ami january 2016 digital edition

FEATUREExploring four key areas of the commercial install market p18

FINAL CUTThe Ardmore Sound team on telling the story of Room p23

REVIEWNigel Palmer puts EVEsSC3010 to the test p32

We visit the new home of Foley specialist Feet First Sound in Essex, UK p27

ON THE FRONT FOOTJanuary 2016 www.audiomediainternational.com

01 AMI Jan 2016 FC_Final.indd 1 06/01/2016 17:05

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We may only be a few days into 2016 at the time of me writing this anyway but I dont think I can

recall seeing as much positivity from my industry peers as what Ive been witnessing since returning to my desk this week following a cracking Crimbo.

I dont know if its just me, but the New Year messages Ive been receiving have seemed that lile bit cheerier than usual not that they were ever delivered drearily and I was encouraged to discover that I was far from the only one who, by the end of the festive period, actually found myself itching to get back into the hot seat here. I had a lovely Christmas break thank you, but there are only so many leover mince pies and TV boxsets one man can consume before the desire to actually use ones brain again takes over.

So here we are then with brain re-engaged and baeries charged, lets see what our first issue of 2016 has in store for you, dear reader.

First of all, weve got timely articles on The Laundry, a new Foley studio thats just opened its doors over in Essex, UK and a Final Cut piece on Room, the Golden Globe-nominated film from Frank director Lenny Abrahamson, which hits cinemas right as this edition lands.

Keeping the feelgood factor going is our newly expanded Geo Focus feature, which this month sees us turn our aention to the USA, and reveals how levels of optimism are seemingly high across the audio industry there at present, but that doesnt make it free of challenges and potential pitfalls.

Youll also find us investigating the current state of the commercial install market on Page 18, where we pick four key categories of application, and quiz a number of companies about recent developments and trends.

Oh, and in case you didnt see our web story on the first day back, were marking a year since the launch of Audio Media International by rolling out a reader survey, allowing you to let us know your thoughts on our print and digital services. Weve already had a great response so far, but if youd like to get involved and be in with a chance of winning some Amazon vouchers then make sure you take part before the closing date of 18 January. Youll find details on our website.

And finally, one more time: Happy New Year!

January 2016 3

WELCOMEwww.audiomediainternational.com

1 Color - 100 White

Lonnie Bedell is the owner of AVLifesavers, a manufacturer of specialised gadgets for the live sound industry.

Oliver Sahm is director of marketing application design at Bosch Security Systems.

Ganesh Singaram has been engineering and producing records for ten years, having moved to London from Sydney, Australia. He has spent time as an in-house/freelance engineer, tutor and studio owner, working with artists such as Pharrell Williams and Kanye West.

Brad Watts has been a freelance writer for numerous audio magazines, has mastered and mixed various bands, and was deputy editor of AudioTechnology in Australia. He is now digital content manager for Content and Technology.

EDITORAdam [email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR Jo [email protected]

STAFF WRITER Colby [email protected]

ADVERTISING MANAGERRyan [email protected]

ACCOUNT MANAGERRian [email protected]

HEAD OF DESIGN Jat [email protected]

DESIGNERTom [email protected]

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTWarren [email protected]

CONTENT DIRECTORJames [email protected]

Press releases to:[email protected]

NewBay Media 2016. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners.

Audio Media International is published by NewBay Media, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London N1 8LN, England.

Editorial tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6002 Sales tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6000

Audio Media InternationalISSN number: ISSN 2057-5165 (Print)

Circulation & Subscription enquiries Tel: +44 (0)1580 883848 email: [email protected]

Printed by Pensord Press Ltd

Experts in the issue RARING TO GO

Adam Savage EditorAudio Media International

03 AMI Jan 2016 Welcome_Final.indd 1 06/01/2016 17:09

January 20164

CONTENTS www.audiomediainternational.com

PRODUCT NEWS

PEOPLE

6 Merging and Genelec plan immersive showcase at ISE

7 New AIMS IP Alliance formed

10 OPINION Jerry Ibbotson mulls over what would make the perfect piece of radio gear

12 Ganesh Singaram of Blue Box Studios on the psychological side of music production

42 INTERVIEW Colby Ramsey talks to engineer Drew Bang about his MPG nomination, the allure of Strongroom and what 2016 has in store for him

ALSO INSIDE8 NAMM PREVIEW: We look at whats set to be hot in California

FEATURES14 GEO FOCUS: USA Despite positivity across the pro-audio spectrum, pressure on margins remains a cause for concern

18 INSTALLED SOUND: David Davies assesses the situation in four key sectors of the commercial install market

23 FINAL CUT: Instead of an action-packed feast for the senses, Room provides a unique opportunity to tell a story using sound. We catch up with the team responsible

27 STUDIO PROFILE: Adam Savage takes a trip to Essex to visit a recently opened Foley studio

TECHNOLOGY30 HOW TO Lonnie Bedell of AVLifesavers oers his top tips for dealing with people not used to working with a sound guy

REVIEWS32 EVE Audio SC301034 Audio-Technica BP4036 Radial Trim-Two38 Presonus Studio 19240 Sonnox Envolution

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Cadac has announced details of a clutch of initial key sales of the new CDC six now that the console has started shipping to customers across Europe and Asia.

Since its launch at Prolight + Sound in April 2015, the CDC six has received interest from distributors in Benelux, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK, as well as several Asian territories, including China.

The latest development, however, is in Poland, where Cadacs Polish distributor Tommex has installed the medium-format live sound console in the Miejskie Centrum Kultury (MCK) in Plonsk, as part of the modernisation of the towns cultural centre. The Tommex installation the fi rst in Poland is in MCKs Kalejdoskop Cinema, a multipurpose hall.

The CDC six and two MegaCOMMS connected CDC I/O 3216 stageboxes were chosen by the MCK Plonsk in a tender, providing a system confi guration that met the venues objectives and exceeded the projects technical design specifi cation. The

Cadac system provides a number of application possibilities for productions and events, required by both the centres own technical staff and visiting sound engineers.

Due to the simple and transparent interface, operation of the console turned out to be trivially simple, said Krzysztof Dembicki from MCK Plonsk. Everything is logically arranged and Im sure that none of the sound engineers visiting our centre will have any problem with its operation, and they will also have the chance to listen to just how fantastic it sounds.

www.cadac-sound.com

CADAC CDC SIX NOW SHIPPING

Merging Technologies and Genelechave announced they are joining forces to deliver a groundbreaking immersive audio experience at ISE 2016 in Amsterdam next month.

The companies are promising visitors to the Merging stand (7-C160) a unique opportunity to experience a solutionthat signals the future of audio infi xed installations.

The setup will combine Mergings recently released Ovation 6 with Genelecs pre-production Ravenna/AES67 powered 4420 a new model designed to bring the benefi ts of Genelecs DSP system to the 4000 Series of loudspeakers for fi xed installations, as well as AoIP capability in an 18-speaker array.

Ovation 6 grants the power of an

integrated 3D rendering engine, for use with both replayed sounds and an almost limitless number of live inputs.

Immersive audio and AoIP are the spotlight and interest is really picking up among systems integrators, commented Chris Hollebone, sales and marketing manager for Merging Technologies. For that reason weve created an installation that demonstrates how these two trends can combine in a powerful, captivating way.

Were delighted to partner with Genelec on this, their reputation speaks for itself, and Id urge any integrator interested in the future of audio to visit our stand at ISE.

www.merging.comwww.genelec.comwww.iseurope.org

MERGING, GENELECS IMMERSIVE SHOWCASE

MeterPlugs has announced its new Dynameter tool. The plug-in shows a real-time display of the musics dynamics, either beat by beat, or over a whole song or album. According to MeterPlugs, the plug-in helps to achieve competitive dynamics and consistent playback volume across online streaming services, measuring dynamics using PSR (Peak to Short-Term Loudness Ratio), which is based on the ITU loudness standard, displaying it via a history graph and allowing users to choose their own dynamics target for their music.

