PSNE MAY 2016 Digital

Noise annoys!

MAY 2016

www.psneurope.com

Hearing protection for professionals P48 Noise limiters: a good or bad thing? P50 P18

P26

P36

MAKING A POINT

SHOULDER SUPPORT

ROLLING AROUND

LINEA RESEARCH PUTS ITS NEW POWER AMPLIFIERS ON THE LINE

IN THE STUDIO WITH NOEL GALLAGHER COLLABORATOR PAUL STACEY

DAVE BRACEY AND THE TEAM BEHIND THE PHENOMENAL ADELE LIVE 2016 TOUR

PM. The new generation.

A new era of digital mixing has arrived.

For more than four decades Yamaha has been at the forefront of live sound mixing technology. Now we deliver the culmination of years of dedication to the art of the digital mixer, our new agship - the RIVAGE PM10.

The future is here. Discover RIVAGE PM10 at yamahaproaudio.com

Expanding the Rivage family with RPio222

For more information please visit www.yamahaproaudio.com

Connect with experience

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X8, LIVE MONITOR - L-ACOUSTICS X SERIES In creating the X Series, we brought all of the experience gained in designing the K2 to bear on a new series of reference coaxials.

Optimized design, ergonomics, acoustical performance and weight make the X Series the most advanced coaxials on the market.

Four distinct enclosures with format, bandwidth, SPL and coverage angles perfectly adapted to short throw rental or install applications, the X Series offers studio monitor sound quality, compact design, consistent tonal balance, no minimum listening distance and exceptional feedback rejection. www.l-acoustics.com

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4/11/2016 3:12:24 PM

Welcome

PSNEUROPE Editor Dave Robinson drobinson@nbmedia.com

Account manager Rian Zoll-Khan rzoll-khan@nbmedia.com

Group managing editor Jo Ruddock jruddock@nbmedia.com

Head of design Jat Garcha jgarcha@nbmedia.com

Content director James McKeown jmckeown@nbmedia.com

Production executive Jason Dowie jdowie@nbmedia.com

P3 MAY 2016

Advertising manager Ryan O’Donnell rodonnell@nbmedia.com

Contributors: Kevin Hilton, Marc Maes, Dave Wiggins, Mike Clark, Phil Ward, Erica Basnicki, David Davies, Simon Duff

PSNEurope NewBay Media, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18–26 Essex Road, London N1 8LN Editorial: +44 20 7354 6002 Sales: +44 20 7354 6000 Press releases to: ukpressreleases@nbmedia.com Circulation and subscription: Refunds on cancelled subscriptions will only be provided at the publisher’s discretion, unless specifically guaranteed within the terms of the subscription offer. NewBay Media may pass suitable reader addresses to other relevant suppliers. If you do not wish to receive sales information from other companies, please write to Circulations and Subscriptions, NewBay Media, Curwood CMS Ltd, The Barn, Abbey Mews, Robertsbridge TN32 5AD Subscribe by email to: psne.subscriptions@c-cms.com Subscriptions tel: +44 1580 883 848

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DAVE ROBINSON Editor

@PSNEurope

Z

enon Schoepe died last month. In a year where we seem to be losing all the greats, all the smart people, all the wise ones with all the knowledge: we lost another. And to the professional audio industry, it’s a shock, it’s a tragedy; but, more than that, it’s the departure of a vanguard of sanity.

Back in my early days on Pro Sound News Europe, Zenon was the obstinate, almost belligerent editor of Studio Sound magazine, dealing with the serious world of studio land: with the Neves and the SSLs and the APIs and the Plus Trentes and the MG Sounds. He was the man who gave short shrift to the yappy-dog PR types who would phone him up, only to be dismissed by a “Yes... yes... OK... goodbye!”, and a fatalistic putting-down of the receiver. Brusque? Perhaps. Dealing with issues with the right perspective? Definitely.

There’s an obvious reason why Resolution – the magazine born of the closing of Studio Sound in late 2001 – didn’t wholly adopt Twitter or Facebook or other social media tools as they emerged, because Zenon realised the value of serious, face-toface discussion; of sitting down with the relevant parties, and hammering out the topics of the day. The clue’s in the title, you see: Resolution was not just about bits and frequencies and sample rates, it was about the answer.

So, the other thing about Mr Schoepe (and I’m whispering this now): the other thing was – and anyone who knew him knows this too – he was always bloody right. He was always BLOODY right! He seemed to know how everything worked. About the deals, and the deals behind the deals, and even the wheels that turned the deals behind the deals. And despite going to press conferences or one-on-one meetings without any visible means of recording the conversation, there would always be a full report on the technology or of the event. How did he do it? Experience, skill, wisdom and a propensity for warding off bullshit, I reckon.

Zen, we had some great times, at trade shows, in Japan, in Denmark, at press visits and events... and I shall miss your counsel and your friendship. RIP sir.

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P4 MAY 2016

Contents

In this issue...

P42 IT’S RIGHT AND IT’S DR. K HE’S THE TRAIN DRIVER IN THE YAMAHA ENGINE ROOM

P36 EYE-EYE! THE CREW TO WATCH AT THE ADELE LIVE 2016 TOUR

P58 SON OF MY FATHER DR ANDREAS SENNHEISER TALKS ABOUT THE CHANGES AT THE COMPANY

Studio 18 Jon Krivit discusses the forthcoming AES Convention 22 Audiogaming: making the sound of the weather 24 The Home of Jazz is back in action in Rome 26 Paul Stacey and production

P40 EXPRESS DELIVERY DLIVE MIXES RADIOHEAD MAN PROJECT

Broadcast 30 NAB reviewed 32 Unit 10 OB truck in Belgium

Live Business 6 Prolight + Sound: what we saw, what you need to see!

10 Vocal channel: Andy Huffer 12 Movers and shakers: industry appointments 16 The strategic position: Linea Research

Technology 14 New products 48 Noise annoys! Hearing protection advice for professionals 50 Noise annoys! Noise limiters: good or bad?

34 20 years of Optocore 36 This lady is worth £85 million! Adele Live 2016 38 O.R.k on tour. Watch out, Gandalf...

40 Turn to this page quick!

42 The chief designer behind so many Yamaha winners... Dr. K! 46 Another big day for AED

Installation 54 Danley Labs and Pure Groove. Oh yeah....

Back pages 57 Hither & dither: Frankfurt, we love you 58 Dr Andreas Sennheiser on how he gets out of bed in a morning...

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© Ralph Larmann

BELIEVE IT FROM ED SHEERAN TO ARIANA GRANDE TO METALLICA – TOP TOURS ARE PROVING THE POWER OF THE LEO FAMILY.

The LEO Family provides power and clarity for nearly every application, from intimate performance spaces to the world’s largest outdoor festivals. LEOPARD, the smallest in the family, is gaining a following for being the most lightweight and versatile line array in its class. It’s no wonder top tours HYV\UK [OL ^VYSK [Y\Z[ [OL 3,6 -HTPS` MVY H ÅH^SLZZ WLYMVYTHUJL UPNO[ HM[LY UPNO[

Learn more at meyersound.com/believeit

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4/18/2016 9:58:03 AM

P6 MAY 2016

Show review

All change for PL+S It was a newly invigorated show – and it set another record!

T

he much-vaunted ‘new concept’ paid dividends for the 2016 Prolight + Sound show. It set new exhibitor and visitor records, with around 45,000 visitors from 121 countries making their way to Frankfurt. “This year’s Prolight + Sound demonstrated the creative and economic potential of event technology and was able to exploit the positive business climate in the sector in full. Thanks to the new concept, the fair has been able to increase its significance in many different respects, including a showroom and market place, as well as an information and networking platform,” said Detlef Braun, member of the board of management of Messe Frankfurt GmbH. Some highlights of this year show are listed below –

Mattia d’Antonio and Giacomo Previ of 18 Sound celebrate the Ciare rebranding

One of Audio Precision’s popular demonstrations was devoted to the production test of loudspeaker drivers. Sales engineer James Kelly highlighted several new features, including test parameters based on reference drivers (aka, “golden units”), input EQ, and a dedicated production test mode

but beware, this is not exhaustive! (If we missed you out, we probably have other plans for you…)

AKG debuted its C7 reference condenser vocal microphone, featuring specially engineered circuitry and custom-designed components. It provides a clear, powerful sound, while preventing feedback, handling noise and pop noise. The rugged enclosure is engineered to withstand the most demanding live performance environments. Additionally, the C7

eliminates handling noise through a built-in mechanopneumatic shock absorption system. Lastly, a multilayer protection system prevents unwanted pop noises. The protection system consists of three layers: the grill, a foam layer behind the grill and a layer of mesh atop the C7 capsule. This extensive system provides a clear, plosive-free vocal performance.

Allen & Heath announced a new addition to its Qu compact digital range, the Qu-SB ultra-compact

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P7 MAY 2016

Coda big in Japan after Hibino buy

Eve Audio’s Kristen and Roland celebrated the company’s fifth anniversary (see profile, next month!) with music and a lot of wine (all consumed at this point…)

intelligent mixer/interface. Designed as a Stage Box solution with all the features offered in the Qu series but purely designed for tablet control, it has 16 XLR mic inputs, two line inputs and 14 outputs but thanks to the Qu-32 core inside, it can be expanded up to 32 mic input channels and 24 outputs, enabling the mixer to connect over a single Cat5 digital snake to AB168, AR84 and AR2412 remote audio racks. The built-in 18-channel Qu-Drive can record and playback multitrack and stereo audio .wav files to a USB key or drive. Qu-SB’s 32×32, Windows and Mac compliant USB streaming interface also makes it the perfect recording solution for tracking, monitoring and overdubbing in the studio.

AMS Neve unveiled the DFC3D – the latest addition to its DFC console series. The console features new integrated DSP processes including a sub-harmonic synthesizer, multi-band compressor, and the return of the RMX-16 reverb. New high-resolution 3D-enabled metering, with spatial panner optimised for Dolby Atmos, provide the “most efficient Atmos mixing experience and fastest transition from conventional mixing techniques,” says the company.

Academy and BAFTA award-winning post-production house, Goldcrest Films – home to two DFC Gemini desks – has already chosen a large-format DFC3D digital film console for its new Dolby Atmos mixing theatre in the Soho-based studios, which opens in May. The console is a dual-engine 1000-path USP engine, with a

Prolight+Sound 2016 was good news for Coda, as Japanese giant, Hibino Sound Division, placed a substantial order for its AiRAY system. This increased the company’s holding of Coda boxes to over 300 (including AiRAY, TiRAY, ViRAY and others).

This is a significant win for Coda as Hibino are also big users of Martin Audio MLA systems.

AiRAY’s power and quality allied to its lightweight, compact profile caught the attention of Hibino Intersound, which took a close interest in the system based on demonstrations and recommendations of Hibino Sound Division’s head of sound, Hiroshi Inoue. An AiRAY system was ordered last year for use on a tour by top Japanese artist Shogo Hamada, and made an immediate and lasting impression, which lead to this year’s significant order.

“We see that AiRAY achieves very high sound resolution with good separation of each instrument,” said Inoue. “Sound shape is maintained over a long distance meaning that the required SPL can be

Tony Andrews and Vero

Remote Speaker Station

Coda’s Sveltly Alexandrov and Paul Ward with Hibino’s Hiroshi Inoue and Ryoichi Hashimoto

72-fader dual operator control surface with designed-in integration with the Avid S6 controller.

Audio-Technica announced the release of an improved version of its ATM350 clip-on cardioid condenser microphone. The new ATM350a is also now supplied with a range of instrument mounting accessories, making it an extremely flexible, versatile proposition for sound engineers and musicians working on stage or in the studio. Designed for use on snare drums, toms, strings, piano, brass and woodwind instruments, the ATM350a features an increased SPL handling over its predecessor, increased by 10dB to 159dB. B&C Speakers launched the 21DS115: a 3400 watt, 99dB efficient subwoofer that utilises a four layer aluminum voice coil. The company also launched a new woofer from the MBX series; the 10MBX64. This high efficiency, high output, wide bandwidth woofer

Master Station serves up to 24 remote stations

Connection of User Stations via LAN with PoE switches or via powered daisy chain lines Full color high-resolution displays 48 kHz / 16 bit uncompressed audio 4 Master Stations may be linked

obtained using fewer cabinets. AiRAY’s functionality is also excellent for both flown and ground stack applications - cabinet angles can be quickly and easily adjusted for both. When the system is flown, the light weight of the main frame and the light, compact cabinets combine to significantly reduce set up times and of course reduce trucking costs.

I think AiRAY is the only system that offers such great sound quality in combination with so many practical advantages.”

DIGITAL INTERCOM - CUE LIGHT CONTROL - GPO TRIGGER

Channels for Cue Light Control, GPO Trigger or Listen Only Full duplex intercom channels Program audio feeds over network

4-ch Master Speaker Station

2-ch Beltpack

FLEXUS is designed & manufactured by: ASL Intercom BV, Utrecht, The Netherlands www.asl-inter.com

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P8

Show review

MAY 2016

Martin Audio’s new MD Dominic Harter and tech supremo Jason Baird (right) launched CDD Live, building on the phenomenal success of the Coaxial Differential Dispersion range offers an alternative that is not currently available in the B&C Speakers range. The company also showed the DE680TN 64mm diaphragm, 1.4� exit high frequency driver, 12NDL88 88mm voice coil woofer, 18RBX100 subwoofer, 8NSM64 and 5NSM38 sealed back midrange, and 3.5� and 4� broad-band woofers. In other news, the company is now shipping the DE990TN and DE1090TN, 1.4� exit, inside ring, super-compact neodymium magnet compression drivers.

Cadac launched CDC Console Software V3.01 with a range of new features and performance enhancements for the Cadac CDC six and CDC eight production consoles. The new version features Custom Fader

Layers, or CFL, which allows the engineer to create a user deďŹ nable layer, or group, of any mixture of inputs, busses, VCAs and monitor faders, which can then be accessed by faders on the right hand bank. Members of the CFL are selected by dragging and dropping from the relevant input, bus etc. page on the large 23.5â€? screen.

Access to the CFL is via the 6.5� system control screen, and the CFL display can be viewed and edited on the screen by assigning it to one of the user assignable buttons. The set-up is intuitive and the Custom Fader Layers provides a convenient and fast way to access the users most important channels, aiding the overall work ow. Other key features of V3.01 include the option to create a personal library for EQ, Effects and Dynamics settings which can be stored on the console, as well as uploaded to a USB key.

DiGiCo revealed its new Quantum 7, which is developed with seventh generation FPGA devices that further expand audio processing power. To put this advancement into perspective, the current Stealth Digital Processing is heavily based around third generation FPGA devices. Although not scheduled for release until Spring 2017, visitors had the opportunity to see an SD7 installed with Quantum 7, and experience the enhancements it offers including Nodal Processing

Nascent PA hire company RS Blu’s Luke (left) and Rob (right) ank EAW’s Rusty Waite at the demo of the new Anna system (behind) in the Festhalle

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P9 MAY 2016

and True Solo. Quantum 7 also expands an SD7 to over 600 channels of processing in 96kHz operation that can be connected in the outside world to approaching 3000 potential I/Os. New connectivity goes further, as the engine is also equipped with eight newly assignable MADI connections and two DMI slots (DiGiCo Multi-Channel Interface) for AoIP and other connectivity options from the complete family of DMI card options. Perhaps most importantly to current DiGiCo users, Quantum 7 can also be retro-fitted into any existing SD7.

Eighteen Sound announced the rebranding of Ciare, which it acquired late last year and recently relaunched at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt. The company says the new logo and slogan “To each their own sound” represents a commitment to continue to take note of customer and market requirements when designing ‘new and innovative products’ for the three market segments the brand serves. It also debuted some of its new products in Frankfurt, including the NDA1, a new 1-inch neodymium HF compression driver; the 6M38, a 6.5-inch ceramic midrange with a flat suspension design; and lastly the 6NCX50 6.5-inch coaxial.

Equipson was at this year’s show to display its Work Pro and Work Lifter series. Top lifters lifters like WT 150, WT 550 and WT 700 were on display. ON the audio side, the new SL 210 A self amplified (1,000W Class D) speaker, with built-in a DSP and a full control panel in the rear was on display. The range of line array lifters was allowed to lift the ARION Series line arrays – including the Arion 10, Arion 5 and the SL 210 A. The speaker can be connected via Ethernet and managed by any device like a tablet or smartphone. The software is the new WorkCAD 3 with intuitive workflow.

