Scrub (a division of HHB Communications) has supplied an Avid Pro Tools S6 and two S3 control surfaces for The Empire Design Company’s London postproduction studios as part of ongoing updates and expansion.
Avid’s S6 and S3 control surfaces are central to every studio at Empire Design – Audio 1 and 2 are running Avid S6 systems, and are dedicated to larger, theatrical mixes. Additionally, three smaller Pro Tools HD rooms each run an Avid S3 for TV, radio and sound design work. Empire’s use of the Avid control surfaces is an indication of their ability to accommodate differing projects and scenarios.
Empire attributes several of the S6 functions to the consoles desirability. The customisable automation module allows storage of numerous setups for projects and mixes to be recalled instantaneously. Split zones make accessing specific tracks from your mix quick and easy, plus additional finishing touches such as motion sensors light up the console as the room is entered.
‘Everything from freezing tracks, nudging, muting, separating and trimming can be done at the touch of a button from the console,’ says Empire dubbing mixer, Ian Gardham. ‘And those buttons can be customised depending on what’s happening in the template. And different users can save their settings and bring them up in any room.’
The S3 was combined with an Avid Dock for the smaller rooms: ‘The S3s are sturdy; the faders feel solid and comfortable,’ Gardham reports. ‘We went from the Artist series to the S3 in one room and the difference is huge, which is important because it’s the faders that get pushed up and down all day, every day. We also linked up a dock to the S3 in one of our smaller stereo suites. The touchscreen of the iPad works just like the screen on the S6. You can go deep into all the menus, swipe through tracks, access EQs all on the S3 – effectively like the S6.
‘We have used Scrub since day one at Empire,’ he adds. ‘The technical support has been second to none. The great thing is, any further training or technical support we need, Scrub is only a phone call away.’
More: www.hhb.co.uk
