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Thursday, July 22, 2010

All Access: A Look At Guns N’ Roses Chinese Democracy Tour

For a tour of this magnitude, carrying double the PA is double the fun in Uruguay.

Guns N’ Roses recently brought the ongoing Chinese Democracy tour to Centenario Stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay, drawing an enthusiastic crowd estimated at more than 30,000 people that were well-served by a widespread sound reinforcement system.

Three of the region’s sound companies united for this large-scale undertaking, including Leggio Sonido, Marti Audio, and Compañía Uruguaya de Sonido, who pooled a significant amount of audio equipment together for one of the most notable rock concerts to hit Montevideo in recent memory.

The outdoor concert had the crowd was situated on the stadium’s soccer field playing surface, in an area about 350 feet wide by 300 feet long.

A second coverage area was elevated about 65 feet, on an incline of 35 degrees in regard to the ground level.

The stage rested in a lateral position, facing 300 feet across the distance of the second level.

“This event was complicated by a variety of technical coordination issues, structural conditions that weren’t anticipated, and heavy rain throughout the setup period,” reports Ariel Marti, director of Marti Audio.

“Everything from stage rigging and alignment issues to having too little time for setup made this one of the most difficult projects I’ve encountered.”

The main PA system covering this immense space consisted of two distinct loudspeaker setups - one for the instruments and the other dedicated solely to the voice of GN’R lead vocalist Axl Rose.

The vocal system incorporated 16 D.A.S. Audio Aero 50 large-format, 3-way line array modules, flown eight per side to the left and right of the front stage at a height of approximately 30 feet.

These were flanked by the instrument system’s 32 Aero 50 modules,  each made up of 16 elements flown at a height of about 40 feet.

“There were a number of serious obstacles, but thanks to its controlled dispersion characteristics, along with the ease of handling and cabling, the Aero 50 system enabled us to pull everything together,” notes Jorge Leggio, director of Leggio Sonido.

All of these loudspeakers were powered by Lab.gruppen FP 10000Q 4-channel amplifiers, housed with several Lab.gruppen Lake digital processors that were outfitted with remote touch-panel control of all parameters.

Further bolstering the vocal system were an additional eight Aero 12A self-powered, 2-way modules positioned over the center of the stage and flown at a height of 36 feet.

From the ground, plenty of low-end was supplied by 64 D.A.S. LX-218 subwoofers, each incorporating dual 18-inch long excursion, neodymium transducers in a front-loaded, bass-reflex configuration.

These were divided at 32 per side, driven by Lab.gruppen FP13000 amplifiers.

The deep and wide coverage area also dictated support from four delay towers, spread approximately equidistant at a distance of about 150 feet from the stage. 

Two of these towers, immediately behind the centrally located house mix position, each offered 16 D.A.S. Aero 38 self-powered modules.

The other two towers, split out to the sides, offered 8-box Aero 38 arrays, driven by Crest Audio amplifiers. All of the delay loudspeakers were also included in the Lake DSP control and processing network.

Stage monitoring was headed by a Yamaha PM5D console for several mixes to 10 D.A.S. SML12A 12-inch self-powered (biamped) monitor wedges distributed around the stage. Additional monitoring gear as well as microphones travel with the band.

Veteran engineer Andy Meyer chose an Avid VENUE D-Show console for his front of house mix.

“It’s a big band - three guitars, two keyboards, bass, drums and vocals - and that means not just plenty of inputs, but lots of challenges in terms of just getting everything to sit right in the mix,” Meyer explains.

“Setting up different panning and EQ settings in scenes throughout the course of a song allows me to create different imaging and tonality for greater impact,” he continues.

“It makes the vocals and solos stand out to really create a better mix.”

The snapshot automation of VENUE is also a big plus, with Meyer noting he has close to 240 scenes throughout an average show. In fact, he connected a footswitch to advance through scenes.

“It works great for freeing up my hands, although I realized after the show that I was standing on one leg for three hours.”

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Midas Pro6 Chosen By DBS Audio For Their 2010 Festival Season

The analog-only sound company chose the sound of Midas for its first digital console.

DBS Audio has a long-standing reputation for excellence in audio, which is a primary reason they’ve been long-standing users of Midas consoles.

However, until their 2010 festival season, DBS’s use of Midas was previously restricted to the Midas analog line.

“It was our first leap into digital,” says founder and president David Brotman. “We are solely a Midas console house and again, I wanted to move into something that no one else had – and from an integrity standpoint, something we already had.”

