Category: General

A New Dynamic Combination for Plasa 2010…

The desirability of a product is inversely proportional to its availability.  As often happens, once something goes out of production, people are desperate to get hold of one.  More often than not, this is just to put on a shelf and admire as a great example of its genre, or maybe as the first ever version of something.  They’ll never use it again properly, except to occasionally show it to a fellow admirer.

I am guilty of this type of behaviour, especially with technology.  Not so much of the clamouring for something because it has become rare, more because it holds a certain nostalgia, or is a piece of great design and worked really well.  Without going too much further into this I would just mention the XO Laptop – designed as the ”$100 laptop”, whilst it has yet to achieve this price, it’s good to know that to date nearly a million and a half of these little machines have been given away to developing nations’ kids to help them educate themselves.

XO Laptop – Yes, I have one, and yes those are aerials for the WiFi.
I bought one of these as part of the ”Give One Get One” program a couple of years ago (thanks again to Kevin Markowitz at Group One for helping with this – cheers mate!) and it’s a masterpiece of practical design that has been so carefully thought out as to extend to things like spare screws inside the case so kids can fix it themselves if anything ever needs replacing.   This would be my example of good design that also does its job extremely well.  It was criticised in some quarters as not actually being a very good computer, but that wasn’t its design remit – it was supposed to be a leaning tool for collaboration in classrooms in developing countries and so not only was the software important, the hardware and of course cost were crucial if it was to be a success.  But enough of that – read more about it here if you are interested:  https://laptop.org/en/

My geeky, retro nostalgic example would have to be my Vectrex.  I am not a gamer by any standard or definition, but this console still can entertain me for hours with its incredibly  smooth and fast vector graphics and crap sound chip blurting and squirting effects though its (really very loud) little speaker.  I can’t remember exactly when this was released (early 80s?), and I’d be lying if I said it was a beautiful piece of design, but it does work very well, and I love mine dearly.  Sad. Sad. SAD.  More on the Vectrex here :  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vectrex

Vectrex – MineSweeper anyone? You will lose.
So maybe now I should get to the point.  First we had SiDD – xta’s first foray into digital dynamics came about as an extension to the work we had done in perfecting the limiters that went into the DP224 and DP226.  One of reasons for the success of these units was not just how good they sounded under normal circumstances, but how good they sounded when they were being really THRAPED (for non UK residents, that means driven hard :)).  This was all down to the limiter algorithms being so transparent.  Other companies limiters had a far from linear response, despite the assumption that a digital limiter would be a perfect model, and this non-linearity manifests itself as distortion, not all that measurable on a steady state signal in a test environment, but definitely audible with music.  As we don’t tend to go to a concert to listen to sine waves (unless it’s Pendulum, but why bother?!), the musicality of the limiters set the units apart, and continue to do so to this day.

So SiDD – the ”Seriously Intelligent Digital Dynamics” unit was born.  Two channels of Dyamic EQ (only one band though), a compressor with sidechain EQ, a noise gate or expander with sidechain EQ, and a limiter with look ahead delay and again, sidechain EQ.  Harmonics generation, a delay line and a pile of parametric EQ made this a formidable box of tricks, forming a pretty comprehensive engineer’s toolbox, capable of sorting out all manner of problems and also being used creatively in a studio environment.

The only real criticism SiDD faced was that with all that power, it was hard to access everything, even though menus were kept to a minimum and there was a powerful Windows package to run with it.  So along came the Series 2 processors:  the best bits of SiDD but with knobs on.  In particular the C2, dual channel compressor, and D2, dual channel 3 band dynamic EQ proved to be what people had been waiting for – analogue sounding perfect dynamics but with the advantages of digital  – repeatability, AES inputs and outputs, pristine sound quality.  And of course lots of knobs and lights which every engineer likes 😉

Eventually when we were forced to discontinue the Series 2 units, of course everyone suddenly realises how good they are, and how much they rely on them and wants to order more!  The only option was to either build them again with new guts (expensive development and eventual probably expensive units) or take advantage of what we had learned over the course of the SiDD and Series 2 development and use this to enhance something we already had.

