundscape in front of, behind, beside and above the audience more accurately than ever before.

DTS:X offers the ability to automatically adapt the audio to the speaker layout that best fits the

space, from a TVs built-in speakers or home surround theatre system to a dozen or more speakers in a commercial cinema. Brands such as Denon, Marantz, Onkyo, Pioneer, Trinnov Audio and Yamaha have agreed to launch DTS:X-enabled products in the near future, using the DTS MDA Creator Tool, DTS license fee-free, open platform for the creation of object-based immersive audio.

www.dts.com

EUROPEAN DEBUT FOR DTS:X


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October 201510


Riedel was proud to announce that there was no news at this years IBC, despite the fact that it had a whole host of recent projects from across the globe to shout about and an impressive new stand design. In terms of tech the manufacturer highlighted its new AES67 client card for Artist digital matrix intercom systems. This add-on card makes it possible for users to take advantage of AES67 audio networks. With the existing AVB card for Artist and this new development, Artist now can accommodate both AVB and AES67 audio networks.

www.riedel.net

RIEDEL

Calrec used IBC to reveal its new automation system for the Apollo and Artemis consoles. Designed to record the movements of a consoles channel and bus controls in real time, Calrecs implementation differs in that it operates entirely in the background during a live broadcast.

The Calrec automation system has been designed for the highly stressful live-broadcast environment, where there is only one opportunity to get it right. Because it operates almost invisibly during the live broadcast, the system allows the user to concentrate on the task at hand without additional controls interfering with the console user interface, said product manager Karl Lynch.

Calrecs system comes as a 3U rackmount unit and is connected to the primary and secondary

master controllers of the console, creating a redundant connection for peace of mind. The system provides video synchronisation and comprehensive machine control via 9-pin, LTC, MIDI and GPIO; it works alongside all major DAWs and can interface with external machine control synchronisers if a full post-production environment is required.

www.calrec.com

CALREC DEMOS TRANSPARENT BROADCAST AUTOMATION

As well as announcing the addition of software solutions provider Minnetonka Audio to the Telos Alliance, Linear Acoustic also launched the AERO.10 DTV audio processor at IBC. The fully featured processor supports up to 10 channels of PCM audio via AES, SDI, or stereo analogue I/O and comes with a processing engine identical to those in the AERO.100/1000/2000 products. It also features tools such as AEROMAX loudness and dynamics control, UPMAX II automatic upmixing and downmixing algorithms, along with ITU and EBU compliant loudness metering and logging.

www.telosalliance.com

BRIEFS

Solid State Logic has launched System T, a new fully-networked broadcast audio production environment.

Featuring new ways to combine multiple hardware or software control interfaces, processor cores and I/O devices on a single network, the System T allows users to create previously impossible system configurations, the manufacturer claims.

Routing and I/O is Dante-based, with System T featuring the first consoles to use the new Dante HC (High channel) connectivity. The Dante AoIP network, integrating the AES67 transport standard, offers large-scale routing and remote control of a range of Dante-compatible I/O devices.

The Tempest processor core at the heart of the System T mix engine uses SSLs Optimal

Core Processing for real-time, 64-bit CPU-based floating point mixing and processing. Each processor core can handle up to 3,072 inputs and outputs and provides 800 fully processed, fully configurable mix paths, 192 mix busses, 800 EQs, 800 dynamics and 400 delays. Multiple Tempest cores can be connected anywhere on the network and used as mirrored redundant pairs or as additional processing resources.

www.solidstatelogic.com

SSL REVEALS SYSTEM T AUDIO PRODUCTION SYSTEM

LINEAR ACOUSTIC


www.audio-technica.com

ATH-R70x PROFESSIONAL OPEN-BACK REFERENCE HEADPHONESATH-M70x PROFESSIONAL MONITOR HEADPHONES Audio-Technica introduces the new leaders in studio headphones: ATH-M70x and ATH-R70x.

Both models offer extremely accurate audio reproduction along with the comfort, durability and

convenient features that are bound to make them studio mainstays. So whether you prefer the sound

isolation of the M70x or the spacious sound of the R70x, deciding on your next pair of studio

headphones is an open and closed case.

Open & Closed The new flagship studio headphones

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October 201512

SHOW NEWS: AES / PLASA LONDON www.audiomediainternational.com

The AES Convention settles in New York this month, opening its doors at the Jacob Javits Center from 29 October-1 November.

The latest outing promises to bring together the worlds largest gathering of audio professionals, and looks set to live up to that promise; just some of the confirmed exhibitors at the event include Sennheiser, Audio-Technica, Genelec, Radial, Meyer Sound, SSL, Calrec, L-Acoustics, Focusrite and PMC, each exhibiting the latest offerings from their product range for attendees to get up close and personal with.

This years event marks the return of two popular programmes from previous shows. The Live Sound Expo comprises a series of dedicated presentations and panels with a different topical focus each day, from Broadway Day and House of Worship/Fixed Install Day to Tour Sound Day.

The Project Studio Expo also returns to offer visitors a new perspective on how they can better achieve best practice in todays personal and project studio environments, including presentations on recording vocals, preparing multitracks for mixing, monitoring, DAW use and economic studio design.

The four-day convention also offers attendees the opportunity to hear from a broad spectrum of top audio industry

figures, learn from the latest research and essays, and hone their skills through tutorials and workshops.

Be sure not to miss chief Oculus scientist Michael Abrash as he brings 30 years of experience in performance programming, high-end graphics and VR to deliver the conventions opening keynote speech, titled Virtual Reality, Audio and the Future.

This years AES Convention programme is set to be one of the largest

and most in-depth in recent years, remarked AES139 convention co-chair and technical programme committee chair, Jim Anderson. The committee has put together a very timely and important set of presentations for our return to New York City, with the hope of reaching every attendee on a level that inspires and enlightens them.

Once again, our convention will serve as the hub of professional audio ideas and innovations for the international community.

NEW YORK STATE OF MINDThe 139th International AES Convention hits New York this month, and with an exhibitor and speaker list featuring some of the biggest names in pro-audio, it promises to be another big one.

What? 139th AES ConventionWhere? Jacob Javits Center, New York City When? 29 October-1 November

Information

PREPARING FOR PLASA

Now entering its 38th year, the annual PLASA show will again unite an international audience of pro-audio, lighting,

broadcast, AV and stage technology professionals under one roof at the ExCeL Centre in London from 46 October 2015.

