APPLE CHOOSES DYNAUDIO ACOUSTICS MIDAS PRO WITH JET
E-Magazine
12 YEARS OF SD
www.nmkelectronics.com
Our flagship interface combines Liquid technology with Saffire PRO firewire interfacing to deliver a host of authentic pre-amp flavours, seamless software integration, a vast i/o count with excellent routing flexibility and future-proof, rock-solid driver stability. + Two Liquid Pre-amps, each allowing you to choose from ten classic emulations + Total I/O count of 28 Inputs and 28 Outputs, including 8 Focusrite pre-amps + Professional 24 bit / 192kHz digital conversion, with JET PLL Jitter elimination
Saffire Mix Control - powerful and intuitive software control that features throughout the PRO range.
Saffire PRO 40 The Focusrite Saffire PRO 40 has eight Focusrite mic-pres, eight line inputs, and a host of digital i/o. There are also two discrete headphone buses, a dedicated stereo output and a pair of unique ‘loopback’ inputs.
+ Eight Focusrite mic-pres, based on a 25-year pre-amp legacy + Professional 24 bit / 96kHz digital conversion, with JET PLL Jitter elimination + ZeRO-latency intuitive DSP Mixer/Router with quick one-click set-ups
Saffire PRO 24 DSP Saffire PRO 24
VRM - simulate different monitors and rooms, just using your headphones
Saffire 6 USB
Two Focusrite mic-pres, based on an unparalleled pre-amp legacy
Two Focusrite mic-pres, delivering extremely low noise and distortion.
Two Focusrite mic-pres capture every subtle nuance of your sound
With an ADAT input, Saffire PRO 24 provides a vast i/o count for the money
Onboard DSP-powered, latency-free EQ, Compression and Reverb
Features four phono outputs and flexible monitoring for laptop DJs
Xcite+ bundle features 1 gig of loops, Ableton Live 7 Lite, and more.
The best sounding, best performing interface in its class
www.nmkelectronics.com Kyvernitis Electronics Ent. Ltd. 2 Nicolas P.O. Box 3191, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Telephone: +971-4-2665244, Telefax:+971-4-2626682
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6/17/2010
Editor’s Note August will be super hot as the temperature rises upto 40 plus degrees but that doesn’t stop us from having fun in Dubai. There’s alot of activities during this time of the month and if you really want to beat the heat then you can always purchase some new products from us such as the TC polytune or some focusrite interfaces you might be interested in and just stay at home. We have also a new retail store coming out soon so watch out for that as well. Have a great summer!!!!! richie@nmkelectronics.com Richie Lozada Hiranandani
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www.nmkelectronics.com djmag.indd 1 1 sound&stage.indd
9/1/2009 5:18:25 PM
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Apple France chose Dynaudio Acoustics The EBC show room is 150 m2 and suited for a lot of different applications, including internal meetings and LOGIC PRO training. Therefore, a versatile and highperformance HD audio and video system was required. After testing many systems, the sheer quality and great sound of the Dynaudio Acoustics AIR and BM series swept away all other competitors. Further, APPLE also requested a full digital setup all the way through the computers to the monitoring. APPLE’s show room can be divided into two parts – 1/3 and 2/3 of the full size respectively. When divided, the room is partitioned by a mobile, acoustic wall providing 47db of attenuation, which means that both parts of the room can be used simultaneously for different activities.
one AIR BASE 24 sub and four AIR 12 monitors, enabling the system to handle 5.1 surround sound completely within the digital domain via the AES protocol. Further, the AIR remote makes the system switchable between surround and stereo mode as well as between various user presets stored within the system. Also, when the room is divided, a smaller 5.1 surround system – consisting of Dynaudio Acoustics BM5A speakers and a BM9S subwoofer – is available. All AIR monitor’s EQ and other settings are stored in the system and can be recalled at all times to suit any current activity as per request by APPLE.
