Archive for January 26th, 2012

San Francisco, January 26, 2012: For more than 60 years, Sennheiser has stood for the highest quality audio products across all areas of sound recording, transmission and reproduction. This month, the company announces the official opening of its San Francisco- based research lab: SFTC (Technology and Innovation California). The opening ceremony was attended by more then 100 guests from the audio community in the Bay Area. The new research facility — which relocated from Palo Alto in November 2011, is focused on improving the customer experience through digital signal processing (DSP) technologies and combining this with Sennheiser’s world-renowned expertise in electro-acoustics and wireless transmission.

As a research hub for Sennheiser, whose slogan is “The Future Made Right Here,” SFTC creates knowledge in selected areas of DSP and facilitates knowledge transfer to Sennheiser’s product teams around the world. Many of these ideas and technologies are then adopted and integrated into Sennheiser’s consumer, professional or installed sound divisions.

“The Sennheiser culture has always been rooted in innovation and exploring what may be possible in the future,” commented Daniel Sennheiser, president strategy and finance, Sennheiser. “Our new facility in San Francisco leverages an extensive ecosystem of talents that includes not only our own visionary thinkers and researchers, but world renowned academic institutions and corporations. In this environment, our engineers are free to experiment and play with technology and processes that may eventually find its way into various consumer, pro and installed sound applications.”

“Concept Tahoe”
After it finishes developing and testing a concept, Sennheiser may choose to introduce a prototype model to test its market value and gauge end-user interest.

For example, last year at the prolight+sound and NAMM trade shows, Sennheiser unveiled a project that was under development at its SFTC research laboratory: “Concept Tahoe.”

This wireless microphone prototype — which drew a lot of attention by trade show attendees — is not only able to function as a high quality, professional wireless microphone, but also as an effects and processing controller — providing an unprecedented level of creative options to DJs and performers. This functionality is facilitated by the transmission of control data to a receiver, which can control any number of effects or plug-ins in real time using the MIDI protocol. The microphone can also be transformed into a tambourine or a shaker at the press of a button. By using an accelerometer and a rotation sensor, it measures how quickly it is moving and at what angle in space it is currently located. This prototype was demonstrated during the SFTC opening event, and showcased by beatboxer entertainers Butterscotch and Eklips.

“By moving the location of the SFTC to the Bay Area, our team — and by extension the entire Sennheiser organization — is able to leverage our proximity to the technology industry’s leading innovators, product designers and thought leaders. These include other multi-national companies as well as a unique network of start-ups and highly regarded institutions such as UC Berkeley and Stanford University,” commented Veronique Larcher, director of research, North America, for Sennheiser. “At SFTC, our researchers have access to an enormous pool of talent and imagination; risk taking and the cross-fertilization of ideas is strongly encouraged.”

Sennheiser launched its SFTC in 2006 and since then, its research and development work have been manifested in Sennheiser’s groundbreaking products — including the IS-ADN conference system.

 

Parsons’ Interactive Installation, Online Website + Video Initiative  Raises Awareness Of Design’s Impact On Our Lives

 

Minneapolis, MN: CRASH+SUES was called upon by mono to bring its fresh aesthetic to the editing, color correction and graphics for SoundAffects, Parsons The New School for Design’s multi-platform exploration of the relationship between music, design and technology. Conceived by mono, a Minneapolis-based advertising agency known for its forward-thinking creative solutions, the physical installation, online experiment and media content are driven by Parsons’ mission to raise people’s awareness of design’s relevance and impact on their lives.

 

The first phase of the experiment began with the installation of an interactive wall on New York’s Fifth Avenue. The structure housed a series of monitors and a complex network of sensors, each assigned a specific sound and color, enabling it to cull data about elements in its environment – from traffic and people to weather and movement – and then musically visualize them to show their correlation to sound and color. Pedestrians could plug earphones into jacks in the wall and listen to how their surroundings were influencing the music. CRASH+SUES collaborated with mono on the crafting of visually captivating and thought-provoking media content designed to break down the complex premise behind the experiment and present Parson’s unique perspective on how they interpret design’s role in the world. (“http://soundaffectsnyc.com/#making). Featured on the SoundAffects website, the creative communications tool delivers an elegantly simple message in a way that engages and intrigues everyday people.

