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‘Our creative team has been working for two years to propel Blue Man Group’s indescribable celebration of art, technology and music to a whole new level for the Monte Carlo production,’ says Blue Man Group co-founder Chris Wink.
Derived from the iLive MixPad app, OneMix locks control to a single Aux mix, providing instant access to a customised easy-to-use monitor mix environment. Multiple iPads can be set up by an Admin user to give numerous musicians personalised monitor control without affecting each other or the FOH main mix. A musician’s own aux monitor mix is assigned and locked into the My Mix layer, and a selection of input splits dedicated to the individual musician can be added. Similarly, all other instrument send levels can be assigned to any of the three extra layers, allowing unique personal monitoring configuration. The range of accessible settings is defined by custom permissions for each layer. When returned to User mode, the musician is presented with simple-to-use access and control of their aux master level and processing, instrument send levels and processing, if enabled. Depending on the application and the performer’s technical knowledge, the layout and level of access can be kept minimal or extended to a more complex musician’s monitor mix involving a high channel count across multiple layers. Notably, the mix can be tweaked and listened to by both the user on stage and the sound engineer at the desk, enabling easy interaction between the two. Up to 16 iPads running OneMix can be connected to an iLive system. ‘OneMix answers demand for a customisable personal monitoring solution with the capability to distil the most complex mix environment into very simple local control for musicians and performers giving them as much or as little access to their mix as they need or can manage, and without risk to FOH and other mixes. Working alongside MixPad and our Editor software, OneMix takes the iLive concept of distributing control to where it is needed a step further,’ says A&H design specification manager, Carey Davies. More: www.allen-heath.com Directors at Solid State Logic in Begbroke invited local MP Nicola Blackwood to see its UK base and manufacturing facility, and discuss the firm’s current recruitment drive. The firm currently employs 120 people locally (160 globally) and has vacancies at its HQ – in engineering, R&D and product support.
‘It’s great to see a local company doing so well internationally in the music and broadcast industries – and recruiting at a time when unemployment is rising,’ she said. ‘I have enjoyed seeing behind the scenes at SSL, seeing the consoles at various stages of assembly on the factory floor, and going to the actual studios to see the finished products in action. I’ve spent time in recording studios before but have never got involved in the production side. After today I understand a bit more about the technology that allows producers and engineers to record and mix audio, and see why Solid State Logic is considered a leader in its industry.’ ‘We have enjoyed the opportunity to show Nicola around, and welcome her positive response to our business,’ saus SSL MD, Antony David. ‘We consider ourselves lucky to be positioned in Oxford where there is such a formidable pool of talent within a commutable radius. Of course the macroeconomic climate is affecting the industries we operate in – music, broadcast and post – but the company is growing nonetheless. We have a strong reputation for technological innovation and customer service, and have diversified our product range over recent years to appeal to wider markets. All of this adds up to increased demand, which is why we are on a recruitment drive.’ The MP has also nominated Solid State Logic’s AWS 948 SuperAnalogue mixing console for the Made by Britain project, organised by the Associate Parliamentary Manufacturing Group. All 650 UK MPs have been asked to find a product that is manufactured in their constituency, with the aim of building up a diverse and comprehensive picture of British industry today. Stagetec has extended the functionality of its Nexus-based Aurus and Crescendo audio consoles with with new loudness metering – allowing loudness values to be exported for long-term logging and legal audit trail. ‘In broadcast, where our systems are in common use, the importance of loudness metering is increasing,’ says Stagetec International Sales Manager, Sam de Pauw. ‘Our new interface to the most sophisticated loudness logging system on the market today significantly eases the burden of documenting and analysing loudness measurements for our customers.’ Salzbrenner Stagetec MediaGroup unveiled the first integrated loudness metering for Nexus 12 months ago, allowing each Nexus Base Device to provide simultaneous and independent metering for three audio programmes with up to eight channels each. The new Nexus software includes loudness metering in accordance with the American ATSC RP A/85 as well as with the international ITU and European EBU recommendations and enables external peripherals to be eliminated. The software provides three loudness integration options – Momentary Metering with an integration time of 400ms, Short-term Metering with an integration time of 3s, and Integrated Metering with custom integration time, which enables Loudness Range (LRA) to be calculated natively within the Nexus. The results of the Integrated measurement can be inserted directly as metadata into a Dolby E stream or, with the help of the interface, stored for later use. See also:
