Liverpool-based record producer & songwriter, Alec Brits has been steadily growing his Audient gear collection at his The Cabin Recordings studio, all the while relying on his compact ASP4816 mixing console which is at the heart of his professional setup. With EVO 4, EVO 16, SP8 already in his arsenal, the latest addition is the iD44 20 in/24 out audio interface.

Alec aims for a very specific atmosphere at his ‘one room’ style recording space at The Cabin. “I want it to feel like you are walking into your best friend from childhood’s home, which just so happens to be filled with the finest instruments and recording equipment: low pressure, high quality,” he says. So far so good, as he gets a steady flow of bands coming through his doors, including St Catherine’s Child, HOLLOWBODY, Bubba Shrimps and Clean Cut Kid, amongst others.

Alec, a LIPA alumnus, describes how the ASP4816 has helped him develop his recording style. “I have loved how it has allowed me to try different workflows and learn the sound of the analogue workflow both in recording and mixing. The cost-effective nature of this particular console makes it an absolute win sonically, without having to face any of the downsides of console ownership.”

Alec also has the benefit of having a separate home studio space, which is dedicated to songwriting, mix prep – and video editing, when he’s working on his YouTube content. “This room is much smaller and sounds very dry and tight,” he explains. “It allows for the opportunity for a fresh perspective after a long day, week or month in The Cabin. Less gear which provides less option paralysis.”

When not working on clients’ projects in the studio, Alec is reviewing products on his YouTube channel. No ordinary product reviews, however, as he writes a brand new song for each video when the product is used for the capture of audio.

As with all the EVO products he reviewed, he was so impressed with iD44, he decided to keep it. Talking about the iD44, he says, “It was the perfect fit for my home studio, because it could have several different microphones set up at one time. It allowed me to audition speakers, but most importantly it did something that very few pieces of equipment get right: the iD44 never gets in the way.

He continues, “The AD/DA of the unit is stunning, and the fact that there are two headphone outs (with a 3.5mm additional input!!!) just makes life a lot easier. I have one set of closed-back headphones, and one set of open-back headphones for mixing and tracking respectively.

“The mic pre’s are of course familiar as well.  It’s a solidly built unit that feels like it can also be used in self-defence if needed.” Audient hopes that won’t be necessary.

To find out more about Alec Brits and The Cabin Recordings, visit his website, YouTube channel and Instagram.

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Ashun Sound Machines (ASM) is proud to celebrate its fifth anniversary as a company that is passionate about using technology to create exciting products that spark creativity by introducing two-limited edition models of its Hydrasynth digital wave morphing synthesizer with proprietary ASM Polytouch® technology to provide responsive velocity and expressive polyphonic aftertouch — applying a celebratory ‘cosmetic facelift’ to form the aptly-named Hydrasynth Keyboard 5th Anniversary Silver Edition and Hydrasynth Deluxe 5th Anniversary Silver Edition

Certainly celebrating its fifth anniversary milestone in stunning style, ASM’s Hydrasynth Keyboard 5th Anniversary Silver Edition and Hydrasynth Deluxe 5th Anniversary Silver Edition are each limited to 200-unit runs that will surely become highly-sought-after collector’s items, prized by serious synthesizer aficionados. Appropriately, each limited-edition model boasts a sparkling silver finish with a custom 5TH ANNIVERSARY SILVER EDITION print on the top panel, duly distinguishing them from the ‘standard’ Hydrasynth Keyboard — launched in 2019 to widespread critical acclaim as a digital wave morphing synthesizer featuring an ASM Polytouch® 49-note polyphonic aftertouch keybed and a user-assignable ribbon controller — and Hydrasynth Deluxe — itself offering a dual sound engine setup and the largest (73-note) ASM Polytouch® polyphonic aftertouch keybed to date upon its introduction in 2021 — models that are still going strong today thanks to regular firmware updates; by that same token, Hydrasynth Keyboard 5th Anniversary Silver Edition and Hydrasynth Deluxe 5th Anniversary Silver Edition’s custom-made side panels prominently feature the HYDRASYNTH logo, while both synths ship with a Certificate of Authenticity showing the unit number — not forgetting, of course, the silver sticker that is included in both packages.

Applying a fine finishing touch to the celebratory proceedings, ASM has closely collaborated with a carefully chosen team of specialist sound designers, duly including an exclusive custom patch bank on both limited-edition models to further commemorate its fifth anniversary as a company that is passionate about using technology to create exciting products — products that definitely don’t come much more exciting than Hydrasynth Keyboard 5th Anniversary Silver Edition and Hydrasynth Deluxe 5th Anniversary Silver Edition!

Expected to ship in June 2024, Hydrasynth Keyboard 5th Anniversary Silver Edition and Hydrasynth Deluxe 5th Anniversary Silver Edition will be available to purchase — priced at an MSRP of $1,649.00 USD ($1,449.00 USD MAP)/€2,049.00 EUR/£1,799.00 GBP and an MSRP of $2,149.00 USD ($1,949.00 USD MAP)/€2,649.00 EUR/£2,299.00 GBP, respectively — through ASM’s growing global network of authorised dealers.

