{"id":47574,"date":"2022-12-24T10:19:47","date_gmt":"2022-12-24T10:19:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/?p=47574"},"modified":"2022-12-24T10:19:50","modified_gmt":"2022-12-24T10:19:50","slug":"mixing-sound-live-to-cinema-the-mixbus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/2022\/12\/24\/mixing-sound-live-to-cinema-the-mixbus\/","title":{"rendered":"Mixing sound for Live to Cinema with The Mixbus (RME, Ferrofish, Appsys)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100vw; margin: 10px 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/The-MixBus-Collage-Synthax-Audio-UK-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"The Mixbus collage\">\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3>We chat to outside broadcast specialists \u2018The MixBus\u2019 (Conrad Fletcher and Chris Kalcov) about mixing sound for Live to Cinema in London.<\/h3>\n<p>&#8216;Live to Cinema&#8217; is the process of broadcasting live theatre productions directly to local cinemas around the world. Shown in over 65 countries (and to an audience of around 11 million people), National Theatre Live allows audiences across the world to experience the best plays that London and the UK has to offer &#8211; all from the comfort of a local cinema, and at a quality to rival the best seat in the house!<\/p>\n<p>High-quality sound is of course a top priority, requiring a team of experienced professionals to ensure the audio is always up to scratch.<\/p>\n<p>One such specialist is Conrad Fletcher. A sound supervisor with over 40 years in the industry, Conrad kindly allowed us on-board his OB Truck \u2018The MixBus\u2019, and &#8211; along with Sound Guarantee Chris Kalcov &#8211; treated us to a behind-the-scenes look at his main outside broadcast truck, which includes Synthax-supplied hardware from RME, Ferrofish and Appsys ProAudio.<\/p>\n<p>A huge thanks to Conrad and Chris for providing us with many talking points for this interview, including some great insights into the recording of the numerous high-profile, internationally televised events the pair have worked on for the BBC.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; justify-content: center;\">\n<div>\n<h4 class=\"youtube-header\" style=\"text-align: center;\">Mixing Live to Cinema with Conrad Fletcher <br \/>and Chris Kalcov (RME Audio, Ferrofish, Appsys)<\/h4>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Studio Masters: Greg Penny\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lIoKZdXzDgg\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">See more videos at <a title=\"Subscribe to the SynthaxTV YouTube channel\" href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/subscription_center?add_user=synthaxtv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Synthax TV<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-47580\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Inside-The-MixBus-OB-Truck.jpg\" alt=\"The control room and mixing console inside the Mixbus\" width=\"488\" height=\"325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Inside-The-MixBus-OB-Truck.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Inside-The-MixBus-OB-Truck-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Inside-The-MixBus-OB-Truck-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Inside-The-MixBus-OB-Truck-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 488px) 100vw, 488px\" \/>Conrad Fletcher&#8217;s Company SounDesign<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cSounDesign was set up originally for audio consultancy,\u201d Conrad says of his company SounDesign. \u201cI used to design studios and do studio treatment alongside broadcast work, although the Mixbus has kind of taken over now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have two trucks, the Mixbus and the Auxbus. The Mixbus is the big one which we\u2019re in right now, and the Auxbus is a 3.5 ton version that offers the same technical facilities in a smaller footprint, for working in places like central London.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a large-format 5.1 sound recording vehicle,\u201d continues Sound Guarantee Chris Kalcov. \u201cIt\u2019s built primarily around National Theatre Live, but it also does other live broadcasts from time to time \u2013 everything from music festivals, stadium concerts, live theatre, operas, ballets \u2013 it\u2019s geared up to do anything where a sound facility is required for television.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe specialise in Live to Cinema,\u201d continues Conrad. \u201cBut we also do music events, where we sub-hire the truck to the BBC, ITV etc. It\u2019s done things like Later with Jools Holland &#8211; Tudor Davies mixes that, he likes the environment. We\u2019ve also been doing the Michael Macintyre Show, where we&#8217;ll pull up outside one of the theatres in Central London for his live show.