Multi-Award winning facility Hackenbacker has completed the entire audio post production for Murder on the Home Front, a new two-part drama series produced by Carnival Films for ITV and directed by Geoffrey Sax.

Starring Patrick Kennedy (Boardwalk Empire, Parade’s End), Tamzin Merchant (Jane Eyre, The Tudors), James Fleet (Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Vicar of Dibley) and Emerald Fennell (Any Human Heart, Anna Karenina), Murder on the Home Front is set during the Blitz of 1940 and recounts details of crime in London during the Second World War.

The drama tells the story of Dr. Lennox Collins, a pathologist new to murder cases, who is paired with Molly Cooper, the very first female secretary to a pathologist. When they discover a serial killer at large under cover of the Blitz, Lennox has his work cut out convincing his unsympathetic boss to have faith in his methods and theories. The novel approach of preserving a crime scene, treating every bit of physical evidence as the key to a break-through and not just relying on intuition, may help Lennox and Molly convince DI Freddie Wilkins that they are about to hang the wrong man.

Loosely based on the memoirs of the late Molly Lefebure, who was secretary to the Home Office Pathologist and pioneer of modern forensics, Keith Simpson, Murder on the Home Front shines a compelling light on early forensic investigations.

All audio post production for Murder on the Home Front was carried out at Hackenbacker’s Soho-based facility, with founder Nigel Heath in charge of the mix. The project is the latest in a string of high profile television dramas that have come to Hackenbacker, including Any Human Heart and Downton Abbey.

Producer Christopher Hall says: “I worked with Nigel some years ago and was particularly keen that Murder on the Home Front should be handled by him and his team. I take particular care in the post production of any project that I am associated with and as far as I am concerned Hackenbacker, in a fiercely competitive market, are the Rolls Royce of sound facilities. There can be no better way to not only polish a film, but also to achieve the most elegant and creative storytelling sound-wise. Geoff Sax, our director, and I are thrilled with the end result. Murder on the Home Front has been given a much better chance of being re-commissioned as a series thanks to a terrific Hackenbacker mix.�

Nigel Heath adds: “”All of us at Hackenbacker were really excited to work on Murder on the Home Front. The scope for interesting sound design was immense. The task of making the sometimes ‘explosive’ action retain its excitement within a TV environment was a challenge, but it seems to work well. Geoffrey Sax, the director, was a complete joy to have with us in the studio and it was both a privilege and delight to work with Chris Hall once again…all in all it was a very happy experience.”

Murder on the Home Front is set to premiere on ITV in the spring of 2013.

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About Hackenbacker:
With more than 25 years experience in the audio post production business, Hackenbacker provides a first class service to the film and television industries. Its award-winning team of sound editors, designers and mixers combine a thorough knowledge of today’s technology with an understanding of the importance of deadlines in order to deliver an exceptional service to all Hackenbacker clients. The facility offers full time technical support and access to the very latest equipment as well as some more esoteric specialist devices. www.hackenbacker.com

DPA Microphones played a vital role in helping nearly 100 studio engineers get to grips with the black art of miking a drum kit during a workshop seminar given by Grammy award-winning drummer Morgan Ã…gren.

Entitled Producers Seminar: Drums with Morgan Ã…gren, the seminar took place in Stockholm and was hosted by Swedish Studio Magazine, in conjunction with DPA Microphones and Avid/Pro Tools. Opus3 label founder and “Microphone Doctor” Jan-Eric Persson was also a guest speaker.

“The aim of this workshop was to show how to record and mix drums and percussion,� Morgan Ågren explains. “There was a strong focus on sound ideals and I used examples from my own Pro Tools sessions, with and without software plugins, to demonstrate the points I was making. I also played some CDs that I have mixed and some that I simply find inspiring.�

Ã…gren used a DPA d:voteâ„¢ 4099 Instrument Microphone on his kit-pig compact drum kit. To demonstrate transient response he conducted a test with a similar microphone from another manufacturer and the audience reaction to the DPA d:vote was incredibly positive. He also explained the advantages of having as few different types of microphones as possible so that the sound blended together better. His personal preference is for DPA microphones, which he likes to use for all of the instruments he is recording.

Ã…gren also discussed the importance of recording as cleanly as possible, and referred this back to his own experiences where he is often recording for people who are not 100% sure of the character they want for the final version of the track. He explained that it was important to leave that decision to the person who was going to mix the track so that they could decide on the sound they wanted.

To complete the seminar, Ã…gren gave a practical demonstration of drum kit miking using DPA 2011 Twin Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones. Designed to offer a linear off-axis response in a smaller frequency bandwidth, DPA 2011 microphones make stage separation and gain-to-feedback higher and microphone level easier to control.

“I always use DPA microphones because they sound better than any other mike I’ve tried,� Ågren says. “They even sound better on the snare, which is rare for a condenser mike. I now own 12 DPA microphones and during this seminar I was happy to tell the audience why I like them so much.�

Born in Umeå, Sweden, Ågren has been a drummer since the age of four and first performed live when he was seven. In conjunction with blind keyboardist Mats Öberg, he formed the Mats/Morgan Band in the mid-1990s and began releasing CDs on his own label, Ultimate Audio Entertainment. The band has subsequently toured in Europe, Asia and the USA where Ågren and Öberg’s superb playing ability has amazed progressive jazz/rock audiences.

As a drummer, Ågren has also played and recorded with many internationally acclaimed artists including Frank Zappa, Bill Laswell, Steve Vai, and Mike Keneally. He was also voted No.1 in Modern Drummers reader’s poll in the Fusion category and is widely admired by professional drummers on both side of the Atlantic.

