|
PRODUCT REVIEWS |
(No part of this online publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means - other than for the purposes of immediate viewing - without the express written consent of the publisher or author) |
|
OCTAGON |
 |
|
LEN DAVIES
gets to grips with digital control of an analogue master- the new Octagon console from D&R. |
Over the years, I've learned to accept and embrace the advances that digital technology has offered us, but as many other engineers, I prefer the sound that analogue consoles provide when mixing the majority music, TV, and film projects. Many companies have tried over the years to combine technologies into a hybrid that will be accepted by all, some successfully, some not so, but Dutch company D&R appear to have succeeded beautifully with their latest flagship: the Octagon. |
|
Who Are D&R? |
Considering they have a successful 27 year history, D&R are not as well known in the big console industry as you would think. Formed in March 1973 by Duco de Rijk and Ronnie Goene (the 'D&R' in person), the company soon developed a reputation for fine analogue consoles in both sound reinforcement and recording, which continued through the years with diversification into radio consoles In 1996 the first step into film and TV was made when the 'Cinemix' was born, which was primarily a six-output console aimed at all markets requiring multiple outputs in addition to stereo, The feedback from clients on Cinemix led to design alterations that eventually gave birth to the Octagon. |
|
Description |
The Octagon is an analogue console enhanced by control features that literally make it as flexible as digital consoles. Naturally there is no instant recall as with digital desks, but its recall capability is certainly faster than other analogue consoles I've experienced, and makes resetting a session very intuitive.
The console comes in two frame sizes, the 60-channel and the 84-channel, although custom frame sizes can be ordered, but you have to bear in mind that it doesn't ship in sections, but as a complete unit and does away with the old motherboard concept by utilizing almost exclusively multipin ribbon connections. This not only cuts down cost, but, I would have thought, ultimately makes for better, dust-free connections, leading to more stability during operation. The input modules available are dual line and dual stereo which, along with the control and master sections, the Stems matrix switcher, and the comprehensive bantam patch bay can be configured pretty much as the buyer decides, even to the extent of having 19-inch rackmount units built into the frame.
The majority of connections are made on the rear panel with XLR connectors for the two sets of nearfields and SMPTE connectors, 25-pin D connectors for the main monitors, external meters, Encoder and Decoder inserts (more later), comms interface, second colour monitor and three spares, and nine-pin connectors for RS 422 control, touch-pad, color monitor, and a spare. A phones socket, red light relay connector, keyboard connector, MIDI in, out, and thru, three listen microphone inputs, and the various power connections to the external power supply units complete the interface to the outside world. The channel MIC XLR connectors are actually housed in the base of the chassis itself.
The layout of the metering is configurable to the customers' needs, with 37-segment LED bars being the standard for channel displays, switchable between input, tape, and group, and eight VUs in the master section which show Left, Left 2, Centre, Right 2, Right, Surround Left, Sub-Woofer and Surround Right. Left 2 and Right 2 implementation occurs during certain aspects of Dolby encoding so is not needed all the time. A peak indicating horizontal solo LED and a phasemeter also feature here below the VUs.
The input modules have almost identical signal paths, and both inputs feature long-throw motorized faders (Alps as standard, but Penny and Giles are optional). Both sections have four-band parametric EQ with the lower section also having high and low filters on a dual concentric rotary control. Starting from the top of the channel we find the Phantom power switch, below which is the mic/line switch that engages separate balanced circuits for each input. The mic input is 2kOhm with a maximum gain of 84dB and maximum input of +12dBu, while the line inputs are 10kOhm balanced +4dBu with a +/-2OdB. A dual concentric gain control allows adjustment of the mic/line signal (the top part of the channel) on the upper path, and the tape return (the lower part of the channel) on the lower path.
The four-band parametric EQs are all dual concentric design with the hi mids and Lo mids having separate Q controls with factors adjustable from 0.5 to 1.5. All of the bands have a boost or cut of 16dB, the HF being a variable frequency shelving type, sweepable from 4kHz to 20kHz, the HMF frequency ranges from 600Hz to 15kHz with separate gain control, the LMF frequency ranges from 40Hz to 1kHz with separate gain control, and the LF is a variable frequency shelving type sweepable from 10Hz to 500Hz. The shelving curve can be switched into a bell curve and an EQ on/of switch is fitted.
