With over 100 modeled channels in all, NLS delivers the richness, depth, and harmonic complexity that only analog gear could deliver – until now.
“Top notch gear” has been chosen for the studio BELGIUM
More than a minor upgrade at Little Major
In June, Antwerp-based Little Major Mastering Studio completed its upgrade project, consolidating the studio’s position in the marketplace, notes Marc Maes
LITTLE MAJOR, a Belgian mastering house that celebrates 20 years of business next year, has undergone a substantial equipment overhaul. Owner and chief engineer Philip Opdebeeck teamed up with Matthias Aerts, of iDeal Audio and iDeal Acoustics, to carry out the work. Aerts performed complete acoustic
measurement of the main control room (stripped of furniture and cabling), including 3D drawings and a simulation of the sound after the addition of new acoustic treatments. “The studio was fitted with Jocavi acoustic panels, fine-tuned to fit the room. The gorgeous oak 2m-tall Woodiffusor panels really make a difference,” enthuses Opdebeeck. Next came the new studio furniture,
a Sterling Modular desk, offering full acoustic transparency thanks to its low physical presence in the room. “In the same move, we renewed all of the cabling,” explains Aerts. “We used Grimm Audio TPR cables throughout the configuration as they offer the best results in audio signal transfer.” After having tested a wide range
of high-end mastering speakers, Opdebeeck opted for a set of custom Grimm Audio LS1 speakers. “I’ve heard many mastering speakers and these really stand out,” he says. “The Grimm speakers offer the transparency of the best digital sound with analogue warmth; without the harshness, without the hiss and distortion.” On the peripheral side, iDeal Audio supplied custom-built CharterOak equipment. A CharterOak SCL-1
compressor and a PEQ-1 EQ were tailor made for Little Major, with stepped gain controls. “The standard units were quite hard to calibrate – the problem was solved in the customised version, thanks to Matthias. I like the units very much – a little twist here and there and off we go,” opines Opdebeeck. The studio upgrade was completed with Dangerous Bax EQ high and low pass filters, a Vertigo VSM2 Full option encoder and the first ever Roger Schult UF-2 unit, also specially built for Opdebeeck. “This really is EQ heaven,” he commented. “Custom made with custom power supplies, needle sharp to horizon-broad Qs and two full parametric five-band high-end filters – what can I say? It’s great to work with!” In addition to the studio’s Weiss,
Apogee SE and Z-systems converters, Opdebeeck is using a high-quality inventory of processors such as GML 2030, Maselec MEA-2, MLA-3 and a D.W. Fearn VT-7 with a switchable outboard fan to maintain total silence in the mastering room. With about one-third of his assignments coming from outside Belgium, the current upgrade of the mastering studio is a calculated risk. “I decided to go for top notch gear as a ‘one-shot’ – I want to please everybody in the business, both the largest and the smallest, and want to attract big mastering jobs by offering the best equipment on the market,” concludes Opdebeeck. n www.idealacoustics.bewww.idealaudio.bewww.littlemajormastering.info
Because shift happens. Phase Correction Plugin
With high resolution dual waveform displays, phase shift filters with adjustable frequency and Q, and an intuitive correlation meter, InPhase gives you the power to get your tracks back on track.