Studio Monthly articles from September 2005

Studio Monthly archives from September 2005

The ultimate video toolkit.
September 1, 2005... The mark of a true professional is in the gear you use to craft your vision. The right tools put you at the head of the pack, letting you accomplish more--faster and easier than ever. Serious Magic's ULTRA and DV Rack are the right tools....

Value central.
September 1, 2005... AG-DVC30 Multi-Style Mini-DV Camcorder Hurry! $200 rebate available until Sept. 30, 2005 From now thru Sept. 30, 2005, Panasonic is offering a $200 rebate on the purchase of an AG-DVC30 from any authorized Panasonic pro video dealer or...

Within earshot.(editor's note)
September 1, 2005... I've heard sound defined many ways, from the practical ("sound is vibrating matter") to the philosophical ("sound is life itself"). In this special audio issue, we take the practical approach and bring you a heavier than usual mix of...

Quick fix for bad tracks: a new way to pull unwanted music from archival clips.(quick cuts)
September 1, 2005... Finding the right archival clip is one thing--clearing the secondary music rights to the audio track that runs beneath it is quite another. There's finally an alternative to all the hair pulling: Let the folks at MSS-New York, a full-service...

AES gets ready for HDTV.(quick cuts)
September 1, 2005... With the 119th AES Convention arriving at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City next month, convention broadcast chair David Bialik reports that this year's show will offer the most broadcast-related events in the organization's...

What I'm using now: Tascam FW-1884 and FW-1082 Interface and Control Surfaces.(quick cuts)
September 1, 2005... ALBERT FOX [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Composer/Sound Designer, Mutato Muzika, Los Angeles Favorite gear: Tascam's FW-1884 and FW-1082 Interface and Control Surfaces List: FW-1884 is $1,599 plus FE-8 Expanders ($1,249ea); FW-1082...

Blackmagic Design DeckLink[TM].
September 1, 2005... Introducing DeckLink HD Pro The world's highest quality HDTV Dual Link 4:4:4 and NTSC/PAL video card for only $1,995! Blackmagic Design's industry leading range of 10/12 bit Dual Link 4:4:4 products for HD and SD [ILLUSTRATION...

Mamma Maya.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
September 1, 2005... Alias's new Maya 7 software is a speed demon that also plays better with other desktop software apps than ever before. With faster character building and optimized workflows for rendering, renders can be prepared for optimal output to Adobe...

HDV's ready for its close-up.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
September 1, 2005... Redrock Microsystems, LLC, makes cinema accessories for indie filmmakers on a budget. Its new M2, a prosumer-priced 35mm cinema lens adapter for digital video and HD cameras, lets you pair cinema-quality lenses with any digital video...

Fantastic Four.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
September 1, 2005... 3ds Max 8 is the latest version of Autodesk's 3D modeling, animation and rendering software, which has been used during post-production on such recent films as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Fantastic Four. With an extensive array of new...

64-bit time-saver.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
September 1, 2005... The latest version of SOFTIMAGEIXSI 3D digital character and visual effects software, announced during SIGGRAPH last month, has been rebuilt to take full advantage of both multi-processor and multi-core 32- and new 64-bit platforms. In company...

Taking HDV a step further.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
September 1, 2005... Not only do the latest versions of CineForm's popular HDV capture tools, Aspect HD and Connect HD, now support Redrock Micro's M2 35mm lens adapter, Aspect HD 3.2 adds Redrock Micro's M2 support directly within the capture window of Adobe...

Layer cake.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
September 1, 2005... Web video never seemed so sweet. Macromedia is set to release Studio 8, which brings together the latest releases of Dreamweaver, Flash Professional, Fireworks, Contribute and FlashPaper. According to Jim Guerard, vice president of product...

Like Butta.(SPECIAL: NEW MUSIC LIBRARY TRACKS)
September 1, 2005... "Beats & Rhymes" is the latest offering from DeWolfe Music USA, featuring hip-hop tracks specially designed for production use. New, original tracks have been produced for DeWolfe by major hip-hop producers and artists such as VIC, who has...

