Opened at the start of the 2016 academic year, two new music studios at Kingston College’s Creative Industries Centre are equipped with analogue mixing consoles, two iD22 audio interfaces and three ASP880 eight-channel mic preamplifiers from Audient.

Beginning their second term, the facility’s students are making good use of the recent upgrade: ‘They love using both the ASP4816 and progressing to the ASP8024 with Dual Layer Control,’ reports Music Technology instructor and studio technician, Chris Winter. ‘They find them easy to understand and clearly laid out. They love that analogue sound, too.’

While the desks are located in Studios 1 & 2 – the commercial and the primary teaching studio respectively – the outboard gear is predominantly used in the four production rooms that are linked to the rehearsal and live rooms: ‘The students love the way iD22 allows you to assign a mic pre as talkback mic,’ Winter adds. ‘The ASP880s are also really useful when you want to DI an instrument quickly.

‘The iD22s are so easy to use and have great, big console features. The ASP880 are amazing too, and really work well with the iD22s. The idea was that we have the same mic preamps across the facilities so there is continuity in the sound.’

Winter describes the new building that houses the studios as ‘…an amazing space. We are very lucky to have the opportunity to build industry standard studios to such a high specification, and work with great companies like The Studio People on getting wonderful sounding rooms that look fantastic too.’

Comprising a 3D workshop, TV studio, as well as a number of studios and classrooms designed to enhance the learning experience, the Creative Industries Centre is designed to encourage cross collaboration on projects with other courses taught at Kingston College.

‘We teach from Level 2 up to Level 5 courses in Music Technology and Performance,’ Winter explains. ‘The great thing about these Audient desks is that for beginners right up to advanced users, they are easy to understand with no gimmicky features.’

He is clear that teaching signal path to students is fundamental to their training: ‘So many people have tried to teach ‘in the box’, but have reverted to analogue board as a physical piece of equipment that you can touch and see where the signal starts and ends up.

‘Audient has high-quality products that are easy to use and are at a professional level. We wanted our students and users to learn on industry standard equipment, so they can transfer their skills learnt at Kingston College straight through to employment.’

KMR Audio has announced its exclusive dealership of American boutique manufacturer Stager Microphones, starting with the SR-2N ribbon microphone.

Handcrafted in Nashville, the Stager Microphones SR-2N is designed ‘to capture a larger than life sound that belies its diminutive size’.

It uses a 0.6 microns large ribbon, powered by neodymium motor and a toroidal output transformer. The top end exhibits the typical roll off of ribbon microphones, but retains transient detail that flatters percussive sounds as well as bright sources. ‘Get it close to a guitar cab for superb low-end emphasis, or use two as microphone overheads to capture a gorgeous, three-dimensional sound, or simply point it at any source and be impressed by what you hear,’ the company says.

Along with its gig-eight polar pattern and 0.6-micron ribbon, the SR-2N uses a proprietary toroidal transformer, comes with an 8ft mogami cable attached and has a ball joint swivel mount.

The Stager Microphone SR-2N retails at US$500 and is available in the UK directly from KMR Audio at £499 inc. VAT (£415.83 ex VAT).

Noted for his Record Plant Remote (RPR) location truck, recording engineer Kooster McAllister has long relied on Tascam recording gear. With a kit list that still includes classic DA30 DAT machines, and DA88 and DA98 digital multitrack tape recorders, his current mainstays are Tascam’s 48-track X-48 – and, increasingly, the new 64-track DA-6400 multitrack hard disk recorder.

One of Kooster’s long-standing gigs is Farm Aid. Founded by Willie Nelson, Farm Aid celebrates farmers, consumers, and music coming together for positive change. McAllister relied on his Tascam gear to record the organisation’s 2016 fundraising concert.

‘Although Farm Aid has one main stage, we set up two independent recording systems in my truck because they had an A/B scenario with rolling carts. While one band was line-checking, another band was ready to go on,’ he says. ‘My main console, which has 96 inputs, recorded the A stage. A pair of Tascam X-48s recorded 96 tracks from the A stage, with a backup set of X-48s because you always need a backup when you do anything live.’

