I’m not sure what anyone else has planned over the summer, but I’ll be spending a good deal of my

‘time off ’ in the studio, working on Th e Mill’s acoustic treatments, wiring new analogue gear into the patchbay and mixing a couple of albums. Not exactly a dream summer vacation, I admit, but aft er a long and busy 2009 it will be good just to kick back… and work 16 hours a day in the studio! Sometimes I think I must have taken leave of my senses.

When a new year kicks off , being the editor of AT always puts me in a refl ective mood. Th e summer break is usually the time when I pause and try to imagine the future of audio as we know it – where we all might be a decade from now and how we might be converting our aural ideas into reality by 2020. Trying to look through the fog of current technology into a future audio industry is a bit like base-jumping off a cliff without a parachute. It’s a dangerous and foolhardy enterprise predicting the future, and there’s almost no hope of landing it. One thing’s for sure though, digital technology is advancing faster than you can say ‘yes’ to a free crayfi sh dinner and analogue technology is receding faster than the world’s glaciers (there might even be a link there).

So what will our audio workplaces look like in 2020? Will we have dispensed with whirring computers altogether and replaced them with an intelligent plasma blob that fl oats in the corner like a brain? Will the brain be able to read any input device, despite having no visible input connections – you just connect to it like a knife through jelly. Will the bulk of our live concerts be silent to passers by, due to relentless complaints by whinging neighbours? I can see a time coming when concert PA rigs dispense with the messy concept of propagating soundwaves through air altogether. Gigs will instead only be audible when you’ve purchased a ticket online. Th e ticket will send a coded message to your 100MHz ‘I’ (iPods and mobile phones will be quaint anachronisms by 2020), which will allow you to listen to the gig in surround inter-cranially via a remote patch that Apple has sewn onto your skull. While at the gig, if you so much as think about buying merch or a recording of the band, the concert PA will instantly download the music to your ‘I’ and charge you a fee. Your merch will be wrapped and ready for you to take home as you pass through the exit scanners. Th ese scanners will take a second swipe of your ticket as you leave and feed all your personal details into a worldwide consumer database of manufacturers, who will send junkmail to your inbox ready for you to read by the time you get home. All proceeds from the show will go directly to Apple, which

ED SPACEWorking on the (studio) tan.Text: Andy Stewart

by then will have purchased the word ‘apple’ and the genetic code of the fruit formerly grown on trees, and sued anyone using anything resembling an apple in any context anywhere on the planet, verbal or otherwise.

Th e fl ipside of this whimsical future projection is that by 2020 the world will be considerably warmer, and everyone in the West will be reminiscing about the glory days when power could be tapped into via a three-pin plug and hurricane winds only blew sometimes. Anyone consuming power will require a license, and Prime Minister Garrett will own all the nuclear power stations across Australia, despite the howls of protests when it was revealed he’d abandoned the Australian constitution in favour of a ‘Council of Multi-Nationals’, which had conveniently mistaken the words ‘Nuclear Free’ for ‘Nuclear Fee’. Despite Garrett being keen for us to consume more power, audio devices will nevertheless run on very little power, rendering all remaining analogue gear to the scrap heap once and for all.

My realistic hope is that by 2020 the audio world will be free of leads and patching, and consume no more that 20 Watts of renewable power via solar panels and turbines on the roof. Studios will be largely off the grid and Class-A devices will be a thing of the past. Th ere will be a few pangs of regret about this – from yours truly if no one else – but hopefully by then we’ll have abandoned our romance with ‘vintage’ audio. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if we’re to protect the future from global catastrophe we’ll all have to get used to consuming far less power and consider our equipment purchases in these terms as much as their technical superiority. Old gear will be very hard to justify in this context.

Ironically, right now I seem to be heading in the opposite direction, even though the batteries and solar panels for Th e Mill are already ordered. I’ve got the analogue outboard bug badly at the moment – analogue compressors especially. Th ey’re getting cheaper by the day, but a room full of them chews power faster than Tony Soprano eats spaghetti. I’ll have to organise a second windmill to compensate. Actually, the windmill installation is proving to be a diffi cult conundrum, not for lack of wind, mind you – there’s plenty of that where I live. Th e main problem seems to be where to place it so the whirring of the blades doesn’t drive myself and those I work with crazy…

Happy New Year folks! May 2010 be a productive and memorable one for us all.

Audio TechnologyEditorAndy Stewart andy@audiotechnology.com.au

PublisherPhilip Spencer philip@alchemedia.com.au

Editorial DirectorChristopher Holder chris@audiotechnology.com.au

Deputy EditorBrad Watt s brad@audiotechnology.com.au

Editorial AssistantMark Davie mark@alchemedia.com.au

Design & ProductionJody Hayesjody@alchemedia.com.au

Additional DesignDominic Careydominic@alchemedia.com.au

AdvertisingPhilip Spencer philip@alchemedia.com.au

Accounts ManagerJenny Temm jen@alchemedia.com.au

Circulation ManagerMiriam Mulcahy mim@alchemedia.com.au

Proof ReadingCalum Orr

Regular ContributorsMartin Walker Rick O’Neil Michael Stavrou Calum Orr Paul Tingen Graeme Hague Paul McKercher Hugh CovillAdam McElneaGreg Walker William Bowden Anthony ToumaGreg SimmonsRob SquireRobin GistMichael CarpenterMark WoodsJonathan BurnsideAndrew BencinaMark Bassett Chris Vallejo

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AudioTechnology magazine (ISSN 1440-2432) is published by Alchemedia Publishing Pty Ltd (ABN 34 074 431 628).

Contact (Advertising) T: +61 2 9986 1188PO BOX 6216, Frenchs ForestNSW 2086, Australia.

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All material in this magazine is copyright © 2009 Alchemedia Publishing Pty Ltd. Apart from any fair dealing permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process with out written permission. The publishers believe all information supplied in this magazine to be correct at the time of publication. They are not in a position to make a guarantee to this effect and accept no liability in the event of any information proving inaccurate. After investigation and to the best of our knowledge and belief, prices, addresses and phone numbers were up to date at the time of publication. It is not possible for the publishers to ensure that advertisements appearing in this publication comply with the Trade Practices Act, 1974. The responsibility is on the person, company or advertising agency submitting or directing the advertisement for publication. The publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions, although every endeavour has been made to ensure complete accuracy. 21/12/09.

TUTORIALSREGULARS REVIEWSFEATURES

28 CHIC CHIC BOOM!

Production is an endless journey of discovery. Joe Chiccarelli takes us behind the glass of some of his most recent epics.

36 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A V.O.

AT spends a day with people that prefer to be heard and not seen. Tap, tap: “Is this thing on?”