The event will present visitors with new launches and live demos from brands and companies including d&b, Cadac, Flare Audio, SSE, Tannoy, Polar Audio, Midas and Lab.gruppen.

To promote streamlined navigation and networking for attendees, the event will be divided into dedicated zones for each of the five industry sectors. New to the show this year are five sector-

specific seminar stages across these zones hosting over 150 speakers, each sharing new knowledge, insight and developments in live entertainment technology as part of the popular PLASA Professional Development Programme.

Among the rich breadth of industry figures offering their expertise is Funktion-One founder Tony Andrews, who will host a session entitled Audio and Consciousness, a discussion of the

importance of sound and its effect on human emotions.

London-based rental giant Britannia Row will host three sessions, while the Institute of Professional Sound will discuss topics including Loudness and R128 Whats it all about?

Other sessions to look out for include What future for wireless audio? Content creation under threat?, where Sennheisers Alan March will discuss the ever-growing issue of wireless spectrum allocation, and its threat to the Programme Making and Special Events business.

Soulsounds Jon Burton ponders the line between accurate live sound reinforcement and personal taste in Is mixing personal?, and Annie

Jamieson, post-doctoral researcher at the University of Leeds, addresses the ever-important issue of aural health and safety in Your aural toolkit: a guide to preserving your hearing for sound professionals.

Finally, in Line arrays unravelled, d&bs Adam Hockley examines line array directivity, the pros and cons of the technology and how to optimise it, and a panel of experts from Soundcraft, Allen & Heath, PreSonus and Music Group put their heads together in Digital mixing for the real world.

What? PLASA LondonWhere? ExCeL CentreWhen? 4-6 October

InformationPLASA is soon set to return to the UK capital as Londons ExCeL once again plays host to three days of new product showings, professional development sessions and more.

www.aes.org

www.plasashow.com

12 AMI Oct 2015 Show News_Final.indd 1 24/09/2015 10:33

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IBC2015 offered a plethora of technologies all vying to be the current standard or the Next Big Thing. On the audio side, audio-over-IP, loudness control and, particularly, immersive

or 3D sound were the big noises. But away from the more obvious, I found other indications of how broadcast audio might be produced in the coming years.

Live audio automation is here to stayWhether we like it or not, increasing time pressures and demands for greater efficiency and increased multi-tasking by operators are making this more commonplace. Calrec Audio introduced a new automation system for its Apollo and Artemis consoles, which superficially followed the traditional model of automating recall settings. This has been extended into allowing users to mix a recording without seeing the automation working and then go back to make adjustments before the programme is locked.

More extensive was Jnger Audios news studio automation system, originally developed for German public broadcaster NDR. The company has incorporated two Level Magic loudness managers one for source control, the other for loudness into a Vizrt Mosart-based video automation system to run basic presenter-clip-outside source programmes. There is still scepticism about using such set-ups for productions

where things can change rapidly, but Jnger Audio MD Peter Prs said this form of automation worked well for news bulletins where the running order remained the same for much of the day.

Multi-format networking is the way aheadTheres still a battle going on between Dante and Ravenna in the audio-over-IP (AoIP) war, but since the advent of the AES67 interoperability protocol the signs are that people will choose the best network format for the job in hand. This gives the possibility for several systems to be connected on a single production. A good indicator of when a way of working has established itself is when monitoring equipment designed specifically for it begins to appear. TSL Products launched the MPA range, which includes units for MADI, Dante, Ravenna and the Calrec Hydra 2 system, which forms the basis of many broadcast studio audio installations. Glensound built on its Dante-oriented products with the Paradiso three commentator unit, while new Ravenna/AES67 systems were introduced by Neumann, Merging Technologies, Lawo (of course) and Sonifex.

Video is catching audio up on the social media frontFacebook, Instagram and Twitter are everywhere in life so why shouldnt they be all over IBC? Radio has long appreciated the contribution social media can make to programmes, with comments on sites, as well as emails, now important to help presenters pad out either before the next record or if there isnt someone more compelling to interview.

Broadcast Bionics has been at the forefront of this with its PhoneBox call system, Oasis social media manager and now the Virtual Director, which adds in-studio camera capability. This style of working has been picked up by newsroom and weather systems developers, including Avid, AP ENPS and WSI. The latters Max One allows weather forecasters to record audio and video at their desks and then post short updates to their stations website.

Integration with video continuesAs it has to, but this IBC showed that audio manufacturers were offering the kind of equipment the vision community could not sensibly ignore. Among these were two different approaches to on-camera sound: Sennheisers EK 6042 two-channel slot-in wireless mic receiver; and two additions to RDEs VideoMic range.

The EK 6042 can be slotted into Sony and Panasonic camcorders as well as stand-alone audio recorders; in the second configuration it conforms to the Sound Devices SuperSlot interface standard. It can run either two analogue or two digital channels or one of each and works with Sennheisers main radio mic ranges, including Evolution and the 9000 series. The new RDE on-camera mics are the VideoMicro, for more compact models, and the VideoMic Me, designed for shooting on iPhones and iPads. From the other direction RED launched the Weapon digital camera, which has two integrated microphones. A spokesman said these were not for production audio but could give good enough scratch sound.

Timecode and sync still have a placeWhich might seem a redundant statement but different forms of TV programmes

and their accompanying production methods have raised the likelihood of lipsync discrepancies between sound and vision. Multi-camera reality shoots are the key example, with hours of footage being shot and recorded, often with isolated mics and cameras that have to be married up later in the edit. Timecode Systems was showing its wireless sync system, which it introduced in 2012. Since then demand for rock solid synchronisation has risen. Managing director Paul Scurrell observed that while timecode stamps have proved effective enough, the new way of making TV runs the risk of audio and video being out of time with each by the end of a long take, so tight timecode sync is vital.

IBC2015: FIVE THINGS WE LEARNEDKevin Hilton shares what he believes were the main audio talking points at this years event, and the new launches that helped spark debate on the showfloor.

KEVIN HILTON

Kevin Hilton started his career in radio news, where he combined his interests in journalism and audio. During the mid-1980s he freelanced for video software and music magazines before joining Pro Sound News Europe as staff writer. He later moved on to Broadcast Systems International before taking over the editors position at Sound & Communications Systems. He went freelance again in 1993 and has written for a range of technology, broadcast and home cinema publications.

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In 1981 I co-produced two instrumental tracks, Winning and Rude Movements by Sun Palace, subsequently released as a vinyl single in December 1983.