“So we were waiting and hoping that Midas would release something within our price range. After 15 years with them, we have a lot of trust in the Midas name. So when it was time to go digital, the Pro6 was an easy choice.”

Located in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, DBS Audio has been providing sound for shows all over the Northeast since 1992. Over the years, DBS Audio has built a reputation on the festival scene, while also doing tours and installations.

“When we built the company, we made it a point to shoot for the highest quality,” said Brotman.

“I also wanted to be something completely different, not built on the same inventory as everyone else. So we built the company starting with 100% Midas consoles and Meyer Sound enclosures.”

“Originally, we were going to wait for our factory training, thinking it would take a while before we got comfortable with it,” he said.

“But literally after having the Pro6 in the shop three days, it was clear – this thing is easy. So we brought it out on a gig, and it performed flawlessly.”

“Every job we’ve done with the Pro6 so far, I haven’t brought any outboard gear,” he said. “The Klark-Teknik reverb sounds phenomenal and the delays all sound great. But for multi-stage festivals, I’ll probably carry a small rack of reverbs and delays just to keep people happy with the brand names they trust, and those integrate into the console just fine.”

“It’s amazing how much they’ve gotten inside this unit, between the control surface and the brain. And the whole thing weighs about 200 pounds, that’s another bonus.”

“Frankly, I’ve never been happy with the sound of any digital console I’ve tried before this,” said Brotman. “But it’s no surprise that Midas is the exception. First, it’s got those great Midas preamps.”

“But the best thing about the Pro6 is the latency control. I’m a real fanatic about time alignment, and in our world, time is your enemy.”

“Midas is really the only digital console that addresses that, so you don’t get any phase smear, even with old analog devices patched in. It’s pretty amazing how they did that.”

“It fits right in with how we work as a company. We’re very clear about our work and we only want it one way – perfect. That’s a big reason why we’re a Midas house, and the Pro6 just confirms that commitment.”

Midas Consoles Website

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The Analog Tape Recorder: An Introduction

What every engineer should know about analog recorders, excerpted from Huber & Runstein's "Modern Recording."

This article is the first half in our series on the analog tape recorder, excerpted from Huber & Runstein’s book Modern Recording Techniques, Seventh Edition. For the second half, click here.

From its inception in Germany in the late 1920s and its American introduction by Jack Mullin in 1945 (Figure 1), the analog tape recorder (or ATR) had steadily increased in quality and universal acceptance to the point that professional and personal studios had totally relied upon   magnetic media for the storage of analog sound onto reels of tape. 

With the dawning of the project studio and computer-based DAWs, the use of two-channel and multitrack ATRs has steadily dwindled to the point where no new analog tape machine models are currently being manufactured.

In short,  recording to analog tape has steadily become a high-cost, future-retro, “specialty” process for getting a certain sound.

This being said, the analog recording process is still highly regarded and even sought after by many studios as a special sonic tool … and by others as a raised fist against the onslaught of the “evil digital empire.” 

Without delving into the ongoing debate of the merits of analog versus digital, I think it’s fair to say that each has its own distinct type of sound and application in audio and music production.

Although professional analog recorders are usually much more expensive than their digital counterparts, as a general rule,  a properly aligned,  professional analog deck will have a particular sound that’s often described as being full, punchy,  gutsy and “raw” (when used on drums, vocals, entire mixes or anything that you want to throw at it).

In fact, the limitations of tape are often used as a form of “artistic expression.” From this, it’s easy to see and hear why the analog tape recorder isn’t dead yet … and probably won’t be for some time.

To 2-Inch Or Not To 2-Inch?
Before we delve into the inner workings of the analog tape recorder,  let’s take a moment to discuss ways in which the analog tape sound can be taken advantage of in the digital and project studio environment.

Before you go out and buy your own deck, however,  there are other cost-effective ways to get “that sound” on your own projects. 

For example:

• Make use of plug-ins that can emulate (or approximate) the overdriven sound of an analog tape track.
• Rent a studio that has an analog multitrack for a few hours or days. You could record specific tracks to tape, transfer existing digital tracks to tape or dump an entire final mixdown to tape. For the cost of studio time and a reel of tape, you could inject your project with an entirely new type of sound (you might consider buying a single reel of multitrack tape that can be erased and reused once the takes have been transferred to disk).
• Rent an analog machine from a local studio equipment service. For a rental fee and basic cartage charges, you could reap the benefits of having an analog ATR for the duration of a project,  without any undue financial and maintenance overhead.

