The IQ M300 mono block amplifier – a 300-watt tour de force – establishes a new benchmark for Class D amplifiers.

These are truly serious amplifiers for serious listeners. The M300 power amplifier has delicate detailing, excellent micro-dynamics, all from a quite black background, with powerful punch and slam, and dimensional imagery.

The M300 features a beautiful seamless extrusion enclosure, with machined aluminum top and bottom panels. The extrusion mounting holes are created using CNC machines. Overall, the M300 has a stunning aluminum enclosure with superb fit and finish.

The M300 measures a mere 3″ H x 7.7″ W x 7.7″ D and weighs only 7 pounds, certainly playing up the strengths for which switching power amplifiers are known.

The M300 is small, beautiful, and powerful!

The M300 mono block is rated at an impressive 150 Watts RMS continuous into 8 Ohms, and 300-watts continuous into 4 ohms. This is FTC continuous sine wave power.

IQâ€s FTC rating methodology is an attempt to bring a broader understanding and engineering honesty to the power rating issue. The M300 is capable of generating truly phenomenal power levels into virtually any speaker load.

The M300 amplifier employs a state-of-the art micro-controlled input section that has remarkably low distortion. Both the balanced and unbalanced inputs yield exceptional results.

The M300 amplifier uses an innovative and state of the art switch-mode power supply to ensure the most musical amplification currently available. The IQ power supply uses the latest high speed switching technologies that results in extremely fast response, with very low conducted and radiated noise. The result is a powerful, dynamic, and musical power supply.

With the launch of the new M300 Power Amplifier, the IQ R&D team has succeeded in solving the technical hurdles of switching power amplifiers and bringing a breathtaking, paradigm-shifting product to market.

With all the above technology integrated together in perfect harmony, the IQ M300 amplifiers deliver on our goal of pristine clarity, natural tonality, expansive and precise imaging, with powerful and accurate bass with rhythm and slam.

The IQ M300 Power Amplifier is now available direct from IQ at $1,495 per pair.

For more information about the M300, please visit: http://iqaudiocorp.com/

Designed To Integrate Perfectly with Blue Skyâ€s New SUB 212 — To Provide A Stunningly Accurate & Engaging Full-Range Monitoring System

World-renowned for their accurate, full-range sound, Blue Sky is pleased to introduce its newest critical listening component to its full line of monitoring solutions: the SAT 265 High Output Near-Field Active Studio monitor. Blue Skyâ€s fresh approach to studio monitor design delivers the highest possible ratio of performance to cost, in turn providing the highest value to our customers. US MSRP: $1500.00 (USD)

Blue Sky | SAT 265

By Diane Gershuny:

Blue Skyâ€s SAT 265 is a 2-way, tri-amplified, 300-Watt, High Output Near-Field Monitor which features two 6.5” high excursion hemispherical woofers and a 1” dual ring radiator tweeter with integral waveguide, for superior off-axis response. Powered by a dedicated low distortion 100-Watt amplifier for each of the 6.5” woofers, it also features a low distortion 100-Watt amplifier for the tweeter. The SAT 265 effortlessly delivers clean and accurate sound with a frequency response of 80Hz to 30kHz +/-3.0dB (200Hz to 15kHz +/-1.5dB) for full compatibility with Blue Skyâ€s SUB 15 Universal, SUB 212, SUB 12 and BMC (Bass Management Controller). The rear panel also has controls for “full space” (placement in a room) or “half space” (mounted in a baffle wall) operation, along with HF level trims, as well as controls for variable gain settings.

Blue Sky | SAT 265

“The Sat 265 was the logical step in the development of the Blue Sky monitors,” said Blue Sky Vice President Chris Fichera. “The only thing we could do to make the Sat 6.5 (Sky System One) better was to make it play louder, so that’s what we did.”

Making the subwoofer an integral part of the monitoring system design enables the SAT 265 studio monitor to be positioned for the best imaging, and the SUB to be positioned for the best bass response. Relieving the SAT 265 studio monitor of the requirement to reproduce the low frequencies means that the uncompromising sealed-box design can combine with sophisticated bass management electronics, to provide a seamless transition between the SAT 265 and SUB. It all adds up to accurate, full range sound.

Blue Sky | SAT 265 – Back Panel

The SAT 265 has been designed to integrate perfectly with Blue Skyâ€s new SUB 212, a sealed box, push-pull, 400-Watt subwoofer. The push-pull configuration reduces distortion, provides increased output, and features an anechoic frequency response of 25Hz to 200Hz, +/-3dB. In addition, the SUB 212 also has built-in 2.1 bass management electronics with both a 4th order 80Hz Linkwitz-Riley low-pass filter and a 2nd order 80Hz high-pass filter that is perfectly matched to the response of the SAT 265 (the SUB 212 is also compatible with the SAT 265, SAT 6.5 and SAT 5). When combined, the SAT 265 and SUB 212 provide a stunningly accurate and engaging, full-range monitoring system.

