Call it virtual, on-screen, whatever; computer-controlled
audio production mustered big crowds at the 1992 AES show.
"If you
build it, they will come."
Like
it or not, trade shows are remembered for ground-breaking
product releases. For pro audio manufacturers, the task
of
developing meaningful new gadgets is relentless, and, as
in the keyboard business, this constant quest for the "new
thing" sometimes can cause economic hardships. This
path of continual hardware upgrade is an expensive and scary
proposition.
Have the right gizmo at the right moment, and win big; arrive
too far behind the curve and wipe out.
Certainly,
the 1992 AES show will be remembered as the show when
Tascam introduced the D88 with its 8mm format, and upped
the ante
in the under $5,000, 8-channel digital multitrack sweepstakes.
However, from the "change-how-you-do-everything" department,
two control/interface developments attracted long looks
from manufacturers and end-users during the '92 AES.
The
highest profile play was made by AT&T (yes, AT&T),
George Massenburg Labs (GML) and Gotham Audio, with a product
called DISQ. The 2-hour demo DISQ was possibly the hottest
ticket at the show. The DISQ system couples an interface translator
(GML-written) with an existing AT&T-manufactured military-grade
parallel processing box. When tracking is completed, DISQ
effectively removes consoles fitted with GML moving fader
automation from the edit/ mix process. The end result is
essentially
a virtual, digital mix desk. DISQ is initially, at least,
intended for the high-priced frontier of high-end recording.
What
relates directly to the live sound universe is the accelerating
trend toward audio system control within a virtual environment.
MIDI-controlled signal processing, including gates, mutes,
DSP and even dynamic control, are becoming universal.
VGA
mixing consoles already have delivered a degree of "intelligent" control.
As loudspeaker development and digital electronics matured,
computer integration of sound systems has become
the next brave frontier. The good news is that software-based
audio control potentially revitalized the entire audio
industry. The bad news is that computer-shy engineers
will suffer
under
this arrangement.
|
Bombs Away
A second processor-based system that turned heads
at AES was SAC. It's not the Strategic Air Command;
it's Software Audio Console. Developed by Innovative
Quality Software, which has offices in Las Vegas
and San Diego, SAC is essentially a computer program
that emulates traditional mixing console functions. Don't
be surprised if you've never heard of SAC.
Until AES, few people
had. Yet, the SAC booth was
almost always packed — many times with vendors
and manufacturers, many times with regular audio
citizens.
The SAC demo was intense, moving quickly to try
to cover all of the ground. Little was left to
the
imagination. These folks tried to make it impossible
for you to not catch on.
SAC is a Windows-based system that assembles and
integrates on-screen audio control icons, such as
faders and rotary pots, into a representation of
a mixing console. Access to these controls is achieved
by point-and-click selection of a particular audio
control icon. Manipulation of the controls is a
click-and-hold or click-and-drag procedure common
to any personal computer control interface. Promising
an eventual infrared, remote, head-worn device
that allows mobile mixing in a virtual mixing
environment, the SAC prototype "console" seen
at AES featured 60 inputs, a 9-band graphic EQ,
12 aux sends, eight sub assigns, a noise gate
and a compressor. Remember, this particular configuration
is simply representative of how configurations
could
be made. The
single caveat here is that the SAC software
shown during the '92 AES show was a prototype. You
couldn't
listen to the system operate. Only the onscreen
(control) portion of a live mix could be displayed,
but no great leap of faith is required. This
approach is intuitive. Console setup is nothing
more than
data entry. Sure, you have to generate the data
yourself, but, when
you decide to set kick drum EQ like this and
to add some compression, it's still just data
entry.
The SAC ramrod
is an engineer/programmer named Bob Lentini. He employed
a hybrid of "C" and assembly language for
SAC's customized MS-DOS (disk operating system). Extraneous
command information was stripped, and only the information
required for audio processing was retained. During
the demo, at least, this approach appeared to accelerate
processing speed and access time significantly over
a "regular" 386/25 or 33 running Windows.
