MIX 553 - January 2023

Welcome to the January 2023 issue of

CONTENT

VP/Content Creation Anthony Savona

Content Directors Tom Kenny, thomas.kenny@futurenet.com Clive Young, clive.young@futurenet.com

Senior Content Producer Steve Harvey, sharvey.prosound@gmail.com

Content Manager Anthony Savona, anthony.savona@futurenet.com

Technology Editor, Studio Mike Levine, techeditormike@gmail.com

Technology Editor, Live Steve La Cerra, stevelacerra@verizon.net

Contributors: Craig Anderton, Barbara Schultz, Barry Rudolph, Robyn Flans, Rob Tavaglione, Jennifer Walden, Tamara Starr

Production Manager Nicole Schilling

Managing Design Director Nicole Cobban

Design Directors Will Shum and Lisa McIntosh

ADVERTISING SALES

VP/Market Expert, AV/Consumer Electronics & Pro Audio Adam Goldstein, adam.goldstein@futurenet.com, 212-378-0465

Janis Crowley, janis.crowley@futurenet.com

Debbie Rosenthal, debbie.rosenthal@futurenet.com

Zahra Majma, zahra.majma@futurenet.com

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From the Editor

Why Awards Season Matters

I can remember being at the late Ed Cherney’s house in Venice the day his Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing arrived, for his work on “Bessie.” He came home from his studio at The Village mid-afternoon and picked up the mail on the dining room table, opening a small brown box. “Hey, Rose, look,” he said to his wife. “I got an Emmy!” Of course he already knew he’d won, and he was trying to act all humble and nonchalant, being a good Midwestern boy, but he still had a big smile and you could tell that the statue meant a lot. He loved mixing music in surround for television and film.

I also once happened to be with my buddy Dave Dakich at CRC studios in Chicago when one of the staff engineers had just received his Grammy for work he’d done with Chance the Rapper. He pulled out a bottle of Jagermeister—awful stuff, in my opinion—and proceeded to pour into the statue, the bell of the gramophone. We drank shots in the studio where the tracks went down, which I’m sure is against some rule at the Recording Academy. But it sure was a fun night, and he was one happy engineer.

On yet another night, about 15 years ago, I was fortunate to be part of a small group of Bay Area audio folks who took Leslie Ann Jones out to Chez Panisse, the famous Alice Waters restaurant in Berkeley, to celebrate her Best Engineered, Classical, Grammy Award. That’s one of the Big Two! It was a memorable night to celebrate a memorable achievement, and it was shared with friends. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Awards matter, and they matter on both the macro and micro levels, bringing well-deserved, industrywide recognition of achievement and at the same time a pat on the back and hearty congratulations from family and friends. Each is its own reward, and each means the world to someone who has worked hard at whatever it is they do.

I grew up in a household where my parents adhered primarily to a B.F. Skinner model of behavior modification, whereby rewards, rather than punishments, were a part of daily life. There’s a reason that gold stars were placed on a chart on the refrigerator for all to see, same as there’s a reason blue, red and white ribbons were handed out at the Saturday afternoon age-group swim meet, with all the parents in the stands. A blue ribbon at age 7, competing against 8-year-olds, felt pretty darn good. I can’t imagine what it feels like to win, heck, even be in the running for a Grammy, an Emmy, a Tony or an Oscar. Or a Juno in Canada, or a Cesar in France.

This all comes to mind because we are now smack dab in the middle of Awards Season 2023. Over the past month at Mix, we’ve been spending a lot of time producing video interviews with many of the sound teams that worked on films in contention for a Best Sound Oscar. It’s been a lot

of fun for me, as I have a particular fondness and history with the film sound community.

Yes, the videos are sponsored, paid for by the studios, and that means that not all those worthy of the attention will get the attention. I wish we could cover them all, I truly do. At the same time, I’m thrilled that the major Hollywood studios and streaming services are taking the time and putting up the money to promote the production sound mixers, sound designers, sound editors and re-recording mixers, along with the composers, behind some of the year’s best-sounding films. Whether it’s a feature article in Mix, a sponsored video interview or a For Your Consideration promotion in a newsletter, it’s talking about film sound, and it’s all bringing recognition to those who work long hours at their creative best to bring the rest of us some real top-flight entertainment. Recognition is a reward in its own right.

That’s the same reasoning behind why this month’s issue features the nominees for this year’s Grammy Awards and TEC Awards. We know, of course, that this is month-old news, and that you can find the same information, with handy links, on your phone faster than you can turn pages. We run these lists to provide the recognition, so that if during downtime at a studio somebody happens to pick the January issue up off the coffee table and thumb through it, they might pause for a moment and think, “Hey, look, Serban has been nominated for a Grammy. I should call him.”

There are Awards Season cynics, of course, there are every year. They’re the people who will forever decry a Herbie Hancock or Joni Mitchell “upset” in the Best Album category, as if they weren’t worthy, and write off the Grammys for all time. I’ve never understood that. No, the Grammys aren’t perfect, neither are the TEC Awards or the Oscars. Get over it. Pull back and think about the bigger picture. Think about the recognition. Think about the reward for all the crazy-good creative work, and think about what it does to boost the industry. Awards matter.

I hope that each and every one of you out there has the chance this season to pick up your own version of Ed’s box and say, “Hey, look what I won!” And if one of your friends gets that box, be sure to give them a pat on the back and a big smile. Then go celebrate a job well done.

View from the Top Nuno Fonseca, CEO/Founder, Sound Particles

You might not have heard of software house Sound Particles yet, but you’ve certainly heard the results of its products. Films like Dune, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Wonder Woman, as well as TV shows like Game of Thrones and Stranger Things have all used the company’s flagship, eponymous software, Sound Particles, which creates what founder/CEO Nuno Fonseca, Ph.D., calls “thousands of small sounds that together create fantastic soundscapes.” That software, however, is only one of multiple intriguing projects that the Leiria, Portugal-based startup is exploring.

“Over most of my professional life, I was a university professor, teaching computer science at one university and music technology at another,” said Fonseca. “Around 15 years ago, I noticed that the most interesting visual effects I saw in the movies used particle systems, a computer graphics technique that generates thousands of points to simulate fire, smoke, dust, explosions, rain, fairy dust or desert storms. I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if we could do the same, but with sound, generating thousands of small sounds that together create fantastic soundscapes?’”

After finishing his doctorate on a different topic, Fonseca began fleshing out his software idea in 2012, but the project picked up speed two years later when he began planning to attend that year’s AES Convention in Los Angeles. Sending emails to a half-dozen contacts to say he was working on the new technology and would be in the U.S. for two weeks, he was immediately asked to give a talk at Skywalker Ranch. Over the next six months, his speaking schedule grew to include talks at Warner, Universal, Fox, Sony and Paramount; more talks at Disney, Pixar, Apple and Blizzard soon followed. Having garnered that kind of enthusiastic response, perhaps unsurprisingly, Sound Particles V1.0 was released the following year in 2015, and the

company in turn was founded in 2016.

The namesake software quickly found favor in TV and film audio post-production, but was soon adopted by videogame companies as well. In more recent times, the company has branched out with Explorer, its sound management software; a series of music production plug-ins that adapt some of the Sound Particles concepts; and a forthcoming technology for 3D sound over headphones.

That’s a lot of projects for any software company, much less a streamlined entity with a staff of 30, but Fonseca has been careful to only take on as much as they can handle: “As a startup, we need to be careful not to lose focus, so we cannot address all markets at once, especially when we are small. Over the years, we were able to enter new markets because it made sense at the time.”

Except for a salesperson in London and Los Angeles apiece, Sound Particles’ workforce resides in Portugal, centered around four R&D teams, each with its own QA pro for testing, quality assurance and support; a marketing team with a social media manager and graphic designers; a sales team; and management. Fonseca is the first to call the company “informal,” noting that the average employee is 28 years old, but he nonetheless has big plans and an international perspective when it comes to running the business. That’s a necessity, however, as the U.S. represents 45 percent of the company’s business, while the U.K. is 10 percent and Canada, Japan, China and Germany each provide 5 percent; Sound Particles’ home country accounts for less than 1%.

With so much going on, Fonseca no longer codes but is still involved in each development team while managing the day-to-day of the company, and there’s plenty of projects heating up. “We have a 10-year vision, with multiple initiatives planned for the future—including AI and superhuman hearing—but we cannot address them all at once,” he said. “Our focus for the next 12 months is to release the next

generation of Sound Particles, turning it into a 3D DAW; release a new virtual instrument, which we cannot wait to show; release Explorer Cloud, our sound management software; and finish the initial version of our 3D sound over headphones technology, which sounds great.”

Fonseca’s ability to see how those products and their intended industries all interconnect reaches back to his earliest days of developing the company’s flagship software: “It was the mix of engineering and music in my life that allowed me to have the idea of Sound Particles and the knowledge to implement it. In the past, I taught multimedia and CGI classes. Without that knowledge of CGI, I would never know what a particle system is. Nowadays, it looks like everyone needs to be an expert in a specific field, but in my case, understanding both fields allowed me to create a bridge between them.”

That lesson—to observe what different areas have in common and then foster that connection—has informed how Fonseca runs Sound Particles itself, and the result is a small company with big plans. As the founder simply put it, “Our mission is to create the future of audio technology.” ■

Peter Lawo Passes at 85

Peter Lawo, founder of the German company for broadcast and media technologies that bears his name, passed away on November 24, 2022, at the age of 85. The committed engineer and entrepreneur founded today’s Lawo AG in 1970.

In the 1970s, Lawo developed an electronic sound processor for the music of contemporary composer Karl-Heinz Stockhausen, which strongly influenced the compositions of New Music. His contacts with musicians led to projects with regional public broadcaster Suedwestfunk (SWF) and installations at the station’s so-called “Experimental Studio.”

This was followed by developing the first audio mixing system for SWF, which was used for music mixes with artists such as Pierre Boulez, Luigi Nono, Brian Ferneyhough, Christobal Halffter and Dieter Schnebel. His maxim from the beginning was, “Listen to your customers and users, find out what they really need, and find solutions that go beyond those needs.”

From the start, his first mixing consoles were characterized by build and sound quality and offered user-oriented operability, functionality and design. Already in the early 1980s, Lawo used computer technology in its mixing consoles and built the “Programmable Audio Control,” with analog signal processing and digital control of all mixer settings, for which Lawo developed motorized faders in-house.

Lawo had focused entirely on audio technology for broadcasting but made waves in other business areas—medical lasers, public transport destination displays and radio helmets for rescue helicopters. The PTR was followed in 1994 by the first fully digital mc mixing console series, which did well in the German and European markets.

In 1999, Peter Lawo handed over the reins of the company to his son, Philipp Lawo, under whose leadership Lawo developed into one of the pioneers of IP technology in broadcasting and one of the world’s leading suppliers of network, control, audio and video systems.

With Peter Lawo, the company has lost a passionate engineer, genius inventor and dedicated entrepreneur who put his heart and soul into the well-being of his company, even after his retirement from management. ■

Music

John Cale and ‘Mercy’

The legend just can’t stop making new music, and Dustin Boyer is there

John Cale, who will celebrate his 81st birthday in March, has an enviable resumé, but he’s not one to rest on his laurels. Neither does he show any sign of slowing down, releasing this month his 17th solo studio album, Mercy, a project as fresh as anything that he’s put out during a long and storied career.

“There are no rearview mirrors with John Cale,” says Dustin Boyer, a guitarist in Cale’s band and his in-house engineer since 2005. “He’s always moving.”

Cale has certainly earned the right to retire. Born in Wales and classically trained in London, he moved to New York City and, in 1962, co-founded one of rock ‘n’ roll’s seminal bands, the Velvet Underground, whose albums subsequently became a touchstone for so many musicians. His first production gig was the 1969 debut studio album by another legendary band, the Stooges. Since 1970, he’s released a long, long list of solo albums, movie scores, collaborations and productions.

The 12-song Mercy album emerged over the past few years, Boyer says, and was almost entirely recorded at Cale’s private ARM Studios in downtown Los Angeles, where the pair work together as many as 300 days a year. The facility includes a tracking room that doubles as a rehearsal space for the road band, a tape archive room that’s about to become a drum booth, and a gym plus other amenities.

“It’s an awesome workspace and we never leave,” Boyer laughs. “It’s really intimate here in the control room; we sit about three feet apart.”

Nita Scott, Cale’s manager and executive music producer, oversaw a major remodel of the studio during the pandemic. The control room still features the modified 32-channel Toft Audio Designs desk that was installed in 2010 and Cale’s trusted Genelec monitors from 1994. An RME Fireface interface has more recently been supplanted by a UA Apollo, Boyer reports.

CORE BAND, PLUS GUESTS

The Mercy album features Cale’s longtime drummer Deantoni Parks and bassist Joey Maramba, plus, of course, Boyer. Cale contributes various keyboards, viola, bass, drums and vocals. There are also guest appearances by the late Nigerian drummer Tony Allen, Laurel Halo, Weyes Blood, Tei Shi, Animal Collective’s Avey

Tare and Panda Bear, Dev Hynes, Sylvan Esso, Actress and Fat White Family, most of whom were recorded in-house at ARM Studios.

“We went to London and recorded Tony Allen,” reports Boyer, who later co-mixed the song, an alternate version of “Mercy,” with Nita Scott. The rest of the tracks were sent out to be mixed by Seven Davis, Jr, Mikaelin “Blue” BlueSpruce, Tokimonsta and Justin Raisen. “We haven’t really done that before. They’re all cutting-edge and they all have the same passion that John has.” The album was mastered by Joey Bozzi at Bernie Grundman Mastering.

There’s little doubt that Cale keeps moving forward. There are relatively few similarities between his milestone Paris 1919 or Music for a New Society albums of the 1980s and Mercy. “He’s an avid fan of modern hip-hop and the way it’s recorded,” Boyer says, especially the sparseness of a song like Snoop Dogg’s “Drop it Like it’s Hot.”

If anything, Cale has always been ahead of his time. Take his 1980 song, “Rosegarden Funeral of Sores,” which was covered and popularized by Bauhaus. “I hear that and I’m like, ‘That distorted vocal; how’d you do that?’ It could have been recorded last week,” Boyer marvels.

