My ambition is to faithfully capture the vibrance and immediacy of Australian contemporary music in the highest possible quality, and provide a simple way to deliver these recordings to listeners. For me, this means high resolution recording and multi-channel presentation. ….
.
All workflows are based around the latest Merging Technologies Pyramix Masscore system, which ensures impeccable audio quality and resolutions up to DXD (PCM 352.8kHz/ 24bit, which is 8 times CD sample rate). As well as the enhanced musicality and detail this system delivers as standard, the ability to place compact audio interfaces anywhere required and connect them to the workstation over a network (using Cat 5e cables), gives the flexibility and scalability to build a system for any situation. See the Recording pages for examples.
Stereo, standard resolution (44.1kHz for CD, 48kHz for video) remains a base requirement for most clients, but my philosophy is to record at the highest sample rate possible and with immersive (surround) delivery in mind. This approach doesn’t add to the cost, but does preserve the option of a higher than standard quality release: after all, you can’t get detail back if it’s not captured in the first place.
This also provides a benefit for standard CD delivery in that much of the extra musicality captured in a high resolution recording is retained if all mixing and mastering is done at the original resolution, and reduction to 44.1kHz, 16bit is left to the final output stage.
Client flexibility (for offline editing or additional production) is easily facilitated by means of session copies at lower resolution using standard broadcast wav files that are compatible with consumer workstations. As long as track names are not changed, the amended session can then be used to reconform the original, full resolution session for final mixing.
Expanding the number of audio channels beyond 2 (for stereo), if done with care, gives dramatically improved spatial rendering and makes music much more engaging. Immersive mixes really have to be heard to be understood, but simply put, while stereo is like listening to music through a window, immersive recordings put you in the room with the performance.
A common difficulty for those making high resolution and immersive recordings, however, is that they are not generally catered for by standard delivery platforms. To overcome this obstacle an online delivery enterprise called Mir Creation has been set up designed to provide added value to whatever standard release options a client has in place. Again, there is no extra client cost to work up separate immersive mixes, and all parties share any proceeds from sales through the site.
Mir Creation is designed to be a cooperative enterprise allowing all parties involved in making quality recordings to deliver them to listeners and share in the returns. One of music making’s greatest rewards is the joy of collaboration, and in this instance artists, recording producers and listeners are all considered stakeholders.