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The full EBC room is equipped with two AIR 25, one AIR 20 for the LCR channel,
Both the Dynaudio Acoustics AIR system and the BM5A system are installed around a PANASONIC 103’’ plasma screen, and both systems use a TC Electronic Digital Konnekt x32 – a powerful digital format converter and management system – for all input sources going to the Dynaudio monitors. In essence, Digital Konnekt x32 controls all ADAT/SPDIF/TOS LINK inputs going via AES to the digital Dynaudio 5.1 surround sound systems. TC Electronic and Dynaudio Acoustics France are very proud to be delivering the audio equipment to the EBC show room that demands nothing but the very finest in the world of digital audio
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Simple. Flexible. Reliable. Cloud Electronics is a UK manufacturer of high quality installation audio mixers, zoners and multi-channel amplifiers with an outstanding heritage of reliability and proven performance.
The new DCM1 Digital Zone Mixer is the first multi-processor controlled device with simple analogue user interface functions, with optional remote controls and active input devices.
Cloud Electronics Ltd 140 Staniforth Road Sheffield S9 3HF UK www.cloud.co.uk
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Large Dual-Diaphragm Side-Address Condenser Vocal Microphone AVAILABLE SUMMER 2010 For capturing sophisticated, powerful, and intimate vocal performances. • Highly consistent cardioid polar pattern creates a broad “sweet spot” and natural off-axis response • Prethos™ Advanced Preamplifier Technology exhibits extremely low selfnoise with superior dynamic range, transient response, and ultra-low distortion • Open cage ShureLock® rubber suspension shock mount with low-profile PopperStopper™ magnetic pop filter produces a more natural space between performer and microphone
Side-Address Condenser Microphone AVAILABLE SUMMER 2010 For the highest level of professional studio and stage performance. • Prethos™ Advanced Preamplifier Technology provides transparency and extremely fast transient response, and eliminates crossover distortion • Ground-breaking threshold of minimum self-noise defines the new standard for cleanly nuanced audio capture • Features multiple polar pattern options (cardioid, omnidirectional, bidirectional) for maximum flexibility in a wide variety of recording applications
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Pearl Jam Goes Digital but Stays with Midas SEATTLE - Karrie Keyes, who has been mixing monitors since 1991, opted for a Midas PRO6 console supplied by Rat Sound for the band’s 2010 tour in support of its Backspacer album. This represented a change for Keyes, a longtime devotee of Midas’ Heritage desk and other analog consoles. “This is the first tour I have used a PRO6 on,” she said. “I found it extremely easy to learn, and felt comfortable on it after the first show.” Between in-ears, sidefills and wedges for six band members and three members of the tech crew, Keyes describes her utilization of the 32 outputs on the PRO6 as “nearly maxed out. I am using 29 outs now and have three left, which I will fill up on this next (European) leg.” Several band members augment their stereo in-ear mixes with wedges and sidefills. Vocalist Eddie Vedder’s setup is described as “one ear, vocal wedge mix, stereo sides, plus mono sidefill for vocal” - with another channel available should Vedder decide to use earphones in both ears. In terms of setup and routing, Keyes says the PRO6 handles this relatively complex set-up with ease. “I really love that the
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matrixes are actually just straight outs. I have the in-ears on the matrixes and my wedges and sidefills on the Aux Sends,” she said. The adjustment to using a digital console was simplified by Midas’ analog-style design layout and the PRO6’s flexibility. “The key to mixing monitors for Pearl Jam is keeping my eyes on Ed and the band the entire show,” said Keyes. “Pearl Jam has a lot of cues, but they are not scene cues that can be programmed. They are mostly EQ and volume changes, and a lot of them are for more than one person at the same time. So I needed to get these cues to the surface easily, not having to look, scroll, or search through layers. With the PRO6, I have everything I need on the surface at the push of a button. That’s hugely important to me.” Keyes uses a combination of VCAs and the PRO6’s POP Groups to keep everything she needs accessible. “I use POP Groups for certain songs, to put the instruments on the surface for access to the mute and fader,” she said. “But I mainly use the VCAs, set up by band member, with a couple more for riding gain on guitar solos and such.” For channel equalization, she is using the Klark-Teknik DN9331 Rapide graphic con-
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troller, a rack-mountable PRO6 accessory that gives her a traditional 31-band surface for dialing in the console’s onboard KT graphic EQs. “The sound is great,” Keyes said, of the PRO6. “In the past, we have not been able to get Ed [Vedder] on a digital because of the sound, but he has been on the PRO6 with no issues. We have found no issues with latency, and the band loves the sound.” Keyes’ experience with the PRO6 has proven to be relatively painless, too. “There are lots of little things that let me know this product was really thought through when Midas designed it,” she said. “The video screens are wonderful. I
can see them even in the sun, but they are not distracting either.” She also notes that her setup time is much faster when working with the PRO6, attributable in part to eliminating the 500 feet of cable required for the analog console - now handled with a single Cat5 cable. For the European leg of the 2010 tour, Keyes also specified a PRO6. “I felt pretty comfortable with it after the first show,” she said, “and the factory support from Midas is amazing. The main thing for me was learning how to get it to act as an analog console, and I’m happy to report that the PRO6 can do that with ease. After one tour, it’s already like I have always mixed on it.”