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s pretty plush inside,\u201d adds Chris. \u201cThe idea is that if we have a music artist who the show is based around, they can come in here, where there\u2019s a sofa and coffee machine, and they can enjoy watching back their performance on the big screen. Rather than being next door in the TV truck, where there\u2019ll be a lot of shouting and fan noise. It\u2019s just a nice place to be to watch the show, and provides a really good critical listening environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m a terrible business-person,\u201d confesses Conrad. \u201cSo I like to rely on the output of what we do to sell the company. You do it for the love of it &#8211; we love to do what we do, we like to do a good job, and we like it to sound amazing ideally.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">\u201cYou do it for the love of it &#8211; we love to do what we do\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-47583\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Side-View-The-MixBus-OB-Truck-Synthax-Audio-UK.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Side-View-The-MixBus-OB-Truck-Synthax-Audio-UK.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Side-View-The-MixBus-OB-Truck-Synthax-Audio-UK-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Side-View-The-MixBus-OB-Truck-Synthax-Audio-UK-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Side-View-The-MixBus-OB-Truck-Synthax-Audio-UK-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/>On Live to cinema<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cLive to Cinema events really came about when the method of distributing films changed,\u201d Chris explains. \u201cAnd rather than a 35mm or 70mm celluloid reel going to each cinema, they started putting satellites on the roofs of the cinema to distribute the films. That of course meant that cinemas could receive things other than Hollywood films, and event cinema was born!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201c<\/strong>What we do is the broadcast mix, effectively a live film dub. That feeds into the television truck next door with the cameras, which all goes on to satellite so you can watch it in your local cinema.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe approach is similar to television,\u201d says Conrad, on the subject of mixing. \u201cThere are certain directors who come from the film world, others who come from the TV world. But the idea is that it is specifically mixed, audio and video-wise, for a cinema audience. Everything is in at least 5.1, and we spend a lot of time making the audio sound as good as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou could be sitting in a cinema in Newcastle, or Vancouver, or Sydney, and have the same experience as someone sitting in the middle of the auditorium, in the best seat in the house.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<h4>Conrad&#8217;s Thoughts On Dolby Atmos<\/h4>\n<p>\u201cThings are certainly heading towards Dolby Atmos. The problem is it\u2019s really a post-production orientated format &#8211; it\u2019s very difficult to get live productions sounding great in Atmos.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we were involved in one of the Royal Weddings for example, they wanted to put that out in Atmos. Andy Payne, the Sound Supervisor had spent a lot of time focussing the sound, so that you only pick up what you want to hear. And in that instance, Dolby Atmos will most likely degrade the mix and have a negative effect, as you&#8217;ll start to hear things like Aircraft noise from overhead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn terms of Dolby Atmos for Live to Cinema, another problem is the bandwidth needed for the signal. Rather than using AC3 which uses 640 kb\/s, Dolby Atmos uses around 6Mb\/s, which takes a significant chunk of the video resolution. So you end up hearing Atmos audio with lower quality video. For that reason we tend to stick to 5.1.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Conrad Fletcher&#8217;s route into audio engineering<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cAh, a very short story of forty years..,\u201d laughs Conrad when asked about his journey into audio engineering. \u201cI started off at the University of Southampton doing a sound and vibration course. I only lasted two years in that course, because I was more interested in the broadcast side of things. So at the end of two years I left, drove a truck for a while which I didn\u2019t really like all that much.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen I ended up in the West End at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, doing 42<sup>nd<\/sup> Street as a showman, where I quickly progressed to doing sound. I met some of the guys from Autograph Sound who showed me the ropes, and I absolutely loved it, and ended up mixing the show.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen I managed to get a job at the BBC, which was kind of luck really. I worked at Pebble Mill for twelve years doing radio, TV and film. I worked as a Boom Op for a while which I absolutely loved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe did all sorts of things including OBs. I was on a vehicle called Stereo Control Vehicle 6, which was a big 28 ton multi-track mobile. I was on and off that for ten years, thinking \u2018wow this would be great if I had something like this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI resigned from the BBC in 1996 and went freelance. I did Richard &amp; Judy for a long time, then Big Brother. I was earning good money, but really I wanted to go back to my roots \u2013 I\u2019m interested in being more creative and artistic, and so the way I thought I could do that was by building my own truck.