Blue Sky | SUB 212

About The SUB 212

Blue Skyâ€s SUB 212 is a sealed box, dual 12”, push-pull, 400-Watt subwoofer. It features an anechoic frequency response of 25Hz to 200Hz, +/-3dB. In addition, the SUB 212 also has built-in 2.1 bass management electronics with both a 4th order 80Hz Linkwitz-Riley low-pass filter and a 2nd order 80Hz high-pass filter that is perfectly matched to the response of the SAT 8 (the SUB 212 is also compatible with the SAT 12, SAT 6.5 and SAT 5).

The SUB 212â€s unique “push-pull” configuration is designed not only to increase output, but also to reduce distortion. A push-pull subwoofer uses two drivers: one mounted facing forward, the second mounted backward with the magnet facing out. Utilizing two drivers doubles the maximum output, while the push pull configuration reduces even harmonic distortion. Typically, in a more conventional design, at high output levels, second harmonic distortion dominates the distortion spectrum of most subwoofer drivers and is caused by asymmetric operation of the suspension and magnetic structure. In simple terms; the output of the driver is slightly different when the cone is moving away from the magnet, as compared to when it is moving toward its magnet.

Push-pull operation reduces this even harmonic distortion in a clever application of physics. As mentioned before, push-pull uses two drivers, one reversed from the other. The bottom driver has its magnet facing out of the box and is driven electrically out–of–phase from the front driver, which keeps both drivers acoustically in phase. However, when the front driverâ€s cone is moving away from its magnet, the bottom driverâ€s (reversed) cone is moving towards its magnet. This puts the even harmonic distortion components of the bottom driver out-of-phase with the front driver. When you combined the outputs of both drivers, the even harmonic distortion of both drivers cancels, reducing the overall distortion of the subwoofer.

About Blue Sky:
Blue Sky International was founded, and is jointly owned by Group One Ltd. and Audio Design Labs Inc. The company was established by combining the marketing, sales and distribution expertise of Group One Ltd. with the knowledge and experience of Audio Design Labâ€s award-winning design team. more »

For more information about Blue Sky International, please visit: www.abluesky.com

From ‘Slumdog Millionaire†to Big Budget ‘Blueâ€

By Diane Gershuny

Up until about a dozen years ago, the idea and implementation of production sound recording was virtually non-existent in India. As a film school graduate from Indiaâ€s Film School Institute in 1985—and with inspiration from Spielberg to Lucas—Resul Pookutty aspired to change all that. Riding the wave of the massive success from his work on 2008â€s international indie blockbuster, ‘Slumdog Millionaire†(and subsequent sound design awards including an Oscar, BAFTA, MPSE, CAS, and others), the mixer/sound designer and colleague Akhilesh Acharya launched Canaries Post Sound outside of Mumbai in late â€08. The studioâ€s main sound design room is built around a Blue Sky 5.1 Sky System One.

“If you look at the history of mainstream Hindi filmmaking in the last, say, 10 years, it was in the mid-90s was when Hindi films were being compared with Hollywood and European cinema. We had to change how the films have been portrayed (itâ€s not all about song and dancing) and how the production planning has been done, and the process has benefited. We as new production technicians get to put our stamp on our work, and to also say that this is how it has been traditionally done, but it is not how it should be done. Especially with the Oscar that I received with my work in ‘Slumdog Millionaireâ€, there is a new energy, a new enthusiasm, and a new awareness about sound. So with that, Iâ€d say we are going through a golden period of the changing face of Indian cinema.”

With the launch of Canaries Sound Post, Pookutty is determined to change the way production sound is traditionally handled in India. With the spotlight on Indian cinema globally, thanks in large part to ‘Slumdogâ€, the timing couldnâ€t be better.

“To understand how sound functions in Indian cinema, you must understand that production sound recording was virtually non-existent until 13 years ago. In India, in its true essence of how sound has been handled, there are no sound editors or no supervising dialog editors like we have in Los Angeles or any other part of moviemaking industry. Here, we end up doing everything as one person in postproduction—so I myself handle everything from recording production sound, dialog editing, sound design, supervising of the mixing procedures, and most of the time I do the Foley recording, sound music mixes and extras. Also, there are no specialized film post-production facilities specializing in India where can handle the sound and production process. What usually happens is that I work on my production recordings here and then fly off to London, Australia, or LA for executing better mixes. Thatâ€s been my modus operandi up until now. Early in my career, I realized that good soundtrack of a movie was the result of how you handle the raw material that was recorded. Thatâ€s why we thought about having specialized post studios where we can handle the sound and production process. Thatâ€s how Canaries has come into existence.”

