<monitor input>
 
Supplying the finest sound acquisition and reference monitoring systems - absolute essentials for the audio professional!
Welcome to <monitor input> the occasional newsletter from
Sound-Link ProAudio 
 
February 2014

Sound-Link - UK Distributor for Microtech Gefell, ME-Geithain, AETA Audio and Håkan.

Welcome to the February issue of <monitor input> 
 
We will be exhibiting at BVE again this year, details below.  The Håkan Pop Killer has received a superb review in the current issue of Sound On Sound and ME-Geithain studio monitors are leading the field in the Gearslutz High End Nearfield Test.  Also, the leading film school, "La Fémis" in Paris, have purchased six AETA 4MinX location recorders for the school.  We have been doing lots of updates on the Sound-Link website of late, especially on the Microtech Gefell section.
 
In this edition:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BVE 2014
 
25-27 February  -  Excel  -  London
 
Sound-Link will be exhibiting at BVE again this year.
 
Our stand is M57
 
Hope to see you there - you can register for your tickets HERE
 
 

 
 
La Fémis purchase six AETA
4MinX recorders
 
 
 
When they thought of extending the number of units dedicated to location sound recording, the famous French Cinema School, La Fémis, chose to buy six AETA 4MinX multi-track recorders. 

A Professional requirement

Every year, during their studies, the students from La Fémis, produce around a hundred short films, dramas and documentaries. These films, more than just simple exercises, are produced from the very start to be real professional productions that regularly win awards in international film festivals like Cannes, Berlin, Clermont-Ferrand, etc…
 
To meet such a high level, they must comply with the mandatory level of professional requirements from the Audio-visual industry.

4MinX, winner of a true Benchmark Standard

Up until today, La Fémis was using stereo recorders for their location sound recording and Film production. "We were looking for a device suitable for documentaries, able to also be used as a secure recorder on drama shoots and compact enough for ambient location sound or sound only productions" Michaël Stab, Responsible for the Sound technical team explains. A true benchmark standard started then with the collaboration of the Vice-Director of the Sound Department in La Fémis, Jean-Pierre Laforce, a well respected sound mixer of feature films who’s films have been awarded 3 Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
 
Practical tests, as well as tests performed on many recorders, were done. After three days of real shooting with the 4MinX, Jean-Pierre Laforce came back very enthusiastic: “The audio quality from the 4MinX is really amazing, it has a huge headroom, strong and efficient microphone pre-amps, the sound is transparent and the limiters are discreet. Unlike American type pre-amps, efficient for recording dialogue, but where one always feel like one needs to set up a low-pass filter, the 4MinX produces a warm sound that is very pleasant on the voice but equally good for ambient sounds or music. The Double-MS feature, as well as the Ambisonics one for using Soundfield microphones, were the final convincing arguments for the 4MinX’s potential." 

All the necessary to mix and record from your shoulder

Versatile and upgradeable, the 4MinX has 6 analogue inputs, 4 digital inputs, 8 analogue outputs and 6 digital outputs. It is available in 2, 4, 6 or 8 track versions and is user-upgradable at a later date if a low track-count version is chosen originally.

Key points 

•   Up to 10 inputs (4 Mic/Line, 1 stereo line, 2 AES3/AES42)
•   Compatible line inputs with radio-microphone receivers
•   Recording from 2 to 8 tracks on SD/SDHC cards
•   Suitable for stereo production (M/S) and Surround
•   Over 6 hours autonomy (almost 8 hours with high capacity batteries)
•   2.1 kg with Li-Ion NP-F battery
•   Flexible routing 
•   12 easily assigned outputs (4 Line, 2 Aux & 3 AES pairs)
•   Option Surround monitoring (Soundfield ® licence)
•   Option Time code (Ambient ® licence)
•   3" LCD screen, readable in any situation
•   Various shortcuts for main settings (filters, levels, monitoring...)
•   Designed and manufactured in France