Dynameter was designed by mastering engineer Ian Shepherd, who runs the Production Advice website and founded Dynamic Range Day.

Ive found over the years that PSR is a really great way of assessing the dynamics of your music and helping you fi nd the perfect balance between loudness and dynamics, said Shepherd.

People are telling us they love Dynameter, added Ian Kerr of MeterPlugs. Its very easy to use. Just choose a PSR target and keep the history graph from dipping below it. You can compare your music to allof your favourites, and it becomes really addictive.

www.meterplugs.com

NEW DYNAMETER FROM METERPLUGS

AKG has introduced the K182 foldable, closed-back professional monitor headphones, which are designed to provide sonic clarity, comfort and portability for musicians and engineers all at an aff ordable price point.

The K182 drivers ensure high output while the 10Hz-28kHz frequency range provides a truly balanced mix. The K182s high-sensitivity 50mm transducers also ensure professional-quality sound even with mobile devices, the manufacturer says, while the closed-back, over-ear design provides great performance for every instrumentalist and comfort during long sessions.

Providing long-lasting durability,

the K182 is built to endure the inevitable drops and bumps that happen during use and transport. The 3D-axis professional folding mechanism makes it easy to pack the headphones into compact spaces, and the detachable cable with 1/8in-1/4in screw-on adapter off ers easy connectivity with gear of all kinds and, along with the replaceable earpads, extends the longevity of the customers investment.

While the K182 headphones are the result of careful listening to the needs of customers who work in environments of all sizes and shapes, we found a common thread in their criteria for a must-have pair of headphones excellent sound quality,

lasting comfort and built-to-last reliability, said Karam Kaul, marketing director at AKG. With the K182 headphones, we enable musicians and engineers to truly take control of their sound.

www.akg.com

AKG UNVEILS K182 HEADPHONES

NEW DYNAMETER FROM

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UK manufacturer PMC is using NAMM to launch its IB1S-AIII activated reference monitor, a high-resolution three-way speaker that offers a flexible plug-and-play design.

Designed for small to medium-sized control rooms, the IB1S-AIII is suited to a wide range of applications, from recording and mixing to broadcast, post production and mastering. It will be on show at NAMM 2016, Booth 6598 (Hall A).

The IB1S-AIII delivers unparalleled levels of audio transparency and accuracy, as well as a compression-free flat response at all levels to ensure that even the longest session remains fatigue free and highly productive, PMC says.

Precision so dome 27mm HF and 75mm MF drivers provide ultra-high definition and an extremely wide, natural dispersion creating a soundstage over a vast listening area.

The low frequency is handled by PMCs 10in carbon fibre and Nomex LF piston driver teamed with the companys ATL (Advanced Transmission Line) bass-loading technology, which provides an unmatched response down to 25Hz with

identical dynamics and deep defined bass at all monitoring levels.

It also benefits from a precision, passive, hand-built, 24dB per octave crossover network, which employs 31 components to divide the amplifiers output signal into three frequency bands for the individual drivers.

Power to the IB1S-AIII is supplied by PMCs own 400W Class D amplification, which offers maximum fidelity, high damping and ultra-low distortion, resulting in near-instantaneous stop/start control over the entire driver compliment.

www.pmc-speakers.com

PMC PREVIEWS IB1S-AIII MONITOR

A group of broadcast and media industry suppliers including Lawo, Grass Valley, Imagine Communications, Snell Advanced Media and Nevion have come together to form the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS).

The new, independent trade associations mandate is to bring IP solutions to market that offer complete interoperability, are based on open standards, and integrate seamlessly into media workflow environments to foster industry innovation and efficiency.

Its efforts will be focused on promoting the adoption, standardisation, development and refinement of open protocols for media over IP, with an initial emphasis on VSF TR-03 and TR-04, SMPTE 2022-6 and AES67.

As broadcasters and other media companies look to use IP workflows to speed and streamline the movement and management of increasingly complex content and adapt their businesses to beer

compete with other content options such as over-the-top (OTT), open standards are the key to protecting current investments and ensuring long-term interoperability.

Specifically, AIMS will prioritise three key strategies:

Initiatives that facilitate the education and adoption of open standards

Facilitation of activities that accelerate the development of solutions that support these open standards

Nurturing the creation of new standards by supporting standards bodies with participation and testing in real-world environments

AIMS provides specific guidance in its bylaws to its members and to the media industry via the AIMS Roadmap. The organisation endorses an IP transition plan that includes support for SMPTE 2022-6, AES67 and VSF recommendations TR-03 and TR-04.

www.aimsalliance.org

AIMS IP ALLIANCE FORMED

PRODUCT NEWS

January 2016 7

Frankfurt am Main7 10. 4. 2016

Its my tune.

Make sure youre here and make Musikmesse 2016 your own event. Immerse yourself fully in the world of music, forge new contacts and meet the big names of the industry in person. Above all, enjoy a uniquely diverse musical experience!

Find out more at:[email protected]. +44 (0) 14 83 48 39 83

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06-07 AMI Jan 2016 News_Final.indd 2 06/01/2016 14:58

As many of us finish recovering from our respective festive blowouts, preparations for NAMMs annual

winter trade show are well under way. Visitors have had plenty of time to prepare for their trip to California on 21-24 January due to the earlier registration opening, and NAMM 2016 is gearing up to be the biggest and most dynamic show to date.

On arrival at the Anaheim Convention Center this year, attendees will notice some construction work as part of a project to expand the venue. The fruits of this labour will be visible at the January 2018 NAMM Show.

Back to this year and, in addition to welcoming companies from over 100 countries and territories eager to showcase their latest products and technology, attendees can once again expect to see a number of special events, educational sessions and endless live music, as well as over 5,000 pro-audio and MI brands.

TEC Tracks, which debuted at Summer NAMM 2015, replaces The H.O.T Zone on the second floor of the Convention Center. TEC Tracks promises masterclasses, live interviews and panel discussions on

the most relevant topics for recording, live sound, DJ, lighting, music business and entertainment technology professionals. As part of TEC Tracks, A3E (Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange) will produce and host the Future of Audio, a full-day programme exploring the impact of new products and technology.

Collaboration seems to be the buzzword for this years show, as NAMM has also teamed up with the International Music Software Trade Association (IMSTA), a non-profit association that represents the interests of the music software industry and aims to integrate a community of music software providers into the event.

Software.NAMM, The Music Software Community, presented by NAMM and IMSTA, will be staged adjacent to the TEC Tracks education area on the second floor. In addition there will be international pavilions featuring exhibitors from Argentina, Brazil, China, Germany, South Korea, Spain and the UK with more to be announced.

The highly anticipated NAMM TEC Awards will take place on 23 January, recognising the individuals, companies and technical innovations behind todays top sound recordings, live

performances, films, television, video games and other media.

ON THE SHOWFLOORJBL Professional is showcasing the EON618S, an 18in, 1,000W powered subwoofer that promises to meet the demands of todays musicians and sound providers in the areas of flexibility, portability and ease of use. Weighing in at 78 pounds, the subs design maximises cabinet volume while maintaining a highly transportable form factor. DSP parameters, including presets for EON600, EON200 and other manufacturers full-range loudspeakers can be controlled via a Bluetooth app for iOS and Android, while selectable crossover presets are available through the EON Connect app.

Crown Audio is bringing along its XLS DriveCore 2 Series two-channel power amps to the show. These now offer a bandpass filter on each channel in addition to the previous low and high pass filters to achieve what the company describes as, more precise DSP crossover tuning, loudspeaker matching and system EQ capability.