 

CRASH+SUES’ editor Carrie Shanahan cut the piece on Final Cut Pro, marrying footage of the installation wall with images of cityscapes, traffic and people moving to the pulse of lights and the rhythm of the music they generate – along with by-passers who stop to put on headphones and plug into the wall and share their thoughts about it. The video opens with the voiceover posing a simple question: What if, instead of just looking at the world, we also listened?

 

It goes on to explain the premise behind the project: We listened to the light,the temperature, the connective, the movement, the noise and the colors of a city block in New York. We built a wall on Fifth Avenue that housed sensors, which allowed us to gather inputs that created a musical composition that responded directly to the environment around them. In addition to the music, we created a ‘visualizer’ that interpreted the sensor data and let us see our environment from a new point of view. Then we watched and we listened.

 

Shanahan began the editorial process by roughing out the visuals to fit with the story as it unfolded, incorporating text as needed and drawing from multiple sources to create sound design tailored to the imagery. Working with over two-dozen tracks of video concurrently, as well as intricately layered video, the potentially overwhelming story was woven into a tapestry of dynamic visuals driven by the script’s clear message.

 

“Editorial decisions had to be well thought out in order to ensure that we captured the essence of the journey, and used interviews, text and audio most effectively,” says Shanahan. “I cut a number of different versions and we experimented with many incarnations until we found just the right balance. What’s amazing is mono’s ability to communicate the essence of this complex experiment about a seemingly abstract hypothesis with a simply engaging story – without getting technical or heady,” says Shanahan.

 

“They’re artists at CRASH+SUES, and we always love working with them,” said Tracy Tabery-Weller, mono producer. “Carrie is a smart editor who dives in and can digest parts into a cohesive story. She helped us take a heady technological experiment and tell it so simply that even my grandmother could understand it.”
“I love getting the opportunity to dig into heavy sound design, and this was a project that was begging for it,” said Shanahan. “The SoundAffects website had a timeline spanning days of audio data from which to draw; I layered that with ambient city sounds collected in the doc footage. I wanted the experience of viewing the video’s content to echo the experience of being on a city street, at times cluttered and cacophonous, then cresting into stillness and calm.”

 

SUE, CRASH+SUES’ senior colorist utilized the Digital Vision Nucoda Film Master’s features to create an urban color pallet and a consistent feel for footage from multiple sources.

 

“We weren’t trying to create a “look” on this project – just something natural while also reflecting what was happening with the audio and sound effects,” said SUE. “ I was able to help out some of the darker scenes by opening them up and applying noise reduction.”

 

“This project was a welcome opportunity to collaborate with the pioneering creatives over at mono,” added Shanahan. “It’s the type of work that I love – extending beyond just a spot to a cutting-edge experiential ‘happening. In a sense, the experiment itself was like an edit session – writ large – an invitation to the public to take a moment for reflection on how what they’re seeing relates to what they’re hearing,” adds Carrie Shanahan. “The relationship between moving pictures and sound, which is what drew me into editing in the first place.”
mono creative co-chair Travis Olson noted, “CRASH+SUES was great at combining a really diverse set of assets including audio, digital and film into a great story. It was a complex project with lots of components and C+S helped craft a simple story about Parsons that they can now use to help define who they are and how they approach design’s role in this world.”

 

Parsons, a pioneer in art and design education, initially approached mono after seeing the internationally acclaimed ‘Real Good Experiment,’ which its team conceived and orchestrated for the furniture designer and manufacturer, Blu Dot (http://www.bludot.com/bonus-tracks-dir/rge.) Both projects showcase the agency’s signature talent for translating complex concepts into straightforward yet unconventional messages.

 

SoundAffects was conceived by mono and engineered by Tellart in collaboration with Parsons and The New School’s communications and external affairs team.

 

About CRASH+SUES:
CRASH+SUES is a seamlessly integrated creative editorial, animation, FX, motion design, color correction, finishing and multi-media company. Its collaborative team of talent is dedicated to providing advertising agencies, brands and filmmakers with fresh, innovate and cost-effective creative content. For additional information about CRASH+SUES, contact executive producer Sven Shelgren at 612.338.7947 or visit www.crashandsues.com.