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Inspired by some of the most important recordings in music history, Blue Microphones is proud to announce that we’ve given our customers an easy solution to replicate the fabled “3-mic” drum mic’ing technique that professional engineers have used for years. The Blue Drum Kit Kit consists of the award-winning Mouse and two amazing and stereo matched pair of Dragonfly microphones. These three microphones complete the sonic spectrum needed in producing a full-bodied, live recording session for the most discerning drummer and engineer.
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A NEW DECADE!! The world’s first innovative DJ mixer, PMC-05Pro, has been re-innovated, once again, for optimal performance for all DJs - the pursuit of happiness for all DJs to mix and/or scratch to his or her heart’s content. This mixer will make all DJs night a vibrant one rather than a raney one. • New digital cross fader (Noncontactive multi linear sensor system) with adjustable cut lag sensitivity. • MIDI control compatible to enable the DJ mix without operating keyboards. • 3 BAND ISOLATOR. • Carefully designed control layout to pursuit operability. • Multiple in/out connection: XLR out, PGM THRU in, PHONO/LINE select switch, 1/4inch booth out. • MUTE LED indicator for ON/OFF status. • AUX channel for variable inputs: MIC, LINE, Option • Compatible with CoreAudio (Mac) & ASIO(Windows) *Design of the product and information in this document is subject to change without notice.
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>MIDI FUNCTION Knobs and buttons of this section can be assigned with MIDI to control DJ software. Set them to control CUE points, loops, etc. >NEW DIGITAL FADER New noncontact type fader system. The smooth and sharp movement offers stressless action. Also equipped with Vestax traditional fader curve control. >3BAND ISOLATOR Isolators on each channel with Vestax trademark infinite cut. >TRANSFORMER SWITCH New strong switch design that lives up to hours and hours of aggressive performance. >DVS BOX IN/OUT Exclusive IN/OUT connection for DVS interfaces. No hassle plugging/unplugging turntables and CD players at venues and also offers better sound quality. >INPUT/OUTPUT Extensive inputs and outputs meeting all professional demands.