Seeing, and hearing, a Blue Sky ‘Sky System†in action at Skywalker Sound, he was convinced to install a Blue Sky 5.1 Sky System One into the main sound design room at Canaries, with an Audient ASP 510 surround encoder in conjunction with a Digidesign HD Pro Tools system. Two smaller 2-track cutting rooms are outfit with Blue Sky ProDesk systems.

“A close associate in Italy talked to me about Blue Sky,” Resul recalled, “and thatâ€s how the name came to me. I was working at Skywalker on a sound effects session and was immediately impressed with its response and power and the way sound is being reproduced. I have used Dynaudio, Genelec, and HHB monitors, and no one is good over the other; certain qualities that one has, the other doesn’t. In a film and sound design environment, working with all the music, sound effects, dialog, and background ambiences needed a certain quality in a reproduction system. The Blue Sky systems gave me a very wholesome listening environment and are very spot-on. The fact that it gives me true monitoring in a small room impresses me a lot. Iâ€m hearing everything that Iâ€d be hearing in big room; Iâ€m listening to all streams of sound, which are going to be mixed to the film format in its true sense. And I really love the bass management system. Itâ€s a very cool concept and absolutely essential in a small room. I can hear the true color of my sound, which was misguided and misleading in other monitor systems. In other words, Blue Sky made something that was very intangible, tangible.”

Moving forward, Pookutty is putting finishing touches on 3 major Indian movies including ‘Pazhassi Rajaâ€, a biopic historical film and one of the most expensive Hindi movies ever produced, and ‘Blueâ€, an underwater treasure hunt movie which re-teams Pookutty with his ‘Slumdog†composer, AR Rahman. Pookutty went on location to the Bahamas to gather underwater sounds (the first time in Hindi cinema) and is gearing up its major launch this fall.

All of this momentum is not lost on Pookutty. Not only did the success of ‘Slumdog†open new production opportunities for him and other like-minded production folk, but also shed new spotlight on sound in film.

“In the 80 years of Oscar history, no one from India has won a technical award in the film industry,” he states. “And apart from that, the Oscar has created a lot more awareness about sound. One thing that touched me very deeply was at the Motion Picture Sound Editor Awards this February. Ben Bertt was receiving the Career Achievement Award and both George Lucas and Spielberg were there. I realized that this is something we are lacking in India: mentorship. There was nobody to guide me when I was starting out. I donâ€t want my own generation or the one after me to go directionless, so I am building myself up to cater to a new breed of enthusiastic film technicians and film people. Iâ€m hoping that the Canaries Post of tomorrow will be the Skywalker of India.”

For more on Canaries Post, go to: www.canariespostsound.com

ABOUT BLUE SKY
Blue Sky International was founded, and is jointly owned by Group One Ltd. and Audio Design Labs Inc. The company was established by combining the marketing, sales and distribution expertise of Group One Ltd. with the knowledge and experience of Audio Design Labâ€s award-winning design team. more »

For more information about Blue Sky International, please visit: www.abluesky.com

Award-Winning Gaming Audio Guru Gregory Allen Flies Solo To Create ‘Apparatic†Audio Outsourcing Company. Allenâ€s Austin HQ Is First Facility To Test Drive Newest Blue Sky SAT 265 Speaker.

Pictured: Gregory Allen

When we last caught up with Gregory Allen, the game audio guru was overseeing a large audio team, as Senior Audio Director, at Electronic Arts†downtown Chicago facility. There, he helped design and gear up nine production, mix and Foley rooms, all equipped with a range of Blue Sky systems. During his 5-year tenure at EA, Allen worked with project teams to create the sounds and audio mix for a slew of titles including the award-winning “Fight Night Round 3”, along with games such as Def Jam Icon.

When the EA Chicago facility was shuttered, Allen moved on to Sony Online in San Diego to reprise the tasks he undertook in Chicago. As with EA Chicago, Allen focused his efforts on organizing the audio teams and upgrading the audio gear in studios located in San Diego and helping to upgrade the Austin, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Blue Sky 5.1 monitoring systems were again instrumental in his efforts to establish more uniform monitoring environments, so that mixes would translate properly between all of the audio people and that their quality would be consistent, so as to avoid the need to continually remix the audio. That year-long agreement culminated in projects including “EverQuest”, “EverQuest II”, and “Free Realms”, as well as the formation of a partnership with Sony PlayStation audio department. Also, during that time, he helped raise the awareness of audio for MMOs (online multiplayer games) to help bring it up to the high audio standards.

But once the year long agreement was over, he realized it was time to venture out on his own. Beginning in early 2009, Allen packed up and headed to Austin Texas, where he formed Apparatic, a turnkey audio outsourcing company to provide compelling audio programming, implementation, sound design, asset creation, music and dialog for a range of gaming platforms.