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Editors’ information:
DPA Microphones is the leading Danish Professional Audio manufacturer of high quality condenser microphones and microphone solutions for professional applications in studio, broadcast, theatre, video/film and sound reinforcement environments. All DPA microphones and components are manufactured at the company’s purpose-built factory in Denmark.
For more information on DPA Microphones, please visit www.dpamicrophones.com

At Winter NAMM, the musical instrument industry’s signature trade show, standing out from the crowd is always a challenge. To get the attention of attendees, exhibitors rely on companies such as Guruz Media, a leading full-service marketing agency, to attract prospective customers to their booths.

Working on behalf of exhibitor Sabian Cymbals, Guruz Media developed an innovative and eye-catching 16′ tall by 8′ diameter tower of cymbals stretching from the ground to high above the trade show floor. To ensure the tower of cymbals would capture the attention of visitors no matter where they were, Guruz added a PixelFLEX LED video curtain wall as a backdrop.

Exceptionally light weight and extremely flexible, the PixelFLEX curtain was the perfect solution for creating a column of bold-colored LED lighting inside the interior of the cymbal tower that was sure to turn heads. According to Doug Webber, chief creative officer for Guruz, mission accomplished.

“Anybody can go to a trade show and rent big screens for their booth, but when it comes down to it, there has to be something that pushes it over the top to really get people to notice,” Webber said. “Whether that is something of the unexpected, or just maybe huge, like the cymbal tower. As soon as I saw the PixelFLEX screens online and how they could bend around nearly any shape or structure, I knew how I could use them at Winter NAMM to make a difference for my client at the show.”

For the cymbal tower backdrop at Winter NAMM, Guruz used 12 panels of PixelFLEX’s 20mm LED video curtain. Featuring 2500 pixels PSM (Per Square Meter) and 3240 nit brightness, PixelFLEX’s curtain provided Webber and his team a solution that was easy to set up and operate – benefits to trade show support that cannot be understated.

“We were trying to create an architectural design element that had some movement, visually speaking, going on inside the tower,” Webber said. “We found a nice piece of digital juice eye candy, colorized it to match the rest of the branding in the booth, and just allowed it to loop over and over again on the PixelFLEX screens.

With more than 200 cymbals on the tower, it was a perfect solution for filling the negative space between the cymbals,” Webber continued. “On top of that, it was super simple to install and operate. The client [Sabian] was extremely happy and competitors definitely took note. One even mentioned to us that it was the best cymbal display they had ever seen at Winter NAMM. ”

Flexible in all directions and exceptionally durable, PixelFLEX LED Curtains are able to bend and shape around structures for a more creative display effect. For more information on PixelFLEX and its growing line of lightweight LED video screens, visit www.LEDCurtain.com. Follow PixelFLEX at www.Facebook.com/PixelFLEXUSA and @LEDCurtain.

Prism Sound ADA-8XR multichannel audio converters are being used to help the British Library digitise its collection of multitrack audio tapes in order to ensure the future of these valuable and historic recordings.

To tackle this project the British Library has acquired two more ADA-8XR converters, bringing the total number of units in its sound facilities to seven. It has also acquired a Prism Sound Orpheus interface.

Nigel Bewley, the British Library’s Operations Manager Sound & Vision, says: “We have a relatively small collection of 200 multitrack tapes and we think it will take about 20 weeks to complete this project, including the preparation of the resultant files, metadata compilation etc. We will also be using a third Prism Sound ADA-8XR converter, which we already own, to digitise 24 track tapes and to ingest all tracks simultaneously.�

Bewley adds that it is much more cost effective for the British Library to undertake this project in-house, rather than to out-house it. Also, by carrying out the work in-house, the British Library’s curators and content specialists can readily advise on the project.

“We use multiple ingest techniques with other analogue carriers such as tape and cassette,� Bewley explains. “The Prism Sound ADA-8XR units allow us to input 4 stereo channels or 8 mono channels (or any permutation) simultaneously. We use Prism Sound ADA-8XR converters because of their high audio quality. Furthermore they are 8 channel so support our multiple ingest workflows. Another important reason is that the Prism Sound ADA-8XR supports a wide range of sample rates including 32kHz. Once this project is completed, the new units will be used on other projects throughout our sound facilities.�

Multitrack tapes are notorious for their ability to degrade over time. In cases where the oxide is shedding they have to be ‘baked’ to return them to a stable condition so that they can be transferred onto a more secure medium.

“We do bake tapes when required and some of the multitrack tapes we are currently dealing with may need baking,â€� Bewley says. “The multitrack project is a preservation project – we want to preserve the individual tracks. Researchers may want to listen to just one track to hear a bass guitar part, for example, isolated from the mix. Many of the multitracks will have been mixed and made available as published CDs, LPs etc, but some have not, in which case we will need to work out how we are going to do a mixdown (if at all) for access purposes.â€�

The Sound Archive at the British Library is a resource with enormous national and historical importance. Its history can be traced back to 1905, when it was first suggested that the British Museum should have a collection of audio recordings of poets and statesmen. The Gramophone Company started donating metal masters of audio recordings, among them recordings by Nellie Melba, Adelina Patti, Caruso, Lev Tolstoy, Ernest Shackleton and Herbert Beerbohm Tree.
However, the British Museum was not maintaining a comprehensive archive and this worried Patrick Saul who, in 1955, started the British Institute of Recorded Sound. A public appeal was launched and thousands of shellac discs were donated, which started off the collection.