A few guidelines should also be kept in mind when recording and/or transferring tracks to or from a multitrack recorder:

• Obviously, high recording levels add to that sought-after “overdriven” analog sound;  however,  driving a track too hard (hot) can actually kill a track’s definition or “air.” The trick is often to find a center balance between the right amount of saturation and downright distortion.
• Noise reduction can be a good thing,  but it can also diminish what is thought of as that “classic analog sound.” Newer, wide tape width record- ers (such as ATR Services’ ATR-102 1-inch, two-track and the 108C 2-inch, eight-track   recorder),  as well as older   2-inch,  16-track recorders,  can provide improved definition without the need for noise reduction.

Magnetic Recording And Its Media
At a basic level, an analog audio tape recorder can be thought of as a sound recording device that has the capacity to store audio information onto a magnetizable tape-based medium and then play this information back at a later time.

By definition, analog refers to something that’s “analogous,” similar to or comparable to something else.

An ATR is able to transform an electrical input signal directly into a corresponding magnetic energy that can be stored onto tape in the form of magnetic remnants.

Upon playback,  this magnetic energy is then reconverted back into a corresponding electrical signal that can be amplified, mixed,  processed and heard.

The recording media itself is composed of several layers of material, each serving a specific function (Figure 2).

The base material that makes up most of a tape’s thickness is often composed of polyester or polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is a durable polymer that’s physically strong and can withstand a great deal of abuse before being damaged.

Bonded to the PVC base is the all-important layer of magnetic oxide. The molecules of this oxide combine to create some of the smallest known permanent magnets,  which are called domains (Figure 3a).

On an unmagnetized tape,  the polarities of these domains are randomly oriented over the entire surface of the tape. 

The resulting energy force of this random magnetization at the reproduce head is a general cancellation of the combined domain energies, resulting in no signal at the recorder’s output (except for the tape noise that occurs due to the residual domain energy output).

When a signal is recorded,  the magnetization from the record head polarizes the individual domains (at varying degrees in positive and negative angular directions) in such a way that their average magnetism produces a much larger combined magnetic flux (Figure 3b). 

When the tape is pulled across the play- back head at the same, constant speed at which it was recorded,  this alternating magnetic output is then converted back into an alternating signal that can then be amplified and further processed for reproduction.

The Professional Analog ATR
Professional analog ATRs can be found in 2-, 4-, 8-, 16- and 24-track formats.  Each configuration is generally best suited to a specific production and postproduction task.

For example,  a 2-track ATR is generally used to record the final stereo mix of a project (Figures 4 and 5),  whereas 8-, 16- and 24-track machines are obviously used for multitrack recording (Figures 6 and 7).

Although no professional analog machines are currently being manufactured, quite a few decks can be found   on the used market in varying degrees of working condition.

Certain recorders (such as the ATR-108C 2-inch,  multitrack/mastering recorder)  can be switched between tape width and track formats,  allowing the machine to be converted to handle a range of multitrack, mixdown and mastering tasks.

The Tape Transport
The process of recording audio onto magnetic tape depends on the transport’s   capability   to pass the tape across a head path at a constant speed and with a uniform tension.

In simpler words,  a recorder must uniformly pass a precise length of tape over the record head within a specific time period (Figure 8).

During playback, this relationship is maintained by again moving the tape across the heads at the same speed,  thereby preserving the program’s original pitch,  rhythm and duration.

This constant speed and tension movement of the tape across a head’s path is initiated by simply pressing the Play button.

The drive can be disengaged at any time by pressing the Stop button, which applies a simultaneous breaking force to both the left and right reels.

The Fast Forward and Rewind buttons cause the tape to rapidly shuttle in the respective directions in order to locate a specific point. 

Initiating either of these modes engages the tape lifters, which raise the tape away from the heads (definitely an ear-saving feature).

Once the play mode has been engaged, pressing the Record button allows audio to be recorded onto any selected track or tracks.

Beyond these basic controls,  you might expect to run into several differences between transports (often depending on the machine’s age). For example, older recorders might require that both the Record and Play buttons be simultaneously pressed in order to go into record mode;  while others may begin record- ing when the Record button is pressed while already in the Play mode.

On certain older professional transports (particularly those wonderful Ampex decks from the 1950s and 1960s),  stopping a fast-moving tape by simply press- ing the Stop button can stretch or destroy a master tape, because the inertia is simply too much for the mechanical brake to deal with.

In such a situation, a procedure known as “rocking”  the tape is used to prevent tape damage. 

The deck can be rocked to its stop position by engaging the fast-wind mode in the direction opposite the current travel direction until the tape slows down to a reasonable speed … at which point it’s safe to press the Stop button.

In recent decades, tape transport designs have incorporated total transport logic (TTL), which places transport and monitor functions under microprocessor control.