Funktion-One launched a new, large format touring sound system called Vero.

It is a complete system, which includes speakers, amplifiers, cabling, rigging, transport dollies, weatherproof covers and software. The Vero speaker range features six horn-loaded loudspeakers – the V60 mid-high, V90 mid-high and V315 mid-bass with a choice of V221, V124 or V132 bass. The V60s, V90s and V315s all have identical dimensions, enabling them to be flown in the same vertical array. The ground stacked V221, V124 or V132 bass enclosures offer a choice of size and low frequency extension. Vero also features its own patent pending Lambda flying system, which allows arrays to be deployed accurately and efficiently. All rigging settings can be calculated using Vero’s Projection software. Unlike most other flown arrays, Vero’s inter-cabinet splay angles can be adjusted with the system in suspension.

Harman unveiled the latest addition to its Vi range of digital live consoles, the Vi2000. Aimed at the live touring, install and corporate AV, the Vi2000 combines the Vistonics-based control surface of the Vi3000, Vi5000 and Vi7000 consoles with Soundcraft SpiderCore, an integrated DSP and I/O engine based on Studer by HARMAN technology. The console is configurable up to 48 mic line inputs and 16 line outputs, using combinations of 16-channel XLR modules in four rear-mounted slots, and includes two 64-channel expansion slots, allowing up to two MADI-based Stageboxes to be connected.

Out Board showed some major new enhancements to the TiMax2 SoundHub software just about to be released. Out Board’s PAT test joint-venture associates Data Strategy demonstrated the PAT4 Test Processors, CAB5 Cable Testers and RCD Test modules with their QC-Check PAT automation and logging software. Also seeing its European debut at Frankfurt, was Out Board’s new digital RCX Smart Remote for LV and DV Motor Controllers which was demonstrated in 16, 32 and 64 versions. The RCX can be retrofitted to all existing LV and DV controllers and features Ethercon interconnect, non-volatile group memories and load cell system monitoring.

Outline introduced its new Vegas loudspeaker series, designed for both installation and sound reinforcement, and featuring an application-specific, supercompact, wide dispersion under balcony loudspeaker and three compatible, custom coaxial loaded loudspeakers. The range includes the Vegas 24, 8 CX, 12 CX and 15 CX. The ultra compact Vegas 24 is a high power, wide-dispersion, externally powered loudspeaker, specifically designed for under balcony fill, front fill and delay applications. The Vegas 8 CX, 12 CX and 15 CX full-range, 2-way bass reflex models

are described as versatile, with attractive pricing and first-class power handling.

VUE Audiotechnik unveiled new products in its al-Class and h-Class ranges.

The central focus will be on the addition to the al-Class line array systems.

This will extend the VUE al-Class to address large-scale applications while showcasing VUE’s CST technology across the series. The al-12 exhibits new component designs across the frequencies and is optimised for more demanding applications. Also being introduced is the self-powered hs-221 with patented ACM technology form the h-Class range. The hs-221 subwoofer is aimed at the touring market, with the EDM market perhaps standing to benefit the most from its lowend performance, says VUE. Yamaha Pro Audio and Shure announced that customers using Yamaha CL and QL series consoles will be able to control and monitor Shure ULX-D digital wireless systems. Specifically, Dante-enabled ULXD4D dual channel digital wireless receivers and ULXD4Q quad channel digital wireless receivers. The newly-available control parameters will include monitoring of battery, RF reception strength, antenna status, frequency and audio level, and full control of gain, mute, and channel name assignment. The collaboration between the two companies began in June 2013, when ULX-D receiver discovery patch support was introduced in the CL series V1.6 update. More recently, the TF series consoles were introduced with optimized QuickPro Presets for a number of microphones and instruments – including presets for Shure microphones – in April 2015. + See also Linea Research, p16; Optocore, p34; Dr. K p42; AED, p46

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P10 MAY 2016

Vocal channel

Some late reflections...

W

ANDY HUFFER is sales director of HD Pro Audio and “skateboarding is not a crime!”

e’ve all been to (or organised) a lot of demonstrations of loudspeaker systems over the years, but my own personal experience is that very few of them manage to convincingly convey the sonic impression that the designers and manufacturers had in mind. I’m not talking about cosy hi-fi demos of small-scale systems, where you can “break the sound barrier” in the style of that Maxell tape TV ad from the 1980s.

What I’m referring to here are those events where a theatre, arena, or production rehearsal space has been hired, a couple of big ol’ hangs of boxes strung up, and the phrase “gamechanger” deployed all too liberally.

Inevitably, what you end up with is a lot more of the room coming back at you than the loudspeakers, and any nuances that elevate the product that you’re being shown above its

peers are drowned in a soup of late reflections.

So why not grab a plot of land where you can make lots of noise and eliminate the room from the equation? The great British climate answers that one. It’s hard enough to get busy engineers to attend an indoor session, let alone one outdoors that has the potential to resemble the Somme, whether it’s June or January.

Erring on the side of caution, you get yourself a roof and some walls, and a nice hard floor, and a potential recipe for sonic mush. A bit of draping can help, and some venues are clearly a lot nicer-sounding than others, but the other key factor in gig acoustics is that huge absorbent mass of fat, fluid, tissue and t-shirts known as The Audience. Getting several thousand people in off the street on a weekday morning to accurately replicate the effect that a room full of bodies will have on the acoustic properties of the venue is a logistical headache that I’m

not quite ready for yet, so the next logical step is to proudly display your game-changer on an actual real-life gig with an actual real-life audience. This also tackles the common request of finding out what happens when you put a live drum kit and vocal through it, rather than a tasteful bit of lovingly mastered AOR. Having got yourself one of the bettersounding large venues, and a crowd, you’re then presented with the final set of variables that can consign the world’s best speaker systems to the “where are they now?” file: musicians, their instruments, sound engineers and mixing consoles. If you can get a consistently goodsounding band going through a quality console with a decent engineer at the controls, you’re pretty much there in terms of being able to best demonstrate your electroacoustic masterpiece.

Now to go and find some nice big loudspeakers to show off. Watch this space…

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4/5/2016 10:43:21 AM

P12 MAY 2016

Movers and shakers

Peter perfect for prime PLASA post Former Roland man Heath assumes MD role for trade organisation

P

LASA, the Professional Lighting and Sound Association, has appointed Peter Heath as managing director.

Heath brings with him a wealth of industry knowledge and hands-on sales and management experience. He joins PLASA from Roland Corporation, where he worked in various senior roles for nearly 20 years. He made a substantial contribution to the sustained growth of its UK music division, and became sales director in 2009.

Commenting on his new role, Heath says: “I am delighted to be appointed managing director and

Renkus-Heinz has appointed Michal Poplawski as technical sales manager, Europe. He previously worked as product manager for distributor M. Ostrowski. www.renkus-heinz.com

Steph Steaton joins Audiologic from a background in chemical distribution. Seaton will be the first point of contact for Audiologic’s customers. www.audiologic.uk

am looking forward to working closely with PLASA members, carrying on the great work that has been achieved recently, along with creating new and exciting opportunities to grow our Association.”

The selection process for the new post, which supersedes the position of CEO, was run independently of the PLASA executive officers and managed on PLASA’s behalf by John Simpson, with support from PLASA board members Peter James and Mark Surtees, PLASA finance director Shane McGreevy and independent HR specialist Elaine Pennell. www.plasa.org

Previously with nascent event production outfit Amber Creative, Joe Turner has joined Turbosound Flashlight revivalist Fromidable Audio as sales director. www.formidableaudio.com

L-Acoustics has appointed Scott Wakelin as regional manager responsible for the Balkans and Central European regions, as well as Israel, Turkey, Cyprus and Malta. www.l-acoustics.com

Pete McCarthy has been named sales manager, TVBEurope at NewBay Media. Prior to this he was senior account manager on sister brand Installation. www.tvbeurope.com

Loren Robinson has taken up the position of director of sales, independent accounts for the Mackie and Ampeg brands at LOUD Technologies. www.loudtechinc.com

DEALER NETWORK Exhibo Communication Systems now represents QSC professional and systems divisions as its multichannel distribution partner in Italy.

Exhibo MD Luca Maragliano Caranza says: “We feel that Exhibo is a natural partner for QSC, as we are committed to bringing them our genuine passion, know-how, professionalism and expertise in distributing their products and solutions throughout the various professional channels and other vertical markets in the Italian region.” www.exhibo.it www.qsc.com AV SYS has taken over the sales and support functions for the Klotz Communications product range in the broadcasting market in Greece.

“We are very happy to announce our partnership with AV SYS for the Greece market. AV SYS has a strong reputation in the broadcasting market and their technical expertise suits our products perfectly,” says Thomas Klotz, CEO of Klotz Communications. www.klotzcommunications.com www.avsys.gr Outline has chosen Trius Vertrieb as its new distributor for its products in Germany and Austria.

Outline CEO Giorgio Biffi comments: “We are honoured to be working with Trius. Their fantastic reputation for sales and support really fits in with our distribution objective, which is to find the best companies in each country that truly care about quality sound and quality support.” www.outlinearray.com www.trius-audio.de

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T H E

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N E X T

L E V E L

O F

T O U R

S O U N D

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P14 MAY 2016

New products

DRAWMER MPA-90

What is it?

A high-performance Class D stereo power amplifier delivering 90W per channel into 4 Ohms (50W per channel into 8 Ohms).

Details: Includes thermal protection, overload protection and an output clipping indicator. Works in Stereo and Bridge-Mono modes, and has Balanced XLR and phono inputs.

And another thing…

Ideal for powering passive monitors in the studio, the MPA-90 is equally at home as part of a hi-fi system and is said to be the perfect pairing for a Drawmer MC1.1 and your favourite turntable. www.drawmer.com

CEDAR

DYNAUDIO

RME

What is it?

A dialogue noise suppressor that is a smaller, lighter and more portable 2-channel version of the DNS 8 Live.

What is it?

Personal reference monitor series with handmade drive units.

What is it?

RME’s first interface with Thunderbolt and USB 3 connectivity, which is able to handle up to 94 channels I/O.

DNS 2

Details: Offers near-zero latency, and the latest DNS algorithm with super-fast setup and control, plus analogue (mic/mic 48V/line) and digital I/O. And another thing…

Its 12V power input and mounting points mean engineers can use the DNS 2 in the middle of a field as easily as in the studio or the edit suite. www.cedaraudio.com

LYD SERIES

Details: Includes an advanced DSP with two tuning modes, sound balance filters and bass extension for moving the bass cut-off to the preferred position.

And another thing…

Powered by biamped Class D amplifiers featuring 96kHz/24-bit signal paths, the LYD Series has plenty of power to reproduce sound faithfully. www.dynaudio.com

FIREFACE UFX+

Details: Includes MADI I/O, taking it to 188 channels of I/O, powerful DSP for latency-free routing, and extensive processing of dynamics and effects for all channels.

And another thing…

RME launched three other products at Musikmesse 2016: MADIface PRO Compact audio interface; ADI-2 Pro High-end AD/DA converter, and ARC USB intuitive control unit for TotalMix FX and Fireface UFX+. www.rme-audio.de

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P16 MAY 2016

The strategic position: Linea Research

Power factor correction Phil Ward visits power pioneer Linea Research to discover why now is the time for its own-brand launches

T

he three directors and co-founders of Hertfordshire-based amp manufacturer Linea Research are perfect examples of a rather wonderful industry paradigm: the regeneration of ideas in a new business context. They all cut their teeth at BSS Audio, under Harman, and made their move when it became apparent that Harman had a very different view of the future.

Paul Williams is responsible for software and DSP, “designing the algorithms from first principles”, explains colleague Ben Ver, “so we can do things people need as opposed to things other people have already done”.

Ver himself focuses on electronics and mechanical design, and is based at Linea’s R&D centre in Surrey, while Davey Smalley spearheads sales, marketing and administration, working alongside Williams and the majority of the team at the company HQ in Baldock.

Williams was with Harman for over 10 years, and was “instrumental in everything BSS did in the digital domain, particularly Soundweb and Omnidrive”, according to Smalley. “And not forgetting Varicurve: the first product that allowed you to adjust an EQ curve and see it change dynamically on a screen,” adds Williams, who recruited Ver in the mid-’90s, handing him responsibility for hardware and electronics design before he moved on to look after R&D for C Audio and Soundcraft. Smalley joined the BSS team in 1996, later taking over as sales manager.

Davey Smalley (left) with sales engineer Peter Collins and a rack of the new amps, at Prolight + Sound last month

Not everyone is looking for a brand new, packaged PA system, although it is going that way for high-end touring thanks to the likes of L-Acoustics and d&b

EARTH GROUND It was the type of solid grounding that forments – all big corporations please take note – a brew of talent and confidence that always spills when the management boat is rocked.

“Harman Pro’s senior management moved from Potters Bar, where we were based, to California – quite a dislocation,” recounts Smalley. “There was a frustrating focus on the US brands – logical, but tough on all the guys who had put their hearts and souls into groundbreaking BSS products. Our OEM progress also worked against us, seen as offering too much help to the competition.”

Add in the typical encroachment of management responsibilities that displace the original customerfocused engineering that inspires talent like this to enter pro audio, and you have all the motivation you need for the registration of a new company.

“We’d been there quite a long time, and it felt like our ‘era’ was over,” says Ver. “We could see opportunities elsewhere, particularly in using DSP technology as an integral part of Class D amplifiers rather than just for processing audio. This combination of signal processing

Davey Smalley “You build a different kind of business, too,” adds Ver. “If you’re immediately supplying in hundreds and, soon, thousands, you make sure the infrastructure is right for information systems, you use reputable suppliers and you have the efficient manufacturing processes you need to compete at this level.”

Those 44M20s in detail!

and power represented the future for us and, we hoped, the industry.” “Late one night, I think during a trade show, Ben, Paul and I agreed we should be doing this for ourselves,” adds Smalley.

Linea Research duly opened for business in 2003, with a clear initial focus on the kind of OEM business that Harman had discouraged. “It’s predictable in a way that building your own brand is not,” says Smalley.

“OEM was the best way of getting to good sales volumes quite quickly. It’s a not a cottage industry.”

FULL CAPACITANCE Moving beyond exclusively OEM territory to develop Linea Research into a brand in its own right was always part of the business plan, reveals Smalley. “We were always clear with our OEM partners about that,” he confirms. “You access different parts of the market.

Not everyone is looking for a brand new, packaged PA system, although it is going that way for high-end touring thanks to the likes of L-Acoustics and d&b, mainly due to the utility of having consistency as you travel. In other markets, particularly once you get into installations, people want highly refined solutions for

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P17 MAY 2016

specific purposes. We can fit into a huge range of very tailored environments.

“From a performance point of view I consider our competition to be Lab.gruppen, Powersoft, Crown in the States and maybe one or two others. There’s a huge market out there and companies like Linea Research who continually invest in the latest technology can be very successful.”

Ver describes the advent of branded Linea Research boxes as ‘natural’ rather than ‘strategic’. “We love the long discussions about what this encoder does, where to put that LED… that’s what our professional lives are about,” he says. “But after a lot of work we knew that our new generation of technology was a real step forward in efficiency, and we could see that it would give us a significant advantage in the branded amplifier marketplace.” However, doing new things is not easy and time must also be spent supporting existing products and customers. As Ver says: “it did take us rather longer to get here than we thought. I think we ended up doing our three-year strategy over five years!”

OEM continues, meanwhile. “Working closely with our partners is great,” Smalley explains. “We get to be associated with fantastic brands and the brands get to focus on what they do best in the knowledge that Linea is working full time on keeping their electronics state-of-the-art. It can also offer unique advantages – one example being Brazil. It’s extremely difficult and costly to import products into Brazil, so working with a partner over there that has an established brand is very effective. It’s a very good solution for both of us.”

Mute each of the four channels from the facia

The photography just keeps getting sexier…

POWER POINT So what is this technology? The good offices of Ver and Williams inside the semi-conductor community led to major breakthroughs in the last few years – another factor in the timing of this launch. “We have product that is significantly different on the inside, and in performance,” Ver points out, “not least because our R&D has run in parallel with the very cutting edge of the semi-conductor industry. We were designing with engineering samples of the parts we wanted to use on the promise that they would be available in volume when we needed them some 18 months later. I have to say that this made me very nervous, but luckily it all came good…”

Class D and good sound quality don’t necessarily sit together, especially if you also want very high power and efficiency. “This is where we win,” states Ver. “We already know how to make great-sounding Class D amplifiers: we’ve sold many thousands of them in the form of powered speaker modules to some of the industry’s biggest names. Our new rackmount products take this knowledge and combine it with an output stage that’s about 5% to 7% more efficient than the best amps currently out there. This might not sound like much, but it means that our amps only need to dissipate about half the heat of our competition. This is exactly why they

have such incredible long-term power delivery.”