In 1983, the British Institute of Recorded Sound became part of the British Library, which had split off from the British Museum. Later renamed the British Library Sound Archive, it eventually acquired the metal masters originally collected by the British Museum when these were transferred to the Archive in 1992.
Situated near London’s Kings Cross, The British Library has 10 transfer studios and one recording studio, which is designed for speech recording. The audio suites are named after pioneers in audio technology and techniques from across the years and include Emile Berliner (1851-1929), Alan Blumlein (1903-1942), Thomas Edison (1847-1931), Fred Gaisberg (1873-1951), Michael Gerzon (1945-1996), George Gouraud (1841-1912), Arthur Haddy (1906-1989), Martin Hannett (1948-1991), Jean Jenkins (1922-1990), Joe Meek (1929-1967) and Alec Reeves (1902-1971).

All of the transfer studios are equipped with Digital Audio Workstations running SADiE or Wavelab and most also have Prism Sound ADA-8XR converters. The majority of these transfer suites are used for archival transfers but the rooms are also designed for more complicated transfer work, combined with restoration and editing, which is carried out by specialist audio engineers. The facilities have been used to train archivists from other organisations in audio archiving methodology and techniques.

“The larger studios have analogue kit to deal with a variety of formats,â€� Bewley explains. “We also have an Artefact Collection representing the history of recorded sound. We often ‘raid’ this collection to deal with obscure formats such as short-lived dictation formats, wire recordings, dictabelts and others. We also have a custom made cylinder player and we can deal with a wide range of legacy analogue formats, but we do have a wide range of digital kit, too.â€�

The British Library’s recording studio is used for podcasts, oral history interviews and audiobook recording for the British Library’s CD publication programme. Alongside its fixed facilities, the British Library has a busy location recording programme that takes in theatres, poetry and literary events, soundscape recording, wildlife, sound effect recording, oral history interviews in the interviewee’s home, workshops and seminars, music concerts and performances.

With such a wealth of recorded material in the archive, Nigel Bewley says real gems can be discovered when material is being transferred from one format to another.

“We recently discovered a collection of recordings made by the Swiss psychotherapist and psychiatrist Carl Jung that were made on wire during the 1960s,� he says. “Obviously it is very exciting when we unearth recordings like that – and it’s surprising how often it happens.�

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About Prism Sound
Founded in 1987, Prism Sound manufacture high-quality professional digital audio equipment for the International broadcast, film, music production, manufacturing and telecommunications sectors. The company’s product range includes the Prism ADA-8XR precision 8-channel converter unit, which is regularly used for music and film soundtrack projects by clients such as EMI Abbey Road, BBC, Sony, Lucasfilm and Walt Disney. Prism Sound also manufactures a range of audio test and measurement products, including the de facto standard DSA-1 handheld digital audio generator/analyser and the dScope Series III audio analyser system.

For more information: www.prismsound.com

Denver's Boettcher Concert Hall, home to a new L-ACOUSTICS sound reinforcement system

DENVER, Colorado — Denver Performing Arts Complex’s Boettcher Concert Hall, home to the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, was built in 1978 as the first U.S. symphony hall in the round. While the 2,634-seat performance space’s unique layout continues to remain enduringly contemporary, the venue’s previous PA system has not fared quite so well, recently prompting a full audio system retrofit that included an L-ACOUSTICS amplifier and loudspeaker package. more

The implementation of the USA’s new CALM legislation on broadcast audio loudness has led many broadcasters to look for effective ways of processing, controlling and logging their audio output so that it meets the FCC’s Compliance rules.

With a number of solutions on the market, WBPH in Philadelphia and WMBC in New Jersey – two stations in two neighboring markets that share engineering ideas and resources – combined their technical expertise to search out the Loudness control system that worked best for them. As a result of this search, both stations have invested in T*AP Television Audio Processors from German manufacturer Jünger Audio.

WBPH-TV, an independent full power TV station that has studios and offices in Allentown PA, is carried by all local cable as well as DirecTV and Dish Network. WMBC-TV is an independent full-power commercial TV station based in Newton, NJ. Its programming is available over-the-air, on cable TV and satellite throughout the New Jersey and New York area.

Daniel P. Huber, Chief Engineer at WBPH-TV, and Victor Joo, manager of WMBC-TV, both felt that Jünger Audio’s award-winning T*AP Television Audio Processor was the right solution because it is able to process, control and log audio output in line with FFC requirements, all within a single box.

Primarily designed for TV playout facilities, this wide band 8 channel processor (8×1, 4×2, or 5.1+2) provides Loudness control, Upmix and surround sound processing for up to eight channels of audio. The unit, which is fully compliant to the ITU standard and fulfils the requests given by ATSC A/85 and EBU R128 loudness recommendations, focuses on automatic and adaptive loudness control using Jünger Audio’s renowned LEVEL MAGICâ„¢ II algorithm. Optional Dolby Decoding and Encoding (AC-3, E-AC-3 or HE-AAC), as well as metadata management, are also provided along with 5.1 Downmix and Jünger Audio’s 5.1 UPMIX circuit. T*AP can handle digital inputs (AES) and, through interface slots, all other usual audio formats including all SDI versions (SD, HD, 3G). It is controllable through front panel and Web based GUI, plus remote control, and GPI.

WMBC has invested in three Jünger Audio T*AP units, all of which have been installed in its Master Control (Cut Studio) in West Caldwell, NJ. WBPH has installed one T*AP in its Master Control in Allentown, PA.