When I was at EA and Sony online, I had the opportunity to work with a lot of contractors, and I was testing out the notion of whether people can work remotely. The interesting thing about the game industry is that itâ€s becoming more like the film industry, and it is getting to the point where youâ€re starting to see a lack of staff at all the game studios because of companies downsizing. What this means is that the demand for outsourcing for game audio is going to go way up, and I wanted to take advantage of that. Because of this downsizing, some of the most talented individuals in the industry are working for Apparatic. People that have many years of experience doing game audio and know it well. This gives us an extra edge.

When I left Sony, I decided it might be a good time for me to venture off on my own. I think the biggest reason was I wanted to help other fellow audio people. I came up with an idea for a company that would tap into the talents of all of the sound designers out there, and to bank on my 18-years of industry experience and credits. So I started Apparatic, to handle primarily audio for games—ranging from handheld/small console audio like iPhone, DS and PSP, to large format games like the Wii, PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

Why Austin?
There were a couple of reasons. Thereâ€s a huge gaming community here. A big percentage of the major developers have locations here—both large and small—EA, BioWare, Sony etc. Also, the cost of living and running a business is 50% less than it is in California. Put those two together and it just made sense. Plus, Austin has an amazing community of musicians, and as a big music lover, that was an added bonus.

How is Apparatic structured?
We have developers in Canada, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, but our base is in Austin. With the Internet and the speed of broadband—along with tools like Skype, iChat, Google Apps, Manymoon, Source Connect—weâ€re able to keep it all in sync and keep our overhead low. And myself and the other project manager will travel if need be.

But the biggest problem I saw working with contractors remotely, was the consistency of the sound quality and the ‘implementation†of technical game assets wasnâ€t there. When I started Apparatic, I made a decision to outfit all of our employees, the remote staff, and our clientele, with Blue Sky 5.1 systems, so that way weâ€d have a sonic consistency across the board.

Youâ€ve been a big proponent of Blue Sky over the years, having worked with literally all of the components in whatever studio youâ€ve outfit, be it EA or Sony. What is it about these speakers that works well for what you do?
I call Blue Sky the ‘bang-for-the-buck†speaker, not because itâ€s an inexpensive speaker, but itâ€s a very good speaker for a reasonable price. In its product line, Blue Sky has everything, from the smaller desktop EXOâ€s to the rather large mid-field ‘Big Bluesâ€â€”and everything in between. Iâ€ve worked with other speakers in the past, but for me Blue Sky is a must-have tool whenever Iâ€m doing audio for games. Additionally, Blue Skyâ€s Bass Management Controller, which integrate and control their 5.1 systems, help to complete a very useful tool for sound design and mixing.

You mentioned moving from creating audio for the larger console games like PlayStation and Xbox, to the smaller platform games for iPhone and the like… How does that impact your approach?
Coming from the larger console and PC gaming world, the bar for audio quality is similar to that of film. In the world of MMOs and smaller gaming platforms, the audio quality was not up to par when compared to where console audio was. Similar to what I did at EA, working with Sony I was able to get EXO and MediaDesk systems in many of the office suites, all the edit rooms were outfitted with Sky System One, and we installed I/ON in-wall speakers in the conference room. That, all put into place, really helped with the consistency issues. Granted, it took many months to get together. Youâ€ll hear a major difference on the last game we worked on, “Free Realms”.

During that time, I got a chance to try out the new Blue Sky dual 6” speakers [the SAT 265; slated for release late summer/early fall of ‘09] with the SUB 212 and was really impressed. Whatâ€s really amazing is it sounds basically the same as the Sky System One with more SPL! A couple of the sound guys in the room were like, ‘Whoa! How do we get a pair of those?â€

Tell me about your studio set-up and is that consistent across the board with your developers working in their home studios?
Most of us are using Intel Macâ€s with Pro Tools and the standard range of plug-ins like Waves, McDSP, Sonnex Oxford, Audio Ease, Omnisphere, Vienna Sound Libraries, etc. In our main Austin studio, we have a Pro Tools|HD 3 Accel system but also use Logic for music.

As far as speakers, I use Sky System One and Big Blue, but most of the developers are using Media Desk or Sky System One, with many of the iPhone developers using the smaller EXO system.

Doing iPhone games, one interesting thing is that a lot of people will mix using headphones—and we do check it out on headphones—but you canâ€t have them on all day long because youâ€ll blow out your ears. Many developers also mix on smaller systems. The Blue Sky mixes translate over the headphones very well, and sound good on other speakers.

What projects are you involved in currently?
Right now, weâ€re working on a bunch of casual games, Wii and iPhone titles, and starting next month weâ€ll be doing an Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii titles. So we have a lot of work coming through.

The fourth iPhone game weâ€re working on is called ‘Ace Shotâ€. With everyone using Blue Sky Sky System One, I canâ€t believe how consistent the sounds are coming in from everyone. You can play the game on iPhone earbuds or other headphones and the sound is incredibly consistent.