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Throwback to Arturia MiniBrute – Embodying an analog revival

Released in 2012, when analogue innovation was in a lull, Arturia’s MiniBrute set out to reinvigorate and revolutionize the scene with its small, affordable analog architecture that could be used by beginners and pros alike. Co-designed and engineered by craftsman synth legend Yves Usson, with a pure analog signal path and several innovative features MiniBrute set a new standard and became legendary. 12 years later, MiniBrute has been reinvented…

Arturia MiniBrute V not only recreates the distinctive analog grit of its hardware predecessor, but elevates it with modern flexibility, expanded polyphony and a built-in FX rack.

Features

8-Voice Polyphony with Mono Mode – Experience the raw power of the original MiniBrute now as an 8-voice polysynth, with the option to switch to mono mode for classic monophonic sounds.

Built-in FX Rack – Twist and transform MiniBrute V’s analog energy with an all-in-one FX rack, featuring 4 FX slots and 17 FX types to further shape and enhance your sound.

Pure VCO Power – Mix up to 4 different waveshapes and a sub-oscillator for added punch, alongside signal enhancers such as the Ultrasaw and Metalizer.

World class presets – From high voltage basses and leads to soaring pads and metallic effects, with over 150 presets to choose from, find your sound and tweak it to perfection.

Unison – Engage to create huge mono sounds as well as detune effects and stereo spread.

Patch Browser – Easily navigate through a collection of 150 presets showcasing its versatility, ranging from classic analog tones to experimental sounds.

Unique Analog Character – Capture the unmistakable raw analog power of the MiniBrute, offering a character that stands out from other synthesizers on the market.

Updated Hardware Panel Design – Inspired by the original MiniBrute but with a modern twist, featuring a sleek 3D hardware design in line with Arturia’s ‘Noir’ aesthetic.

10 Things To Try Out

Explore the Filter Cutoff & Resonance – Really explore the relationship between Brute Factor and Filter Cutoff to see what makes the Minibrute different

Use the Oscillator mixer with intent – Due to its complexity, pushing the levels will start driving the filter’s non-linearities. So use them with intent and don’t just push the levels to the max

Change the oscillator levels – The Mixer levels will affect the Brute Factor’s behaviour by saturating the feedback path. Change the oscillator levels to reign in the Brute Factor, or make it more aggressive

Try fine modulations for huge results – Though having limited modulation options, changes to the filter cutoff via the LFO, Aftertouch of Velocity can have their impact boosted by the brute factor.

Get more organic and natural response to playing – With and added dedicated Velocity modulation to both the Amp Envelope and Filter Envelope

Explore the ‘wave’ parameter – The differences of response of the original HW have been modelled inside the dispersion panel under the ‘wave’ parameter. So make sure to play with it when trying to match your own HW unit!

Explore more sound design options – The envelope speeds switch has been removed, allowing the envelopes to go from their fastest setting (1ms) to their slowest one (25s)

Customize the tone – With a dedicated ‘wave shaper’ to each Oscillator, these include the Ultrasaw (similar to a supersaw) and Metalizer (Triangle wave shaping) that are quite unique!

Discover The Steiner Parker filter – Quite different from the more traditional ‘ladder’ type filters found in Analogue synths, it is both very smooth at the bottom and very harsh at the top, allowing for a very wide range of tone.

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Though they might no longer be the sole destination for every musician, following the advent of home recording, gear-packed recording studios still hum with a certain magic. Whether it’s those legendary studios overflowing with classic desks, outboard and mics, to those that sport meticulously designed acoustics, to savvy, future-aimed spaces that keep a keen eye on latest trends, there remains a big allure to the idea of laying down your track in a killer studio.

How you feel when writing and recording in a studio space can be as vital as what tools it can provide to help you reach your musical aims. While some studios specialise in vintage-gear signal chains and traditional approaches, the world’s most innovative studios incorporate new technology, modern standards and enchanting aesthetics to make you feel right at home.

In this roundup, we’ve compiled our pick of the ten most innovative studios right across the world. While ‘innovation’ might reflect on how the studios in question have adapted new tech, we also want to highlight those that have clearly had a lot of personalised considerations which make them stand out from the norm. Some are commercial operations, others are the property of the globe’s most accomplished sonic adventurers. So, without further ado, let’s take a world tour of the recording studios at the forefront of tomorrow…

10. Elfo Recording Studio, Tavernago, Italy

Deep within Milan’s surrounding tranquil countryside, lay the sharp, disruptive features of the angular Elfo Recording Studio. This triple-studio complex can house a twenty-piece orchestra and fifty-person choir in its large main room, while the immaculate acoustics of studio two is perfect for tracking, presided over by an API 1608 console, in tandem with DAWs. The elliptical shape of Studio 3 is down to the Elfo team applying a meticulous study of sound refractions, and its LAN and A/V cabling provides the ability to use all the studio’s spaces from one, state-of-the-art central hub. The commercial studio offers production and arrangement services, and their rates cover the use of any and all its thronging equipment arsenal. Eccezionale!