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Sound Devices Celebrates 12 Years Back in 1998, when Pentium II’s with Windows 95 and PowerPC Macs with System 8 were the latest tech, the idea for Sound Devices was born. Since then, Sound Devices mixers, recorders, and related products have become a worldwide standard for field production audio. “When we started Sound Devices in 1998, we had no products, customers, or vendors,” says Jim Koomar, co-founder and Director of Sales. “Delivering our first product, the MP-1 mic preamp, gave us an opportunity to start a conversation with our customers. That conversation is continuing, with many of the same customers. With these relationships we gain insight into where we need to be to respond to changing production techniques and technologies.” Sound Devices offices will be closed on Friday, July 2, in honor of our “Founder’s Day”. The company is also closed on Monday, July 5. Sound Devices History Sound Devices Sound Devices History The name “Sound Devices” came to the company by accident - and possibly magic. The founders of the company started business in July 1998 without a name; the working name was JAM Electronics. The company could not establish anything official without a name. Weeks passed without an identity. It was debilitating working without a name. Every few minutes a new name would spark interest, only to be shot down for one reason or another. Many parents have the same feeling trying to find a suitable name for a newborn child. It is remarkable how many companies exist. Just when you think you found “the” name, you discover that it is being used somewhere that could cause confusion. Jon, Matt, and Jim in front of Park Ridge, IL office entrance, company name on sheet of paper on door - Aug. 1998 The Name While working in the original Park Ridge (Illinois) office, a box with the labeling “Sound Devices” was spotted high on a shelf of the shared office space. The box was filled with noise makers and audio toys belonging to the previous tenant. The name immediately stuck, and by the end of the day the company became Sound Devices. Sound Devices, LLC registered as a legal entity with the state of Wisconsin on July 22, 1998.
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The original “Sound Devices” box 1999 The first product Sound Devices began developing was a single-input, portable microphone preamp for broadcast use. The MP-1 Mic Preamp was designed to drive long lines at line-level signals, provide phantom power, and operate off AA battery power. The MP-1 is often used for sports production applications when multiple mics are place throughout a venue. It is also used at critical podium positions because of its preamp quality, limiter, and ability to drive long cable runs. The MP-1 was introduced at NAB 1999 and was available for purchase at the time of the show, seven months after development began. The MP-1 continues to be a part of Sound Devices product offering. For a brand new company, the development of the MP-1 was an important milestone. Many of the circuitry elements designed into the MP-1 continue to live in later generation products, such as the high-performance Lundahl input transformers and durable powder-coated aluminum chassis. The MP-1 was the sole Sound Devices product available for all of 1999.
2007 March Sound Devices 744T is the 2006 recipient of the Cinema Audio Society Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement in Production Technologies. April Wave Agent File Utility 1.0 released. 2008 April The Sound Devices 788T is introduced at NAB 2008 and begins shipping in the same month. July Sound Devices celebrates its 10th Anniversary...in the Wisconsin Dells. Jon, Matt, and Jim in 2008 September The CL-8 controller for the 788T is previewed at IBC in Amsterdam. 2009 February The 788T is the recipient of the Cinema Audio Society Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement in Production Technologies. April The CL-8 for the 788T is released. September The 552 Field Mixer, which replaces the popular 442 is introduced at IBC in Amsterdam. It begins shipping the following month. 2010 February The CL-9 Linear Fader Controller for the 788T is introduced.
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Clear-Com Showcases Enhanced Tempest®2400 Digital Wireless Intercom System
LAS VEGAS, JUNE 9, 2010 ─ Clear-Com® will showcase its enhanced firmware update for its breakthrough Tempest®2400 digital wireless intercom system at InfoComm 2010 (Booth C6374). Tempest2400’s new firmware offers users three different modes of operation – Normal Mode, Shared Mode and Split Mode – each with exciting new feature sets, including the ability to connect unlimited numbers of BeltStations to one Tempest2400 BaseStation. Building upon Tempest’s ability to stack up to 10 BaseStations, the new firmware update gives users the opportunity to combine three different modes of operation to improve workflow efficiency, regardless of production size. For example, while the standard Normal Mode allows up to five full duplex BeltStations per BaseStation, the new Shared Mode enables an unlimited number of wireless users on a single base with any five having the ability to talk at any given time. In Split Mode, users operate in a combination of Normal and Shared Mode. In addition to the new firmware enhancements, the Tempest2400 system – now in two- and four-channel versions – continues to offer users unprecedented access to license-free communications even