Stacks O' tracks.(SPECIAL: NEW MUSIC LIBRARY TRACKS)
September 1, 2005... Digital Juice has added three new volumes to its multi-track remixable StackTraxx production music library, which now contains 10 volumes in total. The new thematic volumes include StackTraxx 8: Fifties Stacks; StackTraxx 9: World Stacks; and...

Euro splash.(SPECIAL: NEW MUSIC LIBRARY TRACKS)
September 1, 2005... Network Music, a unit of BMG, has introduced a new collection in its UBM music library line. Produced in Germany by renowned European composers, UBM combines the wide dynamic range of a large production library with a splash of European flavor....

Get twisted.(SPECIAL: NEW MUSIC LIBRARY TRACKS)
September 1, 2005... Sound Ideas has recently added The Twisted Tiger Music Library to its collection of professional sound effects, royalty-free music and production music and production element libraries. The new library consists of four CDs and 100 themes from...

More to the mix.(SPECIAL: NEW MUSIC LIBRARY TRACKS)
September 1, 2005... JRT Music has recently added several new collections to its music library mix, offering a range of styles from funk and pop to music for cartoons. TMCD 1142: Action Shack is an ultra-lounge retro-rock and action-packed groovy beats mix that is...

Four play.(SPECIAL: NEW MUSIC LIBRARY TRACKS)
September 1, 2005... The first in a series of four new CD collections from GMP Music, AV 300 Driven To Extreme, is full of big strings, driving drums and plenty of full synth effects, making it ideal for long-form action movies. GMP is also offering AV 301 aBASSive...

Nine lives.(SPECIAL: NEW MUSIC LIBRARY TRACKS)
September 1, 2005... CSS Music has recently added nine new titles to its 17 library royalty-free music and sound effects package (281 CD volumes), including: Repro-file Plus Volume 20 Movie Magic, Repro-file Plus Volume 21 Urban Overdrive II, Target Trax Volume 42...

Trailer stash.(SPECIAL: NEW MUSIC LIBRARY TRACKS)
September 1, 2005... Zomba Enterprises, Inc., via its distributor FirstCom Music, recently launched SEE Music, a new venture created specifically aimed at motion-picture advertising. SEE Music is delivered by a team of new producers and composers who, working with...

Theme Pack adventure.(SPECIAL: NEW MUSIC LIBRARY TRACKS)
September 1, 2005... Music2Hues has released its Theme Pack series, each Pack containing five audio CDs, plus one DVD-ROM (Wav & Mp3 files) of music beds based on the same style. Packs include: High Energy & Sports, Hot Grooves, Rock Guitar, Orchestral and Acoustic...

Get your groove on.(SPECIAL: NEW MUSIC LIBRARY TRACKS)
September 1, 2005... Megatrax Production Music has launched a new long-form music library, The Scene. The initial 10 CDs include three CDs of Club Life from famed record producer Byron Brizuela, three CDs of Jazz Combo Styles featuring live ensembles, two of Global...

Sony HVR-A1U: an inside look at Sony's newest Pro HDV offering.(FIRST LOOK!)
September 1, 2005... This camera delivers more than some DV or DVCAM camcorders in its price range; HDV simply increases the value. SONY'S SECOND OFFERING IN ITS PRO HDV LINEUP IS THE HVR-A1U. THIS camcorder is squarely aimed at the budget HDV'er, and for the...

Autodesk Combustion 4: a Swiss Army Knife of pro VFX tools.(ROI reviews)
September 1, 2005... The more I work with Combustion 4, the harder it is to review. It just does so many things, so well, and I have such little space. In simple terms, Combustion 4 is Autodesk's way of bringing you top drawer, affordable VFX compositing technology...

Mind your mics and get great sound in the field.(how)
September 1, 2005... STEP 1 Carry the right mic kit Your mic kit should consist of at least one good omni-directional lavalier mic. My favorites are the Audio-Technica AT892, Sony ECM-55, or Countryman B3. All are very small, easy to conceal and are...

