Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1178376
50 F A L L 2 0 1 9 C A S Q U A R T E R L Y This seminar was quite an awakening experience for this old production sound mixer who started his career OBSERVATIONS b y J a m e s R i d g l e y C A S recording indie features on a mono Nagra. Dante will be a fast and furious takeover of our world as it has taken over the post world by storm. As moderator Brian Slack stated early on, "Anyone who has patched on analog knows how sexy Dante is!" Even more salient to this idea that formally big, complex systems which only bigger studios could afford has now come to the small businessperson. Mark Binder, one of the guest speakers, put it into context: "Dante has made the improbable probable. It makes mere mortals able to compete. A screen and an icon and a matrix system." Production mixer Richard Lightstone CAS told of his early Dante experience with his Sound Devices 970, where he used 64 tracks of Dante for his Yamaha mixer and Pro Tools for his playback cart—and got rid of 60 pounds of XLR cables. One pro tip provided: Use a Cat 6 cable as opposed to the inferior Cat 5. Jim Pace of Audio Intervisual Design spoke extensively about the complexities of building a new immersive workspace or upgrading an existing room. He addressed the geometric designs, hardware, and ergonomics necessary to optimize space in an effective way during this town hall-style panel. Jim was also kind enough to list out a few salient points that can help anyone considering a new build or conversion: • You need to "start with a good room." The most common problems being ceiling height and door location. • You must "define your need." • Do you need space for clients, a OBSERVATIONS b y S t e p h e n F i t z m a u r i c e C A S specific minimum format (i.e., 7.1.4 or 9.1.6), etc.? • Be ready to understand that every room requires compromises of some kind. • While the goal is actually simple, you can't assume that in some ways it won't be complicated. Several immersive clips were played and the panelists spoke of specific approaches used in content creation. George Massenburg specifically spoke to mixing music in Atmos and the benefits of dispersion in acoustical room treatments. speakers and Dolby designed the position of every speaker and also the room treatments so that it conformed to their immersive specifications. By doing this, David ensured that he would get Dolby Certified for Home Entertainment. The panelists suggested some questions to ask when building an immersive room. Who is your customer? Do you need it for Home Entertainment or for the cinema? What rigging will need to be installed so that the overhead speakers will be safe? So, be flexible but make it safe and make sure your room can handle the rigging and safety needs. These days, with all the delivery requirements of Netflix, Amazon, and Apple, mixes are typically done in Atmos first and then the other formats afterward. David said that he often switches to stereo when mixing in Atmos to make sure what he is mixing sounds good there, too. He concluded with, "Anytime you can take something and simplify it, then so much the better." SOUND AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT: DANTE'S CAPABILITIES & APPLICATIONS MODERATOR: Brian Slack (Xperi) PANELISTS: Richard Lightstone CAS (production sound mixer), Mark Binder (CEO IMN Creative), Bryan Pennington CAS (sound engineer), Ted White (Focusrite Pro), and Dan Shimiaei (chief engineer Formosa Group) WHAT MAKES A GOOD IMMERSIVE MIX ROOM? MODERATOR: Jim Pace (Audio Intervisual Design) PANELISTS: Tom Marks CAS (re-recording mixer), Kyle O'Nea (re-recording mixer), Justin Herman (Sony), Jason "Frenchie" Gaya (re-recording mixer), and George Massenburg (legendary designer and mixing engineer)