A couple of weeks ago Dave Smith Instruments teased us with an unexpected announcement of a new instrument, and last night we were treated to what will be one of the biggest synthesizer announcements of the year – Dave Smith Instruments have released the Pro 2. Dave Smith calls it his “most powerful monosynth ever”, and we agree wholeheartedly with that. It appears that not only have DSI created a very powerful self-contained sound creation tool they also have built the Pro 2 with enough internal and external control capabilities that it could proudly sit at the centre of many production and live set ups.
We recommend that you watch the excellent introduction video above to get the best idea as to what this is capable of but check the full specs below to get the bigger picture.
Available in late July from the regular DSI stockists and dealers, street price will be $1999.
Oscillators
Four DSP-based oscillators plus one sine wave sub oscillator
Four classic wave shapes (saw, square, triangle, sine) per oscillator
Twelve selectable complex shapes per oscillator
13 Superwaves
Three noise types per oscillator: white, pink, violet
Oscillator cross modulation: frequency modulation (FM) and amplitude modulation (AM)
Hard sync, individual Glide, Oscillator Slop
Paraphonic Playability
True 4-voice paraphonic mode with individually-gated envelopes per oscillator
Character Effects
Five high-quality digital effects. Thicken the signal and add harmonics or completely destroy the signal pre-filter.
Girth and Air are high and low shelf equalizers with harmonic excitement. Useful for thickening and/or adding air to the signal.
Hack and Decimate are sample and bit rate reduction algorithms which can add subtle grit or completely trash the signal. It’s harsh yet musical.
Drive is a soft saturator for adding soft distortion and harmonic content to the signal
Filters
Dual analog filters operate in serial or parallel
Filter 1 is a 4-pole resonant analog low-pass filter inspired by the original Prophet-5 filter.
Filter 2 is a 2-pole resonant analog state-variable filter inspired by the Oberheim SEM filter and can be continuously varied between low-pass, notch, and high-pass operation, with an optional band-pass mode.
Oscillator Split allows oscillators 1 & 2 to be sent to Filter 1 and oscillators 3 & 4 to Filter 2.
Feedback and Delay
Tuned Feedback
Three-tap syncable delay with feedback and amount controls, pan, and high-pass and low-pass filtering, all per delay. A separate fourth delay is a digital bucket-brigade delay (BBD) for analog-style effects.
Envelopes
Five Delay + ADSR envelopes (Filter 1, Filter 2, VCA , and two Auxiliary envelopes)
Auxiliary envelopes 4 and 5 freely assignable to multiple modulation destinations
All envelopes can repeat/loop
LFOs
Four syncable LFOs with phase offset and slew per LFO
Modulation
16 x 2 modulation matrix with over 50 mod sources and over 140 mod destinations
Parameters that can be sent to CV outputs include oscillators, LFOs, envelopes, sequencer tracks and any other source within the modulation matrix. Runs up to audio rates.
Gate Out for triggering external CV-compatible devices; any CV in can be used as a gate input.
Control Voltage Ins & Outs and Gate Out
Four 1-volt-per-octave control voltage inputs and outputs for interfacing with modular synths and other CV-compatible devices
Modulation assignment buttons enable quick and easy modulation routing.
Mod Matrix runs up to audio rates.
Sequencer
Advanced step sequencer provides up to 32 steps per sequence and up to 16 tracks.
Supports real-time input, rests, and variable-length sequences
Syncs to MIDI clock and external audio and CV input
Sequences can control not only oscillator pitch but any parameter in the modulation matrix.
Arpeggiator
Sophisticated arpeggiator with up, down, up+down, random, assign modes
Supports real-time input, rests, and variable-length sequences
Re-latching arpeggiation
Programmable Distortion
Stereo analog distortion
Controls
More than 50 knobs and 65 buttons enable deep and comprehensive editing with minimal menu diving.
Backlit pitch and mod wheels are easily visible in low-light situations and have a smooth yet precise feel and response.