This has since sold about 20,000 copies in the UK, Germany, Spain, France, Sweden, the US and Japan and has been included on many influential compilation albums, such as David Mancusos The Loft and Masters at Work Stop And Listen 5.

In July, an interesting email arrived from Berliner Flavia Lamprecht. Some time ago I discovered your record Winning by Sun Palace and I became completely fascinated by this timeless gem! Later, I spoke with Flavia and her business partner Massimo Di Lena, founder of Berlin-based record label Early Sounds. I played them cassette mixes of Its In The Music, the original Sun Palace demo, and Whats The Time, a Portastudio demo of a proposed follow-up. They totally loved these and asked to licence them for release on their new vinyl label, Halfway Ritmo. Then came a request to look for more: We were also wondering if there are any other unreleased tracks from that period, even just a groove or a synth jam?

I went to that cupboard under the stairs where I had two big boxes full of old cassettes to start my search. I used an old Walkman Professional cassette recorder to audition these, but after snarling up a couple of tapes, I realised this machine needed servicing before I could risk playing any more, and lots of the most

likely prospects were actually four-track cassette recordings made on the Fostex 250 Multitracker I used back in the 80s.

This machine, which I bought when it first appeared in 1981, runs at twice the speed of a normal cassette player (to extend the high frequency response) and lets you record onto four linear tracks in one direction (you cant flip the tape because it uses four tracks spread across the whole width of the tape). You can optionally use Dolby C noise reduction, but (fortunately with hindsight) I mostly chose not to use this to preserve compatibility with a friends TEAC 144 Portastudio that used DBX noise reduction. But I had sold mine in the early 90s.

So I rang FX Rentals Copyroom. They quoted 40 per cassette to bake then transfer recordings from the Tascam Portastudio to WAV files. I found about 30 four-track tape cassettes that may have old Sun Palace material on them, so rather than pay 80 to transfer just two tapes that definitely did, I decided to buy a second-hand Tascam Portastudio, then audition and transfer these myself (I couldnt find a Fostex 250). I found a Portastudio on eBay and successfully bid 87 for this. It had been used for a short time then stored in a loft for the best part of 20 years so it was in excellent condition.

Introduced in 1996, the Tascam Portastudio 424 Mk II (pictured, above) uses DBX noise reduction. This can be switched off so I could play my Fostex cassettes. Also, it will run at both high (9.5cm/sec) and low (4.8cm/sec) tape speeds, so it plays standard stereo cassettes as well an added bonus, as my ageing Sony Walkman Professional is currently being repaired.

the fast track route I quickly auditioned several of my four-track cassettes, and was mightily relieved to discover that these tapes were not shedding oxide, so did not need baking. I digitised a couple using the two-channel line outputs via an Avid Fast Track Duo, transferring two tracks at a time using two passes per song, then re-syncing all four tracks in Pro Tools by lining up the start points of the audio tracks visually in the Edit window.

Although I accurately lined up the tracks, the second pair of tracks would inevitably drift out of sync with the first pair at some point. I should have remembered that the tape speed calibration was always likely to have drifted due to wear and tear (or the cheap build-quality) so these machines needed regular visits to a repair shop to keep them playing back at close to the correct pitch anyway.

So I set the Portastudio up to playback via the four individual Tape Outputs on the rear panel directly into a Digidesign 96 I/O interface to record to my Pro Tools HD system and the audio quality was immediately, and vastly, improved.

Now I can transfer any of my old multitrack (or stereo) cassette recordings directly to WAV files, and I have all the digital tools available to correct any pitch or timing discrepancies, de-noise, equalize, or process these old recordings any way I like, then overdub additional material and make new mixes to my hearts content!

Let this be a cautionary tale for all who have recordings in formats that are now obsolete or likely to become obsolete in the coming decades. Who would have imagined that low-quality cassette demos from the 80s could be in demand today? I kept mine and had previously digitised all my important old reel-to-reel and some cassette tapes which were deteriorating. Now I will do the rest!

ACCOMPLISHING CASSETTE TAPE-TO-WAV TRANSFERSEngineer, producer, musician and writer Mike Collins outlines some of the issues he faced when attempting to bring a number of old recordings from the 1980s into the modern age.

MIKE COLLINS

Mike Collins is a studio musician, recording engineer and producer who has worked on music recording, TV and film scoring sessions since 1981, and since 1988 has written more than 2,000 articles and equipment reviews for various magazines.www.mikecollinsmusic.com

October 201516

OPINION www.audiomediainternational.com

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SWEDETALKING

Following in the footsteps of the bigger players in the industry, Sweden is showing tentative promise as it climbs the pro-audio ladder. Ma Fellows reports.

October 201518

GEO FOCUS: SWEDEN

In the northern reaches of Europe, a market is rising up. Sweden is well-known for its economic strength and the prosperity of its citizens; the country is the seventh-richest in

the world based on GDP per capita and boasts the eighth-highest per capita income globally. This can be something of a double-edged sword for many pro-audio fi rms, however while it means that the average Swedish consumer is relatively more a uent when compared to those in other markets, it has also dealt a blow to professional audio services that can increasingly be tackled domestically. But how is the industry fi ghting back?

Like the rest of the world there has been dramatic changes in Swedenover the last few years, and the pro-audio business has been forced to adapt, explains Ida Persson, studio manager at Spinroad Recording Studios in Gothenburg.

Joakim Hammar, head of the audio department at rental fi rm United Audio Starlight AB, agrees. He

believes that while Sweden appears to be slipstreaming other big players, this may be indicative of the country moving up in the global pro-audio pecking order: I think the way the market in Sweden has developed is to become more like the larger markets around the world; this is probably due to the market becoming more mature. But it also means that the technical level is quite high in Sweden as equipment has not had time to become old or obsolete yet except with some companies that have been around fora long time.

The market has become increasingly segmented in corporate/AV, live events, broadcast, etc, he continues. Because we have merged with a number of companies we have a presence in all market sectors and we can draw resources from all parts of our group. But generally I think the market has compartmentalised more.

Drawing closer to the home territory of Starlight, Hammar notes that despite complications in many other sectors,

the rental sector is performing well: The rental market is quite healthy, with most companies having a decent amount of work and lots of co-operation. Many companies are specialised in a particular fi eld or product, and there is a healthy amount of cross-rentals rather than trying to buy in to each others markets, he reports.

