Friend of the blog and mix master Gary Lux (Sting, Janet Jackson, Usher and more) sat down with RSPE to talk about why he like the new Avid S6.
Check out our exclusive Avid S6 microsite in association with our friends at RSPE Audio.
Friend of the blog and mix master Gary Lux (Sting, Janet Jackson, Usher and more) sat down with RSPE to talk about why he like the new Avid S6.
Check out our exclusive Avid S6 microsite in association with our friends at RSPE Audio.
Our friends at RSPE have produced this time lapse video showing the installation of an Avid S6 control surface into “This Is Sound Design” As soon as it was finished Nathan Ruyle started mixing two independent films.
This is Sound Design have placed an order for a new
. This is Sound Design have been waiting for a control surface that offers the customization, programmable software integration and forward thinking modular design and feel that the Avid S6 is that console.
According to Nathan Ruyle, the choice of the
revolved around his style of working “Having developed a design-centered approach to feature film sound post, we needed a console that adapts to our custom workflows and the specific needs of each project, allowing a fluid relationship between our design concepts through the final mix. In the past we have often had to make the choice between limiting projects to working within our mix templates or holding off the mix phase as long as possible, spending hours reorganizing sessions to be mixable on the Icon control surface. We are excited that the S6 can evolve creatively with us and bring the design process into the mix stage. We are looking forward to finally putting down the mouse and getting into the mix!”
Nathan has been working with the Avid D-Control and D-Command over the last 5 years or so and the transition to the new surface was in many ways logical but more importantly, in Nathan’s words “the S6 feels like the first console made for me and the way that I want to work”.
This is Sound Design is a boutique sound design and post-production studio, with facilities in Los Angeles and New York, founded by Nathan Ruyle in 2008. TiSD has a reputation for unique technical and aesthetic approaches to sound, working with filmmakers, digital media creators, and artists. Past projects include the critically acclaimed Sundance feature films This is Martin Bonner and It Felt Like Love, online campaigns for ELLE Magazine, Banana Republic, and Benefit Cosmetics, and the multimedia spectacle ABACUS. Listen for sound by TiSD in 2014 at Sundance, the Bam Next Wave Festival and the Whitney Biennial.
For a short video with Nathan Ruyle of This is Sound Design, and more detailed information about the Avid S6, visit the
HHB Communications Ltd. and Scrub, its Soho-based subsidiary specialising in serving the post production industry, began taking orders for the new Avid S6 control surface at a special preview event held at the Union Club in Soho, London.
Avid’s new modular control surface has been extremely well received since its launch at IBC 2013 and now has a shipping date of mid-December. Customers of HHB and Scrub were given in-depth, private demos of the S6’s ground-breaking features by Avid Audio Solutions Specialists Dave Tyler and Simon Sherbourne.
Combining the best of Avid’s ICON and System 5 families in a revolutionary new modular design, S6 provides extensive visual feedback, deep Pro Tools control with superior ergonomics and allows up to eight DAWs to be connected simultaneously. An integrated central touchscreen offers quick access to tracks, plugins, panning and more.
The S6 system offers the option of choosing a pre-configured S6 M10 or S6 M40 control surface, or an S6 M40 custom configured with different channel control combinations based on the needs of the user.
HHB and Scrub’s customers were very impressed with the enhancements introduced by the S6. Goldcrest Post Production Technical Manager Campbell Pratt comments:
“It was great to get an advance preview of the Avid S6 console with the HHB and Scrub team. As you would expect from Avid, it looks great and there are a lot of excellent features that have passed from both their old ICON and System 5 MC consoles. It won’t be long before you see one of these installed in a Goldcrest theatre.”
Envy Post Sound Designer Arge adds:
“After recently viewing the S6 for the first time myself and my colleagues at Envy were extremely impressed at the advancements that have been made since the previous ICON desk. We are also particularly impressed by Scrub and the time and attention they take to make sure all your questions are fully answered. Based on this and their previous excellent service we would not hesitate to continue using them for any future purchases, in particular that of the S6.”