Radial Engineering will debut two of its products at NAMM 2016. The first is the Shotgun 2x4 Guitar Signal

FACING THE MUSICThis years NAMM Show once again promises a global gathering of musical tribes, as well as a number of new developments.

January 20168

SHOW NEWS: NAMM www.audiomediainternational.com

Distro, which combines a signal driver and isolator to allow the user to feed four guitar amps in either mono or stereo, as well as two inputs with a switching jack on input B to auto configure for stereo use.

Then there is the DiNET-DNT Network direct box, a high-resolution 24-bit/96kHz stereo analogue-to-digital converter with a Dante connection, enabling direct interface with networked audio systems via a standard Ethernet connector.

Allen & Heath will be presenting its flagship dLive digital mixing series, including the new DX32 modular I/O remote expansion rack. Also on display will be the Qu Chrome Edition compact digital range, which adds major new features including automatic mic mixing, a spectrogram and additional monitor mixes. Also making their debut will be several brand new models from the ZED range designed for recording/gigging artists and AV rental and installation companies including the new ZEDi hybrid mixers.

New this year from Nugen Audio will be the SEQ-ST, a linear phase spline EQ with sonic sculpting and EQ matching, stereo mid-side operation and automated spectrum analysis. SEQ-ST was developed in response to fast-growing demand from the companys professional music production clients, and allows audio to be massaged and corrected with very high resolution. Also on display at NAMM will be a new filter-morphing feature that allows fluid morphing between two sets of filter curves under full user control.

What? NAMM Show 2016Where? Anaheim Convention CenterWhen? 21-24 January

Information

www.namm.org

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If you live in the UK then in the lull between Christmas and New Year, where youre not entirely sure what day it is, one news story will have dominated all others. Aer heavy

rainfall (and a few issues with flood defences) some parts of the UK found themselves with water in places where H2O is not meant to be. My hometown of York faced the worst flooding since 1982 and, take it from me, its a city thats used to rivers overflowing.

Thats why I found myself dragged, temporarily, back to the bosom of the BBC to help my local station (and former employer) with its flood updates. Over two days I spent 22 hours doing live broadcasts from Silver Command. Its not as grand as it sounds, just a room at Police HQ full of people with laptops co-ordinating the emergency response. My task was to stand in a corner and broadcast regular updates on street closures and evacuations and do interviews with those in charge.

It also gave me a chance to mull over what I think would make a perfect bit of radio gear. Ive wrien for Audio Media International on several occasions on the new generation of mobile-journalism practises, centred around phones and tablets. But I still tend to use a proper recorder, a Roland R26, when Im reporting because well Im like that. So how to marry the two?

The ConceptLets start with a blank sheet of paper. What do we want our machine to do? It must be as comfortable recording as it is doing live broadcasting. It must be easy to handle and move about and have a decent baery life. And it must be easily upgradeable and highly flexible.

The chassis first. At Silver Command I was using an iPad with an iRig cable to hook up an ENG mic and headphones. But moving about with the iPad is a faff, both from its shape and the long cable length. I always feel like Mr Bean, struggling not to drop everything.

Conversely, I love the R-26 because of its half brick shape. Its easy to hold, even if Roland is ridiculously parsimonious in making you pay extra for a strap. Really, Roland? Really?? So Id begin with something this shape but with a shoulder strap thrown in. (Bier? Moi?)

Inputs next. I want two XLRs for audio in and a dedicated headphone jack with its own volume knob. Then a decent touchscreen that covers as much of the machines face as possible.

Connectivity? It needs to have a 3G/4G SIM and WiFi as a minimum, with Bluetooth as a bonus. What happened with the York floods couldnt have been

made up: aer flooding the electrics of part of the citys flood defences, the waters then got into the citys telephone exchange. This took out communications of various kinds for around 48 hours. It highlighted the need for having as many connectivity options as possible; I even saw police officers and army personnel throwing their mobiles down in disgust.

For the recordRecording capabilities? Of course, with WAV and compressed formats on offer. But geing material to base is critical so a full arsenal of uploading weapons is needed, not just Dropbox. Being able to save presets to filing straight into servers is needed here uploading onto the BBCs Radioman system for example. Even email would be useful.

The recording facilities would tie in with the live broadcasting part of the kit: quick access to manual levels as well as a fallback Auto Gain. Id use these both when recording or when doing live inserts.

How about the operating system? It would need to be upgradeable and able to take in third-party soware (such as Luci) so Id go with a tweaked Android build. I have to admit to not being much of an Apple fan boy but as this is my own

machine iOS wouldnt be available to me anyway.

How would my machine work? Take the flood reporting as an example. Out in the field Id use it to record material using an external mic (though it would have a built in capsule too). Using 4G Id send this back to base while I headed to my OB point at the Command Centre. Id then hook up with the studio via something like Luci Live on WiFi. This is where a strong baery life is needed, along with the ability to hook up to external power. USB power input perhaps?

The touchscreen is vital here giving access to apps and resources. And if there isnt room for hardware dials on the chassis, the level controls would be front and centre. With proper phantom power, I could hook up condenser mics if needed, to make a mini-studio.

So there you go, all sketched out on a piece of A4 in between radio broadcasts. Copyright: Me.

BUILDING THE PERFECT RADIO RECORDERAer an eventful two days reporting for the BBC on the recent floods in York, where he was faced with a number of technical challenges, Jerry Ibbotson felt inspired to think up his own piece of kit that would excel in this environment.

JERRY IBBOTSON

Jerry Ibbotson has worked in pro-audio for more than 20 years, first as a BBC radio journalist and then as a sound designer in the games industry. Hes now a freelance audio producer and writer.

January 201610

OPINION www.audiomediainternational.com

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During the stages of record making, the psychological aspect of working with an artist/band aimed at capturing a great

performance is key to success. This can be challenging at times, as various circumstances require different approaches.

Its one thing to know how to press Record and mastering the equipment, but geing the best out of your musician/artist is a whole other ball game. Its the things you say, the things you dont say, as well as when and when not to say them. It is also about creating environments that can be calm or stressful, while also paying aention to what you do and what you dont do. All these are factors that can have an impact on capturing a performance, which boils down to the raw nature of people and how to nurture an emotion that can be captivating.

Quincy Jones makes a reference to the success of any good producer as having a proficient understanding of music theory and the ability to communicate efficiently with numerous musicians while playing the role of a psychologist to reach the desired results from a performance. Quincy says: You need to be a psychologist in the studio so you know when to tell the artist to take a break or to keep pushing through. The creative environment of a recording studio is where inspiration needs to take

place in order for a performance to reach its full potential.

These are areas that an experienced producer/engineer can work with in order to deliver what is needed. Quincy discusses a scenario: Ive always tried to create the right environment for the artist to feel comfortable enough to give his or her best performance. On Secret Garden we had the lights almost all the way off except for dim lights in the control room just to create an ambience that could match Barry Whites low, sexy tone. I personally think this is key to any session. I can be called to any session and meet someone for the first time, yet I need to make them feel like they are comfortable and in good hands.

I always do the following: mood lighting, water, a music stand with a pencil, a stool for them to chill back on when listening to takes, and having all the technical elements on my side sorted. Microphones and a headphone mix all need to be tested and ready to go, plus you need to look aer them when they arrive have a laugh, make them feel seled and ask whether they need anything.

The producer has to understand what it takes to provide an atmosphere to get the most out of the artist. Another iconic producer, Tim Palmer (Pearl Jam, Ozzy Osbourne, U2, Rancid and The Cure) has discussed the many psychological aspects of producing a record. They include being the confidant and best friend of the artist and resolving conflict of interests to establish a creative environment. He states: If a band likes to record underwater eating bananas, then thats probably your best plan. Dont forget that being a producer is a bit like being a juggler.

