Sadie Newsletter November 2007.Pub

SADiE news Issue 5

News, hints and tips from SADiE around the world SADiE develops DN9696 with Klark Teknik At the PLASA exhibition in industry stan- SEPTEMBER 2007, Klark dard BWAV Teknik showed a pre pro- files which duction unit of the DN9696, can easily be imported into the industry’s first high reso- any DAW “No word of a lie, once lution hard disk recorder you have used SADiE, all aimed at the live perform- At the heart other editing systems just ance environment. of the seem to be missing DN9696 is a things; the Trim Editor™ The DN9696 offers 96 tracks of customised version of the large installed base, predomi- is unsurpassed, playlist 96kHz audio at 24bit and nine SADiE MTR software and nantly in the time-critical broad- editing in itself is a marvel hours internal recording time. It SADiE’s powerful DSP cards, cast environment, studio re- compared with the editing uniquely features mirrored with a few features added spe- cording and the exacting CD in other systems” drive capability, allowing simul- cifically for the live environ- pre-mastering market. The taneous internal and external ment, including front panel me- Barry Gardner, Somethin’ DN9696 focuses on optimising Else HD recording for real time tering, Solo/PFL monitoring backup and redundancy. It is and simple transport controls. and simplifying the setup and packaged as a simple-to-use, workflow aspects of live per- stand-alone single box solution. Bands are increasingly being formance recording and subse- Other features include both recorded for archive purposes, quent mixdown. The DN9696 “We have been involved front panel and GUI operation, live CDs, DVDs and post-show occupies only 5U of rack in some classical music dual redundant AES50 connec- sales, b-sides, web releases space, has very simple cable projects recently that have tions, full integration with Midas and virtual sound checks. requirements and doesn’t re- required some very fine Digital Systems, standalone quire a dedicated recording recording using Midas XL8 SADiE is a proven, reliable and editing so it's a relief to technician. have SADiE 5.6 to work analogue and digital I/O and stable software platform with a with - there's no doubt that and is why he’s a very deserv- it is simply the best fine Andy Rose — Capturing Opera ing recipient of many BAFTA editing paradigm there is”. awards and nominations. Eric James, URM Audio When it comes to opera The techniques involved in For the last few years Andy recording, the name Andy recording orchestras while filming for DVD and film re- has been recording live onto a Rose pops up time and time SADiE PCM-H64 system, and again. Andy has specialised lease can be very different to an audio-only recording. Per- recently added a second sys- Inside this issue: in multichannel classical fect microphone placement tem to act as a backup and recording and live broad- may not be possible as it will provide more channels when required. The many technolo- JJ Quinet & “Our Dynamic Earth” 2 cast for the last 30 years, be visible in-shot; on-stage and during that time has singers move around so their gies which the SADiE hardware implements to ensure Jon Astley 2 worked with Zubin Mehta, audio channels will need to be Sir Georg Solti, Valery Ger- panned according to where secure audio recording on location are vital, but equally SADiE Workshop 3 giev, Simon Rattle, Placido they are on stage, and how the important are the multichannel Domingo, Dame Kiri Te video shots are cut. All this became even more compli- editing and mixing facilities Eric James — URM 3 Kanawa, and many others. cated with the advent of sur- when Andy returns to the post- In total, he has recorded round sound broadcast and production sessions in his Doyen Mobile 4 more than 100 operas for distribution. West Sussex surround studio. VHS, DVD and theatrical All editing and mixing is per- Icelandic Broadcasting 4 releases, including 26 at Remembering that Andy re- formed within the PCM-H64 Glyndebourne (more than cords, edits, and mixes each against twin-camera guide Chandos Records 4 anyone else), and 30 operas production from start to finish, video tracks which are re- and ballets in the former Soviet the sheer scale of each job played within SADiE, so perfect sync is assured for the Quick Quotes 4 Union during the 80s and 90s. starts to become apparent, final master for film and DVD.