Independently adjustable upper and lower pitch wheel range
Two assignable position- and pressure-sensitive latchable touch sliders for enhanced interactivity and control
Full-sized, three-and-a-half-octave, semi-weighted keyboard with velocity and aftertouch
Memory
396 user and 396 factory programs
Playlist mode for generating easily accessible setlists of your favorite programs
I/O
1 MIDI In, 1 MIDI out, and 1 MIDI Thru/Out 2 port
USB port for bidirectional MIDI communication
4 CV inputs (4 x 1/8″ jack)
4 CV outputs (4 x 1/8″ jack)
1 Gate Out (1/8″ jack))
1 Sustain/footswitch input
1 expression pedal input
1 external audio input (1/4″ phone jack)
Main stereo output (2 x 1/4″ phone jack)
Headphone out (stereo 1/4″ phone jack)
Power
1 universal IEC AC power inlet for internal power supply
Operates worldwide on voltages between 100-240v, 50-60Hz, 30 watts maximum power consumption
Physical Specs
Walnut end panels and trim
Dimensions: approximately 29.2″ L x 12.8″ W x 4.15″ H (74.2 cm x 32.5 cm x 10.5 cm)
Antelope Audio, fresh off of Rihanna’s “Diamonds World Tour”, has played a central role in the Magna Carter tour’s audio system, providing clocking for all critical production stations including front of house (FOH), monitors and playback. “I am from the old school, and for me, it is all about the analog sound,” comments Kelo Saunders, FOH engineer for the Magna Carter tour. “In this digital world we all now live in, the Antelope Audio Trinity and 10M add a new dimension, bringing it closer to what you might expect from analog. It opens the mix right up and that’s what I love about it.”
Jay-Z’s production team embraced Antelope’s clocking and conversion equipment approximately one year ago, after some of their equipment was damaged in a flood
following Hurricane Sandy. “After the flood, we lost a lot of our gear,” recalls Kenny Nash, a veteran engineer who has handled monitors for The O’Jays, Brian McNight, Vivian Green and many others. “But from the old comes the new, so we rebuilt our rig and brought the Antelope stuff in starting with a 10M and a Trinity. When I began clocking my console off of these units, my mixes changed. With the Antelope gear, my mixes sounded brighter and the sonic spectrum widened,” Nash continued. “I am able to run a lot of my channels flatter now, where I used to have to have some EQ bumps. It kind of made the whole mix just open up.”
Currently, Jay-Z’s Magna Carter tour utilizes an Antelope Audio Trinity | 10M combination at FOH to which the console and Pro Tools system are both slaved. The monitor system, meanwhile, is clocked by an Antelope 1oM, and provides clocking for two Antelope Orion32s, both located at playback.
For playback engineer Demetrius Henry, the Antelope Orion32 AD/DA audio interface — which provides 32 channels of pristine I/O in a single rackspace unit — has opened up an array of new possibilities. Henry, who first used the Orion32 during Rihanna’s “Diamonds World Tour”, was shocked at how much power the device delivered in such a small footprint. “It really blew my mind that Antelope was able to send and receive 32 channels of 192k audio all over USB, without me having to install some kind of proprietary hardware card on my computer,” he says.
“By using the Orion32, I am able to give FOH and monitors more channels and more audio to work with, without having to increase our rackspace,” Henry continues. “This gives them more flexibility to isolate playback tracks so they can manipulate each of them individually. On this tour, we gave Jay 30 tracks whereas we, in the past, would normally be limited to 16 or even less. This
let’s the engineers really dial into the specific sounds they are looking for.”
By giving the FOH and monitors more channels of clear audio, Henry says the difference was audible: “You could absolutely hear the difference,” he says. “It got brighter and more detailed. The fact that we now have more separation with the stems and are able to now sum them in the console rather than in the box has helped get us better separation. So now the mix has more depth, more punch and is cleaner overall.
Having better clocking and more refined conversion has helped the Jay-Z tour deliver more of a studio grade audio performance, something Henry considers quite a big innovation. “I come from a studio environment, so it has been my dream to help translate as much clarity and definition from the studio to the live experience as possible.”
Omar Edwards, keyboard player for Jay-Z, sums it up best describing Antelope’s role and the importance of the audio system in a live setting: “There is a lot of information happening onstage,” he says. “There is playback, there is the band and all this information is coming into the system. To make all of this clear so people can grasp what the music is all about it has to sound clear. We can rehearse for months and if it doesn’t sound clear, the music won’t connect. Connecting is the point – and this inspires people. Whatever great artist exists, they were once inspired in this way. I use oneword to describe what we are getting from Antelope: clarity.”