So the new flagship is the DP548 – everything you love about the DP448 plus the equivalent of a pile of Series 2 processing for little more than the cost of a single C2.  You get the equivalent of 4 D2s thrown in (one across each input), and 8* C2s (one on each output).  Add to that the fact that we have also opened up the routing to allow matrix mixing from any input to output (you can still do traditional routing if you want) AND you get the ability to store and recall dynamics settings (can’t do that with knobs!).  Of course, being a DP product means it’s also integrated into AudioCore for an amazing level of control and detailed monitoring if you want it.

Like I said – there’s not much it doesn’t do (you’ve still got all the power of the high slope crossovers, the PEQs which you can swap to a multitude of different behaviours including esoteric ones like elliptical and resonant, the two stage limiters, the Graphic EQs etc. etc.), so come to Plasa and see it in action.


Digital dynamics are dead – long live digital dynamics!
Preliminary datasheet is available here:  https://www.xta.uk.com/pdfs/DP548_prelim_info.pdf

*OK so technically it’s only the power of 4 C2 compressors, but as all 8 channels are linkable in any combination it’s as useful as 8 individual units…I think so anyway.

Plasa 2010 – A new dynamic?

How very enigmatic…  😉

So, moving on from that, our good friend Andi Zeh in Germany has been working away (in his spare time it should be mentioned) on the iPhone app and has added a curve draw feature showing an equivalent of the “Global View” in AudioCore.   

Curve view shows frequency and phase reponse for each output.

Falling out of the work he’s done on the full iPhone app, he’s also developed a cut down version of the app called “DP4 Mini” which shows a single screen with control of gains, and mutes, and display config, names and metering.  The good news is it’s only a few Euro, so if you just need a quick tweak then this is the one to try…

Gains, mutes and mentering...

He’s also been beavering away with an iPad so watch this space for future info on what develops there…

PSN Live – Gear That Can’t Be Killed Top 10…

Slipping in just above the iPod and just behind the 360, the DP226 makes it into Pro Sound News’ (unscientific) poll of the bits of kit that just keep on working.  I can testify to that, as we still get plenty of units back for service.  That’s not to say they all are turning up broken, it’s generally for basic things like dead back-up batteries, squashed encoders where the rack’s been dropped on its face, bent fronts – general wear and tear.  It would be worse if we didn’t get any back, as that would imply that they were no longer in regular service, but that certainly can’t be the case.

What’s even more heartening is the conversations with customers concerned about how long they’ll be without their equipment – it’s generally only a couple of days  – as they depend on the units so much.  That’s good to know.  What’s also good to know is that above and byeond the 5 year guarantee with all our units, we can still service and repair everything we have ever manufactured so don’t be put off buying second hand.  Ideally buy new gear of course (!) but the reason the second hand prices remain so high is partly down to the fact that you aren’t buying out of date gear – just used.

Anyway, here’s the article if you’re curious to see what else made the list:
https://audiocore.wpengine.com/pdfs/PSN-Live-Article.pdf

You can find a link to the entire magazine on-line here at Pro Sound News Europe:
https://www.prosoundnewseurope.com/

Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream and you’ll lose the bally race, you fool.

After 5 weeks of gruelling training, the “XTA Hardcore” Works Fours rowing team were pumped and ready for the 25th anniversary regatta here in sunny Stourport on Severn.  Each week since mid May, we met at the boat club by the river Severn for a mentally and physically exhausting training session of up to 45 minutes. On one occasion this was twice in a single week.  The punishment.  Yours truly was in the “Stroke” position (more on that later), supposedly setting the pace for our now streamlined rowing machine.