Scrub Head of Sales Ben Scully explains:
“The feedback from our customers about the S6 has been resoundingly positive. We were very pleased to be chosen as the first UK Avid Reseller to show our customers the enhanced power, speed and functionality of the S6 system first hand. The modularity of S6 means that these powerful features can be paired off into a system that is tailor made for each customer, with the option to expand as their needs develop.”
Scrub will soon have a demo console in its office on 80 Berwick Street in Soho, London, where Scrub and HHB Sales Team and Technical Engineers will provide hands-on demos of the revolutionary S6 control surface. It is expected that Avid will start shipping the S6 in Mid December.
The Digital Jungle is a self described “Oasis of Tranquility” located in the heart of Hollywood, California.
There are 2 things that are evident when you arrive at this post production facility: One, you have definitely arrived at an oasis of tranquility and, Two, there is A LOT of activity!
Besides the services offered in audio post production, Dennis Ho and company offer all important phases of post including audio post, voice over, color correction, screening, 3D stereoscopic services, editorial, graphics, conversions, image restoration and production offices.
A lot of thought has gone into the overhaul of their audio post room with the help of long time studio builder, Grant Headley and studio equipment provider, RSPE Audio Solutions (Universal City, Ca.) including new JBL 7.1 monitoring, acoustics, furniture, layout and gear. The gear is where it gets exciting!
After comprehensive discussions and a variety of renderings to consider operator placement and workflow, Digital Jungle has settled on the configuration illustrated below that will allow 2 operators to control their new Avid HDX systems.
The design was created to allow for easy “1 man operator” scenarios but would also allow a second operator to sit comfortably and concentrate on dialog and effects when required.
Room completion and delivery of their new S6 is scheduled for late December, stay tuned for photos as soon as the room is complete and the S6 is delivered!
For detailed information about the
, visit
created by our friends at RSPE.
Avid have another webinar coming up, this time for the new S6. They write;
The growing size and complexity of mixes shows no sign of slowing down—making ergonomics more important than ever. S6 combines the best of proven tactile interfaces with next-generation touchscreen technology and deep visual feedback for the most intuitive, high-efficiency operation.
Mix faster and easier with proven and trusted tactile controls and next-generation touchscreen technology
Access, control, manipulate, and navigate multiple aspects of your mix through the ‘heads-up display’ master touchscreen
Work quickly using intelligently designed controls and an intuitive layout
Register for the webinar now to learn how S6 can increase your productivity.
We’ve teamed up with our friends at RSPE to bring you this exclusive video of first impressions of the new Avid S6 console from some top engineers and producers including Grammy winning mixer Mick Guzuaski.
For more info and expert advice on the new S6 console in the USA contact RSPE here
We are going to partnering with our friends at RSPE to bring up to date information about the Avid S6 console. They will be bringing news and their specialist team will be helping us to answer questions that the community may have. So if you have questions then send them in or leave them in the comments.
If you missed the S6 at AES then Don Polus was on the spot as the new Avid S6 was debuted at AES NY. He says “For the first 2 days, you had to push past the pack of people that crowded around the S6. The oLED knobs combined with the touch panels on the center section will revolutionize the mixing interface”.
Even some of the die-hard ICON owner-operators were truly impressed once they were walked through the features. The S6 area of the booth was as busy as any Avid booth has ever been. We spotted both home and commercial studio clients as well as a couple of universities frothing over the blazing lights that lit the Avid booth up like a small city.
When speaking to a group of faculty from one West Coast University, it was evident that one of them had lost control of the motor functions in their lower jaw, probably due to the excitement generated from the S6 (also known as the ‘gone gaga’ effect).