Riding the waveWhen Persson speaks of dramatic changes in the country, this could not be more true of the recording industry here. One of the greatest burdens on Swedens studio culture, like in so many other places, is the advent of a co age industry brought on by the increased availability of high-end hardware and so ware outside of professional studios. And its only exacerbated by the otherwise benefi cial level of relatively high personal wealth among Swedish citizens.

One of the reasons why a lot of large studios are having to close down is the fact that over the last few years, people

have been able to record themselves at home or in smaller studios, Persson tells us. The recording technology that is out on the market now has a higher quality than before and it can provide pre y good results. Together with the possibility of spreading your music online, this has given artists the opportunity to reach out to new audiences without recording in professional studios.

However, despite this move in the industry, Persson believes that home recordings can never truly close the quality gap when compared to professional recordings; a fact that consumers are becoming gradually more aware of: I think that people are now starting to realise that professional studios can providebe er results at a higher quality level a level that the consumer used totake for granted only a few years ago,she comments.

Despite the advance and availability of technology bringing seemingly unavoidable sector-specifi c woes, it

Population:9.7 million

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October 2015 19

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GEO FOCUS: SWEDEN

is Swedens strong cultural base that seems to be helping to pull the country towards success where others are falling by the wayside.

I dont think theres a huge diff erence in Sweden compared to the rest of the world when it comes to the industry developments, but Sweden does have a thriving music culture, Persson reveals. Sweden has been investing in training musicians and facilitating the music culture for a long time, which has resulted in Sweden having an extraordinary range of talented musicians and artists. This,of course, is a good thing for the recording studios.

In the face of such resonant changes to the sector, Persson believes the only real key to survival is to embrace the change and roll with the punches: A lot of the large studios had closed down and the ones that are thriving are accommodating the changes. For example, instead of only dealing with labels, the large studios are now also working directly with musicians, bands and their managers.

Shifting frequenciesLikewise, the Swedish broadcast sector looks set to tread the same problematic path as other regions, with industry fi gures noting the ever-growing issue of wireless spectrum allocation, and its threat to Program Making and Special Events equipment.

Allocations of frequencies for 4G and mobile broadband have encouraged us to replace a lot of wireless equipment to use new frequencies, Hammar explains. And over the next few years we will see a decreasing amount of frequencies being available for wireless microphones but the market seems to increase the use of wireless equipment. This will pose increasing challenges for users and equipment providers.

Kjetil Laukholm, owner of Merging Sweden, reports that although business has been good for the distributor lately, the sector has also witnessed some notable upheavals: The big change for us has been the move to audio networks, notably AES67 and Ravenna o en together with Ovation, Mergings

playout system, and Pyramix. Most Swedish theme parks have already gone this way and the Royal Opera is currently looking at expanding from three to six Pyramix/Ovation systems with a Ravenna infrastructure.

Tighter environmental laws have had a major impact on the use of OB trucks in the cities, he continues. As a result, many engineers are looking at fl ypack solutions such as the Ravenna-based Horus and Hapi interfaces.

Such changes have le the climate of the sector uncertain, leaving the future diffi cult to predict, according to Laukholm. I think there is some fl ux in our segment of the market, in part due to the problems operating OB trucks and in part due to the quick shi towards audio networks. Audio networking is fairly new to most systems integrators.

Placing betsDespite an ostensibly healthy climate, the future of the Swedish pro-audio market may not be as clear as others, but that isnt stopping industry

professionals from casting their tentative predictions.

The market is quite healthy but near saturation, so growth will probably be quite slow. For example we have seen a few festivals this summer that have closed down due to poor ticket sales, notes Hammar.

Laukholm, meanwhile, puts his money on a surge in audio networking dependence: I am convinced that we will be seeing a big move towards audio networks such as Ravenna, Dante and AES67, particularly in broadcast, theme parks and large concert venues, he predicts. It is clearly the direction things are heading, but it is still unknown territory for most engineers.

Amid a strong economy that fi nds itself in something of a transitional phase, like many in the country, Persson remains pensive but optimistic: I wish I owned a crystal ball, but because of all the investment that has been made in musicians,etc in the last few years, we hopethat the market in Sweden will keepon thriving.

Whats having the biggest negative e ect on the market at the moment?

Other

1 2 3 4 5 6

Slow payments

Govermentlegislation

7 8 9 100

Falling budgets

Economicuncertainty

18-19 AMI Oct 2015 Geo Focus_Final.indd 2 24/09/2015 15:19

October 201520

FEATURE: CLUB SOUND

The newspaper headlines and reports dont make for pretty reading. According to the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR),

Britains nightclubs have almost halved from 3,144 in 2005 to 1,733 in 2015. The music has stopped for almost half of Britains nightclubs over the last decade and for many of the rest its beating a weary rhythm, said the Daily Telegraph, citing tighter bureaucracy, the smoking ban, the effects of the financial crisis and a fall in alcohol consumption as contributory factors.

Lifestyle changes have played their part, but the industry is also being suffocated by overly restrictive planning laws and tax levies, says the ALMR. Total revenue for the nightclub industry has declined by almost 25% since the start of 2011 to 2 billion this year, according to research firm

IBISWorld. It is forecast to fall by another 3.2% next year.

Despite this apparent doom and gloom, there are plenty of positives out there on the high street and further afield and opportunities for manufacturers and integrators prepared to address a changing marketplace and tailor their technical offerings to suit, while embracing new technologies.

Todays club market has evolved in order to survive, says Martin Audio R&D director Jason Baird. Gone are the days of numerous superclubs open perhaps only two nights a week. Pressure from more flexible licensing hours and the late night bar scene has forced the club market to look for ways to increase their usage, towards the holy grail of seven days a week operation.

The knock-on effect for club sound is that it has to be more flexible. The weekends may still see the traditional

club nights but in the weekday evenings it is now more common to see live acts on the bill too. Add to that the possibility for corporate hire during the daytime and the modern clubs business model starts to become viable.

So a good club sound system has to be configurable to meet the demands of the DJ, live acts and corporate presentation markets. It still needs to retain the wow factor that customers expect from a club night experience, as well as be acceptable to the touring acts visiting the venue.

To avoid physical redeployment of the speaker system, Martin Audios MLA technology allows electronic configuration of coverage patterns and SPL profiles across the venue, which can be adjusted to suit different applications.