But a great amplifier platform alone is not enough for world-class product these days, points out Williams.

“You also need cutting-edge remote control and monitoring,” he says, “to support things like AES3 and Dante – and have all the software required to make it easy for users to form cohesive systems. It also helps if you can introduce some genuinely new DSP features that solve real-world problems.”

M PEOPLE With output powers of up to 5kW per channel and the ability to drive that power on all channels simultaneously, even with dense programme material, the M Series is billed as “The New Industry Standard In Amplification”.

The catalogue is divided so far into the 4-channel 44M series and 8-channel 48M series, each of which is available at different power points to suit requirements.

Soon to follow are the installation-friendly 48C and

88C series that combine the same power amplifier technology with a raft of features that make them wellsuited to the contractor market.

All the products feature extensive DSP processing, optimised as perhaps only Linea Research could. “This is due to all of the DSP code being hand-written in assembler,” comments Williams. “It produces much faster and more compact code than easier-to-use, higher level languages such as C.” “It’s easier today to get good performance from the DSP chips,” reflects Smalley, “but if you’ve learned your trade – like Paul did – when resources were very meagre, it brings insight and efficiency to the designs that you won’t get from people who’ve learned these techniques in the last 10 years. We’re at a point now when our people, knowledge, componentry and techniques have come together. Developing these products was a real team effort and a huge undertaking… but now is their time.” www.linea-research.co.uk

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P18 MAY 2016

Studio

An educator at the helm Mel Lambert catches up with current AES president John Krivit to learn more about his focus on audio education as the society prepares for its Paris Convention in early June

A

life-long educator, John Krivit is an associate professor of audio & media technology at New England Institute of Art, Brookline, MA, and a faculty member at Bay State College, Boston, and at Emerson College, Boston. He is the founder of the Boston Area Definitive Audio Student Summit (…that’s BADASS, of course!), an annual AES event for New England students, educators, practitioners and professionals. “My goal as an educator has always been to align the academic with the professional worlds in a way that serves the greater interests of both,” he states. “I live at the intersection of audio, education and industry.”

John Krivit in the anechoic chamber at Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza, Krakow, Poland, the city’s main technical university

Since assuming office as AES president last November, what has been your primary focus?

I’ve had a lot on my plate in my first six months as president, but my big focus this year has been to do everything I can to keep building an engaged community of audio professionals, academics, researchers, practitioners and students. For six years, I served the Society as the Education Chair and feel proud of the vibrant mix of students and educators that have found their way to the AES. I understand how beneficial this AES connection is to one’s career development; I’ve seen students and young professionals use their AES experience to leverage great careers. As an educator, I’ve learned so much about curriculum, facilities and pedagogy from other professors at AES conventions, conferences and local events.

What do you plan to achieve as president during the coming six months?

I’ve been pushing the AES to take a hard look at how we use our resources. We’ve got to make some hard choices about the best ways to perform our functions.

Social media has changed the landscape of how we all communicate, learn and market what we do. There is no question that the AES needs to make better use of 21st century tools to reach our members in a more timely manner.

A lot of people already know me from the Facebook group that I’ve been moderating called “Hey Audio Student”’; in a short time, it’s become a place where students can connect to the narrative of what it is to be a modern student of professional audio. Of course, an essential part of that narrative is participation in the AES. There are so many events and opportunities to take advantage of, including local section meetings, regional AES student summits, conferences and conventions.

If student membership, participation and enthusiasm are a measure of how we are doing in Europe, then I am not worried

John Krivit

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22/04/2016 15:20

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P20 MAY 2016

Studio

You are well respected as an educator and futurist.

What specific vision do you bring to the job of AES president?

There are many places on the internet where one can find information about technology and science, but the AES is really the gold standard for that.

Our peer-reviewed journal and our E-Library are essential to academic research and discovery. Why not peer-reviewed video where academics can receive institutional credit for such work? We have so many great communicators coming from the academic and the professional worlds and this is something I’d like to get off the ground.

Krivit with students and faculty from the University of Hartford, Connecticut

The European Community has gone through a number of recent changes. How can the AES assist that membership?

If student membership, participation and enthusiasm are a measure of how we are doing in Europe, then I am not worried. We have exciting student chapters in each country and our commercial partners have taken note that this is the next generation of industry leaders and decision makers. We’re not just talking about kids who want to make beats: we‘re talking about the student scientists who are developing new technologies.

We’re talking about the next generation of top-level broadcasters and studio engineers.

Were you involved in plans for the upcoming Paris convention?

AES 140th Convention chair Mike Williams has been a dynamic force in crafting a terrific programme; I really have to give Mike and his committee all of the credit for their tireless work. There have been so many proposals for workshops and tutorials that we’ve had to take on more space at the Palais des Congrès. I’m looking forward to hearing all of the technical expertise that drives our science and practical application. Author and educator Alex Case, who is also the AES president-elect, has been selected to give the keynote address. He is a brilliant speaker with a great sense of humour.

How has exhibitor response been to the Paris convention?

There are bigger shows out there but none have the engagement or gravitas of an AES Convention. Size isn’t really important; reaching the right audience is. Unlike some bigger events, the AES Convention has soul. The AES convention is about learning and friendship and a true collective celebration of the science and practice of audio. In a world where we must embrace the concept of life-long learning, the workshops, tutorials, exhibitions, etc. are all essential for the audiophile who needs to stay well ahead of the curve.

During recent years the AES has increased the number of specialist conferences. Is that a development you favour?

Student Delegate Assembly officers at the Berlin Wall

Every subject and topic of audio brings with it its own unique community of experts. Automotive Audio, Audio Forensics, Audio for Games, Audio Education, Audio Networking, Music-Induced Hearing Disorders… all have their critical issues that change rapidly. My job as AES president is to make sure that these communities feel welcome and supported under the umbrella of the AES. Each year, we’ll have about four conferences on these diverse topics. I made a trip in January to the US Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, which hopefully will lead to a 2018 AES Conference on Audio Archiving and Restoration.

What do conferences offer that a regular AES Convention might not?

One new idea we are trying for the first time is to co-locate an AES Conference on Audio for Virtual and Augmented Reality at our 141st Convention in Los Angeles this coming September. It’s an interesting plan that we’ve never done before. Conference co-chairs Andres Mayo and Linda Gedemer are in the process of working out all of the logistical details of how the two events can complement each other and will work simultaneously.

What three achievements would you like to be remembered for at the conclusion of your term as president?

AES presidents get rotated through pretty quickly so I’ll probably get some undeserved credit for the great things that my predecessor Andres Mayo did as president! Andres put in place a Financial Planning Committee headed by AES vice president Bill Foster.

My first goal is to do everything I can as AES president to enable Bill to find ways of optimising our financial systems. I’m also working with our AES Standards chair Bruce Olson and AES Standards manager Mark Yonge to develop a new funding mechanism that gives participating companies a bigger stake in the work that we do to promote technical interoperability.

Finally, I’m a big fan of the late poet Maya Angelou, who famously said: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I want to make sure that when people think of the AES, they smile and feel smart and valued and important and listened to, and they come back every year. + The 140th International AES Convention will be held at Palais des Congrès, Paris, from 4- 7 June 2016

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P22

Studio

MAY 2016

FRANCE

And now: the weather From car engines to wind and rain, French developer AudioGaming is making the sounds for the next generation of games. Mike Hillier listens in

J

ust like the Marvel superhero, Storm, Amaury La Burthe can control the weather.

Showers and squalls, gales and gusts: La Burth brings them all. Except, where the character of Storm can fly, La Burthe has his feet on the ground. In fact, he generates footsteps…

None of it’s real, of course. AudioGaming (AG) is a Toulouse-based software developer specialising in sound design tools for game audio. The company started in 2009 when La Burthe, one of AG’s founders alongside Guillaume Le Nost and Damien Henry, was working at Sony. “I have a dual profile. Before founding AudioGaming I worked first in audio research (Ircam, Sony) and then in the video game industry (Ubisoft). At some point I realised I needed some tools that did not exist. So I decided to create the tools I felt were missing.”

The first of these tools was AudioWeather, a plug-in which synthesises wind and rain sounds. Sound design for games presents a unique challenge, as the audio has to respond to the players actions. Traditional sampling techniques present a fixed sound, which can be altered in some ways with effects, such as filters and reverbs.

However, AG’s plug-ins use acoustic modelling to generate sounds in realtime, presenting the sound designer with complete control over the sound, and enabling them to generate the sound procedurally in response to elements of the gameplay. “As soon as you start modelling behaviours, you end up with much more control over the generated sound,” says La Burthe. “You are mixing and layering, you are generating in a sound driven by physical properties that can be completely controlled over time. It’s more than realtime, it is ‘interactive time’. Everything can change according to what’s happening in the game. It is also a great tool to quickly create new soundscapes with believable, physicallyinspired behaviours.” As well as games, AudioWeather has been utilised by film sound designers, most notably Harry Cohen on Django Unchained.

Modelling the audio properties of weather was only the starting point for AudioGaming, the company now has a portfolio of sound generation plug-ins dedicated towards different frequently used game audio sounds – AudioSteps for instance, as alluded to earlier, for the sound of characters walking or running. The most recent is AudioMotors, which uses recordings of car engines as the source, analysing them to automatically determine the RPM of the recording. This recording is then processed through the realtime synthesis engine to generate new sounds which responds to the RPM of the car in the game in real-time. As the user ‘revs’ the engine hotter, so the sound changes in response. This tool has already been used on Ubisoft’s driving title, Trackmania Turbo.

These plug-ins are available for the common host formats (VST, AAX and AU) in addition to a dedicated implementation inside the game audio middleware solution FMOD Studio, which provides a procedural audio solution inside many of the top game engines, including Unity, Unreal and Valve Software’s Source engine.

While innovations in gaming hardware are often seen as pushing the graphics side, the audio side too gets to enjoy the benefits of additional memory and processing bandwidth. La Burthe believes this provides game developers with opportunities not only to use more interesting and believable sounds, but also to create better narratives in the games. “We have great tools, lots of memory and bandwidth to do very interesting things.

We need to focus on how we use those tools to better tell stories: things like interactive mixing depending on game states, sound focus, give us a lot of control, so we need to be creative on how we use them, not for the sake of technology, but to help tell stories in a more powerful way.”

Probably the most exciting new area in gaming is the emergence of virtual reality. Again, the technological shift focuses on the graphic side, but La Burthe sees VR as an

Amaury La Burthe at the AudioGaming offices in Toulouse, France

important leap for game audio. “Sound designers don’t need to be convinced about the impact of audio, but it is definitely helping all the others realise this impact. VR is interactive audio with pictures! It really helps to show how much the audio can be used as a directing tool, much like a camera. Interactive mixing (which is not specifically linked to VR) for example is really the camera of the sound designer.

You can choose whatever you want to focus on depending on multiple parameters in real-time.”

This freedom to tell stories using VR was put to use on the film Notes On Blindness, which was created alongside a VR immersive experience ‘Note On Blindness: Into Darkness’, of which La Burthe was the executive producer. “We took enormous care to produce immersive soundscapes,” he says. “They have a very high dynamic, like in real-life. They are composed of lots of different 3D placed individual sounds, with lots of variety to avoid pre-rendered monotonous looping background files. Doing this we obtain a very credible environment, always evolving, and never really repeating. We later added the visual, but this precise audio landscape really helps to create an immersive and emotional experience.”

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P24

Studio

MAY 2016

ITALY

A House is a home Four top sound engineers have upgraded a Rome jazz venue’s recording set-up. Mike Clark went along for a chat

L

a Casa del Jazz (the House of Jazz), built in the 1930s, is located in Villa Osio in Rome. Its three constituent buildings stand in a beautiful six-acre park which also hosts concerts during the spring and summer months.

CdJ’s main building features a multifunctional 150-seat auditorium, an AV archive and a library of rare publications, while its smaller premises reveal rehearsal, recording and accommodation facilities, and a restaurant.

Recently, before being restored by Zètema Progetto Cultura, the villa was confiscated from the boss of one of Rome’s most infamous criminal gangs. (In fact, there is a commemorative plaque at the entrance with the names of mafia victims.)

As well as concerts by top international artists, the 150-seat CdJ auditorium is a true home for cultural activities in the Eternal City. Seminars and listening sessions, press conferences and presentations by record companies and publishers, educational activity by top music schools, readings – all have been undertaken in the auditorium.

Management and operation of the recording facilities’ were recently taken over by four top Italian sound engineers – Ascanio Cusella, Simone Saccomandi, Stefano Del Vecchio and Roberto Lioli – who upgraded and overhauled the entire set-up.

Saccomandi explains: “Ascanio has been at CdJ since it opened and I joined a couple of years later as his assistant. We suggested to (CdJ technical manager) Marcello Fagnani the idea of managing the studios with two sound engineer friends and, since the initial trial period, the four of us have recorded numerous top Italian artists and international names there.”

Based in L’Aquila, Cusella has worked with a comprehensive list of artists during his lengthy career as a live and studio sound engineer, but he has also found time to work as a recording studio designer and production manager on live events. His CV includes top jazz festivals such as Umbria and Lugano, and work with international stars including Ornette Coleman, Pat Metheny, Jan Garbarek and countless others in the jazz, pop, classical, ballet and dance worlds.

He explains: “When we began work, the venue had a single control room, with an Audient ASP8024 desk, some outboard units, a Pro Tools 7 HD2 system and three recording rooms. Thanks to Fagnani, the PT system was upgraded to HDX and Simone redesigned the set-up, which now features more recording rooms and – alongside the existing Audient analogue suite – a

(L-R): Stefano Del Vecchio, Roberto Lioli, Ascanio Cusella and Simone Saccomandi

digital control room, which is also used for mastering and, if necessary, as a further recording room.”

As well as his lengthy experience as FOH engineer, system engineer and FOH manager on festivals and with a multitude of national and international artists mainly in jazz and classical music, Rome-based Saccomandi also has considerable experience with Rock and Electronic artists (see O.R.k story, p40).

He says: “Taking pride of place in the analogue control room is the 36-fader/72-channel ASP8024 console. The audio team can follow every nuance of the mainly acoustic recordings thanks to Quested 3208 and sub, Yamaha NS10 and sub, Genelec 1030, Dynaudio BM6, Tivoli Audio and Meyer Sound HD-1 monitors.”

Nominated in 2012 as Italy’s best jazz sound engineer

by Jazzit magazine, Roberto Lioli has served as a sound engineer for years with pianist Stefano Bollani. In 2015, he founded the Encore Jazz label, for which he also works as producer.

Lioli says: “The CdJ venue is now able to count on three control rooms – the third is used in the auditorium for recordings – and up to seven recording rooms, including the auditorium, all fully cabled and interconnected via AV.” As well as the main 8 x 6m room and 4 x 3m grand piano room (both with variable reflection panels) there is a 4 x 3m absorbent drum room, a 4 x 3m reflective room with variable reflection panels and a 4 x 2m multipurpose room.

Del Vecchio has in-depth experience on live events

(including a considerable number of musicals), in studio and on television broadcasts. His recording work has included a Nino Rota tribute by the London Symphony Orchestra and the Fabrizio Bosso quartet recorded at London’s Air Studios. Del Vecchio is in charge of audio at Icarus Music School in his home town of L’Aquila and technical manager and personal sound engineer for several top Italian artists.

He explains: “We fitted out the rooms, adding personal mixers and CCTV and carrying out an in-depth overhaul of the existing equipment. We now also have two external Pro Tools systems and, pooling our resources, put a really incredible range of microphones as artists’ disposal. The digital control room hosts a Digidesign Control 24 control surface and monitors are Meyer Sound 833 plus subs, Genelec 1030, Dynaudio BM6, Tivoli Audio and Meyer Sound HD-1.”

As well as an impressive array of outboards in the control rooms, thanks to an agreement with longstanding Rome MI retailer Ciampi, CdJ also has a beautiful Yamaha C7 grand piano in the studio, a C6 in the auditorium and, when necessary, a Steinway and a Fazioli grand concert piano.

