Audio Media - September 2008 - (Page 17) Presented by www.munro.co.uk Funoon Al Amarat Refurbished And Refreshed ubai’s Funoon Al Emarat which opened for business in 1993, was the first top of the range professional recording studios to be built in the Middle East. Fifteen years on, under new ownership and following completion of a major refurbishment programme, it is still very much in business. “In many ways this was a ground-breaking facility as it was accommodated in a generouslyproportioned, recently built unit, and was realistically, if not extravagantly, budgeted,” says Eastlake Audio’s David Hawkins, who was responsible for the original design and construction, and the update. “It also commenced by employing as Recording Director, Moheb Milad, who was an Egyptian engineer with considerable technical ability and recording talent. “The building was basically a large box without any obstructions, so the ‘envelope’ in which the studio was constructed was as near to ideal for a recording facility as could be imagined, and we were able to do what we wanted. So we gave it a good-sized control room and live area, and a good ‘geometry’, with a clients’ lounge above the control room.” The studio’s new owner is noted Arabic singer Hussain Al Jasmi, who was a regular client at Funoon Al Emarat before he bought it. The facilities cater both for his own recording projects and commercial clients. The refurbishment retains many of the original features, including the spacious live recording area and its flexible spaces, and the layout of the control room. “It began as a five-star recording studio, but after 13 or so years of wear and tear, it was looking shabby,” says Hawkins. “As we still held all the original drawings and records, we knew exactly what materials were needed for a refurbishment, and so it was no problem.” In addition to the cosmetic D One of the Middle East’s top recording studios has been given a complete makeover, reports JIM EVANS. improvements, there are major changes within the control room. The original installation featured a Soundcraft analogue console and an eight-track Studer tape machine. The refurbishment has seen a 16-fader Digidesign D-Command mixing surface and Pro Tools HD3 workstation system installed. The original Westlake/JBL control room monitors have been replaced by a Genelec system. The outboard racks comprise a long list, including a Manley Slam preamp/compressor, Manley Voxbox valve preamp/ compressor/de-esser/EQ, Manley Massive Passive EQ, two TubeTech MEC-1A valve preamp/ compressor/EQs, TL Audio Ivory 5062 valve preamp/compressor/ EQ, and two Universal Audio 1176LN levelling amplifiers. The studio’s microphone collection includes Neumann M149 and U87 valve mics, Manley Gold Reference multipattern valve mics, and AKG D112 dynamics among others. In addition, a pair of AKG C414s is permanently installed in the large area of the live room for ambience. The live area has been retained and can be divided using sliding doors to provide acoustically separate performance spaces. As well as its studio, Funoon Al Emarat has a composing/ programming room equipped with a Digidesign D-Control and M-Audio software for the use of composers and arrangers, and a video edit suite. It also operates a CD replication facility for its own productions. For Eastlake, the Middle East has long been a key business area and the company has been responsible for the construction of a number of topflight facilities in the recording and broadcast sectors. “Although we have moved on technically a long way from the first build at Funoon Al Emarat, the size and layout is still perfectly appropriate for the scale of recording that takes place in the region today,” says Hawkins. “It’s pleasing to see this studio back in the top tier – where it rightly belongs.” He continues, “This is a market that has grown steadily from a very low base. Over the years we have had the good fortune to have worked in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai as well as Saudi, Egypt, and Libya. “We first worked in Dubai when it was in the early days of establishing itself as a dynamic Gulf trading state, and we built what was the first reasonablysized commercial studio there. That became a magnet for other Gulf recording activity, and subsequently we’ve worked extensively across the region – including Kuwait City. “Generally as far as pro audio is concerned, the Middle East is best described today as a relatively mature market. There is certainly growth in the TV audio facilities sector because of the increasing number of broadcasters that are not now subject to state control. “Overall, I think the feeling is positive in the region. In most territories the income from oil is constant and in GDP terms it’s fabulous. In developing their media facilities, there’s an interest there that they can afford to support, indulge and develop. As we know, there are parts of the area that are immensely stable and there are other parts that are best described as volatile.” UR FREE ORDER YO UE (352 CATALOG Bulk Cables Premade Cables Connectors Headphones KID BROADC AS T Distribution Systems Modular Systems – AMPLIFIERS – Active Components OEM Manufacturing – Lo rls Court Live at Ea 2008 10 Sept. 7– ndon / GB 5 Booth M4 Visit us ! Visit us ! Booth F73 AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008 www.sommercable.com Audio Video Broadcast Media Technology HiFi info@sommercable.com � � � � SOMMER CABLE GmbH 17 http://www.munro.co.uk http://www.sommercable.com http://www.sommercable.com
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