“CALM legislation, like any other FCC mandate, is always a top concern for TV stations, and there is typically a rush of stations to follow the trend to be “safe�, or perhaps, at least, in good company,� Daniel P. Huber says. “For WBPH, we often need to look outside the usual options to meet FCC requirements and Jünger Audio was such a case. With the anticipation of adding additional channels in the near future, WBPH had a present need but also a requirement to easily expand as well. Jünger Audio easily met this need with a single TAP offering four channels in one unit.�

Huber adds that he was particularly impressed with the T*AP unit’s A85 preset for US TV stations.

“All we had to do was drop in the preset and the FCC mandate was quickly met,� he says. “You can easily change presets and create custom settings for all audio situations if you desire, from music to talk etc, but for mandates that have deadlines, and typically equipment shows up last minute, the preset is very nice.�

For WMBC-TV, installing T*AP has also solved the issue of audio levels varying across different content streams.

“Prior to installing T*AP, many of our multicast broadcasts (seven video channels and two audio channels) had varying audio levels for all different feeds at any given time,� Victor Joo explains. “The T*AP processor has provided us with a solution to that problem by ensuring consistent audio levels across all of the different feeds. We have been using T*AP for over a month and we are pleased with the results as the quality of our audio signal has improved greatly. We are very happy that we chose T*AP for our audio control solutions.�

Both WPBH-TV and WMBC-TV say that T*AP’s cost per channel made the unit very attractive – as did its small footprint, its real-time display of audio levels via its front panel and its detailed display via a PC. However, one of the unit’s main selling points for both stations was its on-board logging facilities.

“We were looking at other solutions for loudness control, and yet another unit for logging, but what we liked about the Jünger Audio T*AP processor is that it does all the work in one box,� Huber adds. “The logging requirements mandated by the FCC are often open to interpretation so we were looking for a fulltime logging solution that could keep a log of all our audio channels on a 24/7 basis. Jünger Audio does this with the PC logging program. All components are IP addressed and overall it is a clever unit.�

Any television station that invests in such vital equipment needs to know that it will be properly supported throughout the installation process. Jünger Audio ensured this by providing technical back-up to both stations.

“If you are an engineer, you get used to things having a glitch or two, and although this install was meant to be a very simple one because we had pre patched all the needed audio, did have a glitch,� Huber explains. “We found out that the Harmonic Electra Encoder uses sync from video in a way that caused an anomaly with two audio-only non-video synced radio channels that was not heard when bypassed. This was not the fault of the Jünger Audio unit, but more a handshake issue between the Harmonic and the Jünger Audio unit that has not previously been paired in this way. Thanks to the help we received from Jünger Audio’s Anthony Wilkins and his technical support team, the situation was quickly resolved.�

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About Jünger Audio
Established in Berlin in 1990, Jünger Audio specialises in the design and manufacture of high-quality digital audio dynamics processors. It has developed a unique range of digital processors that are designed to meet the demands of the professional audio market. All of its products are easy to operate and are developed and manufactured in-house, ensuring that the highest standards are maintained throughout. Its customers include many of the world’s top radio and TV broadcasters, IPTV providers, music recording studios and audio post production facilities. www.junger-audio.com

For the fourth consecutive summer Christie® 3-chip DLP® projectors will be lighting up Ottawa’s famed Parliament Hill with a rich and engaging display that attracts more than 250,000 visitors annually . The gripping narrative of Canadian history via the National Capital Commission’s sound and light show, “Mosaika – Canada Through the Eyes of Its People� begins July 10 and ends September 7 this year.

Accompanied by lights, a 5.1 surround system, and audio track produced by Groupe Phaneauf, the four Christie Roadster S+20K and five Christie Roadster HD18K projectors paint a video canvas onto the 472-feet long by 246-feet tall, six story high Parliament Building Centre Block including the iconic Peace Tower in the middle. One portion features a dramatic 3D segment where the entire structure appears to move in and out in 3D space.

A Journey in Three Acts
Act One explores Canadian landscapes and our founding peoples. The journey begins at Canada’s beautiful west coast, then soars eastward, over the Rocky Mountains, through the foothills and prairies, across the Great Lakes, down the St. Lawrence River, into the Atlantic Ocean, and then northeast to modern-day Newfoundland and Labrador. From here, the audience is taken north, passing ice floes and polar bears, into Canada’s Arctic region, where the aurora borealis dances in the velvety night sky. Along the way, the audience discovers the gorgeous mosaic of natural landscapes, flora and fauna that make up Canada’s diverse natural world.

Canada’s founding peoples are also introduced in Act One, and the storyline carries the audience beyond Canada’s Confederation in 1867. ‘Mosaika’ presents how multitudes of people, ideas and voices have combined in a great discussion to create this country.

Act Two presents Canadian achievements. It begins with the railroad — the great iron link that tied the country together and encouraged westward expansion and settlement. Other achievements are explored, in war and in peace, social achievements that helped to create Canada’s rights and freedoms, as well as Canadian achievements in the arts and culture. Great Canadians are encountered, including Agnes Macphail, Tommy Douglas, Terry Fox and many others.

Act Three is a discussion of Canadian values. In the third act of ‘Mosaika,’ Canadians from across the country are seen and heard, discussing what is important to them, what it means to be Canadian, and their hopes for the future. Their encouraging and inspirational words drive ‘Mosaika’ toward its emotional climax.

From History to Projection Mapping Reality with Christie Reliability
Jean-Marc Beauvalet, manager, technical services, National Capital Commission (NCC), said the NCC used two Christie projectors for the predecessor of the current show; however, ‘Mosaika’ was one of its first forays into multi-projector use and projection mapping.

