Long-time SADiE user David Bowles has been nominated for a GRAMMY Award in the Best Orchestral Performance category for his recording of Haydn’s symphonies 104, 88 and 101.

The recordings are part of a series of projects undertaken by David Bowles for the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, conducted by Nicholas McGegan, OBE. The Haydn symphonies were recorded live at the First Congregational Church in Berkeley, California using a SADiE LRX2 location recorder. They were subsequently edited, mixed at mastered at Swineshead Productions LLC on a SADiE H64 system incorporating a Dream DA-2 converter, a Bryston BP20 pre-amplifier and PMC AML1 monitors.

Since 1995, Bowles has been the driving force behind California-based Swineshead Productions LLC, a classical recording production company that specialises in high-resolution surround sound recording. The two-studio facility offers a range of services including audio production, engineering, editing, mastering and location recording.

Bowles, who is also a member of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) Board of Governors, has been using SADiE equipment for many years and is particularly impressed with the flexibility the LRX2 has brought to his work.

He explains: “What really attracted me to the LRX2 was the ability to record to an external “mirror” hard drive, thus giving me a safety copy right at the sessions. After buying an LRX2 and a Dell Precision M65 laptop, I retired my multitrack recorder, which meant that I had less gear to haul around. The integrated architecture of the analogue mic/line slither also eliminated an output stage and an input stage but I can still use outboard mic pres when they are needed.”

Bowles has also acquired a Prism Sound Orpheus, which he uses as a second remote rig for projects requiring no more than 8 channels. “The Orpheus is the best external interface available, therefore I’m able to guarantee clients the same level of quality whether using the H64, LRX2 or Orpheus,” he says.

Since founding Swineshead Productions LLC, David Bowles has produced and engineered over 80 projects for commercial release, recorded 500 live concert performances, and produced live recording broadcasts.

The Haydn symphonies, for which Bowles has received his GRAMMY nomination, are described by the New York Times as “really fine performances.” The New York Times critic goes on to say: “Seldom have his (Haydn’s) elemental dynamic contrasts sounded so properly in proportion or so mercurial, with the 50 or so players able to play out lustily in fortes and pull back quickly to quieter modes, whether playful, subtle or mysterious…beautifully produced and engineered.”

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About Prism Sound
Founded in 1987, Prism Sound manufacture high-quality professional digital audio equipment for the International broadcast, film, music production, manufacturing and telecommunications sectors. The range now includes SADiE digital audio workstations and location recorders. Prism Sound also manufactures audio test and measurement products such as the DSA-1 and the dScope Series III audio analyzer.

For more information please visit www.sadie.com or www.prismsound.com

Old Lyme, Conn. – January 3, 2012 - Following the successful launch of the Neumann KH 120 two-way active nearfield monitor last fall, Neumann proudly announces the launch of two new active subwoofers: the KH 810 and KH 870.

Over the past few years, numerous developments in transmission technologies have increased the demands placed on professional monitoring systems. As a result, modern production facilities now require high-quality monitoring systems that can accurately reproduce any signal, including the latest 7.1 discrete high definition formats. The KH 810 and KH 870 both feature Neumann’s 7.1 High Definition Bass Manager™ technology, which complements high-definition video with the most accurate sound reproduction possible.

The KH 810: At the Heart of a Modern Monitoring System
The KH 810 is far more than a simple subwoofer; it serves as the heart of a modern monitoring system. The comprehensive 7.1 High Definition Bass Management™ system meets the latest demands of the industry and perfectly complements the Neumann KH 120 nearfield two-way monitor. It can be used either as a subwoofer dedicated to reproducing the LFE channel, or as a means of providing low frequency extension with an increased maximum SPL. With the KH 810, it is now possible to assemble flexible monitoring systems for studios of different sizes, with a smooth, uniform response that ranges from below 20 Hz to above 20 kHz.

The integrated 7.1 High Definition Bass Manager™ is compatible with all formats, from mono to the latest 7.1 high definition systems such as Blu-ray. Eight electronically balanced analog XLR inputs ensure flexible interconnectivity for modern studios. Four-mode LFE channel processing guarantees maximum compatibility across all formats, while 4th order crossovers and flexible acoustic controls allow for seamless system integration. A built-in volume control permits centralized system adjustment of replay levels, independent of the source. The electronics can be located remotely to reduce cabling, and to allow the cabinet to be mounted flush to a wall.

