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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IsoAcoustics has expanded the global reach of its Product Selector and the IsoAcoustics mobile app by introducing support for seven languages.

The Product Selector, a well-established web application, seamlessly guides users in identifying the ideal IsoAcoustics product to enhance their speakers and audio devices. The mobile app, launched in January and well-received since, is poised for increased popularity with the latest multilingual update.

Now available in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, and Korean, the app not only assists with product selection but also provides detailed explanations for each item and delivers the latest news from IsoAcoustics.

With IsoAcoustics products gaining popularity around the world, proper localization ensures accessibility for users everywhere. The translations are not restricted to the user interface but include the entire content of the app with all background information on products, technology, and news updates.

Product Selector Wizard

Achieving optimal results means selecting the right products, and to facilitate this process, IsoAcoustics has introduced the Product Selector Wizard — an intuitive tool designed to guide users toward their ideal audio solution.

Choosing from the vast catalog of over 5,000 speakers and devices it offers one or more product suggestions ideal for the application at hand. If a model is not listed in the Product Selector, the Wizard will ask a few questions about the application and then make a matching product recommendation.

Aside from recommending the correct IsoAcoustics product, the Product Selector also considers thread sizes for the award-winning GAIA products that replace the speaker’s feet. The users do not need to study technical data for the entire IsoAcoustics portfolio, but instead, they can just pick the devices in their setup and trust the Product Selector Wizard to recommend the most suitable isolators, backed by the expertise of the world’s leading audio isolation specialist.

Audio professionals and audiophile enthusiasts often differ in their requirements. IsoAcoustics acknowledges these differences and caters to each field individually. The underlying working principle is very much the same: the energy transfer between a speaker or device and its supporting surface is mitigated in a controlled and directed manner. These resonances cannot affect other surfaces to generate noise, and they cannot reflect back into the device to cause internal interference. As a result, the playback becomes clearer, more transparent and accurate. Acoustic isolation can be the easiest way to considerably upgrade a good setup.

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Buckinghamshire New University’s Studio 2 has been upgraded to a hybrid studio, with a wide array of analogue outboard equipment and an Audient ASP8024-HE at its heart. When asked about how staff and students are enjoying the new setup, senior lecturer Peter Waterman says, “The room is fully booked all the time, so that speaks for itself!”

An active freelance engineer, producer and songwriter himself, Peter was keen to create a real-world experience for the students at BNU, much like that found in commercial studios where there is a mix of both analogue and digital. It seems to have worked. “From where we were before, this is a real jump in audio quality and versatility. Just bringing up a few faders on an analogue board gives the sound a sonic footprint it wouldn’t have otherwise and it’s been a real turning point seeing students really understanding the analogue workflow alongside Pro Tools.”

Prior to the revamp of Studio 2, BNU also invested in Studio 1’s comprehensive upgrade to Dolby Atmos, making it one of the first universities to adopt it in a music environment. Each studio has a large control room, live room and a separate vocal booth attached. “These are our main two studios and we really are very lucky to have such large studio spaces nowadays,” continues Peter.

“Both our Studio 1 and Studio 2 upgrades have completely changed the learning and teaching experience at BNU. It used to be a very simple 24 channels of preamps into Pro Tools HD hardware plus a D-Command for Pro Tools and monitor control. Now, everything is brand new and exciting and much more real world.

“We could have gone down the same Atmos route with Studio 2, but I’m really pleased that we have two rooms with two completely different learning experiences at the University. One being a very digital control room with a digital console, versus one old school analogue-style control room using a purely analogue console.”

He adds, “I feel as if graduates are now much more ready for the real world of what recording and mixing in the larger studios actually looks like. Nowadays Audient consoles are everywhere, so learning specifically on an Audient is a real advantage in my opinion.”

For Studio 2, Peter specified a 24 channel console from the British manufacturer. “We’ve kept to 24 channels for simplicity. We run it alongside our own designed patchbays for easy switching between console and Pro Tools and more integration with our other outboard pieces. We have a mic input patch using XLRs and a bantam patch for the rest. We also have a wireless monitor controller so we can simply click a button to instantly switch between digital stereo, 5.1 and back to the console output depending on what projects students are working on throughout the day.”

Besides the two 12-channel bays, the ASP8024-HE has a master section and producer section, where they have a Pro Tools controller. “Having that space in the middle and splitting the two 12-channels either side is great for teaching and it means we can get more students up and around the board at the same time doing different things. The Audient is in the centre of two huge rack bays full of gear we can utilise alongside the console’s ins and outs.”

The console has been with them for a year now, and Peter has no problem sharing his favourite features. “I really like the shelving EQs on each channel, as well as the transformer options and bus compressor in the master section.