Close collaboration with backline rental firms, through the foursome’s live contacts, and with CD duplication companies, now enables CdJ to follow the entire creative process, from start to finish. It’s not just a house for jazz – it’s a home. www.casajazz.it

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P26 MAY 2016

Studio

Flying high Producer and musician Paul Stacey, found a free moment in his schedule to chat with Mike Hillier about production, psychology and art

P

aul Stacey is best known for his work with Oasis. With producer Mark ‘Spike’ Stent, Paul engineered Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants, eventually recording various parts on the album. This led to a long career working with the band and, after their demise, with Noel Gallagher on his solo albums.

This relationship also led to Stacey working with Chris Robinson, and later The Black Crowes themselves. His twin-brother, Jeremy Stacey, is also a successful session musician, having performed with Sheryl Crow, Ryan Adams and – of course – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.

How did you get into producing?

I got a guitar and my brother got drums and we just made a racket at school when we were 11 or 12. We slowly found a friend who played bass. Punk was just starting to break, so we started a punk band, listening to the Damned and The Sex Pistols. I went from that to a ’70s-style hard-rock band, and then got into jazz, rehearsing with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. I was never a jazz snob though, I always liked pop and rock.

When I was about 16, my brother did a job that meant we were able to afford a Portastudio, and that was the start of the recording lark. It was amazing to be able to record at home and make demos. I started getting bands down and recording them too.

I’ve been working with Noel on and off for about 17 years and through that, I ended up doing a few solo albums with Chris Robinson when The Black Crowes were on hiatus, and when they got back together it was natural for me to get back involved. I mixed a couple of records, and then produced three for them. I don’t know how I ended up producing, but that’s how it is.

What does production mean to you?

For me a producer is your trusted friend. Everybody needs a sounding board, if you don’t have one you can easily become too caught up in the details. It’s a psychological job, sometimes it has little to do with the music.

Like the director of a film, you have to know about all the stages involved. A director knows about cameras, angles, the storyboard, actors, how the actors are feeling, egos. And a producer has to do the same, understanding all the aspects of the music and the artist.

A producer should be a musician, should understand music theory, engineering, microphones, mic positioning, mixing and how the whole thing comes together.

What console are you using?

When I came back from touring with Oasis in ’97, I bought a Neotek desk and an MCI 24-track tape machine. I was working on that for a while, and eventually I started working in studios in America, on Neves and APIs, and I realised there was a reason why people want to work on these.

So I got a Trident A-Range. It’s a very rare Stacey owns a rare Trident A-Range desk – it was used to record Baker Street desk, there were only 14 or 15 made. Mine was the desk from Chipping Norton and it’s in a video with Gerry Rafferty, it was used on Baker Street. It went from there to America, to Henry Hirsch, Lenny Kravitz’s producer, then from there it went to Japan before coming back here.

And monitors?

For speakers, I was using a mixture of ProAcs with a Bryston amp, and NS10s. The ProAcs are a little soft, and the Brystons a little hard so they’re a good combo.

I pondered the idea of getting a sub, but I never got on with one. When I was doing Warpaint for the Black Crowes, I tried ATC 150s in a studio in Woodstock, New York, and I was a little worried about using them too much, because they have such a big sound. But when I came home I felt I could hear into the recordings, so I started to realise I needed some big speakers.

I was thinking about getting 150s but I couldn’t work out how to fit them in my room. I went to Belgium to do a record and a mastering engineer friend of mine, Stefan, introduced me to the Guzauski-Swist, which has the ATC dome. I felt this was important for me, because it sits in the middle and stops you from having to listen to guitars on tweeters. I spent two weeks tracking on the Guzauski-Swist monitors and they sounded a lot like the ATC 150s, and they fit on my desk. So I now use those and the ProAcs.

Do you use any plug-ins, or are you all outboard?

I mainly use outboard, but I do use the UAD plug-ins, that was the first stuff to really surprise me. I have quite a lot of the originals, like the 33609, and there’s something it does with the gain, which the UAD plug-in also does. I’ve got a few different 1176s, and they all sound different.

And the UAD models all have similar qualities. If you don’t own the originals they’re great. If I went all in the box, I’d get two octo UAD cards. I just wish they did a few more bits that I use all the time like the Inovonics 201 and the Spectra Sonics 610.

You’ve heard Paul Stacey play on many of Noel Gallagher’s songs

Do you heavily edit performances, and tune vocals?

I don’t really care for AutoTune. I have used it though, as anyone other than maybe Glyn Johns has…

If you tune a vocal, and listen to the original a few years later, when you’ve come out of the process, you realise you’ve lost something, the very thing you get on the old recordings. The imperfections are what you remember. The more you flatten it out and perfect it the more dull it becomes. It’s a strange thing. As an artist you want it to be in tune, to feel good. At the time it feels amazing that everything is in tune and in time. It instantly make you go “wow”, but actually it’s the emotion and the vibe that’s important. Some people can make pictures when they sing and you get completely invested in the vocal, the words, the melody and the rhythm. So when you start flattening it with compression and tuning. If you keep everything fixed and set and you edit the timing and make it all perfect, it becomes mind-numbingly boring.

If you listen to Frank Sinatra, one of my favourite singers of all time, it’s not about the tuning, he’s not in tune all the time, but his phrasing is remarkable. What you get when he sings those words is his depth, his knowledge comes through, it’s like poetry.

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3/15/2016 9:37:05 AM

Digital Mixing Consoles for Live Sound, Theatre and Broadcast

SD7

SD5

SD10 DiGiCo’s digital evolution really began with the release of the D5 Live – a breakthrough console that turned the pro-audio world on its head, and raised eyebrows across the industry. A super-powerful and slick piece of kit, with a massive feature set, which would set the standard for years to come.

Fast-forward 5 years, and the first of the SD Series was born – another real trend setter, combining a quick and intuitive user interface, and sonic capabilities that are still yet to be beaten. Each console in the range retains that classic analogue feel, with the ultimate in digital processing.

The SD Series raised the bar in many ways: not only in terms of power and flexibility, but creativity; never before had engineers

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SD8

SD9

experienced Super FPGA technology, which allowed for massive I/O capabilities, and the ultimate dynamic toolbox, easily accessible at the press of a button or via the touch screen.

From the rackmount SD11, all the way up to the flagship SD7, and everything in between, there is an SD console suited to every possible audio application - and they all pack a similar punch. Be it a bar or club gig, a stadium world tour, or a massive broadcast event such as The Grammys or The Oscars, the SD Series is so often the go-to.

SD11 But it doesn’t end there.

DiGiCo has made quite a statement with its latest console, the S21. It’s a baby SD7, at first glance – and the two actually have a lot in common: the same core engine, the same dynamic processing, and even multiple touch screens.

S21 packs all the power of its big brothers into a super-compact shell, and and keeps DiGiCo right on the cutting edge of the pro-audio industry.

Also, the release of Stealth Core 2™ processing takes the SD series to yet another unsurpassed level of channels, busses and processing power.

DiGiCo UK Ltd. Unit 10 Silverglade Business Park, Leatherhead Road, Chessington, Surrey KT9 2QL. Tel: +44 (0) 1372 845600

Stand Number: C11510

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www.digico.biz

4/22/2016 10:18:14 AM

P30 MAY 2016

Broadcast: Show report

Dabbling at NAB A round-up of releases and more from the broadcast show in the Nevada desert...

T

he National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show returned to the Las Vegas Convention Center on the 16-21 of April for its annual showcase of the latest media technologies, which this year included virtual reality, cloud media and – you guessed it – drones.

Here’s some of what happened on the audio side…

The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) made its industry debut in Vegas. The trade alliance prepared a full schedule of events throughout the show as it looks to promote open standards and interoperability-based transition to media production over IP. Interoperability demonstrations featured on a variety of members’ booths; AIMS now spans 22 manufacturers, consultants, service providers, media content producers and distributors, and is growing all the time.

At the show, AIMS showcased its Roadmap for the adoption and standardisation of open protocols in the transition to a fully IP-based workflow, as well as the alliance’s alignment with the multiple associations and standards bodies, whose work and proposals the AIMS Roadmap endorses.

Product-wise, the pro-audio highlight of the show seemed to be Calrec Audio’s compact desk, the Brio.

At less than a metre wide, Brio’s 36 dual-layer fader surface provides more faders in a given footprint than any other audio console, claims Calrec. It takes up the position of being, the smallest in Calrec’s FPGA-driven Bluefin2 family of devices.

Calrec’s VP of sales Dave Letson, said: “Brio provides something unique at this price-point – a mixing console completely focused on the needs of broadcasters and broadcast infrastructures. This amount of scalable and managed I/O, comprehensive monitoring, surround sound, and high bus quantities provides a degree of dedicated broadcast functionality that has never been available at this level.

“As the market calls for more and more audio mixes to support online content, smaller consoles that possess pure live-broadcast features are increasingly desirable,” continued Letson. “Products in this sector have traditionally had basic capabilities and are not ideally suited to broadcast environments. Brio is the first application-specific alternative for broadcasters who operate in this environment and provides dedicated broadcast features at a very aggressive price point.

Brio is entirely self-contained, with analogue and digital I/O and GPIO built into the surface. Additional expansion I/O slots allow for further I/O integration, while fitting an available Hydra2 module makes it possible to connect to and share audio over Calrec’s Hydra2 network.

Calrec also unveiled a number of networking

The crowds poured into Las Vegas, like the rain generally doesn’t in that part of the world

interfaces, including a 1U Ravenna/AES67 interface that can transport 256 channels of audio on a single connection, and the RP1 remote production engine, a 2U core that contains integrated, FPGA-based DSP, enabling a console surface at another facility to control all mixing functionality.

Also showcasing Ravenna and AES67 standard was Digigram, presented its IP codecs, primarily highlighting the IQOYA call remote-broadcasting AoIP. Digigram provided a live demonstration of audio networking interoperability that featured 27 networked-audio products employing audio networking technologies such as Dante, Livewire, and Ravenna audio-over-IP protocols.

Digigram also presented its LX-IP PCIe sound card, which, according to the company, facilitates a smooth migration to IP while ensuring secure content delivery with the same latency as digital audio, as well as interoperability with other audio protocols.

ENCO demonstrated its ‘Visual Radio’ solution for broadcasters. The platform uses ENCO’s DAD radio automation and presenter management interface to deliver a ‘complete multimedia experience’ to web and mobile audiences.

A Visual Radio exhibit at the ENCO booth showcased how operators can create a manual or automated workflow to deliver professional video feeds. The demonstration emphasised the speed of the learning curve for live camera switching, and the display of graphical elements including lower-thirds, network bugs, social media feeds and breaking news crawls.

Aaton-Digital presented its CantarX3 digital sound

Here’s the full X3 package from Aaton-Digital

recorder package, including the new Cantarem2 and recorder accessories.

According to Aaton, the CantarX3 recorder has already made a ‘huge impact’ on the sound recording sector for cinematography, broadcast, drama, and orchestral work.

Complimenting this was the launch of the new Cantaress advanced mixing surface. Aaton-Digital claims the Cantaress presents an ‘extraordinary feel’ even when using gloves, and offers high durability for the intensive user.

Jünger Audio focused on Smart Audio – a new concept aimed at helping broadcasters embrace automated audio production, particularly in live environments.

Jünger’s D*AP range is designed to deliver a Smart Audio experience, and has been equipped with the industry standard Ember+ remote protocol, allowing integration of audio processing equipment with both playout automation systems and logging and monitoring processes.

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P31 MAY 2016

Calrec Audio’s Brio is the “most powerful and compact digital broadcast audio console in its class”

The range includes natural sounding products for loudness control, audio monitoring, metadata management and Dolby decoding, encoding and transcoding.

Showcased were the D*AP8 MAP Edition surround monitoring audio processor; the D*AP8 Codec Edition processor that provides a replacement for any discontinued legacy Dolby hardware processor; the D*AP4 VAP Edition two-channel voice audio processor, and the flagship D*AP8 TAP edition television audio processor, which is designed to ensure consistency of loudness and sonic ‘character’ across multiple programme sources.

Nugen Audio demonstrated the latest updates to its family of post-production and broadcast audio tools, include significant changes to the company’s upmixing, batch processing and offline loudness tools.

It unveiled an all-new option for Halo Upmix, the company’s solution for upmixing stereo audio to surround. The 9.1 option allows the introduction of vertical positioning into the upmix, generating a 7.1.2 bed track-compatible upmix.

Several updates are immediately available for the Loudness Management Batch (LMB) Processor’s extensions, designed to help clients stay ahead of industry requirements for automated loudness analysis and correction. These updates include improved LRA correction speed for the DynApt extension and wider file format support for the ProRes extension, which now supports .MOV files using version 2 descriptors and

those with the LPCM format flag.

Sound Devices released its firmware version 3.00 update for its 688 mixer/recorder in Vegas, which will include Dan Dugan Sound Design automatic mic mixing.

The addition of the Dugan Speech System is in keeping with Sound Devices’ ongoing commitment to providing sound mixers with the tools they need to mix in an increasingly complex production environment.

According to Sound Devices, the addition makes the 688 the ‘go-to’ automixing tool for field production applications, says the company.

Sonnet Technologies showcased its Fusion Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Flash Drive, a pocket-sized SSD storage device with Thunderbolt 3 interface. It possesses 512GB of flash storage, leveraging the 40Gbps bandwidth of Thunderbolt 3 to deliver data transfer speeds up to 2,100Mbps.

“With its blazing-fast Thunderbolt 3 interface, the Fusion Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Flash Drive can sustain the ultra-high file transfer speeds required for just about any 4K workflow – whether users need an ultra-fast shuttle drive or a take-anywhere scratch drive for editing high frame rate 4K video at offsite shoots,” said Robert Farnsworth, CEO of Sonnet Technologies.

Solid State Logic (SSL) gave the US debut to System T at NAB: this is a fully networked broadcast audio production environment designed to provide the users with the power to handle large-scale production in a ‘multi-platform delivery driven future’.

The Tempest processor engine is the heart of System T and uses SSL’s patented Optimal Core Processing for real-time, 64-bit CPU-based, floating point mixing and processing. Each processor engine can handle up to 3,072 inputs and outputs and provides 800 fully configurable processing paths.

According to SSL, System T can fit anywhere, including in existing traditional TDM-based routing infrastructures, allowing broadcasters to manage their migration to network-based audio transport and routing without dismantling existing provision and without

Netia showed off its AirPlayList 2.0 module

compromising on audio quality.

Netia demonstrated the Media Assist digital audio software suite, which includes radio automation, media asset management and workflow management solutions.

The company is highlighting new product features designed to enhance the flexibility and reliability of multichannel FM radio and Web radio.

It is also presented the AirPlayList 2.0 module, which is fully integrated into the Media Assist software suite to facilitate automated playout of multiple radio channels simultaneously. The new module is designed to streamline and simplify the playout workflow to make it easier to launch and maintain new Web radio services.

Finally in our inexhaustive round-up, RTW debuted its new audio processor hardware, APRO-CLC01, for Continuous Loudness Control (CLC).

The hardware is designed to enable engineers to use the company’s processing algorithm for continuous loudness and dynamic control of a live signal in their professional audio equipment.

“We have created the APRO-CLC01 as a platform that will enable integrators or processor manufacturers to use RTW’s OEM-PCB within their hardware, as well as console manufacturers and others,” explained Michael Kahsnitz, head of product management at RTW. “With this new introduction, it will be up to the integrator to define the way a user can control and read back information from our processor.”

Over to the integrators for more, then…

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P32

Broadcast

MAY 2016

Belgium

DB Video counts With its brand new Unit 10 OB vehicle, Belgian audiovisual company DB Video is setting a new standard, combining state of the art technology with working space comfort, notes Marc Maes

Yves Bunneghem, head of sound, and the Lawo mc² 56

D

B Broadcast is a steady player on the local and international market when it comes to providing broadcast, post-production or events facilities, and has been for 20 years.

Located between Brussels and Antwerp, DB now owns the newly commissioned Unit 10 OB vehicle, which enables the company to expand its current mobile capacity from 10 to 16 cameras. In the same move, DB Video has concluded a partnership with Riedel while building on its commitment to Lawo consoles and routers.

“The key issue with this new van is the space inside,” says Yves Bunneghem, head of sound with DB Video.