When Cale comes into the control room every morning, he’s ready to work, so Boyer keeps everything patched. “He’ll start with an idea,” Boyer says. “Sometimes it’s on piano. He might tap his legs or knock on the body of a guitar. He’ll hum something or do a pseudo beatbox.” They might use a click, but lately, he says, “We’ve been doing little drum loops—it’s a lot more fun.”

RECORDING AT ARM STUDIOS

Cale uses Apple’s MainStage software live, and in the studio will build a rhythm using its Ultrabeat feature, the iMPC app or the Koala sampler app. “We do a few little noises and whatnot, then throw it into the simple sampler in Pro Tools,” Boyer says, noting that Logic is also sometimes in the mix.

Boyer used a Neumann U 87 on vocals, drums—in addition to Royer ribbon mics—and other applications on this album. But Cale’s vocals were mainly captured in the control room on a Shure SM7, often while he also played a keyboard. “The SM7 has been awesome; I love those mics,” he says. “Mostly we leave the speakers on; we don’t go into cans. You hear some of the keyboards tapping [through the SM7], but there’s pretty minor bleed.”

The vocal chain includes a Grace Audio dualchannel mic pre and a Distressor,. “I like the Toft mic pres, too, and dirty them up a little bit,” he adds. “That’s on a lot of the vocals running on an auxiliary bus. We just randomly scroll through [the presets].”

The use, abuse and misuse of technology comes up frequently in conversation with Boyer. “If it’s too straight, we get itchy in here,” he laughs. “John will say, ‘What if we make that very unguitar?’ So I head over to SoundToys and destroy it. SoundToys’ MicroShift is pretty much on every vocal; we love that sound,” he notes, also singling

along with others. “We also used Little AlterBoy, not as a vocal plug-in but on strings. We would detune them ever so slightly. I can’t get enough of those crazy guys at SoundToys.”

Many of the effects on the record run through Line Six POD Pro racks. “I run them all in succession and they sound wild. Run a bus out to them and you don’t know what you’re gonna get,” he chuckles.

LOOKING FOR SOUNDS

They are always open to happy accidents, too. “When something malfunctions, that’s when we get really excited,” Boyer says. He linked all the MIDI instruments, machines and modules through iConnectivity boxes during the remodel, which can produce some unexpected results: “Hit the spacebar, and you can run into something interesting.”

The main keyboards on Mercy include the Nord Lead, Arturia’s Brute, MiniBrute and MatrixBrute, and a Moog Sub 37. A couple of songs feature a Swarmatron: “It’s a very strange instrument, a drone-y thing that makes crazy low-bit, low-fi noises. There’s also an Orchestron; John recorded it at a session at Vox Studios, when they were still open.”

You might expect that tracks laid down during the early stages of a song would get replaced, but they often make it to the mix with Cale. “Mostly John wants to get the sound right during the writing process,” Boyer explains.

That said, songs will evolve over time. Indeed, Mercy was ready for an early 2020 release, but they hit pause in the face of the pandemic. In June 2021, they listened back and made a few changes. “We just wanted to refresh everything. A few songs even got a little bit more interesting with some sounds,” he says, and they added a song, “Night Crawling,” about Cale and David Bowie’s time together in New York.

“John’s always changing arrangements,” he says. “We never sit still.” n

Gold Diggers Studio Adds PMCs for Dolby Atmos Mixing

Los Angeles, CA—Gold Diggers in Los Angeles has transformed two of its seven studios into immersive audio music mixing rooms with the installation of more than three dozen PMC speakers.

“A lot of the major players have outfitted their Atmos studios with PMC, so for us, it just made sense,” says Simon Horrocks, Gold Diggers’ managing partner and studio manager. “We’d always loved PMCs, but when we built this facility in 2016, we were installing seven studios, all of which needed to be completely outfitted from the ground up. Quite frankly, budget was a factor at that point. However, the new line of products from PMC have made it possible for us to invest in their monitoring systems, and between Studio

6 and Studio 9, we now have a total of 39 PMCs.”

The complex, in the East Hollywood neighborhood, has a storied history, having been a strip club, hotel and home to B-movie director Ed Wood’s company. As a rehearsal facility, it had hosted The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Slayer and Hollywood Rose, the predecessor to Guns N’ Roses.

Horrocks, who was moving from Atlanta and looking for a new project, heard about the property and realized its potential. Together with media and hospitality entrepreneur Dave Neupert and producer Dave Trumfio, owner of Kingsize Soundlabs in Chicago, he set about transforming the derelict building into a bar, a venue, a boutique hotel and seven studios.

The decision to reconfigure Studios 6 and 9 was prompted by Apple Music’s 2021 announcement that it was embracing Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio. Studio 6 already offered Sony’s 360 Reality Audio and was designed to showcase the format to artists and producers.

“That was our introduction to the world of immersive audio, and it progressed into us mixing projects in 360RA for labels and DSPs supporting the format,” Horrocks says. “Studio 6 now supports 9.1.4 Dolby Atmos and 5.5.4 360RA, while Studio 9 is just for 9.1.4 Atmos projects.”

Studio 6 has three PMC 6-2 for LCR and 19 PMC ci45 monitors for the surround channels, powered by Crown DCi 8|600DA amplifiers, plus two PMC twotwoSub 2 active subwoofers. Studio 9 has PMC 6s for LCR, 10 PMC ci30 monitors for surrounds and a pair of twotwoSub 2s. RSPE supplied the new systems and provided system design and integration.

A third PMC-equipped studio is used for stereo mixing. n

Criteria Studios Refreshes Studio D

Miami, FL—Historic production facility Criteria Studios has renovated Studio D, reopening the vocal recording, overdubbing and mixing room with an SSL Origin console.

“It has been marvelously received,” says Trevor Fletcher, VP/general manager of Criteria Studios. “The console is easy to use and perfect for the modern, hybrid workflow.”

Criteria Studios has had a long relationship with Solid State Logic and currently also houses two 9096J consoles in Studios A and E, a Duality in Studio F and an AWS 900 in Studio B. The new Origin, a fraction over six feet long, has replaced a much larger 80-input SSL 9000J in Studio D, which features a sizable live booth with floor-to-ceiling glass. SSL’s UF8 DAW controller and eight 500 series E-DYN 611 E Series dynamics modules have also been installed in the desk.

“We also upgraded other elements in the room at the same time as installing the Origin, in terms of crossovers, amplification and replacing drivers and subwoofers, as well as fabric and lighting,” Fletcher says. “Everything has combined for a completely different feel in that space.”

Alicia Keys, rapper Rod Wave, Latin artists Anuel AA and Yandel, of Winsin & Yandel, and pop and R&B artist Shenseea have all worked in the room since it reopened. Feedback from engineers and producers, Fletcher says, has been very positive: “They tell me that the preamps sound great— modern, clear and open. And the ability to engage PureDrive for a little more grit is great, especially for tracking sessions. It’s reminiscent of how the old 9000 sounds. Although Origin is a simpler console then the Duality or the 9000Js, it builds on the legacy of SSL at Criteria in a complementary way.”

The time was just right to refresh Studio D, he concludes: “To keep a multi-room recording facility successful, you have to update. You must keep an eye to the needs of your clientele and adjust accordingly—and the Origin is a natural progression. It dovetails nicely with the way a vast majority of records are being made these days. n

MGM Music Hall at Fenway Rocks Next to the Sox

Boston has always been a baseball town, ever since Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox, opened its doors there in 1912. However, Boston has always been a music town, too, serving as the launchpad for countless legendary acts over the years. With that in mind, perhaps it was inevitable that the two past-times would eventually come together, as they did in late August, 2022, when the new, 5,009-seat MGM Music Hall at Fenway opened its doors.

Operated by Fenway Music Company, a collaboration between Fenway Sports Group (the Red Sox ownership group) and Live Nation, the new venue was built on a triangular parking lot

that previously housed broadcast trucks behind the ballpark’s right-field wall. Now that space is a 91,500-square-foot, four-level, multi-purpose performing arts center, and thanks to its angular shape, there’s little in the way of slapback and no seat is more than 110 feet from the stage.

Uniquely, the new facility isn’t merely next to Fenway Park; it’s actually attached to the revered stadium and is designed to look like it’s always been there. Steve Kelley, Director, Corporate Partnerships for Fenway Sports Management, noted, “The brick is the same, it all blends in well, and that’s a point of pride for us. Also, the MGM Music Hall at Fenway fits into our approach

as an ownership group, which is to keep this Fenway neighborhood bustling. We’ve got Red Sox baseball and an incredible, rich history of music in Kenmore Square, so how are we driving people to the Fenway neighborhood year-round? This fits in perfectly with that mission.”

After the new addition was first announced in the fall of 2018, DAIQ Architects (Somerville, Mass.) began envisioning the venue, and Walters-Storyk Design Group (New York, N.Y.) became involved as acoustic consultants and AV systems designers, weighing in on both internal room acoustics and electroacoustic design, creating a full A/V design of the facility,

handling distributed audio and video systems, sightline review and acoustic isolation.

Within WSDG, Joshua Morris was the PM for the project, working with systems engineer Judy Elliot-Brown, who specified the site’s Dante and video-over-IP infrastructure, and Gabriel Hauser from WSDG’s Swiss office, who handled most of the acoustic calculations. One of the biggest priorities that WSDG faced was isolation acoustics, as the triangular venue is attached to the ballpark on one side, faces House of Blues Boston across the street on another side, and has the Boston Arts Academy, the city’s only public high school for visual and performing arts, across another street on the third side. Numerous residences and hotels dot the surrounding area as well.

“MGM Music Hall at Fenway didn’t want any issues; they wanted to be a good neighbor, operate with impunity and not have people upset with them, so isolation acoustics were really important,” said Morris. “We also dealt with internal room acoustics—how the venue sounds, electro acoustics, the speaker system—and then AV systems and distributed audio speakers, such as speakers in the bathrooms and all of those circulation paths.”

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in November, 2019, but the pandemic swept in just months later. Nonetheless, work on the new

venue continued with design and construction handled by general contractor Gilbane, Inc., while project management was tackled by Jones Lang LaSalle.

“The contractors did a great job of managing [the pandemic],” confirmed Morris. “We worked with DAIQ, gave them the information for isolation that was required on their drawings and worked all the way through construction. When we did our final testing back in August, 2022, the isolation checked out even though it wasn’t completely finished; even though there were still some Ts to cross and Is to dot, we still hit our marks, which is great. It’s not a guarantee, but they’re not bothering the neighbors and they’ve had a lot of concerts now. There’s been

very good feedback in terms of how the venue sounds, and on the Clair installed system as well—really good, and really high marks.”

That system is a Clair Global Cohesion PA covering the house, supported by an extensive installed Clair CC-8 under balcony PA and CP218 subs. Meanwhile, the venue also sports sizable FOH and Monitorworld setups, all based around Avid Venue systems. For its mobile FOH area, the MGM Music Hall has a S6L-48D control surface with an EL6-144 Engine, while the stage left monitor position has a S6L-32D surface and the same engine; a pair of Stage 64 stage racks are also on-hand. Located in Burlington, Mass., just outside Boston, Avid Technologies is a founding partner of the MGM Music Hall, and is regularly involved with the Boston Arts Academy across the street as well. The Academy and the new venue are also partnering going forward.

Despite the pandemic, the project stayed on schedule and opened in late August with a pair of James Taylor shows; more than 140 concerts are expected to be held there annually. “The timing worked out really well,” said Morris, “because arguably we’re getting out of the pandemic now, and they’ve got this wonderful new place where Boston can assemble again. It was never planned that way, of course, but they used the downtime

wisely!” ■

There’s been very good feedback in terms of how the venue sounds, and on the Clair installed system as well—really good, and really high marks.”

—Joshua Morris, WSDG

// profile // presented by

Billy Strings: Blowing Up with Bluegrass

There aren’t many bluegrass artists headlining arenas these days, but Billy Strings isn’t just any bluegrass artist. With a style influenced as much by Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin as Doc Watson and Del McCoury, Strings’ career has skyrocketed over the last five years—he’s jumped onstage with every major jam band you can think of, played socially distanced drive-in shows during the height of the pandemic, and released four albums, including 2019’s Home, which took home a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album.

Veteran FOH engineer Andy Lytle has witnessed much of that journey, having joined the artist’s team in 2018. “When I started, we were in a sprinter van and a 12-foot trailer—a very small production with minimal audio equipment,” he recalled with a chuckle. “We were in 300-person venues and now are selling out 10,000 people.”

As the audiences have grown, so have the audio requirements. Today, the act’s sound is provided by Major Tom US (Clarksville, Tenn.), ensuring consistent audio night after night.

Lytle oversees a DiGiCo SD12 desk to mix the five-piece band (guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin and bass), taking roughly 30 inputs off the stage for the house mix, while additional audience mics at front-of-house get blended into livesteam mixes that go out to Nugs.com.

Most of the house mix processing is handled with plug-ins, with Lytle opting for a Waves SD7 Bundle, using roughly 20 plugs, such as C4 and C6 multiband compressors and the F6 dynamic EQ. However, when Strings and his band get creative onstage, Lytle, too, explores what he can bring to the mix: “Billy gives me full creative control to get weird while they’re getting weird. It’s a big bluegrass jam band, so he has a lot of trippy pedals and I add to that element. I’ve been using Brauer Motion a lot—it’s like a stereo panner, but it gives the effect of panning around your head instead of, say, left to right. It’s really interesting, because you can change the circle patterns to ovals and do some really weird, wild stuff.”

It’s a big leap from how Bluegrass has traditionally been mixed, of course, as Lytle pointed out: “The old-timer bluegrass guys, they would all step up to the one mic onstage and do their solo, and then they’d step away and you could barely hear their instrument. So when I began mixing Billy, I had to change my thought-process and not have the instruments up at all times; I had to start bringing

them back down to have the vocals on top.” The musicians’ instrument miking is all wireless and handled with an Audio-Technica mic on the mandolin and various Shure clip-on mics elsewhere, going into Grace DI boxes. Meanwhile, Strings’ voice is captured with a DPA d:facto 4018 vocal mic, while backing vocals are heard via sE Electronic V7s.