Iphone games are fun to work on because the work schedule is short–typically 2-3 weeks of work as opposed to 6-7 months, which is what it takes to do a big console game. So itâ€s refreshing because the burn-out factor doesnâ€t exist and you see the results much quicker.

Also, Iâ€m working on creating an audio podcast; the goal being to unite sound designers in all realms, from games, to film, to TV music and to get a conversation going with creators working in different areas in audio. I hope to create a sense of community or awareness of what each sector is doing. The audio community is big, and I want to see the community come together more.

For more about Gregory Allen and Apparatic, go to:
www.apparatic.com

ABOUT BLUE SKY
Blue Sky International currently markets a wide array of award-winning, full-range monitoring systems. The Blue Sky core philosophy is the utilization of bass management technology with subwoofers to satisfy the demanding requirements of audio professionals. These systems are also ideally suited for those home audio enthusiasts looking for a superior sound experience.

Blue Sky International was founded, and is jointly owned by Group One Ltd. and Audio Design Labs Inc. The company was established by combining the marketing, sales and distribution expertise of Group One Ltd. with the knowledge and experience of Audio Design Labâ€s award-winning design team. more »

For more information about Blue Sky International, please visit: www.abluesky.com

State-of-the-art, inventive post facility ‘sonic union†emerges at center of NYCâ€s production scene. Renowned Mixers Michael Marinelli & Steve Rosen Unite to Open Union Square Post House.

A new audio post powerhouse, Sonic Union, soared onto the scene last fall in New York Cityâ€s famed Union Square. An alliance of industry veterans, Michael Marinelli (formerly of Buzz/NY) and Steve Rosen (formerly of HSR/NY), Sonic Unionâ€s clientele includes the top advertising agencies such as BBDO, McCann Erickson, Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi, Fallon, DDB, J.W.T, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Y&R, and many more.

Situated in the historic 19 Union Square West building, Sonic Union is a uniquely built 8,000 square foot recording, mixing and finishing environment, comprised of four inventive, 5.1 surround mixing suites and a multi-functional, 5.1 mixing and picture finishing room—all outfitted with Blue Sky monitoring systems. It is also one of the first from-the-ground-up/new construction post facilities to emerge in NYC in over a decade.

Being in midtown Manhattan during the boom years, when it was the center of advertising and editorial in New York, was incredibly beneficial in establishing our careers,” explained Rosen. “Over the last ten years though, the center of ‘our world†has moved a bit further downtown, and we sought to relocate and build from scratch, a facility that exceeded on every level, the standards that weâ€d set in our previous incarnations, and to do that in a location that more closely mirrored our main clients.”

The eight-month, massive construction undertaking was conceived and spearheaded by studio designer and acoustician, Richard Alderson (who had previously designed Marinelliâ€s Buzz studio in 1994), working in concert with noted designer Raya Ani, and architectural firm Sawicki Tarella. The project was overseen by SU Managing Director and partner Adam Barone.

Raya Ani and Richard worked hand in hand, each delivering a unique perspective in achieving our goals,” said Barone. “Raya helped us design an extremely organic feeling environment with a preponderance of curved walls and natural, sustainable materials, and low-impact LED lighting, while Richard created the shapes and design of the interiors of the mix rooms, with an eye towards extremely clean, uncolored sound. Together, they’ve given us a space that by our estimation is one of the most unique post facilities in the country.”

“I have decades of experience designing audio post rooms and therefore fully understand what these clients expect in terms of sound, feel, and look,” Alderson said. “Having a imaginative designer like Raya was a real plus for me. She was very sympathetic and accommodated a lot of the concepts that I wanted sonically in the rooms and in the physical way that they were laid out and so forth. Working as partners allowed us to accomplish this complex and challenging design within the constraints of a realistic budget.”

The whole concept of the space is unique. “Itâ€s not like any Iâ€m aware of,” Alderson mused. “Itâ€s bright and colorful; full of windows and light. The production rooms each have a large flat screen on the front wall (with a 110 inch projection screen in one), with all main speakers located behind a scrim so there are no visual distractions. As the video aspect is of prime importance in this kind of studio, I wanted the whole focus directed towards the screen. The surround speakers are out of the line of sight, and all the technical furniture and equipment was kept to a minimum footprint. Also, there are no conventional large consoles in the room. The mixerâ€s desks consist of the latest Digidesign Pro Tools 192 workstations, Euphonics†controllers, and Grace interfaces. We were all in agreement that we didnâ€t want any imposing gear layouts to detract from the relaxed, open, and comfortable working environment.”

“Our clientâ€s needs informed our every decision,” Barone added, “and they were the driving force in prescribing exactly what we needed to build to accommodate them. Our core business being advertising and broadcast sound dictated that every room needed to be 5.1 capable, and to have two of those rooms able to accommodate advertising for theatrical release as well. We also had the benefit of a clean slate with our 8000 empty square feet, and the ability to design really comfortable, fantastic sounding working rooms. Starting from scratch, while costly, has had its benefits, as we were able to specify each room to be ultra compatible with the others. In addition to sharing similar Blue Sky monitoring systems, the rooms are outfitted identically hardware wise allowing for quick room changes with little loss of time.”