“We have a lot of fun setting up the mix bus initially before mixing on the board by switching on the tone generator to get our compressor thresholds set and ready to go before we begin mixing. That’s actually been a really important part of setting up and getting ready to mix on a board rather than in the digital world.

“I’m not sure if this is standard but we have three identical mix outputs as well on our patchbay, so we can print back in three separate mixes back into Pro Tools if we wanted to experiment with some of the other pieces of stereo hardware we had, as well as taking a cleaner mix and comparing those.”  Peter also happens to be a “a big fan of the preamp” having been a long time iD44 audio interface user in his own mobile studio, Longcroft Recording.

BNU has certainly not shied away from investing in music technology, as its audio and music studios web pages confirm. Studio 3 is a smaller control room with a single live room attached, used for smaller projects such as sound design, Foley, ADR and voice over work etc. It is also a control room equipped with 5.1.  There are a further three edit suites which have a live booth attached, which can connect to all three edit suites. The biggest edit suite, Edit 6, has also just had an analogue synth makeover.

Peter concludes, “I’m hoping they keep giving us the funds to continually update and invest in great equipment! (Hint, hint.) But no matter how we upgrade our hardware or mic locker in Studio 2 over the coming years, the Audient console will be staying front and centre of the sound of that room for a long time to come.”

The desk was supplied by UK-based analogue and digital recording studio equipment supplier, KMR Audio – thanks to advice and guidance from BNU alumnus, Tom Shorter who now works there.

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Audio-Technica, an innovator in transducer technology for over 60 years, has recognized Mavric Incorporated with its Samurai Award, for representing Audio-Technica in the U.S. Southeast, covering Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama.

Audio-Technica held the awards ceremony to honour its dedicated force of manufacturer’s representatives on the eve of the InfoComm Expo, in Orlando. Mavric Incorporated was congratulated for outstanding sales performance and bestowed with Audio-Technica’s beloved Samurai doll. Mavric Principal Pete Petty accepted the award, which was presented by Reid Peterson, Audio-Technica U.S. Executive Director, System Solutions, and Jeff Beck, Audio-Technica U.S. Territory Sales Manager, System Solutions.

Peterson said, “We are proud to honour Mavric once again with our Samurai Award. Pete Petty and the rest of the Mavric team have continued to excel with strong sales and a high level of service and support for Audio-Technica in their territory. We applaud them for their performance over the last calendar year, the relationships that they have built and their expertise surrounding the A-T product line.” 

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Audio-Technica, a leading innovator in transducer technology for over 60 years, announces that Kurt Van Scoy has been promoted to Audio-Technica U.S. Vice President and Officer, Products, Business Alliances and Marketing. The announcement was made by Manabu Aoki, Audio-Technica U.S. CEO and President, to whom Van Scoy will report directly in his new role.

Van Scoy joined Audio-Technica U.S. in 1987, transferred to a subsidiary, then came back in 1995. He has worked in roles spanning several of ATUS’s departments including Engineering, Production, Quality, and Product Management. He also worked at A-T’s corporate headquarters in Japan for over four years before earning his most recent title of Executive Director of Product Management.

In his new role, Van Scoy will continue to oversee Product Development as well as assume leadership of the Marketing team, which includes Gary Boss (Director of Marketing) and Isabel Kiefer and Rory Geraghty (Assistant Marketing Managers). As a VP and Officer of the organisation, Van Scoy will assist in shaping and leading the overall strategic future of ATUS.

Manabu Aoki, CEO of Audio-Technica U.S., remarked, “It has been many years since A-T has identified a new VP & Officer, and we believe Kurt has certainly earned it. His knowledge of our products, combined with his intimate understanding of Audio-Technica’s global structure, as well as the leadership skills he has displayed, have earned him this promotion to VP & Officer.”

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MESA/Boogie Partners with Neural DSP for new ‘Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ Suite’; Plugin Suite is Designed After One of the Most Legendary Guitar Amps

From humble beginnings to worldwide recognition, MESA/Boogie® has remained the original boutique Home of Tone, hand-crafting amplifiers of uncompromising quality from the world’s finest materials in California, USA.

Founder Randall Smith instilled basic principles into MESA such as passion, drive, integrity, and excellence, and his insistence on making the best amplifiers has guided half a century of breakthrough innovations, elevating the amplifier into an instrument in its own right–one with the power to shape and create musical genres.

MESA/Boogie has announced a new partnership with Neural DSP for the  MESA/Boogie Mark IIC+, a new digital series that delivers the most accurate representations of some of MESA/Boogie’s legendary amps and cabinets. You can learn more here:  https://www.mesaboogie.com/en-US/Digital-Partners.

A pivotal part of guitar amplifier history, this plugin suite is designed after one of the most legendary guitar amps, the MESA/Boogie Mark IIC+.

