Capturing Surround
With so much attention given to mixing in surround these days, it seems like there’s much less time given to the actual practice of surround recording. Even though classical recordists have been documenting a performance in surround for some time, other musical genres, as well as location recording for film and broadcast, have only begun to exploit the possibilities. Since the aim of any recording is to capture the environment as well as the source, surround miking accomplishes this goal to the extent that we have never heard before.
Apr 19, 2005, 12:20
3rd Time's the Charm
This year, the 47th Annual Grammy Awards show telecast, which was produced in discrete 5.1 surround for the third year running (as well as stereo and mono), added a mix engineer and over three dozen microphones specifically to convey the enthusiasm of the audience to viewers and pump up the excitement of the show.
Apr 19, 2005, 12:05
The Way it Was
The recent AES Convention held in San Francisco had its typical share of new product introductions -- which is, of course, great. Even better for the Surround Professional, however, is that the trend started a few years back is continuing and is more prominent than ever. The trend of which we speak is the inclusion of surround features on nearly every major new product introduction. Combine this with the addition of a surround sound category to the GRAMMYs, and it safe to say that surround mixers will be quite busy in the year to come.
Here’s a glance at some of the surround-related product introductions at AES.
Jan 4, 2005, 14:47
Surround Gift Guide
With more and more titles being released in surround sound, it’s tough to figure out which ones to buy. We’ve asked our friends at HighFidelityReview.com to condense some of the reviews on their Web site to provide some guidance when shopping for surround. To see these reviews in their full glory -- as well as the latest surround news and other reviews -- visit www.highfidelityreview.com.
Dec 21, 2004, 15:45
“I Will Never Do Another Record in Stereo”
Earlier this year, DTS Entertainment released a two-disc set of BT’s original music from and inspired by the critically acclaimed motion picture Monster. Conceived, recorded, and mixed in the 5.1 format, the DVD has earned BT the 2004 Surround Maverick Award at this year’s SMAs.
Sep 30, 2004, 12:47
Surround for Musicians
Grammy Award-winning composer and musician Herbie Hancock is the recipient of the 2004 Surround Pioneer Award, presented by the Consumer Electronics Association. A longtime devotee of the format, Hancock even coined a phrase to describe it (“immersive mixing”), and in 2001 took surround sound out of the studio and onto the road.
Sep 30, 2004, 12:43
ShootingandScoring
During the last few years, the revenue generated by the interactive entertainment industry finally surpassed annual motion picture ticket sales. With that achievement under its belt, the game industry is now determined to take it to the next level and has started to integrate Hollywood-style production values, including multichannel surround audio and professionally scored soundtracks, some even performed by large orchestras.
Jul 4, 2004, 12:15
MethodMan
Nathaniel Kunkel is one of the busiest mixers working in surround sound music today. His multichannel credits include discs from a wide variety of artists, including James Taylor, Insane Clown Posse, Sheila Nicholls, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Chris Botti, and Sting. He has won numerous GRAMMYs and Surround Music Awards, and runs his own production company called Studio Without Walls, which is aptly named, as it features racks of equipment that allow Kunkel to record and mix nearly anywhere. Here, he discusses his wall-less studio, his surround techniques, and his most recent project with The Crystal Method.
Jul 4, 2004, 11:33
Surround Sequel
The 45th Annual Grammy Awards Show telecast on CBS from Madison Square Gardens in New York last year broke new ground as the first primetime terrestrial broadcast of an awards show in HDTV with 5.1 audio. The outstanding pioneering work of the audio crew was honored with a well-deserved Emmy Award, a Surround Music Award, and drew praise from the Recording Academy and viewers alike.
Apr 4, 2004, 13:32
Digital Broadcast Console Roundup
Two years ago, when we presented the latest innovations in 5.1-capable digital broadcast consoles, we noted that DTV had yet to set the world on fire. Two years later, U.S. broadcasters are still gearing-up for 5.1 broadcast and HDTV systems are still found in only a small percentage of households. But the quality and features of digital mixing systems have made them indispensable to broadcasters, regardless of the audio format being produced. The following information updates that previous guide to include only the equipment and upgrades that have since become available.
Apr 4, 2004, 13:30