A range of Blue Sky 5.1 monitoring components was integral to each of the roomâ€s design plan. The larger rooms (approx 35×25â€) included (3) Sat 12s, a Sub 15 Universal, and a Bass Management Controller (BMC MK II), plus (6) I/ON passive studio monitors. The smaller (15×30â€) rooms also featured a half-dozen I/ONâ€s, in addition to the new Sat 8 / Sub 212 monitors with a BMC MK II. The finishing room and the client lounge were each outfitted with MediaDesk 5.1 systems.

”After having worked with nearly every existing loudspeaker system, I chose Blue Sky for this critical audio component,” Alderson explained. “I knew precisely what they were capable of and designed and built SUs rooms to enhance their functionality. Iâ€m pretty adamant about doing that. I canâ€t imagine building a proper room and then installing just any speakers in it. The roomâ€s design and acoustic character must function interactively with the main audio monitors.”

Even the I/ON speaker placement was innovative in and of itself. Rather than conventionally mounting them on-wall or in-wall as they were originally intended, the six surround speakers were hung above the line-of-sight throughout each room.

“We hung the surround speakers because it was the only way we could integrate them into the physical shape of the room,” Alderson clarified. “Because they couldnâ€t be in side walls in our design we placed them 7.5 feet from the floor and angled them down toward the mixer and clients for the focus I was looking for. In that sense, they emulate a movie theatre where you have speakers on the sidewalls directed down at the audience.”

Rosen says they couldn’t be happier with the decision to go with the Blue Sky systems. “We first looked to Blue Sky simply through researching otherâ€s experiences with them,” adds Rosen. “References gleaned from various user groups, and industry peers led us to our first demo, in which we were simply blown away. The phrase, ‘If it’s good enough for Skywalker Sound / Lucasfilm, it’s good enough for us,†was spoken on more than one occasion.”

“Having had some time to actually work with our Blue Sky surround systems, we can honestly say, they’re the best day-to-day studio monitors we’ve ever had the fortune to work with” says Marinelli. “The translation of our mixes to broadcast and cinema has been nothing short of remarkable, especially in a brand new facility. In the past it’s taken some time to acclimate to a new set of studio monitors, learning their characteristics and compensating for them for final broadcast. The Blue Sky’s have eliminated that for us, and provided us with a seamless transition into a new workflow with zero learning curve.”

With the growth of the downtown post-production community, the new facility places Sonic Union at the epicenter of many of the cityâ€s elite editing and post houses.

“Our goal with Sonic Union was to create a centrally located space where clients immediately felt at ease,” said Barone, “an inviting and comfortable environment designed specifically for them. Gutting an entire floor of a pre-war corner building overlooking the Square, we bucked conventional layouts, designing a modern workspace thatâ€s both talent and client friendly. Weâ€re very happy with both the feel and function of the workspace, and feel the new, independent Sonic Union legitimately offers the best creative one-two punch anywhere in the industry.”

And the feedback has been overwhelming in terms of how comfortable the rooms, and how good they sound. “Our clients†feedback thus far has been overwhelmingly positive,” Rosen concluded, “and thatâ€s ultimately the true test of our success.”

ABOUT SONIC UNION
Some unions are meant to be. This was clearly the case when NYC uber-mixers Michael Marinelli and Steve Rosen formed Sonic Union in November 2008. Joining fellow co-founder Adam Barone in a newly built out, startlingly mod space like no other, the team offers top agency and editorial players an unsurpassed recording, mixing and finishing resource in Manhattanâ€s Union Square. Marinelli and Rosen have long been breaking sound barriers in the industry for leading brands and agencies. Both known for their unique style, creative expertise and industry experience, they bring the highest level of technical expertise to every job. Thoughtfully conceived and exactingly executed, Sonic Union is poised to become a top destination for world-class audio post. www.sonicunion.com

ABOUT BLUE SKY
Blue Sky International currently markets a wide array of award-winning, full-range monitoring systems. The Blue Sky core philosophy is the utilization of bass management technology with subwoofers to satisfy the demanding requirements of audio professionals. These systems are also ideally suited for those home audio enthusiasts looking for a superior sound experience.

Blue Sky International was founded, and is jointly owned by Group One Ltd. and Audio Design Labs Inc. The company was established by combining the marketing, sales and distribution expertise of Group One Ltd. with the knowledge and experience of Audio Design Labâ€s award-winning design team. more »

For more information about Blue Sky International, please visit: www.abluesky.com

The SAT 8 and SUB 212â€s Sealed-Box Design, Combined With Sophisticated Bass Management Electronics, Provides A Seamless Transition Between SAT & SUB. The End Result Is A Stunningly Accurate Full-Range Monitoring System.