Sennheiser UK has announced further dates for its UK Sound Academy courses, which have proved extremely popular with professional sound engineers, students and others working within the audio industry.
The ‘Basic Wireless Microphones and Monitoring’ course, aimed towards achieving practical setup of small RF systems, will run on 25th June, 20th August and 28th October 2014, whilst the ‘Wireless Mics and Monitoring – The Masterclass’, for experienced engineers, will be launched later in the year.
“Feedback from previous students has been very positive,” says Tim Sherratt, engineering & technical services manager at Sennheiser UK, who heads up the UK Sound Academy. “The combination of e-learning, tutoring and workshops seems to have worked well.” The Sound Academy’s RF training package is accredited by InfoComm and successful participants of the course earn RU credits towards the renewal of their CTS licence. A 20% discount is available for under 24 year olds and a 50% discount for ASD members.
Spaces are limited and are filling fast, so if you want to take advantage of the Sound Academy courses, please visit the Sennheiser Sound Academy website.
Have the law changes in the UK on wireless mic systems left you a little confused? While systems will still work perfectly some are not legal and it’s been a real headache for performers, venues and businesses. Simon Beesley, Sennheiser UK Product Manager, says:
“Since the move from Channel 69 to Channel 38 for general wireless microphone use across the UK, Sennheiser has been working hard to make sure that everyone who uses a wireless microphone, from the biggest tour to the smallest pub band, theatres and concert halls, corporate events and television and radio reporters, has the correct equipment. This is vitally important as Channel 69 is no longer available for use by the PMSE (Programme Making and Special Events) sector. If you are still operating a wireless system in 798-862 MHz, you are breaking the law.”
If you’re still in a position of needing to change your equipment then Sennheiser have launched an initiative that makes switching, or just upgrading, that little bit easier. All the way from June through to August, Sennheiser are offering £100 towards a new ew 100, 300, or 500 series wireless mic system just by trading in your old system. However, as always with deals like this there are a couple of details that you should be aware of:
The system you trade in must be complete so you’ll need the receiver(s) and mic(s).
The system you trade in doesn’t have to be functional.
That first point is fair enough but that second point makes this a great deal for a lot more people. For full details and breakdown of the actual trade-in process go to the official Sennheiser UK Trade In Trade Up page.
The Feeling is a band that has produced much of its own work and is interested in, and knowledgeable about, the technology it uses. To have a great sounding mixing console at both Front of House and monitors then becomes a must for their engineers. Jonathan Lewis and Sean Busby-Little, who respectively man these positions, knew that sonically DiGiCo was the right choice; they also knew the SD9’s compact footprint would fit the bill for the venues the band’s current tour is playing.
But Sean had an additional requirement from his desk. “I’m teching for myself, as well as mixing monitors,” he explains. “I needed a small footprint without compromising audio quality, but I needed something that was quick and easy to set up and breakdown each day.”
“My main priority is also audio quality,” adds Jonathan. “ I knew I would get that with the SD9 (and with any DiGiCo!). The desk sounds great right from the in, the pre-amps are crystal clean, and the EQ sounds fantastic; it actually allows you to be creative rather than just being corrective.”
“The SD9 has two 12 fader banks, which makes everything accessible,” Sean continues. “I also needed a desk with two
PFL busses, as I am running both a Sennheiser G2 in ear system and wedges simultaneously – I love the easy way you can route channels and outputs to wherever you need them; DiGiCo desks are very versatile and there aren’t really any limits to what you can route where, and the sound quality is incredible. DiGiCo is very well regarded in the industry for a good reason. The preamps sound really good; you plug in the mic ‘1, 2, 1, 2, check’ and the sound is already good. The four band EQ is also really responsive; no matter how much you have to carve out from the signal, it always sounds great, it has real body and live-ness to it that’s hard to describe.”
Jonathan’s other priority is how the desk works as a creative tool. “I believe mixing is a combination of technical knowledge and creativity,” he says. “With the SD9 I can put any inputs in any place I need, which makes mixing a joy and allows me to be artistic. The two banks of 12 faders works really well for FOH. I set one bank to be my input channels, and the other bank to DCA’s, Groups, FX sends, and Matrix’s etc. This was incredibly easy to navigate and gave me full control of the band at all times. As I was taking the desk in the trailer along with all our backline (which is a lot!), the size of the SD9 was key. The amount of channels you get for the size is excellent, this also kept the tour manager happy as it fits in nice and easy.”