42 GAME ON

Graeme Hague hooks up with three contemporary game composers to get the low-down on how to make it to the next level.

12 YOUR WORD

Readers’ Letters.18 NEWS News and new product

information. Includes Sound in the House – the Sydney Opera House installs a state-of-the-art concert rig into its f lagship Concert Hall.

58 WHAT’S ON

Studio roundup, featuring Pony Music and Matthew Gray Mastering.

62 PC & MAC AUDIO

Martin Walker reckons when it comes to computer monitors, size does matter. Brad Watts, meanwhile, reckons it’s all about getting hands-on with it.

96 SOMETHING YOU WON’T LEARN IN AUDIO SCHOOL

PART 1: DIY PHASE CHECKER Rick has gone and gotten all

educational on us!

48 STAV’S WORD

This issue Stav has us gazing into his crystal ball of ‘quasi’ mastering.

52 ATTAINING THE OPPOSITE OF CLARITY – THE SUBTLE ART OF ‘MOOSHING’

Who cares how you record it, it’s all gonna get ‘mooshed’ anyway!

54 TAPE FLANGING IN THE NEW WORLD

If you think your old tape machine is good for nothing these days, Paul McKercher has something for you to try.

68 IN BRIEF

Euphonix MC Transport, Golden Age Projects Pre-73, The Batt-O-Meter, The Basics Live at The Corner Hotel.

72 PRESONUS STUDIOLIVE 16.4.2

Digital performance & recording mixer.

76 EAW KF740

Line Array

78 KLARK TEKNIK DN530 & DN540

Analogue Outboard Processors

82 APB DYNASONICS MIXSWITCH Multi-Channel Audio Switcher

84 MOTU BPM

Beat Production Software

86 RME FIREFACE UC

USB 2.0 Interface

88 GOLDEN AGE PROJECT R1 ACTIVE MKIII

Ribbon Microphone

90 RADIAL ENGINEERING PRO SERIES

Connectivity Devices

94 SHURE KSM313 & KSM353

Ribbon Microphones

CONTENTS 72 - Full magazine out now

2654

SEE PAGE 67

SUBSCRIBE & WINa PreSonus StudioLive 16.4.2!

Mixing & Mastering Forum Now Online!

AT ONLINE

What do you get when you convene audio leviathan George Massenburg, Australian mix maestros Paul McKercher and Wayne Connolly, ‘Last Word’ guru and mastering legend Rick O’Neil and pop star Josh Pyke to talk about the current landscape of mixing and mastering? AT Editor, Andy Stewart, found out as he moderated a lively forum at Integrate 09. With hundreds of world-class albums, ARIAs and Grammys under their belt the mixing and mastering forum covered topics such as formats, the benefi ts of working with and without clients present, the ‘loudness war’, and discussions about when a mix is actually complete. It’s a fascinating meeting of minds. See and hear some highlights on the AT site now!

George Massenburg Headlines Integrate 09: Th is is a 10-minute highlights package of George’s ‘keynote’ address. Here he exhorts and cajoles a room full of willing disciples to reject the mp3 status quo and aim a touch higher… maybe even 24-bit/192k higher.

www.audiotechnology.com.au

Check out über-educator and AT stalwart, Greg ‘Simmosonic’ Simmons, in full fl ight. Online you’ll catch a highlights package of Simmo laying down the law of investing in the right gear without wastage or regret.

www.audiotechnology.com.au

‘PA Shootouts – Buying the Right Rig’ was a hugely popular Headroom panel discussion bringing together some industry heavy hitters to discuss the pitfalls and pratfalls of PA system shootouts. How do you make them work for you? Th is video highlight package will provide you with some invaluable advice, including the dangers of relying on EASE models, how to properly demo a PA in your space, and how best to make the fi nal leap of faith.

Here’s what you’ll fi nd on the AT site:www.audiotechnology.com.au

Sydney August 24-26 2010Hordern Pavilion & Royal Hall of Industries

2010

DEMOS

WORKSHOPS

SEMINARS

FORUMS

GEAR

MUSIC

RECORDING

LIVE SOUND

BROADCAST

POST PRO

HOUSE OF WORSHIP

Mix with the BEST!Meet AT staff and writers as as AT goes ‘Live’

SOUND IN THE HOUSEThe Sydney Opera House installs a state-of-the-art concert rig into its flagship Concert Hall.Text: Christopher Holder

LIVE NEWS

Th e Opera House is more than a performing arts centre, it’s an Australian icon right up

there with the kangaroo, Uluru and Lara ‘where the bloody hell are ya’ Bingle in a bikini. But with international recognition comes big expectations; expectations the fl agship Concert Hall wasn’t living up to. Th e problem wasn’t the space, the program or the performances; it was the sound reinforcement. Th e Opera House’s previous rig (originally purchased to handle work on the Sydney Festivals) was being manhandled around the facility and bumped into the Concert Hall as necessary. Th ere’s nothing wrong with the old system, it just became obvious – what with amplifi ed concerts no longer a ‘once in a blue moon’ exception – that the Concert Hall needed a permanently installed PA.

to them and asking questions. He’s accustomed to going into arenas like Wembley Stadium with artists like Barbra Streisand and getting things precisely how he’d like them. Meanwhile, he was looking at us, thinking ‘why all the compromises when there doesn’t seem to be a reason for them?’. Importantly, Bruce gave our sound team the confi dence that he was on their side.

SHOOTOUT

To cut a long story short – and aft er a number of years of shootouts, consultations, management changes, submissions, tenders, lobbying and hundreds of meetings – d&b audiotechnik came out on top. d&b’s Ralf Zuleeg (head of its Application Support department) designed a stereo solution based around d&b J-Series loudspeakers.

Something had to be done. Cue: David Claringbold, Technical Director of the Sydney Opera House, the man for the moment. David had the vision for what the Concert Hall could be and the savviness to convince the Opera House board that there was a strong business case for a big investment. Knowing the hurdles that needed to be negotiated, Claringbold set about building a formidable team to give the enterprise its best chance of success.

David Claringbold: I’ve had some experience with large tenders and I knew having an objective voice to assist is very important. I contacted Bruce Jackson, who’s well known to the audio community in Australia and worldwide, and asked if he’d like to be involved. Bruce spent a couple of sessions with our sound team, watching what was going on, talking

Totally Covered: These two views (here and opposite)show the various d&b speaker systems in place: the main nine-element J Series hang, the wide-dispersion Ti Series side arrays, and the four-element Qi Series delays at the back of the hall. You can also spot the cardioid J Subs stacked on stage and Qi10 in-fill. The main J Series array has three modes, or hang heights, depending on the use. These allow the SOH to accommodate a variety of sight line and rigging issues, e.g having a screen behind the orchestra or doing a TV show where the PA needs to be heard but not seen, as well as standard concert positions. The main PA can be vertically adjusted up to 20° in addition to the various height settings. These are ‘touch of a button’ programmable winch positions (with EQ and delay settings to match), much to the relief of the sound crew who, prior to the install, would be routinely up all hours in preparation for an amplified gig. NB: in these photos the main PA hang is set high in ‘Speech Mode’ for symphony purposes.

