BLUEFIELDS, NICARAGUA – OCTOBER 2011: Brooklyn-based engineer and producer Michael Gassert, known to his music and film colleagues as “MikeSound,” would appear to spend little time in New York. His uncanny knack for capturing the sonic soul of a musical performance, no matter how remote the location or strained the resources, has earned him the respect of his peers and a full travel calendar. Recently, MikeSound traveled to the Nicaraguan port city of Bluefields (not an easy thing to do) to spend three months recording legendary costeña singers of the regional and endemic musical traditions, most notably Maypole, Mento and Calypso. He relied on a Metric Halo ULN-8′s compact collection of mic-pres, DIs, converters, Character modeling, routing, mixing, and DSP much as an explorer relies on a Swiss Army knife. The ULN-8 was easy to pack and prepared MikeSound to make excellent recordings in unpredictable situations.

A local label, Bluefields Sound System, and MikeSound co-sponsored the project with the help of a small grant from UNESCO. The connection between BSS and MikeSound began five years earlier when together they captured a documentary about the Bluefields musicians. Although MikeSound planned to record some of the same musicians, as well as new performers this time around, the stars of this effort would be two legends of Nicaraguan music, local rivals Mango Ghost and Sabú. Now septuagenarians, the two musicians had defined the musical landscape of Bluefields, but, despite their cultural importance, few recordings of their music have survived. Although young for their age of seventy-something (a local legend has it that Sabú, who still does the splits on stage, is actually more than two hundred years old), the label recognized that the opportunity to record their genius was finite.

Nicaragua’s only international airport is in Managua, on the western side of the country, and a mountain range stands between it and Bluefields on the eastern side of the country. Travel options between the coasts are limited to an eight-hour bus ride plus a three-hour panga boat ride through the jungle, or a mostly reliable puddle jumper instead. MikeSound’s journey with his mobile rig would take him by land, air and sea. “When we conceived the project, I knew mobility and compactness would be essential,” said MikeSound. He began with a four rack-space Calzone case and selected his equipment carefully. “The Metric Halo ULN-8 was the centerpiece,” he said. “That and my MacBook Pro would be the starting point for every recording.” In addition, he brought a Furman P-1800 AR voltage regulator/power conditioner (electricity in Bluefields is reliably unreliable), an RME Fireface 800, and an API 3124 four-channel mic pre.

Bluefields Sound System has makeshift studio, complete with egg crate diffusion and old clothing stuffed into the walls for isolation, that MikeSound planned to use for final vocals, acoustics and keys. However, the studio was too small and dead sounding to do justice to the rhythmic backbone of Mango Ghost and Sabú’s music. Therefore, he spent a month recording the entire songs live to a click in an outdoor restaurant, La Loma, at the highest point in the city. “It’s quiet and calm up there,” he said. To protect himself from the notorious Bluefields thuggery, MikeSound set up and tore down the session every day. He tracked with Digital Performer 7 using a collection of AKG, Shure, Sennheiser, and Schoeps microphones.

“I’ve been a fan of Metric Halo for a long time,” said MikeSound. “They make fantastic preamps and converters, a fact that, by itself, makes their gear stand out. But on top of that, the ULN-8 offers Character modeling, full-blooded DSP, and flexible routing. The character modeling is some of the best I’ve ever heard. It can be very subtle but very authentic and does a nice job of warming things up when needed. And the DSP is also top-notch. The ‘HaloVerb’ sounds as authentic as the UADs I use back in Soho.” MikeSound took advantage of the ULN-8′s flexible routing by creating custom DB-25 cables that allowed him to deliver in-the-box headphone mixes for all of the musicians. “Because I had to set up and tear down so frequently, it was a great time saver to have all of the monitor configurations recallable,” he said.

Currently back in New York and working with partners to launch a new indie label, No Shame, MikeSound also has kept busy for the past six years as the engineer of the Master Musicians of Jajouka, and is completing the mixes for Bluefields Sound System, which will be released in 2012.

