Studio & Gear
With increasing use of computer power, the investement structure of modern studios has changed. For a good production environment, perfect acoustics and monitoring paths
(converter, monitor controller, amplifier, monitors) have the highest priority.
In terms of equipment, computer power and good software are very important.
The significance of a monitoring room where all frequencies are equally loud in the listening position is easy to explain:
Imagine that you want to adjust the loudness relationship of a bass drum, which has a center frequency of 88 Hz. Your listening room happens to be 3.90 meters wide (corresponds closely
to the frequency wavelength of 88 Hz) and the bass drum resonates to this frequency.
If you sit in the trough of the wave, you´ll perceive the bass drum as being too quiet.
If you sit in the crest of the wave, you´ll mix the bass drum too quietly, because you´ll perceive
it as being too loud.
In order to translate what is heard with 100% accuracy into the outside world, you need a room which has even decay times over the entire audible frequency range. This acoustic parameter
is measured in terms of RT 60 (reverb time 60). This corresponds to the time in milliseconds which is required for a particular frequency to drop 60 dB. The DIN standard for RT 60 provides for relatively few measuring points in octave intervals and is therefore not all that indicative of
the acoustic situation. In order to have an accurate way of judging this characteristic,
measurment should be carried out in half-tone intervals. The reverb time is nearly 300 milliseconds over the entire spectrum. Individual differences which appear because of the precision of the half-step measurents are corrected with the internal parametric EQ integrated
in the Air-20 speakers.
Other important factors in good acoustics include diffusion of the reverb and above all the absence of noise. Diffusion is treated through the careful use and mix of surface material in
the acoustic elements and absorbers in the mastering environment. Relocation of all “loud” equipment provides silence. All objects which distract the ears through resonance are
removed or are treated by filling with sand (for example: speaker stands) or by other means.
Here are a few pictures from the construction of the mastering room:
The monitor system:
The digital connection eliminates potential distortion in the signal chain for fully noise-free reproduction. The excellent TC-24 bit converters are integrated in the speakers.
Alternative Speakers and Converters:
RME 8 I/O converters feed KS digital "C5 Tiny" stereo near-field monitors along with a consumer-quality surround setup, managed by the reliable SPL monitor controller.
Rechner:
19" Dualcore 2 x 3.4 GHz with 4GB RAM
DSP:
2 x UAD-1 with all software, Powercore Firewire and Powercore Firewire X8 with all software, Duende
Software:
WaveLab, Nuendo, Cubase 4, Melodyne
Steinberg complete, TC, UAD, Algorithmix complete incl. the amazing K-Stereo, Native Instruments Komplete 4 incl. Kore, PSP, Sonalksis, and many more.
Peripherals:
The studio is strictly wired with VOVOX cables.
Various converters, players, analog outboard, Universal Audio, Tegeler Audiomanufaktur and SPL mic preamps and various microphones.