About La Fémis

Located in the former Pathé Studios, rue Francoeur, in Paris where mythical Directors like Marcel L'Herbier, Marcel Carné, Robert Bresson, Jean Renoir, Sacha Guitry and many others filmed, La Fémis (Fondation Européenne des Métiers de l’Image et du Son), the National Foundation for the Image and Sound professions, stands amongst the highest of French public schools. The main activity of the school is the basic training of professions related to the cinema and, added from 2013, specific courses on “TV series creations” and a PhD in Research in Cinema. As the school’s intention is to stay very close to Industry realities, they don’t have any permanent educational team but ask around 500 industry professionals each year to supervise the different courses and internships. Every year the school produces more than 100 short films, dramas and documentaries. These are more than simple exercises, but real works that have received prizes at many Festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Clermont-Ferrand…) that introduces real talents that will be the stars of the future. More information on www.femis.fr
 
 
.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
More ME-Geithain Quotes
 
The High End Nerfield Test on Gearslutz seems to have come down heavily in favour of the ME-Geithain monitors.

More quotes from the tester:

"I feel that the Geithain monitors are superior to any other in the test.  They interact with a perfect balance of detail, power, frequency-extension, imaging, 3D, transient response, flatness, room integration qualities, and at the same time a wonderful musicality to my ears.  All my work seems to translate very "effortlessly" with less processing and less production time."

About the RL944-K1 specifically:

"The Geithain RL944 can really take whatever you throw at them with a gentleman's approach.  They will let you know what you got without the 'steering bumpers'.  They are truly wonderful tools ... Everyone that listens to them walks behind my desk searching for the sub.  It is really hard to beleive this kind of performance from an 8" cone."
 
Quotes from David Johansen of Lydspesialisten in Norway, after a High End Monitor Test on the Gearslutz Forum

He ended up liking the ME-Geithaim monitors so much that he posted that he had sold his main monitors and had ordered a pair of ME-Geithain RL801K to replace them and also ordered a pair of the RL944-K1 as well.
 
 
 
 
Microtech Gefell - Sound-Link website updates
 
 
We have been doing a lot of updates to the Gefell section of the Sound-Link website of late.
 
Firstly, we have introduced polar-pattern "buttons" for each microphone to show what the polar-pattern is, to make it immediately clear what the directivity of the microphone is:
 
 
We have also added links to download the Data Sheet / Brochure of every microphone.  We have now translated the Data Sheet for the M310 microphone and have added this to the website as information on this microphone in particular had been sparse.
 
Bit by bit we are also adding the frequency response graphs and polar-pattern diagrams to the website.
 
We have now filled in the Measurement Microphone section links.
 
 
 
 
  Firmware update for the AETA 4MinX
 
AETA have released a firmware update for the 4MinX.
 
v1.7.4 is now available and downloadable from the 4MinX page of the Sound-Link website HERE.
 
An updated Owners Manual is also downloadable HERE.
 
 
 
Håkan P110 Pop Killer receives a superb review in Sound On Sound
 
The Håkan P110 Pop Killer received an excellent review from Hugh Robjohns in the February issue of Sound On Sound.
 
The official PDF of the review will be on the website shortly, in the meantime HERE is a scan of the review from my copy of the magazine.
 
Comparing the P110 to other pop filters, Hugh concludes:- "To my ears the P110 is completely transparent and brilliantly effective ... it sounds more transparent than all of them and is far better engineered than most.  If you are in need of a pop screen - and who isn't? - I can't recommend the Håkan P110 highly enough."
 
Following the review, Sound-Link has received many orders for the Pop Killer with them, seemingly, flying out of the door.

The full range of P110 varients (including the new gooseneck version) can be seen HERE.
 
The PDF version of the information leaflet can be downloaded here.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter - if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us direct.

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Sound-Link ProAudio Ltd ● Oxford ● UK          www.sound-link.co.uk