 

About mono: mono is a creative branding agency that believes in the power of simplicity. Founded in 2004 by Michael Hart, Chris Lange and Jim Scott, today mono creates inventive, idea-centric communications that earned them Agency of the Year in 2010 from both Advertising Age and the 4A’s. mono works with some of the nation’s leading brands including Apple, MSNBC, Harvard Business School, Prairie Organic Vodka, Revel Stoke Whiskey, Blu Dot, Angie’s Kettle Corn, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. Check out more of their work at www.mono-1.com.

 

CREDITS:
CLIENT: Parsons The New School for Design
TITLE: SoundAffects
2 ½ minute concept video

 

AD AGENCY: mono/MN

 

EDITORIAL COMPANY: CRASH+SUES/MN
Executive Producer: Sven Shelgren
Editor: Carrie Shanahan (Final Cut Pro)
Assistant Editor: Matthew Kroese

 

POST | FX | ANIMATION: CRASH+SUES
Executive Producer: Sven Shelgren
Colorist: SUE (Digital Vision Nucoda Film Master)
Online Editor: Ryan Wheeler (Autodesk Smoke Mac Autodesk Maya)
Flame Artist: Adam Celt (Autodesk Flame)

Mothership director David Rosenbaum teamed with OgilvyWest to tell a simple story about a complex concept in a “Robotarm” for Cisco that broke during the NFC Championship broadcast on January 22. Despite a four-week timeline, the all-CG spot delivers film caliber computer animation that is entirely photo-real.


The commercial depicts a cheerfully aware group of self-sustaining automotive assembly robots as a metaphor for Cisco Intelligent Networks that can fix and diagnose themselves. Nine unique robots star in the spot, all designed to emulate the look of classic factory machinery enhanced with distinct characteristics. Synchronized to Gary Numan’s “Cars,” the robots drill, rivet, screw, weld and hand body parts off to one another. The set was entirely built in CG, based on reference photography from modern automotive plants.


Rosenbaum collaborated closely with OgilvyWest co-chief creative officers James Dawson-Hollis and Bill Wright to approach the spot as if it were a live action shoot. Instead of shooting with cameras on set, they worked alongside Digital Domain’s previs team to frame up shots and work out compositions with rough animations.


“From the beginning we knew we wanted to use a factory metaphor to tell the story of complex computer systems that can diagnose and fix themselves,” said Rosenbaum. “Together with the OgilvyWest team we took that idea to a new place—doing away with a traditional assembly line, creating robots with distinct personalities and bringing them closer together so they could interact. In the end I think we were able to humanize the technology and make it more understandable.”


“The nature of the schedule forced us to work in an unorthodox way on this project,” added VFX supervisor Aladino Debert, also a Mothership director. “Doing look development and modeling while simultaneously animating, lighting and compositing, relied heavily on the technical and artistic prowess of our seasoned team and ability to turn around photoreal rendering very quickly.”


About Mothership
Hybrid commercial production company Mothership creates advertising, branded content, and entertainment for screens of all sizes. A sister company to Digital Domain, Mothership represents top global creative talent and enables them with all of the resources and expertise of the world-class, Academy-honored studio. Mothership creates the content, strategies and campaigns that take ideas from concept through completion, to roll out brand experiences across multiple media platforms. http://www.mothership.net


About Digital Domain
Digital production company Digital Domain was founded in 1993. The company has created visuals for more than 80 movies, including Titanic, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and TRON: Legacy and hundreds of commercials. Its artists have earned multiple Academy Awards®. Digital Domain recently completed visual effects for Thor, Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Real Steel and is in production on Jack the Giant Killer, 47 Ronin and a full slate of commercials. Digital Domain is headquartered in Venice, California with studios in Vancouver, San Francisco and Florida. http://www.digitaldomain.com


CREDITS


Credits for: CISCO “ROBOTARM”