AT 6

In the interests of certainty, a test system was installed. National Audio Systems, the Australian representatives of d&b, had sold J Series rigs to a number of Australian rental companies and now it was the time to hire the gear back. System components came from IJS, with added support from Cairellie and LSV Productions in Sydney. Th e system comprised a left /right hang of J-Series, with J-Subs, E3 front fi lls, and Qs for fi rst position side hang and out above the upper stalls for delays.

Ralf Zuleeg, d&b: We ran the system for a show with Anoushka Shankar, daughter of Ravi, with three or four musicians: tablas, percussion, sitar. Th at’s just what you need. It’s no good running a system trial with CDs, because a CD is pre-EQ’d; they tend to have too much HF and low end, and they never really display the dynamics of a live show. Bruce Jackson expressed concern about the low mid from the side boxes. We agreed: the dispersion from the Q was too tight for the positions available to rig, which put the boxes too close to the target audience. Fortunately, I knew we were about to launch the T-Series; with its wider 105° dispersion and more power. It was perfect, I just needed to persuade David and Bruce.

WINNER

David and Bruce were persuaded, as was the board and, indeed, all the Opera House technical staff seem to be delighted with the results. Sound Supervisor, Royce Sanderson, summarises the change succinctly: “With the old system we always had to pop the bonnet, even if we were only taking the car down to the corner shop – say a schools presentation session. Now we can just turn up and drive.”

When asked to elaborate Royce dwells on the superior coverage: “For me the most important consideration is equal coverage, it has to be as uniform as possible; this is critical. Previously, I could get equal level in most parts of the house, but sonically it was not the same – once you got past the lower circle you couldn’t deliver a mix below 100Hz. So there are two requirements: the need to be sonically equal throughout the space, so all those who’ve paid for a ticket have as close an experience as possible to what the house mix engineer wanted to deliver; and, secondly, directivity. We needed control of dispersion away from the stage; in a place as sonically complex as this, that’s essential. Downstage had always been a problem for us; HF especially spilling into performer’s mics and compromising gain before feedback. Prior to this new system I used to impose a policy of no lapel mics on this stage… ever.”

So what about the d&b J-Subs then? Royce continues:

“Th e old system sounded warm and loose for classical music, but for pop it was too fl abby – we’d hi-pass at 40Hz. Th e fact that these d&b J-Subs are truly cardioid is a bonus – now I can get so much more gain.”

WIRED FOR SOUND

Selecting the right PA and getting it pointing in the right direction was one thing, but installing the entire system was another. d&b spec its own amplifi ers. A spot in the roof cavity was identifi ed

to accommodate them. A whole new networking backbone was installed as well.

AT spoke to Cameron O’Neil (Supervisor Sound AV Technical Support) to hear how hi-def audio is turning into just another IT data stream!

Cameron O’Neil: Th e transport system is based on fi bre. All audio goes into one of two Dolby Lake Processors [DLPs], which converts it into a Dante stream – Dante is the Australian-designed audio-over-IP system; it’s a high-speed low-latency audio network that can share bandwidth with other networking systems. We use standard Cisco switches, then it’s off out over fi bre again to the four output DLPs and then, via AES/EBU, into the amps. Th ree DLPs are in the roof feeding the amps and one is at stage level for the ground-stacked PA. We can also use that DLP for foldback if necessary.

AT: So the fi bre network hosts everything?

CO’N: Yes, the main clocking, the main audio stream, control information – so front of house can control the DLPs and the amps – as well as standard services like the internet.

AT: Th e internet is on the same network as the audio? You must still have the odd bout of cold sweats then?

CO’N: Down in our workshop we had the system all but set up, with the processors running audio 24/7. We were confi dent, but when it was switched on in the room it was good to see everything fi re up fi rst time. Saying that, there’s an analogue fallback, so if the Ethernet network were to fail, a signal can be distributed around the main audio network to allow the system to operate.

CONCEALED CONSOLE

Clearly, this was a time for wholesale changes, so the Opera House technical department began casting an eye at the Concert Hall’s front of house position. Ross Ahern, Head of Sound, fi lls us in:

Ross Ahern: Some time ago we installed a Yamaha PM5D at the back of the stalls, which lowers into a cavity under the fl oor. But depending on the

performance we had requests for an analogue console, and for that eventuality we would bring out our Midas H3000. Th e H3000 is an absolute monster and was a 10- to 12-man lift over the seating to get it into position.

So, we decided to bite the bullet and fi nd a way of permanently installing the H3000. To do this we accessed a cavity under the circle at the back of the stalls. Th ere’s a number of services, such as air conditioning, in the cavity and it was quite an undertaking but it’s great to be able to wheel out the console and the FOH rack as and when we need it. Th e quality of the H3000 shines through. In fact, thanks to the d&b rig you can hear just about any change in the signal chain.

DONE DEAL

With the system now installed, the SOH sound team can settle into a busy Summer season. Royce Sanderson takes us through an example of the new setup coming into its own:

Royce Sanderson: Recently we had Th e Whitlams with the Sydney Symphony in here. It was a huge production. Th e accuracy of its dispersion means we have much less spill on stage. And when you’re dealing with 80-odd open bug mics that’s a blessing – it allows us to provide a more balanced, discrete mix. Secondly, the system has incredible sonic depth – when you’re amplifying classical instruments the eff ect is very natural and almost three-dimensional. Vocally, it’s quite astonishing. Tim Freedman’s voice, straight out of the box was lush, warm and natural.

And it’s a delight to not have to bump in! To have it all installed and tuned is a true delight. It’s a beautiful looking and sounding turnkey system that we have the utmost confi dence in handing over to visiting engineers.

This article was put together based on a combination of interviews commissioned by d&b, transcripts from the Integrate 09 ‘Sound in the House’ seminar and interviews conducted by AT. A brief synopsis of the ‘Sound in the House’ seminar is on the AT site.Go: www.audiotechnology.com.au and follow the Video link.

AT 8

Whether you’re wrestling a three-eyed spectre inside the missile tube of an alien spacecraft or leaping from log to log as if your life depends on it, chances are your predicament is supported by a musical accompaniment. So who makes it and how?

