Introduction - Making Waves with Light and Sound
I retired from my day job on Halloween, 2005.
I had worked for the State of Ohio department of MR/DD for 27+ years and it was time for a change. I've been an AV/Media Specialist, a Systems Analyst, and lastly, a Network Administrator.
But what I really love to do, is Theatre. In fact, one of the major reasons to retire (plus, I got a buy-out ) was that the job was getting in the way of family and theatre.
So, it was time. I guess.
But what has started this blog is something new that I've tackled to learn - As my brief bio from Working (the musical based on the book by Studs Terkel) talks about, I've been an audio editor since the days of splicing tape, an EdiTall editing block and reel to reel tape.
In the 70's, I also learned to edit video tape with control track editors....crude to say the least.
I had been using reel-to-reel tape for quite some time (since 1968) to run spot sound for shows - spot sound is 1 sound at a time - most sound effects such as doorbells and phone rings were done live.
But in 1997, I ran reel to reel for the last time in a production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The machine was dying and I had to find a better way. That better way, was a ShortCut editor by 360 systems and made it possible to do much more than was possible with tape. I used the ShortCut for a few years and then moved up to a software product called SFX ProAudio from Stage Research in Cleveland, Ohio. Now we could have up to 8 stereo pairs running at the same time as well as MIDI controlled relays for bells, flash pots and all manner of devices.
But something was lacking. In the late 90's, I had heard about a device that was a software controlled matrix mixer called an AudioBox produced by Richmond Sound Design of Canada. Charlie Richmond, the founder, was/and still is very active on a number of sound and theatre lists that I subscribe to - and it was Charlie who, in the late 90's suggested that I demo an AudioBox.
Well, let's get real.
If I had demo'd the box and liked it (which I knew I would), I'd have felt obligated to buy it. And I just couldn't afford it. I'd have had to personally purchased it as the community theatre I volunteer with just wouldn't have been able to afford it at all!
So, I've made do with SFX (not a bad product, really) and the ShortCut (good product here too) and just lusted after an AB1616....
Fast Forward to June 2005 - The AB64 is now out and has been for about a year. I see where a used AB1616 is going for $2,000 USD and I think - nice retirement present!
So I ask Charlie (isn't e-mail great!) if an AB1616 would be available and, if so, could I purchase on a lease/purchase plan. Long story short, yes, there is one available (Purdue University just upgraded to an AB64 and so I purchased their AB1616 in July) and yes, he would do a lease/purchase arrangement.
Cool!
Next part will detail some of the learning curve issues as well as some of the benefits of running sound with ANY AudioBox, but specifically an AB1616.
I had worked for the State of Ohio department of MR/DD for 27+ years and it was time for a change. I've been an AV/Media Specialist, a Systems Analyst, and lastly, a Network Administrator.
But what I really love to do, is Theatre. In fact, one of the major reasons to retire (plus, I got a buy-out ) was that the job was getting in the way of family and theatre.
So, it was time. I guess.
But what has started this blog is something new that I've tackled to learn - As my brief bio from Working (the musical based on the book by Studs Terkel) talks about, I've been an audio editor since the days of splicing tape, an EdiTall editing block and reel to reel tape.
In the 70's, I also learned to edit video tape with control track editors....crude to say the least.
I had been using reel-to-reel tape for quite some time (since 1968) to run spot sound for shows - spot sound is 1 sound at a time - most sound effects such as doorbells and phone rings were done live.
But in 1997, I ran reel to reel for the last time in a production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The machine was dying and I had to find a better way. That better way, was a ShortCut editor by 360 systems and made it possible to do much more than was possible with tape. I used the ShortCut for a few years and then moved up to a software product called SFX ProAudio from Stage Research in Cleveland, Ohio. Now we could have up to 8 stereo pairs running at the same time as well as MIDI controlled relays for bells, flash pots and all manner of devices.
But something was lacking. In the late 90's, I had heard about a device that was a software controlled matrix mixer called an AudioBox produced by Richmond Sound Design of Canada. Charlie Richmond, the founder, was/and still is very active on a number of sound and theatre lists that I subscribe to - and it was Charlie who, in the late 90's suggested that I demo an AudioBox.
Well, let's get real.
If I had demo'd the box and liked it (which I knew I would), I'd have felt obligated to buy it. And I just couldn't afford it. I'd have had to personally purchased it as the community theatre I volunteer with just wouldn't have been able to afford it at all!
So, I've made do with SFX (not a bad product, really) and the ShortCut (good product here too) and just lusted after an AB1616....
Fast Forward to June 2005 - The AB64 is now out and has been for about a year. I see where a used AB1616 is going for $2,000 USD and I think - nice retirement present!
So I ask Charlie (isn't e-mail great!) if an AB1616 would be available and, if so, could I purchase on a lease/purchase plan. Long story short, yes, there is one available (Purdue University just upgraded to an AB64 and so I purchased their AB1616 in July) and yes, he would do a lease/purchase arrangement.
Cool!
Next part will detail some of the learning curve issues as well as some of the benefits of running sound with ANY AudioBox, but specifically an AB1616.
posted by Carl Underwood at 12:56 PM
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