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-47581\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Rack-Of-Gear-Inside-The-MixBus.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"266\" height=\"399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Rack-Of-Gear-Inside-The-MixBus.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Rack-Of-Gear-Inside-The-MixBus-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Rack-Of-Gear-Inside-The-MixBus-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Rack-Of-Gear-Inside-The-MixBus-768x1152.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 266px) 100vw, 266px\" \/>Inside The MixBus &#8211; Signal Flow<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cIn terms of input we have a mixture of stageboxes, Dante and MADI,\u201d Chris tells us regarding the management of audio signals. \u201cIt can be one, or several of the three. If it\u2019s Dante or MADI we usually sample rate convert to the clock that the scanner <em>(another name for the Mobile Control Room)<\/em> is using.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have a master clock which everyone on the broadcast side syncs to. The venue will usually have their own master clock for their digital equipment. We use <a title=\"Appsys Multiverter MVR64 | Synthax Audio UK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/appsys\/format-converters\/appsys-proaudio-multiverter-mvr-64\/\">Appsys Multiverters<\/a> to convert the sample rate from the source to whatever we\u2019re working in.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They\u2019re fantastic. They have bi-directional sample rate converters, so if we want to send anything back to the venue, it will arrive at their clock frequency, which makes things a lot easier.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Appsys Multiverter is a 64-channel digital audio format converter that can freely convert between a variety of digital audio formats, including Dante\/AES-67, MADI and AES-50. An optional SRC provides on-board sample rate conversion, and additional formats can be added via Appsys\u2019s range of Flexiverter extension boxes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe use Appsys Multiverters extensively because wherever we turn up, generally we\u2019re taking sources from in-house,\u201d continues Chris. \u201cWhether they\u2019re MADI optical, MADI coaxial, Dante or even AES 50, we know that if we put an Appsys Multiverter out there it can handle anything we throw at it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have stage boxes for the analogue sources, although MADI is generally preferred. Because with MADI, either it all works or it doesn\u2019t, so it\u2019s very easy to fault find. It also alleviates a slight worry I have with Dante, because sometimes we\u2019re not in control of our own sources &#8211; everything is controlled via Dante controller, which is normally set up at the front of house position. So they control whether we get anything or not, and in a live situation that could be disastrous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo the sources come into the desk, and we then go out to an RME MADI Bridge or MADI Router. They\u2019re then routed via another RME box, the <a title=\"RME MADIface XT | Synthax Audio UK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/rme\/firewire-usb\/rme-madiface-xt\/\">RME MADIface XT<\/a>, which is an absolute mainstay. It takes three MADI streams and runs them onto our macs.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">\u201cthe RME MADIface XT, which is an absolute mainstay\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cSo we\u2019ve got up to 192 tracks in triplicate with three MADIface XTs. We\u2019ve also got the <a title=\"RME HDSPe MADI FX | Synthax Audio UK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/rme\/pci-express\/rme-hdspe-madi-fx\/\">HDSPe MADI FX<\/a> which is a legacy product for us \u2013 we bought it before the MADIface XT came out. It\u2019s probably about ten years old but it\u2019s done sterling work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-47584\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/The-Mixbus-Andy-Payne-and-Conrad-Fletcher-at-The-Royal-Wedding.jpg\" alt=\"Andy Payne and Conrad Fletcher at the Royal Wedding\" width=\"607\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/The-Mixbus-Andy-Payne-and-Conrad-Fletcher-at-The-Royal-Wedding.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/The-Mixbus-Andy-Payne-and-Conrad-Fletcher-at-The-Royal-Wedding-300x148.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/The-Mixbus-Andy-Payne-and-Conrad-Fletcher-at-The-Royal-Wedding-1024x506.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/The-Mixbus-Andy-Payne-and-Conrad-Fletcher-at-The-Royal-Wedding-768x380.