Text: Graeme Hague

Don’t mess with me. I’m a pretty good shot with a Mark IV sniper rifl e. I can show Biggles

a thing or two in a Sopwith Camel, too. Now, if only I can stop a nasty sod called Bloodmarine from blowing me to pieces every few minutes…

Okay, I admit that I play computer games, but I’m not alone. Th eir popularity today is voraciously swallowing the disposable income of ‘gamers’ of all ages. It’s big business – big business. In July this year a game called Battlefi eld 1943 was released in a downloadable version for Xbox and PlayStation only (a PC version is coming), and within a week it notched up 600,000 downloads and achieved the one million mark by August. Th at’s just one franchise game among hundreds that enjoy similar success and they all bow in reverence to the Godfather of games, World of Warcraft which requires a monthly subscription to play online and at last count had 11.5 million players.

Should we care? Yes, because it’s an enormous audience for the musical scores that are created for these cyberspace adventures. From heavy metal to sweeping orchestral arrangements, all genres of music contribute to the playing experience, and at the cutting edge of game development the emphasis is on music produced to demanding standards. Th at’s what we do, right? Th is is music that’s clever, complex and entertaining. And for once it’s not supposed to be mashed into an iPod – not at fi rst, anyway.

TRY WHISTLING THIS

It’s arguable just how much of an impact game music delivers. Some claim that game scores are supposed to be subliminal and not actually listened to, like fi lm soundtracks perhaps. Now before you choke on your Bonox, let me clarify that last statement by way of example. Aft er seeing the movie, Titanic, no-one was

expected to leave the cinemas whistling the cheerful little melody James Horner put together for when the ship gurgled down under the Atlantic Ocean killing everyone. Who’s going to hum the ripping, power-chords that announce the start of the Wake Island map in Battlefi eld 2142? You’d be surprised. Th e fl ipside is that in the same way fi lm soundtracks are successfully sold on CD, so are the music scores of best-selling video games. Th ere are even singles released on iTunes and the like that are made popular by games. Th ere’s that iPod again.

When I began digging deeper into this industry I fi gured I’d fi nd that the musicians would be some kind of nerdy, bespectacled teenagers who were banished to a basement in Silicon Valley with an M-box and a Casio keyboard. I couldn’t have been further off target if I’d been blindfolded.

Contemporary game composers have a list of credits to their names that include cinema box offi ce smash hits, top-rating television shows and more than a few charting bands. Not surprisingly (when I bothered to think about it) the skills and experience required for scoring successful fi lms and television are much sought-aft er by the gaming industry with a bit of vice-versa poaching going on, too.

CHANGING THE MIX

At fi rst glance it appears that scoring music for games must be like working to fi lm and TV. It’s just a process of creating musical cues that are synchronised to vision, albeit CGI (computer generated imagery). Th at’s about where the similarities end. Th e big diff erence is that games aren’t linear and at any moment a player can make choices, fail or win, and trigger events that drastically aff ect what happens next – results that might require one of several musical themes. Th ere is no conventional timeline or plot progression. A

GAME ONFEATURE

AT 9

simple example is that at the end of a game’s section a player may have won or lost, so the music will be either triumphant or mournful, before segueing into an introduction of whatever level awaits them. It becomes a complex task then to compose multiple cues of various lengths and themes that must also match more than one possible visual transition.

Th en it gets harder. Games soft ware is one of very few formats that require simultaneously playing back multiple fi les without being able to employ some kind of mixdown. A scene might need the sound of footsteps, gunshots, explosions, a voice-over and the music in the background – and all of these may or may not require playback depending on what’s occurring in the game. It’s a completely interactive environment and a far cry from Donkey Kong.

ASSET MANAGEMENT

Th e composers fi nd themselves working very closely with the developers once the music is recorded to ensure that each scenario interacts smoothly not just with the vision, but also without interference from sound eff ects. For the record, cues are generally called ‘assets’ and categorised by their situation: win music, lose music, battle music, scoreboard music, and so on.

Another tricky X-factor that composers try to allow for is the wide range of skill that players have. Some games are very puzzle-based meaning that someone might spend fi ve or 10 minutes (or, like me, half the damned day!) fi guring out the solution or it could take them 30 seconds (‘think’ music?). Creating a 10-minute opus for this part might be fun, but not practical – not for everyone’s skill level anyway. At the same time the mood needs to be established reasonably quickly. Nothing is straightforward.

KICK OF DOOM

Th e genre and style of the music can be a foregone conclusion if the game’s subject has a blatant historical or geographical theme. Also, some games are a franchised progression, such as Call of Duty 4 or Duke Nukem 3 and the previous incarnations set a precedent. On occasions when a game is a whole new project things can get interesting. In-house

composers will usually get a chance to actually play the game during its formative stages, giving them a feel for the music that’s required. Freelance composers aren’t so lucky. Th ey get their fi rst taste of the action much later in the game’s build versions and it’s sometimes just videos of gameplay provided for inspiration. Which isn’t to say that freelancers are an untrustworthy mob of scoundrels. Beta versions of games in their early stages of development can involve a massive amount of data and coding. Th ey’re not something that can be zipped onto a fl ash drive and popped in a postbag. Mind you, in this multi-million dollar industry security is a serious issue and new soft ware is fi ercely guarded.

Interestingly, the job of a video game composer does closely share one thing in common with fi lm and television soundtrack scoring. Providing any ‘temp’ or ‘placeholder’ music to produce a demo always opens a can of worms. Th e developers invariably get attached to the temporary music and it’s a nightmare weaning them off it again!

In an ideal world composers are given decent budgets that allow them a wide, creative palette including studio time with skilled musicians. However, that’s rare. Th e foibles of writing computer code makes the progress of a game’s development about as predictable as the game itself, and mostly it’s too hard to reliably book studio session times, even if the money is there. Th is is the main reason game scores rely so heavily on synthesized and sequenced music. A computer game’s content and continuity can be utterly and radically changed at any time rendering recordings almost useless. MIDI and sequencing can save the day. Th e only other solution is for the composer to be a multi-instrumentalist, like Frank Klepacki (more on Frank shortly)… or married to one.

Ultimately, the nuts-and-bolts result for all the game’s assets are MP3 fi les (and sometimes OGG) at the highest sample and bit rate allowable. A best-selling game can require maybe 40 full tracks, plus dozens of cinematic and incidental cues as well. Every game is diff erent, but how much data space is allocated to music is a contentious subject. In the

“A best-selling game can require maybe 40 full tracks, plus dozens of cinematic and incidental cues.”