The operation currently has three other trucks in service (Units 9, 8 and 6, in fact). “Unit 10 is different to anything on the market. Many trucks have the technical capacity

but no room for clients. With productions becoming more complex, OB vans should offer room for the production team, the editors and supervisors, alongside the technical crew. That’s why we decided to invest in a space-saving yet spacious, big expandable truck, with plenty of seating and working space.”

Bunneghem says this decision also required maximal efficiency during the technical integration and cabling of the van. “The people at Moeyersons, experts in OB vans and customised coaches, were prepared to go that extra mile towards innovation and have succeeded. Flying working desks and the critical decision to separate the audio from the video department resulted in a very spacious inside. It takes away the feeling of being crammed together in a dark room,” he enthuses.

At the heart of the audio capability is a Lawo mc² 56

desk, together with a Lawo Nova Compact router with 16 MADI ports and 192 channels of DSP. “We installed an mc² 56 in our Unit 8 van two years ago. Many of our engineers have been working with Lawo in earlier projects and know the advantages of the system,” explains Arno Dens, project manager with DB Video.

“Today, many projects simply require Lawo, because it’s the standard. The step towards Lawo is a double investment: for our technical staff and as a door-opener for new projects.”

“We went all the way with Lawo, we had good working experience with them before, the equipment is 100% reliable and we enjoy excellent service from local distributor LDM,” continues Bunneghem. “In addition to the console and router, we included two external Lawo Dallis stage boxes with cabling for direct input/

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P33

One Key to Unit 10 is ample interior space

MAY 2016

s to 10

output. It’s one huge system, controlled by Lawo VSM software.”

Also a first with this vehicle is the partnership with Riedel Communications, allowing DB Video to implement the most advanced functionalities in a Mediornet environment. “We’re looking at a long time collaboration with Riedel: their Artist platform is in all our cars and mobile broadcast units. The new car is equipped with a Riedel Artist 64 frame with MADI connection and 1100-series panels. A new feature, premiered at the April NAB, is a decentralised video routing system with an integrated audio router with multiviewer option.

The Lawo is connected through multiple MADI ports with the video router allowing us to connect all of the audio, video and intercom and control it via the Lawo VSM. The Riedel application will be fully IP-ready for remote production. And when necessary, the truck is upgradable to 4K.”

DB Broadcast has extended its fleet with this shiny new truck

Bunneghem adds that the unique partnership with Riedel, initially as a beta-test for the Unit 10 build, includes weekly communication with Riedel’s HQ in Wuppertal. “Today we have the full Mediornet router operation with 18 Micron frames, 2 Metron fibre network router frames and 4 Mediornet frames for in/ out,” Bunneghem says. “Dirk Sykora, of Belgian Lawo distributor LDM followed our viewpoint in channelling all of the intercom communication through the Lawo router and effected the programming and processing of the intercom signals. This makes the Lawo router, with four separate submixers, the actual core of the Unit 10.”

Unit 10 is further equipped with a Waves SoundGrid Server One for outboard effects, mastering and 128 channels of multitrack recording capacity.

“Because of the glass walls in the car we had to be very careful with acoustics in the audio room,” says Bunneghem. “That’s why we opted for Genelec SAM series digital monitors. With the Genelec GLM software we have been able to optimise the set up of a 5.1 monitoring system, and fully adapt it to the audio control room’s acoustic specifications.”

Bunneghem adds that, as a result of the Unit 10 implementation, DB has upgraded to Genelec SAMready monitors throughout its facilities (22 speakers in total).

The new OB van will be first used at sports events and during the upcoming European Football Championships in France, where the Belgian team’s games will be covered for (public broadcaster) VRT and RTBF. Next are summer events and festivals, like the popular Tomorrowland. “The big difference this year will be that instead of having to build a complete container village housing the central control rooms we will now be able to channel the signal from our TV cars next to the stages directly to the Unit 10 car, which will then also serve as central hub for TV, streams and radio,” says Bunneghem. “The car will be parked backstage with no building time required…” www.dbvideo.tv www.ldm-systems.eu

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P34 MAY 2016

Technology feature

Rings around the world Twenty years ago the first Optocore products were released and a networking technology odyssey began in earnest. David Davies invited key personnel Marc Brunke and Tine Helmle to take a trip down memory lane

W

e are where we hoped we would be… it just took a little longer than I expected,” laughs Optocore founder Marc Brunke. “But when you are young you think that everything can happen quickly…

I thought maybe I could do this in three years then go back to studying music again. It’s the folly of youth!”

But while Brunke still performs “every once in a while”, it is clear that music’s loss has been pro-audio’s gain – although it was his former life that provided the impetus for the entire Optocore project. Observing the challenges that a mixing engineer encountered with copper snakes when he was playing saxophone with his then-band led Brunke to wonder whether fibre optic might provide an effective replacement.

The initial 1993 patent was “really quite basic – just establishing the basics of the technology”, but a mere three years later the first Optocore products were ready to be brought to the market. The 8-channel A-D and D-A converter modules dubbed the ‘Brunke Modules’ were the first audio network systems to feature multiple nodes, with the first sales made to Polish Broadcast in advance of a Papal visit.

The decision to base Optocore products on established open standards (AES3 and AES10 AKA MADI) undoubtedly contributed to the technology’s growth over the ensuing seven years as the Germanybased team began to spread the word about its ability to provide transport, routing and format conversion, as well as distribution of audio, video and control data with management and diagnostic capabilities.

The LX4A stage unit was “among the first products to really put Optocore on the map,” suggests Brunke, although the next few years played host to a series of notable launches. These included the X6P 16-channel converters and – “entering the digital world” as the new millennium got underway – the DD32 I/O device.

The first “digital-only device in the range”, the DD32 could be used in conjunction with Optocore’s analogue

I thought maybe I could [complete the Optocore project in] three years then go back to studying music again. It’s the folly of youth!

Marc Brunke

Marc Brunke at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt explaining fibre technology in 1996

The deal with Fohhn, sealed at this year’s PL+S. (L-R) Rüdiger Bormann, Optocore senior developer; Ulli Haug, Fohhn VP sales & marketing; Marc Brunke; Oliver Mack, Fohhn planning engineer

X6 modules, as well as any other connector, console or third-party equipment. The 1U unit – which was equipped with a dual 1Gbps full-bandwidth optical interface – quickly became a bestselling item in the Optocore range and ensured that the technology developer was well-placed to make a significant contribution to the then-nascent digital audio revolution.

INCORPORATION & IMPLEMENTATION By this time, the scope of the Optocore technology

to “help with touring and remove the need to move masses of copper cabling around in trucks” meant that it had begun to establish a particularly notable niche in live sound. But two key developments in the 2002/03 period would serve to ramp up the entire Optocore project significantly. Firstly, mixing console giant DiGiCo decided to implement the native Optocore protocol for audio and control in their consoles and racks, making it possible to offer combined console and network in their systems. Secondly, the incorporation of Optocore GmbH

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P35 MAY 2016

took place, ushering in a more regimented approach to organisation and growth.

“The production aspect did not change much as that had always taken place in and around Munich, and continues to do so today,” says Tine Helmle, who was Optocore GmbH VP of sales and marketing from 2001 to 2012 and is now managing director of broadcastoriented sister company BroaMan. “But we did secure some new investors as a result and were able to start building proper departments for marketing and sales, and overall the whole organisation of the company moved up to the next level.”

Subsequent years saw further refinement of the Optocore philosophy with introductions such as the R-Series hardware platform in 2009, which – among other improvements – led to a doubling of Optocore network capacity to 2GB. The company also continued to add new OEM clients, not least Clear-Com, with whom Optocore commenced a fruitful relationship when the US-based manufacturer elected to integrate Optocore technology into its ProGrid fibre-based infrastructure system.

With the technology now firmly established throughout live entertainment sectors, the team also acknowledged its appeal to a broadcast market evermore in thrall to the rock-solid nature of MADI connectivity with the creation of an entirely separate company, BroaMan. “Our [existing] distributors were geared towards theatre and live sound, and the broadcast world is quite different, so it made sense to establish a separate company to cater to the demands of that network – something that we finally did in 2012,” says Brunke.

Brunke and Helmle: 20 years at PL+S this year

well-earned reflection upon two decades of sustained growth, it is destined to be a very brief interlude given that the pace of R&D work continues to accelerate.

Accordingly, Optocore/ BroaMan’s presence at Prolight + Sound 2016 played host to several major The ‘Brunke Module’, the first product ever with Optocore Technology inside product launches.

The upgraded Route66 video router from BroaMan regard to its incorporation into speaker manufacturer – which now features Auto Routing and an intelligent Fohhn’s Linea Focus series. A SANE-FX module is fibre patchbay – has already found an inaugural mounted directly inside the Linea Focus housing, customer in UK-based live sound provider Wigwam enabling direct fibre connection to the speaker.

Acoustics, with Coldplay set to become the first user of The number of high-profile OEM clients to be the system when the European leg of its current world announced has increased noticeably in recent years, tour begins in Nice on 24 May. Underlining the diversity and Brunke confirms that “adding more OEMs – really of the Optocore remit, Route66 is suitable for broadcast expanding our relationships in that area” remains an GET YOUR KICKS and installation as well as live events. integral part of Optocore strategy. But he also draws While the 20th anniversary has occasioned some A new module, SANE-FX, was also highlighted with attention to the organisation’s continued educational efforts and its ability to support clients on a 24/7 basis.

While Brunke takes a light-hearted approach to PSNEurope’s question about whether the reality of today matches the expectations of 20 years ago, he concurs eagerly with Helmle’s more measured response. “I think we are in a great position now,” she says. “We have great partners, clients and projects worldwide. On the broadcast side, we have so many strong relationships – NBC and BBC to name just two – while our business in live sound remains strong and we continue to see installations in all manner of settings, from theatres to cruise ships.

“There is no doubt in my mind that we owe a lot of the success to the fact that the technology is so rock-solid and user-friendly. The products we make are also long-lasting and green thanks to their low power consumption; that’s a very important consideration.

And whilst I feel that we do give something important to the industry, it is clear that the industry gives back to us too.” www.optocore.com LX4AP: the ‘Brunke Module’ with Optocore GmbH muscle! It’s a stage unit with 48 channels and network compatibility www.broadcastmanufactur.com

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P36 MAY 2016

Live

There’s a fire…

D Adele has embarked on her third tour: 100 dates until November. She’s rolling with the best gear and the best team around, says Dave Robinson

on’t underestimate the things that I will do”, sang Adele Adkins on her gospel-tinged pop stormer Rolling in the Deep in 2010. Six years later, those words more than ring true. At press time, she was reported as being worth £85 million, the most successful British female ever. She’s conquered the world, practically.

Her bank balance has been topped up by sell-out show after sell-out show on her current tour, which will run till November and encompasses over 100 performances in Europe and North America.

But, as the lady says, don’t underestimate the things that she, and her team, will do. For instance, Adele Live 2016 has taken the unusual step (in the UK, at least) of engaging Berlin’s Black Box Music for PA supply. What’s more, the singer has been won over by Sennheiser’s D9000 wireless system for the first time.

At FOH for the next few months is the familiar, smiling face of Dave Bracey and his trusty SD7. PSNEurope first encounted the Australian native working a D5Live for Robbie Williams in 2003. Since those early days, he’s become a dyed-in-the-wool DiGiCo fan. “It’s the only properly engineer-friendly console that you can really mix on,” he says. “I just don’t consider the facilities on any of their competitors sufficient to do what I like to do. It’s the best sounding console as well, so why would you even consider using anything else?”There is no greater endorsement!

Recently, Bracey has been mixing for Pink and Cher; PSNEurope last bumped into him mixing Björk at the Wilderness Festival last summer – on his own SD7 on that occasion. We point out that he seems to have an affiliation with single-named female artists. He says he hadn’t noticed...

Bracey, and his monitor engineer Joe Campbell, are both using SD7 desks, sharing a rack at 96kHz resolution. (It’s the first time DiGiCo technology has been used by Adele, a fact the console company is rather proud of.)

The crew are also using the Sennheiser Digital 9000 system for the first time on this tour. Adele used a SKM 2000-XP wireless handheld transmitter with MMK 965-1 capsule last time she toured four years ago, reports Bracey.

“We listened to the old mic she used, we compared [it] to the 9000, and it sounded twice as good,” says Bracey, speaking in the 02 ahead of tonight’s final soundcheck. “We were moving from something that she and I liked – an analogue mic with a dynamic capsule – to such a leap forward, straight away, that we thought it was obvious [to use it].

Its whole sonic character is amazing. Just listening to her speaking through it in rehearsals…”

There’s none of that messing about with companding

Adele Adkins personal fortune has been estimated at £85 million

The 02 Arena ahead of the show: this image of Adele’s closed eyes moves ever so slightly. It’s quite eerie…

at the transmission stage, suggests Bracey. “It was always the case that the cable system sounded better than the radio anyway,” he opines. “Now there’s a radio system that sounds as good as or better than any cable system I’ve heard. That was a pretty cool thing to lay your ears across.”

The 9000 wasn’t around when Bracey finished his Pink tenure and started working with Cher: “It would have been a contender for either of those,” he suggests.

The admiration continues: “We started off using it analogue out. Then we did a quick A/B AES out, and that

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Long-time DiGiCo fan Dave Bracey is mixing the tour

was a superior sound again. Now it runs from the mic capsule all the way to the amps flown in the roof, via AES. It doesn’t hit anything analogue between the capsule and the amp, which is everything, so it’s a pretty clean path.”

When it came to Adele’s audition of the new system, the star was hesitant. “Joe, me and all the band thought 9000 Series was the best. She was unsure,” reveals Bracey.

“It’s a strange thing with singers, because their voice is so personal to them: the better the resolution of the mic, the more they can hear [themselves]. So whereas we’re always after quality, the singer will often be a little taken aback by an extra level of quality.” Fortunately: “There was an element of that, but she hasn’t looked back.”

HELLO! IT’S THE D9000!

“She’s singing incredibly. Her voice sounds beautiful,” gushes Bracey. “I’ve never heard anything like it.”

When it comes to the mix, he says: “There’s a Wave MaxxBCL across the mix that I quite often use and it’s very useful on this show. It holds the mix at a really nice level as the louder songs start to build.” He almost can’t help himself with praise: “The tour has been fantastic. It’s one of the best sounding shows I’ve ever mixed, if not the best, probably by a long way, and I started in 1978.”

Joe Campbell – the some-time Prodigy monitor engineer, who works from a technical base constructed under the Adele stage, because there is no ‘stage left’ in this arrangement – doesn’t mince words either: “9000 series sounds great. It’s the best sounding radio mic we’ve ever used and, moreover, Adele likes it. She’s got a very good ear and she really likes it.”

System tech for the tour is freelance Ulf Oeckel, who has worked with Bracey on the Pink and Cher tours.

“I was asked to design the system, which was a challenge because of some unusual requirements in the set-up, including the position of FOH (positioned stage right, side on at the edge of the auditorium). There is a very clean and organised look for the main stage for sight lines.”

That’s no subs on the floors, nothing blocking the stage for the projectors, nothing out of place.

What’s more, Adele moves from a standard arena stage

Monitor engineer uses CCTV and other tricks to see the musicians, as he’s hidden under the triangular stage

System tech is Ulf Oeckel – he’s very impressed with PA hire outfit Black Box Music

The star accepts a Brit Award… using the Sennheiser D9000 system

It’s one of the best sounding shows I’ve ever mixed, if not the best, probably by a long way, and I started in 1978

Dave Bracey (A), at one end, to a central ‘in the round’ stage (B). She moves back and forth between these three times during the show: and the challenge for Oeckel was to achieve a design that transitioned between the stages, seamlessly and naturally, as does the artist. The engineers among you will realise, this sets up sticky issues with delay times.

“She starts on the B stage, but the musicians play on the A stage. After a while, she walks to the main stage and we fade audio all the way. It’s not hear-able everywhere, it’s not possible to make that happen, but all the audience between the systems clearly hear a fade. We have to consider the delay times as well. It’s easy to add delay in one direction, but not in the other because we’re fighting against the time – the audio trigger is already in, so we’re going against the time, which creates some little artefacts, but we can hide it pretty nicely in some fades and movements with the help of a Timax Soundhub which was the only thing that had enough capability to make this smooth…”

L-Acoustics K2 was a real asset in the transition factor and the aesthetic requirement. “Usually we would see large scale systems covering much bigger areas, but we can’t do this here,” says Oeckel. The powerful but lightweight L-Acoustics box does the job. “That was the main criteria for choosing K2,” he says.

