Digital Noise In Audio Studio

We have recently discovered problems with digital noise in the Audio Studio thanks to the detailed logbook entries of a few of our users. Dave and I were able to find out that the problem is occurring on channels 33-48. We have not had a chance to debug the problem in great detail, however it sounds and seems that there is a clocking error between the converter and the computer. We will hopefully have the problem fixed soon. For now, you will have to use the studio as a 32x32 setup.

Welcome Back/Summer Maintenance 2012

Welcome back to a new school year! I just wanted to provide some updates about maintenance that happened in the studios this summer.

A quick overview of some of the changes:

1. All 3 studios now have 3 displays that function as an extended desktop. You can drag the windows around in any configuration that suits your workflow.

2. The TC6000 remote screen is now mirrored on one of the 46'' displays in both the Audio Studio and EMS B. It is hooked up to the VGA input. Use the VGA for the TC6000 and DVI for the computer monitor.

3. Fans were installed in the API Vision console in the Audio Studio and EMS B that will help regulate the console temperature.

4. A samples drive has been loaded into the computers in EMS A, EMS B and the Audio Studio. They are currently loaded with "Discrete Drums." Over time, we hope to add more sample packs to the drive.

5. The hum in the right surround Alt 2 speaker in the Audio Studio has been repaired

6. Durrough meters were installed in EMS B. They are currently not normalled to outputs 1-8, however you can patch into them. We plan on fixing the normalling as soon as possible.

7. We had a slight power supply issue this summer in the Audio Studio. Dave and I were able to diagnose and fix the problem over the course of 2 days. For a second, we thought we were in for some big trouble. I got to learn how the power supplies are setup and routed for the API Vision Console.

8. The interface for the meters in EMS B was changed and they are much more stable and reliable.

These are just some of the highlights. We completed even more maintenance than this, especially in terms of infrastructure. Hope you enjoy the rooms

Fixed knobs in Audio Studio

The lowest frequency selection switch on the Chandler Curvebender and the gain control on the Mercury M72 preamp have been fixed. Thank Dave for those two!

Channel 20 in Audio Studio

Channel 20 in the Audio Studio is on the fritz. It makes lots of random crackling noises. We'll troubleshoot and likely swap out the channel as soon as we can. For now, I'd recommend muting the channel and not using it.

Audio Studio Checklist

As more users become certified in the Audio Studio, there has been many studio shutdown errors. To help everyone remember what needs to get done before leaving the room, I have provided a checklist. It is taped to the table right next to the computer monitors. It is also provided below.

Migrating Sessions between the Audio Studio and EMS B

Now that the studios are being used in full swing, many of you are bouncing back and forth between the different studios. This is wonderful and encouraged. In this post, I will show you what settings to change in order to move your sessions between the Audio Studio and EMS B.

CLOCK:

The first setting you need to change is related to the clock. In the Audio Studio, the clock is an internal clock generated by the Apogee Symphony I/O Converters/Interface. In EMS B, the clock source is the SYNC I/O. When you open up a session from a different studio, if the clock is not set properly, the converters will blink and you will often here a periodic clicking noise.

To change the clock, follow the steps below.

1. Goto the "Setup" Menu in ProTools and select "Session"

2. Find the Clock pull down menu and select the correct setting.

3. If you are using EMS B, it should read "SYNC." If you are using the Audio Studio, it should read "192 I/O #1 Internal"

EMS Setup Session Picture

Audio Studio Setup Session Picture

I/O:

The next step is to configure your I/O to match the converter setup for each respective room. In order to do this, goto the "Setup" menu in ProTools and select "I/O." Match the current I/O with the pictures below and you should be all set.

EMS B Input

EMS B Output

Audio Studio Input

Audio Studio Output

Eventide H8000

The Eventide H8000 in EMS B has not been working for a few days. One of the studio users had gone into the setup features and turned the Analog input level to -100dB, effectively turning the inputs to the unit off.

PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE SETUP PARAMETERS ON THE EVENTIDE IN THE AUDIO STUDIO OR EMS B. It makes it really difficult for the next user to know what has changed.

The unit in EMS B should be working as expected now.

ProTools Not Launching in Audio Studio

UPDATE 2/16/12: After running disk utility and trashing the preference files, ProTools in the Audio Studio appears to be responding and working as expected.

----------------------------------------------------------------

ProTools appears to not always be launching correctly in the Audio Studio. If its not working, you will notice that it will just keep bouncing in the dock and not actually launch the software. We will hopefully have this fixed within the next week, however until that happens, here is the work around.

If you turn the computer on and ProTools does not launch, open up activity monitor. You can do this by going to Applications and double clicking it, or by typing in "activity monitor" into spotlight located in the top right corner of the screen.

Tab down to ProTools, select it and press "Quit Process." When it asks you to force quit, go ahead and press Yes. Once ProTools quit, wait a few moments and open it up again. This should fix the problem. If it does not, repeat these steps.

Troubleshooting AKG 414s

I have noticed that sometimes the AKG 414s in the Audio Studio are causing users some issues. If you hear a crackly windy noise when using the AKG 414s, there is a good chance that the mic is the problem and not some other piece of gear or your patching. To my knowledge, the mic is NOT broken. Sometimes the polar pattern selector switches on 414s have intermittent problems. I believe that this is the case with the mics in the studio. If you simply, change the polar pattern, it should fix the problem.

Converter A trouble in Audio Studio

Recently, I have noticed that converter A does not always lock in with the computer correctly. As we try to figure out why it does not always work when converters B, C and D always do, I'd like to share ways to troubleshoot and fix this problem.

Whether you are using the busses or the multitrack inputs, you will experience this problem if converter A does not lock in with the computer.

The simple way to test this is to move your input to the DAW to the B bucket of converters, which start at input 17 or B1. Then switch the input in ProTools to match. If you were not getting signal before and you are now, it means that converter A did not lock in correctly.

You can either choose to use converter channels from 17 up or you can restart the system. If you restart the system, turn the computer off from the Apple menu on the computer and once the computer shuts down, press the green power button for the converters. Wait 60 seconds and then restart the system. This works pretty much every time.

Audio Studio Speakers Aligned

The Audio Studio speakers had not been aligned this since the beginning of the term. I spent some time last week measuring out the distances and the angles of the Griffins and the Genelecs. They should be properly aligned and centered to the console. The sweet spot listening position is marked on the floor with a blue x for now.