“It’s a little bit of a different approach [to use individual miking], but having that blend and mixture is really key to the Bluegrass world, sticking with those roots of it,” said Lytle. “You’re building every instrument from the ground up out of the PA, and you’re able to fine-tune each individual instrument.”

That PA is a sizable Meyer Sound system, chosen in part for its ability to provide consistency from venue to venue. “I’ve mixed them on pretty much every standard PA you can mix on these days, and the Meyer system is so instrument-friendly for true bluegrass. You turn it up and the mandolin sounds like a mandolin is supposed to! With a lot of different PAs, they make the instruments sound too DI-ish; they don’t have the tonality of a musical box. With Meyer, to me, you get the clarity and the musicality that makes the instruments sound more natural. We have a mixture of Lyon and Leo speakers right now, and then we’ve got the 1100LFC subs which are just amazing with the bass. You can get that low-end punch and feel without it feeding back all over the place.”

The group’s fall tour wrapped up with a brief UK run in December and a pair of New Year’s shows in New Orleans, but a busy Spring is already lined up for Strings and company. After taking January off, they’ll head out for a lengthy 44-show jaunt starting in February, complete with a two-night stand headlining Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, all of which will bring more of Strings’ modern bluegrass to the masses. ■

George Thorogood and The Destroyers Hang Tough

Catching George Thorogood and The Destroyers in concert is never anything less than a blast. While the blues rock legend may have a toughguy-with-a-guitar persona thanks to hits like “Bad to the Bone,” “I Drink Alone” and “One Bourbon, One Scotch and One Beer,” Thorogood is first and foremost an entertainer who leaves it all on the stage night after night. And there’s a lot of nights—the production is a well-oiled touring machine, as everyone involved knows his role like the back of his hand. Case in point: Sound engineer Jeff Pitt of production company 242 Concepts has been mixing the act for nearly a quarter-century.

When it came time to upgrade the band’s touring audio consoles, Pitt and monitor engineer Colten Hyten went through several models before opting for Allen & Heath’s dLive platform during a hands-on demo. “We spent a week going through about 25 iterations of dLive surfaces, mix engines, and expanders,” recounted Hyten. “That’s what really attracted us to dLive—the fact that there are so many different hardware configuration possibilities, without sacrificing any processing power.”

The current tour is being mixed on two dLive S5000 surfaces, one at front of house and one at monitors, mixed by Hyten. Each surface is paired with its own DM0 MixRack to manage their respective 128 channels of 96 kHz processing, and two gigaACE cards handle the digital split between the systems. Off the monitor console’s DM0, Hyten connects multiple

Installations in Stadiums

Football stadiums may only host a few games a year compared to other sports, but keeping them up-todate is a year-round effort. That goes in particular for their sound systems, and the last few months have seen a number of major audio installations at scholastic stadiums around the country.

• NCAA football is the name of the game at Williams-Brice Stadium at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. Ensuring every rowdy fan can hear every call is a brand-new L-Acoustics A15i system that was installed over the summer by St. Louis-based Cignal Systems. The enormous rig includes a jaw-dropping 318 loudspeakers, including 67 A15i Focus and 139 A15i Wide, with 75 X12 and 37 X8 coaxials, all powered by a combination of 53 LA4X and 29 LA2Xi amplified controllers.

• Heading up north to New England,

“That’s been a huge thing for us, since Cat 5e cables are so easy to run and simple to replace if there is ever a continuity issue.”

The 2022 tour put the dLive system through some taxing conditions, but Hyten was pleased with how the consoles have held up. “We opened a big show in Phoenix, where it hit about 109 degrees Fahrenheit,” he recalled. “Some other groups had their equipment shutting down and failing, but the dLives were rock-solid.” ■

44,500-capacity Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass., received a complete overhaul recently. The home to the Boston College Eagles football team now has Fulcrum Acoustic FL283, FH15 series, CCX series and RX series speakers that serve as the P.A. system in the stadium bowl, while the field system is made up of L-Acoustics Syva with KS21 subwoofers. Powering all that are

98 Powersoft Quattrocanali amplifiers in total, which were installed in seven locations around the facility. The primary signal is via Dante from Q-SYS, with an analog backup; mixing for the system is tackled on a number of DiGiCo consoles.

• Stadiums aren’t just for colleges and the NFL. Case in point: The 16,884-seat Paul Brown Tiger Stadium is home to the Tigers—Massillon, Ohio’s high school football team. Named after former Massillon, Ohio State, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals head coach Paul Brown, the facility was built in 1938 as a WPA Project. While the old audio system didn’t date back to those days, it nonetheless needed replacing and recently was outfitted with three fully weatherized Electro-Voice MTS-6154-43-CFWB point-source loudspeaker systems with cardioid woofers, all powered by a trio of Dynacord IPX10:4 DSP power amplifiers. ■

news & notes // presented by

Keeping the Crowd in a Billy Joel State of Mind

New York, NY—Billy Joel may not have released an album of new music since the early Nineties, but with an estimated 160 million albums sold across his career, he doesn’t really need to—and he’s certainly kept busy in the meantime. Touring regularly and playing a monthly residency at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the troubadour of Long Island still packs arenas and stadiums around the world. Mixing at front-ofhouse every night, much as he has for essentially every Billy Joel show over the last 50 years, is Brian Ruggles, who these days mans a DiGiCo SD5 desk to bring the Piano Man to the masses.

The SD5 console has been part of Ruggles’ Clair Global-supplied system for the last eight years. “I’m an old-school guy; I love the way analog sounds,” says Ruggles, “but there came a point where I knew I had to move to digital. The SD5 sounds incredible; it really has the kind of warm sound that I’ve loved my entire career, but what really sold me was how user-friendly the SD5 is. The few other digital consoles I tried were not at all easy to navigate. The SD5, on the other hand, allowed me to dive right in and make it work for me.”

It’s not the only DiGiCo desk provided to the Joel camp, as Josh Weibel, Joel’s monitor engineer for the last nine years, creates mixes for the multitude of musicians onstage via a DiGiCo SD10.

“For Billy, we upgraded the consoles to 96 kHz racks a couple of years ago, and we heard an immediate and very noticeable difference in the sound quality, which had been great,” says Weibel, who regularly uses DiGiTubes on all vocals, and the Dynamic EQ on just about everything. “I just don’t need a whole lot of external gear with what I have available to me on the console. Keeping it all onboard helps because there’s absolutely no latency in any of the processing. And how the console lets me lay it out the ways I want is also a huge help when we have guest artists onstage at the Madison Square Garden shows. Sometimes we don’t know if

there’s going to be a guest until soundcheck, but the SD10 lets me easily set up additional input and output strips as needed and create a mix for them.”

Ruggles has his hands full at every show mixing the house, but is first to say that he tends to use the modern-day desk in an old-school

way: “I don’t use the SD5’s features to their full extent, and I know it has some amazing features, but it gives me what I need and want. A greatsounding console that lets me mix the way I want to mix and get Billy’s music across the way it’s always sounded? That’s all I really need in a console, and DiGiCo always delivers.” ■

23

2023 Companies to Watch in

— Pro Audio Edition

Immersive music was the talk of 2022 in both pro audio production and consumer distribution, which led to a wealth of new creative tools, both studio and live sound, and a renewed focus on playback systems, both speakers and headphones. There is no sign of that slowing down in 2023.

The past 12 months also saw the release of plenty of new, affordable microphones, high-end outboard gear, AI-infused plugins and advanced means of control. With all that in mind, we present Mix’s selection, listed in alphabetical order, of 23 pro audio companies to keep an eye on in 2023.

APPLE

Twenty years after the introduction of the iPod and iTunes, Apple continues to drive the music industry in a manner far beyond its market share in streaming or downloads. When the company announced in September 2021 that its Apple Spatial service would offer Dolby Atmos downloads, it jump-started immersive music mixing and the construction of immersive studios nationwide. Meanwhile, Logic Pro X remains the best deal in pro audio, with direct integration of immersive audio tools and workflow options. And on a recent trip to Nashville, every engineer we met had a pair of AirPod Max headphones, and they genuinely liked them for approving the binaural version of an Atmos mix. Expect improvements in quality and resolution across the board in 2023.

AUDEZE

The studio headphone market boomed in 2022, largely fueled by the continued disruption brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, which found engineers and musicians spending more time at home and in other non-professional environments. While Audeze has been a mainstay in the top-shelf gaming market, its presence at the high end of pro audio has been slowly growing, based mainly around its LCD series, and it got a big boost with the 2022 announcement of a new signature line in collaboration with superstar mixer Manny Marroquin, the MM500. The high-end offerings aren’t cheap, but they sure sound good. No doubt a version optimized for immersive music is on the way.

AUSTRIAN AUDIO

For such a young company, Austrian Audio sure has forged a big presence in professional audio. Founded in 2017 by a collection of former AKG employees in Vienna, Austria, the company has made its mark in transducer technologies, namely mics and headphones. The company won a 2022 TEC Award for its Hi-X65 headphones, and it has four nominations in 2023—for its Hi-X60 headphones, its CC8 cardioid condenser for the studio, and the OC707 condenser and OD505 dynamic vocal mics for the stage. Plus, the company introduced two more mics midyear—the OD303 vocal mic and OC16 large-diaphragm condenser—as well as a series of wireless mic capsules. There seems to be no slowing down.

AVID

Avid has had such a long run atop the pro audio food chain that it almost seems to be taken for granted these days. It’s true that during the pandemic the company remained pretty low key, limiting its presence at trade shows and releasing fewer new products/ updates than usual. But to be fair, work was being done in the background, perfecting the now-well-accepted subscription model and forming agreements to share with other manufacturers. Now Avid is back and active, with recent big releases in live sound and with its reintroduction of the MBox, with MBox Studio, to go with an extension of the preamp line with Carbon Pre. Look for more integrated tools for immersive mixing in 2023.

DIGICO

It seems as if DiGiCo has always been atop the live sound console market, so it’s easy to forget that the company is only 20 years old, rising out of the former Soundtracs. It’s no accident that in those 20 years, DiGiCo has reached so far into the high end of so many live sound and production markets, from HOW to corporate, from touring to Broadway. The spirit of innovation runs through its technology backbone, with advanced FPGA hardware developed in conjunction with its Audiotonix partners, and it’s there in the advanced toolsets available to engineers at every level. Advances in control and integration, along with shared, central resources, are no doubt coming in 2023.

GENELEC

On travels through Nashville this past fall, Mix stopped in at Jeff Balding’s simple, midsize 9.1.4 Dolby Atmos mix room, outfitted with nine Genelec 8351 Smart Active Monitors around the room and four 8331As overhead, along with two 7370A subs. Man, did it sound sweet. Then we went across the street to Blackbird Studio C to listen to the new Genelec system for Sony RA360. Then to Sound Stage on Music Row to hear its new Genelec-based system for Sony RA360 mixing. All in one day! They’re everywhere! Genelec has been involved in immersive sound for nearly a decade, and it’s paying off with a deep presence in both music and post-production.

IZOTOPE

IK MULTIMEDIA

IK Multimedia has always developed innovative products, often ahead of their time, yet for much of the company’s 25 years, it has been associated with the artist and musician side of the industry, rather than high-end pro audio. That’s not entirely fair. Quality tools are quality tools, and IK has a huge fanbase. Recently, pro audio seems to be a priority, particularly immersive music and the MTM Precision Series of monitors.

In August, the company took over Studio C at Power Station for Mix’s immersive music event, put up an 11-speaker monitor system, on mic stands in the control room, and was the talk of the show. The future looks bright.

JBL PROFESSIONAL

You can almost hear the drumbeat of JBL coming back into pro audio after a slightly dormant period. With a slew of new releases in its concert and portable P.A. lines, including the rounding out of its flagship VTX Series in August 2022 with the launch of the A6 line array element and the B15 subwoofer, it’s apparent that the company wasn’t idle, just busy. There’s also been some movement with acceptance of the venerable 7 Series, a mainstay in immersive studios for post, by the music industry. It wouldn’t surprise us if control systems were next, as the systems are in place across multiple markets. Could the reintroduction of Intonator be next?

In high-end audio post-production, and increasingly throughout music and broadcast, the company name, iZotope, has become something like Kleenex, in that it’s a brand that nearly everyone uses to describe a product category—in this case, the noise reduction and first aid tools of the RX line, recently updated to RX 10. The company does so much more, however, especially with its music mixing (Music Production Suite), mastering (Ozone 10) and analysis/referencing (the new AudioLens) plug-ins. With its years of development based on AI and machine learning research, we’re predicting that over the next few years, iZotope will help shape the future of immersive audio production, whether in music, post or live sound. It’s that kind of company.

KALI AUDIO

In late August 2022, for the Mix immersive music event at Power Station at BerkleeNYC, Kali Audio partnered up with Focusrite and built a complete 7.1.4 playback system in a cage, incorporating its signature INSeries speakers, to host presentations on how to tune a multichannel environment. In the control room, company co-founder Charles Sprinkle, who was instrumental in the development of the JBL M2 Series and its revolutionary waveguide, was showing a prototype for a new 5-inch monitor. Last month, Kali released the IN-UNF ultra-nearfield monitor system (with a sub) for desktop applications. All of a family, all sound great.

KIT PLUGINS

It’s a tiny Nashville company and barely two years old, but KIT has sure started out with a nice lineup and made its presence known. Founded by producer/engineer Matthew Kleinman, KIT made the early move to partner up with John McBride, co-owner of Blackbird Studio and one of the world’s major collectors (and renters) of boutique, high-quality vintage gear, to develop its first products, including the Blackbird High Gain Kemper Pack (featuring a treasure trove of Blackbird’s amp collection), the BB N105 analog chain, and the BB Mo-Q, featuring seven channels of legendary Motown EQ, Blackbird has plenty of quality products at hand. More plugins coming soon.

L-ACOUSTICS

There are more than a few established, quality loudspeaker manufacturers out there, but L-Acoustics just keeps on keeping on, continuing to innovate in its loudspeaker design, integration, control and quality, and staying at the top of riders for big-artist, big-show touring. The company was also at the forefront of immersive audio for live events, developing its L-ISA Studio software package that allows producers and artists to create immersive materials in the studio and play them back wherever they can find the playback systems. It’s a natural for club DJs, or for a star in a Vegas residency, and it’s now in Version 2.4. It’s only going to get better— and more accepted—as the market for live immersive audio grows.

