ENGINEER/PRODUCER the Technical Journal for Audio Professionals $4.00
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January 1987 Narrow Gauge Page 24 T.M. ENGINEER/PRODUCER The Technical Journal for Audio Professionals $4.00 AM- Why Leadin from Tape Finally the true potential of the digital studio can be realized. No longer are you limited to stor- ...... ing and retrieving digital data on O media designed for outdated tape The Synclavier Tapeless Studio - ,........ technology. The Direct-to -Disk is available today! ,.\.......\ ,.,..,,.., \\ Multi -Track Recording System .....r.... Start with the industry-proven Synclavier Digital ............................... by New England Digital Audio System. Now available with a 32 track digital ....................... uses multiple, high capa- sequence recorder, 32 megabytes of high -speed RAM ....,..,...... ....."" city, winchester hard and on -line storage support for up to 2000 megabytes of ....,........ sampled sounds. ....r"`"..........: disk drives for data ..... %% storage. The Direct -to -Disk System can be added at any time. %%%%%%%%%%........ %.. Operation is simple! The system is controlled by the """`::.."`. Synclavier's keyboard control panel. The easy -to -use inter- `;::::....:......... face provides all standard tape recorder functions, and .":.".`` ..`" . more! ..... .. ..... .....:.:. The finest quality 16 -bit A D conversion processes and output filtering technology available are combined with vari- able "stereo" sampling rates of up to 100kHz to offer audio When ;;N:%%;;;; %%%%%%%%%%% fidelity unequalled by any other system. comparing %%%%% .4. The Direct -to -Disk System stores large volumes of digital- the Direct -to -Disk `..;..`.`;;. System with standard ` ..` , ly coded information on formatted winchester hard disks. .`" .. %. .. ` .. Once stored, this information can be accessed randomly at tape -based digital record- .... any point in the recorded program material. This random ing there is a dramatic differ- `.... .--_ .` ' - access technology provides virtually instant rewind and ence. For example. the Direct ....4 ` .- sophisticated editing features that would be impossible using to -Disk System does not need `.`'.--' conventional technology. error correction. Its negligible error rate contrasts sharply with tape -based digital recorders which require error correc- tion software to compensate for error rates of up to 180.000 bits per hour. This dramatic differ- ence in data integrity illustrates New England Digital's commitment to quality and audio fidelity. Expanding the system is simple. Start with as few as 4 i tracks for overdubbing vocals or live instruments onto your Synclavier sequences, add on more tracks and recording time as needed. With configurations of up to 16 tracks and almost half an hour of recording time large multi -track projects can be easily completed. With the Synclavier 's advanced hardware and software architecture. you always have the option to expand. .4* We invite you to stop by any one of our offices, worldwide. for a complete demonstration of this amazing product. New England Digital White River Jct., V7' 802 295 -5800 N.Y.: 212 977-4510 L.A.: 213 651 -4016 Authorized Distributors - Atlanta: 404 351 -5955 Nashville: 615 327 -434 tudios Have Changed to Direct-to-Disk The fidelity, speed, and fexibi;- "The Synclavier, combined with the new Direct - ity of tais system make the Synclavier Direct-tao -Disk Multi.- to -Disk tm Multi -Track Recording System, provides Track Rexrding System truly the us with the most compact, reliable, upgrade - most powerful digital audio sys- able, and high fidelity recording environment tem ava'able today. For a complete .nlorrrotion pack- available today. For video -post, Foley, or music age, incnuding an audio cassette recording, it's a product which offers us tremen- demonstrating 'he Synclavier and dous benefits, both sonically and financially." the Direct-to-Cisk System, send $5.09 to New England Digital Murray Allen, President. Universal Recording Corporation Corporation, Box 5Q6, White River Juiction, Vermont 05001. Using today's advanced com- simultaneously onto as many as puter technology, the Synclavier 16 separate tracks. Dialogue, ef- Tapeless Studio now offers more 'ects. vocals, and or music tracks than just the ability to synthesize .-;an be SMPTE synchronized and and create music. Now you edited with word processing -like can record "live audio' control at a single workstation. Synclavier is a registered trademark of New England Digital Direct -to -Disk and The Tapeless Studio are trademarks of New England Digital 1986 New England Digital All specifications are subject fo change without notice. Circle (1) on Rapid Facts Card Seattle: 206 623 -7860 London. 