Euphonix Unveils New Enhancements for System 5 Digital Music Console and R-1 Digital Multitrack

R-1 Digital Multitrack Recorder (Click for a close-up)

R-1 Digital Multitrack Recorder with NEC MultiSync LCD Screen (Click for a close-up)

System 5 Digital Music Console (Click for a close-up)

At the 109th Audio Engineering Society Convention Euphonix will spotlight newly developed V2.0 Software for the System 5 High Performance Digital Audio Console, plus V3.0 Software for the R-1 Digital Multitrack Recorder. System 5 V2.0 offers fail-safe and self-diagnostics, multi-format channels, expansion of the integrated PatchNet, plus a number of features developed specifically for the music recording, post-production and broadcast industries.

System 5 Digital Consoles are now in use at a number of leading studios, post facilities and broadcast organizations around the world, including The Hit Factory, Front Page Recorders, Emerald/Masterfonics, Rasheed Wallaces Direct Hit Studios, Skywalker Sound, Echo Beach, WWF Entertainment, KOMO-TV, KTVT-HD/CBS-11, KCET-TV, Cool Beans Digital and Intersound. Systems have also ordered by Sony Music, Japan, Vidfilm International, Chicago Recording Company, Hans Zimmers Media Ventures, and producer Max Martins new studio in Stockholm.

"We are committed to responding to the needs of the international music and post industry by releasing regular updates that provide major functional enhancements for our target markets," offers company president, Piers Plaskitt. "With these new software releases, we have added a number of features that our music and post clients have been asking for." Designed to handle a wide cross section of applications, System 5 is targeted towards music recording, post-production, and on-air broadcast customers that require greater than 100 channel paths of full digital signal processing. More than 40 System 5 Digital Consoles "The Three-in-One Solution" have now been ordered.

Major new features of System 5 Version 2.0 software include:

• Multi-format Channels Stereo, LCR, LCRS, 5.1, 7.1 and others that allow an operator to control more than one channel at a time from a single on-surface channel strip. Stereo channels can implement MS (Middle-Side) mic techniques. Stereo channels can also instantly recover from a loss of one side with a single key press.
• Expansion of System 5's Integrated PatchNet I/O Router to accommodate 672 by 672 sources and destinations at a sampling rate of 48 kHz (336 by 336 at 96 kHz).
• A fully featured Fail Safe and Diagnostics System that provides hot-swappable redundant processing modules and cards that will automatically take over in the event of a DSP or control failure. Failed cards may be hot swapped without having to reboot the system.
• On-Screen Diagnostics that constantly report GOOD/FAIL status of all system components, and provide confidence checks as well as troubleshooting.
• Backstop PFL (pre-fader listen) switching on all console faders.
• Industry Standard R-1 Digital Multitrack
• From its inception, the R-1 Digital Multitrack was designed to combine the user familiarity of tape-based multitracks, with the creative editing capabilities and enhanced speed of operation offered by random-access, disk-based technology. R-1 provides up to 48 tracks of 24/bit/96 kHz sampling for DVD-Audio production and Digital Television.

Version 3.0 enhancements include:

• Display enhancements, including Waveform Display and Name of Sound File shown on track sheet. Also added: user adjustable decay rate for metering; cross fade time always visible on screen displays Navigation Bar; and several new Zoom features.
• Enhanced File Transfer, which allows 24-bit/96 kHz files to be directly transferred to a DVD Authoring System in multichannel WAV format. Sound Files can now be captured from either the R-1 Directory system, or directly off the displayed track sheet, then exported to a standard computer OS as WAV data. The R-1 can also import any WAV file for placement in any Title.
• Increased Storage Space, with a maximum drive size that has been increased to 100 GB to accommodate long continuous recordings. R-1 still supports up to two drives per Deck and up to four Decks per system; using a pair of 18 GB drives per Deck, an R-1 will record a 3.5-hour show without breaks (at 24-bit/48 kHz).
• Editing enhancements, with clip-based selection/editing along with waveform display, make the R-1's powerful editing tools easier to use. Visual feedback of waveforms dramatically speeds up edit operations. It is now possible to "wire frame" select using the trackball, and to type or scroll parameters of a Clip with tight precision.
• Advancing the Transport, including support of "Reel Trim" from the remote, allows the Spin Knob to fly through material visually but inaudibly while searching for gaps or downbeats in the waveform display. On the Multitrack display panel, Reel Trim, Jog and Shuttle are now supported under trackball control.
• Bars and Beats with automatic click-track generation has been added to the R-1's extensive Title Time modes.
• "With Version 3.0, the R-1 begins the process of feature refinement based on considerable user feedback," says Mark Doenges, Products Marketing Manager. "As the first Multitrack digital recorder to support 24-bit/96 kHz recording, the R-1 is the system of choice for professional 48-track studios. With each subsequent software release, Euphonix continues to improve the R-1s usability and interoperability."