State-of-the-art amplifier technologies and acoustic components have been used to ensure maximum accuracy of sound reproduction. A robust 10-inch driver, solid cabinet, and carefully designed ports guarantee tight, articulate, distortion-free low frequency reproduction down to 18 Hz; even at high playback levels. By using sum output, Plane Wave Bass Array™ (PWBA™) techniques can acoustically improve lateral consistency in the listening area and further increase low frequency linearity. The flexibility of the system is further enhanced by an extensive range of accessories.

The combination of KH 120 and KH 810 is ideal for tracking, mixing and mastering in music, broadcasting, project and post-production studios. The KH 810 ($1,999) and the KH 870 ($3,199) are available from select retailers.

Rhozet and EMC Isilon Scale-out NAS Essential in New Transcoding Workflows with Big Data Storage

Integrated Media Technologies, Inc. (IMT) has designed and implemented at Burbank’s Visual Data Media Services (VDMS) a new high performance transcoding system and shared storage workflow. Key components in the new VDMS install are a Rhozet Carbon Coder transcode farm from Harmonic, Inc., combined with EMC Isilon’s no compromise scale-out NAS to create a large private cloud for asset management services.

John Trautman, CEO at VDMS, explained, “With IMT’s guidance, we have launched the backend infrastructure for our new and proprietary asset management system that provides global broadcast file distribution and web publishing of all our clients’ digital assets. With an optimized transcode platform and a large private cloud for storage, it makes managing and moving assets a straightforward and automated process.”

Visual Data Media Services has earned a solid reputation for quality, service and dependability by providing integrated end-to-end post-production solutions for over 15 years. To meet the ever-evolving needs of television, feature film, and new media clients, VDMS focuses on the seamless repurposing and distribution of content for all media outlets, including Domestic Syndication, Network Broadcast, International Distribution, Home Video, Video-On-Demand, the Internet, and Mobile Devices.

As the industry transitions from physical asset inventories and distribution to digital catalogs and deliveries, it is increasingly difficult to manage assets and meet tightened delivery windows. With a multitude of file formats, codec’s, and non-standard delivery platforms to deal with, the traditional methods no longer worked.

“We met with VDMS to determine the best of breed solution that would meet their workflow and performance needs,” explained IMT’s Jason Kranitz. “Rhozet Carbon Coder was the most flexible of the transcoding products and fit their model nicely. For the most comprehensive storage solution, Isilon provided the scalability and flexibility, plus the ultra-performance of their new X200 nodes.”

According to IMT’s Director of Architecture Jose Palencia, “The EMC Isilon system at VDMS accelerates high-concurrent and sequential throughput media applications, speeding access to massive amounts of critical data, dramatically reducing costs and complexity.”

The new Harmonic Rhozet and EMC Isilon X200 installation at VDMS enables clients to manage and distribute their content in a secure online environment. Key features include customizable metadata schemas, file downloads, push files via Aspera, Smartjog and Signiant, full online asset screenings, and unlimited user access for client screenings to assist in licensing content. All major formats and codec’s are supported.

“We realized we had to completely redesign our operation if we wanted to satisfy our clients and continue to grow at our current rapid pace,” remarked VDMS’s John Trautman. “After many meetings with vendors at trade shows and interviewing a number of consulting companies, IMT clearly stood out. They fully understood our complex workflows and gave us the media and storage networking solutions that are working flawlessly. Obviously, we were under a time crunch, but after IMT’s strategy was finalized, we were able to get the entire project turned around in less than 60 days.”