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in the most crowded RF environments. Utilizing patented Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum radio technology to ensure robust, reliable communications, the Tempest2400 system operates licensefree in the 2.4 GHz band worldwide, allowing interference-free communications even in areas heavily populated with other RF devices. While Tempest operates in the same unlicensed spectrum as WiFi (802.11b/g), its unique RF design gives Tempest the ability to utilize the entire available spectrum over time, while using only a very narrow portion of the spectrum at any one moment. This narrow band hopping technology complements WiFi’s wideband RF signature. With today’s houses of worship and intimate live venues inherently packed with WiFi devices, Tempest’s superior technology allows the system to coexist comfortably with WiFi, providing greater range and performance for customers than competing products. Tempest also offers users tremendous flexibility, providing the same robust RF performance in all types of production environments, indoors and outdoors. Proprietary 2xTx redundant audio transmission technology built into the Tempest system also ensures that all information broadcast via
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the digital wireless intercom system is sent over two different frequencies at two different times. As the frequencies are separated into two different parts of the 2.4 GHz band, the robust Tempest system ensures that at least one of the signals will pass through an interference-free area of the spectrum. “The Tempest2400 system has superior range and performance, even in the face of significant interference, than other 2.4 GHz wireless intercom products available on the market,” says Stephen Sandford, Product Manager at Clear-Com. “The system’s patented technology gives it a better interference rejection characteristic than other systems, delivering a more reliable, drop-out free communications experience. Our current and potential customers also appreciate the system’s ease of use – though this is a highly intelligent technology, it is still incredibly user friendly, reducing the need for additional training time.” In addition, Tempest also allows users to free up much needed UHF space. Due to the recent FCC spectrum auction, many users have focused on migrating their existing communications out of the UHF space, making room for wireless devices, such as microphones not suitable for use in other frequencies. Replacing previous intercom systems with Tempest and transferring communications to the 2.4 GHz band makes additional space available for these devices, giving users ultimate spectrum efficiency. Further, unlike older analog UHF systems, Tempest does not require frequency coordination. This allows customers to use the system for live productions in venues all over the world without the complexity and additional cost of site surveys and intermodulation calculations. Tempest users also find critical benefits in the system’s corresponding BeltStations. The Tempest BeltStation’s user interface operates similarly to a wired beltpack, allowing even a first-time user to quickly understand and use one. Users require no additional RF understanding, making it easy to get a crew up and running on the system without special instruction. Combined with the Tempest2400 system’s unique RF design and ease of use, the Tempest BeltStation offers further value to ClearCom’s customers working in any location or venue worldwide.
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Midas PRO6 headlines at Poland’s premier theatre
The celebrated Zbigniew Hubner Theatre in Warsaw underwent a major renovation earlier this year, with a full audio refit spearheaded by the installation of a Midas PRO6 into the Scena 100 performance hall by Audio Plus, distributors of Midas and Klark Teknik in Poland. Zbigniew Hubner Theatre, which was founded in 1945, has long been a focal point of Polish theatrical culture, attracting leading artists, directors, musicians, choreographers and stage designers both nationally and internationally. The venue has a long history of using Midas consoles, with a Midas Legend 3000 and a Venice installed in theatres two and three respectively. Sebastian Kuma, the theatre’s head sound engineer, chose the PRO6 having previously used the Midas Legend 3000. He was particularly impressed with innovations such as the ability to control the time of crossfades between two scenes with one simple jog wheel. “I’ve always been a big fan of Midas, the
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flexibility and reliability of their equipment and, of course, the Midas sound,” says Kuma. “But the PRO6 has taken things forward again. We host a huge range of productions, with many different and complex audio demands, but the PRO6’s sound quality, adaptability and user-friendly design will see us far into the future.” The theatre’s three performance spaces encompass all the performing arts, from drama through to music and dance. Audio Plus has provided training on all three Midas consoles for the theatre’s sound team, and is pleased they have made the upgrade to digital. “At Audio Plus we believe that the new PRO Series of consoles from Midas makes life easier in the theatre because of the ability to expand the system by adding I/O boxes, plus the ability to network via the open AES50 protocol,” says Audio Plus’ technical support/sales manager Antoni Paluszkiewicz. “Digital life has never been so easy!”