I need to give the artist encouragement to keep them going and realise that we will get there and it will sound amazing. The artist who you record through the glass can be very timid, self conscious and reserved, which can lead to a restricted performance. Its my job to get them to focus on the song, not on me. Positive re-enforcement is the best option. Its a very diplomatic game

as music is so personal they may have been living with these songs for years.

Confidence is keyOnce a singer finishes the take, get them pumped for the next one. You have to be involved in the session, and make sure that they know you are there every step of the way.

The first few takes are usually the artist warming up to the situation being recorded, figuring you out, geing into the vibe and so forth but thats not to say the first take isnt the best. So always press Record, it is the golden rule!

Another thing you need to remember is nailing a good headphone mix the beer the mix, the beer the performance. If you give them a mix they love, feel and vibe to, the beer the performance and emotion you can capture. Its something thats taken for granted, but is the main component for geing the best results. We all need to be motivated and inspired, so giving them a killer sound to sing/play to is always going to bring out the best in the performance.

For example, if the headphone mix is too loud for a singer then when they get to a big section they naturally get louder. What happens if they are too loud is they naturally pull back as they are too loud in the headphone mix. The result is they come in slightly under in terms of pitch. When they want to sing louder, it becomes too loud in the headphones so

they are not singing at their natural level, and vice versa. Singers tend to push their pitch slightly higher to deal with volume compensation so they can hear themselves more in the headphones.

Another tip for vocalists having timing issues is to try increasing the hi-hat levels. These count the sub beats, which help vocalists lock into timing more, rather then the straight kick and snare paern.

If tuning is an issue, try telling the singer to take one ear off on the headphones. This will allow them to hear their voice naturally within the room in order to adjust. Try not to drown things out with reverb, as this masks a lot of imperfections during the recording stage that causes issues later. Another tip for tuning troubles is slightly increasing the bass level. It is an element that is consistent for them to tune to, as opposed to other elements that can confuse them, such as distorted electric guitars, synths and so forth.

These are just a few tricks Ive learnt along the way. The main concept of what youre trying to do is to capture a performance, so lets try and capture that performance that will move millions.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF RECORD MAKINGGanesh Singaram, engineer at Blue Box Studios, on why music production is about more than just technical proficiency.

GANESH SINGARAM

Ganesh Singaram has been engineering and producing records for ten years, having moved to London from Sydney. He has spent time as an in-house/freelance engineer, tutor and studio owner, working with artists such as Pharrell Williams and Kanye West.

January 201612

OPINION www.audiomediainternational.com

12 AMI Jan 2016 Opinion 2_Final.indd 1 13/01/2016 10:01

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STATE OF PLAYAs the deleterious shockwaves of the last recession dim into history and market demands ebb and fl ow accordingly, competing in the worlds largest national economy continues to present a number of challenges for audio companies. Colby Ramsey investigates.

January 201614

GEO FOCUS: USA

Despite widely reported downward pressure on margins across the board, some markets in the US are clearly showing signs

of resurgence, signalling a return to strength for many American pro-audio businesses.

While increased competition from European loudspeaker manufacturers remains fi erce, Rik Kirby, VP sales and marketing at Renkus-Heinz, believes this is indicative of the US markets buoyancy compared to other regions, and suggests that persistent competition is resulting in an exceptionally healthy market from a domestic perspective.

Kirby says the loudspeaker market has seen a huge shi in focus towards sound quality and intelligibility over the last 5-10 years, driven both by end-

user demand and the introduction of new technologies.

In general the industry is doing a much be er job communicating with end users and educating them in whats possible with todays products, so it makes sense that market demands have changed accordingly, he says.

Dave Shadoan, president of rental fi rm Sound Image, concurs with this sentiment, describing the same economic pressure and competitive environment with regard to the integration and touring markets in the US: Both markets appear to be strong, although in many ways it feels as though we are still in recovery mode, he explains. Audio manufacturing technology has improved signifi cantly in the past 20 years and therefore, over the past decade, off -the-shelf technology

has helped to level the technological playing fi eld in a lot of ways.

On the recording side, there may have been a number of high- and low-profi le studio closures in recent times, but John Storyk, architect and principal at Walters-Storyk Design Group, believes there are still reasons for optimism in the studio and content production market.

Studios are being created in many new and varied locations, he says. Virtually every project we see in recent times has an acoustic issue that needs to be addressed either concerning isolation or internal room acoustic performance, or both. Our expectation for high-quality sound in constructed environments has risen to new levels of excellence.

Meanwhile, manufacturers continue to feel the pressure

as competitors off er extremely aggressive pricing in an a empt to buy their way into the marketplace. Shadoan explains that while anyone can buy the equipment, its the people, their skill set and the overall service, that sets companies apart.

He goes on to say that while manufacturers prices have increased, the rental prices have not followed suit, and he fears that the long-term damage competing companies are doing to the industry is much greater than anyone can imagine.

John Moni o, director of technical solutions at Meyer Sound, has a similarly positive outlook to Storyk when considering the economic health of the integration and touring markets, with some integrators turning work down or scheduling it out due to an abundance of business.

Population:322 million

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January 2016 15

www.audiomediainternational.com

GEO FOCUS: USA

Educating the marketWhile some pro-audio businessesin the United States expand andshow solid growth against the backdrop of economic downturn, maintaining margins remains a universal challenge for all. Shadoan refl ects on his earlier comments about companies tryingto buy market share. To provide modern equipment that is well maintained while we strive to off ertop shelf service, a margin is required. We continue to improve effi ciencies where we can, but this is not a trade off for the imbalance that has emerged, he explains. The expectations are high and the budgets are thin. It will not be sustainable over the long run for our industry.

According to Kirby, the most crucial factor to consider when overcoming

such challenges is to maintain a strong focus on educating partners and end users, clearly demonstrating and explaining diff erences between products to ensure that decisions are made based on performance, rather than just price or marketing.

Were forever at the mercy of imitators, he says. However sometimes it just isnt technically possible to provide double the features for less money while still maintaining quality and results.

Education is also an ongoing priority for the integration and touring markets, as Moni o explains: Finding good technicians in the fi eld and training them well to meet the growing demand is important. Technicians benefi t from apprenticeships to hone installation skills so they are working effi ciently and accurately.

Storyk on the other hand is cautious of the webs boundless educational capabilities, and warns that separating the important from the voodoo will become more diffi cult as information becomes more readily accessible.

Despite this caginess, there are positives to the internets infl uence on the industry. Networked projects across the board are becoming commonplace, as more well-equipped pro-audio businesses look to integrate some element of networking into their products, particularly in the loudspeaker market.

Storyk is especially excited to witness the emergence of improved DSP-controlled audio, along with be er acoustic modelling and prediction so ware. He explains that in terms of new technologies, the audio/acoustic industry in the US is a

small community and has few political boundaries compared to other regions and industries.

Furthermore, Art Noxon, acoustical engineer and president of Acoustic Sciences Corporation, is seeing a signifi cant shi in the home studio space due to the breakthrough of new technologies. He points out: The reluctance of engineers to make substantial investments into their own home recording studios continues to diminish while the interest and opportunity for engineers to work and make records at home instead of in downtown studios is on the increase.

The technique for high-end home recording studio environments has been in the wings for over 20 years but only recently has the need for high-end home recording environments begun to be felt in the industry, he adds.

Whats having the biggest negative e ect on the market at the moment?

Other

1 2 3 4 5 6

Slow payments

Govermentlegislation

7 8 9 100

Falling budgets

Economicuncertainty

n Good - possibly great.n Very well. Not the glory days of old, but getting stronger.

How would you say the pro audio market in the US is currently faring?

How do you expect your sector to perform in 2016 compared with 2015?