MEYER SOUND

It would be hard not to include Meyer Sound on any Companies to Watch list, in any year, even a year following the introduction of a new flagship, large-format, linear line array loudspeaker called Panther, where the mandate was to provide the power of Leo in a package closer to the size of Lyon. That would seem like enough to sit back and take it easy, sell a few systems, but that’s not going to happen. There’s too much knowledge at the company to sit still, and with a welldeserved position at the high end of postproduction, live sound and control systems, it’s a safe bet that 2023 will be another banner year. Don’t count out Constellation, where the possibilities for immersive playback are endless.

PMC

On that same trip to Nashville this past fall, just a half-block from Jeff Balding’s studio, Mix stopped in at Ryan Hewitt’s new 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos mix room, Stratmosphere, featuring a crazy-good-sounding PMC monitor system built around PMC 6-2 Active Monitors with 8-2 subs in an XBD array up front and PMC ci45 and ci90 speakers hidden in the walls. A few blocks away, two flagship PMC immersive systems fill out the two immersive studios at UMG/Capitol’s Berry Hill facility. PMC was a founding member of the immersive music club, and with the introduction in late 2021 of the new, more affordable PMC6, PMC6-2 and PMC8-2, along with associated subwoofers, the company’s name will only spread wider.

SENNHEISER/NEUMANN

PSP AUDIOWARE

Mix reviewer Michael Cooper has long been a fan of PSP Audioware’s plug-ins, most recently diving in to take a look at Impressor and Saturator. “It’s these two guys from Poland,” he said in pitching the review to a Mix editor, “and they make fantastic products. I would like to play with these two.” In the same month, at the Mix immersive music event in NYC, noted mixer Ronald Prent casually remarked about “this little company in Poland, PSP,” that was about to come out with a new, simple immersive plug-in that was going to have a huge impact on immersive workflow. That product, we now know, is PSP auralControl, and it just came out to rave reviews. We’re keeping an eye on those two guys from Poland.

Sennheiser and Neumann have been so deeply involved in pioneering research involving immersive audio capture and playback, most notably through its AMBEO development team, that it can become easy to look past the fact that they had released new products. Not so in 2022, when Neumann released its new NDH 30 open-back, reference-class headphone for mixing and mastering, in both stereo and immersive formats, along with the KH 150 DSP-powered studio monitor. Both received instant acclaim. Meanwhile, at the Mix immersive music event in NYC, Sennheiser showed off the latest iteration of its Dear Reality dearVR immersive headphone mixing plug-in and its AMBEO 2-channel renderer. Headphones and binaural matter. This is very cool stuff. Very cutting-edge. Stay tuned.

SHURE

Shure pretty much exploded out of the gate at the start of 2022 and didn’t let up all year, unveiling product after product aimed at every corner of pro audio. January saw the company release the second-generation its SRH440A and SRH840A headphones, while the long-awaited Shure KSM11 wireless vocal mic capsule came out in April, having already hit the road as Dua Lipa’s live mic capsule of choice. For integrators, MXA920 ceiling array microphones arrived in May, while content creators got a limited edition of the MV7 broadcast mic in August. October saw the company unleash a one-two punch: its UniPlex cardioid subminiature lavalier mic for AV conference pros, and the AD600 Axient Digital Spectrum Manager for the touring, broadcast, location sound, theater and HOW markets. It’s a safe bet that Shure has another round of must-have tools in its back pocket, just waiting to be unleashed at the right moment in 2023, so keep an eye on those pros from Chicago.

SOLID STATE LOGIC

The number and range of new products coming out of SSL over the past few years has been staggering, with everything from audio interfaces and plug-ins to brand new and updated consoles, big and small. There’s no sign of slowing down following the fall release of Origin 16 at AES 2022. What grabs our attention, however, is the fact that Phil Wagner, head of U.S. operations, spent much of the past year touting the capabilities of the SSL System T console for immersive music production, despite the fact that it was originally designed for broadcast. That means the technology behind the immersive audio control package is in place, and we’re likely to see much more of it in the year to come, spread across a multitude of products. Can’t wait!

SONY PRO/SONY RA360

Where the heck did Sony come from? Sure, through its various pro and consumer divisions, the company has put a lot of backing behind the development of the RA360 format, and it’s making inroads in both gaming and music. Elsewhere, behind the scenes, the company has done extensive research into binaural simulation of immersive spaces and released a few creative tools for high-end mixers. Then in the past couple of years, Sony Professional started releasing some pretty nice microphones (the C-100 and C-80), and most recently, a high-end wireless transmitter. We didn’t see this coming from a company that had largely disappeared from pro audio over the past decade, but it’s sure nice to see. Bring on more!

SOUND PARTICLES

You can read much more about this relatively recent Portuguese plug-in startup on page 10 in this month’s View From the Top, interviewing company founder Nuno Fonseca. Just a few years back, Fonseca was an academic, teaching CGI, coding and software-based technologies when he saw that what he was teaching in visuals could be applied to audio. He named his first product, a randomization plug-in that created rich and full soundscapes, Sound Particles. The timing was right, and he found instant acceptance from high-end studios and engineers in sound for film and television. A flurry of new products emerged, and now the company has set its sights on immersive music production. Good things are happening here, where hightechnology delivers easy-to-use tools.

SWEETWATER

Who could have predicted that a small online and phone-based audio retailer from Fort Wayne, Ind., would emerge over the course of the past decade as one of the audio industry’s most prominent success stories, with annual revenues topping $1 billion a year? Those inside the company likely saw it coming, because the way Sweetwater does business— fairly and with a personal touch—provides a throwback model for the modern age that should be taught in MBA programs across the country. Provide a reliable resource, treat your employees and customers right, and deliver what you say you will. It sounds simple, we know, but founder Chuck Surack and his team have turned it into an art form— and it’s only getting bigger and better.

UNIVERSAL AUDIO

The much-beloved Universal Audio, founded by one of the music industry’s original engineer’s engineers, Bill Putnam, and still in the family, has been on a tear lately, releasing a flood of new products, both hardware and software. From the introduction of its Spark subscription plan, to the launch of its first native audio interface, the new Volt 476P, to the recently released Hitsville Reverb Chambers emulation plug-in, there’s been no breaks. It’s easy to forget how central UA was to the introduction and acceptance of realistic emulations and models of vintage gear in software so many years ago. That’s because the company has remained the leader, and there’s no sign that it’s giving up the title.

WAVES

If there is any company that has a right to challenge the claim of UA’s market-leading plug-ins, it would be Waves, as we could make the same claim for the longtime Isreal-based software developer. Heck, it was Waves that led the way to its celebrity engineer and producer signature plug-ins, dating back to Jack Joseph Puig and many others. However, Waves does so much more, extending its reach successfully into live sound through its hardware stage racks, integrated plug-ins and mixing/control surfaces. It’s hard to fathom that one company has such a solid footprint in both worlds. But Waves does. Now let’s see what the company does when it seriously dives into immersive music. It should be fun!

Recording Jane Ira Bloom’s Picturing the Invisible: Focus 1

For the veteran jazz artist’s newest, Grammynominated immersive album, pandemic challenges meant improvising in more ways than one

Grammy-winning soprano saxophonist and composer Jane Ira Bloom has always pushed the envelope. Her innovative spirit manifests in her music, through collaborations with iconic jazz artists like Kenny Wheeler and Charlie Haden, and world artists including South Indian veena artist Geetha Ramanathan Bennett and Korean komungo player Jin Hi Kim.

That innovative approach extends to technology, as she has proven herself to be a pioneer in the use of live electronics in jazz and a passionate advocate of high-resolution and immersive recording. In a most interesting side note, she was the first musician commissioned by the NASA Art Program, and even has an asteroid named after her: asteroid 6083janeirabloom.

So when Bloom set out to record her 19th

album, Picturing the Invisible: Focus 1, in 2020— right at the onset of the Covid pandemic—she made a radical move that pushed her to her creative limits, while bringing a new sense of immediacy and honesty to the collaborative process.

Picturing the Invisible: Focus 1 is a series of eight compositions inspired by the striking, spare, black-and-white science photography of New York City artist Berenice Abbott. “I looked at these unbelievably gorgeous, scientific photos that Berenice Abbott took in the ’50s and ’60s,” Bloom recalls. “They were demonstrations of what goes on in physics with light waves and sound waves,

and had never been done before. They’re just starkly beautiful.”

The expression of cyclical motion and momentum and ebb and flow in the photographs resonated with her as an improvisor, she says: “I was interested in how sound changes when it

moves, and physics.”

For the project, supported by the New York City Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre, Bloom wanted to bring art and audio science together in a way that mirrored the original impulse of Abbott’s photography. “The idea of a very powerful visionary artist, a female artist like Berenice Abbott, communicated to me,” she says, “and then the idea that this could be a sound capture where art and science could mingle in a way that would be very new and exciting.”

“These pictures kind of look like the pictures that you get in audio books, like the interferences when you have two sound sources that overlay each other,” adds recording engineer Ulrike Schwarz. “In order to make these interferences really audible, I thought, ‘That calls for superhigh resolution, and wouldn’t it be even cooler if it was also 3D?’”

Picturing the Invisible: Focus 1—which was nominated for a Grammy in Best Immersive Album after this story was turned in—is now an ultra-high-resolution recording available in stereo and 5.1 surround (up to 384 kHz/32-bit), Dolby Atmos, AURO-3D FLAC (96 kHz/24-bit), and high-resolution streaming in MQA and other formats.

IMMERSIVE IN MIND

Bloom has long embraced immersive recording, a passion borne out of her decades-long collaborative partnership with producer/ engineer team (and married partners) Ulrike Schwarz and Jim Anderson.

“My music has always had a strong interest in how sound changes when it moves,” Bloom explains. “The history of working with Jim and my music has also been thinking very fully about how to amplify it into an immersive audio recording experience.”

An idea evolved to employ high-resolution, immersive recording techniques to capture music that Bloom would compose and perform with several world-renowned improvisors in New York. The pieces were written, studio plans were beginning to take shape...and then, the world shut down.

Reimagining the project in the face of pandemic limitations meant forming a new means of recording. The focus shifted to honing the music into duets and devising a way for musicians to improvise together in real time, connecting remotely from their homes in New

York City, while preserving the highest level of immersive sound capability.

“The way we imagined this was, spare was better, both compositionally and sonically,” says Bloom. She paired with three renowned improvisors: drummer Allison Miller, koto artist Miya Masaoka and bassist Mark Helias. “I couldn’t do this with just anybody,” she adds. “These are musicians whom I have a history of playing with, so there’s a lot of collaborative vocabulary that we already shared for many, many years of performing.”

“It became, ‘Let’s really focus on silence,’” says Schwarz, “but still, I was hoping to keep the 3D element. I knew we would go to very, very small rooms and not ideal rooms, but in the end, we were still able to get there because

later we took it out to our favorite live chamber at Skywalker Sound, where it was mixed by Jim.”

HI-RES TRACKING AT HOME

Tracking took place over three days in February 2022. The project was recorded, mixed and mastered using Merging Technologies Horus/Pyramix recording systems and the Merging+Clock U. Schwarz set up a computer in Bloom’s tiny home office, applying ad-hoc acoustic treatment: towels on a desk, a coat on the sofa. The workstation in Bloom’s office, remotely controlled by Schwarz, ran at 384 kHz

A second recording system and iPad (equipped with a high-speed internet hub for gaming to accelerate the process) traveled with Schwarz to each of the other musician’s homes. The

The recording chain was minimalist, centered mainly around a stereo mic pair: one Sanken CU41 and one Neumann TLM170.

“Instead of the usual seven microphones or sometimes nine that Jim [Anderson] would be using in a studio recording, we had to bring it down to stereo, so that was the part that I really had to figure out,” says Schwarz, “and then of course you have to hope that these people live in somewhat quiet apartment buildings.

“What is special about this album is that we used a normal internet connection that was available from each musician’s home,” she adds, noting that she was able to keep latency to a level that made improvising possible. “I mean, if I had asked someone in broadcast, ‘Hey, I need two of these units and I need a fixed bandwidth for half an hour,’ that wouldn’t have been that spectacular. But the way we did it— recording on both ends in super-high definition and doing it with ‘home means’ using personal computers— that made it unique.

“I had spent a lot of time calculating bandwidth and calculating speeds to find out what I could get away with, because all these latencies relate to sample rate,” she continues. “If you go with 192 kHz, you have a fourth of the time than if you were at 48, and a lot less than if you tried to do this with any

type of data-reduced signal.”

Schwarz quickly hit a snag at Miya Masaoka’s house. “I was checking the internet, and I thought, ‘She has a gigabyte line; somebody’s taking speed away.’ Her son was playing videogames—and when you have to tell a teenager that he has to get off the internet and not play with his friends, that’s not how you make friends. That was one thing I had to navigate.”

In the end, when connections were fast and stable, latency ran just 8 to 10 milliseconds.

“I was trying to give them something resembling a studio experience in terms of reliability,” she said, “but for me, it was really more of a guerrilla

command, in that I had to keep everybody and everything a little bit under control.”

HI-RES, IMMERSIVE MASTERING

The recordings and rig were sent to Skywalker Sound, where Anderson created immersive mixes. “We flew the whole shebang there: The clock was there, the power was there,” says Schwarz, who, together with Anderson, frequently works at Skywalker. “It’s really nice that they let us completely take their studio and turn it into our studio.”

Schwarz mastered the stereo and 5.1 mixes at Anderson Audio, a studio she shares with her husband in their home in Brooklyn. “In my editing suite, I have Wilson CUBs and an Eclipse TD725SW subwoofer,” she explains. “When I’m working, I’m listening through the Pyramix and sometimes have our clock there as well, to really see what’s going on. The amps are Benchmark ABH2 mono blocks and HPA4 preamplifier. My favorite headphones are B&W P5s; I took them with me for these recordings.”