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Bass combos beyond conventional! We started the bass amp 2.0 revolution with the award winning RH450 bass amp, but it’s far from over! So, join the revolution as bass amp 2.0 continues with two combos that combine tons of raw power with stunning tone shaping tools and an impressive list of unconventional features. Meet BG500 115 and BG500 210. Get ready to plug, play and groove. BG500 shares many features with the original RH450 which has already changed the way many bass players have come to think of amplification. Just ask Rocco Prestia of Tower of Power who made his very own version: Staccato’51. The powerful 500 Watt amps in the two models are identical and both have 1” Eminence tweeters, but you can choose from either 2x10” or 1x15” Eminence driver configurations.
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Recording - This Is The Life
Producer Pete Wilkinson met singer Amy MacDonald after he posted an ad in the NME asking for talent for his new production company. Out of thousands of respondents, Amy shone through, and shortly after their first meeting, the pair were recording This Is The Life, an album that would go on to sell three million copies worldwide and top the album charts in numerous countries. Focusrite have been behind Amy’s sound from the very first sessions in Pete’s home studio “We work in a very lo-fi way where Amy comes to my little studio at home and she puts down her vocal. All of Amy’s vocals have been recorded through my Focusrite Voicemaster Pro, and the vocal that we do through the Focusrite is the vocal that the mix engineer and mastering house ends up with.” “All of Amy’s vocals have been recorded through my Focusrite Voicemaster Pro, and the vocal that we do through the Focusrite is the vocal that the mix engineer and mastering house ends up with.” But it’s not just Amy’s vocal that gets the Focusrite treatment. Joe Fields, Pete’s engineer of choice, continues: “When Pete brings the template in, we replace the instruments to try to get it sounding how he had it in his studio. We start with drums then bass and guitars, then live strings. We tracked the strings and most of the drums through Focusrite ISA428s.”
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Amy’s second album is due for release in March 2010. Key FeaturesBack top Award-winning Class A discrete transistorbased Focusrite pre-amps This pre-amp demonstrates the same wide bandwidth philosophy featured in the original vintage Focusrite units, ensuring low noise and distortion. ‘Pro Series’ Latency-free monitoring Monitor your source signals within the mix, directly at source, avoiding having to resort to monitoring via your DAW or digital desk, both of which may be prone to latency issues. Custom Opto Compression Featuring custom fast-acting optos and voice-optimised and comprehensive controls, this compressor provides extremely smooth yet effective control of the signal’s dynamics. ISA Series De-esser VoiceMaster PRO features the same de-esser circuit as the award-winning flagship ISA 430 MkII featuring ‘De-ess Listen’. It utilised a combination of EQ and phase cancellation are used to create a smoother and less obtrusive result. Optional Stereo 24 bit / 96kHz ADC Tracking a vocal direct into your DAW or
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any other digital recording media has never been easier or more affordable. The Platinum Pro ADC provides a stereo digital S/PDIF audio output and can be retro-fitted at any time. Vintage Harmonics, Voice-optimised EQ and Tube Sound VoiceMaster Pro features a host of processing tools to allow you to get creative with a touch of class, putting your own stamp on every recording. Insert points, FX send/returns & DI functionality As well as an array of processors, VoiceMaster Pro features a truly professional level of signal flow flexibility, making VoiceMaster Pro versatile enough to handle any sound source. OverviewBack top VoiceMaster Pro is a comprehensive mono channel strip, optimised for vocal use but able to process any instrument with outstanding results. The Class A preamp is capable of capturing every nuance from any source, whilst latency-free monitoring ensures direct and delay-free mix control. Additionally, tools such as the Voice-optimised EQ, Vintage Harmonics and Tube Sound allow you to get creative with a touch of class, putting your own stamp on every recording. All of this, combined with the 24-bit, 96kHz
A/D option, mean that VoiceMaster Pro is the perfect interface between your microphone and DAW or other recording media. VoiceMaster Pro boasts the same awardwinning preamp as its predecessor, the industry standard VoiceMaster. This preamp demonstrates the same wide bandwidth philosophy featured in the original vintage Focusrite units, ensuring low noise and distortion. Mic and Instrument inputs are both located on the front panel, allowing quick and easy connection without the need for a separate DI box. Sections labelled Vintage Harmonics and Tube Sound can be used to further enhance the sonic character, offering tapebased vocal enhancement techniques and cutting edge valve emulation. With such controls at your fingertips, the range of sounds obtainable from the VoiceMaster Pro is extremely wide, from pristine clarity with subtle colouration to warm with luscious overtones. Focusrite’s British EQ has become a byword for excellence, and the VoiceMaster Pro EQ is no exception, featuring controls specifi ed to give immediate results with live or prerecorded vocals. Add to this an Optical Compressor and De-esser and you truly have all you need to produce a vocal that sits perfectly in the mix.