The tour is travelling with 150 of Black Box Music’s K2.

Oeckel describes the boxes as “comfortable”, among other things. “Just with the size of the arrays, we can create a tremendous amount of low end and good body impact which means we can work without any floor subs.”

Spoiler alert! There are subs under the stage: eight stacks of three cardioid SB28, with the middle one reversed

for appropriate cancellation.

“It was a bit of a hassle to get them in,” says Oeckel. “[But] there’s nothing to see apart from six little X8 white cabinets on the edge of the stage. Thank god we’ve got them!” he begins… “We looked for the smallest speaker with the highest output and we ended up with X Series, which is fantastic, a really impressive speaker. It’s the first time it’s been used on a tour.”

Oeckel has worked with Black Box Music for some time.

The rental outfit is well-known within Germany, but has rarely reached the pages of PSNEurope, despite being in business since 1992 and taking on major international tours for the likes of Mark Knoplfer. Oeckel resists being drawn on saying too much about the supplier, but he can’t help but be a little praiseworthy: “They try to deliver German engineering,” he says. “The rig is customised by Black Box with a flyable frame and specific cable lengths, so that it all plugs together really quickly and easily and is a very neat and tidy solution.

“The prep work in Berlin is fantastic. What I appreciate is that they really try to make it happen and they do it in house. Black Box Music was the only company that could fulfill exactly what I had specified.”

D9000, K2, SD7, Bracey, Campbell and Oeckel – and Black Box Music. “We could have had it all,” sings Adele in Rolling in the Deep. Lady, you’ve got it all on this tour.

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McComb has “complete confidence in Allen & Heath systems”

The Junun journey Dave Robinson discusses blending genres and traditions with FOH engineer Gavin McComb and his new dLive desk

All Photo credit: James Cumpsty

HEARD BUT NOT SEEN

Live

W

hen Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and Israeli composer Shye Ben Tzur got together for their new project Junun, they concocted a powerful blend of Eastern and Western musical traditions. The album released late last year, produced by Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich received wide critical acclaim. In March, the duo were reunited with the Rajasthan Express – the group of Indian musicians they recorded the album with – for a one-off show at London’s Barbican. The job of mixing this wild and exotic array of instruments fell to Gavin McComb (Simple Minds, Love and Money, Gaz Coombes) and the A&H dLive – and it wasn’t without its challenges…

What do you prefer – a good solid rock tour or these kind of one-off special events – and why?

That’s not an easy question. I suppose my answer would be tour. It doesn’t need to be a ‘solid rock’ tour, though, I’m just as happy on a good solid folk tour…

With touring you get to learn all the subtleties of an artist’s/band’s performances and improve your mix with every show. Obviously, these days, with the power of digital, any subtle improvements can be stored electronically, not just cerebrally. However, it can be a lot of fun tackling a one-off show as it keeps you on your toes.

You started off in studios (CaVa in particular) and then became a live engineer – was that out of choice or necessity?

Ah, the halcyon days of analogue recording with REAL TAPE! My apprenticeship at CaVa studios began in 1986, at the tender age of 17. I learned so much so quickly and moved up the ranks to one of four or five in-house engineers. I worked with a wide range of music and musicians and that has, most definitely, helped my career.

Becoming a live engineer was both a choice and a necessity. Having left the safety of the recording studio to experience the world of stage performance and then touring as a backline tech and tour manager, I let it be known that I was a sound engineer, but had not actually mixed a live gig before. The first band I mixed was The Daisies, back in 1996. I quickly learned that there is a massive difference between studio and live. That show was bloody awful. Luckily, they forgave me and let me have another go the next night. I haven’t looked back.

When did you come to Allen & Heath for the first time – and why?

I had been working with Supergrass on and off for a while. During the last days of the band, Gaz and Danny formed a duo called the Hot Rats. They had recorded an album of covers with producer Nigel Godrich and wanted to take this on tour.

It was just Gaz (vocals, guitar) and Danny (vocals, drums) with a backing track, and it quickly became clear that this was not a tour we could do without our own digital mixing system – one with a small footprint. We approached several digital manufacturers and the only ones interested in helping out were Allen & Heath.

The iLive system was fairly new at the time. A&H’s Leon Philips brought one along to give us a tutorial, and I was blown away by the quality of sound and ease of use.

They let us take an iLive80 and an iDR10 for the tour. I really got to play with the system and fell in love with it.

I’ve been using iLive since.

What was the FOH set up at the Junun gig?

This was my first opportunity to use the new A&H dLive system. I had the surface and brain for the two days of rehearsals prior to the Barbican show. Unfortunately, there wasn’t the space in the rehearsal room to rig up any kind of PA so I was using headphones. It was more a programming and ‘getting

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Gavin McComb says becoming a live engineer was a “choice and a necessity”

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HEARD BUT NOT SEEN familiar with’ time for me.

For the show we used the Barbican’s system, with its Meyer Galileo processor. Left and right each consisted of 1 x M3D sub, 1 x Meyer Milo 60, 4 X Meyer Milo 90s and 2 x Meyer Milo 120s.

There was a separate mono floor-stacked sub control, consisting of 2 x HP700 subs a side with 2 x UPJs stacked on top for side fills and 4 x Meyer M1D front ills along the down stage edge. A centre cluster made up of 8 x Meyer M’Elodies competed the PA. I had separate mix control for each sets of boxes.

The main left and right hang was a bit far apart for my liking, but that is the nature of the Barbican, so I felt I had to use the centre cluster more than I would have preferred to fill the space. Unfortunately, this compromises any stereo imaging.

There were a lot of exotic instruments on the stage. Were there any issues with mic placement?

The Junun act is a big sound with Indian drums, brass, guitars, harmonium, percussion and lots of vocals. For this gig there were fewer performers than in previous shows, but we still had 11 musicians on stage with a lot of open mics.

We used more or less the same mics during rehearsals as the show, so any placement issues were sorted prior to show day. On saying that, we were using a lot of old industry standards that I am well versed in from my old studio days in the 80s. There is still no reason not to use Shure SM57s/58s and Sennheiser 421s.

What about controlling that extraordinary bottom end on the larger drums?

I had some issue during sound check with the bottom end of the dholak drum. This is a double-ended drum with both ends being played. At first sight and hearing you wouldn’t think it could produce much low frequency; but it does.

The main trouble I had was that the frequencies that it sounded best at were the frequencies that the Barbican theatre resonates at. With an empty auditorium, I struggled to make it work. Thankfully, the old saying “it’ll sound better when the punters are in” was a truism.

How do you approach combining these Indian instruments with traditional rock ‘n’ roll guitar?

Much more precise than shotgun microphones, Shure’s new Microflex Advance ceiling array uses Steerable Coverage™ to pinpoint pick-up areas around the conference table. And because it’s the size of a standard ceiling tile, you won’t even know it’s there.

To be honest, I didn’t have any special approach to this.

If an instrument is played well and the musicians work as an ensemble then that is where the magic happens and everything gels together at source. Also, I have complete confidence in the audio capabilities of the A&H digital systems. Very little EQ was required for the instruments.

What’s next on the agenda – and will you be taking an A&H system with you?

As a jobbing tour chap, I don’t always do FOH .

My next gig will be guitar and drum tech for Air. Interestingly, Dave Macdonald, who has been Air’s engineer for donkey’s years, is also an A&H champion.

When I do get my next FOH gig, I will most certainly be wanting to use the A&H dLive system. It has all the best of the iLive and GLD systems and sounds even better. I’ll let you know where and when. www.allen-heath.com

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Photo credit all images: Benedetta Balloni

P40

Live

MAY 2016

ITALY

From a whisper to a scream Prog rock supergroup O.R.k use innovative microphone set-up on club promo tour. Well, as long as you’ve got your elf, says Mike Clark

O

.R.k. is a prog rock band comprised of drummer Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson), bass player Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree) and two Italian artists: Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari aka LEF (vocals, keyboards and electronics) and guitarist Carmelo Pipitone.

While embarking on a European club tour promoting the new Inflamed Rides album, O.R.k’s LEF and sound engineer Simone “Zeta” Saccomandi gave an insight on the gear taken on the road, particularly the mic set-up chosen for vocals, a key element of the band’s distinctive sound, as well as for drums and bass.

For the tour which, as well as Italy, visited Holland, Belgium, Germany, UK and Switzerland, the band to travelled light, using in-house PAs and monitors, and the rest was supplied by Michele Pitoscia’s West Service rental firm from Bojano in the southern central Italy.

Saccomandi explains: “I was involved in the tour by LEF, with whom I’ve worked for some time on other projects, such as Berserk!, another band he fronts.

“Although he more or less gives me carte blanche, he’s very proactive as far as selecting the sound gear is concerned, and it’s great to have a very competent person on board (he produced the album) to help make the final choices for the mix. We met at my studio and tested various models of top microphone brands on the record’s mix minus vocals.

“In the studio, I make regular use of various DPA mics, such are the 4021 and 4099, as well as the d:facto II, which we chose for LEF. With the DIV4S (a quartet

of Italian sopranos who perform regularly with tenor Andrea Bocelli), I use four d:facto and field 4099 on the cellos and double basses, and I’m very happy with the results. The choice was also based on the particular timbre that LEF wanted and with the DPA d:facto, I’ve always got the vocals ‘nailed in the mix!’

“I defy anyone to use a supercardioid condenser mic on a club stage without feedback or sound spill problems... and above all obtain great up-front vocals into the bargain,” challenges Saccomandi. “Another

Inflamed Rides at the Bronson in Ravenna

peculiarity that no other mic has is the fact that you obtain exactly the same identical sound if the mic is used off-axis as when it’s on-axis.”

After choosing the d:facto with an MMC4018VL supercardioid capsule, Saccomandi concentrated on the type of compressor to use (valve units or not), then tried out some preamps to obtain a slightly ‘fresher’ sound, as LEF requested. After more tests, the choice fell on a Telefunken V672 .

“On insert, a Focusrite ISA430 was used for EQ and

Saccomandi at FOH desk at the Bronson

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compression, and I then added my trusty BSS DPR901 multiband EQ (which allows frequency-selective compression and expansion) to the chain.”

LEF continues: “Although Simone and I tested something like ten microphones among the best brands before making our final decision.

“To be honest, it was an easy choice, as the d:facto II outshone the others during the testing sessions and, during the whole tour, it was basically my best ‘friend’, helping my voice sound naturally deep and brilliant.

“My vocals range from low-tuned intimate parts to very loud shouted phrases, but the d:facto II respects the dynamics and works incredibly well with any kind of vocals. One of the major issues with this type of microphone, when the stage is packed, the guitar amp roaring from behind and the drummers hitting the crashes as hard as he can – is that it’s really difficult for the sound engineer to mix the vocals. Nevertheless, we handled different kinds of situations and stages and Simone sorted out a perfect mix every time, receiving many compliments, in particular for the sound of my voice. It’s definitely my current and future choice for live performances.”

Saccomandi mixed a total of 32 channels on an Allen

& Heath live T112 surface with iDR48. Outboard units were SPL Transient Designer (drums), Yamaha SPX990 (reverb on vocals), TL Audio C1 in insert on the master, Apogee Rosetta200 master A-D/D-A conversion and Novacoustic HD8000 digital matrix speaker controller for optimising the clubs’ house PAs. The engineer also took painstaking care with drummer Mastelotto’s sound, and the kit’s mic set-up featured a Shure B52 and AKG D112 on the kick drum, AKG C414 ULS, Sennheiser MD 421 and Schertler A-Dyn on the snare, a Beyerdynamic Opus 53 on the high-hat, four Sennheiser e604 on the toms, three Joemeek JM37 on cymbals and an overhead Sennheiser MD 421.

Other sonic “tricks” included a radio ham mic used by LEF with a passive DI box for effects and a Shure SM 58 in the reflex duct of the bass cabinet (off-stage).

In keeping with its interactive, spontaneous nature, the band decided to release a limited edition of the CD that included the winning version of a remix contest held for one of the tracks (Jellyfish) for its fans, who received a set of audio stems for the track to use as elements for their own remix.

Enthusiastic with the results obtained, Saccomandi concluded: “I’ll be on the road again this summer

LEF on vocals leads the call to arms...

with O.R.k., for a series of Italian dates and a South American tour.” www.orkband.com

IT meet A-T Introducing network Microphones with direct Dante™ Protocol Operating over a simple Ethernet connection, Audio-Technica’s new Network Microphones put you in control. The programmable user switch lets you trigger a video camera’s pan/tilt, a room’s lighting preset or any other function of a compatible Danteenabled device. Each mic comes equipped with a Red/Green LED to keep you informed of local mute status and other processes. And, of course, you still get the clear, articulate sound you expect from A-T. So plug it in, and introduce your network to its new best friend.

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P42 MAY 2016

Live

Dreams and designs from the life of Dr. K From the VL1 modelling synthesiser to the RIVAGE PM10 console, Toshifumi Kunimoto – affectionately known as Dr. K – has been a pivotal participant in many of Yamaha’s most important audio innovations.

In a PSNEurope exclusive, he spoke to David Davies about nearly four decades of groundbreaking R&D

T

he word ‘legend’ is much overused, and not just in the world of audio (and let’s not even get started on ‘genius’). But in the case of Toshifumi Kunimoto – known to his many friends and colleagues as Dr. K – it seems genuinely appropriate, such is his sustained track-record of involvement in historic product development projects at Yamaha’s labs in Japan.

Amid the hustle and bustle of an edition of Prolight + Sound that saw Yamaha highlight its “one stop shop” pro-audio capabilities with developments including the compact RPio222 I/O rack, software

upgrades for multiple current mixing console ranges and the new EMX2 portable mixer, PSNEurope was given a rare audience with the great innovator – and thus an opportunity to hear about his 35-year-andcounting odyssey “to understand and provide what the audio professional needs both now and in the future”.

As with so many of the leading lights in pro-audio R&D, Kunimoto’s first full engagement with sound technology arrived through formative experiences as an amateur musician. “In high school I would play keyboards, and in conjunction with my brother

I began to experiment with audio technology – putting together simple mixers and so on,” he recalls of his youth in Sapporo, capital of the beautiful northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

Determining that his future lay in audio engineering rather than

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Same with TouchMix. It’s one of the most advanced digital mixers ever made, with features that rival consoles costing thousands more. But its real genius is how the Presets, Wizards and Simple Modes put all that power to work easily and seamlessly to deliver you an amazing mix that will have everyone convinced that you are a professional sound engineer. How? Just like the DSLR, our own team of pony-tailed professionals* put everything they learned over decades of mixing live sound into TouchMix so that whether you’re a pro or not, you’ll get NYLH[ YLZ\S[Z X\PJRS` LHZPS` HUK VU `V\Y ]LY` ÄYZ[ NPN 5V V[OLY TP_LY JHU THRL [OPZ JSHPT HUK that’s why we say that TouchMix is Simply Genius. © 2015 QSC, LLC all rights reserved. QSC, and the QSC logo are registered [YHKLTHYRZ PU [OL < : 7H[LU[ HUK ;YHKLTHYR 6ɉJL HUK V[OLY JV\U[YPLZ

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We’re still investigating the cause of this phenomenon.

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P43 MONTH 2016

Dr. K pilots the RIVAGE PM10 large-format desk at a recent trade event

Toshifumi Kunimoto â&#x20AC;&#x201C; AKA Dr. K â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in his â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;labâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, holding the revolutionary Yamaha VL-1 modelling synth

performance, Kunimoto attended Hokkaido University before joining Yamaha in the early 1980s. The initial phase of his time with the company saw him working in LSI design for some seminal electronic and music synthesiser products, including the VL1, AN1x, EX5 and Motif series. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Developing ways to recreate analogue processes in a digital formatâ&#x20AC;?, as Kunimoto concisely describes it, soon became the underlying theme of his lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work. Not surprisingly, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clear that he has fond memories of a period that saw synth technologies become increasingly reďŹ ned and accessible to a broader base of end-users. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was so much exciting work going on to perfect the recreation of traditional sounds,â&#x20AC;? he recalls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The top management were giving directions to provide high-quality products for our sales side, and [the result was a very effective] collaboration between both sides of the business.â&#x20AC;?