She mastered the immersive mixes in

collaboration with Morten Lindberg, in his newly updated Oslo studio: “With the help of Morten, we are able to not only offer this breathtaking album in conventional formats like stereo and 5.1 surround, but also in immersive audio on streaming and download platforms.”

Ultimately, Picturing the Invisible is a stunning study in contrasts: sound and silence, simple and complex, high-tech and low-tech, together and apart. “I say this with great passion: Sometimes it’s the negative space, it’s the use of silence as well as sound in this recording that makes it unique, thinking of an immersive sound environment,” says Bloom.

“It’s a rare moment in a musical life where the sound—which your ears are so attuned to the depth, the timbre of it, the spaciousness of it—is ever really captured in the level of definition that Ulrike is capturing,” she adds. “That is such an extraordinary experience for the artist because it’s reaffirming sonically what you experience internally, but almost never experience in the normal recording world. It’s a peak musical experience; that’s the best way I can describe it.” n

65th Annual Grammy Awards

Nominations for Engineering and Production

The 65th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 5, 2023, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with a live broadcast on CBS and a live stream on Paramount+. Streaming coverage of the pre-telecast, which features most of the categories honoring recording and mastering engineers, mixers, remixers and record producers, will also be available.

Per a last-minute change to the academy’s rules in 2021, the top four categories, including Record of the Year and Album of the Year, now include 10 nominees, up from eight in previous years.

THIS YEAR’S ENGINEERING & PRODUCTION NOMINEES IN THE MAIN CATEGORIES ARE:

BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, NON-CLASSICAL Adolescence (Baynk)

George Nicholas and Ryan Schwabe, engineers;

Beethoven: Symphony No. 6; Stucky: Silent Spring (Manfred Honeck and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)

Mark Donahue, engineer; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer

Perspectives (Third Coast Percussion)

Jonathan Lackey, Bill Maylone and Dan Nichols, engineers; Joe Lambert, mastering engineer

Tuvayhun - Beatitudes for a Wounded World (Anita Brevik, Nidarosdomens Jentekor and Trondheimsolistene)

Morten Lindberg, engineer; Morten Lindberg, mastering engineer

Williams:

Bernhard Güttler, Shawn Murphy and Nick Squire, engineers; Christoph Stickel, mastering

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, CLASSICAL

Jonathan Allen

Christoph Franke

James Ginsburg

Elaine Martone

Judith Sherman

RECORD OF THE YEAR

Don’t Shut Me Down (ABBA)

Benny Andersson, producer; Benny Andersson and Bernard Löhr, engineers/mixers; Björn Engelmann, mastering engineer

Easy On Me (Adele)

Greg Kurstin, producer; Julian Burg, Tom Elmhirst and Greg Kurstin, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer

Break My Soul (Beyoncé)

Beyoncé, Terius “The-Dream” GesteeldeDiamant, Jens Christian Isaksen and Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, producers; Brandon Harding, Chris McLaughlin and Stuart White, engineers/ mixers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer

Good Morning Gorgeous (Mary J. Blige)

D’Mile and H.E.R., producers; Bryce Bordone, Serban Ghenea and Pat Kelly, engineers/mixers

You and Me on the Rock (Brandi Carlile, Feat. Lucius)

Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings, producers; Brandon Bell, Tom Elmhirst and Michael Harris, engineers/mixers; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer

Woman (Doja Cat)

Crate Classics, Linden Jay, Aynzli Jones and Yeti Beats, producers; Jesse Ray Ernster and Rian Lewis, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

Bad Habit (Steve Lacy)

Steve Lacy, producer; Neal Pogue and Karl Wingate, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

The Heart Part 5 (Kendrick Lamar)

Beach Noise, producer; Beach Noise, Rob Bisel, Ray Charles Brown Jr., James Hunt, Johnny Kosich, Matt Schaeffer and Johnathan Turner, engineers/mixers; Michelle Mancini, mastering engineer

About Damn Time (Lizzo)

Ricky Reed and Blake Slatkin, producers; Patrick Kehrier, Bill Malina and Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Michelle Mancini, mastering engineer

As It Was (Harry Styles)

Tyler Johnson and Kid Harpoon, producers; Jeremy Hatcher and Spike Stent, engineers/ mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer

ALBUM OF THE YEAR*

Voyage (ABBA)

30 (Adele)

Un Verano Sin Ti (Bad Bunny)

Renaissance (Beyoncé)

Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe) (Mary J. Blige)

In These Silent Days (Brandi Carlile)

Music of the Spheres (Coldplay)

Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers (Kendrick Lamar)

Special (Lizzo)

Harry’s House (Harry Styles)

* credits too numerous to list here

BEST IMMERSIVE AUDIO ALBUM

Aguilera (Christina Aguilera)

Jaycen Joshua, immersive mix engineer; Jaycen Joshua, immersive mastering engineer

Divine Tides (Stewart Copeland and Ricky Kej)

Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineer; Stewart Copeland, Ricky Kej and Herbert Waltl, immersive producers

Memories...Do Not Open (The Chainsmokers)

Mike Piacentini, immersive mix engineer; Mike Piacentini, immersive mastering engineer; Adam Alpert, Alex Pall, Jordan Stilwell and Andrew Taggart, immersive producers

Picturing The Invisible - Focus 1 (Jane Ira Bloom)

Jim Anderson, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg and Ulrike Schwarz, immersive mastering engineers; Jane Ira Bloom and Ulrike Schwarz, immersive producers

Tuvayhun — Beatitudes for a Wounded World (Nidarosdomens Jentekor and Trondheimsolistene)

Morten Lindberg, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive producer

BEST REMIXED RECORDING

Lizzo: About Damn Time (Purple Disco Machine Remix)

Purple Disco Machine, remixer

Beyoncé: BeyBreak My Soul (Terry Hunter Remix)

Terry Hunter, remixer

Ellie Goulding: Easy Lover (Four Tet Remix) Four Tet, remixer

The Knocks and Dragonette: Slow Song (Paul Woolford Remix)

Paul Woolford, remixer

Wet Leg: Too Late Now (Soulwax Remix) Soulwax, remixers

38th Annual TEC Awards Ballot Nominees Across 21 Categories in Technical Achievement, Studio Design

Finalists for the 38th Annual TEC Awards, taking place at the TEC Experience, a reception at the 2023 NAMM Show on April 13, 2023, have been nominated across 21 categories in Technical Achievement and a Studio Design Project.

Presented annually during The NAMM Show, the TEC Awards recognize the individuals, companies and technical innovations behind the sound of recordings, live performances, films, television, video games and multimedia productions.

Voting in each category—by industry professionals across major music, sound and game audio associations, along with pro audio–focused media groups—began on December 21, 2022, and will end on March 1, 2023.

THE 38TH ANNUAL TEC AWARDS NOMINEES

ARE:

AMPLIFICATION HARDWARE/STUDIO & SOUND REINFORCEMENT

Amphion Amp400.8

Avantone Pro CLA400

Crest Audio CPX-4

d&b audiotechnik D40

K-array Kommander

L-Acoustics LA7.A6i Amplified Controller

AUDIO APPS & HARDWARE/PERIPHERALS

FOR SMARTPHONES & TABLETS

Apogee Control 2 for iOS

Flock Audio Patch App DX

JBL Performance Manager

Moog Music Animoog Z

Steinberg Cubasis 3.4

Universal Audio Volt 2 Audio Interface

Waves MyFOH

AUDIO EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY

Audio Test Kitchen: ATK Mobile

Audiomovers: Listento Plus

Berklee Press: Hip-Hop Production: Inside the Beats

iZotope: Are You Listening, Season 4 Video Series

Mix With the Masters: Mix with the Masters

Shure—Microphone Techniques for Recording Educational Booklet

COMPUTER AUDIO HARDWARE

Antelope Audio Galaxy 32 Synergy Core

Digital Audio Denmark Core 256

Flock Audio Patch XT

Focusrite Clarett+ Series

Focusrite Vocaster

Neve 88M

Universal Audio Volt 276

CONSOLE TECHNOLOGY

Allen & Heath Avantis V1.2

DiGiCo SD12T Theatre Version

RØDE RØDECaster Pro II

Solid State Logic Origin

Solid State Logic UC1 SSL Plug-in Controller

Waves CA3000-MX Commercial Audio Mixer

DJ PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY (HARDWARE/SOFTWARE)

Numark NS4FX

Omnitronic TRM-422

Pioneer DJ DDJ Rev-7

Reloop Mixon 8 Pro

Roland SP-404MKII Creative Sampler and Effector HEADPHONE/EARPIECE TECHNOLOGY

Audeze MM-500

Audio-Technica ATH-M50xMO

Austrian Audio Hi-X60 Headphones

Jerry Harvey Audio Sharona In-Ear Monitors

Neumann NDH 30 Headphones

Shure SRH840A Headphones

Ultimate Ears UE Live In-Ear Monitors

MICROPHONE PREAMPLIFIERS

AEA TRP500

Antelope Audio Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core

Audient iD 44 Mk2

Daking Audio Mic Pre 4T

Focusrite Clarett+ OctoPre

Rupert Neve Designs 5025 Dual Shelford Mic Pre

sE Electronics DM2

MICROPHONES—RECORDING

AKG Ara

Austrian Audio CC8

Earthworks Audio ETHOS

Lewitt LCT 1040

Mojave Audio MA-37

Warm Audio WA-8000

MICROPHONES—SOUND REINFORCEMENT

Audio-Technica ATND1061

Austrian Audio OC707 True Condenser Vocal Microphone

Austrian Audio OD505 Active Dynamic Vocal Microphone

DPA 4055 Kick Drum Mic

Neumann Miniature Clip Mic System

Shure KSM11 Wireless

MUSICAL

EFFECTS

INSTRUMENT AMPLIFICATION &

Ampeg Micro VR Limited Edition White

BOSS Katana Bass Guitar Amplifiers

BOSS RE-202 Space Echo

Hotone Ampero II Stomp

Softube Marshall Murder One Lemmy Signature

Strymon Deco V.2

Strymon El Capistan V.2

□ Universal Audio UAFX Dream ’65 Reverb Amplifier

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT HARDWARE

Moog Music Mavis

Moog Music Etherwave Theremin

Nord Piano 5-88

Oberheim OB-X8 Analog Synthesizer

Robkoo Wind Synthesizer R1

Roland JUNO-X Programmable Polyphonic Synthesizer

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT SOFTWARE

EastWest Sounds Forbidden Planet

ILIO Andy Narell Steel Pans—The Ellie Mannette Collection

Roland Jupiter-4 Software Synthesizer

Sound Magic China Ensemble

Spectrasonics Omnisphere—Sonic Extensions □ Universal Audio UAD Opal Morphing Synthesizer □ Vienna Symphonic Library Synchron Brass □ Vienna Symphonic Library Synchron Woodwinds

PRODUCTION ESSENTIALS □ Genelec GLM V4.2 GRADE Report □ Merging Technologies Ovation 10

Other World Computing OWC Flex iU4

Radial Engineering Power-1 □ Rational Acoustics SMAART 8.5 Audio Analysis Software

U-he and Bitwig CLAP

SIGNAL PROCESSING HARDWARE

Antelope Audio Synergy Core

Bettermaker Stereo Passive Equalizer

Black Lion Audio Auteur MK3

GC Audio Density Compressor

Line 6 DL4 MkII □ Pultec MEQ-500 Jack Douglas Edition Midrange EQ

Rockruepel sidechain.one

Solid State Logic The Bus+

SIGNAL PROCESSING SOFTWARE (DYNAMICS/EQ/UTILITIES) □ Eventide SplitEQ

Softube Overstayer M-A-S

Sonarworks SoundID Reference Multichannel

Steinberg SpectraLayers 9

Universal Audio UAD Hitsville EQ Collection

Waves Nx Germano Studios New York

Waves SSL EV2 Channel

SIGNAL PROCESSING SOFTWARE (EFFECTS) □ FabFilter Volcano 3 □ New Audio Technology Spatial Audio Designer □ Roland JUNO-60 Chorus Software Effect □ Softube Atlantis Dual Chambers □ Solid State Logic X-Delay □ Universal Audio UAD AMS DMX Digital Delay & Pitch Shifter

SOUND REINFORCEMENT LOUDSPEAKERS

Celestion CF1025BMB

d&b audiotechnik XSL-Series

DAS Audio LARA Line Array

EAW AC6 Column

Holoplot Immersive Matrix Array

JBL SRX900 Series

LD Systems MAILA Intelligent Array

Meyer Sound Panther

STUDIO MONITORS

Augspurger MX-65 MinimaX

Auratone Active 5C Super Sound Cube

Focal Solo6

Genelec 6040R Smart Active Loudspeaker

Neumann KH 750 AES67 Subwoofer

PreSonus Eris E5 BT

WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY

Audio-Technica 3000 Series IEM System

BOSS Waza-Air Bass

Carvin Audio IEM EM900 (500 MHz)

Lectrosonics IFBlue

Sennheiser XS Wireless IEM

WORKSTATION TECHNOLOGY/RECORDING DEVICES

Merging Technologies Pyramix 14

PreSonus Studio One 5 Professional v.5.5

Steinberg Cubase 12

Steinberg Nuendo 12

Tracktion Waveform Pro 12

Universal Audio LUNA v1.2.5

STUDIO DESIGN PROJECT

Expanding Sky Studio: FM Design

Hermes Sound: Carl Tatz Design

Middle Tennessee State University, Studios D and E: nonzero architecture

Rambling Rose Studio: Russ Berger Design Group

Spotify at Mateo: WSDG (Walters-Storyk Design Group)

Warm Studios: Alex Otto (Otto System Works)

Tech new products

Live Sound Consoles

Avid Updates to Venue 7.1, Debuts Stage 48

Avid’s new Venue 7.1 software provides access to Waves plug-ins directly from the S6L control surface without requiring an additional host computer, allowing live sound engineers to store all Waves parameters within the 1,000 snapshots available within Avid Venue | S6L consoles. Included are 128 voices, with each supporting a chain of up to eight plug-ins available in Avid VENUE | S6L and the Waves SoundGrid.