9. Ocean Sound Recording Studio, Giske, Norway

With a breathtaking view of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the surrounding Norwegian countryside, the purpose-built Ocean Sound was designed by American sound expert Ric Vaughan to be one of the very best acoustically treated spaces in which to record music. With a large live room, twin ISO rooms and large control room, the studio makes for a tranquil haven in which to submerge oneself in the music production process. Its ISO Booths have perfect attenuation of all sound from the main live room, and acoustics can further be manually controlled in the main control room. Custom built gobos are on hand to fine-tune the room’s acoustics to each particular project. A spellbinding space, providing an inspiring ocean-spectacle from its windows, the studio has reeled in the likes of Arcade Fire, Milky Chance, Swedish House Mafia and Ane Brun.

8. Steve Aoki’s Neon Future Cave, Las Vegas, USA

Not just a studio, but the world-dominating EDM producer’s play-centre, Steve Aoki’s Las Vegas complex isn’t just filled with high end tech, but also incorporates skate ramps, foam pits and impressive lighting. “I call it the Neon Future Cave because it’s in the bunker of my house and I wanted to enter into this room where I was transporting myself into the future,” Aoki told us a few years ago. Built around the Slate Raven Z3C digital mix rack, Focal SM9 monitors and a range of Universal Audio kit, Aoki’s HQ is a space that many of us can only dream of, yet for Steve, the true magic of his personalised space is the mindset in which it puts him; “You set your studio up in the way that you want your environment to be, and you know the way you think creatively is going to be part of the process. It’s not just about what plugins you’re using or how high-tech your gear is.”

7. Studios 301, Sydney, Australia

One of Australia’s most acclaimed studios, Studios 301’s legacy has been forged over nearly a century of use. Though the studio stresses its heritage as the longest-running recording studio in the Southern Hemisphere, it has also warmly embraced the next generation. The 301 Academy offers new engineers and producers the experience of working within a professional recording studio environment. Studios 301 also offers a robust online mixing service and has been at the forefront of pioneering audio formats in Australia. Another objective of the studio is to preserve aural history, offering archival and cultural institutions, record labels and more the means to digitise their analogue archives, cleaning up yesterday’s gems for tomorrow’s ears. The large complex is naturally ram-packed with ultra-modern tech, as well as a staff made up of top-tier industry pros.

6. Deadmau5’s ‘mau5 House’, Toronto, Canada

The nerve centre of the rodent-headed magician’s progressive house wonders, Joel Zimmerman’s studio is also a mind-blowing kingdom of kit replete with the EDM megastar’s mouth-watering collection of synths, including his custom Modcan Series A. The Dolby Atmos-certified studio, decked out with nine ATC speakers, is one of the largest Atmos-approved mixing spaces in the world. The super-sized analog Neve console at the studio’s heart is balanced by two walls jam-packed with modular synths, as well as a trove of keyboard synths. It’s, in a word, jaw-dropping. Zimmerman’s dedication to making his studio the ultimate man-cave goes beyond music technology. Downstairs is Zimmerman’s computer suite, with five custom built PCs, a 2 gigabit internet connection and a near-limitless quantity of hard drive storage space – enough to make any nerd weak at the knees. While Joel’s studio is his private production and play palace, it’s a space that many hold up as the ideal to work towards…

5. Blackbird Studios, Nashville, USA

In the heart of music capital Nashville, sits the hallowed Blackbird Studios, a multi-studio complex that is able to cater to any genre or purpose. With an extraordinary array of technology (and some particularly visually impressive room treatment) Blackbird has welcomed such luminaries as Beck, Kesha, Taylor Swift and Kings of Leon amongst others into its aesthetically amazing recording spaces, which have been described as resembling ‘The Four Seasons meets Moulin Rouge’. Its studios simply exude character, from Studio A’s Abbey Road-aping retro-vibe, to the awe-inspiring diffused walls of the Atmos-ready Studio C, Blackbird sports some notably impressive gear, including the largest API Legacy Plus desk ever built, and a specially modded Neve 8070. As with many other studios, Blackbird encourages education, with its own Blackbird Academy enabling the next generation to get in-depth courses in modern production on-site.

4. Metropolis Studios, London, UK

Metropolis’s status as one of Britain’s top tier studio hubs is well-founded, playing host to the likes of Queen, Ed Sheeran, Madonna, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones and many more over the last thirty-three years. In addition to its array of tracking and mixing studios, Metropolis offers some of the world’s very finest mastering suites, as well as a series of writing and production rooms. Built within a converted power station, the huge sound complex has close relationships with the world of music academia, and regularly invites students to use its mixing and mastering sessions. Speaking of which, it’s Metropolis’s innovative approach to mastering that has garnered it global acclaim. Founded in 1993 by Ian Cooper, Tony Cousins and Tim Young, Metropolis Mastering’s aim was to go beyond then-standards in mastering. Their frontier-pushing ambitions continue to this day, with 5 mastering rooms, ready for any and all needs.

3. Real World Studios, Box, UK

Stepping into Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios’ main control room, there’s the unavoidable feeling that you’re boarding a discreetly parked spacecraft, nestled among the bucolic fields, lakes and trees of rural Somerset. A stone’s throw from music technology publishing heartland of Bath, Real World invites artists to let go of their everyday lives, and focus entirely on the creative process, with the residential studio offering dedicated services to facilitate writing, mixing, mastering, post-production, rehearsal and much more. Built in 1986 on Gabriel’s personal – and innovative – take on what a studio should be, the open studios of Real World actively encourage collaboration and networking. Its Big Room, drenched in natural light, is the hub of all, with its 72-channel Solid State Logic 9000K console resembling the helm of said starship. Real World’s unique charm makes it one of our very favourite studios.