In the lounge area of his truck, McAllister set up a second mixer with Madi that recorded 64 channels to his Tascam DA-6400. ‘The main console has AES/EBU input and output, so it works well with the X-48s,’ he explains. ‘The alternate 64-channel console uses Madi, and it works great with the DA-6400.’

The 1U rackmount DA-6400 records up to 64 tracks at 48kHz, or 32 tracks at 96kHz, to an internal SSD caddy and offers time code and word clock I/O and professional I/O options such as Madi, Dante, and AES/EBU. It comes with an AK-CC25 hot-swappable caddy with a high-performance 240Gb Tascam solid-state drive.

Although McAllister was disappointed when the X-48 was discontinued (‘it’s rock solid and easy to work with, especially when you need to do some quick editing’) he welcomes the DA-6400 as its replacement.

‘The DA-6400 is brilliant, and I will move entirely over to it as soon as I am able to change the infrastructure of the truck from AES/EBU to Madi,’ he says. ‘Tascam keeps expanding the DA-6400’s capabilities; for instance, now you can use it with an iPad. And it’s very intuitive; spend five minutes with the menus, and you can figure out what you need to do. The solid-state drives are a very reliable format, and transfers are lightning quick.’

Above all, McAllister values Tascam recorders for their reliability: ‘Every recorder in my truck is Tascam and has been for years,’ he confirms. ‘I need something I know is always going to work. From the two-track recorder that I use for CDs and USB drives to CD burners to the old DATs to the new DA-6400, Tascam recorders are highly robust and they don’t fail me. My remote truck, in its current configuration, is going on eight years old, and with Tascam recorders, I have never been unable to hand a client a set of drives at the end of the day. That’s why I will continue to record with Tascam, and will increasingly rely on the DA-6400.’

More: www.tascam.com

Already being used to record tracks for Grammy Award-winning English electro-pop act La Roux’s third album, a Prism Sound Atlas audio interface is the latest addition the arsenal of producer Ian Sherwin.

Working in his West London project studio in, Sherwin has made Atlas the backbone of his current recording set-up: ‘My first impressions were really quite stunning,’ he says. ‘The difference when A/Bing between that and my old Avid Omni interface – which I’d always regarded as a reasonably decent converter – was almost incomprehensible. I literally felt as though I was switching between 24/96k and YouTube. By using the Atlas, we can now hear more and therefore achieve more in terms of the standard of music we’re producing.’

Formed in 2006 by singer Elly Jackson and record producer Ben Langmaid, La Roux released its eponymous first album in 2009 to huge critical acclaim. After notching up a Grammy for Best Electronic/Dance Album, the pair began recording a second album but ran into difficulties that led to Langmaid leaving the group and Jackson continuing alone.

With Sherwin having worked an engineer on the first La Roux album as well as being involved at the start of the second, Jackson felt it was natural to continue recording with him as co-producer and, eventually, co-writer. Their efforts resulted in Trouble in Paradise, described by Jackson as ‘warmer’ and ‘sexier’ than La Roux’s debut.

‘We recorded a large part of the second album in a pop up studio in Devon,’ Sherwin says. ‘It was very much a guerrilla recording project with both of us playing different instruments and really enjoying the creativity of the space and the ideas flowing between us. This approach now forms the basis of how we operate. We like working in unconventional spaces and taking our time so that we get the sound Elly really wants.’

Sherwin’s quest for audio quality led him to Prism Sound – a marque he knew from using the company’s flagship ADA-8XR Multichannel converters in commercial recording facilities.

‘La Roux is not the kind of act where you spend two weeks in a studio and come out with an album – it’s much more of a free flowing, cumulative process than that,’ Sherwin says. ‘Our approach to recording is very flexible, but that doesn’t mean we want to compromise on audio quality. We still want to produce studio quality recordings, even when we are not in a studio, and this is what Atlas allows us to achieve.’

Atlas is a multichannel USB audio interface that is compatible with both Windows and Mac platforms. Once configured with a computer, it can operate stand-alone using its Adat, SPDIF or AES3 I/O. As well as the built-in inputs and outputs, Atlas can accommodate other optional digital interfaces such as Pro Tools HDX and AES3 multichannel options through an MDIO expansion slot.