ABOUT VISUAL DATA MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
Visual Data has earned its reputation for outstanding quality, service and dependability by providing integrated end-to-end post-production solutions for over 16 years. Visual Data’s veteran management team, with over 85 years of combined industry knowledge, ensures that customers will be met with a high level of service and efficient turn-around on tight deadlines. Strategically integrated services, all under one roof, allow Visual Data to fulfill complex deliveries and solve difficult problems for clients with ease.
Learn more at: http://www.visualdatainc.com

ABOUT INTEGRATED MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (IMT)
IMT is a consulting, design, construction, and systems integration company providing scalable technology systems for business operations. IMT addresses three major market sectors: Communications Media & Entertainment (CME), Information Technologies (IT), and Healthcare. Through an active engagement process, IMT consultants and engineers collect, interpret, refine, design, build and maintain technology systems that deliver optimum results for clients.
Learn more at: http://www.imtglobalinc.com tel: 877.761.9770

NEW YORK: A two-year search for the ideal NYC location led producer/engineer Louis Benedetti to a former bank building on one of Soho’s chicest streets. A collaboration with a NY contractor resulted in a handsome, ingeniously designed studio with, when the dust settled, unanticipated isolation issues. A call to the Walters-Storyk Design Group provided invaluable design recommendations, which culminated in Thompson Studios the realization of a dream, and the introduction of a perfectly tuned and leak free recording option for local and international artists.

“The location we discovered has all the attributes for a successful studio,” Benedetti says. “Our initial design maximized the use of the space and took full advantage our primary window with an elegant in-studio glass placement program. Windows between our (2) primary control rooms and shared live room provide invaluable natural light and clear site lines between artists, producers and engineers. Unfortunately at the completion of construction we discovered a significant sound leakage issue.”

WSDG project manager Joshua Morris reports that our initial review of Thompson Studios revealed seriously compromised isolation issues between the live room; SSL Control A; and Neve Control B, all of which are structured around a common lounge. We also encountered leakage from Control room A into a neighboring space on the same floor. Studio C, a small writing/production room equipped with Pro Tools, Logic and Final Cut Pro; and the galley kitchen were unaffected by the isolation issues,” Morris says. “Our tests determined that, even though the control rooms were completely floated, room-within-room installations, and had been tuned with low frequency control treatments, the interior walls between control rooms A and B and the live room needed to be replaced. This complex design problem was resolved by removing the original walls, replacing them with non-acoustic walls and re-sealing them with a third fully treated wall. These corrective measures provide the boundary required to completely eliminate sound leakage. The entire complex now offers a fresh, open look and, exceedingly accurate sound translation,” Morris adds.

Thompson Studio A features an SSL 4000G Series console fitted with Automation and Total Recall completely recapped and restored by 81series.com; Pro Tools; Boxer T5 Main Monitors, coupled by Two Genelec 1094 Sub-Woofers, Yamaha NS-10s, Genelec 1031s and Auratone Speakers and a Studer 827 24 track tape recorder. An Iso booth and a substantial array of hand-picked analog outboard gear plus an impressive list of keyboards, synthesizers, instruments and microphones, make the room ideal for production, tracking, mixing, over-dubbing, film scoring and composition.

Equally well-suited for tracking, production and mixing, Studio B features a Neve 8108 console, (impeccably restored by 81series.com). In addition to Barefoot MM27 and Yamaha NS10 monitors, the room is outfitted with Pro Tools HD3 System, Logic, Cubase and an Iso Booth.

“Flexibility was a priority for this project.” John Storyk says. “Louis Benedetti has assembled a considerable collection of keyboards, synthesizers, analog and digital gear. Because he works on a wide range of projects, from jazz to rock, to movie sound tracks, he needed a studio that would function flawlessly for any type of artist. Thompson Street is one of NY’s coolest neighborhoods. This impressive space is situated in a rock solid building. Louis’s original design was extremely creative. By engaging sophisticated room tuning technology and resolving critical isolation issues, we’ve polished a true gem. Artists will come for the vibe and the quality of the rooms, and then take advantage of the surrounding clubs and restaurants to feed their creativity,” Storyk concludes.