In the meantime, check out the rendering of the actual configuration at the top (click on the image to enlarge) of a pre-ordered for Lotus Post in Santa Monica, Ca. A lot of consideration had gone into the S6 that is destined to land at Lotus, we measure 20 feet wide! Their workflow has been an ongoing evolution for years (and over 100 projects). This is the brainchild spawned by Lotus partners Michael Perricone, David Marcus and Avid/Euphonix guru, Richard McKernan.
If you live in LA then give them a call to get an early peek at the Avid System 6. Call Sonya or Thomas at RSPE Audio to book your preview. You can get an in depth ‘walk through’ in early November right here in Los Angeles! Call 855-832-1032 to reserve your spot, space is VERY limited.
If you are in the UK and Europe then contact our friends at HHB Scrub or Medispec.
An update from Avid with pricing for the new Avid S6 consoles.
Avid S6 will be available at Avid resellers worldwide in Q4 2013. As a modular system, S6 is available at a variety of prices, with M10 configurations starting at $21,995 and M40 configurations starting at $43,480.
Discuss.
Perhaps best described as the ‘mother of all control surfaces’ Avid announce the S6 modular mixing console, which although available in pre-configured options, has almost limitless configurations. In their own words Avid have ‘leveraged the best of the ICON and System 5 product families in a revolutionary new modular design’.
The new Avid S6 is built around 2 core frames, the S6 M40 allowing for up to 41 modules and the smaller S6 M10 allowing for up to 9 modules. The larger S6 M40 is aimed at high-end professionals and facilities that need great scalability and customization with the smaller S6 M10 aimed at smaller- to mid-size facilities, such as producers.
Having read through the concept and specs in detail and seeing the almost limitless potential of the modular design, this is kind of ‘build-a-bear’ for the audio professional, although granted it may not be as cute and somewhat more costly, the S6 is far more sexy and impressive.
Master modules are the central hubs of your S6 surface. All surfaces must include a main engine, which provides touchscreen access and control; you have a choice between two—S6 M40 or S6 M10. The S6 Automation Module complements both, providing controls for transport, automation, and more. Here’s a closer look at these modules. Both feature a tilting 12.1-inch multipoint touchscreen, eight adjacent rotary encoders, and dedicated knobs and keys for monitoring and global control, enabling you to view, access, and edit different aspects of your mix—such as tracks, processing, and metering—without mousing through menus.
Compatibility
S6 works with the following EUCON-enabled applications and can also work with them simultaneously, enabling control of DAWs like Pro Tools, Cubase and Logic in a single session.
Avid Pro Tools HD 9/10
Avid Studio Monitor Pro and Express
Avid XMON
Adobe Audition
Apogee Maestro 1.9
Apple Final Cut Pro 7
Apple Logic Pro 9 and Express 9 and higher
Apple SoundTrack Pro 3
Cakewalk Sonar X1 Producer
MAGIX Sequoia 11 or higher
Merging Pyramix 8
Metric Halo MIO Console
MOTU Digital Performer 7
Steinberg Cubase 6.5
Steinberg Nuendo 5.5
Configurations
The following pre-configured S6 surfaces are available to handle most music and post workflows. You can customize any S6 by adding a Producer’s Desk, or customize the surface further with different channel module combinations by choosing an M40 configuration.
M40-based S6 configurations
With 16 faders, 5 knobs per channel, and TFT displays (S6 M40-16-5-D)
With 24 faders, 5 knobs per channel, and TFT displays (S6 M40-24-5-D)
With 32 faders, 5 knobs per channel, and TFT displays (S6 M40-32-5-D)
With 16 faders, 9 knobs per channel, and TFT displays (S6 M40-16-9-D)
With 24 faders, 9 knobs per channel, and TFT displays (S6 M40-24-9-D)
With 32 faders, 9 knobs per channel, and TFT displays (S6 M40-32-9-D)
M10-based S6 configurations
With 8 faders, 5 knobs per channel (S6 M10-8-5)
With 16 faders, 5 knobs per channel (S6 M10-16-5)
With 24 faders, 5 knobs per channel (S6 M10-24-5)