AT 10

LOVE YOUR WORKFrank Klepacki is in a unique position to see the music industry from many different angles. I told him AT readers love opinions and asked if he had any. Silly question, really.Frank Klepacki: Modern rock and pop music for the most part is very uninspired and driven more by marketing than creativity. Once in a while a gem pops up, but rarely – especially in the case of radio and MTV. What’s great now with the whole online concept of purchasing music is that you can tailor the music you buy to your existing taste. I love using iTunes’ Genius feature. I can’t tell you how many albums and individual songs I’ve downloaded with Genius. It’s like I finally found a new way to discover

music on my terms without being force-fed the same rotation of crappy songs every hour, or having to wait weeks or months before a friend of mine recommends something I’ll like. I also wish modern music would champion live musicians more over sequenced stuff, especially in pop and hip-hop music. Okay, certain sampled sounds may be needed, but if absolutely everything is a robotic sequence, there’s less of an emotional connection and it becomes just consumable fodder. I’m also sick to death of hearing the AutoTune plug-in on every singer’s voice – in the sense of how it’s intentionally over-corrected or as some call it, “the Cher effect.” Can we get some real singers again please?

I’ve come to dislike the red tape of the business side, too. I have seen many friends’ bands get as far as to be signed only to be shelved, or get signed and release the album, do a tour and then get dropped. I can’t stress enough to any upcoming band that a record deal is not the Holy Grail you think it is. It’s a glorified bank loan. Instead, take out a loan and hire your own marketing company to work for you so there’s no fear of losing control. Pay for your own CD, own all your rights and masters, and do it yourself. Most of all retain your creative say. We’re here to make music, not sell lunch boxes. Beyond all that, this is what I love about being a game composer. None of that crap exists. You get to do what you love,

make a good living at it, do what fits an experience that people will enjoy as a whole, and they will identify with your personal contribution if they enjoy it that much. When I was younger I thought I’d shoot for getting signed, touring the world, selling millions of albums, and being famous. Instead, I have a career that will last longer than most bands will, my music is on millions of games around the world and through that I’ve developed a fan base. In the same way people who love a movie will buy the soundtrack, they also buy my music that they’ve heard in games they enjoy. So in the end I kind of got what I was after in a roundabout way – and not a day goes by that I don’t feel fortunate to have a job I love.

“Frank is one of those who often has to barricade the studio doors, weapons drawn and loaded, to protect his quota of the DVD package.”

fi nal stages of production most composers will be in the developer’s offi ce trying to keep their fi les at the highest quality they can.

FRANK KLEPACKI

In the past he’s composed for several game publishers including Lucas Arts, Sega and Disney, but Frank Klepacki now enjoys the role of Audio Director at Petroglyph, a games development company with a long list of successful releases. Which means he’s involved in creating the music from an early stage, rather than being further down the food-chain like those freelance composers. In addition to his impressive portfolio as a composer, Frank is also the producer of several bands in the Las Vegas area, and working as a live audio engineer he’s also mixed performances by groups such as Bad Religion and Kings of Leon. Frank is determined to keep his high, real-world musical values in his work with games scores, but it’s not easy and he has a fi ght on his hands. Th e preferred media for fi rst-release computer games (rather than update patches) is still DVD and all the creative departments in the company always want more than their fair share of that 4.7GB pie. Unfortunately, audio is seen as the easiest data to compress or edit down. Th e developer’s mantra towards audio is all too oft en “as small as possible” and Frank is one of those who oft en has to barricade the studio doors, weapons drawn and loaded, to protect his quota of the DVD package.

His preferred audio workstation consists of a high-end PC running Cubase 5 and NI Kontakt as the primary soft ware for composition and sound design. He’s used Cubase since making the jump from the Atari ST to the PC... ah, that’d be a while

ago. Favorite virtual instruments are the East-West Symphony Orchestra, Stormdrum, and Omnisphere.

As an accomplished guitarist and drummer, Frank explains: “I’m probably the only game composer to have his own signature guitar and bass custom-made. As far as amps go, I use a Mesa Boogie DC-5 for all things metal and a Peavey Classic 30 for warm, classic sounds. My old Traynor head from the ’70s has a nice alternative vintage tone. I always mic my amps with a Royer 122V tube ribbon. For jotting down quick ideas when an amp’s not available, I dial up the Peavey Revalver Mk III. For bass guitar, it’s an Ampeg B2-R through a 4x12-inch Hartke cabinet, mic’d with an AKG D112, or alternatively I have favourite settings on the Bass Pod and a Korg AX300 Bass processor. I play DW maple drums with Sennheiser 421s on all toms and the snare, the Yamaha Subkick and a Shure beta 91 on the kick, and an Electrovoice RE27 on the fl oor tom. A Royer SF12 is a great stereo overhead or a pair of Audio-Technica 4041s gives you some nice immediate high frequencies. I don’t even bother with a hi-hat mic or a bottom snare mic if I can help it. When using a virtual orchestra on the computer, I use [NI] Kontakt 3 and I’ve handpicked several instruments over the years to get it how I want it.”

Obviously, he’s not taking things seriously at all…

HANGIN’ WITH MICHAEL HUANG

Michael Huang is a composer and sound designer based in Los Angeles, who specialises in audio post production services for fi lm, television and creating scores for computer games. His primary soft ware for writing and recording music is Sonar 8 aft er he started using Cakewalk products way back in the

Audio udio TechnologyTHE MAGAZINE FOR SOUND ENGINEERS & RECORDING MUSICIANSTHE MAGAZINE FOR SOUND ENGINEERS & RECORDING MUSICIANS

Full magazine out now

AT 12

MAC AUDIOIs there a light at the end of the carpal tunnel?Text: Brad Watts

REGULARS

For a number of years I’ve been having dreams that always seem to centre around a computer – in my sleep of course.

Th ey turn up any old where: in the boot of a car I’m driving, behind the door of a room I’m entering, or just sitting on a desk waiting for someone to Google up lunch. Th is, in itself, doesn’t surprise me; I’ve been involved with computers and their associated tasks since I fi rst scored a Commodore Vic 20 back in about 1983.

Since then I’ve owned an endless procession of increasingly faster machines: the Commodore 64, the Amiga (in all its guises) and the Atari 1024ST – again in various fl avours. Eventually this conga line terminated with the precarious 16MHz processor found in the Mega STE. At that point I realised my aff air with Atari wasn’t going to take me far in the sport of hard-disk audio recording so I jumped to the Macintosh platform, and the rest – as has been so publically documented in this very column – is history.

It’s no surprise then that computers emerge from my subconscious on a nightly basis. Oddly, amongst these ‘cutting edge’ REM-inspired CPUs, sometimes there are futuristic computer models featuring super fast processors with Star Trek-inspired operating systems and enough memory to store a planet. Th e recurring feature of all these far-fetched computers is always their input interfaces – they all have touchscreens.