“I’ve worked with many indie labels and artists, and have strong relationships with a number of European colleagues,” Benedetti says. “Our initial clients have been blown away by the accuracy, technical support and overall vibe of our new studios. We put all our experience into making this a very special place. In addition to John Storyk’s and Joshua Morris’s initiatives for resolving our accuracy and isolation issues, WSDG interior design partner Beth Walters made a number of extremely helpful recommendations which improved the look and feel of the facility. My Swiss-based associate Robert Kostadinovich and I are confident that we will attract a wide range of clients. Recording artists, engineers and producers seeking a comfortable, fully-equipped, carefully maintained studio need look no further than Thompson, here in the heart of Soho.” Thompson Studios are located at: 54 Thompson St.in NYC (212) 925-4400 www.thompsonstudiosnyc.com or music@thompsonstudiosnyc.com

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For a virtual studio tour created by Cheryl Fleming and Patrick St. Clair please visit:

http://www.stclairphoto-imaging.com/360/360tours/Thompson/TourWeaver_Thompson.html

Photos: Thompson Studios’ principal Louis Benedetti in Studio A Control Room
Thompson Studio Control Room A
Thompson Studio Control Room B
Thompson Studios Live Room

Walters-Storyk Design Group has designed over 3000 media production facilities in the U.S., Europe, the Far East and Latin America. WSDG credits range from the original Jimi Hendrix Electric Lady Studio in Greenwich Village to NYC’s Jazz At Lincoln Center performance complex, broadcast facilities for The Food Network, CBS and WNET, over twenty teaching studios for The Art Institutes around the US, and corporate clients such as Hoffman La Roche. Recent credits include Jungle City, NY’s major new destination studio, private studios for Goo Goo Dolls, Jay-Z, Timbaland’s Tim Mosley, film composer Carter Burwell, Aerosmith; Green Day, Bruce Springsteen and Alicia Keys. WSDG principals John Storyk, Beth Walters, and Dirk Noy lecture frequently at universities and industry events, and contribute regularly to industry publications. WSDG is a six-time winner of the prestigious TEC Award for outstanding achievement in Acoustics/Facility Design. The firm maintains offices in NY, SF, Argentina, Brazil, Beijing, Germany, Mexico City, Spain and Switzerland.

Housed within the modern Radisson Edwardian Guildford Hotel, the Market Kitchen & Bar describes itself as an all-day Mediterranean café, offering local bistro lunchtime dining before turning into a cosmopolitan evening destination. It also has a relaxed bar lounge, with soft, colorful furnishings.

To help maintain its chameleon effect, a sound system was required that could provide hi-fi music at low level from an eclectic playlist stored on hard-drive during the day, then pump up the energy into the bar lounge later on when a fully-specified DJ front end comes into play.

To meet the combined requirements of potency and aesthetics (the system needed to blend discreetly with Rabih Hage’s interior design), the venue opted for a Martin Audio AQ architectural solution.

The system was specified by Gavin Miller of Bedford based Kazbar Systems Inc after being approached by a mutual acquaintance, Dan Bewick of the music production company, Big Scary Monster.

“Venues such as The Ministry of Sound run exclusively on Martin Audio,” said Miller, “and just about every decent venue I go to seems to have their badge. I’ve worked with Martin Audio in the past and it’s a brand I know and trust. Fortunately with a short time scale, they were able to deliver.”

Miller brought in Darrin South from installation team, 33 Hertz, and with Martin Audio’s Kevin McNally offering support, they set about designing a system that would function through the trading day at three sound levels. Preset into the Martin Audio Engineer 818 DSP controller (and 8 x 8 routing matrix), the system accesses the different zones into which bar, lounge and restaurant are divided.

However, the installation team’s biggest challenge was one of containment, to avoid sound escape into the hotel’s 183 rooms and suites, while mounting onto several layers of ply reduced any vibrations.

As a result an AQ28 has been mounted on each of the four walls, with a fifth below the raised DJ and VIP area. Since the AQ28 is a two-way, dual-bass driver, designed to give extended LF performance from a compact, architecturally neutral, vented enclosure, the system can operate with or without the additional floor-mounted AQ215 (2 x 15in) sub.

Meanwhile, across in the adjacent restaurant/grill, four ultra-compact AQ5’s are mounted around a pillar on a separate zone to provide 360° coverage from a single point source.

Keeping the signal chain entirely within the Martin Audio domain, the AQ28’s and AQ215 are powered by Martin Audio MA3.0 amplification and the AQ5’s by an MA2.0, via the Engineer 818.