“Because of our experience with them, we were fully confident using the Christie projectors for ‘Mosaika,’� said Beauvalet. “Christie has played an important role in helping us achieve our goals with this presentation – to reflect what Canada and its history are all about.�

“We had used Christie projectors before and were fully confident of their performance – and, as the projectors play such a crucial role, that made everything else easier to deal with. After Moment Factory – the show designer – did a full pixel mapping of the buildings, our biggest challenge was how to repeat the placement of these projectors to ensure a perfect performance every night. The solution they came up with for the projectors that stayed on the hill was to have the projectors on hydraulic lifts with repeatable heights; they have a sensor that stops them at 120 inches so every performance is exact.�

Not only the production itself but also the public and media reaction impresses the NCC.

“The projection mapping creates something magical that people aren’t expecting – they don’t expect to see their Parliament Building transformed into such beautiful colors and delightful imagery. People say, ‘this is incredible. I never thought I would see anything like this in my life.’ It’s an honor to see visitors and Canadians with smiling faces telling us how wonderful the show experience was,â€� Beauvalet concluded. “With the help of Christie, we have achieved our goal with this presentation – to instill a strong feeling of pride in our country and our capital with a one-of-a-kind free nightly show. I can say that Christie and its technology are extremely reliable. They deliver exactly what they say they will.â€�

“‘Mosaika’ is an extraordinary accomplishment that presents the history of Canada in a way that is entertaining, educational, and visually compelling,� said Kathryn Cress, vice president, global and corporate marketing, Christie. “We are very proud the National Capital Commission selected Christie projectors to be part of this exceptionally innovative and memorable event.�

The Who‘s 1973 rock opera Quadrophenia—which sets the tale of teen Jimmy Cooper amidst the global sociocultural upheaval and psychological angst of the times and the rivalry between Britain’s mods and rockers—has been reprised in a multimedia display on the band’s latest outing. The 37 date tour, which began in November and runs through the end of February, celebrates the four-decade anniversary of the album’s release and marks the band’s first major North American tour in four years. Even long-departed drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle make cameo appearances, joining remaining original members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey. Entwistle’s virtuosity and famous bass solo on “5:15″ are showcased in live footage shot at the Royal Albert Hall in 2000, which streams onscreen. They also pay tribute to the late Keith Moon; their performance of “Bell Boy” incorporates video footage of a 1974 performance, with Moon’s vocals dubbed in from the LP (one of the only times in Who history his vocals were heard on an album).

The Quadrophenia tour also reunites the band with production partners Eighth Day Sound, who have worked with the iconic rockers on their last three major tours. This time out they’re carrying a pair of DiGiCo SD7 desks (each running the latest MACH III software) for FOH and band monitors, plus an SD-Rack at FOH and a d&b audiotechnik J-Series PA. The audio crew is comprised of longtime Who FOH engineer Robert Collins, Simon Higgs on monitors with support from Eighth Day’s Senior Audio Engineer Mark Brnich, and sound techs Drew Marbar and Carl Popek. [Pictured: Popek, Marbar, Collins, Higgs and Brnich.]

Collins started with the band in the late 1990s-early 2000s, and has also worked with Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend on their solo projects, trading tours with engineer Paul Ramsey in between tours with Eric Clapton and others. “Paul used to look after me; he was my systems tech on The Who. I made sure the team was put in place, you know, ‘cause an English band should have an English engineer—or British, I should say. I’m Welsh, though. So here I am back. They wanted to get me back for this, and luckily it worked out timing-wise with the schedule. It’s worked out with Eric so I can go do that as well this year.�

A relative newcomer to the SD7, Collins is certainly no stranger to DiGiCo (he’s an early D5 adopter and part of the DiGiCo family). Collins says he wouldn’t part with his trusty D5 until this tour. “She’s been really good to me. Y’know? Obviously, I’ve grown up with the D5, so I was like, ‘I’ll just stay on my D5, thank you very much.’ I wasn’t ready to go to the SD7 until I knew we had the new racks… and honestly I couldn’t justify going to an SD7 working with a four-piece (like Clapton) playing blues and such, you know? I mean, that thing can run a small country, can’t it?! But for this tour, it seemed like it was time.�

Right out of the gate, he was floored by the SD7’s sonics. “It just sounds great, doesn’t it? And the biggest thing for me personally with digital desks is, I’m old-school. I come from the old analog school. I feel like I’m a part of the band. I learned the music. I’m into the music. I do the music. I know what everybody plays, what everybody does. That’s my thing. I’m not into the technical side. I just want a bass drum to sound like a bass drum. I want the piano to sound like a piano. And if you don’t get a feeling off a desk… I find that this console is musical. I feel musical on it. I feel as if I’m doing something on it. Not to mention any names, but there are other digital desks and I don’t get anything out of them. It’s like working a laptop, for God’s sake! That’s one thing about all the boys at DiGiCo: they came from the old school. They knew what we wanted. They spoke to engineers. But they didn’t just speak to them like every other company; they listened to them.

“I think DiGiCo consoles are the best out there. What you can do with this one is way beyond me. I don’t need to go down that line. Don’t tell James [Gordon, DiGiCo’s managing director], but I’m still not using Snapshots! I still do it all myself; I like to do it myself. I want to be part of it. I want to switch the guitar on when it’s supposed to be on. I feel part of it, and that’s what I want to feel. I don’t think in the digital domain.�

Monitor engineer Simon Higgs presides over the other SD7 at stage left, managing approximately 112 inputs for IEMs and such for the nine-piece band. He’s also a veteran Who member, starting in ’98 with Townshend on his Lifehouse project. He’s a diehard DiGiCo engineer, having also used the consoles since their release a decade ago.

