In Broadcast - March 2013 - 60


I N T E R N A T I O N A L

WWW.INBROADCAST.COM | ISSUE 17 - MARCH 2013

N E W S

InSOUND

Audio Post-Production Solutions - Part 1
The ﬁrst part of this two-part feature examines some of the main trends and
equipment developments in the audio post-production sector…

By Kevin Hilton
Contributing Editor

T

60

he audio post-production suite
has always been the sum of its
parts, different pieces of equipment
and technology used together in a
very particular way for a speciﬁc
purpose. In the days of analogue
the components – mixing console,
multi-track tape recorder, outboard
processing units – were more
standalone and had to be integrated,
or even adapted, to ﬁt…
Digital has smoothed this
integration and even though there
are still identifiable individual
elements in the average dubbing
theatre or sound editing room –
mixer, digital audio workstation
(DAW) and the odd bit of rack gear
– the aim today is to design studios
that approach a single, complete
system. In part this has been driven
by the development of the DAW,
which has progressed from being
just a recording and editing device
into a full mix, processing/effects
and storage engine.

DiGiCo’s DS-00 –
a versatile and expandable audio desk

Networking technologies have
been the other important factor in
creating a total systems approach,
connecting the DAW, mixing desk,
processors and, increasingly,
other facilities either in the same
building or any studios nationally or
internationally. Despite this the visual
and creative focus of the audio post
suite remains the console.
Miniaturisation technology has
led to the design of smaller control
surfaces, which makes the desk less
dominating than in the past. More
powerful processors and memory
now allow tracks to be mixed “in
the box” (the DAW) and while some
younger engineers are adept at
writing commands on the computer
controller and using the cursor to
drag a fade line, others – of whatever
age – prefer the more instinctive act
of pushing a fader up or down to get
an instantaneous effect.
Naturally enough console
manufacturers emphasise this
point when stating the case for a
separate control surface or mixer in
the age of more powerful recordingediting-mixing workstations. “The
DAW has definitely become a
more widely used tool,
both for audio processing
and mixing,” comments
Dan Page, Sales
Application Specialist
at DiGiCo. “However,
the physical, tactile
control provided by
a console makes the

Avid System 5-MC mixing control
surface tightly integrates with
multiple DAWs, enabling you to take
hands-on control

mixing process much more
intuitive. Imagine mixing hundreds
of channels internally in a DAW with
a mouse and keyboard; it would be
virtually impossible.”
DiGiCo grew out of console
manufacturer Soundtracs with
the aim of producing a range of
completely digital mixing desks for
broadcasting, post-production and
live sound. Soundtracs’ last product,
launched in 2003, was a speciﬁc
audio post desk, the DS-00. This
was later re-branded as DiGiCo but
during the recent NAMM musical
instrument equipment show in the
US the company announced it was
reviving the Soundtracs name for a
range of studio products that would
feature comprehensive networking.
A prerequisite for consoles today
is a large channel capacity, which is
needed partly to accommodate the
huge number of tracks that can be
involved in a TV programme or ﬁlm
mix. DiGiCo is among the console
manufacturers to have moved from
established ﬂoating point DSP (Digital
Signal Processing) technology, to
FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate
Array) integrated circuits. These can
be set up by the product designer or

manufacturer
to match the
exact requirements of a user, which,
in broadcast and post-production,
means multiple channels such
as surround sound, incoming
feeds, alternative languages and
communications.
“FPGA processing innovations
have made it possible to process
hundreds of channels within a single
chip,” explains Page. “Previously
this would have required multiple
DSP based cards. As a result the
console designs can become
smaller and consume less power.
This allows much greater freedom
when designing a console surface.
With hundreds of channels to
handle, there is a limit to how small
you can realistically go. But small
footprint assignable consoles are
now the norm.”
Avid came to audio by acquiring
Digidesign, developer of the Pro
CONTINUED ON PAGE 61

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