‘What really impresses me about Atlas, beyond all the things I expected to hear such as an improvement in clarity and the depth and width of the soundstage, is how rhythmically succinct it is. It’s not that everything necessarily feels tighter; it’s more that what I’m hearing is so much more revealing in terms of what’s going on groove-wise. Tracks where I had felt we’d got the feel really right confidently bop along, whereas tracks that I knew still needed some work now sound almost worse than they were before.... but, crucially, in a way that identifies the problems. In others words it’s going to make it a whole lot easier to fix or redo those parts.’

Sherwin is currently using Atlas to capture demo material for the new album, with Jackson performing in a variety of different settings where she feels comfortable and relaxed.

‘Even though these are supposed to be demos, the quality is so good that everything we’re capturing is ultimately useable,’ Sherwin adds. ‘Atlas is such a cool interface and having eight inputs at my fingertips means I can reliable record a performance wherever we are.’

More: www.prismsound.com

Austrian company Lewitt has home studios in its sights with the launch of its most affordable condenser mic, the LCT 040 Match.

The Lewitt LCT range combines innovation with hard-wearing craftsmanship in a line of small and large-diaphragm condenser and tube microphones offering a modern alternative to older, traditional designs. The LCT 040 Match offers the definition and accuracy on which the LCT range is built, but with a new stripped-back, ergonomic design for maximum positioning flexibility. Inside a compact and sturdy metal housing, the custom-designed capsule is optimised with fast transient response for the qualities of acoustic instruments from acoustic guitars to drums and strings.

The LCT 040 Match stereo pair uses a custom-developed process that extensively analyses the microphones, and couples those exhibiting identical behaviour. This introduces new possibilities for studios striving to achieve the best possible stereo recordings of drum overheads, acoustic guitars or even choirs for a price not normally associated with this degree of precision.

Available as a single pencil mic and a stereo pair package, meanwhile. the Lewitt LCT 140 Air features exceptional off-axis sound suppression, pre-attenuation and low-cut filter. Its Sound toggle allows users to switch between a linear response or a nuanced, ‘airy’ mode for open, more characterful recordings. 

The LCT 040 Match  costs US$99, while the LCT 040 Match stereo pair retails for US$189. The LCT 140 Air will debut at $149.

More: www.lewitt-audio.com

Berlin-based Lex Barkey is among the most successful music creators in Germany, with numerous awards to his name. He has been refining pop, dance and hip-hop production through projects with chart topping artists like German DJ Felix Jaehn, with projects increasingly coming in from the US.

After extensive testing, Barkey chose a pair of PSI Audio A21-M as his monitors. ‘I have tried so many set-ups, but nothing sounds like the PSI Audio speakers,’ he says. 

New monitors were part of the relocation of his studio: ‘I put some serious effort into the new room concerning acoustics,’ he recounts. ‘I was actually fairly happy with my former speakers, but they were amateur level and I figured it was time to move a step forward. Some monitors colour the sound and make everything sound great,’ he says. ‘You cannot work on such speakers, they will not show you flaws.’

Of all the speakers on trial, Swiss company PSI Audio’s A21-M stood out. Barkey: ‘At first I could hardly comprehend what I heard. These speakers are so detailed, so accurate.’

The monitors never left the studio, and were subsequently involved in hit singles and chart success records. Barkey is particularly pleased at how easy they are on the ears even in long listening sessions. ‘They do not sound awful, they just unveil each and every flaw in a mix, but they do so in a very gentle way. And I love them for that,’ he says. ‘I had 18-hour days when a project was due, and it still worked.

‘Before, I used to work in a band in the highs. Like between 10kHz and 12kHz, for example, or between 8kHz and 10kHz. Suddenly, I would arrive at 11.3kHz, and even 11.2kHz would sound wrong.’

‘That wonderfully wide sweet spot’ is also valuable in situations where using outboard gear means moving around the studio. ‘You might lean over the desk, and with my former speakers, the sound would then change considerably,’ Barkey reports. ‘With the A21-M, I can walk around in circles and have the same sound everywhere.

Audio metering and monitoring devices specialist RTW has taken on distribution of hardware and software products and systems from Listen Inc. The agreement sees RTW exclusively handling distribution of Listen’s audio and electroacoustic test and measurement products in the German and Swiss markets.