This has a number of distinct advantages in that you can push the Play or Stop buttons while the tape is in fast-wind mode without fear of tape damage.

With TTL, the recorder can sense the tape speed and direction and then automatically rock the transport until the tape can safely be stopped or can slow the tape to a point where the deck can seamlessly slip into play or record mode.

Most modern ATRs are equipped with a shuttle control that enables the tape to be shuttled at various wind speeds in either direction.

This allows a specific cue point to be located by listening to the tape at varying play speeds, or the control can be used to gently and evenly wind the tape onto its reel at a slower speed for long-term storage.

The Edit button (which can be found on certain proffessional machines) often has two operating modes:  stop-edit and dump-edit.

If the Edit button is pressed while the transport is in the stop mode,  the left and right tape reel brakes are released and the tape sensor is bypassed. 

This makes it possible for the tape to be manually rocked back and forth until the edit point is found. 

Often, if the Edit button is pressed while in the play mode,  the take-up turntable is disengaged and the tape sensor is bypassed. 

This allows unwanted sections of tape to be spooled off the machine (and into the trash can)  while listening to the material as it’s being dumped during playback.

A safety switch, which is incorporated into all professional transports, initiates the stop mode when it senses the absence of tape along its guide path;  thus, the recorder stops automatically at the end of a reel or should the tape accidentally break. 

This switch can be built into the tape-tension sensor,  or it might exist in the form of a light beam that’s interrupted when tape is present.

Most professional ATRs are equipped with automatic tape counters that accurately read out time in hours,  minutes, seconds and sometimes frames (00:00:00:00).

Many of these recorders have digital readout displays that double as tape-speed indicators when in the “varispeed” mode. 

This function incorporates a control that lets you vary the tape speed from fixed industry standards.

On many tape transports, this control can be continuously varied over a ±20%  range from the 7 1 2 , 15 or 30 ips (inches per second) standard.

Stay tuned for the next part of the series where we’ll discuss cleaning, alignment, archiving, and equalazation.

 

This article is the first part in a series on the analog tape recorder, excerpted from Huber & Runstein’s book Modern Recording Techniques, Seventh Edition For the second half, click here.

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CAD Audio Appoints Glenn Roop Head Of Business Development

Roop comes to CAD with several decades of experience within the pro audio industry.

CAD Audio has named Glenn Roop as Executive Director, Business Development.

In his new role with CAD, Roop will be responsible for developing new products, marketing and sales promotions to expand the scope of existing markets for CAD Audio.

Roop was formerly Director of Professional Sales within the MI industry where he developed key strategies for product promotions, developments and launches.

He has been a successful pro audio industry professional for the past 20 years.

A graduate of Kent State University with a degree in Biology/Chemistry, Roop also owned and operated Entertainment Concepts/RSL, a company dedicated to the design and build of loudspeakers for clubs and DJs.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Glenn in the past so this was an easy decision and an excellent fit for CAD Audio,” said Vice President of Sales & Marketing Tony O’Keefe.

“Glenn is a seasoned industry veteran who brings the highest level of sales and marketing expertise as well as solid industry relationships to our team.”

“We anticipate accelerated growth and a broadened dealer base with his addition.”

CAD Audio Website

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Tech Tip Of The Day: Input Metering

Is there a trick to watching meters in a DAW's input stage?

 
Q: I have a decent sized project studio that gets used by my band and some friends which is setup with a DAW and a fairly large amount of outboard equipment.

We’ve been using the studio for some time now and always get fairly good results.

However, every once in a while we get some weird distortion and I’ll see a clip or something on one of the 20 different meters that’s either in the DAW or on the outboard.

I’m just wondering, is there some kind of hierarchy to these meters?

I mean, should they all be watched equally carefully or are some more or less important than others?

A: We’ve all been told that the key to great digital recordings (or analog for that matter) is getting the hottest signal possible to the hard drive (or tape) without clipping.

Nearly everyone finds themselves in a situation similar to yours at some point where they’re using multiple pieces of outboard gear (preamps, compressors, etc.) in addition to a DAW.

This can definitely lead to some confusion, as there are often numerous meters displaying very different results.

So if your preamp has a meter and your DAW has a meter, which one should you look at as a reference?

Well, theoretically, you should keep an eye on both meters, but pay extra attention to the outboard gear meters.

Pushing the preamp or compressor too hard will evidence itself on the meter on that piece of gear, but may still look fine on the input meter of the DAW.

Pushing a preamp or compressor too hard can cause the recording to be distorted or over-compressed, or both, but the input meter of the DAW will still be bouncing happily at -3dB.