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Absolace
Absolace are using: Voice Live 2 Pearl Reference Series Absolace marks the coming together of individuals hailing from very diverse musical backgrounds, and is the brainchild of drummer Greg Cargopoulos. Its birth can be traced back to his initial encounter with guitarist Jack Skinner, and their school days. What brought the two together was a mutual passion for music and their converging tastes in rock/ metal. As the elder of the two musicians, Greg had already played guitar, bass, as well as drums with various Dubai acts, while Jack often attended his future band mate’s performances. After a yearlong stay in Australia and a stint with Brisbanebased melodic metal outfit Percuto, Greg returned to Dubai and began to write material for what was to become Absolace sometime in 2007. In September 2008, Greg entered the studio in order to record the drum tracks
for the band’s impending debut album. Contribution between the four musicians hence began in earnest in the final months of 2008, when Nadim started to write vocal melodies and lyrics. Meanwhile, Greg flew to the UK in November 2008 to see Kyle and begin tracking the synth parts for the record. The result – Resolve[d] – is the product of a long process that took place at several different locations between September 2008, and June 2009, including Dubai’s In The Mix studio, Kyle’s home studio in the UK, as well as Greg’s home studio in Dubai. From the outset, the core of the album’s musical configuration has revolved around rhythm, where Greg would compose the backbone based on rhythmic structure. Most notably because of the drummer’s strong grasp of rhythm, guitars mainly constitute an afterthought and
Visit their website www.myspace.com/absolace
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embody the sort of artistic garnish that the rest of the band have come to master, and Resolve[d] serves as potent testimony to the fact. The lyrical content of the record is at times cathartic, and is based on Nadim’s experiences and relationships that have affected him in a profound way. Among other things, the lead singer’s lines tackle themes such as deep personal introspection, struggling with the loss of a loved one, as well as one’s oft-conflicting connection to the band’s home base, Dubai. Yet despite the emotional depth of his words, the band’s frontman manages to articulate a positive message in each of the songs, and looks to better times with eager anticipation and a desire to surmount obstacles that life puts in front of us. Final steps were taken in July 2009 when Jens Bogren, an established producer in the Scandinavian metal scene, started the post-production of the album at Fascination Street Studios in Orebro, Sweden. The band’s current composition ultimately materialized during the first months of 2010, when Ben Harris was asked to join up and complete this impressive ensemble of talent. Ben and Greg met through mutual friends and at various events, and initially connected through their mutual affinity for the alternative/progressive and metal/
rock music genres. Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Ben had since 2006 extensively toured the Middle East and UAE club circuits as a bassist and vocalist. He is now a renowned sessionist, having worked and recorded with emerging local artists such as Danny Shirran, Holly Major, Beat Antenna and Tim Hassall. Not long after their original encounter, Ben would permanently join forces with Absolace as the final ingredient in their distinctive sound. A general pursuit of instinct, rather than a conventional rock band dynamic also characterizes the group’s first studio effort. The founder of Absolace is an avid admirer of the intricacies behind the psychology of music, and the rapport between cognition and emotion in the human brain. As such, the creative method utilized by the members of Absolace espouses a holistic manner of thought, rather than placing a narrow-minded emphasis on individual parts. What is more, the final product that Resolve[d] has come to embody had seen Greg, Jack, Nadim, and Kyle engage in plenty of improvisation during the course of the recording process. As the band prepare to take their music to live audiences in support of the record, the development of their artistic impulses and boisterous rise to prominence in the scene are bound to be only the first chapter of a promising and long metal saga.