Get organized in Apple Final Cut Pro.(how)
September 1, 2005... STEP 1 Create a folder to hold all your projects There are two sets of folders you need to create to get organized within Final Cut Pro: projects and media. Start by creating a folder to store all your projects. At the top level of...

Add depth to HD shoots with Canon HD lenses.(MANUFACTURER TUTORIAL)
September 1, 2005... STEP 1 Turn 3D reality into a 2D video image What's the lens got to do with it? In HD shooting, plenty. The lens is the arbiter between the live three-dimensional scene and the careful two-dimensional optical extraction from that scene....

Projector buyer's guide 2005: shopping for a new projector? Whether you're looking for a microportable to travel with you on sales trips or a 50-pound installation model for an auditorium or entertainment venue, these new models give you a lot more lumen for your dollar.(Buyers Guide)
September 1, 2005... WELCOME TO THE 2005 EDITION OF OUR PROJECTOR buyer's guide, one of the most comprehensive listings of projectors you'll find anywhere in print or on the Web. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This guide was compiled from up-to-date InfoComm 2005...

Sanyo: why LCD makes sense.(Advertorial)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2005... PERHAPS YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THE NEW 3LCD campaign, which had its own booth at CES 2005. This cooperative effort among leading manufacturers of LCD projectors was designed to raise awareness of the technology behind and advantages of 3-panel LCD...

Sony's new front projectors.(Advertorial)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2005... PROFESSIONALS NEED FLEXIBILITY IN THEIR projection options. In the office, on the road, or wherever a presentation needs to happen, mobility, wireless speed and network connectivity rank high on professionals' wish lists. These are precisely...

ActiveLight: your projector source.(Advertorial)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2005... ACTIVELIGHT, INC. (WWW.ACTIVELIGHT.COM) IS a full-service, national distributor of advanced digital displays and projection equipment, including plasma and LCD screens, professional projectors and components, complete digital signage systems,...

Hitachi: taking video to the next level.(Advertorial)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2005... WITH PROJECTION TECHNOLOGY BECOMING increasingly ubiquitous in recent years, the video display market has seen a dramatic rise in the use of projectors in a variety of applications. Presentation environments requiring large, crystal-clear video...

Projectors for all: portable models, now smaller and brighter than ever, have moved from specialty purchases to everyday accessories.(issues)
September 1, 2005... I first started covering the portable projector industry back in 1991, which seems like a lifetime ago. It was big news when Epson and InFocus announced 640 X 480 front LCD projectors in late 1993 for about ten thousand dollars that weighed...

Lost--and found--in translation: how to keep your audio and video in sync, in any language.(the biz)
September 1, 2005... Every year hundreds if not thousands of new terms enter the English vocabulary. It's such a practical language for communicating complex ideas, in fact, that English has come to form the basis of a universal verbal shorthand. But for those of...

Big sound, small spaces: audio recording and editing suites are getting smaller, but when it comes to waveforms, you can't fight Isaac Newton. Here's how to pump up the volume without bending the laws of physics.(TECHNOLOGY)
September 1, 2005... Size does matter. The economics of audio recording and post are compelling studios to constantly reduce the size of their individual audio editing suites. By putting more and smaller suites into the same amount of space, the theory goes, you...

audioEngine keeps stereo sites in perfect balance.(STUDIOS ON THE RISE)
September 1, 2005... WHAT'S THEIR GIG? Unless you're a wizard, it's hard to be in two places at once. That is, unless you have a business with studios located on both sides of the country. Bob Giammarco, partner of the New York City-based audio post house...

Screenstar conversion lenses.(Product Showcase)(Buyers Guide)
September 1, 2005... Navitar's ScreenStar conversion lenses provide a new and simple way to change your throw distance or projected image size without replacing your projector's standard lens. Our wide-angle and telephoto conversion lenses fit easily in front of...

Dealing with bad audio.(WEIRD BUT TRUE TALES FROM THE STUDIO)(Cartoon)
September 1, 2005... Tom Beland is a cartoonist based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is also the creator of the Eisner Comic Industry Award-nominated series, True Story: Swear to God, published by AiT/Planet Lar, www.ait-planetlar.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...