Three sound preset levels are stored in the system controller to ramp up for the post-office/ early evening cocktail hour and later into the evening, when the DJ takes over. Sound thresholds are further increased on Friday and Saturday evenings.

According to Gavin Miller, the hotel operators “absolutely love the sound system, which has exceeded their expectations.”

For more about Martin Audio, please click to www.martin-audio.com.

About Martin Audio®
Founded by audio engineer David Martin in 1971, Martin Audio pioneered the use of all-horn-loaded bass designs in world-class touring loudspeaker systems for groups such as Pink Floyd, ELP and Supertramp. Located outside of London, Martin Audio now embodies a sophisticated mix of acoustic design, research, mathematical modeling and software engineering for a wide range of products in the installation, cinema and touring sound markets.

Universal Dynamic Microphone Version of Industrywide Popular M80

TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik of South Windsor, CT is introducing the new M81 universal dynamic cardioid microphone at Winter NAMM 2012. The new M81 has a more linear frequency response than the company’s popular M80, resulting in a microphone with the distinct clarity TELEFUNKEN has become famous for, but with a different depth and body to the tone of the microphone, and less of the M80′s characteristic high-end response.

Over the past few years the performance of TELEFUNKEN’s M80 has been likened to that of a condenser microphone and has become a staple for vocal and snare drum applications, especially in the world of touring and live performance. As an alternative to the extended top end capabilities of the TELEFUNKEN M80, the new M81 is a tool that is a bit less specialized, giving the microphone more universal application ability.

As with the M80, the new M81 features superior feedback rejection, detailed and balanced frequency response, and a smooth present sound that is never boomy. The TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik M81′s frequency response attenuates the high end, making the mic exceptional on electric guitars, percussion instruments, rack and floor toms, as well as horns, especially the trumpet. It is also a great fit for vocals that do not benefit from the high-end response of the M80.

Finished in the same gray and “tri-chrome” styling as the R-F-T AR-51, the M81 is easily distinguishable from the black M80. Designed with the AR-51 in mind, the M81′s overall response is complementary to the AR-51 when recording electric guitars. The TELEFUNKEN M81 adds to the new standard for live performance microphones as the second offering in the company’s dynamic range lineup.

Designed for stage and studio use, the M81 offers exceptional performance in a rugged package capable of withstanding the rigors of the road. The package, including the microphone, mic clip and leather carrying bag, sells for $249.

Hear the entire line of TELEFUNKEN mics at WINTER NAMM Booth #1868
To learn more about TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik, visit: http://www.t-funk.com

Kenny Rogers recently wrapped up his annual “Christmas & Hits” tour that runs from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve.

Frank Farrell, Kenny’s Technical Director and Monitor Engineer, says the sold-out tour goes to every kind of venue from arenas and casinos to theaters and high school auditoriums.

Designed to be “as frugal as possible in this economy,” the tour includes an 8-piece band and a full complement of A/V equipment with multi-video servers and five projector screens, all of which fits into a semi behind two buses and two trailers.

An integral part of the show is Rogers’ popular Christmas repertoire, which requires choral support. Different choirs are chosen locally from colleges, churches or high schools, “which makes it challenging,” according to Farrell. “We usually try for college choirs because they’re older and more mature-sounding.

Asked how he and his crew balance the levels of the band and the choir, Frank responds, “Miking the choirs is a major challenge, which explains why we like the Astatic 1700VP (Remote Control Variable Pattern) mics so much. We’ve tried all kinds of different ways of miking the choirs and so far, the Astatic 1700VP offer the best solution in terms of pattern control and sound quality.

“The choir is on a riser in an opening center stage between the drummer and keyboard player. We’re using two of the 1700VPs for choirs that vary from 18 to 30 members. The mics are in front of the choir on stands positioned at the corners of the riser, and it’s really cool being able to dial the pattern in tight and experiment to get the best sounds for different situations.”

Describing the overall advantages provided by the 1700VPs, Frank explains, “We get a really good sound and it’s quite amazing how loud we can actually get the mics for tunes like ‘O Holy Night.’

“The 1700VP has such a small cable it really blends into the stand itself even with the extension booms you don’t notice the stands so much from the audience even up to 40 ft. out. And the people in front look through those stands to the video, so the mics don’t intrude at all. It’s been a blessing.”

