AudioMedia - July 2008 - (Page 14)

geo focus: France Composer’s Dream Fulfilled After a six-year search for suitable premises, composer Karim Succar has finally built his dream recording facility in a new building just 10 minutes from the centre of Paris. JIM EVANS reports. T he building, which Succar describes as a ‘concrete cube’, was transformed into a state-of-the-art studio by UK acoustic and technical design company, White Mark. It now comprises a large control room equipped with a 32-fader Pro Tools D Control console, a Neve BCM10 analogue console, Exigy 5.1 monitoring with eight surrounds, a JVC High Definition projector, a White Mark acoustically transparent screen and a whole host of analogue outboard equipment and musical instruments. There is also a large live room with natural daylight and a lounge area. The studio furniture was custom-made by AKA Designs, and incorporates special touches such as the facility’s logo carved into the desktop. Operating under the name of KariSm Productions, the new facility gives Succar a permanent base from which to compose and produce music for television programmes, commercials and radio advertising. Succar has been composing for more than 18 years, and has created memorable music for a number of French games shows, including Big Deal and Les Amours. Among his clients are many of the biggest names in French broadcasting, including TF1, the NRJ radio group, and France 2. “Having my own studio has been my dream for a long time,” he says. “For the last few years I have been working in a much smaller, rented facility that inevitably meant compromises in terms of equipment and acoustics. When my business partner, Sevan Bolikian, and I eventually found this building in 2006, I was determined to build a studio that not only fitted my requirements, but exceeded anything that was available commercially. When we found this building my wife had just given birth to our daughter and virtually on the day we completed the studio, she gave birth to our son. It has certainly been a busy two years, but the results are well worth the effort.” Succar conducted extensive research among studio design companies and visited many other facilities, including some in the UK, before choosing White Mark for the project. “In the end it was quite an easy decision to make. The combination of White Mark acoustics and Exigy monitoring is certainly very special.” Succar’s concrete cube, which is part of a newly built mixed retail, residential, and restaurant block near Port Maillot, turned out to be a most appropriate choice, because the room’s dimensions lent themselves to great acoustics. David Bell, Managing Director of White Mark, says: “It is always a challenge to create a personal work space for a client, as there are many influences that are highly individual. Karim had strong views about what he wanted from his studio, and it was very important to him that the long years waiting for his own studio to be built were worth it. The open acoustic and natural work environment created by careful control of the reverberation characteristics and imaging are perfectly complemented by the abundant natural light, and the rooms have a very warm and yet accurate feel. We are very pleased with them, and happy that Karim chose us to create his dream facility.” Succar adds: “White Mark did such a fantastic job with the room design that the monitor system sounded perfect from the moment it was turned on. I couldn’t be happier – the room acoustics and the monitoring have exceeded all my expectations.” KariSm Productions is now officially open, and Succar is already using the facility to tackle four advertising campaigns for NRJ. These include commercials for consumer electronics manufacturer Archos and Afat Voyage, the travel agency owned by Air France. Recording With DPA At Puy du Fou rench Sound Engineer Frédéric Bourgeais has chosen the DPA 5006 surround mic kit, in conjunction with the S5c Surround Mount with integrated cables, to record a symphony orchestra on one of the world’s largest stages at the Grand Parc du Puy du Fou. The Grand Carrousel theatre was built at the Grand Parc in 2006, and boasts a 2,800m2 stage. It stages several annual productions including Mousquetaire de Richelieu, which features a symphony by composer Nick Glennie Smith, and Symphonie de Bethléem, performed F by the Prague Philharmonia, a 30-piece choir and two soloists. Bourgeais takes up the story of how the recording came about. “We have a very good relationship with the Prague Philharmonia. When the last production of Symphonie de Bethléem finished, we decided to keep them on to record the symphony from Mousquetaire de Richelieu, using the mic setup that was in place. It was a huge challenge for us because it was the first time we’d recorded in this space.” Bourgeais used the DPA S5c Surround Mount with five matched 4006-TL omni mics. Also produced at the Grand Parc is the long-running sound and light spectacular, the Puy du Fou, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Bourgeais, who has worked on the show for 26 years, recorded a special 14 June concert with Prague Philharmonia and a 40 piece choir, attended by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. V I TA L S TAT I S T I C S F U L L N AM E P O P U L AT I O N C A P I TA L French Republic 61.6 million (UN, 2007) Paris 543,965 km² (210,026 miles²) French 1 euro = 100 cents Machinery and transport equipment, agricultural products, including wine US $34,810 (World Bank, 2006) .fr +33 BROADCAST BRIEFS Public broadcaster Radio France runs services for the domestic audience, French overseas territories, and foreign audiences. Radio France Internationale is one of the world’s leading international stations. Its Arabic-language Monte Carlo International service is available on medium wave (AM) and FM in many Middle East countries. The international French-language channel TV Monde, financed by Belgium, Canada, and Switzerland, is available globally. Global satellite news channel France  launched in December , with services in French and English. Its Chairman said the channel aimed to present “…a different point of view from the Anglo-Saxon world”. 14 France’s flagship TV station, TF, was privatised in . The growth of satellite and cable has led to a proliferation of channels. The biggest satellite pay-TV operators, CanalSatellite and TPS, are set to merge. The new group will be controlled by media giant Vivendi Universal. A digital terrestrial TV service, with more than a dozen free-to-air channels, is being rolled out. France’s long-established commercial radio stations, particularly RTL and Europe , still command large audiences. They have been joined by a multiplicity of FM stations, often consolidated into successful commercial networks such as hit music station NRJ, and oldies station Nostalgie. AUDIO MEDIA JULY 2008 AREA MA J O R L A N G UAG E M O N E TA RY U N I T MA I N E X P O RTS G N I P E R C A P I TA I N T E R N E T D O MA I N I N T E R N AT I O N A L D I A L L I N G CO D E

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AudioMedia - July 2008

AudioMedia - July 2008 Contents Recording Post Broadcast What's Up UK Geofocus: France For the Record Special Report: Develop Preview SE Electronics 4400 Sennheiser MKH800 Twin Tubetech Club Final Cut: Wanted Smart AV Tango Doctor Who Made in America DSP Roundup Product Sampler: Summer Hits Edirol R44 Video Guide AMSR Fame - Le Musical Waves MaxxBCL Yamaha AD8HR Special Supplement

AudioMedia - July 2008

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