ProAudio Review - April 2008 - (Page 26)

STUDIO | TOFT Continued From Page 24 REVIEW ly rejected the idea with some vague excuse about "prototype" and "completely devoid of electronics." It's OK I can take a hint. But then an amazing thing happened: shortly after unpacking the ATB – all dollied up in its handsome wood trim and row after row of colthe overall concept of a familiar large-format console distilled into a commanding, smallformat package that provides better fidelity, more functionality and gobs more wow-factor than its cost suggests. That is the conclusion I came to after putting the console through a variety of tracking and mixing tasks, and after exploring every possible way to mate the ATB with my Nuendo system. aux output masters. Signal input to the returns is via stereo 1/4-inch jacks; all return outputs feed into the main L/R bus summing amplifiers. Under the eight echo returns are the eight submaster controls, each with a 12segment LED bar graph display, aux 5 (pre/post) and 6 (post) sends, solo switch, pan knob and fader. The ATB ships globally configured for nondestructive AFL (post-fader, post-pan) soloing, but a switch located internally on each channel's circuit board moves its solo bus tap to pre-fader (PFL). The master section of the ATB is where you'll find the two-track input source selector (for two stereo analog sources, and a third reserved for the digital I/O option), solo master level, the headphone jack and level control, talkback controls. A set of stereo analog VU and LED bar-graph meters monitor the the main bus signal leaving the master module's 100mm stereo fader; the main bus monitoring knob adjusts the control room volume of up to two speaker sets. | IN USE I had been waiting patiently for an ATB console to review ever since I spotted it on display at the NYC AES convention – in 2005. I had no doubt it was going to be in demand, and my enthusiasm to review one (due in part to the fact that I started my professional engineering career with several years on a Series 70) was obvious. So I did what any self-respecting engineer-disguised-as-writer would do: begged Mr. Toft to let me get the jump and take the display unit to review. He politely but firm| A TALE OF TWO CONSOLES Can't we all get along? I mean, if two the two gentlemen of Torquay, England can't bury the hatchet and move on, what hope is there for political reconciliation in the States, or for lasting peace in the Middle East? OK, maybe my sense of perspective is out of whack, but that's what happens when you get caught up in audio forums reading thread after bitter thread on Malcom Toft's ATB console vs. John Oram's 8T console – both of which, you may note from their tricksy model names, are inspired by the large-format Trident Series 80 consoles from that comparatively simpler and harmonious era – the early 1980s. The dust cloud surrounding these two consoles, and fanned exponentially in the ether by, shall we say, very committed ored anodized knobs in the old Trident style – well, let's just say all is forgiven, Malcolm. I spent several weeks working with an ATB 16-channel model, and have a pretty good grasp of the big picture at this point, so let's start there: This console is going to make a lot of people happy. And it may leave a few people frustrated, particularly when expectations and intimate familiarity with largebudget console features don't match the ATB reality. The trick, of course, is to be realistic and mind where you fall on the trajectory. I think most engineers, no matter what experience level, will be quite impressed by forum posters, is unfortunate and most certainly unnecessary. I've had the Toft ATB and an Oram 8T in my control room for several weeks for comparison purposes and you know what? These are both excellent boards for the intended markets and applications, and the for value vs. price. Sure, there are differences in features. Potential purchasers should look very closely at how each meets their needs when it comes to incorporating them into an existing studio setup and work flow. Other differences have some bearing: the Toft is made in China and the Oram is made in the UK; but the Oram uses surface mount comonents and a more monolithic approach, while Toft uses a more traditional, modular PCB approach and through-hole components. As someone who is capable of It was during the latter that I was guilty of trying to turn the ATB into something it wasn't. I prefer to use the DAW as a multitrack tape machine with the insert loop just after the preamp outputs. That yields the most direct path to tape, and full use of the channel strip features on playback. The ATB doesn't have preamp output jacks, so that wouldn't work, but it does have an insert point but its after the EQ and its the unbalanced stereo-jack type. I went through every other gyration possible, but at this point it was more to have fun exploring console and the limits of its flexibility. Ultimately, using the ATB in the manner that it circuit mods and repairs, this latter point would win out for me (assuming all other things being equal), but the majority of users will be happy with either. The boards do have some differences in sound and character, but again, they are not even close to "night and day" but far, far more subtle. Far too much time and space has been taken up endlessly debating what essentially comes down to personal preference, and far too much emphasis on pedigree, who did what on which circuit on the original Series 80, which has this component or EQ width, and on Far better to be discussing making recordings and music and creative applications. As it turns out, both boards can be used very effectively to do just that! – Steve Murphy 26 | ProAudio Review | April 2008 Subscribe to the Digital Edition of Pro Audio Review http://www.myparmag.com www.proaudioreview.com http://www.proaudioreview.com http://www.myparmag.com

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ProAudio Review - April 2008 Contents A Little More Recognition Please Studio News and New Products API 1608 16-Channel Analog Console TASCAM X-48 Digital Audio Workstation SSL Matrix Super Analogue Console Toft Audio Design Series ATB Analog Console KRK Systems Exposé E8B Powered Monitor Broadcast News and New Products ZOOM H2 Portable Digital Recorder Producing Surround Sound at 50th Grammy Awards JBL LSR4312SP Linear Spatial Reference Powered Subwoofer Audio Production For Gaming Euphonix S5 Fusion Digital Post Production Console NAB Hot Gear Soundcraft Vi6 Digital Live Production Console Go To A Show! Contracting News and New Products Studio Consoles Studio Wireless Microphones Alicia Keys “Superwoman”

ProAudio Review - April 2008

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