Loudness Wars: Level Up (New loudness intitiave)
More: www.stagetec.com
Studer FaderGlow uses an led strip alongside faders to indicate assigment, such as which faders control a subset of an orchestra, or highlighting the fader for a key presenter on a show. FaderGlow is also used to show additional functions such as graphic EQ to faders allowing the 30-band GEQ to be displayed and controlled on the faders. The integral loudness metering is based on the RTW TM7 touchscreen meter, and provides a number of international broadcast standard metering types including bargraph, needle PPU and VU displays in addition to various loudness displays. The Vista 5 can also be used with the new optional Vista FX system, which uses Lexicon PCM96 engines to provide up to 24 effects channels fully integrated into the Vistonics channel screens, and with the Vista Compact Remote to provide not only remote control facilities but also redundancy. Another new software update for the Vista series including the Vista 5 M3 is VistaMix, automatic microphone mixing for games, talk shows and discussion panels. This intuitive system uses a gain sharing system to provide an optimum automatic mix that minimises background noise and spill without losing the start of words in a fast paced unscripted production. Other new functionality in the Vista 5M3 includes channel metering, touchpad GC control, enhanced networking and a parallel Madi/Cat5 interface for the monitoring links to the DSP core. It also has integral audio router capabilities and control interface possibilities with video switchers via the ProBel protocol, and newsroom automation systems using the Ember protocol. More: www.studer.ch
Although I’ve seen it happening over a long time, I’ve only started to realise the magnitude of the problem over the past few weeks. And the past month or so has solidified my thinking on it.
The interface uses the Monitora protocol, providing bi-directional communication between the two systems over IP, with the additional benefit of remote control playout via either the console or the automation system. Both systems support the Axia Livewire AoIP system and USB audio, eliminating the need for soundcard interfaces. ‘Studer offers a number of options for interfacing to automation and playout systems and the partnership with Enco enhances both our product positions, while offering our customers a sophisticated yet simple to implement solution for workflow and control,’ says Studer’s Product Manager for the OnAir Series, Ingo Hahn. ‘We have a tradition of working with the finest partners in the world of broadcast technology, and we jumped at the chance to continue that tradition with Studer,’ adds Enco General Manager, Patrick Campion. ‘This collaboration provides our customers with the features and flexibility they demand in a constantly evolving broadcast landscape.’ More: www.studer.ch
Alongside commercial recording and broadcast ambitions, the session represented a test of some new technology for the recording team. |
Having made their debut on the Las Vegas Strip in 2000, the Blue Man Group recently opened an all-new production at the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino – dropping in by parachute to set a lively agenda.
Allen & Heath has expanded the control options for its iLive digital mixing system with iLive OneMix – an iPad app providing wireless control of musicians’ personal monitor mix.
A trained classical singer – she gained a First in Music at St Anne’s College, Oxford and an M.Phil. in Musicology from Emmanuel College, Cambridge – Blackwood took a tour of the factory facility to see consoles being assembled. She was also shown the Product Demonstration building which houses six acoustically treated and fully equipped sound studios, each with an array of SSL consoles and smaller products.
Studer’s Vista 5 digital audio console has been updated with the addition of company’s the FaderGlow system. Named the Vista 5 M3, the console joins the Vista 9 and Vista 1 in offering colour-coded indication of channels and functions, along with integrated RTW loudness metering as standard.
Tim Goodyer was absolutely right when he described the uptake of MP3 and other audio compression formats as an ‘uneducation’ problem in a recent Facebook discussion.
Having jointly developed interfacing systems to each other’s systems, Studer has announced that its OnAir range of consoles can now link to Enco’s DAD system.
Recorded for release on the EMI Classics label, Bruckner’s 9th Symphony and Quattro Pezzi Sacri by Verdi made an exciting live programme. The recording saw Sir Antonio Pappano conducting the Orchestra and Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia at Rome’s spectacular Parco della Musica.