Directed by: David Rosenbaum


Client: CISCO


Agency: OgilvyWest


Chief Creative Officers: James Dawson-Hollis, Bill Wright
Associate Creative Directors: Jeff Heath, Dennis Lee
Agency Producer: Eric Rasco
Agency President: Heather MacPherson
Account Director: Efren Gonzalez
Account Management Supervisor: Sarah Tabbush


Production, Animation, Editorial & Visual Effects by: DIGITAL DOMAIN


Ed Ulbrich: President, Commercial Division; Executive Vice President
Tanya Cohen: Executive Producer
Scott Gemmell: Head of Production
Aladino Debert: Visual Effects Supervisor
Lee Carlton: CG Supervisor
William Lemmon: Producer
Alex Michael: Coordinator
Fred Fouquet: Editor
Colin Woods: Editor
Brian Creasey: Generalist, Previs Artist
Tim Jones: Generalist
Trisha Mcnamara: Generalist
Val Sinlao: Generalist
Anthony Ramirez: Generalist
Rick Thomas: Animator
Stephan Brezinsky: Animator
Ruel Smith: Animator
Tom St. Amand: Animator
Adrian Dimond: Technical Director
Derek Crosby: Technical Director
Tom Briggs: FX Artist
Adrian Graham: FX Artist
Cody Williams: Motion Graphics Artist
Jeff Heusser: Nuke Compositor, Flame Artist
Scott Hale: Nuke Compositor
Niles Heckman: Nuke Compositor, Previs Artist
Sven Dreesbach: Nuke Compositor


Music:
Composition: Gary Numan “Cars”
Re-record: kinseywhitehouse


Sound Design: Henryboy
Sound Designer: Bill Chesley
Producer: Kate Gibson


Mix:
Rohan Young, Lime Studios

Vaddio announces new enhancements to the ProductionVIEW HD MV all-in-one camera control console with multiviewer capabilities, digital inputs/outputs, HD, RGBHV and SD video mixing, transitions, lower screen graphics and automated control functionality.

New Multi-View Input Screens allow the user to select between screen layouts that display four, five or six inputs. When set up with four or five preview windows, the preset video thumbnails become larger on the bottom of the screen. In addition, the Preview and Program windows can be swapped on the multiviewer output. With Vaddio’s TeleTouch touch screen monitors, all live video feeds can be selected and up to 12 video thumbnail presets can be created, recalled and stored by simply touching the monitor. The thumbnails are a snapshot of what the camera preset shot looks like, to make storing and recalling presets even easier. Simply touch a thumbnail and the camera will pan, tilt and zoom to that position. The Cut, Wipe and Fade buttons illuminate on the multiviewer display, giving a visual indication of which effect is active.
An additional capability of the system is Dual Bus Multiview output. “A big request from our integrators was to add greater flexibility in allowing them to configure the system output options,” explained President of Vaddio, Rob Sheeley. “As a result of this feedback we now allow the system to be configured in several different ways including a Preview/Program mode, a Split Bus mode, where the system can be configured as two independent 1 x 6 switchers, and a third discreet multiviewer output for control and display.”

All inputs are autosensing for video resolution, control and camera type. Video inputs include five analog HD YPbPr video, RGBHV, SD (Y/C and CVBS) and a single DVI-I input on channel six that allows for multiple formats (DVI-D, YPbPr, RGBHV and HDMI) with 36 additional input resolutions. The Program and Preview outputs have both analog (YPbPr, RGBHV, Y/C and CVBS) and digital (DVI-D or HDMI) outputs. HD resolutions up to 1080/60p are supported.   

An additional capability of the system is Dual Bus Multiview output. This allows the user to switch the Preview and Program buses as discrete outputs – with one output going to an IMAG Projector and the other going to a recording device. The control surface includes a broadcast-style 3-axis Hall Effect Joystick with twist-handle zoom control and separate Pan, Tilt and Speed control knobs. Get an all-in-one camera control console with video mixing, built-in multiviewer and broadcast-quality effects.

This firmware upgrade is available at no charge for any customer who currently owns a ProductionVIEW HD MV. Contact Vaddio Tech Support at +1 (763) 971-4400 for assistance in loading the new firmware.

