As part of the refurbishments of Studio One at Downtown Studios, the studio was kitted out with a "state-of-theart" Solid Statio Logic Duality SE Mixing Console ... the only one of its kind on the continent.
Video: Sandile Sethi
Friday 15 August 2014
Tuesday 5 August 2014
Look who was at the Downtown Studios ...
 |
| Rebecca Malope and Taryn Gill in Studio One |
Monday 4 August 2014
Downtown Studios hosts SSL Duality SE training
At 10am on Monday, 30 June, the iconic and newly refurbished Downtown Studios in Johannesburg hosted a training session in Studio 1 on their brand new Solid State Logic Duality SE mixing console. The training session, conducted by Kevin Manas, owner of local SSL distributors Hi-Tech Audio, aimed to educate local professional audio engineers on the inner workings of the state of the art console.
Accordingly, a handful of local engineers attended which quickly turned into a frenzy as they lusted to get their hands on and wrap their head around one of the most flexible and desirable mixing consoles on offer today. Needless to say, the bedlam settled as everyone realised there was more to this console than met the eye and the features were slowly worked through with the aid of Manas.
The SSL Duality SE in Studio 1 is a 72-channel version, custom built-to-order. The Duality SE is currently SSL’s flagship offering with over 200 consoles sold worldwide. Other customers include the Royal College of Music, Sweden; Abbey Road, UK; Hit Factory Criteria, USA; and Humber College, Canada.
The Duality SE is offered in frame sizes up to 96 channels and features SSL’s on-board automation system and constant visual feedback via multiple TFT displays mounted in the meter bridge. The console is able to operate as a purely analogue console and also comes with the added benefit of allowing simultaneous DAW control (two DAWs, actually) via a simple push of a button which flips the console into DAW mode. The new A-FADA feature allows your DAW automation to drive the analogue faders.
SSL control software, the Duality Logictivity Browser, running on your DAW host PC offers a variety of features such as channel naming and saving, recalling of console settings and routing options. The input section features dual microphone preamps – SSL’s SuperAnalogue, the base preamp technology, and VHD which allows the introduction of 2nd and 3rd order harmonic distortion into the microphone signal path. The usual SSL features that everyone knows and loves are also available such as SSL’s iconic dynamics and EQ on every channel and the G-series inspired buss compressor that can be inserted into any of the three stereo busses. The EQ can be switched between E and G-series curves at the push of a button.
Check out the July/August issue of Pro Systems where we take a look at the past, present and future of Downtown Studios and examine the upgrades that have taken place there.
Accordingly, a handful of local engineers attended which quickly turned into a frenzy as they lusted to get their hands on and wrap their head around one of the most flexible and desirable mixing consoles on offer today. Needless to say, the bedlam settled as everyone realised there was more to this console than met the eye and the features were slowly worked through with the aid of Manas.
The SSL Duality SE in Studio 1 is a 72-channel version, custom built-to-order. The Duality SE is currently SSL’s flagship offering with over 200 consoles sold worldwide. Other customers include the Royal College of Music, Sweden; Abbey Road, UK; Hit Factory Criteria, USA; and Humber College, Canada.
The Duality SE is offered in frame sizes up to 96 channels and features SSL’s on-board automation system and constant visual feedback via multiple TFT displays mounted in the meter bridge. The console is able to operate as a purely analogue console and also comes with the added benefit of allowing simultaneous DAW control (two DAWs, actually) via a simple push of a button which flips the console into DAW mode. The new A-FADA feature allows your DAW automation to drive the analogue faders.
SSL control software, the Duality Logictivity Browser, running on your DAW host PC offers a variety of features such as channel naming and saving, recalling of console settings and routing options. The input section features dual microphone preamps – SSL’s SuperAnalogue, the base preamp technology, and VHD which allows the introduction of 2nd and 3rd order harmonic distortion into the microphone signal path. The usual SSL features that everyone knows and loves are also available such as SSL’s iconic dynamics and EQ on every channel and the G-series inspired buss compressor that can be inserted into any of the three stereo busses. The EQ can be switched between E and G-series curves at the push of a button.
Check out the July/August issue of Pro Systems where we take a look at the past, present and future of Downtown Studios and examine the upgrades that have taken place there.
Thursday 31 July 2014
Taking Note: The sounds of struggle
 |
| SOUNDING OFF: 'A Glimpse of South African Music Heritage', curated by Vusi Mchunu, is now on at Downtown Studios Image by: ALON SKUY |
By Penelope Mashego, The Times | 30 July, 2014
"We haven't had a music museum. This is a scandal," curator Vusi Mchunu said lamenting the lack of historical music spaces in South Africa.
"There are music collections in universities as part of music departments, but we haven't had dedicated spaces to show our musical tradition."
The studios, declared a heritage site by the Department of Arts and Culture, are where many struggle sounds were created.
Mchunu gave some background: "This was a white town. Blacks used to wait [to record] and sleep in their cars because they couldn't use the hotels here."
The current exhibition,A Glimpse of South African Music Heritage, offers insight into how and why artists recorded here, from 1979 when Downtown Studios was first established.
The pictures on the walls and the antique musical instruments transport visitors to another era, when music was a form of protest and escape. Legendary musicians such as Chicco Twala, Lucky Dube, Sipho Hotstix Mabuse, Miriam Makeba and Yvonne Chaka Chaka worked at the studios. Chaka Chaka, among others, still does.
To reflect its rich and diverse history, the museum has a msamo (shrine) containing the Bible, Koran, Bhagavad Gita and Tibetan Book of the Dead, along with African religious artefacts.
"Musicians regard this as a holy and sacred place," Mchunu said, adding that many artists like to pray at the studios before recording or performing.
He said the museum, which opened this month, will grow to include more exhibitions and memorabilia over time.
"Can you imagine us laying our hands on Miriam Makeba's wardrobe and having it on display? That would be mind-blowing."
Jazz legend and Downtown Studios chairman Don Laka said he has been recording at the studios since they opened.
"It's been a historic journey for me," Laka said.
"It is emotional because it is a story of who we are musically and who we are as artists."
Laka said he enjoyed recording at the studios back in the day, and he is looking forward to recording some new music using the revamped facilities.
- The museum is at 62 Goud Street, Johannesburg Johannesburg.info@dtmh.co.za
Friday 18 July 2014
Two minutes with Sbu Dludlu
We had time for a quick chat with Sbu Dludlu, one of the winners in the Downtown Studios Studio One Lock Out competition ... this is what he had to say:
Where are you from?
I am from Duduza in Nigel on the East Rand
What is your background in music?
My background in music has been an adventure because I have worked
with the best in the industry. Artists such as Mbuso Khoza, Berita,
Kelly Khumalo, Bheki Nqoko, Xoli Nkosi, Andy Narrel and Musa Manzini.
When did you know that you wanted to be an artist?
I knew that I wanted to be an artist when I was about 8 years old.
What's steps have you taken to realising your dream?
I have tried to get a recording deal but have never succeeded and so I went ahead and registered my own company, Mtima Records.
What does winning the Studio One Lock Out competition mean to you?
Winning this competition is big for me because I have always hoped to be able to record my album in a big studio such as Downtown Studios.
Where do you hope to see yourself in the next five years?
In 5 years I hope to have have sold many CDs and to have my own studio as well.
What advice can you give younger aspirant artists just like you?
The best advise that I can give to younger and aspiring artists would be that they must know the business side of music as well so that they can know what not to sign in some contracts.
Thanks Sbu, we wish you the best of luck!
Thanks Sbu, we wish you the best of luck!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)