Listen Inc has pioneered electroacoustic measurement techniques for 20 years, and sets the standard in the marketplace with its test methods and algorithms. Products created by Listen range from audio testing hardware and microphones to power supplies and amplifiers. The flagship SoundCheck was launched in 1995 and is still in production, offering audio measurements on a wide range of devices including software, audio and other test interfaces and accessories, as well as test sequences. SoundCheck software is updated annually to ensure that the system keeps pace with changing test methods and requirements, and both the software and hardware have the ability to be augmented at any time to meet future testing needs.

Before expanding into, and later retreating from, additional premises in Guillemot Place, Livingston Recording Studios set up in 1960s London as a film dubbing studio with a nice turn in folk recording. Relocating to St Johns Hall in North London in 1980, it subsequently became one of London’s leading recording facilities.

In 2012 Livingston came under the Miloco studio umbrella, and has recently completed a refurbishment that puts it right back at the top.

One of the first Heritage Edition consoles to leave the Audient factory is now the centerpiece of a new recording studio at the London-based Institute of Contemporary Music (ICMP)

‘I have always been a big fan of their gear and absolutely love the new Heritage ASP8024 console,’ says Facilities Manager, Mike Sinnott. ‘It not only looks and sounds fantastic but represents great value for money so when deciding which console to choose for our control room it was a no-brainer.’

The Heritage Edition is billed as ‘the definitive version of David Dearden’s classic design’, taking the features of the ASP8024 and adding a internal enhancements. Comprising control room with Pro Tools HD, Logic and Ableton, and and two adjoining live rooms the studio space was designed and built by Slowglass Creative.

‘It was great to see the guys from Audient at our recent studio launch,’ Sinnott reports. ‘It was a great success giving us the opportunity to present our new facilities as well as Alchemea@ICMP’s shared vision and philosophy.’ The pair were also able to introduce legendary producer Gary Katz as patron of the new Creative Music Production courses. We are also thrilled to have launched the Audient Scholarship which offers the winner a place on ICMP’s one-year Creative Music Production Diploma and provides discount the for two runners up. We look forward to following the progress of Ezra – our first winner – as he progresses through the course.’

More: www.audient.com

Claiming a ‘world first’ for a 500 series audio processor with Twin Tone-Amp architecture and the ability to accept real analogue plug-ins, US company Louder Than Liftoff has released Chroma - Twin Tone-Amp with Colour.

‘Answering the call for a single channel Silver Bullet, Chroma delivers with its twin topology (A or N) line processor and mic amp but adds an exciting twist – an analogue plug-in slot accepting Colour Modules,’ says company founder and ex-aerospace engineer, Brad McGowan. ‘This feature allows additional processing and effects to be inserted into the signal path and mixed with Chroma’s classic A or N inspired Mojo Amps.’

‘We set out to create not just a company or a product, but an experience that embodies what we would like to have as music makers and consumers, so we put that love and care into every last detail of what we do,’ McGowan says.

More: www.louderthanliftoff.com

M-Audio has released the M-Track C-Series 2X2 and 2X2M audio interfaces.

The M-Track 2X2 and 2X2M support 192kHz, 24-bit computer-based recording with new Crystal low-noise preamps high-performance A/D converters. Housed in an pro-grade metal chassis with a large machined-aluminium central volume knob, the M-Track 2X2 and 2X2M also include a software suite comprising Steinberg’s Cubase LE, C-Series Virtual Instrument Suite from AIR Music Technology (including Strike, Xpand!2 and Mini-Grand) and 20 AU/VST FX plug-ins from the AIR Creative FX Collection.

The M-Track 2X2 is equipped with one balanced XLR/quarter-inch combo input and one quarter-inch instrument input, while the MTrack 2X2M is equipped with two balanced XLR/quarter-inch combo inputs, two instrument inputs, as well as 5-pin Midi input and outputs for connecting external Midi gear such as synthesisers or sequencers.

The interfaces connect to Mac or PC via a standard USB or USB-C port, using one of the two included cables. This premium Hi-Speed USB connection combines with the USB/Direct balance knob for zero latency monitoring.