2. Hans Zimmer’s Studio, California, USA

Part studio, part top-tier gentleman’s lounge, replete with esoteric decor, gothic skulls and other miscellany. Hans’s home-base is decked out with luxurious sofas, Persian rugs and warm lighting, reflecting its foundational principle of the studio being both a place where the world’s greatest composer will work and chill. While the walls are dominated by a colossal modular patch-bay synth, interspersed with vintage outboard gear, the studio is also cutting edge on many fronts. Zimmer’s aim to make the studio as comfortable as possible goes as far as the 3M multi-touch screen workflow which he uses, with custom-made software designed to help him navigate his go-to DAW, Cubase. High-tech his desktop workflow may be, but the true heart of Zimmer’s studio remains his black Bösendorfer piano, which is often the foundation of some of Hans’s most epic scores.

1. Abbey Road Studios, London, UK

The crown jewel of the studio world, Abbey Road has been the HQ of popular music’s most groundbreaking bands. While its legacy is still a big facet of the studio’s prestige, Abbey Road has embraced modernity and innovation like few others. Launching numerous new studios over the last decade, cementing itself as the premiere destination for modern film soundtracking and, via incubator Abbey Road Red, investing and mentoring those pushing the boundaries of what music technology can be, the St John’s Wood powerhouse remains at the summit of the recording studio industry. Currently, the studio is delving further into the realm of AI in music, VR/AR/ MR, source separation and spatial audio, and has broken new ground in the field of de-mixing. Abbey Road stands today at the intersection between tradition and innovation, a place it has arguably always been. In a previous life (when it was known as the EMI Recording Studios), Abbey Road was the Beatles’ base, and provided them the means to widen the scope of what pop music could be and now Abbey Road’s ongoing quest to expand the music technology playing field continues.

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Knobula has introduced Echo Cinematic at SUPERBOOTH24 in Berlin

Electronic music innovator Knobula unveiled Echo Cinematic as the latest Eurorack module to embody its no-screen, no-preset philosophy — presented as a fully-featured, practical stereo effects unit that draws its inspiration from the influential dub music culture that emerged from Jamaica and made its mark on the London music scene in the early Eighties.

Actively appreciating Echo Cinematic as a fully-featured, practical stereo effects Eurorack module — as alluded to by its front panel-positioned descriptive (Eq + Delay + Reverb) wording — that draws its inspiration from the influential dub music culture that emerged from Jamaica and made its mark on the London music scene in the early Eighties surely benefits from digging deeper into what, technically, made that scene sound so unique. Ultimately, then, analogue tape delays were routinely connected to mixing consoles via a spare channel strip in those iconic recording setups, so engineers were able to manipulate the resultant sound using EQ and effects send controls to create ever-evolving rhythm textures from feedback loops delicately balanced on the brink of self-oscillation.

On the face of it, Echo Cinematic clearly eliminates the need for a complex mixing console; instead, it expands on those early-Eighties-developed dub music principals by beautifully integrating a versatile resonant filter with five distinct sources of automation. As such, Echo Cinematic consists of two independent LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators) for both Eq and Delay modulation; looping 30-second Knob Record functionality, capable of simultaneously controlling every knob on the module’s clear-cut front panel; and two external CV (Control Voltage) inputs — CV A and CV B — for instant assignment to any control upon insertion of a patch cable.

Creatively, Echo Cinematic’s Eq section boasts three selectable filter types — namely, Shelf (high-/low-pass), Peak (peak/notch), and classic Comb; each can be patched into the Fback (feedback) loop (in so-called Dub Mode), Delay (output), or All (entire signal path), including the self-explanatory Dry or Effect signal. Simultaneous to that, the Delay section offers up to two seconds of stereo delay time, complete with Tap delay and grid Snapping functionality to ensure precise synchronisation with the beat or clock signal, while Reverb duties are handled by the same, lush-sounding 24-bit stereo processing found in Knobula’s other cinematic-sounding Eurorack modules — think: no screens, just big-screen sounds!

Says Knobula Technical Director Jason Mayo: “Before Knobula was founded, even, Echo Cinematic was intended to be our Eurorack debut. Duly envisioned as the ultimate dub-style echo module, its development was paused due to Poly Cinematic’s unexpected success; Echo Cinematic nonetheless now represents the culmination of a meticulous three-year developmental journey, the result of which has turned out to be even better than my original concept, so I’m immensely proud to finally introduce it to the Eurorack community.”

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Real World Studios has won a prestigious ‘Studio of the Year’ accolade, sponsored by Neumann, at the MPG Awards ceremony held at the Troxy in London

Now in their 16th year and celebrating the best talent working behind the scenes in the British music industry, the Music Producers Guild Awards (MPG Awards) are one of the most prestigious awards in music production. This year’s awards received a record number of open submissions from the general public, with MPG members voting to shortlist their peers in each of the 14 award categories.