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 607px) 100vw, 607px\" \/>On mixing audio for state events<\/h3>\n<p>Both Conrad and Chirs have worked on many of the UK\u2019s highest-profile live TV events. The BBC is renowned worldwide for their quality and professionalism, and such events require a particular approach to the recording and mixing &#8211; Chris kindly gave us a window into this world.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m very fortunate to have worked with the BBC in the last few years, putting together televised state occasions,\u201d says Chris. \u201cEveryone has a great respect for the way we put them together. It\u2019s a very core, tight-knit team; Conrad is normally one of the sound supervisors, as is Andy Payne, one of my colleagues who I\u2019ve been training up with.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe old Mixbus was used for the wedding of Harry and Meghan for example, so all the feeds came into the vehicle with Andy Payne. That was fed to Conrad, and then sent to what\u2019s called international sound, which are program feeds that the world\u2019s media picks up on, and adds commentary to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe come along as a large outside broadcast outfit. There\u2019ll be quite a few scanners involved, as well as a number of video companies. The feeds we create have to go around the world, and are translated and cut together for news and other edits. But the very core of it is the coverage of the route, the outside coverage, and the church service.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you\u2019re approaching covering a service, especially a royal occasion, you have to be very sensitive to the way you capture it, without imposing on what is a very closed, private event. We need to portray everything as sensitively as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne aspect to be aware of is the way the cameras and sound are rigged. In terms of microphones, you need a lot of coverage, to capture all of the congregation &#8211; the choir, the organ, the speech. And it\u2019s extremely important that all the microphones are completely out of sight and unobtrusive &#8211; people should be able to attend the event and not be aware of them being there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey get suspended from the roof of the cathedral so there\u2019s never any microphone stands on the floor. Everything is completely out of the way. No one should ever have to think \u2018this sound rig is in the way\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-47582\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/RME-DirectOut-The-MixBus.jpg\" alt=\"RME and DirectOut equipment in the rack\" width=\"290\" height=\"436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/RME-DirectOut-The-MixBus.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/RME-DirectOut-The-MixBus-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/RME-DirectOut-The-MixBus-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/RME-DirectOut-The-MixBus-768x1152.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 290px) 100vw, 290px\" \/>On RME Audio<\/h3>\n<p>Both Conrad and Chris are long-time users of RME Audio, with RME&#8217;s range of interfaces and converters used extensively across the worlds of recording studios, live sound, location music recording and audio for broadcast.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI first came across RME when I bought a Fireface 800,\u201d says Conrad. \u201cIt was 1U, had good reviews. I was doing playback on TV for sound effects and a bunch of other things. I quickly realised it\u2019s actually a lot more than it appears, it was able to do so much stuff, like format conversion with multiple outputs.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Then I bought an ADI-4 DD which is a standalone format converter, so that I could convert the ADAT to AES, and it just mushroomed from there. Everything I bought seemed to just work first time, and it sounded amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m fortunate to work with quite a few of the Sound Mobile companies,\u201d says Chris. \u201cAnd in every truck you find RME equipment, and RME devices never fall over. We rely on putting entire programme feeds through MADI Routers, and incoming feeds through MADI Routers and MADI Bridges. They always just tickle on in the background. We love RME equipment &#8211; it just works, sounds good and always does the job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve got Octamics, Chris has bought some <a title=\"RME Microphone Preamps | Synthax Audio UK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/rme\/mic-preamps\/\">Micstasys<\/a>,\u201d says Conrad. \u201cWe\u2019ve got ADI-842s, ADI-632s&#8230; Basically a whole gamut of RME gear, that performs not just one function but many functions, exceptionally well. It\u2019s incredibly reliable and the sound quality is excellent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne thing we take for granted is RME\u2019s Steadyclock,\u201d says Chris of RME\u2019s digital clocking technology. \u201cThe great thing about SteadyClock is you can just plug MADI directly into a device, and it will sort out all the jitter problems, it\u2019s very forgiving.