Welcome to the Family The award-winning Digital Hybrid WirelessÂŽ family just got a new member: the Venue 2 Receiver. iQâ&#x201E;˘ tracking ďŹ lters for high performance in dense RF environments Digital Hybrid WirelessÂŽ for compandor-free audio Modules tune across 3 standard blocks (75 Mhz) Ethernet for control and monitor over IP Wideband frame (220 MHz) Up to 6 channels in 1RU IR Sync for quick setup

VCM AND BEYOND By 1987 Kunimotoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technological foresight had been recognised to the extent that he was heading up his own R&D team, dubbed â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Kâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Labâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. During the ensuing 15 years he and his team would work to perfect their ideas about the recreation of analogue sounds in the digital domain, culminating in the VCM (Virtual Circuit Modelling) project. The VCM software made it possible not just to replicate hardware effects, but also provide software solutions at the component level. â&#x20AC;&#x153;VCM was really a big breakthrough for us,â&#x20AC;? conďŹ rms Kunimoto, noting that VCM has been incorporated into numerous ďŹ&#x201A;agship digital mixing desks, ranging from the DM1000 to the more recent likes of the CL and QL series.

The evolution of the VCM technology continues to bear fruit today, not least in the form of the RIVAGE PM10. In this largeformat desk â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which provided another talking point for Yamaha

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P45 MAY 2016

DM2000, launched 2001 – another design from Dr. K’s team

at PL+S 2016 – the latest iteration of VCM is used to recreate the characteristics of Rupert Neve Designs transformer circuitry and SILK processing.

“As with all of the developments [relating to the VCM technology] the aim has been to achieve the general reality of the sound, as well as its ‘behaviour’,” says Kunimoto.

Indication that Dr. K’s A-to-D mission has reached a new level is offered by one of the first users of the PM10, FOH engineer Kirk ‘Eek’ Schreiner. Having recently taken the desk on tour with Carrie Underwood through the auspices of Clair Bros – who purchased the first two PM10s in the US – Schreiner describes the console as “the first digital desk that sounds analogue to me”.

Kunimoto agrees that the PM10 is an important milestone for Yamaha, describing it as a “flagship product for us… The technology has reached a new point of refinement.” Despite his long track-record of achievement, though, it is clear that the spark of inspiration that prompted his initial creations in the 1980s remains undimmed. “The desire to do even better by the engineer and end-user remains strong,” he confirms, suggesting that there will be plenty more innovations to emerge from Dr. K’s lab in the years to come. www.yamahaproaudio.com

The 02R96V was another bar-setting digital mixer

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P46

Live

MAY 2016

GERMANY/BELGIUM

AED looks forward, looks back Always making the news, Roggeman’s AED outfit tops up with 300 subs and 150 amps at PL+S, ahead of opening its own museum of rental equipment

I

n the slipstream of L-Acoustics’ launch of the new KS28 subwoofer and LA12X amplified controller, Glenn Roggemann’s AED group has become the the first outfit to place a substantial order for both products.

Over the years, AED group has constantly grown its L-Acoustics gear inventory – currently, the company has a total stock, across its various European bases, of some 4,000 L-Acoustics speakers.

The announcement, at this year’s Prolight + Sound, of an additional commitment to L-Acoustics latest kit follows the investment, earlier this year, in some 700 L-Acoustics X-series (X8, X12 and X15) monitors and 100 K2.

“All this is part of our role as a certified L-Acoustics provider,” explains Koen Conaerts, sound engineer/ account manager with AED Rent. “At AED, the equipment is handled and used according to L-Acoustics’ quality standards, which is a guarantee for AV professionals who pick up L-Acoustics equipment with us when they need additional kit.”

AED group’s recent purchase includes 300 KS28 subwoofer cabinets and 150 LA12X amplifiers. “The big advantage is the amplifier’s compatibility with all of L-Acoustics’ systems like K1 and K2,” Conaerts says.

“Both the LA12X, with an output capacity of 4x 3,300 watts, and the KS28 speakers are for use on bigger events and festivals. We expect a first shipment before the end of May, just in time for the festival season.” Of the 150 amps in the order, 120 will be integrated into L-Acoustics LA-RAK II racks for practical applications.

Conaerts adds that L-Acoustics is highly in demand with Benelux AV companies, but that the brand is rapidly growing as part of AED group’s pan-European rental operations. “From the very moment L-Acoustics launches a new product, the story is ready to go – both on the technical side with presets and amplifiers worked out in every detail as well as in marketing and communication, so the end-users are aware of the specifications of the new products.”

“AED has a long history of investing in and providing the latest and yet most proven technology,” concludes Jochen Frohn, director of business development for L-Acoustics. “Their rapid investment in a substantial purchase of KS28 and LA12X shows their trust in the L-Acoustics brand and commitment to continuing their strategy of offering the highest quality and most efficient audio products on the market.”

L-Acoustics equipment makes out the bulk of AED

Roggeman and L-Acoustics’ Jochen Frohn in playful mood after the agreed sale of subs and amps at PL+S

group’s audio rental inventory, with JBL/ Harman accounting for some 10% of stock. With its range of QSC systems, AED targets smaller and budget-related requirements.

In a separate development, last month saw the preview of the long-awaited ‘AED Museum’. Located in the spacious AED Studios, AED group CEO (and inveterate showman) Glenn Roggeman marked the occasion of the third anniversary of the purchase of the Lintbased multiplex (and his own birthday) to invite AV professionals and friends for a first glimpse behind the glass walls of the museum.

The visitors were welcomed in the huge ‘foyer’ bar.

The foyer has two walls decorated with audio and lighting consoles. One of the most remarkable vintage pieces was the original Midas console used during the 1990 live rendition of Pink Floyd’s The Wall in Berlin.

The sound system in the foyers consists of two of Roggeman’s first self-assembled PA speakers… But

the best had yet to come.

Inside the museum, to be officially opened in December, the AED team has put together an impressive collection of legendary audio and lighting equipment. “The oldest speaker in the museum is an original 1944 manufactured Altec ‘Voice of the Theatre’ enclosure,” enthuses Roggeman, “The most recent speaker model is a JBL VTX series S.28 subwoofer cabinet. It would be impossible to display all the speakers in the AV business, what we did was compile a selection of groundbreaking live sound speakers. Visitors can click the computer displays on the windows to learn more about the history of the speakers.”

Roggeman says AED are setting up a similar display system for the numerous other items in the exhibition such as mixing consoles, processors and DJ gear, and a vast collection of lighting gear and controllers. www.aedgroup.eu www.l-acoustics.com Inside the AED Museum

Roggeman welcomes guests to AED’s foyer bar Picture: Aadhoc Media Thomas Rohwedder

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Technology feature: Noise annoys!

Audio professionals need to protect themselves when things get loud, too

Don’t lose the music Dr Annie Jamieson talks to Dave Wiggins about hearing damage, loss, protection and best practice for those who work in live sound - and that doesn’t just mean audio engineers…

D

r Annie Jamieson is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science at the University of Leeds, whose research into hearing risk and its history focuses specifically on the live music industry.

She also conducts regular seminars on the subject, the next of which is part of the educational programme at PLASA Focus in Leeds on May 11th at 2pm.

Do you feel that the level of awareness of potential for hearing damage is better in proaudio now than, say, ten years ago?

Going by my experience, and on reports from those working in the industry, awareness is improving.

Certainly, in terms of press and social media coverage it seems to have increased in the last year or two following some highly-publicised concerns about MIHD (Music-Induced Hearing Damage) in young people through sustained headphone use. In late 2014 I carried out an online survey of 230 audio professionals; the vast majority (some 98%) are aware of the risk, though almost 20% still never use hearing protection.

Somewhat worryingly, the group least likely to use hearing protection are the under 21-year-olds, where only 65% use protection compared with 80+% in all other age groups.

What early signs of hearing damage should those working in live sound look out for?

You won’t know until it happens – temporary threshold shift or TTS (that muffled effect you sometimes get after a loud show) and short-term tinnitus are warnings that you are being overexposed. If you experience either

of these problems on even a semi-regular basis, then you are definitely at risk and should consider taking precautions. You might also notice high frequency loss, specifically frequencies from around 8kHz upwards.

This will not show up on most standard hearing tests, which only go up to 6-8kHz, but it’s not uncommon in people regularly exposed to high levels of sound.

Hearing loss at such high frequencies doesn’t make a difference to perception of speech and everyday activities but can be problematic for sound engineers. I would also advise anyone to take an honest look at their exposure levels – both SPL (sound pressure level) and duration – and assume that if you are regularly exposed above safe levels you need to take precautions whether you notice any effect on your hearing or not.

What should their first action be if they do suspect hearing loss or damage?

If you have any reason at all to suspect hearing damage then take professional advice immediately, preferably from an audiologist who specialises in working with sound professionals. It might be something that’s relatively easily dealt with, such as wax build-up, but if it is something more serious then the sooner you identify the problem, the better. For example, ear infections can have permanent effects on your hearing if not treated early and effectively. It’s important, though, not to leave it until you have problems – I’d recommend annual hearing tests for anyone who works in live sound, then be sure to ask the audiologist for a copy of your results and keep them safe. This will allow you to compare results year-on-year and see how your hearing is holding up over time and to identify whether your protection strategies are working. I’d also emphasise

Dr Annie Jameson: “Awareness is improving”

that it’s never too late to preserve what’s left. It’s not unusual for people in the industry to think, ‘The damage is already done, so there’s no point in worrying about it now’, but MIHD is progressive so it’s important to save as much as you can, even if you’ve already sustained some damage.

Can music-induced hearing loss be treated or repaired?

No, not at present. There is a great deal of research into new treatments but nothing proven as yet, so for now if your hearing is damaged you’ll just have to live with it. Hearing aids are advancing all the time and can be incredibly effective in improving speech perception but remember that even the best hearing aids are not like spectacles – they will not restore your hearing to exactly what it was before the damage and especially not for critical listening. If you do suffer MIHD, though, there are

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solutions and strategies that can help you to continue to work successfully, with specialist advice.

Can you recommend any specific types or designs of hearing protection that would be particularly applicable to audio engineers?

It’s important to be aware of the full range of available hearing protection and to consider what works best for an individual’s applications. I would stress that people shouldn’t be put off using hearing protection just because the first type they try doesn’t work for them – you have to be prepared to experiment to find what’s right for you and your situation. The best type to use depends on the kind of work and environment: * Anything that involves critical listening really requires custom moulded earplugs, with attenuating filters to suit the noise levels encountered. Remember too that, if you’ve never used earplugs, they take a little while to get used to so don’t write them off after one night! * Also consider protecting yourself when not mixing: engineers I’ve interviewed use a wide variety, for example noise-cancelling headphones when travelling, industrial ear-defenders during load-ins etc. And remember that you can be exposed to risky levels outside of work too: DIY, sports events, even mundane things like dropping glass in the recycling bin can all be really loud…

make. The most thoughtful and practical engineers I’ve talked to have made themselves fully aware of the risks and of what solutions are available and even if they don’t feel they can actually mix with hearing protection, they protect themselves the rest of the time and only expose themselves to full volume when they think it’s absolutely necessary.

Secondly, ’keeping it safe’ for the audience: it’s quite commonly argued that you shouldn’t need hearing protection if you mix at safe levels for the audience, and this came up in my survey too. It’s great that engineers are aware and caring for their audiences in this way, and we shouldn’t mix louder than we need to, but I think there are two important points to consider.

Firstly, it’s not always possible to keep levels ‘safe’ (e.g. 94dB for one hour or 91dB for two) for a number of reasons: for example, it’s not always entirely the FOH engineer’s call as there might well be strong

pressure from the band or management to mix much louder; crowd noise alone can easily exceed 90dB, and there are also audience expectations. High volume is an essential part of the live experience for many giggoers, and part of what they are paying for. Secondly, whilst a typical gig-goer might only be exposed to high levels on a relatively infrequent basis, audio professionals might be exposed to the same levels far more often so the risk is generally greater for them.

A final word of advice for all of us?

Just be aware of your specific risks and of the solutions available and protect yourself as much as you can, as often as you can. It might be that, as an industry, we need to accept that completely safe levels in live music are not always practical – and that’s why awareness and hearing protection are so important. www.audibleconcerns.leeds.ac.uk

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What information or education is available to engineers concerning hearing protection and maintenance?

This is a bit of a problem because of the largely freelance nature of the industry which makes it hard to target information – it is out there but you have to find it for yourself. Also a lot of the (generally very good) information available on the internet [such as the Action on Hearing Loss website, formerly the RNID – Ed] is aimed at audiences and doesn’t always take into account the specialist needs of professionals in audio. There are some good resources though: some of the hearing protection makers have good advice on their websites and specialist audiologists can give top quality advice on an individual basis. One of the most comprehensive, specialist sources is the HSE’s Sound Advice guide which can be found at http://www. soundadvice.info

If you had to summarise the most practical and relevant part(s) of your research with regard to mixing live sound, what would it / they be?

Several key issues really stand out, firstly the issue of critical listening: the ability to hear fine detail in the mix is essential for an audio engineer and, understandably, some feel that they can’t work to their best ability whilst using hearing protection (others, of course, can and do mix successfully with earplugs). This is a professional judgment that only the individual can

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P50 MAY 2016

Technology feature: Noise annoys!

Is music at weddings too loud? Really? REALLY?!

Know your limits Gig goers do not want their enjoyment of live music spoiled but the people living next door to venues do not want to hear it thumping through their walls. Kevin Hilton looks at both sides of a tricky issue, in which technology is both a good and a bad thing

A

petition is usually a good indicator of the strength of people’s feelings. And live music is something a great many people have strong feelings about. Right now in the UK, two petitions are active online highlighting the problem of sound levels and the impact on both the people in the venues and those living nearby. Both situations have potential solutions in acoustic and audio technology but it is these that are causing concern among musicians, fans, venue operators, residents and property developers.

The initial inspiration for this feature was the petition Ban Installation of Sound Limiters in all Wedding Venues (or increase the limit). This contends that “more and more venues are fitting (or are being forced to fit) sound limiters in a bid to appease local council noise restrictions”. The petitioner, identified on the form as a Shaun Cumming, although there is no contact for him or details of his affiliations, explains that “whilst this can be good news for local residents living near the venue, it can wreak havoc on a live band’s performance”.

While ‘wreaking havoc’ seems a little hyperbolic, a supporter of the petition does highlight the problems bands can face playing live. Alex Wayt, lead vocalist, bass player and songwriter of Glasgow-based party/ wedding band The Lockhearts, has created a Facebook page laying out some of the issues. He says he has

The Lockhearts report there has been a gradual increase in the use of sound limiters at party venues

Don’t get me wrong, we do work with some limiters that are set to a reasonable level but there are others that are too low

Alex Wayt, The Lockhearts seen “a gradual increase” in the use of sound limiters at wedding venues in Scotland over the last four to five years. This technology, he states, can force musicians to play too quietly, which makes creating a party atmosphere difficult because the group is not playing to its full potential.

If the band does exceed the set level for even a few seconds, he continues, the power to the stage equipment is cut “causing the speakers and amps to suddenly switch off and potentially damaging the equipment”. Wayt acknowledges that some venues are close to residential areas, meaning sound levels are a concern. “But it is a problem,” he comments. “There are bands like us that are rockier and trying to create a party vibe and people pay a lot of money for that. Don’t

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get me wrong, we do work with some limiters that are set to a reasonable level but there are others that are too low.”

WIRED FOR SILENCE Essentially there are two types of limiter used to control sound levels in live situations. One is the type described

by Wayt; a basic device that is wired into the electrical system powering the stage. A sensor microphone picks up the general noise level, which is measured by the limiter and displayed in real time. If a pre-set decibel figure is exceeded the electricity powering the band’s equipment is switched off. The other kind of limiter is more sophisticated and is otherwise known as an automatic volume controller (AVC). It also works with a mic in the room and is configured to a specific level.

If the output goes over that the device automatically reduces the volume until it is within predetermined parameters.

Lime Technologies produces both a power cut noise limiter, the NLX, and an AVC, the VCX. The company’s technical manager, Morgan Crockett, observes that many new venues are now installing some form of limiting technology as part of the licensing process laid down by the local authority. Regulations and legislation covering noise emissions fall into two categories: nuisance, which is when sound levels annoy the nearby residents; and health and safety rules, which are intended to protect the people working in a venue from hearing damage.

Predicting the levels for outdoor gigs Nuisance is not just bass thudding through a wall at two in the morning. It can also be the higher frequencies of vocals from a festival or concert in a field some way away. Mapping programs to predict the propagation of sound, so it can be controlled, are not new but d&b audiotechnik recently introduced a package designed specifically for line array loudspeaker systems.