By Diane Gershuny:

World-renowned for their accurate, full-range sound, Blue Sky is pleased to introduce two new critical listening components to its full line of monitoring solutions: SUB 212 400-Watt Push-Pull Active Subwoofer and the SAT 8 300-Watt, Compact Mid-Field Monitor. The SUB 212 is designed to be an integral part of the monitoring system, enabling a studio monitor, such as the SAT 8, to be positioned for the best imaging, and the SUB to be positioned for the best bass response. Relieving the studio monitor of the requirement to reproduce the low frequencies means that the uncompromising sealed-box design can combine with sophisticated bass management electronics to provide a seamless transition between the SAT and SUB. When combined, the SAT 8 and SUB 212 provide a stunningly accurate and engaging, full-range monitoring system.

“Our customers were asking for a powerful system that was similar to the Sat 12 and Sub 15, but in a smaller package,” said Blue Sky Vice President Chris Fichera. “The Sat 8 and Sub 212 will address those applications.”

SUB 212 | Shown with Grille

About The SUB 212

Blue Skyâ€s SUB 212 is a sealed box, dual 12”, push-pull, 400-Watt subwoofer. It features an anechoic frequency response of 25Hz to 200Hz, +/-3dB. In addition, the SUB 212 also has built-in 2.1 bass management electronics with both a 4th order 80Hz Linkwitz-Riley low-pass filter and a 2nd order 80Hz high-pass filter that is perfectly matched to the response of the SAT 8 (the SUB 212 is also compatible with the SAT 12, SAT 6.5 and SAT 5).

The SUB 212â€s unique “push-pull” configuration is designed not only to increase output, but also to reduce distortion. A push-pull subwoofer uses two drivers: one mounted facing forward, the second mounted backward with the magnet facing out. Utilizing two drivers doubles the maximum output, while the push pull configuration reduces even harmonic distortion. Typically, in a more conventional design, at high output levels, second harmonic distortion dominates the distortion spectrum of most subwoofer drivers and is caused by asymmetric operation of the suspension and magnetic structure. In simple terms; the output of the driver is slightly different when the cone is moving away from the magnet, as compared to when it is moving toward its magnet.

SUB 212 | Back Panel Electronics

Push-pull operation reduces this even harmonic distortion in a clever application of physics. As mentioned before, push-pull uses two drivers, one reversed from the other. The bottom driver has its magnet facing out of the box and is driven electrically out–of–phase from the front driver, which keeps both drivers acoustically in phase. However, when the front driverâ€s cone is moving away from its magnet, the bottom driverâ€s (reversed) cone is moving towards its magnet. This puts the even harmonic distortion components of the bottom driver out-of-phase with the front driver. When you combined the outputs of both drivers, the even harmonic distortion of both drivers cancels, reducing the overall distortion of the subwoofer.

SAT 8 | vertical configuration

About The SAT 8

Blue Skyâ€s SAT 8 is a three way, tri-amplified, 300-Watt, compact mid-field monitor which features an 8” high excursion hemispherical woofer, an ultra low distortion 4” hemispherical midrange driver, and a 1” dual ring radiator tweeter with integral waveguide, for superior off-axis response. To reduce destructive cabinet diffraction reflections, Blue Sky has developed and incorporated into the baffle, the proprietary “Multi-Aperture Acoustic Diffraction Absorber”, which helps to maintain smooth on and off axis frequency response throughout the critical MF and HF frequency range, without the need for a large wave-guide or horn.

SAT 8 | Back Panel Electronics

The SAT 8 is powered by a dedicated low distortion 100-Watt amplifier for the 8” woofer, a low distortion 100-Watt amplifier for the midrange, and a low distortion 100-Watt amplifier for the tweeter. The SAT 8 effortlessly delivers clean and accurate sound with a frequency response of 80Hz to 30kHz +/-3.0dB (200Hz to 15kHz +/-1.5dB), for full compatibility with Blue Skyâ€s SUB 15 Universal, SUB 212, SUB 12 and BMC (Bass Management Controller). The rear panel also has controls for “full space” (placement in a room) or “half space” (mounted in a baffle wall) operation, along with individual HF, MF and LF level trims, as well as controls for variable gain settings.

The SAT 8 is designed to operate both vertically or horizontally, thanks to the rotatable MF/HF plate.

To read about and see pictures of the first installation of Blue Sky’s SAT 8 and SUB 212, follow this link.

About Blue Sky:

Blue Sky International currently markets a wide array of award-winning, full-range monitoring systems. The Blue Sky core philosophy is the utilization of bass management technology with subwoofers to satisfy the demanding requirements of audio professionals. These systems are also ideally suited for those home audio enthusiasts looking for a superior sound experience.