Sean is running 42 inputs, six stereo in ears, one mono in ears, three wedge mixes and, on some days, two side fills, whilst Jonathan has 34 inputs, plus the electric guitars running through a stereo group.
“I’ve then got eight Matrix outputs set up (input from the L+R mix). The PA and venues were very different each night on this tour, so I needed total flexibility when it came to output distribution.”
For both engineers, this means the console has to be intuitive.
“Working with a DiGiCo is just like having an analogue channel strip in front of you,” says Sean. “The touch ‘n’ turn knob is great, very fast and easy to dial things in. The Macros mean you can apply multiple functions to one button, and the copy and paste function means that you can pick a channel to copy from, or copy to, on the faders; this is so much quicker than on other digital desks.
“Having the eight local in/outs are very useful if you need to throw another input/output quickly at the stage without delving into a rack. The assignable PFL/AFL busses can be routed to either the wedge buss or your in ears buss, so you don’t have to listen to a ears mix coming out of your PFL wedge, but again are easily assignable if you do want to.
“The ease with which you can group stereo channels together, so that you can increase the channel view count that you have on your screen is great. There are just so many features to the SD Series that make life that little bit easier and quicker.”
Whilst the band left it up to the engineers to choose the desk they wanted, both engineers agree that they really do notice how things sound and show an interest in how easy a console is to use.
“The band left the choice of desk up to us,” says Jonathan. “But they are very technically minded, so do pick up on how things sound. The guitarist especially will always come and have a listen to FOH during sound check. He commented several times on how clear everything sounded. Credit to the pre amps!”
And what of support?
“We spoke to DiGiCo’s support team at the beginning of the tour; we didn’t have a problem, we just needed to clarify a couple of things as we were running one DiGiCo MADI Rack and sharing gains between monitors and FOH,” Sean concludes. “The technical support team were excellent, they were very quick to respond and dealt with our query very efficiently.”
World beating analysis suite, Nugen Audio’s Visualizer, has now been updated to include compatibility with Avid’s 64bit AAX technology, as well as 64bit and VST3 formats for non-Avid platforms. Straight from Nugen Audio:
Visualizer provides comprehensive audio analysis for recording, mixing, and mastering in a single plug-in, offering a standardized reference set of professional tools designed to help audio engineers work faster, avoid mistakes, repeat past successes, and understand the success of others. With the latest upgrade, Visualizer is now among the first in the industry to be compatible with Avid Pro Tools 11, the latest version of Avid’s popular digital audio workstation.
With Visualizer, engineers are able to access many different views within a single intelligent window system, which lets them select the view combinations they need. Visualizer automatically resizes and aligns windows to maximize legibility and referencing information across screens. For recording, Visualizer offers tools for calibration, setting levels, signal path checking, noise minimization, and many other audio tasks. At the mixing desk, engineers can use Visualizer for tasks such as low-end control, masking, hidden frequencies, and stereo placement, among many others. For mastering, Visualizer supports a wide range of views such as stereo spread, phase relationships, and EQ distribution.
As a user of Visualizer for many years Book Of Sound was lucky enough to be included on the beta version testing and we’re pleased to report that the GUI has also been given a slight makeover as it now features a rather beautiful dark skin making it much easier on the eyes when used for long periods of time.
If any part of your job involves audio analysis then we fully encourage you to give Visualizer your consideration. The regular price is $199 but there is currently a deal where Nugen Audio site registrants can snag it for $99 and existing Visualizer users get a free upgrade. Full details can be found at the Nugen Audio Visualizer product page.
Antelope Audio, fresh off of Rihanna’s “Diamonds World Tour”, has played a central role in the Magna Carter tour’s audio system, providing clocking for all critical production stations including front of house (FOH), monitors and playback. “I am from the old school, and for me, it is all about the analog sound,” comments Kelo Saunders, FOH engineer for the Magna Carter tour. “In this digital world we all now live in, the Antelope Audio Trinity and 10M add a new dimension, bringing it closer to what you might expect from analog. It opens the mix right up and that’s what I love about it.”
“The SD9 has two 12 fader banks, which makes everything accessible,” Sean continues. “I also needed a desk with two
Prev