The ProductionVIEW HD-SDI MV is an all-in-one camera control console with HD-SDI/SDI video switching/mixing, a built-in multiviewer, lower screen graphics and automated control functionality.

“Our new Multi-View touch screen control panel layout options allow our integrators the ability to match their screen layout to the number of camera or computer input sources that they have connected to the system,” explained President of Vaddio, Rob Sheeley. “This way they can maximize the potential screen size available for previewing their live video feeds and not see unused multi-viewer input windows. The ProductionVIEW MV series of production switchers combines the best of Vaddio’s PTZ camera control technology with best-of-class digital SDI switching technology. Now with an integrated multiviewer functionality that includes touch screen control, we can’t think of a better customer experience than allowing the end user to visually control input sources, camera presets, and system control – all by just touching the screen.”

Vaddio’s TeleTouch multiviewer touch screen monitors allow switching of all live video feeds, and up to 12 video thumbnail presets can be created, recalled and stored by simply touching the monitor. The thumbnails are a snapshot of what the camera preset shot looks like, to make storing and recalling presets even easier. By touching a thumbnail, the camera will pan, tilt and zoom to that position.

An additional capability of the system is Dual Bus Multiview output. This allows the user to switch between Preview and Program as discrete outputs – with one going to an IMAG Projector and the other going to a recording device. You now have three options for configuring the system: Preview/Program mode, Dual Bus mode and a third discreet multiviewer output for control and display.

All inputs are autosensing for video resolution, control and camera type. Video inputs include five HD-SDI/SDI (480i to 1080p) inputs on BNC connectors and a single DVI-I input on channel six that allows for multiple formats (DVI-D, YPbPr, RGBHV and HDMI) with 36 additional input resolutions. The outputs have been enhanced to include both HD-SDI and HDMI outputs – a distinct advantage when choosing a set of inexpensive preview and program monitors or using Vaddio TeleTouch touch screen monitors.

The control surface includes a broadcast-style 3-axis Hall Effect Joystick with twist-handle zoom control and separate Pan, Tilt and Speed control knobs. Because ProductionVIEW HD-SDI MV is a live broadcast production console, not a computer, the entire system produces only one frame of delay – a critical requirement for live production where IMAG is used. 

Burbank, CA … Mojave Audio, a company founded by David Royer (known for his work with ribbon microphones) is pleased to announce the introduction of the Mojave Audio MA-301fet Condenser Microphone. Based upon the popular MA-201fet designed by David Royer, the new MA-301fet adds features that industry professionals have asked for, including a 3-position pickup pattern selector, a 15 dB pad, and a switchable bass roll-off. This exceptional new microphone is ideal for numerous applications, among them: vocals, voice over and broadcast, electric guitar, piano, acoustic instruments, both drum overheads and room mics (drum ambience), and high SPL sources such as kick drums and bass guitar amps. more

CHICAGO—Partner and editor Brian Sepanik of The Colonie has completed a Special K spot with Leo Burnett Chicago just in time for the new year.

Scales focuses on the Special K Challenge and stresses the tagline, “What Will You Gain When You Lose?” With the ultimate goal of changing the conversation on weight loss, Scales aims to inspire women to participate by using visuals of women celebrating after seeing their results on the scale. The spot opens with shots of individual pairs of feet nervously preparing to step onto their respective scales before hesitantly doing so. As the numbers waver on the scale, they settle on, not a number, but positive, uplifting words such as “joy.” “drive,” “pride” and “laughter.”T he faces of the women then appear for the first time as they excitedly rejoice after receiving inspiration.

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Mura HDCP compliance opens the door to AV professionals seeking to bring copy protected content to video walls

Montreal, Canada, January 26, 2012 — Matrox Graphics Inc. today announced that the Matrox® Mura™ MPX Series video wall controller boards are HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) compliant, simplifying the work for AV Integrators seeking to enable copy protected content across Mura-driven video walls. Mura input/output boards facilitate HDCP interoperability by capturing high definition video signals from up to four HDCP sources and displaying the content on up to four HDCP-enabled displays. A video wall controller with up to six boards can support up to twenty-four inputs that are scaled, positioned and manipulated across twenty-four outputs. Designed for high-performance video walls, Mura MPX Series is suitable for a wide range of applications including corporate boardrooms, auditoriums, large venue events, digital signage, and mission-critical environments.

