Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 109 i AudioTechnology

The enemy has become the saviour. On-demand music streaming is changing the quality of music in a bigger way than a simple battle over codecs. The Loudness Wars have been declared over… again. I’ve lost count of how many times this has happened. Bob Katz killed them off in 2012 when iTunes Radio made its replay volume control facility, Sound Check, the default setting. Only to watch the war wage on. Ian Shepherd, productionadvice.co.uk and Dynamic Range Day pioneer, has played the role of wartime correspondent. Documenting the ‘victims’ of the wars, mapping out with detail how the war can be won, celebrating small victories, and declaring the war’s end every time a music service added loudness normalisation to its arsenal. If this was a real war, it’d be hard…

I’m sure you’ve met a few budding young film producers whose talent surpasses their budget. There is an ever-growing number of zealous indie filmmakers with extraordinary ideas but limited spend, yet creating a movie remains, resolutely, a costly venture. The result: most would-be, inspired, cinematic brainchilds never make it past the kitchen table. Officially launched in March this year, The Backlot Studios is a post-production company with a unique philosophy. Its goal is to be a one-stop-shop, empowering independent Australian filmmakers by providing professional post-production, film distribution and exhibition services to those whose budget isn’t as plentiful as their talent. With a motto like ‘Globally inspired, locally focussed’, it’s a model that’s set to make a difference. Chatting with audio engineer Craig Jansen, it’s clear that passion is a driving…

NEED TO KNOW PRICE $325 CONTACT Total Resource Corp: (03) 9874 5988 sales@trc.com.au trc.com.au PROS Well built Easy to use CONS No mono sum button No battery compartment SUMMARY The ARX Audibox range encompasses a bunch of units you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else, and the Blue DI epitomises the approach: smart, solid and guaranteed to get you out of a fix. “Anyone who’s paired Bluetooth devices will know just what a trivial exercise this is. I had the Blue DI passing audio in moments” BYOD has a very specific, collaborative, meaning in IT circles, but there’s, of course, another meaning, and anyone involved in live sound will know the hassle of people bringing their own devices. Often, minutes before a presentation, awards ceremony, or religious service, someone looking…

AKAI ADVANCE $699–$999 | akaipro.com Akai is making a serious play in the controller keyboard market with the Advance range. The aim is to provide full integration and control of your virtual instruments from a high-resolution full-colour 4.3-inch display, pads and pots. The screen adapts itself to the selected plug-in’s controls, delivering ‘1:1 access to the instrument and various editable functions’. Akai has developed the Virtual Instrument Player (VIP) software application, which operates as a plug-in inside any major digital audio workstation (DAW) or as a stand-alone application on both Mac and Windows operating systems. The dedicated physical controls include the RGB backlit, velocity-and pressure-sensitive pads; rubberised pitch and modulation wheels; continuously-variable knobs; and custom semi-weighted, velocity-sensitive keybed which supports aftertouch. Elfa: (03) 9474 1000 or www.elfa.com.au CAKEWALK CATCHES RAPTURE…

Glenn Scott and Dan Corless have made a rock solid commitment to the Melbourne and Australian music industry at The Wick. So solid, it’s in bricks and mortar. The pair had taken over the old Dane Centre rehearsal business in Melbourne’s Brunswick area. A old rock dog haunt, that had its heyday in the ’80s — John Farnham auditioned for Little River Band there, and Billy Thorpe used to rehearse in The Auditorium. “We had The Wick studio next door” said Scott. “And the bloke that was running Dane kept complaining and saying he wanted to get out. So we called his bluff. We put an offer in front of him and said, ‘there you go, sign this, and you can have the money by five pm today.’ And he…

It’s been a while since we got into the nuts and bolts of maintaining and running a Mac-based DAW system. So for the next few issues (provided Apple doesn’t drop a bomb on the news desk), I’m going to roll through some tips and tricks for keeping your studio Mac humming and your workflow efficient. Today we’ll start from the ground up; a walkthrough of some of the utilities and tools included with Mac OS, which are indispensable for maintenance and good workflow. DISK UTILITY For many, a ‘Repair Disk Permissions’ operation is the most common use for Disk Utility, and it’s an operation that’s frequently recommended by support teams the world over as the first step in troubleshooting software issues. Beyond this, Disk Utility is the tool to both…

I first came to the Opera House in 1990 as a Casual Sound Desk Operator Grade 3. I’d come from a club and pub live sound background as well as working in the better recording studios around town, producing artists I’d got to know by doing live gigs. Sounds terrible to say, but when I was first working there, I didn’t really give a shit. The reason? No one else did. I was shocked to see how bad things were technically from a sound perspective. At that point it was all about the lighting and staging and the Opera House was focussed on the classical art form. The sound department had a bit of gear but certainly no systems. When I left in 1993 I swore I’d never return. But…