“It’s the only digital console that I really care to use and the only one I really like,� Higgs explains. “I used a D5 with the Los Angeles band Sparks when they did 21 albums in 21 shows back in 2007, and that was the first time I really used the D5 for an extended tour… 150-odd songs, all programmed in. The Who’s monitor mix was analog for a long time until it started getting bigger and bigger and we realized we had to move to digital. So we started using two D5s, but that filled up quick. We currently are using an analog console for Pete, who has his own operator, and I look after the rest of the band on the SD7.�

With nearly 112 channels of odds and sods, Higgs says he has a lot going on managing the band’s in-ears, a few random wedges around the stage and submixing stems for Townshend’s mix. “My desk is pretty full; 112 channels and they’re pretty much filled up. A lot of outputs. I’ve still got some floor monitors up there. I’m mixing down to the analog console as well, which is just a 16-channel desk, so I’ll mix all the drums, drum floor monitors, drum sub, floor shakers [drum thumpers] under his seat…�

Having everyone on in-ears has made his job a bit easier. “Roger decided that in order for The Who to work again, he had to get used to in-ears… he couldn’t have a half-dozen wedges all around him like he used to. So he’s gone through the whole process of getting used to in-ears. They’re all on Jerry Harveys, and that’s really enabled the band to work again. Pete’s still got conventional fill monitors; he’s got four around him, just split up, one doing vocal, a stereo pair doing something else, and there’ll be acoustic guitar in the wedge, and then a monitor behind him that has sound effects for ‘Quadrophenia’ or the loops that are in ‘Who Are You’ and ‘Baba O’Riley.’�

For effects, he’s primarily using what’s in the console, save a few outboard pieces, including a Lexicon PCM 60 for the snare drum, and a Bricasti M7 reverb for Roger’s vocal that he says “is absolutely amazing.�

‘Amazing’ is often the tone of reviews streaming in from critics and fans, not only heralding the show but also the durability of both Townshend and Daltrey. Their “My Generation� anthem notwithstanding (�I hope I die before I get old�), the founding members did just that (both are now in their late ‘60s) and if the Quadrophenia tour is any indication, they still have a lot of rockin’ left to go. As for engineer Robert Collins, it’s a full-circle homecoming of sorts, having grown up on their music.

“I got a good memory on me,� he laughs. “It’s very short. But The Who have been part of my musical thing. Them, the Beatles, the Stones, the Kinks—that’s what I grew up on. In fact, I was pissed off at them, actually. As a teen, I queued up in the top rank in Swansea in Wales to see The Who, and they didn’t fucking turn up! I was pissed off. They had a fight or something. This was the ‘60s. But it’s kind of funny… Who’d have thought that when I was growing up trying to play in little bands and not very good, listening to all these great singers, that I’d end up engineering for many of them?�

UK manufacturer DiGiCo held the coveted position as console provider for the second year in a row at the annual GRAMMY® Awards this year. The 55th installment of “Music’s Biggest Night” was overall a bigger show musically, with 20 acts on the schedule, up from 2012′s 18. As the show’s live performances have expanded, so has its audio footprint. With audio production facilitated by ATK AudioTek (and consoles provided by Hi-Tech Audio), the digital desk count handing both music and production included five DiGiCo SD Series desks: four SD7s (an upgrade from last year’s SD10s) and the addition of an SD5, as well as 11 SD Racks (up from last year’s six).

At the MusiCares event the Friday night preceding the GRAMMYs, engineer George Squires manned a DiGiCo SD7 with four DigiRacks at monitors to provide 170 inputs to 28 stereo ear mixes and 30 wedge mixes. Delicate Productions handled the audio production. On the 85th installation of the prestigious Academy Awards, ATK provided audio production with a Peterson-designed system comprised of three SD Racks, an SD5 at FOH helmed by Pat Baltzel and an SD10 run by Mike Parker. Hi-Tech Audio provided console support for all these events.

The GRAMMY and Oscar systems were both designed by ATK’s FOH Tech Jeff Peterson. On the GRAMMY event, Peterson also served as the system tech with assistance from Andrew “Fletch” Fletcher. The GRAMMY audio team again included consultant Ron Reaves mixing all of the live performance elements at FOH on an SD7, and ATK’s VP of Special Events Mikael Stewart on an SD5 managing all the nonmusical production assets. At stage right (“A”) and left (“B”), respectively, Tom Pesa and Mike Parker facilitated artist monitor mixes using a pair of SD7s (with an additional “guest” rig used for sets by Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars). [Pictured LtoR: ATK FOH Tech Jeff Peterson; Leslie Anne Jones, The Recording Academy®, Producers & Engineers Wing®; Production Mixer Mikael Stewart, ATK; Andrew “Fletchâ€� Fletcher, Audio Consultant; FOH music mixer Ron Reaves (seated).]

“Overall, we have a massive total of 276 mic preamps and 176 outputs distributed between five consoles and 11 DiGiCo SD Racks,” explains Peterson. “Those four consoles, plus eight SD Racks, are on one optical loop, each connected to one of ATK’s 56-pair splitters. The guest monitor SD7 console is on its own optical loop, with three more SD racks. Also new is JBL’s newest line array, the Pro VTX V25 3-way system (powered by Crown ITech 1200 HD amps).