ABOUT METRIC HALO Based in New York’s Hudson Valley, Metric Halo provides the world with high-resolution metering, analysis, recording and processing solutions with award-winning software and future-proof hardware. www.mhlabs.com

To learn more about and hear some samples from Bluefields Sound System visit: www.bluefieldsound.com To also check out the Master Musicians of Jajouka at: www.jajouka.com/ and No Shame: www.facebook.com/wehaveNoShame

Recording Studio Relies on Auralex to Complete Total Acoustical Upgrade

TUCSON, AZ, OCTOBER 25, 2011 — When Allusion Studios Head Engineer Jim Pavett made the decision to overhaul the acoustics and aesthetics of the studio, his first choice for both product and direction was Auralex Acoustics, Inc., the industry leader in innovative sound control solutions. Pavett was looking for a way to improve the overall sonic quality of each of the rooms in his studio, as well as create isolated spaces for the production of individual sounds, such as drums, bass, guitar and vocals. more

NEW YORK—Founded in 1987 by film auteur George Lucas, Skywalker Sound has been providing leading-edge editorial and post-production services for almost 25 years; the facility’s talented team of sound designers, scoring and re-recording mixers have worked on some of the most innovative motion pictures to be realized during the past two decades. Vital tools in that creative process have been an array of TC Electronic System 6000 Processors (AES Booth 541) that provide highly realistic reverbs, delays and boundary effects for any format from mono, stereo, LCR, LtRt to 5.1- and 6.1-channel. All of Skywalker Sound’s 11 System 6000s recently were updated to a MkII configuration, with the addition of a new LM6 Loudness Radar Meter, plus a user-choice of the VP8 pitch transpose processor, UnWrap HD stereo-to-5.1 processor, Multichannel Mastering or a Multichannel Reverb. more

Stand-Mounted StudioFoam Absorbers Offer Convenient, Portable Solution

NEW YORK, OCTOBER 21, 2011 — Auralex Acoustics, Inc., the industry leader in innovative sound control solutions, will be unveiling its new ProMAX Panels — stand-mounted, portable StudioFoam absorbers — during AES 2011. more

San Francisco, CA – October 20, 2011 – Mastering Engineer Michael Romanowski recently installed the Requisite Audio L2M Mk III M/S Version dual channel mastering limiter in his San Francisco mastering studio. The L2M Mk III is an optical limiter based on classic designs of the early 1960s featuring point-to-point hand-wiring, as they were, but includes many technical improvements aimed at offering the mastering engineer specialized capabilities such as make-up gain settings to +17dB in 1dB stepped increments, control of vacuum tube harmonics, frequency-based limiter response and more. Romanowski has a thriving audio mastering business in the heart of San Francisco, serving the diverse local music community as well as national and international clients.

“The Requisite Audio L2M Mk III is a great addition to my mastering equipment line-up,” states Romanowski. more

Daniel Porter to Share Expertise on Acoustic Theory and how it Applies to Real-World Applications

NEW YORK, OCTOBER 20, 2011 — Auralex Acoustics, Inc., the industry leader in innovative sound control solutions, will participate in PMC/Prism Sound’s Masters of Audio Series seminar during AES 2011. Auralex Application Specialist Daniel Porter will share his acoustical expertise with attendees, providing practical tips on how to handle several real-world recording and performing scenarios.

The session, titled “From the Bedroom to Dubbing Stage,” is scheduled for Saturday, October 22nd at 3:30 p.m. in Room 1E06. The session will demonstrate the importance of acoustics in any space where critical decisions are made during the creation of music. Porter will discuss a range of typical acoustical challenges (room nodes, reflections, reverberation, etc.) and the available solutions (bass trapping, absorption, diffusion and isolation) for spaces ranging from project studios to large concert venues.