The same

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Better

Worse

70% 80%


January 201616

GEO FOCUS: USA

Meanwhile, other sectors have been aempting to streamline their offerings in a number of ways. Shadoan asserts the importance of vendors abilities to respond to development trends, as equipment packages become lighter, smaller and more well-integrated with personal devices.

When it comes to buying habits around tailored loudspeaker systems, Kirby says that Renkus-Heinz has witnessed a tremendous growth in steerable technology, allowing many applications to achieve results that just werent possible ten years ago.

Monio observes that column arrays are being looked at more and more for airports, churches and other spaces that are acoustically challenging with long reverberation times. He reveals: Designing systems with suitable headroom to maintain linearity has been discussed more and more. Audiences and mixing engineers are looking to systems that have lower distortion and sufficient headroom so there is less fatigue when listening to music.

Kirby backs up this testament, citing the scale of the worship market in particular as one of the unique aspects of the US region at the moment.

Certainly, there are similar projects worldwide, but we see the highest density of these high-technology projects in the US, he says. As churches vie to aract new members, their AV solution can be a big part of the araction.

The lie of the landWhile the US pro-audio market as a whole remains generally stable, certain legislation and regulatory laws can have ubiquitous effects on the industry, causing some businesses to rethink their strategies or not, as the case may be.

Shadoan believes that there is a growing awareness with regards to regulation in the US. He explains: Our industry has managed to police and regulate itself in a fair way and we have managed to keep the regulatory commissions at bay. Organisations like The Event Safety Alliance are doing great things in this department and its long overdue. He goes on to mention the requirement of the audio system to be a component of the life safety system as

a related legislative development in the integration and installation sectors.

Within the loudspeaker arena, Kirby describes updated legislation concerning public places. NFPA72 focuses on spoken word intelligibility, he explains. It aims to ensure that safety messages can actually be understood rather than simply be loud enough.

On the other hand, Storyk describes stronger state legislation as having a particularly positive outcome on the studio design and content production market, and believes that it is creating a developing trend that will continue.

We see more and more local building codes adapting to sophisticated new environmental noise regulations, and more jurisdictions adapting frequency-based and time-sensitive community noise codes, he says. This has led to improved acoustic isolation performance demands for new projects (specifically with respect to noise and isolation).

Noxon adds that this may be a contributory factor to the increased investment into the wide gap between expensive designer built studios and economical DIY home built studios, a gap that is being filled by a new generation of high-end home recording suites.

While the US market still seems to be a leader both at technical and design levels, which ties in with the countrys status at the top of the economic pile, there may still be untapped opportunities in other regions. Storyk says: Africa, China, the Middle East and Latin America are starting to develop their own robust market places and thus will begin to create their own nations set of audio/acoustic consultants and manufacturers.

The audio/acoustic community has fewer political boundaries than other industries, probably because we all share our love for music or at least I hope so.

Additionally, from a touring perspective, the US market remains healthy and busy compared with that of Europe, which some believe has taken a hit due to the quantity of large-scale festivals. As Shadoan explains: It has become the standard for bands to simply book the festival circuit in

the summer where they receive strong guarantees, carry less equipment and maintain a smaller crew. From what we understand, the ticket sales at many of the European festivals are dwindling due to the saturation in the festival market.

Inevitably, technological advancements will continue to play a key role in the future of the robust US market as offerings become more affordable, increasingly more capable and easier to implement.

Monio is confident that we will see more aention paid to good audio in the future: The industry will be looking more carefully at incorporating good, low-distortion source material and systems into venues to make sound reinforcement or playback less harsh and fatiguing.

So much of the listening public are hearing over-compressed playback

audio sources and think that its the norm. He goes on to predict that the live industry will see more and more designs implemented where systems are providing good, clean audio with effortless gain, low distortion and even venue coverage.

So as businesses in the US remain optimistic across the board due to exponential demand, it is difficult to imagine a time when the juggernaut will begin to lose traction. While downward pressure on margins seems to pose the biggest test for small and large-sized players alike, it is a challenge that is arguably balanced out by the sheer scale and momentum of the market as a whole.www.acousticsciences.com www.meyersound.comwww.renkus-heinz.comwww.sound-image.comwww.wsdg.com


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KARAOKE

High Standing, Harding Road, Brinklow, Milton Keynes, MK10 0DF United Kingdom

T: 01908 584666 E: [email protected] us at Toy Fair Olympia 2016 - Stand D19

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January 201618

FEATURE: INSTALLED SOUND

More fully integrated control systems, custom integrator-friendly amplifiers and loudspeakers, and

compact mixers are among the product trends to have ensured that fixed installation has become an increasingly important contributor to pro-audio manufacturers across the board. But what are the emerging requirements

in some of the main install segments as we enter 2016, and how are vendors responding to them?

In a bid to more clearly define the state of play in installed sound, Audio Media International spoke to some leading manufacturers about their current activities in four key install markets: large concert venues, sports stadiums/arenas, educational facilities and bars/restaurants

Large Concert VenuesWith a decline in recording revenues forcing more acts out on to the road for ever-longer tours, and concert halls consequently having fewer and fewer gaps in their schedules, it stands to reason that all stakeholders must be increasingly cognisant of maintaining quality in order to encourage repeat visits by both acts and gig-goers.

Cdric Montrezor, director of

application, install at L-Acoustics, highlights the fact that large concert venues are working in a competitive market always looking to book the best, most aractive shows into their venues. More and more Im seeing that the venues are looking towards a high-quality sound system to make them stand out from the crowd so the demand for higher and higher quality is out there.

GRANDSTAND SOUND

As 2016 gets underway, AMI decided it was time to take the temperature of the commercial install market, looking at the current challenges and opportunities in four key segments. David Davies spoke to leading vendors in each to see how things stand at present and get an idea of their expectations for the year ahead.

e recent Bosch installation at the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice is indicative of a healthy stadium sector

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But this goes beyond the specification of suitable speaker systems, which in L-Acoustics case includes the K2 line array, with Panflex directivity control, and the 2015-released X Series coaxial products that include a reference stage monitor, a live FOH monitor and coaxial speakers that can be used in distributed systems or as fills.

In addition to installing quality, rider-friendly sound systems, venues are looking beyond the speakers and working with acousticians to ensure that the acoustics of their venue are the best they can be, says Montrezor. Weve

January 2016 19

FEATURE: INSTALLED SOUNDwww.audiomediainternational.com

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seen that in 2015, for example, with the opening of the new Philharmonie de Paris, where the room is treated to be able to handle the acoustics of both orchestral performances and electric performances.

Indeed, the ability to handle as broad a cross-section of event types is now highly prized. For example, in Asia, Im seeing a lot of large concert halls that are built to be multipurpose, Montrezor continues. In Singapore we installed K2 in the Star Performing Arts Center, which hosts theatre and music during the week and on the weekend serves as a mega-church. In Europe and the US, the halls are more dedicated to entertainment, even if they host a diverse line-up of entertainment acts. In some of the bigger cities like New York or London, concert halls are diversifying out to host weddings or corporate events. In all of these cases, the venues are looking for a system that can handle everything from spoken voice through to the most dynamic music.

Oliver Sahm, director marketing application design at Bosch Security Systems, concurs about the heightened expectations of high-quality audio for speech and music. This is accompanied, he says, by increased requirements for detailed supervision and monitoring of

the systems and interaction with media distribution.

Whatever system is eventually chosen, it is evident that venue owners and operators are now highly exacting when it comes to specifying the right system for the long term, taking the time and trouble to tap suitable specialist assistance. Unfortunately, it seems they dont always optimise the project during its final stages, suggests Montrezor.