Real World Studios is a renowned recording facility located in Bath, England. Founded by musician Peter Gabriel in the late 1980s, the studio was built with the intention of becoming a creative and collaborative space for artists from around the world to come together and make music.

The studios’ versatile recording, mixing and immersive spaces are some of the best sounding and most acclaimed in the world. They house an array of the finest audio equipment, which is operated by a dedicated team of recording, mixing and mastering engineers.

For the second consecutive year, Georg Neumann GmbH sponsored the Studio of the Year category at the MPG Awards.  Yasmine Riechers, CEO of Georg Neumann GmbH said:

“The MPG Awards celebrate the very best in British music production, and we are proud to play a role in recognising the outstanding achievements of these talented professionals. Our product portfolio helps producers and engineers in all steps of the sonic chain, whether it’s microphones, monitoring or recording, so it feels like a natural collaboration.”

The MPG Awards recognises the talent and dedication of producers, engineers, mixers, and mastering engineers across a wide range of genres. As last year, the 2024 awards trophy is modelled after the iconic Neumann M 49 microphone chassis. “The M 49 microphone has been a cornerstone of studio recording for decades and is an inseparable part of the Neumann DNA, so it is only fitting that the awards used its chassis as its centrepiece,” says Riechers.

Over the years, Real World Studios has hosted numerous musicians and bands, including the likes of Tom Jones, Beyoncé, Harry Styles, and The 1975. “The studios’ dedication to cutting-edge technology, acoustics, and global music influence has solidified its reputation as a premier recording facility as well as being the home to world music festival WOMAD and Real World Records,” says Tim Oliver, Senior Consulting Engineer at Real World Studios.

The studio features a high-end roster of Neumann microphones, including the U 47 FET, M 49, KM 85, and the KU100 dummy head binaural stereo microphone. Additionally, the coveted U 47 and the iconic Neumann U 67, used by countless professionals in the recording industry, including the iconic bands such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd, are also part of studio’s microphone collection.

“Real World Studios has a substantial collection of vintage and modern audio equipment, and we’re immensely proud of the pristine condition in which it’s kept by our in-house technician,” says Katie May, Head Engineer at Real World Studios. “As well as each studio’s resident gear, a supplementary collection, including an incredible array of Neumann and Sennheiser microphones moves between rooms.”

Speaking about what it means for the team to win the Studio of the Year award, the team is unequivocal in its praise: “From Claire managing the house to Lisa taking bookings, from Bob L in the workshop to the engineering team running riot, from Jerome in the kitchen to Rachel looking after the accounts, from Nat making the site look beautiful, to Gordan keeping the building in tip-top condition, running the studio is a massive team effort. To win this award as a

Studio Profile: Real World Studios, Bath

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AMS Neve, the double Oscar winning experts in crafting sound recording equipment for film, music and television, has been recognised with a prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise.

Announced on May 6, AMS Neve, led by its founder and managing director Mark Crabtree, OBE, has been honoured for its excellence in international trade.

The globally renowned business, better known in Hollywood than its home town of Burnley, has decades of experience in crafting quality sound recording equipment, leading the way in advanced sound technology through innovation, expertise and precision engineering.

The company wins the King’s Award for International Trade for Outstanding Growth in Overseas Sales, reflecting the company’s world domination in its field.

Employing 93 people, AMS Neve has an enviable reputation as leaders in designing and producing ground breaking sound recording equipment.

Mark Crabtree was awarded an OBE for services to advanced manufacturing and the creative industries in 2015 and was given two scientific and technical Academy Awards for advancing the art and science of sound production. Further awards include a Grammy and an Emmy.

The iconic AMS Neve consoles are revered across the music, film and broadcast world, with stars including Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins and Def Leppard utilising the ‘sound of Neve’, helping them achieve chart topping success.

In the film world, the annual Oscars continue to feature award winning films recorded or mixed using AMS Neve technology, including most recently, this year’s blockbuster winner Oppenheimer whose Oscar winning sound track was recorded and mixed on an AMS Neve console.

Mark Crabtree said: “To receive the King’s Award for Enterprise is a great honour for the company and our dedicated, world class, integrated team who continue to innovate and break new ground with cutting edge digital and analogue sound recording equipment.

“We are a proud British company with a long pedigree of manufacturing the very best quality engineered products that we export around the world.

“All our products are designed and manufactured in the UK at our factory in Burnley, against a trend for off-shoring, requiring significant investment in advanced machinery in order to compete.

In the past three years alone, overseas revenue, total turnover and net profits at AMS Neve have doubled. The United States accounts for 55% of overseas sales, with Europe, Asia and Australia making up the rest.

Mark added: “To receive the King’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of our work is really important for the company and extremely encouraging to us all.

“We have previously received three Queen’s Awards for Enterprise so to now be recognised with one of the first King’s Awards is a real honour.”

The award will be presented at a special ceremony to be held at Windsor Castle on July 9th.

The King’s Awards for Enterprise, previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, were renamed last year to reflect His Majesty The King’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s by recognising outstanding UK businesses.

