Studio-Sound-1983-10
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AND BROA s - paute ".104Nns" ee AUXILIARY 5 XI (Post) ES ' X2 (Post) X-1 -tr--- 8 VOX3 (Prt) 1P 4 (Pre) IP S (Post) . oto cut immune :s J Please identify your area of interest by entering the required number I. Startup - specify the startup mode of the system F O r O C rr O O -r r o o C o r Ll-/ 2 Resource - .heck on the availabtsty of system resources CD 3 O waJuLi Status - report on the status of the major system components 4 Diagnose - run the diagnostic procedures to test the system J ! J J S System - run system house -keeping procedures r r r - r. talri iri. a dio New Y rk p , . www.americanradiohistory.com You would choose Soundcraft too. That's what team flown in from the States, a Lexicon reverb unit - and producer/songwriter Pete Bellotte told a Sou ndcraft 2400 console with the new Series 760 And he certainly is used to the best. After recording in multitrack. Westlake Studios, LA, and other to /oes "Once you're used to the best there is, you'll never want of the Atlantic, Pete Bellotte chose Soundcraft for his to compromise. And that's why I chose Soundcraft." personal^|nee6e6thoo6so|uhefree6omofodu6ioothoma- studio in Surrey, England. 6ot(o|sovvunte6thesomehighquokm|vvusoyadho'uo| could produce mosterhopeswithooto66ihono| overdubbing at a later stage. The Producer's choice "I had use Soundcraft consoles before in the States, Soundcraft Electronics Limited, 5-8 Great Sutton Street, and I was told by my engineers how good the 'sound' of London, E[lVO8X England. Tel: 0-25l363. Telex: 2llY& Soundcraft desks really was. So the choice was simple. Soundcraft Electronics USA, 1517 2Oth "My only guidelines in selecting the equipment vere Santa Monica, California 9O4O4. Tel: (2l3)453459l. Telex: úó4Y2J. space and quality. That's why I spent fortune getting the Soundcroft Canada Inc. 1444 lvd. DORVA occo sticsju striQ ht' having Westlake monitorsmonih fitted by a Quebec Canada H9P 1J6. Tel: (514) 685 1610 Telex: 05 822582. www.americanradiohistory.com EDITORIAL Editor: Richard Elen Deputy Editor: Keith Spencer -Allen studio sound Production Editor: Ann Horan AND BROADCAST ENGINEERING Production Assistant: Linda Fieldhouse Consultant: CONTENTS Hugh Ford Editorial Secretary: Which way to go? Digital signal processing or digitally -controlled Carrie Love analogue consoles? 5 Diary APRS DEAF results -New Pro -Audio Yearbook -Linguaphone- Magnetic Recording course -AHB /M BI ADVERTISEMENTS linkup- Spencer A Hughes 36 Group Exec Manager: New Products Budget Sifam meters -Rebis Omega -CSI monitors -Symetrix Phil Guy complimiters -SSL dual mic amp 40 Assistant Manager: Martin Miles Studiofile Craighall, Edinburgh -Technisonic, St Louis 76 Sales: Business Barry Fox turns his attention to the MCPS, and satellite Linda Gubby broadcasting -why the latter might not arrive on time 82 Secretary: Audrey Slatford Production: Jacky Thompson FEATURES An Introduction Keith Spencer Allen discovers how an excellent contact transducer to CDucers system was developed from an attempt to record cymbals in a new PUBLISHER way. Next month, users' tips 46 Paul Messenger AES 74th Our customary look at the products and companies to be seen at Convention October's New York Convention. We'll be at booth 126... 48 Preview Editorial and advertising The digital mixing Dr Martin Jones of Neve gives exclusive information on the world's offices: console LINK HOUSE, DINGWALL first commercially -available digital console system, the DSP 52 AVENUE, CROYDON CR9 Advision and the Richard Dean looks at the first UK studio to instal a Sony PCM 3324 62 2TA, GREAT BRITAIN digital refit Phone: 01 -686 2599 International: + 44 1 686 3M digital Jacob's are very pleased with their new setup, says David Prakel 66 2599 Mastering at Telex: 947709 Jacob's Studios Link House Publications PLC 1983 Development of a Analogue signal paths under digital control have a lot to say for All rights reserved digitally themselves, as Steve Dove and Ted Fletcher, designers of the Alice controlled console Silk system, point out 68 MTV -Rock Carl Levine looks at the impact of 24- hour -a -day stereo video music IA LINK HOUSE around the clock PUBLICATION on the US record industry. It's now part of the mainstream, but MTV are still in the red... 84 Electrical safety Ken Dibble points out the requirements for safety which are not often requirements met by professional audio gear imported into the UK. Part 2 will spot OCTOBER 1983 VOLUME 25 test some units -distributors take note! 90 NUMBER 10 PRODUCT REFERENCE Cover: Neve digital console to be supplied to the BBC Digital recording 60 Photography: Norman Hodson Studio 1 at Advision where a refit is underway See New Products 3 www.americanradiohistory.com THE S ONY.. RANGE 1 Microphones: From the new C -48 studio condenser to the ECM -50 OF PROFESSIONAL AUDIO EQUIPMENT miniature microphone, Sony's range covers every conceivable application. Included is the new 989 stereo BY FELDON AUDIO microphone that employs three capsules and incorporates a facility for changing the directional axes both remotely and electronically. 