Other equipment for the Rogers tour includes two Digidesign D-Show consoles for FOH and Monitors, Clair Brothers 12 AM wedge monitors and Sennheiser 5200 wireless mics.

According to Frank, “everyone has in-ear monitors except for Kenny who’s on the wedges, so that presents challenges. Even though the Astatic mics are off axis and 25 feet upstage of the monitors, you still get reflections from the stage but the mics are very good at picking up from the direction you aim them because of the different patterns you can dial in, which I like a lot.

“The producer of the show is Kelly Junkerman who’s directed three of Kenny’s movies and this is the happiest he’s been sound-wise. Our FOH Engineer Keith Bugos who’s been with Kenny for over 30 years has never been able to get the choir with this kind of fidelity.

“Brian Parkos, our system tech who sets up the Astatic mics and dials in the patterns every day, has been very happy about how easy they are to take care of, set up and maintain.

“So in summing up, I’d have to say from the guy who sets them up, to the two engineers, the producer of the show and Kenny, everyone’s been very happy with the Astatic mics and what we’ve achieved here.”

For more information about CAD Audio/Astatic Commercial, please call 800.762.9266 or visit www.cadaudio.com

ALAMEDA, CA ? Clear-Com®, an HME Company and leader in critical voice communications systems, today names Bob Boster, previously Vice President of Worldwide Sales, as the company’s new President. Boster succeeds Matt Danilowicz, formerly company President, whose last day with Clear-Com was December 31, 2011. more

BUENA PARK, Calif.—NEXO’s new stage monitors have been paired up with one of the UK’s legendary singer-songwriters, founder member of The Kinks. The 45 N-12 line monitors were used for a series of high-profile gigs in the UK and for Davies’s US tour.

Chris Wibberley, monitor engineer for Davies for 11 years, had a chance encounter with NEXO’s new N-12 wedges at last year’s PLASA exhibition which led to a demo, and almost immediately, use of the monitors at the Meltdown (UK) shows at the Royal Festival Hall in London. “We set up a pair of N-12s to the left and right of Ray,” explains Wibberley. “Of the pair to his left, the outside one is on its own mix, giving a discrete mix to guitarist Bill Shandley, with the remaining three delivering Ray’s mix. When Bill isn’t at the front, I can just mute the mic inputs that go into his mix and use all four wedges to give complete coverage to Ray. The N-12s are so phase coherent that I can flick between the two modes. Because of the way the units’ couple, the N-12s act as a single source. If Ray, by himself, wants more of anything, I can put it into Bill’s wedge. Or I can put it into acoustic mode, turning down Ray’s bits and turning up the Bill bits – any of Ray’s bits that Bill wants to hear will be completely in sync with Ray’s wedges. They sound absolutely fantastic!”

Wibberley is using two NXAMPs to drive the 45 N-12s. “The problem with a lot of wedges is that they can sound too clean and hi-fi. But these have a bark to them. They’re still rock ‘n’ roll but they sound like a wedge doing what it is supposed to do. There are parts of the show where Ray goes off mic and off-axis with his guitar to watch the band. The definite dispersion of the N-12 allows him to step in and out of focus, so when he physically walks out of the zone, I don’t have to turn it down.” Front-of-house engineer, Tristan Mallett, guitarist Bill Shandley, and Davies himself, supports Wibberley’s enthusiasm for the N-12s. “This is the best box that I’ve used on stage, and Ray may agree with that. He certainly got used to them pretty quickly, and he seems very happy – which is unusual!”

For more information on the NEXO 45 N-12 line monitor, visit www.yamahaca.com.

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PHOTO ID: L to R Tristan Mallett and Chris Wibberley
PHOTO CREDIT: CM Photos

About Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc.:
Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. (YCAS) provides a full line of integrated professional audio products offering complete systems solutions for the broadcast, sound reinforcement/installed sound, touring, commercial recording, and post production markets. With the addition of NEXO to the product line, the company remains the official U.S. and Canadian distributor for all NEXO speaker models. YCAS offers comprehensive in-house and field product training for its customers, a dedicated dealer network, and 24/7 technical support.