Designed and built by MESA/Boogie®, the IIC+ pioneered the use of switchable lead and rhythm channels and has been the favored amp of a wide range of guitar players throughout the decades. Renowned for its power and versatility, the Mark IIC+ is beloved for its rich, complex tone by  Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield (Metallica), Prince, Steve Lukather (Toto), Neal Schon (Journey) and John Petrucci (Dream Theater), to name a few.

The Neural Mark IIC+ features a front panel with push/pull knobs for Bright/Rhythm, Bright/Lead, Treble, Bass, Deep, and Lead/Rhythm, plus a five-band graphic EQ. In the back, are Presence and Reverb controls, and a Simul-Class/Class A switch that allows users to select the power amp topology. Also included is a quartet of pre-effects–with a pair of overdrives that can take users from a subtle boost to classic tube saturation, and a compressor for rich, glassy clean tones, and a chorus unit – plus a pair of post-effects, including a BBD-style stereo delay and an ’80s-style hall reverb.

The Mark IIC+ suite features a separate nine-band graphic EQ, a cabsim module with hundreds of IRs, and three speaker options – a MESA/Boogie Rectifier Standard Slant 4×12, a Traditional Slant 4×12, and stacked Horizontal 2×12s – 10 virtual microphones, and Neural DSP’s proprietary room-mic section. In addition to the hundreds of IRs that come with the suite, users also have the ability to load their own IRs.

MESA/Boogie Mark IIC+ Suite from Neural is available everywhere worldwide for €99.

You can find out more by watching the video here: Mark IIC+ Suite

And you can test out the Mark IIC+ suite free, for 14 days: Find out more

Amps

Front: Featuring push/pull knobs for Bright (Rhythm channel), Treble Shift, Bass Shift, Deep, Lead/Rhythm, and Bright (Lead channel), as well as Mesa Boogie’s hallmark 5-band graphic EQ, the possibilities for tone shaping are almost endless! Back: The rear of the amplifier presents Presence and Reverb controls as well as a switch between Simul-Class and Class A allowing you to choose which power amp topology you want to use.

EQ

Ideal for detailed spectrum adjustment, the onboard 9-band graphic equalizer allows for total control over frequency response.

Pre Effects

A simple Compressor offers rich, glassy cleans. Overdrive 1 & 2 give you everything from a subtle boost to classic tube saturation. Finally, a Chorus provides era-appropriate rich modulation.

Cabsim

A comprehensive cabsim module with hundreds of IRs made by 5by5 Studios. Featuring three speaker options (Mesa Boogie Rectifier Standard Slant 4×12, Traditional Slant 4×12, and stacked Horizontal 2x12s), ten virtual microphones, and our proprietary room mic section. In addition to the hundreds of IRs, this module can be used to load your own IR files.

Post Effects

Stereo Delay provides the warm Bucket Brigade (BBD) sound. The Reverb provides a classic 80s hall sound and covers everything from subtle ambience to almost infinite soundscapes.

Standalone

Run the Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ Suite as a standalone app with no additional software required.

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Italian audio specialists Powersoft has announced three new employees to its US office in Flanders, New Jersey.

Peter Robinson – whose industry experience includes more than 25 years as a system integrator and speaker designer – joins Powersoft as consultant liaison with immediate effect. Providing oversight and management for large scale projects, Robinson will also assist consultants, architects, engineers and end-users, coordinating the efforts of Powersoft’s solutions engineering team.

Robinson, who has previously worked alongside Powersoft’s US general manager, Tom Knesel, said: “We worked closely together in the past to achieve our goals as a team,” says Robinson. “ I am convinced Powersoft is the number one brand of amplifiers in the world. The engineering considerations are world class and the DSP is best in class.”

Evelyn Caruso joins Powersoft as inside sales coordinator in the United States, bringing over 20 years of experience in industrial sales support, distribution and manufacturing to the newly created position. Caruso will be responsible for the coordination and execution of sales and customer support, as well as assisting the US sales team with forecasting reports.

Powersoft’s third US appointment is recently graduated, Zach Wenzler who has been appointed to the role of solutions engineer. Wenzler hopes to bring new ideas and innovations to further improve Powersoft’s approach to technical support.

“I salute Powersoft’s approach to trust young individuals to keep the company growing and thriving in current and new markets. To be a part of a growing company is an honour, especially when it comes to being one of the first engineers in the US location”, he comments.

Caruso, Wenzler and Robinson will be based in the larger new office in Flanders, New Jersey, and will report to Tom Knesel, Powersoft’s US general manager.

“We are delighted to welcome the three new hires the US Powersoft team,” says Knesel. “With the skills and knowledge they respectively bring to their roles, it’s another exciting step for Powersoft in growing its reputation in the US.”

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