www.prosoundnewseurope.com
July 2012 l 17 UNITED KINGDOM Studio
Roland powers up at new Metropolis HQ
The new UK base for the audiovisual musical instrument/pro-audio specialist locates it in the heart of west London’s creative hub, writes Dave Robinson
ROLAND UKofficially launched its new showroom and offices based in Metropolis Studios, the Power House, Chiswick, on 21 June. Pianist and singer/ songwriter Tom Hickox was guest performer for the debut of the new HQ, which will serve as a suite for demonstrating Roland’s musical products as well as its pro- audio and video equipment. “The decision to move to
Metropolis Studios is part of our long-term strategy to increase our visibility as a total solutions provider to audio and video professionals. The synergy between both RSG and Music products are demonstrated clearly in an environment such as
UNITED KINGDOM Parr Street Studios (still) for sale
THE ICONIC Parr Street Studios and Hotel in Liverpool remains up for sale, but, according to the Liverpool Echo last month, it is now more than £1 million cheaper than its original asking price of £2.95 million (€3.7 million). The newspaper reports that City councillor Gary Millar, one of the three co-owners of the venue, confessed that only two “cheeky” offers had been received
for the studio since it went on sale in August of last year. Millar, along with Steve
Macfarlane and Thomas Lang, bought the studio in 2006 from previous owners Hit and Run – a company part-owned by Phil Collins along with other members of Genesis – to save the property from being converted into luxury apartments. The sale comes at the end of an agreed five-year plan, which involved
the successful introduction of new office space, the hotel and second bar. “We are seeking buyers who,
like us, will be sympathetic to the nature of the building and its tenants. We have done what we can in the past six years and now it’s time for someone else to take Parr Street Studios to the next level,” said Millar. In a recent company
release, Millar indicates that
Pianist and singer/songwriter Tom Hickox performed at the event
Metropolis – and being here allows us to gain a better understanding of what our users want and how we can better address our target markets,” said Peter Heath, business development director at Roland UK. A Roland ‘Silent Stage’ (often
seen at trade events) has been created in the huge Metropolis atrium, and there are facilities for
webstreaming rich content, and the hosting of demos of Roland keyboards and instruments to artists and bands (artist liaison specialist Jamie Franklin will be on-hand to do just that). “We are the only company that can combine professional audio, music and professional video products. I can’t emphasise that enough. Working in an
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years of operation for Metropolis
21
environment that allows us to do that is fantastic,” added Heath. “Metropolis and Roland are
very like-minded – they are pioneering in their space, as are we in ours,” said Metropolis MD Ian Brenchley at the launch. “Everything we do at Metropolis is about audiovisual excellence, and Roland are the very best in their game, so it’s a great match.” Now in its 21st year, Metropolis
Group is the most successful independent recording and production facility in Europe and offers a range of mastering, creative and production services for music film and TV. Plans are afoot to expand into Qatar and Los Angeles. Roland UK MD Tim Walter commented: “We’ve been looking for a new base in London for the RSG team, as well as somewhere for artist relations. Our artists need somewhere they feel safe and secure, to try out equipment.” Walter says the lease had come to an end at the former Power Road facility in Gunnersbury, and the availability of Metropolis “absolutely fitted the bill”. “Particularly in these challenging economic times, these kind of partnerships become increasingly important,” he noted. From Power Road to the Power House: but Walter denied the suggestion that Roland might be on a ‘power trip’. “Well, I think it’s just about
moving forwards basically…” he laughed. “Development, new partnerships and progress as opposed to power!”n
www.rolandsystemsgroup.co.uk
despite the economic climate, the studio and hotel is being sold as a successful, on-going concern. Throughout its history, Parr
Street Studios has been used by an impressive list of recording artists, including: Black Sabbath, Coldplay, Diana Ross, Rihanna, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Simply Red, Stone Roses, The Stranglers, Take That and Verve.
The piano used to compose
and record Yellow by Coldplay – complete with Chris Martin graffiti – is also included in the sale. n
www.parrstreet.co.uk
SOUNDBITES
CEDARCambridge V8TM is now available, featuring new video playback support for up to eight simultaneous AV files. Further improvements include an expanded file processing system, new region categories to enhance its ability to perform independent processing on multiple audio regions, improved output mapping, an expanded Hot Keys section, and the ability to play, record and process at 192kHz. The latest software version runs on legacy QTM systems as well as Series IIITM hardware running Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit.
www.cedaraudio.com
Former Psychedelic Furs keyboardist Ed Buller has installed ADAMAudioA77X monitors in his home studio in north London. He is currently working with Suede on a brand-new album, having produced several albums for them in the 1990s. “Having been an ADAMfan for many years the A77X was perfect for my set-up. I love the top- end and the unique tweeter means that I can listen at high levels for hours with no fatigue,” said Buller.
www.adam-audio.com
Germany’s Osean Studiois the first in the world to get its hands on Audient’s ASP4816 console. The company’s latest compact 40-fader desk has the same input and monitor design as its large-format ASP8024. Osean Studio owner Sébastien Angrand said: “This console has not only changed the way I record and mix, but also the way I hear the music I compose, arrange, mix and record.”
www.audient.com
Loudspeaker manufacturer PMC will be presenting the first in a series of educational listening events for select groups of retailers at Dorian Gray studiosin Munich on 25-26 July. The ‘Making Waves: From Studio To Home’ tour will cover all aspects of music recording, production and manufacturing, giving attendees the opportunity to hear from recording, mixing and mastering engineers, performing musicians, acousticians and PMC’s loudspeaker designers. Details of further worldwide events will be announced in the near future.
www.pmc-speakers.com
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