In my experience, I see venue management taking the time to really evaluate their needs, to find the right integrator to help them assess, choose and install the system that is best for them, he says. And then, at the end of the project, they dont always take the time to calibrate the system once its hung. The systems these days are of such quality that they sound great out of the box but taking the time to calibrate ensures that the venue is geing the absolute best out of their system. Its a too oen overlooked step, in my experience.

Sports Stadiums/ArenasThe permanent calendar of major global sports events such as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, as well as a busy repeating programme of international athletics events, has traditionally

resulted in a steady stream of new work for pro-audio manufacturers and installers.

Sahm confirms the high-end expectations of stadium clients, noting in particular their desire to acquire remote control options from various locations throughout the stadium for different users. This includes a comprehensive approach and interfacing with life safety relevant PA/VA systems.

Accordingly, Sahm highlights the gradual shi towards combined pro-audio and EVAC systems: Having separate ProSound and EVAC systems is only the second best solution; it complicates handling and increases the incidence of errors. Additionally, venues such as stadiums and arenas have long reverberation times and challenging room acoustic conditions. To achieve the speech intelligibility values required by safety standards and to prevent non-uniform sound quality, installations require the use of ProSound components. For this reason, a combined ProSound and EVAC system the best of both worlds is the solution for which customers have long been waiting.

In terms of stadium design and acoustics, Sahm remarks: To provide flawless sound reinforcement the loudspeakers need to be exactly aligned

Acoustics are becoming a bigger consideration in concert venues such as the Philharmonie de ParisPicture: W Beaucardet


January 201620

and need to radiate freely. To be able to achieve this, all roof fiings need to be included in the construction plans to avoid later problems with acoustic shadows and reflections.

Highlighting a product range that includes the 180-model Electro-Voice EV Innovation range (designed with the contractor in mind), and notable recent installations such as the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice, France, Sahm underlines the continuing buoyant health of this market sector.

Stadiums are a more or less constant portion of the business as there are always some national or international events in the pipeline during the coming years, he states. At the same time, some older venues will undergo modernisation and renovation. Each individual project has a timeline of several years and individual projects will overlap. We see regional variations depending on the location of events. Globally, however, we are experiencing a positive trend and contribution to the business because of [the aforementioned] quality requirements.

Educational FacilitiesIn distinct contrast to stadiums, where budgets are generally substantial and there is lile difficulty scaling a high bar for audio quality, educational facilities will oen have to contend with very limited funds. Nonetheless, it is generally felt that they are increasingly astute when it comes to the specification of new systems calling upon specialist consultants and integrators whenever possible to help ensure that they get the best value for money.

Its no surprise to discover that, in many cases, these systems must be able to handle a wide variety of activities from school meetings to live performances and more. But increasingly there is a call for more extensive integration with other AV equipment, as QSCs director of sales EAME systems group, Glen Harris, observes.

There is a need for sound systems to fully integrate with video and control, he explains. Being of a true Layer 3 design [QSCs networked audio and control platform] Q-Sys can co-exist on a converged network and therefore offers the client the ability to integrate

digital audio with IP-based video and control. Co-existing on the same network reduces costs based around the network cable infrastructure as there is no need to run separate LAN. Our latest solutions

are both hardware and soware feature-based, but all residing in a single DSP Q-Sys processor; such as the media stream receiver (soware), built-in media drive storage of up to 1,200 hours of WAV, MP3 audio storage (internal

hardware) and a 128 multi-track player (soware).

Harris anticipates continued growth for QSC in the educational market, not least due to the arrival of new products such as the Q-Sys Core 110f DSP appliance. A total of 128 x 128 network audio channels, 16 x 16 USB audio channels, 24 channels of analogue I/O, eight configurable flex channels, 16 x 16 GPIO Logic Ports and 16 channels of routable AEC are among the features of the new appliance.

Bars/RestaurantsSound reinforcement pioneer Funktion-One has been synonymous with high-end leisure and entertainment installations for nearly 25 years now, and director Ann Andrews confirms the growing expectations of quality throughout the bar and restaurant sectors.

These days people expect more than background music, and yet at the same time they still wish to be comfortable and able to converse, she says. The high-

quality sound delivered by Funktion-One systems easily achieves this.

In terms of new products geared towards these space-conscious environments, Andrews points to the MB210 low-profile bass [enclosure], while with the rise in the number of outdoor installations for beach bars we have had to introduce products with weather-resistant qualities. But more generally, she remarks that all of Funktion-Ones small systems sell particularly well into this market with the associated low-frequency products.

Taking stock geographically, Andrews cites particular growth in the Middle East and Ibiza, and in beach bars generally, while foremost expectations for 2016 include steady growth, along with increasing awareness of the importance of sound quality.

FEATURE: INSTALLED SOUND

www.boschsecurity.comwww.funktion-one.comwww.l-acoustics.comwww.qsc.com

High-quality audio and the need to respect the proximity of local residents were among the primary factors that informed the installation of Funktion-One speaker systems at two new rooop restaurant/bars in Beirut, named Iris and Caprice. Installation at the venues both of which are owned and operated by Addmind was carried out by Funktion-Ones distributor in Lebanon, Audiotec Group.

The ability to deliver low level background during the day, live performances in the early evening and louder club levels into the night were priority considerations for the installation at Iris, which is located on top of the iconic al-Nahar building and incorporates an outdoor deck and wooden bar.

We also had to be conscious of neighbours, says Funktion-One design engineer Mike Igglesden, who worked with Audiotec Group to design the systems for both venues. To deal with this, we designed a twin four-point system of F101s for the central area and stereo F81s for the surrounding areas. By doing this we were able to create a

high intensity in the middle due to the general close proximity of the speakers. Despite there being 25 speakers, weve kept the number of source locations to six.

The pair of F81s facing the stage and the F101s either side are on separate processing channels so that the F81s can be turned off or used for monitors and the F101s level can be raised for live performances. For the low frequencies, we used BR218s in the central area and BR118s for the surrounding area. These are ideal as they produce strong, deep nearfield bass that doesnt travel

too far, again helping us to localise the sound.

Located on the Jal El Dib seaside road, the Caprice venue also utilises a host of different Funktion-One products, including Resolution 2 speakers, F101s, F88s and BR218s.

Audiotec Group managing partner Ralph Choueiri comments: Both of these venues are excellent references for Audiotec and for Funktion-One. They show what can be achieved with the compact range of loudspeakers, together with a creative approach designing the best sound reinforcement for the space in question.

Funktion-One flying high in Beirut

Stadiums are a more or less constant portion of the business as there are always some national or international events in the pipeline

during the coming years. Oliver Sahm,

Bosch Security Systems


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January 2016 23

FEATURE: FINAL CUT

When seeking out the next subject for one of our regular film sound pieces, Im sure you can understand

our tendency to be drawn towards the latest big budget action-packed blockbuster, sci-fi epic or disaster thriller, requiring a sound design to keep audiences on the edge of their seats, but this time weve gone for something a bit different, and youll see why.

Already nominated for a whole host of awards including three Golden Globes despite only just arriving in UK cinemas this month, Room tells the story of Jack, a five-year-old boy who has spent his entire life confined to a small, windowless, soundproofed room along with his loving mother, who does everything she can to make the environment as comfortable and

stimulating as possible for her son, but yearns for the chance to escape and at last introduce him to the outside world.

A heartwrenching and emotional tale, with some stellar performances from the two leads, there was clearly no need for booming effects or a thunderous score here quite the opposite, in fact but for sound designer and re-recording mixer Steve Fanagan and supervising sound editor and dialogue/ADR editor Niall Brady, both based at Irelands Ardmore Sound, the film provided ample opportunity for the pair to do what professionals in this area of the industry oen list as their favourite part of the job storytelling through sound.