Until recently, these dream-state, touchscreen-endowed super computers never played much of a starring role, but lately they’ve taken centre stage. Th ey’re now being used by my unconscious mind to initiate various obscure tasks via their sci-fi touchscreens, and this has really got me thinking. Firstly, why are my dream-computers suddenly being used in my nightly imaginings, and secondly, why are they all suddenly endowed with touchscreens?

I’m putting this nocturnal noodling down to a couple of factors. To begin with, I’ve witnessed the ease with which my four-year-old son uses my iPhone. He knows exactly how to fi nd the noughts and crosses game, he can eff ortlessly arc up the clip of Bowling for Soup playing Punk Rock 101, and navigate his way through the swag of other videoclips and YouTube tid-bits we’ve downloaded and stored for later enjoyment. Being the doting parent, my fi rst impression was that he was ‘a natural’ at it. Th en I realised the more likely reason was that the iPhone’s touchscreen is a far more ‘natural’ input device than a keyboard and mouse. It’s so simple to use; even a little kid can get the hang of it within minutes. Th e second, and perhaps more pivotal reason behind the change in my nightly meanderings, has been the plethora of rumours surrounding Apple’s secret plans to release a touchscreen-based laptop, ‘netbook’, or ‘iTablet’ sooner rather than later.

2010 is apparently the year this will happen, and judging by the overwhelming popularity of the iPhone I don’t see any reason to doubt the rumours. Th at’s not to say the product will inevitably be the rollicking success the iPhone has become. Predictions circle around Apple using the device to court the publishing market, much like Amazon with its Kindle. Sure, Amazon owns that market at the moment, but that won’t stop Apple muscling in on the scene. Whether Apple’s particular vision succeeds or fails is beside the point here. What’s important is that however such a device manifests, it will almost certainly use a touchscreen-based operating system and input method – just like the iPhone.

Th is evolution by Apple will inevitably lead to more soft ware being developed around multi-point, velocity sensitive touchscreens, and of course, further computer platforms from the company – platforms that do away with the old WIMPS (windows, icons, menus, pointing device) interaction system. WIMPS is a model we’ve been lumbered with since Xerox developed the concept back in 1973, which Apple then popularised in 1984 with the Macintosh. Personally, I think we should be well rid of it.

So the big question is: where will this take our audio soft ware? What evolutions will we see in our DAW platforms as processing power increases exponentially and manufacturers turn their attentions to ergonomics and stream-of-consciousness DAW operation? Will we necessarily need a set of eight motorised faders hastily tacked onto the end of our DAWs via yet another communications protocol, or will every single fader involved in our mixes simply be displayed across a 200-inch touchscreen? Will we be able to have a 42-inch touchscreen (or three) off to the side displaying a virtual-rack that includes every single DSP process in a mix, and possibly more importantly, will more than one person be able to operate the system at a time?

Personally, I’m looking forward to the day when I don’t need to put my hands anywhere near a mouse, trackpad or trackball ever again. My hands are suff ering daily from the rigours of repeatedly forcing my paws into the same position every time my brain decides I want to instigate a procedure on a computer. In short, it hurts. Carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain injury, tendonitis, trigger fi nger or whatever else this affl iction is dubbed by the medical experts, is no fun at all. 2010 looks to be the year where we fi nally see the tip of this new iceberg emerge. Hopefully it will produce innovative and ergonomic methods of data entry that humans and computers alike can more easily deal with. Let’s make sure we let the DAW manufacturers know exactly what we want when it comes to how we want to work with audio.

PC AUDIOWhen you choose a PC monitor screen, you should not only consider its size and native resolution, but where it’s going to be positioned in your studio.Text: Martin Walker

REGULARS

Just a few years ago most musicians used bulky CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor screens, but thankfully the

vast majority of us have since moved over to TFT (Th in Film Transistor) fl at-screen monitors that off er various advantages. For one thing, you no longer see picture distortion at the edges of the display due to the geometric limitations of the cathode ray tube or magnetic fi elds from nearby unshielded loudspeakers. Guitarists no longer encounter problems with hum pickup when working within a few feet of the screen, especially if they make sure the fl at-screen monitor’s line-lump PSU is carefully sited away from audio cables. In addition, fl at-screen monitors don’t suff er from fl icker, since their image is created in a completely diff erent way to the rapid-scanning approach of the CRT.

For musicians, there’s another important issue: a fl at-screen monitor produces a much smaller footprint on your desk than a CRT monitor. Any large object sited between the loudspeakers will result in audio refl ections that impair your stereo image, so a fl at-screen display can oft en result in an improvement in audio monitoring, as it presents a much smaller ‘obstacle’ to the sound.

Plenty of musicians now also routinely run two monitors with their music soft ware, either to have the arrange page displayed on one and the virtual mixing desk on the other, or to stretch their main sequencer window across both screens. You don’t need special technology to do this either, since most graphic cards now feature twin outputs to make this easy.

Of course, as I explained way back in Issue 28, you’re not limited to the ‘two identical monitors side by side’ approach – you’re free for instance to have a large main monitor displaying the arrange page hung on the front wall of your studio, and a smaller one underneath with the mixer. Moreover, while this multi-display mode is the most popular way to work with two screens, there are others that may suit you better, such as a large main screen and a smaller one displaying a zoomed area of the main one for editing purposes. Another alternative is the clone, where both screens display exactly the same image – this is handy where you want a huge main screen to impress studio clients, and a smaller one that sits right next to you for close-up editing purposes.

One inherent limitation of fl at-screen displays is that they have a ‘native’ or recommended resolution, and if you choose a diff erent resolution for your graphics card, using the Settings page of the Control Panel Display applet, you may see vertical bands of distortion or fuzzier image quality. For instance, a typical 19-inch TFT display with a native resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels will lose its sharp image quality if you change to 1024 x 768 pixels. For this reason, it’s important to choose a display with the most suitable native resolution for the task, since you can’t chop and change as you can with a CRT.

Th e most suitable native resolution depends on where the monitor will be placed. For instance, my 15-inch laptop screen has a native resolution of 1400 x 1050 pixels, yet I fi nd its incredibly detailed image perfect because my eyes end up only about 18 inches from it. However, in a studio you’ll generally get better stereo audio imaging with the monitor screen about three feet away from you, so that it’s positioned slightly behind the front of your loudspeakers. Th is also makes it easier for several people to view the screen simultaneously.