Page 2 SADiE news

LRX2 wows “Our Dynamic Earth” JJ Quinet, studio engineer The spectacular consisted of a compact flash players feeding at Studio 5/5, Brussels, re- 360° HD video projection with the final PA installation. The cently undertook a challeng- 3 rotating platforms holding 30 LRX did the job extremely well, ing task of mixing both a spectators each. Each of the never failing in its task; all the platform's spectators was able soundtracks were finished in surround presentation and to interact with the story, which three days flat. recording a 5.1 TV show meant a total of 64 different JJ Quinet with the back-to-back. There was of possible combinations. During the team’s stay in Edin- LRX2 used for course only one choice of burgh, they were also called surround mixing the equipment for this kind of The sound editing was pre- upon, at very short notice, to show in-situ... work that was both portable pared in their studios in Brus- record in 5.1 surround for a sels on SADiE PCM-H64s, but, multi-camera broadcast back in and reliable: SADiE LRX2. as the sound set-up for the Brussels, immediately following ...and below, the JJ and his team were charged show was totally unique, they the Edinburgh show. The fast impressive 360˚ HD with presenting the sound for decided to perform all the final turn-around saw their flight auditorium. an interactive show at Edin- surround mixes on site, in the arriving in Brussels at 4pm, the burgh’s ‘Our Dynamic Earth’. dome itself. Of course their last TV show rehearsal at 6pm equipment had to be extremely and the show beginning at lightweight as everything had 8.30pm... The LRX was in- to be hand-carried by plane, stalled in 20 minutes and con- which added to the decision to nected to all the microphones go with the LRX2. and cameras (time code and sound). Of course it all just The LRX was installed in the worked; no problem… centre of the dome and all the outputs connected to the PA Thanks to Filip at Apex, Bel- installation. Timecode was gium for the supply of the generated from the Show Con- LRX2. troller to slave the LRX2 and a network was created between the LRX2 and a second laptop, used to classify all the audio files and prepare them for the

Jon Astley operates Close to The Edge Question: What’s the con- some of the world’s biggest format, as well as providing remastering, as well as Sur- nection between Abba, Tori names. Recent work includes a seamless integration with third- round Music and VDSA Amos, Eric Clapton, George new Toto Live DVD, Jools Hol- party plug-in processes. Awards. Harrison, Led Zeppelin, land’s Best of Friends, six CDs for Andy Summers, and for Jon’s many awards include: Tears for Fears, Ash, Level Jon Astley: Chris Rea three CDs and an 20 gold and platinum records, www.closetotheedge.biz 42, Toto, Chris Rea, and astonishing 84 sides of vinyl! 4 Ampex Golden Reel awards, The Who? Answer: They However, he doesn’t ignore up- 3 CEDAR awards for best CD have all had albums mas- and-coming talent, offering spe- Jon Astley in his studio tered or remastered by Jon cial deals for unsigned bands Astley. who can walk away with refer- ence disks and verified production masters with Mode 2 and Jon started in the audio industry ISRC data - all for just £500. as a freelance sound engineer in the late 70s, and was soon At his Thamesside studio in producing both new artists as Twickenham, Jon has recently well as established names such installed a SADiE PCM-H8, as The Who and Eric Clapton. which is the most powerful The next decade saw him build SADiE mastering system avail- on that success producing able. With the ability to master many hit records as well as up to 16 tracks of 192 kHz au- releasing his own albums. dio, The PCM-H8 has the Since 1996 Jon has concen- power to quickly and easily trated on mastering work, in create stereo or surround mixes particular many remasters for for any currently deliverable

Issue 5 Page 3

SADiE Tips: Diagnostic Tools In this issue we’re going to have a look at below will log errors if and when they three very useful analytical tools that are appear. It will tell you the precise resident in all SADiE 5 systems. These EDL time if an error is logged during tools allow you to monitor and analyse recording, or time of day if you are not audio and sync information coming in and recording. Double-clicking on that time out of your SADiE hardware: will locate the EDL to the correct position for you to hear what the problem was. 1. Digital Input Monitor (View Menu: “Input Monitor Window”) If you tick ‘Pop up automatically on error’ This window reports on the state of the you can hide the window and it will re- digital inputs to the SADiE system. Errors appear automatically should anything may be caused by poor connections from need reporting. a digital mixing desks or dropouts on digital tape. Note that a discrepancy in channel status messages will not always manifest known to insert incorrect information in The top section of the window will display itself as an audio error. Some devices are the channel status area. ‘Channel Status’ information and the list

2. Sync Monitor (View Menu: “Sync incoming timecode. Monitor Window”) This window gives you a visual indication If you have set up your sync settings to of the quality of the incoming LTC or VITC ‘Trigger Lock’, the graph will indicate po- timecode when sync is enabled. tential drift. If you’re set to ‘Chase Lock’, it will represent the amount SADiE has to Both the incoming and SADiE's internal chase to keep in sync. The Sample Rate timecode values are displayed at the top. will show the sample rate being varied, The graph continually re-displays itself and the Sample Error will indicate by how and shows the sample rate variation that much. Timecode Status indicates whether would have to be applied to chase the timecode is actually being received.