Of course, the software is MIDI-implemented.
Potential refinements
not mentioned during the SAC demo could eventually
include a touch-sensitive screen and a single,
mouse-like, interactive
fader and rotary pot for setting and adjusting controls.
This would allow engineers to touch the part of
the screen they needed to control and set the adjustment
in a traditional twist or push-pull fashion.
The
SAC system also offered some hard disk recording,
which obviously could be included as part of this.
It is presumable that every system could be double-rigged
for a second engineer at a second console who could
be multitracking all performances to hard disk
for recording, but the direct-to-disc recording
field already is cluttered with competition and
littered with failure already.
The SAC system seemingly
evolved away from the traditional influences of
the major corporate R&D centers. There are advantages
and disadvantages to this. Without prejudice toward
existing systems, Lentini assembled a logical, workable
approach, and it is obvious that he had the unusual
freedom and skill to "just make it happen."
Without involving the heavy hitters early, however,
the actual time for SAC (or some variation) to get
to market may be prolonged. The biggest obstacle
facing the SAC project will be the expensive allotment
of resources for a new company to "prove it
really works."
|
When the Hardware
Remains the Same
Language
is the key in all advanced cultures. Just get the audio conglomerates
to agree on the need for integrated systems communications
(language), and, in theory, the obstacles evaporate. Various
proponents and proposals for audio hardware integration have
come through the years; none have become a de facto standard.
This
lack of a universally accepted audio systems protocol
means that systems integration will lag. Remember, it took
decades
for AES to implement an accepted standard for the Pin-2
or
Pin-3 polarity issue. Some language/network system will eventually
generate enough inertia to achieve escape velocity and
establish a defined industrial orbit, and only then,
when
enough players
buy into an effective, non-threatening protocol, will
live, computer-based audio reach its metaphoric "warp
speed."
One
company that may make this happen is Lone Wolf, Rendondo Beach,
CA. Having tendered an audio-designed local area network (LAN)
called MediaLink, Lone Wolf has staked a major claim for the
universally integrated, software-implemented, audio control
system market. To varying degrees of involvement, QSC, Rane,
Carver, TO A, Peavey and Fender are now within the MediaLink
orbit.
With a platform-independent
environment called Venus, Lone Wolf has extended network
accessibility to any vendors using Mac and Windows operating
systems. The
Venus concept employs the existing desktop metaphor, common
to personal computers, to easily construct custom audio
control panels and "venue views." The end-result
allows horizontal system integration and advances compatibility
between
various products.
For the promised
land of total digital system integration, Lone Wolf is designing
MediaLink Level II implementation to carry digital audio signals
plus equipment control and monitoring data. This Level II
approach, or something like it, would also likely serve as
the opening for the fiber optic cable vendors to achieve significant
penetration into the live sound market.
The big picture
here is that any number of signal processors can be accessed,
assuming they are capable of external machine control on
any
input/output channel or bus. Input, output and routing configurations
are simply a matter of point, click and drag. Looming large
is the promise that the "snapshot" memories will
allow multiple acts to operate from the same computer platform
(a.k.a. mixer) with totally dedicated FX, EQ and gain structure
files. The idea is that there will be various digital black
boxes that are software-driven.
Interactive loudspeaker
controllers are everywhere. JBL, Yamaha and TOA have multifunction
digital controllers. Specific manufacturers will provide
interface
ports and control logic, and the rest is programmable history.
Variations of Apple Talk are also evolving as a protocol.
One important British console firm is said to be nearing
completion
of a "talking" console with highly advanced memory.
In case you can't
imagine how this might work for you, here are some hypothetical
variations of how a fully implemented SAC (or other) software
program using an customized audio LAN, such as MediaLink with
Venus, might work for you.