Signal distribution around the venue has also taken a step forward, where

audio sources can be routed to different rooms/locations via a central control point. As our MLA series products are all powered and have their own processing on board, this makes deployment straightforward and does away with the need for air-conditioned amp rooms. Using our VU-NET software, each speaker can be controlled and monitored via our proprietary U-NET network.

Mike Igglesdon, design engineer at Funktion One, suggests: A good sound system should deliver clear powerful balanced sound to the entire audience area. I often find that clubs that are naively requesting outrageous level without considering quality are missing the point. For me, enjoyment comes from being able to hear as much detail as possible. There has also been a trend for going after more and more bass. I completely agree that the physicality of the bass is very enjoyable, but there

CHANGES IN THE NIGHT

The nightclub sector, particularly in the UK, has suffered of late, but there are reasons to be cheerful at home and abroad as manufacturers and integrators address a changing market, reports Jim Evans.

One of the most recent additions to the Patong nightclub scene in Phuket, Thailand,

is the Illuzion Nightclub. The audio throughout is based around Outline systems

20-22 AMI Oct 2015 Feature_Final.indd 1 24/09/2015 14:26

is a limit. Too much for the space and it can not only hurt your ears, but also hide the other frequencies. Spectral balance of the system always needs to be maintained.

For the most part, club owners are becoming more adventurous with the club design, but purely from a visual aspect. The sound is still generally the last consideration with the club design, and with their more adventurous design we are having to become more creative to get good results. Usually they are happy to make some small alteration to the layout to help with the sound, but better results would be possible with earlier input.

I would say that with the huge growth of the worldwide nightlife industry, the club sector is dividing rather than moving away from its roots. I believe some people will always look for a temple of sound where everything is designed towards creating a space to purely enjoy music on a dancefloor. I feel the other direction is where clubs combine many aspects including music (both from a DJ and live), visuals, exotic food and drink, table service and socialising to create an entertainment

venue. Its not to say that good sound is not valued in these venues, but there is just a broader focus.

Pioneer entered the professional audio market a couple of years ago with the launch of its flagship club sound system. Working in close collaboration with Gary Stewart Audio (GSA) and Powersoft amplification, the GS Wave series quickly began to make waves on the island of Ibiza.

Pioneers Alex Barrand, the sound engineer behind the Ministry of Sound Londons award-winning sound system upgrade in 2008, oversaw the development process. He explained in 2013: We didnt just want to enter the market; we wanted to be the best in the market. So we gathered the dream team: Pioneers pro-Audio R&D expertise combined with GSA and Powersofts club system credentials.

The bar is set high these days for the larger clubs and the owners want the best out there, so they know what they are looking for and will not settle for less. Sadly, the big clubs are becoming less common these days but the shift to bars opens up many opportunities but the

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FEATURE: CLUB SOUND

Symetrix SymNet Radius AEC Dante-enabled DSPs and SymNet xOut 12s output expanders

are part of the Pacha Ibiza Dubai setup


October 201522

level of audio equipment is in no means compromised, as they want the best.

So what makes a good club sound system these days, and have attitudes changed much in regard to this? Naturally, that depends who you talk to, says Barrand. As a sound engineer and designer of club systems I would say the key point never to forget is how the audience engage with sound. They want to feel the energy of the system, but not overwhelm them as this will lead to fatigue which then results in a very unpleasant experience.

These days sound systems are extremely powerful compared to 10 years ago and technology is always moving forward, and so is the knowledge of the audiences on the damage that can be caused with high SPL levels. These factors must be the key focus before any system is installed.

Changing marketThe club market globally has seen great strides to move into the digital age over the last decade. While DJs have largely moved away from the world of vinyl and CD mixing to WAV and MP3 playback, audio infrastructure has also progressed. The traditional format of analogue inputs matrix units and large 4U heavy amplifiers are fast becoming history as we see the market move towards Class D amplifiers and ultra-flexible LAN-based matrixing.

Iain Cameron, technical sales manager EMEA for Symetrix, notes: The traditional perception of a nightclub allows for a fairly simplistic approach to audio design. A dance floor, a bar area and booth seating are all common components in a typical entertainment venue. With clubs seeking a greater market share in a post credit crunch era, the need for flexibility is king. Dance floors must be able to accommodate private parties and stages for live acts while still delivering an intimate feel for your standard club night.

Mega-clubs have taken on new heights also. We are seeing increasing numbers of multi-storey venues looking to deliver a unique experience to their patrons. Installations such as Pacha Dubai have focused on delivering a memorable experience to customers, not only through dance and club spaces

but also through relaxed outdoor terraces, making Pacha, and clubs like it, an ideal location for both clubbing and socialising.

Meeting such high market demands has not been easy and through the years we have seen many manufacturers rise and fall in this market space. Those who have succeeded have been at the forefront of technology. DSP manufacturers like Symetrix, have made a name for themselves in being able to deliver fast, flexible and powerful signal processing and connectivity. Paramount to all, however, is audio quality.

Since initiating a paradigm shift in nightclub subsonic frequencies by helping to construct the Wall of Bass for Pro Performance and Lambda Labs at Austrias aptly named Club SUB, Powersoft has been continually turning heads, both with its active OEM loudspeaker customers, but particularly within the drum and bass and dubstep communities.

In Austria, 32 of the manufacturers ultra-compact but supremely powerful D-Cell504 IS modules helped deliver a staggering 25,600W amping power the frequencies as low as 7Hz creating a vibrating concrete block wall that prevented sound escaping and creating neighbourhood noise pollution.

Yet it has been the development of the M-Force system that has really excited the club world and OEMs, who for many years have been building custom club stacks fuelled by Powersoft Class D power.

At the beginning of this year Powersoft produced arguably their best nightclub tour de force when Avalon Hollywood was unveiled, revealing the worlds largest subwoofer club installation ever.

Fittingly the club was named after EAWs Avalon system customised with the Powersoft technology, rigorously

developed over two years. It creates earth crushing sub bass, asserts John Lyons, the clubs owner and an audio expert as well.

Discerning tasteClubbers these days are far more aware of what they are listening to; were emerging from a period where brand was everything, and things are measured on a somewhat more subjective plane. Technology has come on leaps and bounds since I came into the industry back in the days of Turbo and Nexo Alpha, says James Cooper of PA system hire and installation

company Flipside Sound Systems.Advances in digital networking and

amplifier technology have enabled us to achieve a standard that was rare way back when. For me the ability to minimise analogue cable runs has meant installs can provide a far more reliable, flexible and better sounding result. And installs that are not utilising things like Dante certainly fall below the curve.