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The Boxtones
Hailing from Bahrain these guys have been getting alot of attention by doing weekly gigs and have even come to Dubai and have had several performances in Movenpick, Bur Dubai. Do check out their videos and audio tracks from myspace or just check out their website which has more pics and info.
Visit their website www.boxtonesband.com
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Midas PRO6 Takes Flight with Jet FOH engineer Kyle Chirnside opts for digital pathways with Midas PRO6 console and Klark Teknik DN9696 high resolution audio recorder.
nel gain has basically stayed the same since the first day we started recording, so capturing and storing each performance is practically automatic.”
Australian band Jet has hit the road in America to support the group’s latest album, Shaka Rock. Manning the controls at front of house is veteran mixer Kyle Chirnside, with Will Burston manning the monitor desk. To ensure consistent, high quality shows, the group is carrying its own front of house console, a Midas PRO6 live audio system supplied by Big Mo Pro in Parsippany, New Jersey.
On the PRO6, Chirnside uses the Midas POPulation Groups and VCAs to provide quick access to all elements of his mix. Jet is a classic 5-piece rock band, with two guitars, bass, drums and keyboards, with all five members contributing vocals. Chirnside dedicates five of the PRO6’s six POP Groups to each band member, with the sixth Group carrying all the vocals. “That way, I can pull up any individual with one button-push, and I still have all my VCAs available as separate submixes,” he notes.
“I’ve been using the PRO6 for two years now. It’s my console of choice,” says Chirnside. “In fact, we did the first few shows on this tour without it, and I can tell you, it makes a huge difference. With the digital snake system and on-board processing, the PRO6 really makes everything easier, and helps us get the most out the house rigs we encounter.” Jet is also considering doing a live album, so all shows on the tour are being recorded. For that task, Chirnside opted for the Klark Teknik DN9696 high resolution audio recorder. Designed to integrate seamlessly with Midas digital consoles, the DN9696 is a 5 RU rack-mount device offering 96 tracks of recording at 96 kHz/24-bit resolution. “The 9696 has been flawless for us,” says Chirnside. “We’re taking the channel outputs right after the preamps via fiber, pre-fader, with no processing. The recorder sits in monitor world, so Will Burston is watching it during the show. But really, once you’ve got your trim set, all you have to do is hit Record and let it go. We’re using a total of 36 channels, including 5 channels of ambient miking. Chan-
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The VCAs provide a greater level of detail, each carrying natural instrument groupings. The drum kit is split across three VCAs, with kick drum, snare and hi-hat comprising one group, toms another, and cymbals a third. Similarly, there are VCAs for keyboards, lead vocals (clean and “dirty”), backing vocals and bass. Various reverbs occupy three more slots. On the PRO6, the extensive onboard DSP effects can be set up in a virtual rack for easy access. “The effects sound so good, we don’t carry any outboard gear at all,” Chirnside confides. “I’m using three
Artists
reverbs – one for snare, another for tom, and one for vocals. They’re all done off the internal DN780 engine. I also run a delay, and the rest of my effects are stereo 3-band compressors, which gives me a little extra frequency compression I can call on if I need it, primarily on the main vocalists.” Jet’s opening act, the Crash Kings, is also being mixed on the PRO6, though local openers are usually mixed by local engineers on the house console. To accommodate this, Chirnside uses the Area B feature to carry the audio from the console, plus a stereo feed for walkingin music fed from an iPod. This allows the
left side of the console (Area A) to be dedicated to Jet and Crash Kings settings, with seamless changeover between acts. Chirnside, an early PRO6 adopter who has been using the Midas digital for two full years now, sees it as the ultimate console for tours not traveling with their own PA. “I’ll tell you, from using house desks on the first few shows of this tour to when we picked up the PRO6, it makes a huge difference,” he reports. “It really livens up the sound of these old house rigs. In virtually every venue we’ve played, the house engineer is amazed at how good their system sounds when it’s played through this console.”
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