“In addition, we have more than 50 wireless microphones this year,” he adds, “which take up an entire splitter. We have almost an entire splitter dedicated to what we call high-level items, which are things like playback from the truck, Pro Tools lines, all of the production elements, and the podium mics (that are not for use with a band) are down the fourth splitter. The first two splitters are dedicated just for band inputs, one for stage right and one for stage left. This year we’re using AES outputs directly from SD racks in three locations to drive the amplifiers to the PA system. So it’s a whole digital system path again. What we eliminated was a second optical loop just to do the amplifiers. So everything is on one optical loop, with the SD Racks and the consoles.”

The transformer splits themselves are where the copper stops, Peterson explains, and are the dividing line between the live PA side with the DiGiCo SD racks and the trucks. From the ATK splitters, the signals go on to all of the different head amps: one to the two recording M3/Music Mix Mobile trucks, one to the main Denali broadcast truck, and one to the head amps for the DiGiCo consoles. “From there, it’s all various flavors of fiber, whether it’s Optocore to us or MADI to the M3 truck, or Hydra to the Denali. Once it leaves the transformer split, it’s pre-amped and converted to digital from there on. So the inputs come from the stage and then they are split up and sent to multiple destinations. The broadcast truck gets all of the raw microphones the same way we do. They do their mix, package it together with the broadcast items, the show elements and the production elements and send it out for broadcast. They also generate a lot of signals that we take out here: all of the videotaped packages, all of the music play-ons and play-offs, any band’s Pro Tools backing tracks—all of those are generated and routed from the truck through another splitter system to the rest of our consoles.”

“The SD system worked flawlessly,” sums up FOH production mixer Mikael Stewart. “The flexibility of the SD5 and SD7 are exactly what is needed for a show like the GRAMMY Awards.”

“I have continued my love affair with the DiGiCo console,” adds Ron Reaves, “having done quite a few gigs this last year on both the SD10 and the SD7. We started using these last year, and decided that this is all we wanted to use moving forward. This year, both monitor mixers switched from SD10s to SD7s, and that worked out great. The SD7 continues to be the best tool for my particular job at the GRAMMYs, and helped contribute to another great-sounding show out at FOH. I’ve particularly enjoyed the new dynamics package, and feel that between the new de-essers, and the dynamic EQ (a gift from the sound gods), that there’s no vocal ‘problem’ that can’t be tamed with this console. I’ve enjoyed some of the best vocal sounds I’ve ever gotten, too, thanks to this console.

“This year, there was a bit of extra pressure put on us at FOH to get mixes together faster in soundcheck,” Ron continues. “The demand has grown to have the first pass of a song be as close to the full band sound as possible and the console has helped me to accomplish this with the use of presets. I use a lot of presets and pre-dial pretty much everything so I’m never starting from scratch when we start rehearsing a band. That’s been a very helpful tool to have. The addition of the “presentation performances,” where a performer does a song and then introduces another performer, was also tricky and another place where the console excelled. I wrote separate snapshots in order to switch between these segments instantaneously and that worked great. For example, Hunter Hayes performed out on that dish stage in the middle of audience. When he finished, he immediately introduced Carrie Underwood—and bang, snapshot change. The console did what we hoped it would do with no glitches in the audio. In the time it took the audience to applaud, the console had already switched and we were ready to rock on the next act. It was really cool. That was a great example of how quickly this console can switch snapshots and turn on a dime.”

After two years of working on a DiGiCo SD10, the process of building snapshots was made much easier for engineer Tom Pesa, who handled the inner monitor workings on an SD7 this year on the A-Stage at stage right. “It begins with a strong template,” he explains, “a snapshot that is laid out to accommodate anything that comes down the pike with 10 A-stage acts to soundcheck. The common functionality between the DiGiCo platforms means that session structuring, labeling, grouping, building macros, etc., is all very familiar. I had only two days to dive into my SD7 on-site and plan a basic template based on the volumes of band info. Each act provided input lists, band plots, monitor layouts and in-ear requirements. Once my fellow monitor crew created the plan on monitor wedge quantities and in-ear assignments, I added that info to the input list to create the snapshot for that band. Each act is so different when it comes to instrumentation, microphone type, mono mixes and stereo mixes, but the ability to truly customize each snapshot with every parameter being specific to that act means that almost any request can be satisfied. If time permits I try and get ahead of the game by focusing on individual processing for each input, high-passing, EQ and compression as well as FX presets and mix content. The availability of powerful processing onboard the SD7, including the dynamic EQ and multiband compression, allows me to keep things well contained and sonically tight, which is important, especially when creating smooth, coherent in-ear mixes. There is no doubt how good the dynamic range is with the new generation of DiGiCo consoles. I knew how good mixes sounded on SD10 and the SD7 continues this experience for me, just on a much larger and customizable platform.

“Once again this year at GRAMMYs, the entire FOH and monitor consoles were on an Optocore loop utilizing shared head amps. Monitors were in charge of band input gain and FOH was in charge of RF vocal and production mics as well as Pro Tools inputs. We have worked hard the last two years to create a system of trust when trimming each other’s gain while soundchecking, and it has worked well. Once everyone is happy with where the individual inputs of gain are, we switch to digital trim and can fine-tune our own inputs and not affect anyone else. This whole symbiotic relationship of all the mixers at the GRAMMY Awards is why session saving, snapshot updating and recall scope is so important, and all of us have done well in making sure everything is as it should be through soundchecks, dress rehearsal and show. All in all, the use of the DiGiCo systems at GRAMMYs continues to be a leap forward in how everyone’s mixes sound and the sheer utility of how they create those mixes.”