‘Our goal was to set a new standard and create the most advanced two-channel USB audio interfaces at this price point,’ says M-Audio Product Manager, Walter Skorupski ‘These interfaces were painstakingly engineered to be the heart of your studio and maximize your creative potential as a musician. Studio-grade 192kHz, 24-bit capture, our ultra-transparent Crystal preamps and the included C-Series software suite delivers an unmatched all-in-one recording solution of unprecedented value for singer-songwriters and producers.’

The interfaces are available immediately, the M-Track 2X2 at £79.99 and the M-Track 2X2M at £99.99.

More: www.m-audio.com

A long-standing member of the Zac Brown Band, John Driskell Hopkins has lent his voice, bass playing and songwriting to the charismatic country music star since 2005. As a multi-instrumentalist, ‘Hop’ – as he is known – also records and performs with other acts, and formed Brighter Shade in 1996. Moving into record production led him to found Brighter Shade Studios, where the first two major Zac Brown Band albums were recorded.

I the studio environment, Hopkins has used Mackie equipment since the early years: ‘I used to mix on a Mackie CR-1604VLZ analogue desk back in the day, and the results were fantastic,’ he recalls. ‘Then I had a Mackie 8*Bus 32-channel board for a long time. That was killer too. I started using Mackie HR824 studio monitors as soon as they came out; I used those for a long time. Now I have the new XR824 studio monitors, and I just love them. They’re clean, accurate, powerful, and versatile. I can use them with or without a subwoofer and be equally happy with the result.’

Right now, Hopkins is building a new studio in the attic of his Atlanta home, with the Mackie XR824s as core pieces: ‘The new place will be 2,500sq-ft, and the live room will have 17ft ceilings,’ he says. ‘The XR824s will be right next to the console and I also will use Mackie speakers in the live room.

‘People don’t realise how versatile Mackie gear is,’ he continues. ‘You can modify the XR824s for the space you’re in. I’ve taken them to hotel suites, and I change the settings to make it work in each room. I can do a low cut, say, if the room overemphasizes lows. There’s a high-frequency filter so you can account for different rooms. If the speakers aren’t sitting the same way relative to the wall as they were at home, I adjust the acoustic space filters to keep the response flat. They’re like a Swiss Army Knife, in that they can be used for many applications. I’ve recorded dozens of independent and regional acts using the XR824s, and I intend to use them forever.’

As construction of the new recording facility nears completion, Hopkins is eager to start work: ‘The Mackie XR824s are exactly what I need to make my new attic studio sound it’s best,’ he says. ‘But then, Mackie has always been able to anticipate what musicians need and provide it. They’ve done it again with the XR824. They’re awesome.’

More: www.mackie.com

Mackie has appointed Empire Pro as an official distributor for the US.

One of the America’s largest distributors of professional audio, video and lighting equipment, Empire Pro is a leading provider of full system solutions usin leading audio, video and lighting brands. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, Empire Pro offers reliable sales and support, as well as prompt delivery of gear worldwide.

‘Mackie has a proven performance history and a dedication to understanding the real-world needs of the user that will ensure success,’ says Edmond Khanian, VP of Empire Pro. ‘The built-like-a-tank gear offers true and lasting value whether you are a musician or running a venue.’

Empire Pro offers comprehensive technical and sales support, and is dedicated to working closely with vendors, marketing and media partners. Dealer education is also key to the company’s philosophy with a focus on providing live training events, webinars, videos and white papers.

‘Empire Pro’s professionalism and love of technology is a big part of what makes the company a success, and its solid expertise in all things pro audio makes it an invaluable partner for us, as well as for our dealers,’ says Mackie Director of Channel Marketing, Matt Redmon.

Aimed at professional and project studios, Mackie’s XR Series of monitors comprises the 8-inch XR824 and 6.5-inch XR624 models.

Drawing on Mackie’s HR Series monitors, XR features a smart logarithmic waveguide, providing acoustic alignment to deliver precision balance between highs and midrange clarity. Both models feature a 160W power amplifier and premium transducers including a Kevlar LF driver. Unique to XR, Mackie has developed the ELP Bass Reflex System, which uses an extended-length, internally curved port that delivers outstanding bass response and increased output.

‘The new ELP porting system significantly extends bass response, but its unique design offers additional benefits,’ says Mackie Product Manager, Jon Rundle. ‘The port exit sits completely flush with the back of the cabinet, creating a zero turbulence design that significantly improves overall acoustic performance.’