In May, Adam Dempsey of Deluxe Mastering clocked up 20 years of being paid to listen to and tweak music. Congratulations! Never one to rest on his laurels, Adam has been busy mastering for Astro & The Ages, Cabbages and Kings, Chris Matthews (WA), Demi Louise, Jane McArthur, Kings of Cough Syrup, Mayfair Kytes, Nick Batterham, Rich Davies, Sex On Toast, Simon Hudson, Taxidermy Hall, a debut EP for Tony Little Houses, a new single for Yeo, and is remastering Lisa Salvo’s debut album (produced with Joe Talia and Peter Knight) for vinyl. Andrei Eremin has found himself mastering debut records for Wafia, Singapore’s Charlie Lim, as well as tracks from LANKS, JP Klipspringer, and even found the time to cap off an EP of his own original music. Music…

Who have you been touring with/mixing recently? I’m currently out with Anastacia. After some health setbacks she’s back at the top of her game. Can you name some other bands that you have worked with? I’ve recently done some work with Morten Harket (A-Ha) and looking forward to getting the new Avid S6L in time to go out with all of A-Ha on a festival tour later this year. I do quite a lot of live broadcast mixing, and I spent five years mixing FOH for Amy Winehouse, then Patti Smith, A-Ha and others. From your accent you’re obviously French? That’s right but I moved to the UK around 15 years ago and I live on the south coast of England. My first live mixing job was in the UK.…

Warning: I’d like to premise this story by reinforcing the importance of a professional team when trying to execute a tour this complex. It should not be taken lightly. This tour was prefaced by months of meticulous planning by tour producers, production managers, brand reps, band management, and the band themselves. It took professional crew, being paid proper wages, working with a professional touring package and an amazing, understanding artist and client to complete the task at hand… Don’t try this alone. Doing the numbers on this tour didn’t leave a lot in the remainder column: 17 show days, 26 shows, 1 band, 4 crew, 3 vehicles, 4 states and a whole lotta sweat! The challenge: String multiple shows into single days, in venues typically not set up for live…

NEED TO KNOW PRICE Expect to pay $1599 CONTACT CMI Music & Audio: (03) 9315 2244 or sales@cmi.com.au PROS Looks and can sound like a real ARP Odyssey Includes all three Odyssey filter revisions New Drive switch is a great addition Switches & sliders much better than originals Incredibly light and manageable with exquisite carry-case CONS Mini keyboard unsuitable for some players MIDI specification too limited for many players SUMMARY Recreating classic synths from the ’70s and ’80s has become more than a hobby. Hot on the heels of its own MS-20 resurrections, Korg’s re-release of the ARP Odyssey as a mini-version is pitch perfect. Though the miniaturisation places performance restrictions on some players, the sound is genuine ARP. In addition to a full-sized Odyssey (wink, wink), I wonder what’s…

Well the computing marketplace is once again being shaken up and thoroughly stirred, with Apple iPad sales expected to drop by 20% in 2015 as jumbo smartphones take over. New models are skinnier than your average ‘haughty couture’ stick figure, with PC maker Lenovo releasing its LaVie Z laptops, claimed to be ‘the world’s lightest 13.3-inch notebook PCs’. They have more computing power than Apple’s new Intel Core M MacBook — as well as two USB 3.0 ports, a HDMI video output and integrated SD card reader compared with the single USB-C port connectivity of the MacBook — yet match or undercut its price. However, as I discussed in Issue 108, choosing a PC notebook suitable for extensive audio use can be a minefield for the musician. Old fashioned they…

Behringer XR18 With digital mixers from the Music Group filling every market niche, there was no way Behringer wasn’t getting in on this new, price-conscious entry point. The XR18 is actually the top dog of Behringer’s line, and the only other mixer in the field outside of Soundcraft to feature an onboard wi-fi hotspot. The big coup here is Dan Dugan automation, but it’s only a future firmware promise so far. Other models: XR12 & XR16 coming soon. Analogue inputs: 18 Analogue outputs: 10 Price: $1399 Australis: (02) 9698 4444 or www.australismusic.com.au Presonus Studiolive RM32 AI Presonus is focused on two networks with the RM AI series: wireless and it’s own. The future prospects of this humble rack are more than promising with its AI family connections; free Presonus recording…

NEED TO KNOW PRICE 61-key: $4499 88-key: $5999 CONTACT CMI Music & Audio: (03) 9315 2244 or sales@cmi.com.au PROS 9GB Berlin piano Nine engines of gorgeous sounds Touch ’n’ drag navigation a doddle CONS This spot intentionally left blank SUMMARY There’s nothing left to the imagination with Kronos, because it’s all in the workstation. With system-wide touch ’n’ drag navigation, new sample-loading functions, and virtual patch cables, it makes getting around the nine synth engines and 21GB of onboard samples not just easy, but inspiring. On many occasions these pages have been plastered with my affection for Korg instruments. From the lowliest, almost toy-like analogue devices such as the Monotron units and Volca range, to the faithful vintage reproductions such as the MS-20 mini and recent Arp Odyssey, all the…