On the other hand, with a more typical 15-inch TFT screen with a native resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels, you may fi nd yourself squinting to read text and other fi ne details from three feet away. A 17-inch model provides a 1280 x 1024-pixel resolution and a welcome increase in screen real-estate, but once again may prove frustrating for viewing fi ne details and web pages unless you have it close by, as its pixels are still so tiny.

When I last bought a monitor a few years ago I found that a 19-inch model with the same 1280 x 1024-pixel native resolution gave me the perfect combination of extra size and resolution over a 15-inch model, and although its 5:4 aspect ratio makes the picture ‘squarer’ (800 x 600, 1024 x 768 and 1400 x 1050 pixel displays all have a 4:3 aspect ratio), I fi nd this extra height useful for viewing more audio tracks simultaneously. Th e 1600 x 1200-pixel resolution of 20-inch models returns to a 4:3 aspect ratio, but unless you’ve got really good eyesight you’ll need to work closer to it again. Larger sizes, such as 21-inch, still have the same 1600 x 1200 resolution, again making them more suitable for distant viewing.

Nowadays wide-screen format monitors are becoming fairly common as well, typically off ering aspect ratios of 16:10. Th ese are ideal if you need to view several objects side by side on one continuous screen, such as arrange pages, virtual mixing desks, and synth editors. Typical native resolutions are 1440 x 900 pixels for 19-inch models, and 1680 x 1050 for 22-inch, while even 24-inch models off ering a slightly wider and thinner picture of 1920 x 1080 pixels (16:9) can nevertheless be bought at bargain prices. However, these all need to be kept behind your loudspeakers to avoid compromising stereo imaging.

Above 24-inches prices do still rise signifi cantly – a 30-inch wide-screen model off ering 2560 by 1600 pixels is typically fi ve times the price – but the ultimate screen for the composer must be NEC’s CRV43 43-inch curved monitor, off ering a massive resolution of 2880 x 900 pixels and an ultra-wide aspect ratio of 32:10! As long as you have a graphics card capable of supporting this high resolution (and beware those with noisy cooling fans, as these can be a huge drawback in the studio), the only drawback is the price – at around US$8000 it’s probably out of the reach of all but the most successful musician.

MINI REVIEWS

EUPHONIX MC TRANSPORT

Back in the ’60s – and by that I mean the era of AudioTechnology Issues 60 through to 69 – we investigated the Euphonix Artist Series controllers, the MC Mix and MC Control. Both these units utilised Euphonix’s Eucon communications protocol (still do) or MackieControl via ethernet, for connection to your DAW of choice (ProTools reverts to the HUI protocol). Both represented a departure from the rather bulky motorised fader control surfaces we’d seen prior. The MCs were sleek and sexy control surfaces borne out of Euphonix’s development of the MC Pro post-production console – a controller costing 10 times the lolly of the Artist Series.

One aspect of the MC Control that was of particular concern at the time was its somewhat fl imsy jog-wheel, which felt more like a last minute add-on to the fl urry of marketing brainstorming than a serious editing tool. So now that the new MC Transport has arrived,

featuring a high-quality jog wheel that the MC Control should have housed in the fi rst place, it begs the obvious question: did the brainiacs at Euphonix already have the Transport on the drawing board when the MC Control hit the streets, or is it a reaction to complaints from customers who wanted a ‘pro’ jog/shutt le wheel, not a toy like the one on the MC Control. Either way, the MC Transport is just that – a large, sturdy, ‘man-sized’ jog-wheel.

TO & FRO

The layout of the MC Transport is relatively straightforward, with a numeric keypad, six rather closely spaced soft -butt ons above the OLED display, and then the jog and shutt le wheels. The display, in the case of Logic Pro, shows bar numbers and timecode. The wheels are made of metal, seemingly aluminium or something similar. The jog-wheel itself sports an indent for your fi nger and will spin about half a dozen times with a good fl ick. The wheel has defi nite ‘weight’ to it, which feels reassuringly ‘pro’. The outer shutt le-wheel moves through 90° to the left or right, and feels fi rm yet responsive. The sensitivity of each wheel can be adjusted on a per-application basis. My only niggle with the outer wheel is the distinct ‘clack’ noise it makes when rotated. This may concern some, but in reality your audio monitoring levels should well and truly mask the clacking sound.

Like the rest of the Artist Series, the MC Transport will integrate snugly with the other devices in the series. The end-cheeks are removable, allowing it to fi t together with the MC Mix and MC Control to form an all-in-one console. Oddly, the MC Transport is black, unlike the MC Mix and Control, which presents in your typical hi-tech shade of silver. Those with decor issues may fi nd this a litt le disconcerting.

Surrounding the wheel are seven transport keys. These are usually laid out as play, stop, rewind and so forth, but bear in mind the Eucontrol soft ware allows any key on the MC Transport to be allocated to any function in your chosen soft ware. So for example, you can use the wheels to aff ect zoom functions if you so choose. When making these assignments, you can also adjust the colour each butt on displays when it’s instigated. A new ‘assignable-knob’ feature allows immediate assignment of an application function to the jog-wheel – prett y neat.

I must say I’m far more impressed with the MC Transport than the halfway measures on the MC Control. If a solid jog wheel is what you’re aft er, look no further. Brad Watt s.

Price: $699

Technical Audio Group: (02) 9519 0900 or info@tag.com.au

GOLDEN AGE PROJECT PRE-73

The use of the word ‘vintage’ by the Swedish folks at Golden Age is akin to Dennis Denuto’s famous invocation of “the vibe” of Mabo, in The Castle. The company’s new Pre-73 aspires – like so many other preamps on the market – to mimic the sonic signature of the preamp from the legendary Neve 1073 module, in this case for around one quarter the price of current Neve reissues. With such a cost mismatch it’s defi nitely unfair to expect performance parity – although with a name like Pre-73, one can’t help but compare…

Inside the Pre-73, the circuit design is much the same as the legendary 1073 preamp stage, apart from the obvious inclusion of a DI input. The components, however, are not. The Golden Age pre uses electrolytic capacitors in place of Neve’s original tantalum capacitors and the transformers are smaller and of diff ering spec. On the outside it’s a similar case of classic design meets budgetary restraint. The half-rack case in gloss burgundy fi nish is unassuming and solidly built. The front panel is dominated by a stepped gain

pot that delivers up to 80dB from the mic input, and –20 to +10dB from the line stage. You’ll need your wits about you when tweaking these controls, however, as the knob turns anti-clockwise to increase mic gain and clockwise for increased line-level signal. There’s also an output trim knob for att enuation. Board-mounted butt ons are provided for power, DI, 48V phantom, phase, and a switchable mic impedance control, which alternates between 1200 and 300�. The DI input jack is also located here and is also unfortunately board rather than chassis-mounted. The rear of the unit features combo connectors for balanced mic and line inputs while the output is delivered via both XLR and TRS connectors. Power is supplied via a 24V AC plug pack.