Just a couple of months after updating Venue, Avid introduced Stage 48, a lower-cost, 48 micpreamp version of the Stage 64 Stage Rack. Like all other Venue I/O devices, it is compatible with the entire S6L product lineup. Key features of the new remote I/O rack include 48 mic-preamps, 24 analog outputs, two Ethernet AVB ports, a pair of fiber AVB ports, and a MADI coaxial output split directly from the preamps with 48 channels at 96 kHz, and a redundant 48 channels at 48k.

Calrec Argo Modular Mix System

Calrec has broken down geographic barriers with Argo, a new modular audio mixing system that features interchangeable hardware panels, allowing for transferable processing

across multiple surfaces, in multiple locations. The system uses Calrec’s Assist UI at its core, offering familiarity whether working on physical hardware panels or on a remote GUI. Argo is built around an expanded version of Calrec’s ImPulse IP core, which can now be located anywhere and can power up to four independent mix environments, including headless mixers accessed on the public Internet, with each mixer able to access more than 2,350 processing paths on a single console.

Cerwin-Vega CVM Series Mixers

Expected to ship in Q1 2023, the new CVM Series mixers from Cerwin-Vega will be outfitted with Eleven Engineering’s SKAA/SKAA Pro technology, allowing them to communicate wirelessly via SKAA Pro Mode to SKAA-compatible speakers

DiGiCo Quantum338T

The latest in DiGiCo’s theater-targeted Quantum consoles, the Quantum338T, is aimed at “in the box” mixing, with a lightweight control surface and the company’s most recent theater-specific software, including a programming and operating workflow that enhances the cue system with DiGiCo’s Auto Update and cue data management tools. Auto Update allows designers to establish intricate inter-cue relationships, with changes made to channel settings automatically propagating to other, related cues. The Quantum338 line is based on seventh-generation FPGAs and includes 128 input channels with 64 buses and a 24x24 matrix, all with full channel processing. Three 17-inch, 1000-nit, high-brightness multitouch screens allow both the meter bridge and soft quick-select buttons to be displayed on each screen.

Lawo A UHD Core

or SKAA-compatible power amplifiers. The CVM series will offer 8, 10, 12 and 16-channel models, offering 3-band EQ, highpass filters and adjustable compressors on all microphone channels. USB/SD card recording/playback will be onboard, as will be various DSP effects and a USB interface that can connect to a computer for playback and recording. Each system will house an antenna for SKAA—a wireless HiFi audio standard developed by Eleven Engineering— transmissions, allowing engineers to work with iOS and Android mobile devices, Mac and Windows computers, televisions and more.

The A__UHD Core is the next-generation audio engine for Lawo’s mc² audio production consoles. Designed as a network-based, software-defined IP DSP engine, its ultra-high processing density translates into 1,024 mc²grade DSP channels, which can either be utilized by a single mc² console or be shared among multiple consoles. The A__UHD Core features eight independent 10/1 GbE* network interfaces to enable the use of redundant networks via ST2022-7 Class C seamless protection switching (SPS) in both LAN and WAN environments. Full hardware redundancy can be achieved using a second hot spare unit, which permanently mirrors all settings. The device is fully based on open standards and supports Audio-overIP I/O via ST2110-30/-31, AES67 and Ravenna. Each network interface supports 128 Rx and Tx streams per interface—512 streams in total. n

Studio and Live Sound

as the amplifier and system electronics. The two satellites use the same coaxial midrange and tweeter from the other speakers in the INSeries. Via the USB-C connector, which supports 24-bit resolution and 48k sample rate, users can connect computers, phones and tablets. Optical and 3.5mm inputs provide support for both digital and analog connection to consumer devices. Stereo TRS inputs are also provided.

Heritage Audio Tubesessor Optical Tube Compressor

A modern-day take on the traditional optical tube compressor, Heritage Audio’s new Tubesessor, a 3U rackmount unit, sports custom transformers at the input and output stages, as well as NOS tubes operating at an extremely high internal voltage, with the aim of providing clarity, depth and headroom. Tubesessor offers a tube saturation section, with settings ranging from Classic (no saturation at all) to Hot (angry-sounding tone), with Mild and Medium switchable in between. The unit also features an SC Filter section, with five internal sidechain settings available. A large VU meter for monitoring IN (input), GR (gain reduction), and Out (output) provides a clear reading of what is happening. Other front panel features include Gain (up to +30 dB of makeup gain); Ratio (continuously variable from 2:1 to 10:1); LINK (stereo operation); and Bypass (true bypass of the circuitry).

Kali Audio IN-UNF Monitoring System

For those working and listening in desktop environments, Kali Audio has released the IN-UNF (ultra-nearfield) monitoring system, adapting technology used in the company’s IN-5 and IN-8 studio monitors. The system, which consists of a bass unit and two satellites, is said to provide full-range audio at reference levels with plenty of headroom,. The bass unit houses two high-excursion 4.5-inch woofers, as well

Sonible True Balance, True Level Metering

Sonible has released a pair of metering plugins—True:Balance and True:Level—that can be purchased in a bundle or separately. True Balance allows an engineer to compare a mix’s spectral balance and stereo width against genrebased reference curves and from the curves of up to eight personal reference audio files. The Spectrum Display graphically shows how the source audio compares to the reference or

spacing, high-density, simultaneous multichannel operation, and wideband tuning at a maximum of 148 MHz. It allows users to tune to frequencies as mandated by the FCC Spectrum guidelines UHF-TV Ch. 14-36 and 38 UHF-TV. The transmitter uses CODEC MODE4, maintains transmission stability, provides low delay time and features selectable RF outpower power (2mW/10mW/25mW). The DWT-P30 sports a battery life of approximately six hours, and is remote controllable, allowing users to change transmitter settings with a Cross Remote function.

Waves Clarity Vx

references, while numerical readouts of the average level of lows, midrange and highs are shown above the Spectrum Display. True Level features numerical and visual readouts of LUFS (switchable between integrated, short term and momentary readings), Dynamics (dynamic range), Loudness Range and True Peak levels. Users can set a Loudness Reference target from a comprehensive list that includes Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, YouTube, AES/EBU Streaming and many others. Both are compatible with Mac and Windows.

Sony DWT-P30 Plug-on Transmitter

Sony Electronics’ new digital wireless plug-on transmitter, the DWT-P30, works with Sony’s slot-in receiver and bodypack transmitters for a wireless microphone system that can be used with Sony’s cameras, in addition to UniSlot standard devices. The DWT-P30 offers 375 kHz

Clarity Vx from Waves is a new plug-in designed to help reduce or eliminate unwanted noises that can creep into a mix via mic bleed. Powered by the same Waves Neural Networks engine used for Clarity Vx Pro, Clarity Vx features a simplified interface that has no learning curve, yet reportedly produces clean vocal tracks without artifacts or damage to the source material. The user interface is a single knob; turning it clockwise reduces unwanted noise. Clarity Vx operates in real time and is not required to “learn” the profile of each type of noise. Instead, it is trained to recognize the difference between voice and ambiance. Clarity Vx can be used live or in the studio, and runs in mono or stereo at sample rates from 44.1 to 96 kHz. Latency is stated as 2048 samples at 44.1/48 kHz, and 4096 samples at 88.2/96 kHz. n

Tech // reviews

SPL BiG Stereo Stage Processor

Double-wide 500 Series Unit Dubbed ‘The Bigger Maker’

SPL’s BiG is a dual-slot, 500 series stereo analog module that manipulates the stereo sound image, or stage. When used judiciously, the stereo width, presence and depth can be altered while maintaining accuracy and overall mix balance.

BiG, which is distributed by FocalNaim America/Canada, works on the components of stereo audio that have little or no correlation between the left and right channels. Stereo L/R audio coming into BiG is algebraically summed [S=(L-R)] to produce a full-spectrum signal that contains only non-correlated information and phase anomalies, such as those generated by added reverb, room acoustics, multiple microphones and delays. This signal is fed into a highly modified, state-variable filter. A typical state-variable filter is capable of producing lowpass, highpass and bandpass outputs all at the same time, and all from a single audio input.

At the top of BiG’s front panel are the interactive Range and Stage controls, specifically designed controlling parameters for adjusting BiG’s state-variable filter. Range is the filter’s frequency control, with an operating range from 6 kHz, at full counter-clockwise (High), to 500 Hz at full clockwise (Open).

The larger Stage knob controls the filter’s bandwidth and slope. When the Stage control is fully CCW in the Back position, the center frequency of the Range control is 1.5 kHz. As Stage is turned clockwise, the Range frequency goes lower and lower until about 110 Hz. Because of the filter’s design, the amount of phase shift and slope is identical in all positions.

With the Range control at High, turning the Stage control from “Back” to “Front” at full clockwise, the slope of the filter becomes increasingly steeper, with a concomitant phase shift. The sonic

result is that stereo-panned instruments and voices become closer and louder to the “front of the stage” for the listener. As the Stage control reached the Front position, my auditory perception was that the stereo sound seemed to wrap around me.

The third control on SPL’s front panel is the large Bigness control knob that blends this processed audio back into the stereo output

using a proprietary combining method.

The final section is a master EQ—a passive bell-shape equalizer for a 2 dB boost at 45 Hz and a 1.5 dB boost at 15 kHz. This EQ is based on the AirBass section of the SPL Iron Mastering Compressor.

MIXING WITH BIG

I found that BiG works most impressively on recordings that already have substantial, noncorrelated acoustical ambience recorded into them. Although any stereo audio can benefit greatly from BiG’s effect, mixes with many panned mono tracks, “stereo” synthesizers, and contrived L/R delays may not benefit as much.

I had a recording of Manhattan Transfer’s 50 album that has a cover of the Beach Boys’ song “God Only Knows.” This is a live orchestral and choir recording in a live hall using multiple microphones—there are no drums or percussion. I loaded a copy of the stereo mix into Pro Tools with BiG inserted on the master bus.

Listening on both my monitor speakers and headphones, I put a stereo instance of Nugen Audio’s Halo Vision plug-in on the master stereo bus/monitor to visually monitor phase and stereo correlation.

I kept the AirBass EQ on all the time and soon found that there is no wrong or bad way to set BiG except for maybe using way too much of its effect! Generally, the Bigness control only has to be about midway between off and straight up at 12 noon (“10” on the panel) to hear massive changes in the stereo imaging. Furthermore, you can expect a slight overall level increase through the unit with most settings.

With the Stage control midway (5) in its range and the Range control at 2, I could use plenty of the Bigness control up to the point where the high frequencies started to get shrill at certain moments.

I found that juggling the Range and Bigness controls to dial in just the right balance worked

great. I did check the Correlation Matrix window in Halo Vision and saw certain sections of the song were more non-correlated than others, but usually I could get a wide sound and still average way above -0.50, or the anticorrelation threshold where full mono capability is uncertain. This was a recording without the “centering and anchoring effect” of a kick drum or bass instrument.

Keeping the same Range and Bigness settings, rotating the Stage control toward the Front becomes a trade-off between excessive anticorrelation readings and actually altering the mix itself. This led me to try using BiG on individual stereo tracks in a mix.

SEPARATE TRACKS

I tried BiG on a stereo synthesized harp pluck track that had lots of delay repeats and a little reverb. I kept the Bigness control at 6 or about one-third up, Range at just 2, and Stage at 2, or

all the way back counter-clockwise. BiG has a way of making the harp sound overall brighter, panoramically wider and, if the Stage control is turned toward the Front, more immersive—all at the same time.

Listening in mono had close to the same sound as in stereo but lacked some of the low frequencies. In stereo for this mix this worked out well on the harp part; it now had a much wider presentation way on the “back wall,” behind the mix.

Next, I tried BiG on the reverb returns of LiquidSonics’ Cinematic Rooms. I liked what BiG did to the reverb sound, and by adjusting Range, Stage and Bigness, I was able to have a reverb wider than the other reverbs in the mix. By nature, reverberation is non-correlated anyway.

On an entire drum kit stem, I had Range at 3, Stage full counter-clockwise (Back), and Bigness at 2. My stereo room tracks came up considerably within the drum mix, and any reverb I had already added to the drums became more present! I also tried BiG directly on the drum overhead tracks without luck. For the drum tracks I tried it on, the jury is still out.

SPL’s BiG provides a good way to expand the stereo imaging of entire mixed tracks, individual stereo instrument and vocal tracks, or stems. Carefully used, like any powerful processor, it can work wonders on non-correlated stereo audio and is magical! Highly recommended I love it! n

SPL’s BiG provides a good way to expand the stereo imaging of entire mixed tracks, individual stereo instrument and vocal tracks, or stems.

Tech // reviews

Avid MBox Studio and Carbon Pre

Return of the Popular Audio Interface, Paired With 8-Channel Extension

Recently, I was lucky enough to gather a talented group of people for an open-minded test drive of two of Avid’s latest releases—the MBox Studio and 8-channel Carbon Pre.

We set up shop at Clubhouse Studios in Rhinebeck, N.Y., where engineer Mark Everton Gray (Imagine Dragons, Joe Bonamossa, Santana) worked with myself, drummer David Koch and keyboardist Bruce MacPherson to record in a real-world live session. We were also blessed to have veteran drum tech Jeff Ocoltree on hand, who’s worked with the likes of John Bonham, Billy Cobham and Steve Smith. This cast of characters was armed and ready to have some fun with new gear.

In this review, we won’t examine the nitty-gritty of all the knobs and buttons, but provide an overview of how the gear was used to create music needed for several TV shows. We tracked through nothing but the MBox and Carbon Pre, bypassing Clubhouse’s vintage Neve 8068 MkII console, allowing us to judge the units only by what we experienced and heard.

First, though, a little info on each.

MBOX STUDIO

MBox Studio is a USB audio interface powered by Pro Tools Studio software. It features 24-bit/192 kHz audio performance and a host

of features far beyond the MBox of old.

The 21 x 22 simultaneous I/O (at 24-bit/96 kHz) includes lowlatency tracking with built-in EQ, reverb and delay from Avid FX, premium A/D conversion, four mic preamps/line inputs with variable Z impedance, two variable Z instrument inputs and four additional line-level inputs. You also have two impedanceswitching effects loops, two-way simultaneous Bluetooth I/O, optical I/O with 8-channel ADAT or 2-channel S/PDIF, coaxial SPDIF I/O, MIDI I/O and two footswitch/expression pedal inputs.