NoizCalc was developed in conjunction with German noise consultancy and software developer SoundPLAN. It is a modelling program for open air events using line and subwoofer arrays, plus delay systems. While d&b’s established ArrayCalc system predicts sound dispersion to the audience, NoizCalc is concerned with emissions going further afield, into unwanted zones – what d&b calls ‘immission’.

Hendrik Ahrens, market segment manager for rental and touring at d&b, says the new software was developed because existing packages only work on point source models. “Those don’t show line array systems,” he explains, “so they are not really reliable.

SoundPLAN has been producing noise calculation software for about 25 years. We worked with them, putting our data into their software to make a crossover point.”

While NoizCalc is designed for planning outdoor gigs, 10EaZy is intended as a mixing and limiting tool for live sound engineers to ensure that the levels keep everyone happy.

System developer Jacob Navne van Vliet explains that it works with the dynamics of the music while staying within set sound level limits. “Once you have a clear meter at the mixing console, the audience Crockett says Lime Technologies’ main area is nuisance noise: “Our equipment is used by people who are forced to install noise controllers by the council to keep the neighbours happy. But a limiter should always be used with some form of soundproofing. If a controller is set lower, making the output of a band too quiet, the only way they can be louder is to increase the insulation.”

The factory setting on Lime Technologies’ branded equipment is 90dB. Crockett describes the NLX as being for situations where DJs or performers bring in their own equipment into a venue. “It has a segmented LED, with green, amber and red lights,” he explains. “If the level goes into the red then the band has 10-seconds to reduce the volume before power is switched off to the sound equipment.” Crockett calls the VCX an “elegant solution” for permanent sound installations: “It monitors the sound system and if the output goes above the maximum it almost imperceptivity reduces the level. But you can’t really use it for live bands because you’d need one for each instrument.”

10EaZy in action at a particularly boisterous gig

Detail of the NoizCalc software map in action.

The grey squares are buildings

will notice and, if they thought the show was too loud or not sounding to their liking, will accept that it is under control. The same applies to neighbour complaints. If the venue communicates that the events are being monitored to a certain limit to reduce the nuisance, neighbours accept that it is under control even if they would prefer the event to not be there at all.”

SENTRY ON DUTY Formula Sound also produces a cut-off limiter, the Sentry, and a volume controller, the AVC 2. Ian McDonald, the company’s technical manager, says the benefit of the Sentry is that it switches off the mains rather than the signal. In terms of bands’ fears that such equipment affects sound quality, he comments that there is no denigration of the output. As for damaging the gear when the power goes, he adds, “It’s not like a power cut. The only problem comes when putting the mains back on because there could be a power surge or problems with automatic re-sets.”

John Lamb, commercial manager at Drawmer, comments that the issue of high sound levels in venues can be trivialised, saying that they can have a “trickle impact” over a long time. He adds that bands and DJs in clubs and gig pubs are the groups most noise limiting is aimed at, while wedding parties tend to be self-policing.

“If there are older relatives at a party they want to talk and don’t want the music banging out,” he says.

Drawmer has been producing a loudspeaker

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Technology feature:

MRC’s LD500

protector, the SP2120, since 2003. This can be used for sound limiting but the company’s specific product for the job is the SL22. Originally designed as a headphone limiter for radio presenters, this unit has been revised and aimed at the live sound market for approximately the last 12 months. Lamb says it is used for a variety of situations, including by aerobics instructors who, he explains, might otherwise get carried away with their voice mic and backing music. The SL22 has also been sold into the Netherlands and Belgium; Lamb claims that “just about every venue in Brussels” is equipped with the box.

Stage Gear is a UK distributor and specialist in sound limiters but has also sold units in mainland Europe.

General manager Peter Humber says the last two years have seen the firm busy with sales of limiting systems into either new venues, where having the technology is part of the licensing process, or those renewing an existing licence. “We’re not seeing so many being bought right now, so that petition is a little late because installations have already happened or are happening,” he comments. “But the rest of Europe is stricter on the rules and limits than here. We handle the Spanish MRC system, which has data logging facilities and can send alerts to the venue manager about any problems.”

TEMERITY IN TENERIFE? Three MRC units were supplied by Stage Gear for installations in Paris, while another is being used in Canterbury. Manuel Rubio of MRC Audio comments that “regulation of sound pressure control using limiters began “timidly” in Spain around 1990-92, which is when the company built its first products. “At this time many European countries did not have the requirements in their laws but since 2000 we started to have a great demand from France, where there are specific regulations on the characteristics of these devices.”

Rubio continues that the UK implemented similar rules in 2007, followed by Germany in 2010, Portugal from 2011 and Croatia in 2013, with Italy now bringing in measures. Spain is now moving ahead again, with MRC developing a new control system called SICREL. This is designed to be run over the internet, giving access to visualised sound levels plus email alerts and reports as downloadable PDFs. An earlier noise limiter was the Electronic Orange, a version of which is still produced today. It was originally developed in the 1970s by Peter Bull of the Castle Group for installation at the Odeon cinema in Leicester Square.

The company is now run by Bull’s son, managing director Simon Bull, and primarily develops noise measuring equipment and offers consultancy services.

Bull says nuisance noise continues to be a contentious issue, which has as much a detrimental effect on the live music sector as it does for people who live near venues.

“Where we are in Scarborough [a seaside town in North Yorkshire, England] there are no nightclubs any more because they’ve all moved out of the town centre,” Bull comments. While this drastic action gets most loud music away from residential areas, Bull observes that it does not deal with the fundamental problem; that the majority of venues are not designed with the right acoustic insulation to stop noise escaping.

This issue ties in with the second petition currently in circulation. It calls for adoption of the Agent of Change principle, which states that

if a developer wants to build a new residential building – or convert an existing premises – that is next to a music venue, they should be responsible for installing and paying for sound insulation. As Dani Fiumicelli, technical director for acoustics with the Temple Group consultancy, points out, this gets into tricky areas of the law relating to nuisance. He explains that there is the established principle of someone moving to a nuisance, which states that they are still entitled to a reasonable standard of living despite the activities already going on in the vicinity.

Fiumicelli also sees comprehensive acoustic treatments as the best way to deal with noise levels.

“Having a noise limiter doesn’t necessarily solve the problem,” he says. “I know of a case that went to the High Court in which a venue operator was arguing at they were complying with regulations because there was a limiting unit on the premises. They hadn’t installed it but it was there.”

As Fiumicelli concludes, there are also the more serious issues of agreeing thresholds and having units properly calibrated, which means they are not necessarily a panacea. Despite that, and the objections of musicians and fans, the situation looks unlikely to be resolved, especially as the petition calling for a ban on limiters has attracted only 820 signatures. www.castlegroup.co.uk www.dbaudio.com www.drawmer.com formula-sound.co.uk www.limetechnologies.co.uk www.thelockheartsband.com www.mrcaudio.com www.stage-gear.co.uk www.templegroup.co.uk www.10eazy.com

Drawmer’s SL22 tamper plate

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P54 MAY 2016

Installation

Orange is the new stack Pure Groove Systems and Tom Danley create new high-power dance music loudspeaker systems. Rob Speight grooves along

I

n the world of club systems, one would think that brightly-coloured boxes are a pre-requisite. Think purple from Funktion-One, crimson from Void Acoustics… and now to add to the palette, Pure Groove’s orange offering.

However, it’s not just the paintjob that’s unique when it comes to the new PG range. The systems, designed by Tom Danley of Danley Sound Labs – arguably best known for equipping sports arenas and the like in the US – have a high power-to-size ratio and therefore are also ‘green’, according to Pure Groove, requiring less amplification and processing.

But what makes these boxes any better for dance music than some of the more established and loved brands?

“Our boxes feature 3-way Synergy Horn technology,” explains Damian Murphy, founder of Los Angeles-based Pure Groove Systems. “They are full-range, point-source designs that utilise multiple drivers of different bandwidths in a single horn that is phase accurate, and consistent in response over the entire coverage area.

“Our systems deliver superior clarity, power and definition, with warm analogue bass that immerses and energises the crowd. As a veteran promoter, I have used many sound systems over the last 27 years and I can honestly say that I’ve never heard anything that comes close to their hi-fi quality.” He would say that, of course: but DJs including John Digweed and Jody Wisternoff (Way Out West) have supplied glowing testimonials regarding the sound, too.

Tom Danley himself enthuses about the collaboration: “The project with Pure Groove has been particularly exciting due in large part to their foresight and imagination.

Taking our patented systems designed for the country’s largest sports arenas and fine-tuning them for the musical complexity of EDM is an exciting new direction.”

Is so-called ‘Electronic Dance Music’ really that musically complex to reproduce? “EDM is made up of many layers and sonic elements blended together, so as you rightly point out, on most systems, it can sound very loud and bass heavy with screaming hi-frequencies,” says Murphy. “However, with our Synergy Horn technology, you can actually hear every detail and texture in the music, particularly in the mid-range frequencies that get lost on most systems.”

The PG range, which currently consists of the PGJ-94 – a 90º x 40º dispersion mid-high box loaded with 18 drivers (6 x 12” and 8 x 6.5” drivers coupled with 4 x 1.4”

compression drivers) can deliver an output of 142dB SPL continuous (band dependent) and weighs in at 420lbs (190kg) – as well as the BC218 sub-bass which is loaded with 4 x 18” drivers onto two horns, sharing a single exit port, and capable of providing 148dB SPL and a frequency response of 26-150Hz. One challenge to any loudspeaker manufacturer, especially one based in the United States, is how to be competitive in the European marketplace with the added costs of shipping and fluctuating exchange rates. Murphy confidently tackles this concern head on: “Although international shipping does add to the cost, there are many customers who don’t mind spending the additional money because they want to have, in their opinion, the best sound system in their country. We are also currently in discussions about manufacturing outside of the USA.” As if to prove a point, the new system was demo’d in Salisbury, UK in March by Danley UK. The boxes can be combined into either a ground-stacked or flown system and are suitable for install or touring – though weight may become an issue. “In a permanent install, there are 3/8” fly points all over the cabinet,” details Murphy. “For portable applications there is L track on the sides which can be used in a couple of different waysdepending on how the user wants to do it. You can attach directly to the L track with fly points or the L-track can

It’s too orangey for crows: Pure Groove Systems, ready to go

attach to a bumper bar and hung from a single motor.”

The eye-catching boxes have already found a home in venues including the Opera Nightclub (Atlanta, US), Clash Club (São Paolo) and De Marktkantine (Amsterdam).

To power the system, Pure Groove recommends its Danley DNA amplifiers (a Linea Research OEM), released last year and incorporating all the DSP (crossover and limiting etc) to get the best from the PG system.

Ultimately, how can Pure Groove really make headway into this already busy market place? “There are many choices when it comes to sound systems, and even though there are some with impressive looks and cleverly packaged features, it’s basically the same technology that’s been used for decades,” says Murphy.

“When it comes to pure audio quality, our Synergy Horn technology is in a league of its own and we would gladly go side by side with any other system to prove it because the difference is clear.”

Like any other orange, you’re just going to have to suck it and see. puregroovesystems.com www.danleysoundlabs.com

There are already several systems installed around the world

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Please send all contributions for possible publication to drobinson@nbmedia.com

P57 MAY 2016

Hither & banana It’s not everyday you see a woman dressed as a giant yellow fruit. Thanks, Pop-Up People of Leeds!

Spotted this chap in a pub near the O2 the night PSNEurope interviewed the Adele team. Did he work for Black Box Music too? No, he’s Gary the truck driver, working on the Mariah Carey tour, which started the following night!

AED does like to throw a party… this time at PL+S. Hats off to them!

That’s right, it’s a woman playing a toy xylophone, dressed as a large Fyffe

Riedel founder Thomas Riedel turned heads at NAB 2016 as he announced the death of traditional networking... by taking a chainsaw to a wooden model of a router. (Martin Traut: did he get this idea from you?)

Tim Lenssens Joystick Audio

Meanwhile, in Hall 9.0, this man was still tuning his piano as the show was in full swing. Ahem…

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P58 MAY 2016

Backtalk

Dr Andreas Sennheiser

The co-CEO talks to Dave Robinson about 3D sound, THOSE expensive headphones and how he gets out of bed in a morning

D

r Andreas Sennheiser took over the running of his family business with his brother in May of 2013. In the two years since, the company has released some notable technology – but there have been some serious changes at the company along the way…

I’ve heard them. They make sound ‘visceral’, I would suggest.

People have ‘seen’ things, heard things which they haven’t heard before, or been able to describe.

Do you think they are worth $50,000?

[Immediately]. Absolutely. No doubt.

Let’s begin with AMBEO, your 3D, immersive audio concept.

What we showed with the AMBEO brand at CES [and PL+S] is just the starting point of something we will develop with our customers. We are positioning ourselves to take advantage of whatever 3D format emerges, [but we’re seeking] something with a higher emotional impact. Many artists have said to us, the only way to really connect with the audience the way they want to is to play live – but if they had a format that captured that, so that users at home could listen to it in a way similar to actually being there, then they would have a higher engagement with the listeners. That’s when we got serious about bringing something to the market.

What about Orpheus, the HE -1, the ‘world’s most expensive headphone’?

Orpheus for us is a product, a statement, and an indication of our innovation culture, to a certain extent. We could have said, we still have the Orpheus from 1992, it’s still considered the best headphone in the world, why do something better? But part of our culture is to not be happy with anything that exists [now], regardless of whether we invented it or not. About 10 years ago, we decided it was time for the world to experience the next level. On one hand, it’s beyond commercial reason.

But, on the other, by being so intensively on the limits of physics, we learn so much for other applications..

You make it sound like the space programme…

Yes, exactly, and this pushes the entire Sennheiser culture into new ways. Think about the [effect] this has at the company when a group of people bring out a flagship that will be there for another couple of decades: that has a huge motivational impact on the other employees.

The original Orpheus had a run of some 300.

When HE -1 ships later this year, will that be limited to 300 too?

We are not planning any limitation this time: but it is limited by the price and the capacity – making one per day – and the level of customisation. We have significant requests for customised versions.

How successful has the D9000 digital wireless system been?

It’s a huge success, especially in the last year where the ‘Digital Dividend’ [spectrum sell-off] in Japan gave us extra demand and business.

D9000 is successful beyond our initial imagination for a simple reason: we positioned and developed it as a device to be used on stage for singers and touring, because it was so flexible. But the corporate world has discovered it, because of its high encryption [parameters] and flexibility in use. There’s a huge market there.

Did everything work out like we planned? No, definitely not.

With a change of that magnitude, we discovered things we had to fine-tune. That was a learning experience.

Do you ever feel the burden of the family legacy, though? When you wake up, do you ever think, [in panicked voice] ‘Oh god, I’m running Sennheiser!’…?

[Smiling broadly] With great responsibility comes a certain weight. You have to think about what is good for the company, the customer, the employees. There are moments of doubt and pressure, but all-in-all, what makes me so confident of getting up in the morning is that I’m not alone here, there are 2,700 people who are highly committed and enjoy what they do. It’s not on my shoulders, it’s on 2,700 pairs of shoulders making their own destiny.

Sennheiser seems to think about what it’s going to do, thinks some more, and then makes its move.

That approach can be positive – but negative too.

If 80% of our decisions are well-thought through and strategically directed, that’s exactly what we need. In hindsight, some of the decisions, we could have taken earlier. On the other – and I refer to it as ‘German engineering and thinking’ – that takes time. What our next challenge will be, is to preserve the thoroughness of where we want to go, but add an element of ‘start-up’ activity.

Since you and your brother Daniel became joint CEOs you’ve restructured the company. I get the impression, some of that has been easy, and some of it has been hard. Is that correct?

Finally, the factory is on fire – you run in and grab something – what?

We went from a territorial approach to a sales channel approach. In Europe, sales channels don’t really matter.

There’s no borders for commerce. Consumer is one part, professional is another, and so on.

In a reorganisation like that, you always have a working assumption. Sometimes you assume, sometimes you just hope for [the best]. The reorganisation was a great success, especially with the feedback we got from our customers.

Not a classic microphone or headphone?

The D9000.

D9000 is a statement of innovation, and is ‘classic’ at the same time. It’s one of a kind. It’s an icon. It shows all the competency that’s in this company. www.sennheiser.com + The full version of this interview can be found at www. psneurope.com

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