“I am excited and thankful for the opportunity to present during PMC/Prism Sound’s Masters of Audio Series. It is humbling to be a part of a seminar that is composed of so many prestigious engineers,” says Daniel Porter, application specialist at Auralex Acoustics. “I am eager to offer insight into room acoustics as they are an integral part of modern music production. I hope to shed light on acoustical issues that are common to all AES attendees and discuss how those issues are addressed in the real world.”

Auralex is also providing acoustic treatment to the demo room, including its new ProMAX stand-mounted, portable StudioFoam absorbers.

About Auralex Acoustics, Inc.
Located in Indianapolis, Auralex Acoustics was founded in 1977 with a mission to provide top-performing acoustical treatment products at the best value. Since then, thousands of satisfied Auralex customers have experienced improved acoustics, expert advice and exceptional customer service. Auralex products enjoy widespread use among prominent artists, producers, engineers, corporations, celebrities and government agencies.

Auralex Acoustics has become the industry leader in innovative sound control solutions and continues to enjoy rapid growth through an international network of authorized dealers. Visit the Auralex Web site at www.auralex.com. Auralex can be reached via email at auralexinfo@auralex.com or by calling 1.800.959.3343.

Duality Services Music, Television and Film Projects

VIENNA, AUSTRIA – The Room 36 has settled into the massive new film, television and media production complex, Media Quarter Marx, in St. Marx Square, Vienna, showcasing a 24-channel Solid State Logic Duality SE console in Studio 1 and Nucleus in Studio 2. Working under the concept “more than a room,� the facility was designed to offer the highest level recording and post production experience to its music clients and fellow professional media tenants. The Duality room is supported by a fully loaded X-Rack with two Alpha-Links and a Delta Link unit to address DAW capture. A MADI-X8 is used to share audio between the two control rooms and several live recording spaces.

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HOPEWELL JUNCTION, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 2011: Douglas Cuomo’s remarkable aptitude for creating engaging music across genres has earned him renown in the concert halls and on the operatic and theatrical stages of the world. To appreciate the tremendous scope of Cuomo’s work, it may be sufficient to note that his work has been commissioned by both Chanticleer and Britney Spears. But Cuomo also maintains a prolific career as a composer for film and television, where his ability to create genuine music of any style is a rare and valuable commodity. Among his credits are literally hundreds of themes, scores, and incidental music for network television (including Sex and the City, Homicide: Life on the Streets, Committed), film (including In the Weeds, Naked in New York, and Lie Down with Dogs), and documentaries (including Crazy Love, America’s River, and National Geographic Explorer). Part of what explains Cuomo’s high volume of more

Modern Version of Classic “Decca Tree” with 3 Matched Tube Mics and Power Supply

TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik of South Windsor, CT, is introducing at AES 2011 the new ELA M 260 TRI-MONO System, comprised of three matched ELA M 260 small diaphragm tube microphones, a custom M 963 TRI-MONO three-channel power supply, and adaptor spheres to emulate the omni effect of the original “Decca Tree” configuration introduced in the 1950s.

“First developed over 50 years ago, the ‘Decca Tree’ utilized three matched Neumann omnidirectional M50s,” explained Jason Scheuner, TELEFUNKEN’s artist liaison. “It is nearly impossible to find those mics today, and if you do, the price is extremely high. more

AUSTIN, TEXAS – OCTOBER 2011: One of Automated Processes, Inc.’s renowned 1608 analog consoles has recently been installed at Red Horse ATX Recording Studio – a recording facility owned by Jimmy Thrill Quill. Quill, lead singer of rock group Rattlesnake Shake and Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing fame, said an API 1608 was the perfect console for his studio’s centerpiece.

“Buying the API 1608 from Sonic Circus was the most magical thing,” said Quill, who ordinarily works as a realtor for musicians and other celebrities. “API has been every other word for me; I’m getting voicemails all the time from people asking if they can come see the board. API has the reputation and I don’t have to sell it. I can tell you that a lot of the young kids who come out of Pro Tools look at the board like it’s the most beautiful thing on earth. Actually, more