Blazing Griffin, a BAFTA-winning games, post-production, film and TV production facility based in Glasgow, Scotland that was established in 2015, was recently outfitted with an Alcons Audio CRMSC Compact Cinema Reference Monitor System, the first to be installed in the United Kingdom.
Specifically, the Alcons platform, employing the company’s patented RBN202 pro-ribbon drivers, is part of Blazing Griffin’s new 5.1/7.1.4 (Dolby Atmos) film mixing room that’s built to Dolby Features specification. “The room was designed to accommodate theatrical film mixing as well as HETV drama and feature doc work, and sonically had to translate well to both commercial cinemas and home systems,” says Paul Martin, technical operation manager at the facility. “Working closely with Dolby throughout the process, the installation had to hit specific requirements in terms of loudness and intelligibility, and naturally we wanted the best sounding system available to us.
“We were aware that Alcons pro-ribbon systems are a go-to for higher end facilities and had known Laurence Claydon of consultancy and design service Mill Road Technology for many years. We trust his ears and were happy to listen to his vast experience and recommendations on the subject.”
The chosen system is comprised three Alcons CRMSCompact three-way, 12-inch compact cinema loudspeakers, 16 CRMSC-SRHV/90 two-way, 6.5-inch compact horizontal/vertical reference surrounds and two CB211slFV 21-inch larger-format shallow subwoofers, all powered and controlled by three Sentinel3 amplified loudspeaker controllers.
The CRMS Compact Cinema Reference Monitor System is designed for mix/screening rooms, post-production facilities, dubbing stages and home cinemas with a room depth less than 10 meters/30 feet. It’s complemented by the CRMSC-SRHV, which is designed as a matching (height layer) surround system, utilizing identical mid/high frequency components to better match the voicing between screen and surround systems.
One challenge was the very tight timescale for the project, with only three months between the start of construction of the new room and the deadline for its completion. “We hadn’t installed Alcons products before, but it was a very straightforward, seamless process,” says Paul. “Laurence commissioned the system and it was ready just in time for the handover date.”
Claydon adds, “At Mill Road Technology we’re delighted that Blazing Griffin have chosen to join an increasing number of mixing facilities whose talent and clients are discovering the benefits of working on Alcons Pro Ribbon against traditional monitoring solutions. We receive consistent feedback that Alcons allows you to hear further into the mix and work more efficiently in making creative decisions”