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So you can just plug a MADI feed in, optical for instance, God knows where it\u2019s come from, and it locks to it and stays locked.\u00a0 We generally like to go from RME into something else, as we know the MADI it\u2019s sending out is always high quality.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">\u201cWe love RME equipment &#8211; it just works, sounds good and always does the job.\u201d<\/h3>\n<h3>\u00a0<\/h3>\n<h3>On RME&#8217;s TotalMix FX<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-47577\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Appsys-Multiverter-The-MixBus.jpg\" alt=\"The Appsys Multiverter for bi-directional conversion between digital audio formats like MADI and Dante\" width=\"401\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Appsys-Multiverter-The-MixBus.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Appsys-Multiverter-The-MixBus-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Appsys-Multiverter-The-MixBus-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Appsys-Multiverter-The-MixBus-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px\" \/>Regular users of RME interfaces will know all about TotalMix FX, RME\u2019s powerful software controller that provides control over all inputs and outputs.<\/p>\n<p>Essentially a digital mixing console built into each RME sound card or audio interface, TotalMix FX allows for the creation of unlimited submixes, as well as the saving and loading of workspaces and individual mix states.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConrad\u2019s system is entirely RME-based,\u201d says Chris on the subject of TotalMix. \u201cWhen we\u2019re doing outside broadcasts, where there\u2019s no room or parking dispensation to place a truck or van, we\u2019ll use a De-rig system. Then the beauty of using something like the MADIface XT is that it has TotalMix, which is so incredibly powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can create feeds and generate submixes to anywhere. And in the world of broadcast, it\u2019s all about generating feeds. TotalMix can run off of a laptop, so instead of having to bring in a big digital desk, split the MADI into the desk and generate feeds from that, you can literally plug a laptop in, generate feeds in TotalMix. And then actually unplug your laptop and switch it off whilst the feeds stay cooking in the box. You store it all as pre-sets and you switch it off at the end of the day, then switch it back on the next, and everyone\u2019s feeds come good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd it\u2019s all being done inside this little device that you\u2019re primarily using as a recording device. But it\u2019s also managing all these feeds that a big DigiCo would need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m aware of at least one major artist out with a band, who actually got rid of the front of house desk, and was just using Totalmix,\u201d adds Conrad. \u201cWhich was kind of a revelation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe also had a very particular problem which TotalMix solved for us. We needed the front speakers in the MixBus to sound like the rear speakers, which required EQ&#8217;ing them in the highest possible quality. So we bought a Fireface UFX and used the ADAT output of the desk to feed into the UFX, and used the EQ in TotalMix before returning to the desk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the thing about RME, it seems to be the highest reliability and highest sound quality, which is all you can ask for really.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-47578\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Chris-Kalcov-Line-Checking-MixBus.jpg\" alt=\"Chris Kalcov line checking aboard the Mixbus\" width=\"250\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Chris-Kalcov-Line-Checking-MixBus.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Chris-Kalcov-Line-Checking-MixBus-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Chris-Kalcov-Line-Checking-MixBus-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Chris-Kalcov-Line-Checking-MixBus-768x1152.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/>On the Ferrofish A32pro Dante<\/h3>\n<p>With the Mixbus beginning to feel like a bit of a &#8216;Synthax shop on wheels&#8217;, we were pleased to find out the MixBus also uses AD\/DA converters from Ferrofish. Something of a &#8216;word of mouth&#8217; brand, Conrad and Chris said their interest was piqued by the sheer number of engineers they&#8217;d ran into who also had a Ferrofish in the rack.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of theatres have started moving over to Dante now, which makes absolute sense for the vast majority of installed shows,\u201d says Chris. \u201cIt allows programme feeds to be sent wherever they need to be in-house.