Outputs include two stereo monitor outs, one impedancematched HI-Z reamplification output with ground lift, two headphone outputs with independent cue mix control, and a talkback mic.

There are four assignable, dual-function buttons on the front, I/O metering, a large knob for volume and a large knob for functionality, such as preamp levels, etc. It’s all housed in a sturdy, black, anodized unit that packs a lot of features into a relatively small footprint.

With purchase, you get the MBox Studio audio interface, MBox Control software, MBox Ignition Pack plug-in bundle, Pro Tools Studio software (one year), Sibelius Artist (one year), USB-C and USB-C female to USB-A male adapter cables, and the power supply.

It’s important to note also that you can use MBox Studio with other DAW software aside from Pro Tools, such as Cubase, Logic Pro and others.

CARBON PRE

Carbon Pre is an 8-channel preamp with 32-bit/192 kHz conversion, allowing you to not only expand a Pro Tools Carbon-powered system to 24 channels, but operate independently as a stand-alone unit for an HD system or simply on its own for your own DAW. Each unit has eight mic/line preamps Up to nine Carbon Pre units can be integrated in an HDX/HD Native system via optical I/O, with the ability to remotely control and recall preamp settings right from your Pro Tools software through Ethernet connectivity.

It includes stacked ADCs, double-precision clocking, two hi-Z instrument inputs, 8-in/8-out line I/O, word clock I/O, ADAT I/O, and it’s EUCON-compatible. We used it to add eight additional preamp channels connected optically via ADAT to the MBox Studio.

THE ENGINEER’S SETUP

For setup, engineer Mark Everton Gray was responsible for the recording, allowing myself and the gang to focus on the music and

overall big picture. Gray says:

“In order to get the maximum amount of channels from this rig, I began by connecting the 8-channel Carbon Pre to the MBox Studio via optical cable In and Out. The computer was my M2 MacBook Pro 13-inch with 24 GBs of RAM running Monterey OS version 12.6.1. Because it only has two Thunderbolt 3 ports and a minijack port, I used an OWC 14-port Thunderbolt 3 dock to make all the necessary connections, including an Ethernet cable to Carbon for a firmware update, and remote control over the preamps from Pro Tools.

“With Carbon Pre connected to the MBox Studio, which was now the clock master, we had 16 simultaneous inputs for tracking. The setup included 13 channels for Dave’s drums and three channels for guitar—two mics for the amps and one clean DI signal from a SansAmp BassDrive DI. The second guitar pass (Rich overdubs everything twice with two different amps), bass, keyboards and percussion would all be overdubs after the initial live tracking pass. Note that the setup also included four channels of my API 512C Lunchbox, connected to MBox Studio’s four line inputs.

“Once everything was connected, I installed the latest MBox Control software and the latest version of Pro Tools using Avid Link, which makes the process quite simple. MBox Control is a separate application that runs simultaneously with Pro Tools. It’s where you can set your preferences, do all your routing within the Mbox Studio, as well as add latency-free EQ, compression, reverb and delay for tracking.

“For headphones, I ran the main outs to mults on the patch bay, then patched that to Clubhouse’s Manley Langevin headphone stations in the live room. For control room playback, I used the mults to go back into the Neve so we could use the main monitors, a pair of PMC 6-2s. However, I did use the headphone outputs on the front of the MBox for session editing purposes afterward.

“Everything was literally new out of the box, so it did take a little getting used to. Thanks to some online tutorial videos and a well-written manual, it progressed quickly and was quite easy overall. I used MBox Control to adjust all the inputs and outputs, figuring out the proper headphone feed with click tracks to the guys in the live room.

“Since we were on a deadline, we worked fast. Both the software and hardware kept up with

the flow of the session and delivered everything I needed. In fact, one track we did for a show on the A&E channel was created, recorded, mixed and uploaded to the client within one hour. This setup allowed that, and the entire session, to flow effortlessly.”

BACK TO THE BIG PICTURE

Afterward, we all agreed on a few things. First, this rig rocked. It had the right combination of efficiency and audio sonics to handle a high-level, real-world session. Yes, we had great microphones (see sidebar) and a superb live/control room, but the MBox/Carbon Pre setup delivered the goods in every way. We all have had MBoxes throughout our careers, but this was nothing like the others— not even close. It’s a sturdy and flexible little powerhouse that sounds like it looks.

One issue that we came across in our session was that with the MBox Control software open, Pro Tools controls, such as spacebar to start playback, were disabled. Since we were moving fast, it did slow us down sometimes. However, MBox Studio senior product manager and product designer John Whitcore noted, “If you’re using EuCon and Avid Control or a dock, etc. then you always have control regardless of what the active app is. With that said, we do plan on adding Pro Tools functionality mapping to the User Action buttons and footswitch inputs on MBox Studio, so you’ll also be able to do transport control that way.”

Overall, there were a few “rock star” features that stood out on the MBox Studio during the sessions. Having Bluetooth is remarkably useful and a very intelligent inclusion. MIDI In and Out was super-useful, letting keyboardist Bruce MacPherson integrate an Oberheim OB-X8 into

MICROPHONE INPUTS

the session to automate some filter sweeps. He also connected the Oberheim to the expression pedal input in order to merge expression and note information on a track.

The reamp feature was used extensively, where Gray reamped a bass into an old Ampeg B18, the guitars into a Mesa Boogie MK IV, and snare drums into a hardware EMT 140 plate and an AKG BX 15 spring. MBox Control was great for its overall efficiency, including the use of onboard effects during tracking. The inclusion of a talkback mic, as well as a built-in tuner, have to be on the list as well.

Most importantly, we got a lot of music done in a short period of time, and it sounded great. That’s what the test was all about: Simply put, the MBox Studio, MBox Control and Carbon Pre kicked ass at their respective jobs. All of us involved would take this rig into battle anytime.

You can check out the audio examples and videos from the session at mixonline.com. n

Moog Moogerfooger Effects Plug-ins

Software-Based Versions of Classic Pedal Series, and Much More

The Moogerfooger Effects Plug-Ins is a collection that includes seven digital emulations of Moog’s vaunted but discontinued Moogerfooger effects pedal series, along with one “plug-in only” effect.

COMMONALITIES

Before going into the details of the individual plug-ins, it’s important to note some of the features common to all seven. They’re all designed to look like the Moogerfooger pedals. Each has a vertical orientation, faux wood side pieces, and switches and knobs designed to look like those on the original pedals.

In addition to their effect-specific controls, each plug-in features Drive and Output knobs. The former, which resides after the input in the signal chain of each pedal, lets you dial in analog-modeled saturation. The latter lets you control the signal after the effects. Because some of the processing (for example, the Drive circuit) adds a lot of volume, having a master Output control is handy.

Each pedal also provides four or five “CV” (aka Modulation) inputs. They let you modulate critical parameters with a source

from within your session. Choices include sidechain inputs or parameters from the plug-in itself (for example, the LFO) or other open Moogerfooger plug-ins.

The pulldown menu in the CV section shows you all the options, and you can configure as many as you want. Once you’ve selected a modulation source, you’ll see a moving indicator on the appropriate knob that shows the range or amount of the modulation applied.

Each also contains additional pedal-specific parameters, which you can access by pressing the gear-shaped Settings icon.

Finally, all the plug-ins feature a collection of about 25 presets, which are great for demonstrating what each effect is capable of.

MF-101S LOWPASS FILTER

This effect consists of a classic lowpass filter with envelope control. Moog divided it into two main sections: Envelope Follower and Filter.

The former includes an Amount knob, which governs how much the amplitude from the incoming audio affects the opening or closing of the Filter. Other Envelope section controls include Follow Rate, which impacts smoothness, and a Mix knob.

The Filter section offers Cutoff and Resonance controls and a switch that toggles between 2- and 4-pole filter operation. With 4-Pole selected, the signal passes through the entire filter. With 2-Pole selected, only half of the filter gets used.

I found that the MF-101S worked excellent on a variety of sources. I used it to create a growly auto-wah effect on a bass track by turning the Cutoff way down, the Resonance up to full, and the Envelope Amount to about 2 o’clock. Making a drum loop sound more lo-fi or a synth patch fatter is also easy with the MF-101S.

MF-102S RINGMOD

This ring modulator plug-in features LFO and Modulator sections. A virtual-analog oscillator generates the LFO. The Amount Knob governs how much of that sine-like waveform will modulate the carrier signal, which comes from another voltagecontrolled oscillator.

The Modulator side features Mix and Frequency knobs. The former adjusts the amount of ringmodulated signal that goes to the output. The Frequency knob controls the carrier oscillator. The

Lo-Hi switch toggles between two frequency ranges: 0.6 Hz to 80 Hz and 30 Hz to 4 kHz.

Stepping through the presets gives you an idea of the range of effects. You can dial in everything from clean tremolo to that characteristic ringing sound to sci-fi-like extreme effects.

MF-103S PHASER

According to its manual (each plug-in has a separate manual, available from the GUI), this effect is a direct descendant of a 12-stage phaser on Moog modular synths. Plug-in-specific controls on the MF-103S include LFO and Phaser sections and an LFO Sync switch.

The LFO section lets you adjust the amount, rate and range of the LFO signal. The Phaser section’s Sweep knob lets you control its range. The Resonance knob controls the amount of resonance, whose frequency range depends on the Sweep knob’s setting. You can also switch between 6- and 12-stage operation.

The original MF-103 pedal offered only mono operation, but with the plug-in version, you get the choice of mono or stereo via switches in the back-panel Settings section, and as with all the plug-ins in the collection, you can create expansive stereo sounds. The MF-103S is an extremely versatile phase shifter.

MF-104S DELAY

This processor emulates the original pedal’s bucket-brigade circuitry. It features a Delay section with Time and Feedback knobs and a Short/Long switch that, in conjunction with the Time knob, lets you access the plug-in’s 40ms to 800ms range.

You can use delay only, or modulate it with the LFO section, which contains Waveshape, Rate and Amount controls. The Delay Time and LFO can be independently synced to the host tempo.

The Settings section offers a choice of PingPong or Echo delay types, and Legacy, Analog or Modern tone, among other parameters.

It’s a luscious-sounding and flexible delay effect. My only wish would be for more maximum delay time, because it’s not capable of quarternote delays at tempos below 75 bpm.

MF-105S MURF

The hardware version of this Multiple Resonant Filter Array was designed by Bob Moog and released back in 2004. The plug-in version features an Animation section with a built-in

pattern sequencer and a Filter section.

The former sports knobs for Mix, Envelope, Pattern and Rate—and a Freq switch that toggles between bass and midrange filter voicings.

The Pattern knob offers a choice of 12 preset patterns (user-editable) that you can apply to modulate the Filter array. The Filter section looks like a graphic EQ, with each band on an individual slider.

The Patterns allow you to add movement to any sound. I got good results by first experimenting with the different Patterns, then tweaking the Envelope and Rate knobs, and finally adjusting different Filter settings.

MF-107S FREQBOX

This unique effect lets you apply several modular synth functions to your audio. It even has an oscillator built-in, which generates various types of tones that you can blend with the source or replace entirely.

The VCO (voltage-controlled oscillator) section contains a frequency (Freq) knob, a switch to turn on and off Sync, and a Waveform selector where you can switch between triangle, sawtooth, square and rectangular waveforms, with gradations in between.

The basic idea is that you select a waveform and then modulate it. If you turn the Mix control fully up, you’ll only hear the VCO’s output. Lower settings combine it with the source audio. If you’re mixing the two, it’s often helpful to adjust the Frequency knob until it’s tuned to the source audio or harmonizing with it.

I used it to create drone notes under singlenote synth parts and add heft and tonality to the kick in drum loops. Of all the plug-ins in

the collection, it most closely replicates the experience of turning the knobs on a synth and experimenting until you find a sound you like.

MF-108S CLUSTERFLUX

The MF-108S contains two main sections: Delay and LFO. The former features a bucket-brigade circuit emulation and provides Time and Feedback knobs and a Chorus/Flange mode switch.

The LFO offers a Waveform knob with six choices: Sine, Triangle, Square, Sawtooth, Ramp and Random Stepped. The Rate and Amount knobs control the LFO and give you significant sonic options. I was able to quickly dial in everything from lush choruses to deep flangers to vibrato and filter sweeps. It’s an effect you can use on guitars, basses, synths and samplers.

MF-109S SATURATOR

Moog recently added this plug-in, which is not a replication of a hardware pedal, to the Moogerfooger bundle. It takes the same Drive circuit included on all the pedals and adds Envelope control.

Featuring Envelope and Noise sections, it’s capable of everything from light crunch to heavy distortion. Using the Envelope controls, you can modulate the saturation to create a broader range of sounds.

OODLES OF EFFECTS

As you would expect from Moog, the Moogerfooger Effects Plug-ins sound uniformly excellent and offer bountiful creative possibilities. The back-panel setting options and virtual CV inputs add significantly to the breadth of these effects.

If you’re looking to take your effects processing to the next level—particularly if you’re producing music with electronic instruments—there’s no better value in the plug-in world than the Moogerfooger Effects Plug-Ins. n

Tech // reviews

Sonnox ListenHub

More Consistent Mixes Through Loudness Monitoring, Analysis

Sonnox ListenHub is analysis software to measure, compare or reference an in-progress stereo mix in your DAW to any other stereo source, all in real-time. The software can measure an Internet stream or a .wav file playing in your computer, and its collection of tools help in making consistent musical/mix decisions and troubleshooting potential problems not always easily heard.

ListenHub’s primary task is to measure and monitor two important audio Loudness specifications: LUFS (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale) and PSR (Peak to Short-Term Loudness Ratio.) ListenHub measures your music’s dynamics with an approximate rating in green lettering, using descriptive terms like: Lively, Loud and Competitive. This is in preparation for streaming services that apply loudness normalization to uploaded, mastered audio files. Adjusting your music’s dynamics to LUFS and PSR and PSR will produce a less sonically compromised outcome after the application of mandatory loudness normalization.