Full Fat Audios Dave Millard says: Theres always been a requirement for high-quality sound in the club scene.

The acoustic of the room remains the most important factor when designing sound systems. This is still overlooked and misunderstood and systems are tasked with having

to force sound into a space which straightway corrupts and destroys the audio. The best system in the world cannot compensate for this.

He adds: Club sound in my experience has been expanded to summer music festivals where the same equipment is used outdoors to great effect. The acoustic is as near to perfect as you could expect there are no walls, mirrors and other reflective destructive interferences. The result is happy people and a happy system engineer!

FEATURE: CLUB SOUND

www.flipside-soundsystem.co.ukwww.fullfataudio.comwww.funktion-one.comwww.martin-audio.comwww.pioneerproaudio.comwww.powersoft-audio.comwww.symetrix.co

Haven in South Beach, Miami, an eatery, lounge and nightclub

known for its eye-catching video wall, cool music and onyx bar

The acoustic of the room remains the most important

factor when designing sound systems. This is still overlooked

and misunderstoodDave Millard, Full Fat Audio


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October 201524

FEATURE: FINAL CUT

Aft er rightly winning an Oscar last year for his work on the sensually stunning Gravity, Glenn Freemantle couldve been forgiven

for thinking he may never again get an opportunity to push his sound design skills to the limit. His latest project, though, turned out to be another truly testing one, also off ering more than a slight likeness to Alfonso Cuarns sci-fi thriller from an audio perspective.

Everest tells the true story of two groups of climbers who are on a mission to conquer one of the worlds toughest physical tests, but are instead left fi ghting for their lives aft er fi nding themselves engulfed by one of the worst blizzards ever recorded.

One of the main challenges for sound designer and supervising sound editor Freemantle and his colleagues at Pinewood Studios-based Sound 24 sound design editor and re-recording sound mixer (eff ects) Niv Adiri and sound re-recording sound mixer (dialogue and eff ects) Ian Tapp was piecing together a sound mix that would meet two very diff erent objectives:

provide enough aural razzle-dazzle to make the audience believe they really are taking a tour of one of the most dangerous environments on Earth suff ering the full force of natures wrath while also ensuring that the bond between the characters clearly important when telling a harrowing true story such as this is not lost.

Its an epic so they wanted to shoot it wide and do these big shots, but it also had to be intimate, explains Freemantle. It was about making the fi lm as real as possible and pacing the fi lm through the journey. We wanted it as though you wouldnt question it you think you are actually on the mountain. The great thing is that people have thought that as well.

A lot of the fi lming and the way it was cut was done very close-shot, and that helped us get the human contact of what was happening to them, says Tapp.

In every fi lm we try to make the audience part of the experience, butfor this one in particular it was important that people feel that tension, and with sound you have the ability to create physical reactions with people, adds Adiri.

One scene that wont fail to generate a physical reaction with viewers is the moment the storm hits. Its impossible not to be blown away (no pun intended) by the sheer aural onslaught cooked up by the guys at Sound 24 once, as Freemantle says, it all kicks off .

You really feel the weight of it it literally pushes people back in their seats, he notes. There isnt any music in a lot of that part of the fi lm as well, so it really feels like youre there. All of a sudden youre put in that position where you really develop this fear for themand their struggle.

When you get that fi rst cut to Jan [Keira Knightley] at home and theres this sudden silence, you realise what youve just sat through for the last ten minutes and you really notice how strong that part is, explains Tapp.

The build-up to that is also very important too though, because youre not hit with all that sound straight away it all slowly comes together, Adiri says.

EASY DOES ITAlthough the crews aim was to make Everest a white-knuckle ride for the

audience and theyve defi nitely achieved that they knew there was a limit to how much the listener could take before it became too overwhelming.

Wind and ice are quite harsh elements so theres always the danger of pushing people away because it can be painful to your ears, so the job was to get them to experience that without going too far, reveals Adiri.

Unfortunately but unavoidably the fi lmmakers were made to rely on visual aids such as wind machines, while the fi lming locations were less than ideal for dialogue recording, which made things more than a bit di cult for the sound department. It also meant Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR) had to be used extensively throughout.

We had to do a load of ADR and a whole pass of the fi lm really quickly because when they were on the mountain or wherever they were [fi lming] you couldnt hear anything that was going on, recalls Freemantle. Loads of dialogue was recorded to start with just so they could cut thefi lm properly and then it graduallygot replaced.

OUT IN THE COLDOUT IN THE COLDOUT IN THE COLDEver wanted to know what its like to be trapped in a blizzard at the highest point on Earth? The new blockbuster fi lm Everest will bring you about as close as youll want to get to the real thing, and thats largely due to the sterling work of the team at Sound 24, as Adam Savage discovered

24-25 AMI Oct 2015 Final Cut_Final.indd 1 24/09/2015 15:32

When they went up the mountain, though, we had a completely blank canvas and everything had to be done again because the film was 80-90% ADR. We concentrated a lot on really tiny details all the snow sounds, footsteps and little bits like that we put a lot of effort into, and we did quite a lot of it a few times.

For every footstep and the sprays [of snow], for example, we concentrated on using different layers of elements so we had control of how we wanted it to sound in that moment, Adiri continues.

In fact, Adiri is keen to stress the importance of the work that went into the spray effects, which might not sound like a big deal at first, but really helped achieve that feeling of intense, biting cold.

We tried the sprays about six or seven times just to get it right on clothes and on skin just to try to get that sense of pain and the physical feel of it, he states. Then when the visual effects came in we could see whether wed been trying too hard or not.

The sprays were all added later. At the beginning we put the sound in and it wasnt attached to anything, but slowly the sprays would start appearing and youd know whether it was working. At the start it was hard to know because you couldnt see it.

Those of you who read Audio Medias previous interview with Freemantle on the sound of Gravity will know that improvising with different sound ideas is a big part of how he works. With

Gravity, he was tasked with obtaining the kind of vibration sounds you would expect to hear in a spacecraft; this time the question was how to recreate the feeling of a sub-zero setting, and make those voices as believable as possible, especially when things really take a turn for the worse.

They got these weight vests and the actors would put them on, tighten them up and in some cases theyd be lying on the floor, having the air squeezed out of their chests. They got these great performances from them, because in the film they were gradually dying. It was pretty phenomenal how much they put themselves through, explains Freemantle.