HDCP is an encrypted protocol used between video sources and video receivers to prevent unauthorized access to protected content. The world’s first HDCP-compliant input/output video wall controller board, Mura MPX Series captures protected video content coming from digital cable or satellite set-top boxes, video streamers and Blu-ray Disc™ players, and then transmits it to HDCP-compliant monitors, projectors, cubes or other capture devices.

Built on PCI Express x16 Gen2 technology, each Mura board leverages 64 Gbit/sec duplex data transfer to ensure Full HD performance of multiple copy protected content sources across a video wall that is controlled and managed either using a third party, Mura-compatible wall management software, or Matrox software like the easy-to-use, free-to-download Matrox MuraControl app for iPad for intuitive manipulation of input sources.

“Guaranteeing interoperability when integrating and installing a high definition multimedia system is a challenging task for AV professionals. Adding HDCP support enables AV integrators with more options and flexibility when bringing HDCP content to video walls,” said Helgi Sigurdsson, Product Manager, Matrox Graphics Inc. “With an HDCP compliant card that uniquely integrates four HD graphics outputs and four HD video capture channels, building a video wall processor has never been easier.”

Availability
The new Matrox Mura MPX Series 2.01 driver supporting HDCP will be available on the Matrox driver download web page in March 2012.

About Matrox Graphics Inc.
Matrox Graphics is a leading manufacturer of graphics solutions for professional markets. In-house design expertise, top-to-bottom manufacturing, and dedicated customer support make our solutions the premier choice in industries that require stable, high-reliability products. Founded in 1976, Matrox is a privately held company headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with representation and offices in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

For more information, visit www.matrox.com/graphics or contact Matrox Graphics at graphics@matrox.com.

Portable Device Provides Dual Thunderbolt Ports and Complete Video/Audio Capture and Playback





Grass Valley, CA (January 25, 2012)— The new Io XT Thunderbolt-enabled professional video I/O device is now shipping from AJA Video Systems. As the only Thunderbolt-enabled video I/O device on the market with dual Thunderbolt ports, Io XT opens up a host of new workflow capabilities to video professionals.


Io XT connects to a Thunderbolt-enabled Apple computer via a single cable. An additional Thunderbolt port is provided, enabling users to daisy-chain Io XT to other Thunderbolt peripherals including high bandwidth storage and high resolution displays through a single interface; simplifying the connection of multiple devices.


The highly portable device supports capture and playback of 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 HD and SD formats and can unify disparate formats via its 10-bit realtime Up/Down/Cross conversion capability. Io XT also provides compatibility with the most popular NLE programs, the newest codecs, video formats, stereoscopic 3D workflows, and more.


Key features include:
• Dual Thunderbolt ports
• Two 3G/HD/SD-SDI inputs and outputs
• Single link SDI 4:2:2 support, single and dual-link SDI 4:4:4 support
• HDMI input and output (including support for 3D)
• Analog HD/SD component and composite output, 10-bit
• Video Up, Down, and Cross conversion (hardware-based, 10-bit)
• 8-channel embedded SDI audio I/O
• 8-channel balanced analog audio output (using an optional DB-25 type cable)
• Uncompressed I/O allows capture, monitoring and mastering to Apple ProRes, DVCProHD, CineForm, Avid DNxHD and more
• Front panel LED VU meters
• Headphone output w/level control
• Reference In/LTC In (selectable)
• LTC output
• RS-422
• 4-pin XLR Power (AC adapter included)
• AJA Technical Support and International Warranty included


Io XT is available through AJA’s global network of resellers at a US MSRP of $1495. For a complete set of features and technical specifications, please visit www.aja.com.


About AJA Video Systems, Inc.
Since 1993, AJA Video has been a leading manufacturer of high-quality and cost-effective digital video interface, conversion and Desktop solutions supporting the professional broadcast and post- production markets. With headquarters in Grass Valley, California, AJA maintains an extensive sales channel of dealers and systems integrators around the world. For further information, please see our website www.aja.com.

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