The pitfall of not accurately monitoring the outboard gear’s monitors is that distorted vocals or squashed tracks can’t be undone.

With gear that has multiple monitoring modes, like a compressor that can switch between Gain Reduction and Output, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on both functions to get the truest picture of what’s going to the input of your DAW.

The real answer is to watch them all, however make sure you’re watching not only with your eyes, but with your ears as well.

As always, we welcome input from the PSW community and would love to know how you handle metering during the input stage. Feel free to let us know in the comments below.

 
For more tech tips go to Sweetwater.com

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NetworkSound Releases Mamba 16 Channel Converter

The ANADAT is a AD/DA converter for ADAT

NetworkSound has announced a new line of audio converter products starting with Mamba ANADAT.

The Mamba ANADAT is a standalone 16 channel analog line level audio to ADAT converter that can convert microphone level input with the use of any external mic pre.

The unit operates at 48kHz / 24 bits and can be upgraded to 16 channel 96 kHz/24 bits at a later date.

The 96 kHz mode will use SMUX technique as prescribed by ADAT, doubling the number of inputs and output connectors for the same 16 channels.

Features In Brief:
•16 channels from Analog to ADAT
•16 channels from ADAT to Analog
•Max analog input level is +18 dBu, SNR=105 dB, THD+N (1kHz @ -1dBFS) = 0.005% (@48K)
•Maximum output level = +18 dBu, SNR = 114.6 dB, THD+N (1kHz @ -1dBFS) =0.0048% (@48K)
•Input impedance = 4.53 Kohm, Output impedance = 100 ohm
•Latency ~600 usec @ 48K & ~300 usec @ 96K
•ADAT light pipe connector for ADAT in and out
•External WC (word Clock) switch to set Master or Slave
•Analog in and out via DB25 (Tascam/Digi Analog standard pin out)
•Use DB25 to XLR breakout cables to connect to XLRs
•Use DB25 to DB25 cable to connect to Tascam DB25
•1U rack mount box (19"X12"X1.75”) @ 9 pounds

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Earthworks Launches A Redesigned Website

The new site contains new social media initiatives, information and media clips.

Earthworks has announced the launch of the company’s new website. The website includes new easy-to-find product information, a new visual look, and a wide range of media clips

Visitors will notice artist/engineer profiles and greatly simplified navigation that streamlines the visitor experience.

The new site makes it easier than ever to select the “right tool for the job” through the use of artist/engineer profiles, sound clips, and video.

Earthworks new website also features the company’s new social media engagements, including their blog, Facebook, and Twitter, and much more.

“I’m confident prospective customers will find much to like. The abundance of audio and video material makes one’s time spent online both informative and rewarding,” said Michael Hurwitz, Earthworks National Sales / Artist Relations Manager.

“Finding the best product for one’s particular application has never been easier and the selection process is readily supported by testimonials, product reviews, specifications, owner’s manuals, and more.”

Earthworks Website

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DiGiCo Joins HOW-To Church Sound Workshop Tour

The SD9 will be used on the second half of the How-To tour as the featured console sponsor.

DiGiCo has announced that it is joining the nationally recognized HOW-TO Church Sound Workshop 2010 Tour as the featured digital console sponsor.

DiGiCo’s newly launched SD9 console will be utilized in the hands-on training of house of worship sound techs and volunteers as the HOW-TO tour continues its travels throughout the nation, with workshops conducted by respected sound engineer, Mike Sokol.

DiGiCo has signed on for the second half of the 36-city tour, participating in 18 cities beginning in Lancaster, OH, on August 7th. Other dates include stops in Alabama, Kansas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan, among other states.

“You have to be very pleased any time a manufacturer of top-quality audio gear recognizes the value of the worship marketplace and believes in education strongly enough to support our national workshops,” said Hector La Torre, Managing Partner for Fits & Starts Productions and producer of the HOW-TO Church Sound Workshops.

“Folks across the country attending the HOW-TO Workshops are going to be thrilled to get their hands on the DiGiCo SD9 digital console.”

“I’ve known Hector since I started in this business and have the utmost respect for all the different things he’s done in his career,” said Jack Kelly, owner of Group One Ltd., U.S. distributor of DiGiCo.

“Becoming a sponsor of the HOW TO Sound Workshops on behalf of DiGiCo digital mixing systems was really a great opportunity to work with Hector, and of course, introduce our new SD9 console with Stealth digital technology to the HOW market.”

HOW-TO Church Sound Workshop Website

DiGiCo Website

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