ListenHub runs as a stereo audio playback/monitoring device in Mac OS and outputs to devices such as an aggregate I/O or a USB interface. It runs either as an AAX, AU or VST3c plug-in on the stereo master monitor fader of your DAW mixer, or as standalone, system-wide software that makes measurements of stereo audio streams running in the host computer. Although not required for operation, an App (free download) runs on your iPhone, iPad or Android device and “mirrors” the plug-in’s GUI and information over the device’s Wi-Fi connection to your DAW.

STANDALONE AND PLUG-IN

I use an SSL 2 Stereo USB interface for Zoom audio, alert sounds, and any Core audio streams, including Spotify. I launched the standalone ListenHub application (ver 1.00.8), and its icon showed up in the task bar on my ancient 2010 Mac Pro running Mojave 10.14.6. ListenHub was then ready to be opened from a pull-down menu. However, the task bar icon/app does not persist, and if I quit ListenHub, I had to go back to the Applications folder, find it and relaunch it. Maybe ListenHub’s icon/app should be located in the Dock.

ListenHub’s output is configured in the Mac’s Sound app, and I set it so that all computer audio plays through ListenHub, then the SSL 2.

ListenHub is a 6-in/2-out system, with the first input called System 1&2; in my studio computer, Spotify plays out of System 1-2. There are also the Main 3-4 and Reference 5-6 inputs. I liked that there are colored LEDs to indicate audio presence at these inputs—a green LED indicates nominal LUFS, and occasional yellows are to be expected. Only one source can be monitored and measured at a time, making it easy to compare and measure any of those three sources individually.

If you prefer to keep your monitor path and not use a USB interface, or not tolerate ListenHub’s additional latency (over 2,000 samples at 48 kHz), then use the AAX Native plug-in version. ListenHub’s latency is variable depending on any additional plug-ins you may have inserted in the FX Chain.

In Pro Tools, I like to record and playlist mixes to a new stereo audio track in real time, so I inserted ListenHub on a stereo master monitor fader. The plug-in version adds a fourth “Plugin” input for the stereo output in your DAW. However, I could only hear Spotify (System) audio through the SSL 2 interface, so I connected the SSL 2’s output to one of the analog source inputs for monitoring in my Cranesong Avocet 2 monitor controller.

LISTENHUB IN USE

I mix music in Pro Tools HDX using 96 channels spread out over five hardware interfaces—Pro Tools does not work with different interfaces for the input and output signals, but since version 2022.9, there is the new Aux I/O feature that adds multichannel Core audio I/O access within the regular HDX I/O page.

I used the standalone ListenHub version alongside of Pro Tools by routing the mix to input Main (ListenHub 3-4) from the master stereo fader in Pro Tools. Now System (ListenHub 1-2) had Spotify from the Web browser in the computer, Main (ListenHub 3-4) had my mix, and for the Reference (ListenHub 5-6) input, I routed a previously mastered song I imported into Pro Tools.

With the output of ListenHub using the same playback interface (my SSL 2) and switching between System, Main and Reference inputs, I easily could compare them. I used the Match button to match the loudness equally for all three sources, trimming them to -20 LUFS (short-term loudness). You can also tap again to return them to unity gain. I liked this

feature for checking mixes at preset listening volumes because Spotify’s stream will already be loudness-normalized. I changed it to -14 LUFS in Preferences—typical LUFS for streamed audio. Integrated Loudness in LUFS is indicated in the Loudness box, while the Dynamics box shows the PSR; both have small meters. I liked the horizontal volume expiry line that indicates the ebb and flow over time of the music’s dynamics. The manual has important information and general advice about all this.

SPECTRAL DISPLAY, MONITORING, FX

ListenHub’s Spectral display shows a complete L+R picture of the stereo audio, but it is all a little dark, as is the entire ListenHub GUI. There are band soloing buttons for five different frequency bands: Sub from 20 to 60 Hz, Low from 60 to 240 Hz, Low-Mid from 240 to 900 Hz, HighMid from 900 Hz to 5 kHz, and High from 5 to 20 kHz. You can solo any combination of these bands, and the unselected bands dim in volume as much as -42 dB, with the waveform display also diming appropriately.

As a check on the integrity of the stereo sound, Channel Solo acts like a good studio stereo monitor system, with solos for Left, Right, Sides, Mono (L+R) and a button to Swap Left and Right channels.

Super-handy monitoring features continue with preset volume levels at: Loud 0 dB, Normal at -6 dB, Quiet at -12 dB and Soft at -18. If you

use these controls along with consistent speaker and/or headphone monitoring levels, you’ll be less likely to “hype” or fool yourself with bogus mix moves and erratic level jumps. There are also a Mute button and a -12 dB Dim button applied on top of your selected volume level. I liked Auto Mute; the output mutes if a +12 dB or more signal comes along that could damage speakers or headphones. It’s adjustable.

A very modern feature in ListenHub is FX Chains. Up to three plug-ins assembled in a chain can be loaded into the monitoring outputs of either the Main or Alt outputs. You could have a monitoring plug-in chain like Sonarworks Sound ID for your speakers and a separate set of correction plug-ins (and settings) for your headphones using the Alt output. Different setups of these FX Chains can be stored and recalled—such as when in your home studio or on the road on different monitor speakers. The integrated professional monitoring facilities, along with the FX Chains feature, makes ListenHub a “must-have” for the laptop producer.

Sonnox has the right product for these modern times, and the company has backed it with a complete searchable catalog of recommended practices and explanations regarding using ListenHub professionally. Mixing takes on an instant leap of consistent accuracy when ListenHub is properly set up and used. I highly recommend it! n

// Shorts

Universal Audio Dream ’65 Reverb Amplifier

The Dream ’65 Reverb Amplifier is one of three amp-emulating pedals in Universal Audio’s UAFX effects line, its two siblings being the Ruby ’63 Top Boost Amplifier (based on a Vox AC30) and Woodrow ’55 Instrument Amplifier (based on a “tweed” Fender Deluxe). As the name hints, the new pedal is based on a ’65 Fender Deluxe Reverb.

The three pedals have many similar features, but each has a unique sound and control set. This review is specific to the Dream ’65 Reverb Amplifier. Although it offers many handy features for live use, I’ll concentrate here on its utility in the studio.

The Dream ’65 Reverb Amp is housed in a heavy-duty metal chassis. It runs on a 9V DC power supply, which is not included. It

should run fine on a pedalboard’s 9V power supply.

The I/O features two 1/4-inch inputs and two outputs, so you can connect mono or stereo sources. Controls include Volume, Reverb, Output, Bass, Treble and Boost. The latter two also function as the Speed and Intensity for the gorgeous-sounding Vibrato effect

The Volume knob governs input gain while the Output functions as a master volume. The higher the gain, the more overdrive. You can use the Boost knob to push the saturation further and change the overdrive characteristics depending on which of the three Amp Mod settings you choose.

The Reverb accurately re-creates the sound of an amp’s spring reverb. The Speaker switch lets you choose between emulations of different speaker cabinet configurations (each of which was modeled through a different mic). If you’re using the pedal connected to an actual guitar amp, you can turn off the cabinet simulation.

You’ll get the most out of the Dream ’65 Reverb pedal if you register it on the UAD site and download the free UAFX control app (iOS and Android). You can use the pedal without the app, but it won’t have all its functionality.

The app communicates with the pedal over Bluetooth, and when open and paired, you get several benefits, including three additional speaker cabinet emulations. It also provides access to banks of Factory and Artist presets, along with a User category for saving your settings. I was disappointed to discover that you can’t edit any of the amp knobs and switches from the app, only from the pedal itself.

With the pedal connected to my audio interface, I found it easy to quickly dial in settings—both clean and overdriven—that sounded like they were from a well-miked vintage Deluxe Reverb. The touch and feel when playing guitar through the pedal are amazingly authentic—more so than with any amp modeling plugin I’ve used.

Another advantage to recording direct through the Dream ’65 pedal is that you don’t have to worry about the volume from an actual guitar amp. Use it for late-night sessions or to avoid bleed when tracking a band in a single room. Because the pedal is creating the amp simulation, you can monitor with zero latency.

If you prefer recording dry DI guitar parts to keep your sound options open for the mix, you could always reamp them through the Dream ’65 pedal later, although you’ll need a separate reamp box to do so.

No matter your workflow, you will surely be impressed with the authentic guitar amp sound and playing experience that the Dream ’65 Reverb Amplifier pedal provides. It’s a potent new option for recording electric guitar.

Newfangled Audio Invigorate

Newfangled Audio’s Invigorate, available from Eventide Audio, is much more than a stereo compressor/limiter.

It is for “coloring up” any stereo or mono track by applying carefully sculpted, pumping compression, distortion or limiting in any combination using an intuitive collection of controls. These changes are made possible using a resizable radar screen–style interface that resembles a vertical birds-eye view of a baseball diamond.

Running as an AAX, VST3 or AU plug-in, Invigorate is best used as an insert processor, as a single Radar Dot can be moved around with a mouse between Compress, Limit and Overdrive signals, with the Mix control then working as a Wet/Dry. There are conventional compressor controls such as Attack, Release and Curve, along with an Anti-Pump filter—a highpass filter in the side-chain.

I liked the Compensate Gain feature that sets the level of the processed signal; also clever were the Nominal and Learn controls to dial in the operating level for the compensation engine. Likewise noteworthy are the Tone Controls —three adjustable three-band EQs you can set separately for the sidechain path or the Input and the Output signals.

With all these controls available in one plug-in, I had to try it on one of my most difficult recent mixes, with problematic instrument tracks. I had a stereo synth pad that was not always “hearable” when placed at a proper, soft level. (Pads, when too hearable, seem to flood out all the transparency and air of the mix itself.) I put Invigorate across the pad to try to add a layer of compression with some distortion mixed in. Worked great—better than EQ or anything else I tried. The pad was more “transparent,” and I heard it fine without clogging up all the space in the track.

Open Channel

Is the Race to the Bottom Over?

In 2021, streaming accounted for 83 percent of the recorded music market. You knew that. You also knew that the purchase of digital downloads continues to decline. And you also knew that vinyl is stubbornly holding on to its tiny market share.

Why?

What you may not know is that in 2021, CD sales increased by 50 percent over the previous year. This is the first time since 2004 that CDs sold more than they did the year before.

Sales of vinyl have increased over 350 percent since the start of the pandemic, and according to an article posted in August 2022 by NBC Los Angeles, “Current vinyl album sales are up 27.4 percent compared to this time last year.”

Why?

No, we won’t see CDs or vinyl regain their former glory, but that’s not the point. I think the resurgence of vinyl and CDs, no matter how small, might have real significance for our industry.

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

earbuds or Bluetooth.

Companies even stopped referring to people as listening to music. They used the term consuming music. Ultimately, the “victory” that the music industry achieved over Napster and file-stealing was putting music on a par with a Wendy’s chicken sandwich.

But not everyone wants to eat a Wendy’s chicken sandwich. Some prefer the experience of eating at a fine restaurant. For today’s audiophile who wants quality sound, by and large, the most convenient option remains the CD—and if you want an experience, your best option is vinyl. I think the uptick in CD sales, and the ongoing interest in vinyl, means that some people want gorgeous music in their living room—not just portable music that went through a data grinder.

Maybe people are starting to realize that streaming is great for consuming music, but it’s not always so great for listening to music.

The portal for music was no longer the home stereo, but a smartphone, MP3 player or computer. None proved ideal for listening to music.

The race to the bottom began in 2001. Napster was shut down that year, but the genie was already out of the bottle. CD sales started their precipitous year-over-year decline. Apple released the iPod (the name was inspired by the line “open the pod bay doors, Hal” from 2001: A Space Odyssey) and launched iTunes, which paved the way for its iTunes store in 2003.

Consumers loved the iPod’s promise of “a thousand songs in your pocket.” They could even steal the music needed to fill up their hard drives, and then take the music wherever they wanted. Cool, right?

But there was a big problem. Those thousand songs had to fit on the iPod’s 5 GB drive. That meant 5 MB per song. That meant destructive data compression. And for Internet file-stealing, it meant 128 kbps data compression, or worse.

It also meant Apple had become the gatekeeper for the entire music industry—yet it had zero commitment to individual artists or labels. What mattered was keeping its store stocked, which sold music at a price it set, with a profit it specified, and with data-compressed quality that it determined. The entire record industry surrendered to Apple, in the face of an electronic revolution they were too clueless to anticipate. They didn’t really bother to counter Apple. They didn’t even have a counter.

The portal for music was no longer the home stereo, but a smartphone, MP3 player or computer. None proved ideal for listening to music. Computer speakers are not audiophile-quality. Listening on a smartphone means interruptions by notifications, batteries that run out, and using

THE PATH BACK TO QUALITY

And there’s a Trojan Horse: home theaters. People love their 4K and 8K video screens, so the next logical step is sound that’s on par with the video. Sound bars aren’t good enough. Wireless Bluetooth isn’t (currently) good enough.

Vinyl aficionados will remain, because for a music-listening experience, you can’t do much better than vinyl. The scent of vinyl, the gentle lowering of the tonearm, the beautiful cover art…it’s downright sensual compared to dialing in a streaming service on a smartphone. And the CD probably won’t disappear for at least a while longer. Companies still make audiophile-quality CD players, and let’s face it—properly mastered Red Book CDs sound damn good.

But the handwriting is on the wall for climbing back up from the bottom. Lossy data compression is becoming a relic. You can stream MQA (basically 24/96) and Dolby Atmos tracks on TIDAL for $20/month. Apple, Deezer Premium and Qobuz offer lossless audio. Then there’s Amazon Music Ultra HD, which delivers 24-bit/192 kHz quality. Spotify’s longanticipated lossless tier may arrive soon.

The remaining barrier is that you need to listen over a system that can handle higher bit depths and sample rates. Smartphones don’t necessarily cut it, so an outboard DAC—while costly—is essential. I know people who’ve taken the plunge and invested in a quality DAC with equally high-quality speakers or headphones; for them, it’s a revelation. They’re blown away by hearing sound quality—not just sound quantity—maybe for the first time.

As Nora Barnes sang at the end of WWI, “How Are You Gonna Keep ’Em Down on the Farm (After They’ve Seen Paree?)” An entire generation has been raised on poor-quality sound, but they’re starting to see Paree. And they like what they see.

Maybe the race to the top has begun. ■