What happened on the day was closer to a streamlined washing machine.  Our first race was at 9:45 am.  We duly turned up resplendent in our iCore team shirts, looking altogether like a team that meant business.

N-n-n-n-losers
Someone's nicked the bally boat - hilarious.

 Just before the race we scope out the competition and I give a highly motivational team talk, being the self-appointed captain and all that.  I think what I was probably saying was more along the lines of “Do you think there’s time for a slash before we go?”, or “Someone wake Lewis – we’re up next.”

Must have been important - look at the gesticulation.

 So we row to the starting line, and get into position.  Steward shouts “Attention…go!” and we’re off – in a ferociously fought battle to the

OK so we lost. 

And discovered later that the team we raced against had entered the past 3 years so we didn’t feel quite so rubbish then, this having been our first go.

Cheating swines.  Losers of the first race got one more opportunity to get back into the running (or rowing), and things were looking good initially in this race, until a seating malfunction which resulted in my seat breaking, and falling off the back into the footwell behind me.  Remember I mentioned I was the “Stroke”?  Well,  during that race it just looked like I’d had one.  We eventually limped back across the finish, but did get a good cheer and some friendly abuse from the commentator so not all was lost.

If you want to watch some carefully edited highlights, which show us not losing, here’s your chance.

Obviously by “Victorious” I mean “Not submerged”.  All good fun none the less and we’ll be back next year to whip them.  Maybe 🙂

Remote Interfaces – WiFi, USB, RS485 – where do you start?

Here, actually.  Well, not exactly here, as I’m not going to explain them all again, but there is an updated guide to help you choose the best one for your application.  It covers all the interfaces we stock, with part numbers and shows what you get with each kit.  You can download a copy from the Tech Support section of the site, under the “Remote and Interfaces” section or directly from here:
https://audiocore.wpengine.com/tech-support-docs/Remote_Interfaces.pdf

Now, onto more important things like our sea-faring activities of late… 🙂

Fly me to the moon.

Not being part of the Las Vegas posse has never really bothered me.  Until now.  Until lucky Laurel and Hardy here get to go up in a private plane at the end of InfoComm for a zip about near the Grand Canyon.  I say “near” as I’ve been told you aren’t allowed to just fly over it as there’s a bit of a monopoly on just who gets access, I guess to limit the number of tourist flights.  I say “so I’ve been told” as Richard might have made it up when the actual truth was they wouldn’t let someone into the airspace who looks this deranged.

Luckily he's still on the runway.
…and much more scarily, mid-flight. 
"Satnav schmatnav!" they scoffed. Then drove into a bollard.
End of show madness overtook the airfield staff and they allowed them to go for a flight. I gather the fumes in the cockpit were being recycled in flight to provide fuel. Make of that what you will.  Here they are pre-flight:

Be grateful, America, they only let them up one at a time.

So moving on, maybe some comment from the show itself.  Well, interesting news was that Danté has been taken up by more manufacturers, one of the notables being Midas.  This is all good, and as we’re starting to ship the our Danté breakouts, everyone wins.  At a recent seminar recently I was asked why we had gone with Danté as the option for our “Live” Breakouts (the DC range of breakouts are available with Cobranet and Ethersound as well as Danté).  The simple answer to that is that it sounds the best by quite a margin, and as sound quality is as important as it’s even been to us, we wouldn’t have felt happy with our box being a weak link in a potentially top class chain of gear.  Coupled with the flexibility and ease of use of the Danté system, and other details such as their virtual soundcard driver (with multiple AISO pairs available) and their commitment to AVB future-proofing, it makes sound sense, so to speak 😉

Coming up soon – not content with ruling the skies, XTA takes to the water with spectacular results…

“Signature” processing, “Boutique” processing – it’s just “Come Dine With Me” with knobs on.

So I made it back alive, hair full of ash, eyes smarting from the sulphurous fumes.  Or something.
Now, onto more frivolous issues.  How many of you have in your arsenal of rapidly depleting external boxes of tricks, a processor you absolutely feel you can’t do without?