In practice, the Pre-73 can make claims to possessing a Neve-ish tone. Unfortunately the ‘ish’ seems to be limited mostly to its midrange performance. While not quite as detailed or open as the original Neve, it does produce a similar character on electric guitar

and some vocals but ultimately falls short with a lack of deep bott om end. A slight presence boost fails to compensate for the lack of air and combines with the paucity of sub-bass to deliver a somewhat britt le tone on acoustic instruments. The DI delivered similar results.

When it comes down to it though, for less than $500 you have to be willing to tolerate some compromises – they're to be expected aft er all. The original Neve 1073 preamp/EQ modules were actually way more expensive new than they are now, so comparing them to the Golden Age is a bit like comapring a Rolls Royce to a Camry. My advice would be to audition the Pre-73 with some of the mics you intend to patch into it; you may love the results, you may be underwhelmed.

Andrew Bencina.

Price: $465

Mixmasters Productions: (08) 7200 4500 or sales@mixmasters.com.au

AT 14

KEITH McMILLEN INSTRUMENTS BATT-O-METER

Many years ago I did front of house for a Disney production where, aft er every show, one of my jobs involved the mandatory replacement of every single batt ery in every single audio device that related to the live performance. Even though these batt eries were virtually pristine aft er just one show, company policy demanded that they be changed regardless. Needless to say the production went through batt eries faster than you can say ‘Mickey Mouse Club’ in a high voice. One of the perks was that I ended up with all the ‘old’ batt eries… they were coming out my (Mickey Mouse) ears for years and years.

The basic premise behind the Disney dictum was that no batt ery was ever going to die during a Disney performance, and the best way to guarantee this was to use a brand new batt ery for each device, per performance. Of course, most of these devices would have worked for 20+ performances in all likelihood, but

who was I to argue with the big mouse? There was no time to test each device individually anyway, and no simple way to be sure the batt eries would be good to go for a second or third performance. And if a batt ery did die on my watch, the big mouse would come over and wag his fat gloved fi nger at me – I couldn’t risk it.

If I’d had Keith McMillen’s new Batt -O-Meter at the time, however, not only could I have saved the production a small fortune in batt ery costs, I would have been able to confi dently determine the batt ery life of many of the devices being used, both in terms of their percentage of charge and projected hours remaining.

The Batt -O-Meter is an ingenious device in many respects. ‘Designed for musicians’ and small enough to carry with you anywhere, the unit (which itself runs on a 9V batt ery that ‘self-tests’) features a ¼-inch ‘Power Probe’ jack on a six inch cable, that simply plugs into the input of your 9V eff ects pedals, tuners, active guitars etc like any conventional ¼-inch cable. With the press of a single butt on the unit then tests the batt eries inside these devices using a micro-processor that ‘intelligently determines’ the diff erent loads that can be put on the batt ery and calculates the power in hours remaining. It’s simple, relatively accurate and ingenious… just what you need to put your mind at ease before you walk on stage.

A highly visible rudimentary three-lett er display

provides coded results such as: ‘Vol’ for voltage of the batt ery’s current charge (to a maximum of 10.23V); ‘Hr’ for hours remaining of normal use of the particular device being tested; and ‘Prc’ for percentage of batt ery life remaining, amongst several others.

The Batt -O-Meter can also test the remaining life of any 9V, 3V or 1.5V AA or AAA batt eries via an external connection point on the side of the unit, although holding the positive end of a AA batt ery still against the device while you apply the tip of the probe to the negative end and press the butt on is diffi cult to coordinate. The only other Achilles heel in the design is that to accurately test the projected working hours remaining of batt eries lurking inside the bowels of tuners, footpedals and active guitars etc, you need to know whether the batt ery in question is alkaline, carbon-zinc or rechargeable (Lithium-ion, NiCd, NiMH). A switch on the side allows you to select the relevant batt ery chemistry.

The Batt -O-Meter is a great litt le ancillary device. If you use lots of 9V devices on stage, do yourself a favour and get one. Not only will it instill confi dence in your gear, it’ll wind up saving you more money in batt ery costs than the price of the unit itself. Andy Stewart.

Price $45.95

Pro Music Australia: 1300 880 278 or www.promusicaustralia.com

MINI REVIEWS

THE BASICS LIVE AT THE CORNER

Last month, hard working Melbourne band, The Basics, played an inspiring gig at The Corner Hotel in Richmond as part of their third Australian tour this year. Keen punters stood transfi xed as the band played songs off their new album, Keep Your Friends Close. The gig was a monument to the basic principles of live performance: brilliant musicianship, great singing – and I mean great singing – inspired performances and no artifi cial enhancements of any kind, apart from a bit of reverb courtesy of Stu Padbury at FOH. It seemed ironic that, at the same time, a woman with none of these musical att ributes, Britney Spears, was in news bulletins right across Australia for shopping at Myer, driving around in a stretch Hummer and miming at her shows. All of this was newsworthy to the commercial networks, apparently: “I got some cool stuff ,” she remarked talentlessly during her thinly disguised publicity stunt. Funnily enough, as it turned out this comment constituted the only truly live performance of Britney’s entire tour. The good news was that her ‘live shows’ eventually proved unpalatable even to her fans.

The Basics meanwhile didn’t mime their shows, got very litt le in the way of free media coverage, didn’t shop at Myer – or if they did, the media pack somehow missed them – and sang live as if their lives depended on it.

The house PA at The Corner sounded prett y good on the night too – apart from a bit of a hole up the front near the stage. Like so many venues around the country, The Corner Hotel suff ers from a lack of coverage near the front of the stage. The PA fi res out to the back of the room to cater nicely to the chin-strokers, but this leaves the people up the front hearing a strange mixture of stage foldback, amplifi ed instruments and a FOH mix that seems to be coming from the heavens – high, wide and dislocated from the on-stage sound.

Stu Padbury (FOH for The Basics) has this to say about the sound on the night: “The Corner PA sounds great – the Adamson cabinets are very nice boxes. The hole up the front of stage is a problem, for sure, but it’s hard to do much about it when you’re a briefcase guy. The solution at The Corner would probably be a LCR system, which would allow you to throw some key ingredients like vocals, bass and kick drum into a centre speaker to fi ll the void. But I’m not sure if the ceiling height and lighting truss at The Corner might make that kind of setup impossible.”

All in all, The Corner is a great venue and The Basics were fantastic on the night. The question that must now be asked is simply this: why on earth aren’t The Basics booked to play any of the Australian festivals this summer? Andy Stewart.