“Honestly, no other console is touching what DiGiCo can do right now,” declares Peterson, who, since last year’s GRAMMYs, has also worked extensively on SD5s and SD7s for a host of award and music shows, from the Oscars to The X Factor. “You can’t network the other consoles the way you can the DiGiCos, so there’s really no other game in town. On shows like these, half the engineers coming in that we work with are jealous that they don’t have a DiGiCo, and the other half come in and are thankful that we’re using them now.”

Photographs courtesy of The Recording Academy®/Wireimage.com © 2013.

Described as an audio graveyard for sound designers, the ballroom at the Novotel Hammersmith presented no such pitfalls for Manchester-based VME when they were asked to provide sound reinforcement for the recent 2013 TPi (Total Production International) Awards.

“Everyone has had a crack at it, and this time it was our turn,� said VME director Dion Davie. “We knew that performing in front of all our industry peers would be challenging.�

VME were early adopters of Martin Audio’s MLA platform, and turned to an MLA Compact solution for the main arena, rigging six elements on either side of the stage which were used in tandem with an additional four providing a central hang to ensure good, even coverage over a very wide area. This arced out into the banquet room, where Lauren Laverne presented this year’s awards.

The array was underpinned by four DSX subs, while Martin Audio X12+’s were used as outfills, discreetly hidden behind the LED screens that formed the set to provide coverage at the tables that fell slightly off-axis from the arrays. Martin Audio DD6’s were used as stage front fills and foldback due to their compact size and innovative differential dispersion horn.

There was also a low-level area at the rear for which VME also provided reinforcement. “The trick was to get the two MLA Compact arrays and distributed systems syncing up seamlessly with each other,� said Davie. Fortunately three Martin Audio DX2 (4-in 8-out) dedicated management systems provided all DSP necessary. System tech Mark Edwards used Smaart software to time align the entire system; when the presenter moved from the main stage to the smaller B stage, an alternative snapshot was recalled from the DX2’s to reconfigure the system.

“We knew the MLA Compact would cover the main area, and mapped the room on the MLA [Display v2.1] software to achieve the optimization,� said Dion Davie.

VME’s Ben Hyman project managed the event, Steve Brierley mixed the sound and Martin Shaw, assisted by Mark Edwards and Martin Audio’s Nigel Meddemmen, were system techs.

Hyman stated, “The two main requirements for the system were coverage and clarity — particularly at the back — ensuring that every person, no matter where they were sat, could hear the audio at the right level. And we certainly achieved that.�

Dion Davie added, “Guests were absolutely gob smacked by the sound quality for the first time in the history of the event. Judging from the number of calls it was an outstanding success and we feel we have set a benchmark.�

Ben Chadwick, Event Manager at organizers, Mondiale Publishing, agreed. “We got the sound absolutely right this year. Because of ceiling height variations it’s a tricky room to provide even coverage with high intelligibility, but we completely nailed it.â€�

For more about Martin Audio, please click to www.martin-audio.com.

About MLAâ„¢ (Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array)
The result of many years of intensive R&D, MLA’s methodology replaces trial-and-error array design with intelligent numerical optimization of the array’s output based on a highly accurate acoustic model. The multi-cellular format has six individual cells in each enclosure, each with its own DSP and amplification.

With up to 24 enclosures, each MLA array has up to 144 cells — too great a number to optimize manually, or by ear. Instead, Martin Audio’s proprietary Display2â„¢ system design software automatically calculates FIR DSP filters for each cell and a redundant-ring audio network (U-NETâ„¢) downloads the settings into each array enclosure. Martin Audio’s VU-NETâ„¢ software provides real-time control and monitoring of the system.

MLA delivers a frequency response and SPL consistency never before achievable; a very high system output (140dB peak, per cabinet @1m); Automatic optimization of the array, both physically (splay angles) and electronically (DSP); Computer control and monitoring of the entire system, and total control of sound system balance for engineers and sound technicians.

MLA is fully integrated, with Class D amplification, DSP and U-NET digital audio
network built into each enclosure. MLA complete systems are ready-to-use, with MLA, MLD and MLX enclosures, flying hardware, software, cabling and training all supplied. Everything needed is included. All ancillary items—from tablet PC and Merlin™ controller to network interconnects and mains distro—are also included in the complete system package. This ensures full compatibility worldwide, down to cabling and accessories.

Additional features include 90° x 7.5° dispersion; a compact size (1136mm wide x 372mm high x 675mm deep), one-box-fits-all (festivals to theaters) application range and a global voltage, power factor corrected power supply.

MLA’s compact size and very high output allows it to be shipped using smaller trucks, offering considerable savings and reduced carbon footprint. The system also includes the MLX powered, flyable subwoofer capable of an unprecedented measured peak output of 150dB @ 1m; MLD downfill cabinet, and Merlin 4-in/10-out system controller and network hub. Audio input is via analog, AES3 or U-NET.

By adopting these principles and system components MLA is optimized for every member of the audience — from a 2,000 capacity theater, to a 20,000-seat arena, to a 100,000-person festival site. It will deliver the engineer’s exact mix to every seat (up to over 150 meters) with precision, exceptional power and clarity.

About Martin Audio®
Founded by audio engineer David Martin in 1971, Martin Audio pioneered the use of all-horn-loaded bass designs in world-class touring loudspeaker systems for groups such as Pink Floyd, ELP and Supertramp. Located outside of London, Martin Audio now embodies a sophisticated mix of acoustic design, research, mathematical modeling and software engineering for a wide range of products in the installation, cinema and touring sound markets.