With more and more processing being built into digital boards, what scope is there left for truly creative control over what the audience hears?  If all the processing becomes standardised, then doesn’t the sound become so as well?

I realise I am “painting with broad strokes” here, but that’s the point.  Whilst there is a vast proliferation of available plug-ins to manipulate and mangle sound in a computer recording environment, it’s still pretty much the case that if you buy a Yamaha digital desk and use the effects inside, be they dynamics, EQ or time related (reverb/delay/pitch I am thinking of), you are getting Yamaha algorithms.  Nothing wrong with that in itself , but what if you don’t like Yamaha EQ?

If you buy a Soundcraft digital desk, you’re gonna get BSS algorithms.  If you buy a Midas digital, chances are you’re gonna get KT algorithms and so it goes on…

Maybe the concept of individual engineers’ “sound” or “polish” is finally coming into its own.  There aren’t as many ways left to put your stamp on the mix apart from using something that’s not going to be built-in and that you can guarantee not everyone will have.  But can this become a self-defeating purpose?  Just because it’s “niche” and supposedly imparts a certain something that makes it your own, doesn’t necessarily make it better.

I remember hearing a tale some years ago about an engineer who insisted that he needed a DN360 across the master outputs of the desk and that things wouldn’t be right without this final essential processing.  This was duly provided, and I recall seeing the publicity shot afterwards and it being pointed out that, whilst there was a slight bit of “creative correction” applied to the faders, the graphic was bypassed (although powered up!). 

Should such a conceit even be considered?  Is not the job of the engineer just to invisbly aid in the conveyance of the sound on stage, to best effect, to the audience assembled in front of said stage?

Just to finish on an XTA note, rather that the philosophical one that was developing(!), our SiDD processor became such a “signature” device for a lot of engineers, with them carrying a couple round in a soft rack case to use on a few select inserts or across masters, although this may have been as much to do with having a general purpose toolbox of useful things, as wanting to have a unique sound.  Reviews of SiDD when it came out all talked of the transparency and “lack” of processing so it just did its job in a non-intrusive manner.

I use one at home on the masters of my desk for recording and it can indeed be made to impart something extra to what’s going on, but that’s a creative process not a corrective one.  And so we’re back to that question…

It’s still international, but hopefully not for much longer.

Tech blog?  Travel blog more like. 
Just checking in from Hong Kong, potentially on way back from Oz, although “subject to disruptions” is the BA line on their website, so we’ll see how that goes.

The missing photos from the last post will make it up some time next week, when time has righted itself.

It’s all gone international…

I didn’t realise that’s what Australians called foreign fools like me.  It’s not an especially derogatory term, I don’t think, and it could be worse.  I am feeling pretty international right now, sitting in the sun in Sydney writing this.

Based on the sudden realisation that I am sat in the sun writing this, I won’t be writing it for long.  What was I thinking?!

Anyway, this is more just to send a little love back to CMI in Melbourne for their frankly sterling efforts with the seminar I attended and (apparently) starred in.  It was over 4 days with small (intimate was the word being used, but no-one sat on my lap that I was aware of) groups of carefully selected consultants, installers and engineers from all over this continent being invited along to hear all about xta, MC2, and then some other companies I’ve forgotten the names of 😉 
(Ok, so Ive not and with0ut wishing to offend anyone, they were HK Audio from Germany – hello to Christian – hope you got back OK although Ive a bad feelng you’ll be stranded somewhere what with the ash disaster going on, Adamson – check you later Des, One Systems and someone else who I have genuinely forgotten about right now.  I can blame Andy McIntyre from CMI for that.  Should’ve been more remarkable mate ;).

Sorry for that long aside – back to the facts.  Arrangements were made for various presentations, followed by a speaker demo and lunch or dinner, depending on morning/afternoon session.  We were doing two groups a day, apart from the last day when I was giving an AudioCore masterclass.  I use the term loosely – my show of hands revealed nearly everyone there was a bit of a master with the software already, but most seemed to have picked up something new by the time I’d done, so all good.