3. Overload Monitor (View Menu: which of SADiE’s outputs was peak- “Log Overloads Window”) ing. Double clicking on an item in the This very useful tool shows the levels list will locate the EDL to the correct when they reach a pre-determined point time, so that you can further review (on all audio outputs), whilst SADiE is the problem. playing. A neat little trick is that you can play To enable it, tick ‘Log overloads over…’, the EDL through quickly (in “non-real- and set a threshold above which you want time”) so as to log the overloads, by the window to display them. A list will ap- ticking the ‘NRT’ button on the Trans- pear below, recording the peak level, the port Controls just before pressing EDL time that overload occurred, the play. name of the EDL in which it occurred and

choice of DAW: the upgrade we wondered just why we’d A Classic Rural Idyll “We’ve had a SADiE in our studios since taken so long. The demands on classical URM Audio Ltd runs its business opera- the very beginning of our commercial op- editors these days – more and more fine tions from a converted 19th century Coach erations back in 1998, and although we edits per CD with less and less turnover House situated off a quiet backroad in the were actually rather slow to move from our time allowed – makes the superb abilities heart of rural Suffolk, surrounded by fields last 24.96 to a Series 5, once we’d made of SADiE 5 not just useful, but pretty well and farms – an idyllic location, and perfect indispensable for a profes- for the classical music editing, mastering - sional organization which and now SADiE accredited training ser- needs swift workflows to vices - which they provide. Although the survive. We have used original oak beams still survive, there is a some native-based editors, stark contrast between the natural coun- but I’m convinced that tryside setting of the facility and its high- SADiE provides quite eas- tech interior, which features a t.c. elec- ily the best editing para- tronic System 6000 and Weiss digital out- digm for fine editing.” board processing chain, all based around a new SADiE PCM8 (running 5.6.1) www.urmaudio.co.uk

URM’s director, Eric James, explains their

Doyen Recordings surrounded by brass Page 4 Doyen Recordings and their from the Video Production Com- Chief Engineer Richard Scott pany Timeline. It was then mixed have just completed a major 5.1 on Richard’s own video enabled surround project for a forthcoming SADiE PCM8. DVD on the World of Brass label. The DVD is of a concert given in Doyen Recordings also have a Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall by studio based SADiE 24/96, and a News, hints and tips from SADiE around the world the Black Dyke Brass Band, with SADiE PCM2, newly installed in the Yorkshire Philharmonic Cho- their refurbished mobile vehicle, rus, Bristol Cathedral Choir, and which is in regular use recording Studio Audio & Video Ltd Soloist James Morrison. for Doyen themselves and for The Old School other Record Labels and Broad- High Street The concert was recorded on a casters including the BBC. Stretham SADiE LRX2 (hired from Tacet) Ely taking timecode and video syncs The Doyen Mobile Truck Cambs, CB6 3LD, UK

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Ralph Couzens, Managing Icelandic Radio warms to SADiE / VCS Director of Chandos, com- mented, “We were looking at Following the lead taken down to other workstations as Chandos Records is one of upgrading our location record- by the BBC (with around ers for a while. We borrowed needed. the world’s leading classical 1000 SADiEs currently in another LRX2 on a session recording companies, and has operation), RUV have re- Any further material added to recently, and found it to offer used SADiE for many years to a SADiE project is automati- the ideal combination of fea- cently purchased a number edit and master many award- cally uploaded and only these tures in a very compact and of integration licences ena- winning CD and SACD re- new files are downloaded portable unit which is ideal for bling SADiE to work seam- leases. Based in Colchester, again to existing workstations, our location sessions. It didn’t lessly with their VCS Play- Essex, Chandos’ producers thus keeping the network ac- take long to make the decision out Server. employ the world’s best ven- tivity to a minimum. to get one of our own!” ues and orchestras to produce

Originally designed for the As always with the SADiE/ all original recordings, and We at SADiE are also de- BBC, the integration software VCS combination, the data have now invested in a mul- lighted to point out that Chan- ensures that all material cap- management is bullet-proof, tichannel channel SADiE LRX2 dos offer their releases as high tured either by SADiE or VCS seamless and extremely easy for location recording. Fitted definition lossless WMA is stored centrally for all to to use. with 32 x 96kHz microphone downloads, a move which we use. inputs and 32 AES in/out, the hope the rest of the industry LRX2 is uniquely suitable for A SADiE operator works on a will follow. There’s really no classical sessions due to its local machine and VCS man- need for MP3 compression any small size and integration of ages a continual background more, so come on people, sort preamplifiers, audio storage, upload of data to the central it out! server, which is then pulled and mirroring of session files to produce safety copies.

competitively and efficiently Everything on the LRX and just haven't got it quite Quick Quotes... in our new market environ- mic-pre's worked excellently right.” “The H-64 has changed my ment. first time and sounded Barry Gardner, working life. I can do every- The audio quality from re- great." Somethin’ Else thing I want without having cording to mastering all Tony Faulkner, Green “I'm delighted with the to buy or hire expensive within the box is exactly Room Productions SADiE PCM-H8. It's incredi- consoles. Large consoles what I need and I have yet “Whilst there are many bly responsive and inte- will always have their place to feel compromised by the varying systems with bells grates perfectly with all my and I use them all the time H-64”. Andy Rose and whistles, the editing VST plug-ins." for live broadcasts and mix- features within SADiE are Jon Astley, Close to the ing duties but the H-64 en- "The recording sessions in second to none; the others Edge. abled me to move forward Sweden went brilliantly.