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe downside is that in the world of Outside Broadcast, most trucks are still MADI-based. We\u2019re still MADI based here, so in order to interface Dante and the MADI world, we either use Appsys, or quite recently we\u2019ve been using Ferrofish, which we came across when we were doing festivals, and kept seeing these <a title=\"Ferrofish AD\/DA Converters | Synthax Audio UK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/ferrofish\/ferrofish-ad-da-converters\/\">Ferrofish A32s<\/a> as part of people\u2019s live rigs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo we\u2019re going \u2018oh you\u2019ve got a Ferrofish box \u2013 oh you\u2019ve got one as well, what are you using your&#8217;s for?\u2019 And people would say \u2018I\u2019m just doing a bit of format conversion\u2019, and all these Front of House and Monitor guys were saying \u2018yeah I\u2019ve not really paid much attention to it, it just sort of sits there working.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">&#8220;have no fear, these things are incredible&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cThey fitted the bill,\u201d says Conrad. \u201cI asked a few of my friends, said they need to be 100% reliable. And all of them, without fail, said \u2018have no fear, these things are incredible.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen we turned up here at the National Theatre, and it turns out every show we\u2019ve been working on for the last three years has run through a Ferrofish A32. It\u2019s been switched on for over three years without being rebooted! They\u2019re absolutely reliable, so we knew that was the device for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Massive thanks to Conrad Fletcher and Chris Kalcov for inviting us on-board!<\/p>\n<p>To find out more about the work offered by Conrad and his team, <a title=\"The Mixbus - Leaders in Surround Sound OB\" href=\"https:\/\/www.themixbus.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">visit the Mixbus website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"RME Audio | Synthax Audio UK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/rme\/\">See the full range of RME Audio devices<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Ferrofish | Synthax Audio UK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/ferrofish\/\">See the full range of Ferrofish devices<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Appsys ProAudio | Synthax Audio UK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/appsys\/\">See the full range of Appsys ProAudio devices<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Synthax-Logo-2019.png\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-bGlnaHRib3gtaW1hZ2UtNA==\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-16548\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Synthax-Logo-2019.png\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Synthax-Logo-2019.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Synthax-Logo-2019-300x72.png 300w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Synthax-Logo-2019-768x184.png 768w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Synthax-Logo-2019-1024x246.png 1024w\" alt=\"Synthax Audio UK - Logo - 2019\" width=\"200\" height=\"48\" \/><\/a>If you\u2019d like to know more about any of the products we supply, give us a call on <a>01727 821 870<\/a> to speak to one of our team or to arrange a demo.<\/p>\n<p>You can also <a title=\"Get in contact with Synthax Audio UK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/contact-us\/\">contact us here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>\n\np {\n  font-size: 120%;\n}\n\n.eightCol {\n  padding: 0 !important;\n}\n\n.textbox {\n  width: 48%;\n  float: right;\n  margin: 2em;\n  padding: 2em;\n  border: #a1a1a1 solid 1px; \n  border-radius: 4px;\n  box-shadow: 4px 2px 6px 2px #ccc;\n  background: #eee;\n}\n\n@media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {\n  \n  .textbox {\n    float: none;\n    width: 90%;\n    padding: 0.6em;\n  }\n\n  .youtube-header {\n    font-sze: 15px !important;\n}\n  \n}\n\n<\/style>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We chat to outside broadcast specialists \u2018The MixBus\u2019 (Conrad Fletcher and Chris Kalcov) about mixing sound for Live to Cinema in London. &#8216;Live to Cinema&#8217; is the process of broadcasting live theatre productions directly to local cinemas around the world. Shown in over 65 countries (and to an audience of around 11 million people), National&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":47646,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[4,494],"tags":[655,2091,2021,210,2090,216,213,211,2093,1332,1384,564,5,2092],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47574"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47574"}],"version-history":[{"count":109,"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47574\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53199,"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47574\/revisions\/53199"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47574"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47574"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47574"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}