The Award programme, now in its 58th year, is the most prestigious business award in the country, with successful businesses able to use the esteemed King’s Awards Emblem for the next five years.

The post AMS Neve awarded prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise appeared first on Audio Media International.

Photo above credit: Jeff Johnson.

Epiphone has unveiled its global partnership with the multiple GRAMMY and ACM Award-winning country music star Miranda Lambert.

A variation on the iconic Hummingbird acoustic guitar, the Miranda Lambert Bluebird Studio includes upgraded features in a stunning Bluebonnet colour celebrating the official flower of Miranda’s home state of Texas.

The new Epiphone Miranda Lambert Bluebird Studio follows the successful release of the Gibson Miranda Lambert Bluebird acoustic last year, which is the best-selling Gibson signature acoustic guitar over the past 12 months.

Miranda Lambert has solidified her legacy as one of the most pivotal artists in modern-day country music. A constant champion of female artists–including through numerous collaborations and her work as a member of the Pistol Annies–Miranda Lambert has made it a priority to use her well-earned influence to encourage more girls and women to pick up guitars themselves. Lambert has won multiple GRAMMY® Awards and has been honoured with more Academy of Country Music Awards than any artist in history.

“My hope is that the release of the Epiphone Bluebird Studio with a more approachable price point will make it possible for young girls and women in general to get their hands on one,” says Miranda Lambert. “If it makes it more accessible and achievable for girls to chase their dreams, then it’s a win in my book.”

Named after Miranda’s chart-topping and GRAMMY-nominated song “Bluebird,” the Miranda Lambert Bluebird Studio has a square shoulder layered mahogany body and a solid Sitka spruce top designed for both visual appeal and tonal excellence.

The Miranda Lambert Bluebird Studio features a Bluebonnet gloss finish, a custom Bluebird pickguard, and the onboard Fishman electronics make this guitar plug-in ready the moment fans take it out of the included hardshell guitar case.

Q&A with Miranda Lambert

What motivated you to collaborate with Epiphone?

“After releasing my first Gibson Bluebird signature guitar last year, it seemed like the natural next step. The Gibson release was very well received, and we wanted to create a more affordable guitar, and still deliver a great quality product.”

How will this partnership and the signature Epiphone Bluebird Studio release help achieve your goal of inspiring more girls and women to play guitar?

“My hope is that the release of the Epiphone Bluebird with a more approachable price point will make it possible for young girls and women in general to get their hands on one. If it makes it more accessible and achievable for girls to chase their dreams, then it’s a win in my book.”

Did any personal memories influence the design and features of your signature guitar?

“For most musicians, even your earliest memories of a guitar are vivid ones. For me, that was sitting together as a family while my dad played for us, and from there it was me and my mom loading my guitar into her Suburban to drive around Texas and chase my dream. A guitar is a powerful thing for a young artist, so we wanted to create a design that was special because of that.”

The aesthetics of the Bluebird are striking, with intricate pickguard art and a vibrant Bluebonnet finish. How did this design come together, and what makes it meaningful to you?

“Bluebonnets are the Texas state flower and whether you’re from Texas like me or not, they’re just magical. The design was created by Codey Allen at Gibson after I gave some direction for the visual. The idea was based on my song, ‘Bluebird,’ and she did a beautiful job creating the artwork. The combination of the stunning blue color and the pickguard with bluebirds, bluebonnets, and pops of green ended up such a beautiful result.”

What does the Bluebird’s name signify for you personally, and how does it resonate with your journey as an artist?

“Bluebirds are a symbol of hope and renewal, both of which have been significant in my career and life in general. My song ‘Bluebird’ says it best: ‘I’ll keep a light on in my soul, keep a bluebird in my heart’.”

Your career has seen incredible highs and meaningful collaborations. Where does the creation of the Bluebird signature guitar rank among your achievements, and why?

“It’s a highlight, as I’ve been playing the guitar since I was a little girl. It’s where it all started for me. So to be able to create two signature Bluebird guitars is really meaningful to me. It’s full circle and something I’ll carry with me forever.”

Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring musicians who dream of playing guitar or having their own signature instrument one day?

“Keep chasing it. Stay true to yourself and don’t give up. You can’t go wrong with those two things.”

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Above: Andy Bensley of Genelec and Andy Jones discuss the 8381As at HHB London.

What is it?
Adaptive Point Source main studio monitors with the advantages of huge dynamic range, power and directivity, but also with the ability to be transported and used in a variety of locations thanks to a free-standing design and cutting-edge GLM and SAM technology.

What’s great?
The soundstage is extraordinary and combined with the dynamic range, will let you place track elements with ridiculous accuracy. The sound is also honest, open, huge and addictive. The relative mobility thanks to their free-standing design is also a win.

What’s not?
Only bigger budgets and rooms need apply.

The bottom line:
Genelec has transferred some of its best technologies into a set of main room monitors that deliver the best of all worlds and an immersive experience that will give you an almost arrogant level of mixing confidence. Of course they are top level speakers, but you can pay a lot more for permanently fixed solutions and the inflexibility that often goes with them.