202-4366 Tokyo: 416 866 -0528 contents ENGINEER /PRODUCER January 1987 Volume 18 Number I Page 24 Page 40 Page 64 Recording Alternatives measurements you need to make Equipping an Electronic on recording and production Music Production Facility equipment and what type of test With electronic music production Narrow-Gauge equipment should a facility look assuming more importance, what Multitrack Applications for? hardware and services should a The use of cost -effective narrow - By Richard C. Cabot 50 studio look for to provide? gauge multitracks using l/4 -, 1/2-and By Paul D. Lehrman 74 1 -inch tape has matured from Concert Sound System semi -pro applications to offer a Development RE /P Annual 1986 Index 80 viable alternative to conventional The continuing emphasis on high - Departments track formats. quality sound and rugged con- By Adrian Zarin 24 struction will result in some radical Editorial 4 reorientation for sound system News 6-7 rental firms and equipment Letters 8 The Evolution of MIDI -based manufacturers. Managing MIDI 10 Narrow -Gauge Studios By David Scheirman 46 Sound on the Road 12 A profile of Jeff Siegel's Musitech. Film Sound Today 16 By Rob Tuffly 32 AES Replay: Living With Technology 18 Digital Developments SPARS On -Line 22 82 By Mel Lambert 54 Studio Update Other Features New Products 86 Understanding the Final Stage 94 New Tax Laws Amplifier to Loudspeaker Classified 95 How will the new provisions of Connections Ad Index 96 A new design might be worth con- TRA 86 affect the pro-audio in- On the Cover: dustry? sidering for studio and live sound theme of By Kathleen White 36 applications. In keeping with the editorial By Bob Hodas 60 "Recording Alternatives," our January Sound for Liberty Weekend front cover shows the headstack layout MX 1 -inch 16 -track [top] Providing live and pre -recorded Digital Audio Post -Production of an Otani -70 a MX -5050 1/2-inch 8- track. Photo by audio for this 4 -day multi -media The philosophy behind the crea- and and courtesy of Otani Cor- event was not without its own set tion of an all- digital DAPP facility Bruce Ashley of unique problems. for disc and CD mastering. poration. By Rosanne Soifer 40 By Bill Foster 64 RECORDING ENGINEER/PRODUCER -Volume 18. No 1 -(ISSN 1)034 -1673) is published monthly by Interlec l'uhlishing Corporation. 9221 Quivira Road, P.O. Box 12901. Test and Measurement Hands On: Overland Park. KS 66212 -9981. Second -class postage paid at Shawnee Mission. KS and additional mailing offices. Equipment Aphex Studio Dominator limiter POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Interlec Publishing What are the important audio By Steve Keating 70 Corporation. P.U. Box 12901. Overland Park. KS 66212 -9981. 2 Recording Engineer/Producer January 1987 ThUTH... OR CONSEQUENCES. If you haven't heard ]BL's new generation of Studio Monitors, you haven't heard the "truth" about your sound. TRUTH: A lot of monitors "color" their an extended high frequency response distortion. and is key in producing the sound. They don't deliver truly flat that remains effortlessly smooth through 4400's deep, powerful, clean bass. response. Their technology is full of the critical 3,000 to 20.000 Hz range. CONSEQUENCES: Conventional mag- compromises. Their components are And even extends beyond audibility to netic structures utilize non-symmetrical from a variety of sources, and not 27 kHz. reducing phase shift within the magnetic fields, which add significantly designed to precisely integrate with audible band for a more open and natu- to distortion due to a nonlinear pull on each other. ral sound. The 4400 Series' incompara- the voice coil. CONSEQUENCES: Bad mixes. Re- mixes. ble high end clarity is the result of JBL's 4400 Series monitors also Having to "trash" an entire session. Or use of pure titanium for its unique TRUTH: feature special low diffraction grill frame worst of all, no mixes because clients ribbed -dome tweeter and diamond which reduce time delay distor- simply don't come back. surround, capable of withstanding forces designs, surpassing a phenomenal 1000 G's. tion. Extra -large voice coils and ultra - TRUTH: JBL eliminates these conse- CONSEQUENCES: When pushed hard. rigid cast frames result in both quences by achieving a new "truth" most tweeters simply fail. Transient mechanical and thermal stability under in sound: JBL's remarkable new 4400 detail blurs, and the material itself heavy professional use. Series. The design, size, and materials deforms and breaks down. Other materi- CONSEQUENCES: For reasons of eco- have been specifically tailored to each als can't take the stress, and crack under nomics, monitors will often use stamped monitor's function. For example, the pressure. rather than cast frames. resulting in both 2 -way 4406 6" Monitor is ideally mechanical distortion and power com- designed for console or close-in listening. TRUTH: The Frequency Dividing Net- pression. While the 2 -way 8" 4408 is ideal for work in each 4400 Series monitor allows The JBL 4400 Studio Monitor broadcast applications. The 3 -way 10" optimum transitions between drivers in TRUTH: 4410 Monitor captures maximum spatial both amplitude and phase. The precisely Series captures the full dynamic range. detail at greater listening distances. And calibrated reference controls let you extended high frequency, and precise your as no other the 3 -way 12" 4412 Monitor is mounted adjust for personal preferences. room character of sound Experience the with a tight -duster arrangement for variations, and specific equalization.