Scenario 1. You
construct your own virtual console any way you want it. You
can order preamps from company A, equalizers from company
B, dynamics control from company C, gates from company D and
effects from company E. Then, you operate/program all these
components via a shared interface, such as SAC, using the
software-controlled memory functions. Any repeatable mix change
or A/B comparisons of various gain structure/EQ/dynamics settings
are a virtual point-and-click away. Console makers who maintain
their market share will allow their consoles to be completely
accessed by remote-controlled software. This approach offers
the ultimate redundancy of a traditional hands-on console
for a virtual mixing platform, and it seems to be in evolution
in the Cadac consoles, which are used widely already in big-time
live theater.
Scenario 2. Eventually
these virtual systems will engage a multiple set of digital
engines that are totally software-based. They will receive
digital input first, which will go through the A/D process
within a few feet of the microphone, or in the case of line
level inputs, digital signal will be a standard output option.
The audio signal will then remain digital-only until returning
to the power amp input.
Depending on software,
these DSP processors will be anything and everything. First,
you want some advanced system diagnostics, TEF or FFT analysis.
Then, you need compressor/limiters, crossovers and delay lines
for a system output. You got 'em. Tomorrow you apply some
heavy DSP for the live direct-to-disk recording you made last
night. Just change the software application. Click on a different
icon.
Convincing the
Crowd — The Department of Redundancy Department
To some, there
remains the questions of whether live sound will actually
be better because of this and whether engineers will choose
to use it? Absolutely! Soon, a wide majority of audio devices
will be externally controllable. Nearly everyone already owns,
or will soon own, computers like those used to operate these
systems. Automated system fault diagnosis will make the battle
easier, and the certain reduction of mundane redundancies,
such as system and input equalization, will improve our work,
if only by allowing us more time for other tasks. Consider
the simple integration of multiple performers and the disk-based
snapshot memory of repeat-able special effects, and on-screen
mixing becomes seductive and irresistible.
There is one subtle,
tactile issue left to resolve. That is whether the touchy,
feely sensibilities of veteran audio types can fully buy into
computer screen interface. Some will not, but it really doesn't
matter. It's only a matter of time. As the kids who grew up
on Pac Man first infiltrate and then dominate our ranks, mixes
will be appear on vertical screens rather than horizontal
consoles. Case closed.
Personally, I
prefer the idea that certain hardware — as opposed to software
— is superior to others. So, maybe I'm old-fashioned. From
any point of view, there is a beautiful irony here. It will
take systems that are highly redundant from every angle to
make these systems fly, so to speak, with the end-users.
But
once you build in the control that end-users will require,
you eliminate the redundancy of reinventing mix moves night
after night.
Computers may
not be as smart as humans nor as subjectively aware, but their
memories are a hell of a lot better and faster. As a result,
creativity will expand to a previously impossible real-time
interactive control of fx and spatialization.
What Does It Really
Mean?
It's about control,
freedom and commerce. Everything changes here. The industry
changes here. Money gets money here, and the potential for
growth in our business is greatest right here. Live digital
audio brings some juice to the party. Yeah, juice. Even the
ac vendors will be juiced by the stiffer power requirements
of all these digital systems, plus more road-ready computers
and hard drives will sell.
An AES working
group has been hammering this deal for several years. When
evolved and resolved, this issue will produce a total redefinition
of live audio production. Analog signal will be converted
to digital on-stage and remain digital throughout processing
until returned to the amplifier and loudspeaker. You'll be
able to easily integrate and route audio data into existing
house systems and use existing house systems to augment touring
systems. You'll be able to reconfigure between large and small
systems in a heartbeat or repatch an entire system with one
pre-set. Direct-to-hard-disk recording of every song in every
set will transform every stage into a recording studio. A
data stream carrying all audio signals (including control)
to and from the stage will even carry lighting protocols.
In short, all performance control information can, and eventually
will, be integrated.
There are many
more people working in this field than space can cover here.
Throughout 1993 we will invite guest columnists from the
industry — Charlie Richmond from Richmond Sound, Damon Wooten from
The Colder Group, Steve Cohan from Intelix and others — to
help tell this story. Make no doubt, the future will — before
we get old — be onscreen.
Return
to SAC overview