Star hits of the week were Danté discussions, that iPhone app, and my lash-up Veroboard interface for the MC2 Ti Series breakout boxes.  More details of that are available on request!

Many thanks and much respect is due to the following individuals (this is verging on an Oscars speech)

Peter Troysomething or other – maybe one day you’ll get my name right, but I’m not holding my breath;)
Andy Mcintyre – found my sunnies in the bag this morning – are you wanting those ones you gave me back?  You’ll have to come get them.  Oh and did the Opera Bar last night – cool stuff.
Des Williamson – my hot tip is don’t drink before you go to the Opera House – you might nod off.  Wake me for the interval.
Brad Parker – we need more screens mate! 

So enough of the industry back-slapping for now – wil someone clean that ash up over there – it’s in the way of my plane.

That iPhone app…

Yes indeed.  Although, before I continue it should be said that this TechBlog isn’t intended to be a platform for extra sales pitches of our gear – it’s hopefully going to turn into the place where we get to report back things that would benefit from discussion with you – our users – or possibly things that we think are interesting/cool.  Click on the “Comments”  link above here and discuss…

That said, this is sort of a sales pitch, but not for an XTA product, so I’m not contradicting myself.  Not much anyway 😉

So, this year in Frankfurt, by far the biggest cool factor award has to go to Andreas Zeh and his iPhone app to control 4 Series units.  I’m allowed to tell you all about this because he did this completely “off his own bat”, in his spare time  just because he’s a fan of the gear.  He got in touch about a year ago and asked would we mind if he looked into developing an app, and asked for the protocol for 4 Series.  Once we’d tied up the legal side he got stuck in and had things up and running late last year.  He got it approved by Apple in February and now it’s available to download.

It works like this:  you buy a “Walkabout Kit” from us – this contains the WiFi – RS485 converter and a WiFi adapter for your laptop.  This kit enables full wireless control of a network of units via AudioCore and we’ve just updated it with a new WiFi end for the laptop to make it easier to set up and improve performance.  And so ends the sales pitch – well almost – here’s a link if you want to know more:

https://audiocore.wpengine.com/products-walkabout.html

So anyway, once you’ve downloaded the app on your iPhone/Pod, you set up the IP address of the Walkabout kit and that’s it.  You’ve now got access to 4 Series on your shiny iDevice.  There are a couple of provisos – it only currently accesses one device at a time (the ID number can be adjusted to address different ones though), and it only  works with DP448/6/4s (so not 424 or 426).  I’m sure that’ll change though as Andi has already done one update.  He likes a tweak.

Just a few screenshots, to show you how cool it actually is, and a link to his page and we’re done.  Remember – we’re not selling this, nor are we getting a cut, so we don’t offer tech support for it.  If you wreck your system due to particularly fat fingers, at least you can pretend you were on the phone at the time and had nothing to do with it.

One last thing worth noting – this doesn’t mean that anyone with an iPhone can suddenly hack into your system if you’re using a wireless kit – there is the not inconsequential WEP security on the WiFi network which should stop that.  Only one device can connect to the WiFi-RS485 adapter at a time anyway so if you’re online, no-one else gets a look-in.

So, some pics…

Routing and muting - tap an input or output to jump to it for editing...
Parametric EQ adjustment - whilst not as cool as curve dragging, be honest - would you safely be able to on a screen this size? The screw-up possibilities would be high.
Memories contents can be quickly seen and different bits switched off prior to recall and saving.
Metering is returned in real time...

Flip your iPhone/Pad on its side and if you're editing an input, the Graphic EQ slides into view. Very cool and guaranteed to get an "ooo..." from your assembled tech geek friends 😉

You can get his datasheet at:  https://www.rockbaby.de/dp4remote.html