1 2 2 Sony P.C.M.F -1 System: The complete 2 track 16 bit digital recording package. Now with the R.T.W. interface, recordings can be transferred digitaly to P.C.M. 1610 in preparation for digital editing and subsequent transfer to either standard or compact disc. 3 TC -05 PRO Cassette Recorder: Sony's constant commitment to technological excellence is culminated in this extraordinarily compact unit, the TC -D5 PRO, with fully professional quality and long term reliability. 4.MX -P42 Mixer: Sony makes the difficult easy in field production with the ALC (automatic level control) equipped 4 x 2 portable mixer. Direct VTR interface. Ganging facility, Pan Pots, Phantom power facility for condenser mixes. 5-Sony MX -P21 Mixer: A new professional multi -purpose mixer for Audio /Video recording and post production. 8 input channels, 2 output channels, plus 2 AUX outputs. 3 band E /O, Pan Pots, P.F.L. 6.Sony Audio Duplicators: The new range of high fidelity, high speed, sound cassette duplication system at 8 and 16 times normal speed. Depending on the system adopted, between 1 and 40 cassettes may be made in one run. FELDON AUDI O The First Name in Sound Equipment Sales 126 Great Portland Street London W1N 5PH Telephone: 01 -580 4314 Telex: London 28668 www.americanradiohistory.com EDITORIAL Which way to go? This month's issue concentrates studio on 'Digital In driving speakers with lots: I suppose it comes Audio' -an important use of words, because of down to whether you can hear this particular course analogue is very much alive and well and type through all the other stuff. I leave that sound will be around for ages yet: thus digital control debate to others. AND BROADCAST of analogue signals is just as important today As far as noise and dynamics are concerned, ENGINEERING as digital signal processing and recording. It let us first leave aside the question of whether looks very much as if a division of opinion is or not all that dynamic range is a good idea. A developing among console manufacturers lot of rock music studios (ie those who really STUDIO SOUND is published on particularly: a division between those who feel need big consoles and many channels, as the second Friday of the that digital signal processing is the way to go opposed to the classical environment in which preceding month. The magazine (as Neve do for example) and those who feel as few mics as possible -one or two, I would is available on a rigidly that digital control controlled requested basis only of analogue is not only suggest -at least ought to be the rule) don't go to qualified personnel (see back equally valid but in some cases (cost, for much on dynamic range anyway: we are used to page for terms) or for an annual example) better -Alice are among those who our VU meters sitting around zero, and patching cost of £14.00 UK, $40 US appear to share this view. Both opinions are compressors into the mix. And if you gave surface mail, $75 US airmail represented in this issue. people dynamic range in such music, what £20.25 overseas surface mail or So what are the pros and cons? On the digital would they do with it? They'd either compress it £32.50 overseas airmail to non - processing side, it is no doubt a fact that on a radio station or not be able to listen it qualifying readers or where to at integrating digital control with digital signal home you more than two copies are (if hear the quiet bits, will the loud processing (as in the Neve DSP) brings required in a studio or small an bits send the cones across the room ?). organisation. All subscription elegant solution to a number of problems. But if you want dynamics, can analogue enquiries, including changes of Everything is a matter of juggling numbers, and supply them? The answer is probably yes. The address (which should be in the computer aspect of the system can simply theoretical limits of noise level and clipping are writing and preferably including ensure that the right numbers get to the right probably such that more dynamic range is an old address label or at least places at the right times. In the long term, the possible in theory than you get on CD. Where the 7 -digit label code) should be approach has obvious benefits, but today some the practical design made to the Subscription constraints leave you is may feel, rightly or wrongly, that an all- digital another question, and Department, Link House, of course analogue approach, with its reliance on currently technology is Dingwall Avenue, Croydon CR9 still advancing and the answers 2TA, Great Britain.