AudioMedia - January 2009 - (Page 42)

REALITY BITES The Sounds of the X-Factor RED T X HITS THE ROAD RUNNING There have been a number of changes and developments in the mobile studio sector over the past year, with certain established players leaving the stage. A new name arrived on the scene in  – Red TX. Staffed by experienced engineers, it has rapidly built a solid reputation. “The beginning of the year was quiet for everyone, then it all happened,” says Tim Summerhayes of Red TX. The company was formed last year by Ian Dyckhoff ex-Fleetwood Mobiles, and Conrad Fletcher ex-Mobile One. “Our first job with the newly refurbished truck was a live recording of Def Leppard. After that, it was a remarkably busy summer. The festival season hit with a vengeance, including dates in Germany. Def Leppard’s new album was launched amid a blaze of publicity when the band played a one-off gig at the Islington Carling Academy in London in front of an invited audience of music industry folk and fans. Red TX was also there, recording the concert for promotional broadcasts and for a -minute electronic press kit that Universal is issuing to the media to promote the band’s album and forthcoming tour. Excerpts from the concert were subsequently broadcast by various television companies including MTV and Sky News. “More and more of the live to broadcast performances are going out in . surround,” says Summerhayes. “ This was another Tim Summerhayes, Red TX. reason for refurbishing this unit and making it absolutely rock solid . capable. We’ve now got a formula that works. We don’t scare anyone with it, we’ve covered all the pitfalls. The big one for us in the summer in London was Hard Rock Calling in Hyde > the regular show. We then send a stereo mix up to Park. We also did the Nelson Mandela concert live on air which went out on . to America.” Robert Edwards in the master control room, where he adds the performance element and sends it out to air. “Over the two days rehearsing all the artists, we store snapshots of the performances and update them as we go. So come show time, we run through the snapshots stored on the console, and if everyone does the same as they did in rehearsal, it all runs smooth as silk. It goes out live on air and goes out to around million, and now has to be one of the most popular shows on TV. “There is pressure involved but it’s not daunting. There are safety elements in place. There are a number of worst-case scenarios. If a microphone fails, we hope it fails quietly. We try to cover all eventualities but the thing that fails is usually something you haven’t actually thought of. Touch wood we’ve encountered no major problems. We’ve got an experienced crew and everyone has his own specific area to look after. We all work well as a team. Matt Wood is the patchmaster general, and the cross patching on this job is absolutely phenomenal. “When you’re in a recording studio, you are creating a performance, while what we do is capture a performance. It requires a totally different mindset. We are undertaking an increasing number of live on-air broadcasts which is pressure – if you screw up everyone knows about it. But I like Calrec Audio Media Ads 28/8/08 12:28 Page 3 the excitement.” ∫ WHEN THE CURTAIN GOES UP TRUST CALREC AUDIO TO PERFORM calrec.com There are no second chances in live broadcast. That’s why Calrec desks have been delivering the world’s most memorable entertainment events – from Hollywood award ceremonies to the world’s biggest music festivals – since 1970. Whatever the show, you can rely on us to produce an outstanding performance. All our consoles give you the flexibility to set up and handle multiple sources instinctively, access pre-sets, network your i/o and control the whole mix without missing a beat. And our Hydra network system enhances creativity for operators and studio managers. With automatic redundancy and incredibly intuitive control surfaces – Calrec has everything you need to get on the air fast, and stay on the air. Many broadcasters won’t entertain the idea of a live broadcast on any other console. Find out why at calrec.com Putting Sound in the Picture http://www.calrec.com http://www.calrec.com http://www.calrec.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AudioMedia - January 2009

AudioMedia - January 2009 Contents Recording News Post News Broadcast News Geo Focus: India What's Up UK? Special Report: Pimp My Ride AKG C214 Sony Acid Pro 7.0 Final Cut: Mirror's Edge Opportunities in the Reality World She's Got the Look The X-Factor Sadie LRX2 Source Elements Source-Connect 3.1 Buying a Recorder In Control Product Sampler: Trade Shows Video Guide AMSR News Digico SD8 The Last Picture Show File Server

AudioMedia - January 2009

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.