They really got into it from what I heard one of them was on the verge of throwing up because they pushed themselves so hard to get into the right sort of physical zone that he needed to be in, adds Tapp.

We also froze jackets, spraying them with water and putting them in the freezer overnight so it would sound right when they [the actors] walked in them, recalls Freemantle.

TO AND FROWhat also wouldve made Freemantle think back to the time he spent working on Gravity was the constant back-and-forth between the audio and visual teams, meaning what was previously considered finished often had to be revisited and tweaked, sometimes several times not unusual on a film like

this, but it can make things tricky to say the least.

There was a lot to keep an eye on with this film as there was stuff [visuals] coming in all the time, which would have an effect on what youve done, especially with the sprays and the snow, reports Freemantle.

Youre also never quite sure how much sound a film will actually take until you start doing it and you learn as you go through the process. As long as youre aware that you cant ever just think thats it, were always thinking that we can do something else to it. Its like everything with films you just run out of time, otherwise youd never stop looking at it.

This devotion to ensuring that a movie is not oversaturated with sound has arguably become even more important since the rise of new formats such as Dolby Atmos and Auro 3D Everest is available in both which allow post-production specialists more freedom than ever before, and the ability to manage their mix much more accurately.

The great thing about the way we mix today is that we have control over every single tiny little bit of sound. Its mixed, but its separate at the same time, explains Freemantle. Up to the point where we can actually say were finished we can adjust that one tiny little bit. Thats how you can get so much detail you used to have to tie things up and didnt have as much control.

The ability to control sound with such precision was unsurprisingly

advantageous when trying to recreate the sheer ferocity of the snowstorm and the vastness of the landscape.

The sound design was all about moving it around and making it feel like you were walking through that hostile environment there was never a point where we just put wind tracks up, says Freemantle. Weve really made it so you can tell the geography of where the climbers were on the mountain.

So what were the main tools that they relied on for this job? There were no real surprises or new additions to the gear list on this occasion; instead their tried and tested Avid setup did the job once again. There was agreement that technology shouldnt get in the way of the task at hand, too.

It was all done through Pro Tools 11 and some of it was done on the [Avid] System 5 [large-format console] using EUCON control with Pro Tools, says Adiri. We try not to overcomplicate things and keep it as simple as possible if I can have it all in one session then I will, rather than four.

Working with the System 5 and Pro Tools theres real flexibility as each job is slightly different, and so is the workflow, so it allows us to work out between us what the best method on any given project would be how much were going to do on the desk, how much were going to do in the box etc, adds Tapp.

When you stop and think of what were asking these systems to do and how they do it most of the time with no problems and how much time its saving us, then you realise its unbelievable, comments Adiri.

The Everest sound team can certainly be proud of their work on this film. Speaking to the three of them, it was evident that they enjoyed conjuring such a terrifying tempest for the enjoyment of millions, but it was essential that the seriousness of the subject matter was not ignored, and that the tragic story was told appropriately, with the help of good sound.

Its very much about the emotional contact between the characters, and whatever you do with the set youve got to make sure thats there in a film like this, and you feel it all the time, concludes Freemantle. Its a human tragedy and its something you wont forget.

October 2015 25

FEATURE: FINAL CUTwww.audiomediainternational.com

All images: Universal Pictures

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October 201526

BROADCAST FOCUS

The London Studios (TLS) on the citys South Bank is ITVs London-based studio facility. Built in 1972 by London Weekend

Television, TLS has six studios and is home to popular light entertainment shows including Ant & Decs Saturday Night Takeaway, The Graham Norton Show, The Jonathan Ross Show and Alan Carr: Chatty Man. Much of ITVs daytime content including This Morning, Lorraine and Loose Women are made in The London Studios.

The studios are known for the South Bank Sound, a crunchy live sound which has become the template for numerous big Saturday night entertainment shows for many TLS entertainment productions, the audience is a central element of the show.

Loudness regulations have affected how these shows are mixed, and an increase in content has changed the way they are treated prior to broadcast. Here, sound supervisors Jon Matthews, Ben Corbett and Russell Smithson discuss the facilitys methodology in light of these industry changes.

What is the trademark TLS sound?Matthews: This is one of the reasons people come here, to get that particular audience sound. The London Weekend sound was moulded by one guy, Nick Finch, and everyone loved it. Weve just perpetuated that sound. Were still using Neve limiters to slam an audience into, so everything is running quite hot on a light entertainment (LE) show.

Smithson: This sound set the template for Saturday night LE shows,

especially the shows mixed in Studio One although it now has a [Calrec] Apollo, anything from Studio One over the last 40 years sounds pretty much the same!

Corbett: It is down to the historical way we rig the sound its definitely a

house style, but I do believe that the sound is down to the people, not the facility.

Smithson: Weve always been dynamic about what the audience does, keeping them as an integral part of the show.

SOUTH BANK SOUNDSix studios in total make up the TLS complex

In the wake of some significant regulation changes in the broadcast sector, Audio Media International caught up with the team at The London Studios to find out how the facilitys output has been affected.

www.audiomediainternational.com

Ben Corbett

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BROADCAST FOCUSwww.audiomediainternational.com

SOUTH BANK SOUND

How has that changed?Matthews: The biggest difference in the last 30 years has been in the PA levels today they can be running almost at rock n roll levels, which is a problem for us when we are trying to create an audio landscape for the viewer.

Corbett: If you do have a loud PA you have got to be so careful its not distorting the audience mix. On shows like Ant & Dec they will have a FOH PA mixer, which can give you the edge. Jonathan Ross and Graham Norton have FOH too, but often the budget doesnt stretch to it.

Matthews: And a lot of LE stuff we do now does not even see a dubbing theatre at all there is always a quick turnaround and so in the majority of cases the editor has to try to smooth it out.

But do viewers expect better sound?Matthews: Well, ITV dont do 5.1, and thats probably fair so much of it depends on how the viewer has set up their home system. More and more people at home these days have soundbars and other setups. But I genuinely think that if you do a good stereo mix it doesnt matter what people are listening on; it will still be a good mix. And because people are using soundbars, where everything has to be phase coherent, youve also got to have a good mono output.

A challenge we have is that an ageing population does not favour too much background music or loud laughs, because they find it difficult to hear the dialogue. So this is something we have to

consider as it is a situation that will only grow.