Ultimately the story was the most important thing for us so we were always thinking about what we could do with the sound to aid the story and help the audience have the most

experiential version of this story as possible. Thats what we talked about a lot, says Fanagan. One thing that was really important is that youre always experiencing the story through Jack and so its his POV of the world, firstly his experience of the room and then the outside world in the laer point of the movie. We had a very loose rule, which was whats Jacks point of view at this point, and are we reflecting that in terms of what were doing with the sound? That was our acid test for everything as we were working through it.

A large part of it was being conscious of the subjectivity and whose eyes were seeing the world through so it was important to have full control over all the elements in the mix at any one time, adds Brady.

What enabled the team to have more control than perhaps they normally

would was the generous timeframe. Whereas a lot of projects these days can end up stretching sound experts to the limit due to increasingly tight turnovers, Fanagan and Brady didnt suffer from this problem with Room.

For me it was the longest schedule Ive ever been part of, recalls Fanagan. Between March and August there were maybe two weeks where I wasnt on the job. Because weve worked with Lenny [Abrahamson, director] and the producers before and built up this relationship it meant they could see the value in what we were doing, and how important sound was to the story, so they gave us the resources that we needed, which was amazing.

We started while they were still cuing picture. They asked us to start slightly earlier so they could deliver some temp mixes, but we wanted to

ROOM SERVICE

This month sees the UK and Ireland cinema release of Room, which has already been drawing praise in the US for the quality of acting on show. Adam Savage discovers why the work of the sound team also deserves recognition.

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January 2016 25

FEATURE: FINAL CUT

keep anything we did for those temp mixes live throughout the sound edit process so we werent spending a week doing work on something, dumping it and moving along.

One thing that was new for us was this goal of keeping everything live throughout. They gave us our first turnover for a temp mix in the middle of March and essentially we kept iterations of that live all the way through until we delivered the mix in August. So one of the main objectives was to nail the workflow and make it work for the film and not get in the way. As we were working in conjunction with the cuing room it was very important that they felt the results of that.

Moving on to that workflow then, its hardly surprising that for a film like this, clear dialogue was crucial, but what presented the mixing team also including re-recording mixer Ken Galvin with one of their biggest challenges was how to use sound to amplify the intensely distressing feeling of confinement within a soundproofed space. It was a lot more complicated than having just virtual silence behind the main dialogue; the scenario was instead seen as a chance to really get creative, and there were a number of tools that helped them along the way.

Tools of the tradeNiall spent a huge amount of time in his edit exploring all the multitracks that had been recorded on set and making all the right microphone choices in his dialogue edit, using tools like [iZotope] RX to do some clean-up of any editorial work that he was doing and because we were in that perpetual temp mix mode

we had begun to start playing around with reverbs and other acoustical ideas for the final mix and just trying to find something that was true to the spaces and the reality of the film, explains Fanagan.

As usual on the dialogue side there was EdiCue [soware for ADR cueing] and the other thing weve been using a lot more for a few projects has been the FabFilter Pro-Q 2 [Equalizer Plug-In), comments Brady.

For the most part Ken and I worked with Altiverb for reverb and one of the reasons for that was quite early on we decided that wed try to record and create our own impulse responses because were in this soundproofed room and it just wasnt going to sound like anything else, Fanagan continues.

What about for the effects and music mixing? What gear proved most useful for that?

EQ-wise I was using a combination of FabFilter and Flux Epure v3, we were all working on Pro Tools 11 and I dont tend to use a huge amount of compression but occasionally we were doing some light limiting here and there for the louder moments, reveals Fanagan.

And so to complete the equipment overview, what were the main microphones deployed?

The majority of the ambient recording was done using DPA 4060s and that was something I picked up from doing a workshop with [sound recordist] Chris Watson a few years ago, and that gave me a really nice atmospheric spread. The spot effects and the main part of the Foley wouldve been recorded on a Sennheiser MKH-60 and a variety of ambient mics, but our Foley

crew also then used, for bassy stuff, an AKG D112 bass drum microphone.

From time to timeEven though much of the film takes place in just one seing with no aural or visual indication of whats going on externally, making it perceptually difficult for the characters and audience to recognise the passage of time, part of the storytelling brief was to bring in subtle audible changes as the tale develops chronologically, particularly when the narrative moves between day and night.

Obviously youre in the space the whole time but you have to tell the audience that theres a time code and a change in experience as time passes. With Nathan Nugent the film editor we figured out rules such as nighime sounding different to daytime, so nighime tended to be heavier ambiences, we worked with more low frequency and just a really subtle neutral room tone. From Jacks point of view Ma is his whole universe but at night its a much darker place and the sound hopefully on some subconscious level is helping to tell that story. The reverbs we were choosing and how we made and used those impulse responses was very much informing that idea.

The room is also a lile bit rundown and you can imagine that all the facilities in there like the fridge, the air conditioning, the lights have all degraded over time and the character of a raling fan or a cistern overfilling became this great texture for the storytelling within those four walls. The outside world doesnt get in so the absence of birds singing outside, for example, is also part

of that story. It became very much about tonality and the characteristics of those things that were in the space.

Team playersIts not the first time that Fanagan and Brady have partnered with Abrahamson they were all involved in the making of Frank, starring Michael Fassbender while the pair have collaborated on around a dozen projects in total. How then does Room relate to their previous jobs, if at all?

Weve done about 12 features over the past four or five years together, but over the last year and a half theres been a feature animation, a futuristic sci-fi and a horror story, so its very hard to compare those things, explains Brady. I think what we have now is a very good shorthand between each other, which helps.

One final advantage the crew did have with Room and not to say this wasnt the case with the other films theyve worked on was that the performances were top drawer, which undoubtedly increased the enjoyment factor from their perspective and proved to be an efficient motivator.

We were in a brilliant position we had this great cast and story and the film had been brilliantly realised. Everything we did was in response to the great work that had already been done, concludes Fanagan. Theres nothing quite as inspiring as geing to work on a film thats been so beautifully acted and directed.

Room is released in the UK and Ireland on 16 January 2016 via Studio Canal.

www.ardmoresound.ie

Niall Brady Steve Fanagan

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January 2016 27

STUDIO PROFILEwww.audiomediainternational.com

There comes a point in many peoples lives whereby, aer years spent gaining valuable expertise as an employee of a company,

seing up a new business from scratch and playing by your own rules becomes a prey aractive option if the opportunity arises.

It might not be a possibility for everyone whether due to financial restrictions or simply the fact that, lets be honest, it takes a fair amount of bravery to take the plunge and go it alone but one man who has this month decided to do just that aer years of faithful service with a firm is Barnaby Smyth, Foley artist, founder of

Feet First Sound and now owner of The Laundry, a new dedicated Foley studio located not in London or another major city, but the rather quaint seing of Coggeshall, Essex.

Upon meeting Smyth known for his work on major films including Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and We Need To Talk About Kevin, as well as TV shows such as Downton Abbey at the facility, it became clear that this had been a plan of his for some time.

Its always been a dream of mine. My Dad used to have a studio in our house he was a musician and inspired me to get into sound and so Id had a bit of experience with home studios. Ive always thought it would be great to do

my own thing, Smyth explains.I was at Videosonics [Cinema Sound]

for years and enjoyed being part of a company, but as you grow more experienced you want to gain more control over the output of your work and build a room where you have control over the acoustics, the surfaces and the equipment.

So why take on an ex-industrial laundry building hence the name in an old market town? It seems the choice of location was made aer a great deal of deliberation, too.

I was looking down in Kent for a long time and had a romantic image of it being an old timber-clad barn but then you realise the ramifications when it

comes to soundproofing, plus it would probably be listed and therefore a bit of a money pit, Smyth continues.

The good thing about this is that its outside London, so its quiet, rent is cheap and when youre looking for something industrial youve either got farm buildings where theres loads of low-end noise going on or a unit on an industrial estate where you might have someone with a compressor move in next door, but this had a good warehouse space and a solid structure, plus its quiet because they sealed all the weak spots before the actual build.