Price: Price: £59,999 per pair, US $64,000

Where to buy: Genelec

Genelec’s 8381A studios monitors have the full-range power and frequency response of main studio monitors, but also a lot of the advantages of smaller speakers in terms of cutting-edge room correction technology and (relative) mobility. In fact they pack in a lot of the features and some design elements of their smaller siblings, The Ones, and while they are not officially part of that Genelec speaker range, they are known as ‘The Main Ones’.

There’s no getting away from the fact that these are speaker solutions for big budget operations and medium to large sized rooms. They stand tall – around 145cm x 50cm x 70cm – and have a free-standing design that includes a five-way speaker set-up, with no less than three sets of mid- range drivers, and a large Double Low Woofer System on which the top half of each cabinet is mounted, with three possible angled positions.

Genelec says the idea is that they deliver everything that you would expect from studio speakers installed within larger studios – think those that are built into the walls of studios A and B at Metropolis. They can be transported to projects for a semi-permanent set-up giving them and users much more flexibility – and the 8381s can be located freely within a room to create less impact on studio infrastructure.

This is backed up by the fact that the 8381As use Genelec’s ground-breaking but now widely imitated GLM (Genelec Loudspeaker Manager) software combined with the company’s Smart Active Monitor (SAM) technology. These mean the speakers can self-adjust according to a new room environment, moving crossover frequencies and attenuating frequency responses according to data fed in via a reference microphone system. The setup is quick, the results usually stunning, so you effectively end up with a set of high-end main room monitors that can be used in /many/ main rooms, not just a permanent and expensive fixture in one location.

The Main Point
The 8381A’s key technology is called Point Source Continued Directivity (PCD), and a first for the speakers. It essentially means that the main frequencies are coming from a single point source so are in perfect time and space for a highly accurate and wide soundstage. And PCD covers /all/ key frequencies thanks to more Genelec technologies focussed on each part of the range.

Firstly, GLM and SAM are not the only technologies shared with The Ones. The 8381As also share a Minimum Diffraction Coaxial (MDC) coaxial design where a 25mm tweeter sits in the centre of the first 127mm mid-range driver, a single-point source part of the design that results in an accurate image. That is your high and hi-mid frequencies taken care of.

Next up, this coaxial designed tweeter and mid driver setup is surrounded with a Quad Midrange System (QMS), four further 127mm mid-range speakers. Like The Ones – the 8341s, for example – these separate drivers almost join forces, in this case also helping to produce an ultra-precise mid- range imaging within the soundstage.

Mounted at the front of each speaker below the QMS array is a front 381mm driver called a woofer, but acting more like a low-mid speaker. Finally the whole enclosure sits on top of a second cabinet with a ‘Double Low Woofer’ (DLW) system, two 381mm drivers that deliver the sub frequencies and the low end part of the PCD system.

It’s a fairly complex five-way system, then, but all of its component parts combine to provide the highly-directional PCD system, and headline specs that include 5926 watts of power over a vast 20Hz to 35kHz (+/-1.5dB) frequency range. The max short term SPL hits 129db per pair too. It’s also worth noting that the 9320A Reference Controller is included with each pair.

But the even bigger headline is the resulting sound. After a number of listening tests we travelled through several opinions and emotions, all of them ranging from impressed to actually slightly overwhelmed. With the right mix, the stereo imaging was extraordinary, almost to the point that we thought some detail was around us. But the biggest takeaway was not just the horizontal soundstage, but the vertical height and the depth of the field.

No doubt helped by the physical size of the speaker – they are the optimal level (or can be adjusted using an incliner) for listening – and also that 5-way driver system, you get an extraordinary ‘height’ in the listening experience. It’s almost like you are presented with a much more accurate, high resolution grid of your mix moving left/right and up/down so you can place everything with extraordinary detail.

I expected to hear more in the mix – as you so often can when going from consumer to studio monitors – but with the 8381s it wasn’t so much that, but becoming more immersed within all three dimensions: left/right, up/down and partially ‘within’ the mix. We noticed the sweet spot was wide, but there was definitely a position where it was best enjoyed.

Another interesting test was when the SAM/GLM system was switched back to revert to a non adjusted set-up. The non room calibrated mix was noticeably less buoyant and lively, unusually flatter and less absorbing. As we have always found in previous reviews, Genelec’s GLM system really does work and is a lot simpler to employ than you might think.

We’re obviously not going to pretend these speakers are in any way for everyone, but the extraordinary detail in playback has already won them places in regular audiophile set-ups as well as the more studio orientated projects for which they were designed. Genelec has filled a gap in the market we hadn’t considered – main room monitors you can take anywhere and ones that will adjust to wherever you go. If you want to get to an (almost!) arrogant level of confidence with your mixing – and doing it anywhere you like – the 8381As are demanding to be heard.

Q/A with Andy Bensley, regional business development manager, Genelec.

So last year was our 45th anniversary. We wanted to do something special and thought, essentially, what could we do? And the 8381A is kind of an evolution on from The Ones.

What if we could do that on a main monitor scale, offer precision, accuracy as well as high performance high SPL, and the flexibility to place these things anywhere within the room?