XR Series Studio Monitors can be optimised to the specific mix environment with user-controllable acoustic space tuning controls. There are three different acoustic space settings that adjust for monitor placements. Plus, both high- and low-frequency EQ controls are available for final sonic adjustment to the mixing space. Other finishing features include an eco-friendly auto on/off functionality that senses when a signal is present and turns that monitor on or off, plus the inclusion of acoustic isolation pads for each monitor.

‘Mix translation is so important and having a flat frequency response from your studio monitors is critical. We didn’t want to hype up your mix – if something sounds off, you want to know. When it sounds great, you can trust that it will sound great anywhere,’ Rundle says.

The Mackie XR824 and XR624 monitors are available worldwide from November 2016. Sold individually, the XR824 has an MSRP of US$629.99 and the XR624 has an MSRP of US$519.99.

More: www.mackie.com/XR

Owned and run by the members of Pop Shuvit – touted as Asia’s leading hip-hop/rock band – Kuala Lumpur’s Studio 21:05 began life as a ‘tiny home studio’, but has grown into a high-end multi-room facility. Although impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, the studio is among the first to return to operation.

‘I’ve been closed to the public – albeit working remotely – for nearly a month and half since the Malaysian government imposed the Movement Control Order (MCO) ,’ says studio founder JD Wong. ‘Now, amid all the uncertainty facing the music industry, I will be taking the necessary steps to re-open the studio soon.

‘We will have to make adjustments to the way we work. And those of us with family members who are sick must be ever more cautious and vigilant.

‘We are ready to move forward,’ he continues. ‘As a company, Studio 21:05 is prepared to do so. We are also running special offers to help independent artists that have been affected by Covid-19. I would like to thank all of you for the wonderful support and amazing opportunities to create music throughout the nearly 15 years since Studio 21:05 was founded,’ he adds.

More: https://studio2105.business.site

Electronic artist Richard Devine has added Manley Labs Massive Passive equaliser to a recording rig that spans vintage synths, modern modular systems and classic outboard – his first Manyley purchase.

With a portfolio covering Aphex Twin remixes, high profile commercials, virtual-reality projects for Silicon Valley and patch design for Korg and Native Instruments as well as his own music, Devine’s work is unusually diverse. He owns a large collection of EQs including several vintage models, and was seeking to expand his palette with another EQ designed that in legacy style.

‘I was interested in the Massive Passive, because it’s in that classic style of vintage EQs,’ he confirms. ‘I wanted something that had a little bit more control, and slightly a different flavour than what I already have.’

The two-channel, four-band Massive Passive, with its console, parametric and graphic equalisers, excels at both dramatic shaping and subtle shading: ‘You can sculpt the sound in really interesting ways, but it’s never harsh; it’s very smooth. You can still do some radical things with it, which is what really impressed me.

‘The vacuum tube components within it give you this nice, warm tonality to everything that you run through it,’ he continues. ‘Even when you set all the controls at twelve o’clock, with no boosting or cutting, just running the signal through the Massive Passive has such a pleasant outcome.’

The Massive Passive serves multiple purposes in Devine’s studio, primarily on his mix bus, and also in his mastering chains for sound design as well as his own music. ‘It’s like that perfect end-stage EQ,’ he says. ‘Sometimes you don’t want that much coloration. You just want the right amount, and at the same time have enough controls to shape the frequency spectrum in a way to where you’re not completely destroying the audio material that you’re running through it.’

Devine has found the Massive Passive to be particularly valuable for polishing his work for television, which comes with extremely tight deadlines. ‘A lot of times, there is no mastering stage,’ he says. ‘So I’ll master the production myself and try to give them the best quality product I can, right before it goes to the sound editors and gets sent off to the network.’

He has been using the Massive Passive to put finishing touches on a forthcoming album, an all-analogue recording created entirely on custom modular synths. ‘The whole idea was to just do it all by hand, and do it with analogue processing, analogue shaping, from start to finish,’ he explains. ‘I wanted to do it like I’m sculpting clay.’

Wanting a flexible EQ for his master bus that expanded his sonic options and was simple to use, he is happy with his choice: ‘Massive Passive satisfied all those requirements for me, and it definitely blew my expectations away in every aspect of that.’

