More Demands Means More Features

To match the sound characteristics of the live environment with the studio tracks – assuming, of course, that you are not using the same space for both sessions – a four-band parametric EQ section per channel is a nice addition. Not to mention some multi-channel compression/limiting/gating so that you can begin to control the individual dynamics of the drums and bass in the rhythm section, for example, and then lay over the lead solos and vocal elements. And if you are building the vocals in sections, again in pursuit of that “perfect” take, then sample-accurate editing is a must, along with the ability to copy and paste sections into a composite vocal track.

Mix-to-picture is a growing application for the audio savvy. A DAW’s ability to lock to an external timecode source – either LTC from a dedicated audio track, or VITC data within the video picture itself – opens up a world of post-production opportunities, including music scoring, ADR and Foley work. In addition, there are a number of systems that will lock to a conventional QuickTime movie, thereby enabling post production of projects cut on a number of MacOS- and Windows-based digital-video editing applications, including Apple’s Final Cut Pro and iDVD, Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere. Again, this will require a more power and sophistication than you’ll find at the entry level.

Erica syncs to Quick Time

If you intend to dabble with surround-sound projects – either remixing multitrack elements for DVD-Audio release, or reconfirming multi-channel stems for a DVD-Video soundtrack – then we need to up the ante. Now we have to provide routing to at least six monitor and/or record busses with sophisticated multi-channel panning and dynamics control.

And don’t forget that DVD-A supports 24-bit resolutions at 96 kHz (plus 192 kHz) sample rates. Converters that offer this type of sonic resolution do not come cheaply; and disk capacities are severely impacted when you move from 16/44.1 CD resolutions to 24/96, not to mention the need to select high-bandwidth drives to ensure that data can be recorded and retrieved without glitches. (Ultra SCSI and Fiber Channel drives, for example, offers better, more consistent performance than IDE and similar topologies, but normally require a dedicated PCI slot and external media.)

Here Today, Where Tomorrow?

The bottom line is simple: if a project will never leave your facility, or your needs are reasonably modest, then a stand-alone or closed-format DAW will probably be the system of choice. If, however, you are undecided about how your business might expand – or what your home or project studio might need to handle in the coming couple of years – then a modular or open-architecture system capable of accommodating more inputs, outputs, DSP functions, lock-to-video should be carefully considered. (And I will be covering the vital differences between “closed” and “open systems on the next part of this series, so hold your questions until then!)

Next Time: Most of us don't have the luxury of a fresh start – “What Gear Do You Have Now?.” Then: “System Architectures: Appliance-specific versus Computer-centric Solutions.”

©2001 Mel Lambert/Media&Marketing. All right reserved

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