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March 2013 l 27


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broadcast Live Band Audio goes live


UNITED KINGDOM A father-and-son outfit are ready to take their services on the road, says Dave Robinson


NEW MOBILE studio business Live Band Audio is “crash-tested” and ready to hit the touring/ festival circuit, says the father- and-son owners. Adam and Garry Mardell were at the BVE show last month to promote their service, which aims to deliver USB stick-format recordings of concerts to fans “within three minutes” of the final encore. Adam, a former SAE engineer with 10 years’ experience in the live and studio arena, developed the business plan out of his love for the live album format, compounded by his frustration at not being able to obtain recordings of festivals he attended. Live Band Audio eschews the model of similar operations which create a complete, packaged double CD recording of an event within a given timeframe after the performance. “USB sticks are quicker in terms of transfer speeds,” says Adam. “People don’t want to wait around at the end. So we’re trying to target [a turnaround of] between three and four minutes.”


UNITED KINGDOM /GERMANY Optocore plugs into UK with Sound Network


CELEBRATING ITS 20th anniversary this year, Optocore has appointed Sound Network as its new distributor in the UK. The announcement was made


at the Sound Network booth on the opening day of BVE 2013. Sound Network director Ralph Dunlop sees the move as a logical fit. “The Optocore product line dovetails perfectly with our existing product mix and we look forward to introducing customers to the benefits of this impressive solution,” he said. Sound Network has had an interest in Optocore for several


years, added Dunlop: “In 2012 we felt we had the necessary resources in place to support a complex system of this type,” he stated. “Serious discussion on developing a distribution partnership kicked off at IBC in Amsterdam, and we are delighted to have now finalised this agreement.” Optocore sales and marketing


director, Tine Helmle, agreed. “We are delighted to be partnering with such an experienced and well-qualified company.” Sound Network, with Peter Holmes as product manager,


(L-R): Sound Network’s Peter Holmes and Pete Wanless with Optocore’s Tine Helmle and support engineer Maciek Janiszewski


will be working closely with customers and dealers to support Optocore deployments, plus developing relationships


with system consultants and integrators. n www.optocore.com www.soundnetwork.co.uk


Macs running Pro Tools (for later use, if required). The stereo mix is then piped to a duplicator, which can copy the recording to 12 USB drives at once.


Adam (left) and Garry Mardell and their mobile studio at BVE last month


Key to the operation is the mobile studio, a modified, acoustically treated Ford Transit Jumbo housing a 60-channel DiGiCo SD8 desk and ADAM Audio/Yamaha monitors. Here’s how it works: LBA


parks up outside the venue; drops a 48-input SD-Rack stagebox – connected back to the van via two coax MADI cables – on the stage; the band plugs in via a splitter; and bingo, LBA is ready to capture the gig. “We went for a DiGiCo console because we know we


wouldn’t have to deal with a massive analogue multicore,” says Adam. “The SD-Rack is a brilliant format and it’s reliable, you’ve got backup if the power supplies or the audio goes down. “I didn’t think using a live desk in this format would work, but DiGiCo has got the quality and the reliability. The digital route is the way to go.” The audio is mixed to stereo


through the SD8 and recorded to two Tascam SS-R200 SD recorders, while the raw multitrack version is also recorded to two


The artist and the live sound engineers are encouraged to be involved as much as they wish. “We have a meeting with the band before the show; they can come in and hear what the final product will be – and we go from there.” The desk is complemented by a suite of Waves plug-ins. “You can really dial in the sound you want, which is important when we have different engineers visiting,” says Adam. “I’ve always used the L2 limiter – you can’t go wrong with it.” Ultimately, the operation relies on an artist placing trust in Live Band Audio’s ability to deliver on the night. Adam agrees. “We take on the cost responsibility. We don’t charge to do the service. But it’s all about planning, and getting the artist to be happy with the product. It’s not about just turning up on the night.”n www.livebandaudio.com


SOUNDBITES


Ukrainian system integrator and OB truck company Engineer Service has purchased aCalrecArtemis Light console, to be installed in its newest mobile OB truck expected on the road this summer. The console will be used to mix live audio in stereo and Dolby E 5.1 broadcast formats, as well as for multichannel recording in live production. www.calrec.com


RSI Rete Tre, the third Italian- language radio station from Radiotelevisione svizzera di lingua italiana (RSI) in Switzerland, has upgraded its main studio with a Harman StuderOnAir 3000 digital broadcast console. The OnAir 3000 joins the station’s substantial inventory of Studer mixers including the OnAir 5000, OnAir 1000, OnAir 1500, OnAir 2500, Vista 7 and Vista 8. www.studer.ch


The IABM(International Association of Broadcasting Manufacturers) has confirmed its support of PSNEurope sister title TVBEurope’s IT Broadcast Workflow and Beyond HD Masters conferences in 2013. John Ive, the association’s director of business development and technology, will chair Beyond HD Masterson 11 June. Delegate places are now open for booking at the website below. www.beyondhdmasters.com


Riedelhas opened a dedicated sales and support operation in Dubai in response to growing demand in the region. The new operation is being led by Ahmed Magd El Din, who has more than 15 years of experience in the broadcast and IT industries. www.riedel.net


Germany’s Audio Broadcast Services(ABS) will provide Lawo equipment for sound reinforcement and monitoring duties at the forthcoming “Wetten, dass ...?” (Let’s bet that...?) shows in Friedrichshafen, Vienna, Bremen, Halle/Saale and Augsburg. The company previously supplied equipment for the last show, which aired on German public TV channel ZDF on 19 January in Offenburg. www.audio-broadcast- services.de


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