More: www.manley.com

Selecting microphones for use in pairs in recording stereo, surround and multichannel audio (DPA Microphones)

One of Spain’s largest recording studios, has installed Spain’s largest Neve Genesys G80 mixing console.

With the help of CSS Audiovisual Technology, who assisted with the installation and set-up of the console, Medusa Estudio BCN has made the Genesys G80 and a Pro Tools HDX recording system the heart of an impressive facility – a 400-sq-m recording complex in a quiet area of the old district of Sants in Barcelona. It boasts two recording rooms, a 50-sq-m control room, chill-out area, machine room and Red Studio, the personal recording and production space used by musician, composer, singer-songwriter and producer, Manu Guix – who is one of the studio’s founders, along with Roger Rodes.

The facility features Genelec main and close-field monitoring, an extensive selection of outboard and a well stocked mic cabinet. A Studer A80 24-track tape machine will also be added to the recording options Each room is interconnected, allowing multiple recording options, with CCTV system providing visual communication between each room, the main control room and Red Studio.

As well as being the largest in Spain, the Genesys G80 console is one of the largest in Europe. ‘Our Genesys G80 has marked a “before” and “after” in Medusa Studio BCN,’ Guix says. ‘Clarity, presence, character and pure analogue sound – we could not be happier.’

Mesanovic Microphones has announced the Model 2A Active Ribbon Microphone.

The Model 2A is an active adaptation of the US company’s Model 2 passive ribbon microphone, and uses the same signature motor structure and resonator plates to capture any source in detail. The active circuit in the Model 2A provides high output, extremely low self noise and works with any mic preamp. The 48V phantom power circuit works as an impedance buffer to avoid any colouration.

The Model 2A is suited to use on guitar, vocals, drum overheads, choirs and orchestra.

In the UK, the Mesanovic Microphones Model 2A is available to order exclusively from KMR Audio, and retails at £915.83 (£1,099 inc VAT).

Meyer Sound has been granted a US patent on proprietary digital technology used in the Bluehorn loudspeaker system, ‘to reproduce complex musical signals with absolutely flat frequency and phase response across the full audio bandwidth’.

‘This patent award underscores why the Bluehorn System has become such an important tool for audio professionals,’ says Meyer Sound CEO, John Meyer. ‘Some studio monitors may flatter the programme content with potentially pleasing colorations generated in part by phase anomalies, but that is only misleading to the mixing engineer. The Bluehorn System is absolutely true to the input signal, and it retains the same precise phase linearity from a delicate whisper up the highest listening levels that would be prudent for even short-term monitoring.’

The patent (9,992,573 B1) is formally titled Phase inversion filter for correcting low frequency phase distortion in a loudspeaker system, and outlines the digital signal processing techniques involved in cancelling out the phase anomalies inherent in all loudspeaker systems due to the physical mass of the loudspeaker drivers and resonance of the loudspeaker enclosures. The patented technology restores the original phase relationships, even at the lowest audio octaves, by applying an inverted phase response.

The patented filter algorithms are hosted in a dedicated hardware processor placed in front of both the two-way, mid-high loudspeaker and the separate low-frequency loudspeaker. The system-specific correction algorithms hosted by the processor were developed by meticulously analysing all physical and electrical nonlinearities throughout the entire system, from 25Hz to 20kHz, in order to bring acoustic output – at any level – into phase and frequency alignment with the input signal. Essentially, the digital processing nullifies the nonlinearities of drivers and enclosures, resulting in a phase-coherent response previously achieved only by open-air electrostatic headphones with their extremely low mass diaphragms.

The Bluehorn System is designed for high-resolution monitoring applications in mid-sized rooms for music recording, cinema postproduction, music mastering and other applications requiring high-accuracy sound reproduction. Externally, Bluehorn System’s two-way component shares the same cabinet footprint, driver dimensions and waveguide configuration as Meyer Sound’s Acheron Designer loudspeaker. On the inside, however, it uses an upgraded HF driver and new amplifiers with ultra-low noise and distortion. Complete Bluehorn Systems are available in either stereo or LCR configurations, with each channel comprising a two-way mid-high loudspeaker, a separate low frequency element, and the dedicated digital processing.

More: www.meyersound.com