RSS + SONAR in full live recording mode

An RSS M-400 48-channel digital console, complete with Digital Snake, and Cakewalk Sonar and REAC software, has been used to record a live album for seriously up-and-coming indie rockers The Joy Formidable.

Backstage at north London’s famous Garage venue, Roland Systems Group technical wizards Martin Thomas and Simon Kenning had good reason to admire the super-compact footprint of the RSS M-400 digital console, which enabled them to fit an entire live recording set-up as well as two engineers and a three-piece band into a 10’x 8’ dressing room!



The RSS technology maintained a low profile in the club.  The use of a single S-4000 Digital Snake stage box meant that the live recording team caused less than minimal disruption to the venue and the band’s FOH engineer, yet was able to capture a live performance in 48kHz 24-bit broadcast-quality audio.  Using the S-4000 Digital Snake ‘standalone’, the system could have delivered an even more impressive 40 channels of 96kHz 24-bit audio.

RSG’s Martin Thomas calls the Cakewalk Sonar recording package “a very good capture medium, even if you ultimately want to use ProTools for post-production, although Sonar and the VS700 would be our chosen option.  In hardware terms, we brought in an M-400 console, plus Digital Snake, rack-mount PC,a laptop and an Edirol R-44 recorder, which added up to a superbly portable, highly cost-effective mobile recording rig.  The CAT5 REAC ASIO interface in fact allowed us three mixes: a clean pre-fade mix direct from stage, a post-fade mix, and a back-up.  The R-44 captured a ‘live’ stereo mix from the M-400 for reference.”



Simon Kenning points out that, with the addition of another M-400 and stagebox, the system could be used for front-of-house control, monitoring and multi-track recording.  “And you can easily fit it into the back of an estate car.  This kind of versatility, which maintains the highest standards of audio quality, means that you can make your money back very quickly if you use M-400 as part of a rental business proposition.” 

The Joy Formidable originally hails from North Wales, although lead duo Ritzy Bryan and Rhydian Dafydd, and drummer Matt Thomas, now live in London.  Although they’ve played at the Latitude, Reading and Leeds festivals this summer, the band is currently unsigned but cited as ‘one to watch’ by the music press.  The live recording from The Garage will be their second release.  350 advance orders on the night gave the team a promising start, and the recording is now in the hands of Neak Menter, a freelance producer and the band’s front-of-house engineer, for final editing in his studio.  Martin Thomas and Simon Kenning have promised not to retire on their share of the royalties.

More info:
www.rolandsg.co.uk
www.myspace.com/thejoyformidable





 

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