Fully loadedOne of the first things youll notice when

THE FOLEY WAY IS ESSEX

Its not oen we hear about the opening of a new dedicated Foley studio, but when Adam Savage discovered one had popped up just a short drive away from AMI HQ, he had to go and take a look.

27-29 AMI Jan 2016 Studio Profile_Final.indd 1 06/01/2016 14:11

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High level of proficiency in pro tools software Knowledge of a wide range of microphones and microphone techniques

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January 2016 29

STUDIO PROFILEwww.audiomediainternational.com

you enter The Laundry is that its not a bad place to be at all. Foley studios arent always treated with as much seriousness as perhaps they should, especially those based in large facilities that provide a variety of other services, but Smyth has everything he could possibly need on hand here, including an impressive gear list featuring a new Audient ASP4816 console and speakers from JBL (3678 stereo pair and 4641 sub under the projector) and Genelec, as well as Crown DSI 4000 and 1000 amps to drive the JBLs.

We were looking for something quiet that didnt need automation, just a good analogue desk. We came across the Audient, heard good things about it, investigated and found it to have very nice mic pres on it, a musical four-band EQ and they sent us one to test at the studio we were working at and it sounded good. Were looking forward to geing to grips with it, reports Smyth.

There are also six large 1.2sqm [Foley] pits and as you come in youre walking on the original warehouse floor the rest of it is raised. Its completely solid concrete so I wanted to utilise that, as its completely dead. Ive le that open so you can use that as a concrete surface, but you can lay other surfaces on top.

All the immediately important stuff is located in one area the console, monitors, pits, surfaces and, as its a Foley studio, a larger footwear collection than Victoria Beckham while outside the main shell is the rest of the warehouse, which houses the machine room, amplifiers and more than enough space for the vast array of props Smyth is sure to accumulate over time.

Having it all in a nice homely atmosphere is certainly an added bonus, too. According to Foley engineer and Smyths colleague Keith Partridge, formerly of Hackenbacker, making the space comfortable as well as technically and acoustically sound was important, which makes even more sense when you consider the degree of effort and man hours required to get the job done properly.

Foley is a case of shuing all the doors and spending most of the day in there, so its a bit of a weird environment and just the two of us rather than a studio full of people, reveals Partridge.

As for the aesthetics, being in there is so nice compared to some other places Foley studios tend to be a bit rundown, a bit dirty.

The finished article is prey breathtaking for a Foley studio we think. The size was one of the biggest things really because there is a tendency to cram a Foley studio into an old ADR booth so to have a room that is done in that size and shape for a reason, with pits in a particular place, is brilliant, really.

Having been in the industry for quite some time, Smyth was able to build an image in his head of exactly what he was aer, and a lot of it came down to his experience of other facilities.

Barnaby created his own studio with all the things that he liked and disliked about other studios in his mind, like that surface wasnt big enough so well make it bigger here etc, says Partridge.

There are also fundamental things like its just the one room rather than a split one, which is quite a big deal, down to lile things like the surfaces.

Sticking with itIn the same way that there arent a great number of specialist Foley studios out there at the moment at least in the UK its not oen that you come across people who have chosen to stick with

it as a profession; many oen see it as a temporary part of their career path, but not Smyth, who worked through his fair share of other roles too before discovering that the Foley world was where he wanted to be.

When I started I did everything from recording ADR to working as an assistant dubbing mixer and assistant editor, he recalls. I came across Foley later on and realised I really liked it a lot of people saw it as a stepping stone towards doing sound effects, so people would do it for a year or so, get quite good at it and move on but you really need to dedicate your life to it as it is a real art.

Looking Back Having done just that commiing to a career in Foley to such an extent that hes built his own base to carry it out how does Smyth evaluate his time in the industry so far? Does he have a favourite past project and which one was the toughest?

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was a really good one that we did. It was very naturalistic and had a great look to it. The Foley just had to sit there and wasnt in your face. Sometimes the best Foley is like that you dont even notice it. I think thats what we got good at in TV, Smyth comments.

Partridge adds: The Musketeers was the most challenging for me. Its probably the busiest thing Ive ever seen before in my life non-stop fighting, there was four of them and theyre all dressed in leather and cloth with swords.

Youd finish it, sigh and say OK weve done that now, but then the next one would come along and you have to start it all over again. I found it really satisfying when we finally got through it. They were mental, but really good fun.

And despite the fact that the team from Miloco Builds have only just packed up their tools and le, the pair have got no difficult opening period to deal with, where business is slow due to reluctant clients waiting to see whether things are running smoothly first before passing the work their way, and thats largely because of the close relationships theyve developed over the years with clients who are confident theyll hit the ground running.

January and February are prey much booked up. Weve got an ITV series called Dr. Thorne, which weve just done one episode of and a BBC series called Undercover, says Smyth. Keith and I have got a reputation now so they trust that we know what were doing. Its mostly TV, but I bring in a couple of films each year, so its a nice balance.

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It must be nice to have started in a huge FOH company with organised job functions, learning the ropes before moving up into the A1 position. For me, however, it was

a mixture of gospel music clients and corporate events.

What they share in common is they are both made up of regular people. Even though they may have the best of intentions, these people tend to make last minute requests, unaware of the nightmare they have just dropped in your lap. Survival is the name of the game. They cant teach this stuff in school, its school of hard knocks all the way.

Handheld Mics Unless instructed they will: hold it around their navel, hold it against their tonsils or cup the back of the grille (turning it into an omni). The entire concept of closer = louder is lost on the general public, even though they see examples of it on TV all the time. They will also be aracted to stand right in front of a speaker. For this reason I insist on doing jobs like this in stereo, despite grumbling from the company I am working for. It wasnt until one of that companys main employees saw the pan

gyrations I had to go through to avoid massive feedback that he realised why I made that request.

Lav Mics You put the mic on them without exception or they will end up anywhere from the top of their head to their belt buckle probably under a layer of clothing and upside down as well. Nobody wants to go to the bathroom with a wireless mic on because theyve seen that movie, so make sure they are ready first.

Lock Wireless Mics On No exceptions. People will try to be helpful

by turning it on, when they are in fact turning it off. People asking questions will turn it off when they are done with their question. The vast majority will forget to turn it on at all, and even if they do, the delay in it coming on will cause you to lose half of their first sentence. Everybody looks silly if this happens.

Power Distribution Unless a known fact, its safe to assume every AC outlet in the room is on the same 20-amp breaker. Churches are notorious for doing this. Sourcing from multiple rooms may become a necessity, only increasing the possibility of a ground loop. Bring a voltmeter and keep an eye on it during the show. Ideally do an AC box tie-in and have everybody on the same AC power.

Video Guys Not a client, but hired by the same person writing your cheque, so best to try to keep them happy. The contempt video guys have for audio is remarkably consistent across every area of audio Ive ever worked in for 30 years. On one job, aer seing up and waiting for hours while the film guys tweaked I asked for a 15-minute sound check. They thought I was being difficult to work with.

The end result of this is they will show up last minute and start barking at you for a feed. Most will not know what an XLR is or know the difference between mic and line levels. Just be patient and do your best.

Be preparedSmartphone DJ Its entirely likely someone will suddenly want to play DJ with their phone before, during, or aer the event. Having a 1/8in stereo mini connection that you can get up and running fairly quickly is always a good idea.

House Sound Systems Systems in hotels are designed to be used in situations without a tech, so they usually have a feedback eliminator in the circuit, and it will be impossible to turn off. If you use this system and try to ring out the room, the silly thing will work against you, so dont even bother. Just set the EQ by ear.

Everyone will be late so you cant be. Be well prepared with everybodys phone number so you can start calling when you have to. Be an advoc

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