Smithson: This happens on Have I Got News For You (HIGNFY), and we do get complaints about it. The 250 people in the audience are part of the show, and HIGNFY is the best example of this as the audience are on top of the panel the spill is considerable. Most of the work you are doing with the audience is making the spill sound nice, because you get a lot of it through the talents mics, which can be pretty nasty. To balance it all out you have to have the audience at a reasonable level, but it really is part of what the show is all about if you dont make the laughter part of the show and showcase it in the same way, the show loses a lot of its energy. The audience is as big a part of the show as any element.

So how do you mix to loudness in this environment?Smithson: In this sort of environment, the way loudness is dealt with comes down to two things: expertise and experience.

Corbett: At TLS we do a lot of chat shows and panel shows, and they are all especially quick turnarounds for example, HIGNFY is turned round in 24 hours. I do a show on Sunday which goes out on Monday and only gets an edit, and it is such a fast turnaround that the editor doesnt get the time to mix for loudness; he doesnt run it through the algorithm. As sound supervisors we do our best to deliver to loudness, but after it has been chopped up its always going to be a different figure.

Matthews: When I watch a show that I have mixed to loudness, often it will run quiet because what comes before and after on the schedule is often much louder. Thats worse than it ever has been...

Corbett: which is exactly why loudness needs to be enforced. Everyone needs to be playing by the same rules or it just doesnt work.

Smithson: The fundamental flaw in [European Broadcasting Union Recommendation] R128 is that if you have a show that is averagely loud which tends to be a lot of the shows we do because of the way we treat our audiences the energy level is up. The only way that you can match that to anything else not of that genre is to bring the dialogue level down, which defeats the whole object. The voicings are therefore quiet. So you bring it back by about 4dB, and overall you go out quiet.

Matthews: Plus, if youve got a lavalier mic on someone, which is omni, they come on set and everyone is cheering and clapping; you are forced to compress everything right down. You cant control it because its so much louder than the speech on the mic.

Smithson: The upside is if you can get close to getting the levels right and at TLS we are very good at that now you can use the increased dynamic range to your advantage. I still limit things in the same way, but I set the limiter slightly higher because it allows that dynamic the laughs to be subjectively even louder than they would normally be. The trick is keeping the dialogue at

a reasonable level. This gives us more flexibility than we used to have, but it is difficult to maintain that over a two and a half hour record, which you know will be edited down to a 45- or 30-minute show.

A show like HIGNFY is way over the average for the first five minutes when the audience are at their most excited. As the show goes on, it slowly trickles its way back and I always check 15- 30 minutes into the record. Now, the show is going to be cut back to around 28 minutes long so if Ive reached somewhere in the zero point area around 30 minutes in I know that when its edited it should be pretty much the same.

Matthews: And if its just chat, it just happens; youre pretty much there any way. Shows that arent audience based, such as sport, just work.

Smithson: Loose Women is a good example. In the VT I hold it so it doesnt peak over five, and subjectively thats a good level thats what loudness is all about. In the past, youd have a VT and fade it up to zero, and in the context of the programme it would appear loud because it might have music and other sources mixed in, whereas if you hold that back a few dB it brings your 128 back a bit and it matches the programme better.

Matthews: I had Johnny Vegas on Loose Women and everything was going great until he came on, and suddenly everyone was laughing every 30 seconds. It blew the levels out of the water! That can happen very quickly on live television, you cant legislate for it.

www.londonstudios.co.uk

Russell SmithsonJon Matthews

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STUDIO PROFILE

With a remit primarily focusing on supplying audio and visual services to the TV, radio, digital, fi lm,

music and advertising industries, Soho-based sound design and audio facility Factory has built a back catalogue of revered work since its opening in 1997. In July, the studio underwent an extensive expansion, extending from its Margaret Street base into the adjacent Great Portland Street thanks to an opportune lease acquisition on a neighbouring property.

The expansion included the development of one of its four studios into a much more spacious and eff ective area, and the addition of a new Dolby Atmos-enabled studio.

Factory Studios is now home to the UKs fi rst Dolby Atmos-certifi ed mix rooms for commercials and trailers, and is only the second facility in Europe to gain the certifi cation.

Acoustic specialists White Mark handled the studio designs, following its three previous design jobs for Factory a new step in a business relationship lasting 15 years.

They know the building, they know what we need, they know all the pitfalls and every room has always sounded fantastic, Factory founding partner and

creative director Anthony Moore says of the partnership. You know that room is going to be solid and you know that room is going to translate well.

And the accuracy of translation that White Mark provides has been crucial to Factorys success: Because we work in advertising, youll get to your fi nal mix and you just basically transfer to playing it on a TV or a radio depending on what it is, and weve always been advocates of that, Moore continues. It sounds great [in the suite], but if it doesnt work [on the TV/radio] then we havent really doneour job right.

New AvenuesThe newly refurbished Studio 5 is now a 5.1 surround-equipped facility, something that has allowed more freedom in the companys overall workfl ow, according to head of technical support and sound engineer Ben Firth.

Its cool because its allowed us to translate and share material throughout the rooms, he says.

Moore adds: Its geared to any fi lm work or prep work were doing on bigger mixes because we can start all that ina smaller room.

The idea for this room is to be a space for our sound designers to come and experiment and play with stuff and have that time to get new ideas.

But the real game-changer for the facility is the new Studio 4, a Dolby Atmos-enabled suite. According to Moore, the decision to invest in the technology was a simple one.

With audio you know when somethings good and when somethings just a fl ash in the pan, he tells us. As a studio were very creatively led and this is a creative tool for us to go to town with mixing, so it was a bit of a no-brainer.

The design of the Dolby-Atmos room is founded on precision and functionality, with an Avid S6 desk as its centrepiece.

Weve gone for a pared-down, not overly-showy front end because we just want the room to be about the sound, Moore explains. We wanted it to be more like a fi lm-viewing room.

The accurate translation of sound was again key to the studios design: The mix [in Studio 4] will scale up to a bigger room and be pre y transparent, Moore adds. Every mix that weve taken out of the studio, its always worked really well when its gone to a bigger system, just because we understand what you need to push.

With such an investment, for Factory it was a defi nite case of wanting to go down the Atmos route rather than needing to, according to Moore.

Its brave, but our peers and competitors are jumping on board as well. We were always going to build [Studio

4], it was always going to be a 5.1 or 7.1 room, and it seemed silly to spend all this money and not future-proof it. I think because its new and theres not many of us around with the system, Id rather be at the forefront of it. I think if we didnt have this, wed be missing a trick.

The new expansion has opened up ave

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