Blue Sky International was founded, and is jointly owned by Group One Ltd. and Audio Design Labs Inc. The company was established by combining the marketing, sales and distribution expertise of Group One Ltd. with the knowledge and experience of Audio Design Labâ€s award-winning design team. more »

For more information about Blue Sky International, please visit: www.abluesky.com

Vienna Symphonic Library, an innovative, music software and sample library developer based in Vienna, Austria, premiered its long-awaited Vienna MIR reverb software at the 2009 Winter NAMM Show, in daily demonstrations within an intimate, soundproof Presentation Cube. The “Cube” was originally created by Austrian acoustics designer, Peter Willensdorfer of tonachitektur for VSL’s first public appearance at the 2002 AES Convention. In anticipation of VSLâ€s new launch in January, VSL decided to completely renovate the Cube—from the aesthetics to the audio—featuring Blue Skyâ€s state-of-the-art Sky System One 5.1 Surround System.

Read the complete user profile, including additional images of this impressive demo facility, by following this link to the Blue Sky website. »

Blue Sky International was founded, and is jointly owned by Group One Ltd. and Audio Design Labs Inc. The company was established by combining the marketing, sales and distribution expertise of Group One Ltd. with the knowledge and experience of Audio Design Labâ€s award-winning design team. more »

Huntington, West Virginia may not be the hub of the music production world, but veteran musician Keith “Plex” Barnhart plans to change that. With the launch of The MusicPlex Studios, earlier this year, Barnhart has taken his 25 years experience — as a stage and session player with artists including Chaka Khan, Bette Middler, Janet Jackson, Brian Wilson, Paul Simon, and Sting, to that of a composer, programmer, and songwriter for TV and radio media—to create a commercial studio addressing the needs of the professional market.

“We made an extensive study of the region and found that, not only were there no professional studio installations in place, but often the musical compositions were purchased from out-of-state vendors,” Barnhart explained. “We hope to change all of that by being the first production company in the region to offer unparalleled composing skills, uncompromised audio quality, all in a comfortable and creative surround environment, to service the local ad agencies, TV and radio stations, independent film makers and video production companies.”

Barnhart outfit the 2,500 square-foot studio with a broad mix of the latest gear capable of recording and mixing over 96 tracks in high-resolution audio. For the critical monitoring functions, he decided on a Big Blue system, based on recommendations from friends and colleagues.

Read the complete user profile, including additional images of this beautifully equipped facility, by following this link to the Blue Sky website. »

Blue Sky International was founded, and is jointly owned by Group One Ltd. and Audio Design Labs Inc. The company was established by combining the marketing, sales and distribution expertise of Group One Ltd. with the knowledge and experience of Audio Design Labâ€s award-winning design team. more »

By Diane Gershuny:

Located in Marina Del Rey, California, Gradient Effects has delivered dynamic visual artistry for feature films and other forms of entertainment since 2006, offering a complementary suite of services for CGI design, pre-production, on-set supervision, digital intermediate and post-production. Founders Thomas Tannenberger (Visual Effects Supervisor) and Olcun Tan (Visual Effects Supervisor/Head of R&D) lead a talented team of artists and developers committed to creating breakthrough visual effects quickly and economically.

Founders Tannenberger and Tan wanted to transform an unfinished room into a complete digital intermediate suite within the Gradient Effects facility. As part of this a complete Blue Sky Big Blue 5.1 monitoring system was installed in the studio. Specifically, this included three SAT 12s and one SUB 15 Universal. An additional four I/ON (in-wall/on-wall) passive studio monitors were installed in the sidewalls, serving as the surround channel monitors.

Having the Blue Sky 5.1 surround setup and technology, gives us a working environment that mimics the experience of the final end user, the consumer in a movie theater. Blue Skyâ€s bass-managed system allows us to playback mixed projects with full 5.1 fidelity so the directors or other creatives have not only a true theater picture, but true theater sound.”

— Tena Montoya, Director of Business Development for Gradient Effects

View the complete user profile, including additional images of this state-of-the-art facility, by following this link to the Blue Sky website. »

Blue Sky International was founded, and is jointly owned by Group One Ltd. and Audio Design Labs Inc. The company was established by combining the marketing, sales and distribution expertise of Group One Ltd. with the knowledge and experience of Audio Design Labâ€s award-winning design team. more »

“At the Conservatory, every AFI fellow will utilize these sound mixing studios”, explained AFI instructor Matt Doyle. “We wanted to be sure to provide the most accurate, coherent surround monitoring system we could find. Thatâ€s why we chose Blue Sky.”

Read the full story here.

Blue Sky International was founded, and is jointly owned by Group One Ltd. and Audio Design Labs Inc. The company was established by combining the marketing, sales and distribution expertise of Group One Ltd. with the knowledge and experience of Audio Design Labâ€s award-winning design team. more »