If we look at what we’ve done in the past with our in-wall systems, there was a lot of work that would need to be physically done to the studio space to accommodate these larger monitors. So it would require a monitor wall, and a lot of work with acousticians. A lot of factors would have to be known ahead of time – what console is going to be in there, what’s going to be happening with the furniture in the room, where is the listening position because the monitor focusing will be dictated by that listening position.

What we’ve seen over the years is people moving into different rooms on shorter leases, for example. And if the monitoring set up comes with the facility, they’re not really in a position to redesign the room. Working within the space that they’ve got seems to be the order of the day. So that’s where we’ve seen these adaptive technologies, specifically with our GLM calibration software, where you can freely place these systems and get excellent results.

In a similar vein to The Ones and the W371A adaptive woofer system, everything is modular. Each element is calibrated individually with crossovers assigned based on the acoustic properties of the room. So the combination of the system and GLM will then decide which woofer is going to play up to which frequency. And the idea is to give you a frequency response that’s complete, so that we are reducing the influences of the room due to placement . But also, we’re able to control the directivity as well. So we’re able to deliver as much direct sound in the listening position as possible.

These are the two main goals of this system. And then finally, a huge amount of dynamic range in it as well – we’ve got something like a total of six kilowatts of power driving each 8381A.

That adds up to 129 dB of short term SPL per pair. So we’ve got systems that are very capable, with a huge amount of dynamic range, a huge amount of information that can be presented.

But the killer thing with this, because it’s a point source system – with the combined tweeter/midrange and the four midrange drivers – it adds up to an acoustically coaxial system.

Yes, you can listen at less than a meter, or 10 meters. So these are super flexible in terms of where you place these within the room, as well as the point source design, you’ve got so much flexibility. In this room, with a traditional three way design, the usual listening position would always be further back in the room, where each individual driver comes into focus together.

But equally, you could tuck these in even further and listen at the best position as well. You’ll be able to hear how firm that phantom center sounds as you start to move.

One approach that we could have taken would be to just put another 12 inch woofer in the top section along with the tweeter in the mid range driver – like a traditional coax – but then you get the issues of interference with the mid range and the tweeter, with modulation and discontinuity in the frequency response. It’s very difficult to predict what the response is going to be from that kind of design.

So because we’ve got such a large area on the front, we were able to space those five inch mid range drivers in a position where acoustically they essentially sum up to one driver. So you get this acoustic coaxial performance, but it doesn’t interfere with the dedicated mid range/tweeter coax in the center. There’s no interaction between them and the sound just adds up and comes at you from one place.

And this is the idea of the system, because none of those component parts operate on their own. A lot of what is happening under the hood of GLM is being informed by the 8381A system, compared to a third party calibration system working with a third party speaker system – where neither of them know what’s happening. In that situation, the calibration can be asking certain things of the driver makeup that they’re not necessarily capable of delivering. Because we know the capabilities of each of the driver crossover regions etc, GLM will never ask the system to do something that it’s not capable of. So we’re able to guarantee a level of performance not only in terms of SPL, but in terms of the frequency response and the quality of the audio, because we know all of the different component parts.

And we know how the DSP is going to manage and drive the system as well. So that’s a big part of the design process, as well, knowing how we can get the best out of each of these elements. With this project, there were a number of different iterations of the mid range system – whether it was going to have a dome design, or a traditional kind of recessed concave driver, and seeing the measurements from the impulse responses of how the intermodulation was being affected.

And all these kinds of artifacts we were seeing from having the concave design, that’s what led us to the dome design of the QMS mid range drivers. It’s given us a huge amount of control in terms of the design and the predictability of what the final product is going to be. And again, that’s part of the work that was done with The Ones, because no one was making that kind of coax element.

The target customers for the 8381A will be those that are recording, mixing and mastering music, along with post houses. They’re super capable, regardless of the genre. So whether you want something that’s incredibly loud and impactful – to provide a vibe for composition and writing – or you want something that’s super accurate for mixing, they can wear many hats. Plus you’ve got all this performance and exceptional imaging, which isn’t necessarily the case with a lot of larger systems.

For those customers wanting to know whether the 8381As are suitable for their room, we receive this kind of request from customers all the time, asking ‘I’ve got this room with this design, what would you recommend?’ We’ve got a team of nine or 10 people, probably more worldwide that are out there visiting rooms all the time.

So we have a huge amount of experience between us in terms of how our systems perform in the real world, what rooms, what they’re suitable for, how the system scales, in terms of whether being a stereo or an immersive system, and what would work in each scenario etc. But we’ve also got a massive amount of information that we’ve received from customers that are calibrating their systems via GLM’s cloud services. We’ve got access to around 10,000 measurements of people’s rooms, so we’re able to see what the common trends are and where people are typically seeing cancellations in their response. From that we’re able to see our customers’ issues with cancellations, and work out how to solve that with a new product design.

That was origin of the W371A woofer system, and now the 8381A, where rather than trying to fix acoustical issues within the room with EQ alone, we’re able to do it by assigning different drivers to fill in the frequency response. If you do it that way, you are optimizing for a larger area rather than just one specific spot. Otherwise, if you fix one area with EQ, as soon as you move out of that area, you’re into another null where there’s a difficulty – and so you’ll have a reluctance to leave that sweet spot.

Interview: Aki Mäkivirta, Genelec R & D Director

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