There are 12 auxiliaries that are assignable to either the upper or lower path as dictated in the control module, and these are assignable to 16 busses. The auxiliary mute buttons here are fully controllable via the automation, as are the master auxiliary mutes, Below this section is the upper fader that features, the pan control, as well as channel insert switch, phase reverse, automation controls, Dynamics active LED (if fitted), group routing indicator, the select button to assign the channel for control functions, and the mute button.
Moving into the lower layer, we find the second EQ section, the LCRS panpots, with the smaller defining front to rear position, and the larger defining left-center-right, depending on the configuration chosen in the master section, which is displayed on LEDs to the left of the panpot. The fader below this is basically a duplicate of the upper layer with all of the associated control buttons. |
|
The Control Module |
Here where the fun really begins. So much thought has gone into the design of this console that a minimum of button pushing is required to configure the console into almost any condition. Noticeably absent from the channel strips are the normal routing buttons, the reason being that the digital control of the console allows each channel's status to be dictated by the master routing matrix found at the top of the section along with the mode selections of Mono, Stereo, LCRS or 5.1 Surround.
The module select rotary control mid-way on the master section allows selection of the channel(s) to be routed, along with the selection button found or) the channel itself, and, as with any digital console, the con figurations can be assigned at the touch of a button.
Here too we find the input selections of Input, Tape, or Group selections for upper and lower sections of the channel, Auxiliary selections that allow them to apply to upper or lower sections, pre or post fader, and routing to a possible 16 busses. Upper and lower layers of the channel can also be routed into specific spaces such as LR, Center, Surround, Sub Woofer, L2R2, the routing, or either of the two joysticks that are fitted on the master section, and can program true 360-degree movement that can be recorded by the automation to any channel or group of channels. It's possible to set up four groups of any amount of channels using the four black faders in this section that aren't automation record able, however the subsequent movement caused by the individual connected faders is, when the associated channels are put into any of the 'write' modes.
One of the strengths of this system is in its macro operations, as it is possible to configure the most complex operations as a simple macro that can be assigned to one of the macro buttons on the console. These can be stored as set-ups and can be engineer-specific, allowing multiple operators the freedom to dictate their working method on one console. The simplicity of cut and paste operations can also apply here across single or multiple operations, making the whole recording process that much more effective by avoiding repetition. |
|
The Master Section |
As mentioned earlier, this can be positioned practically anywhere in the frame, although it's generally in the middle, and houses a recessed color monitor for the PowerVCA automation, to the left of which is the oscillator section that provides not only the normal 1OkHz, 1kHz, and 100Hz line up tones, but also pink noise, all of which can be routed to the master, groups, the Joystick auxiliary for testing surround set-ups, or externally via the patch bay. Below the monitor is a QWERTY keyboard for general command and file input, and below that is the section that introduces some revolutionary new thought into Surround mixing.
A lot of the conventions here were originated on D&R's Cinemix console, and were improved upon for the Octagon, but it must be noted that the Octagon is designed as a music console and not just for film/TV mixing, which is why a lot of the design allows flexibility of monitoring and mastering. Within the multiple choices of master control and monitoring are two insert buttons, one of which is a general insert allowing an external processor to sit on the mix and the second one applies specifically to surround encoding, allowing the appropriate encoder to be permanently hard-patched and switched in when needed, causing no problems should the bulk of the projects undertaken be mainly stereo. In the row below that, the same train of thought applies, as it is vital to be listening to the decoded signal in order to accurately monitor surround sound mixes, therefore two control room insert points allow selection of hard-patched decoders, which allows both 4.1 and a 5.1 processors to be on-line at the touch of a switch.
Standard Master section conventions have also been given the creative touch leading to the following facilities: a) Eight two-track feeds that also cleverly double as stereo routing in that switching from one to the other simply by pressing down the two relevant buttons allows stereo recording and dubbing to take place without external patching. b) Three listen microphones that allow full communication individually or collectively. c) The choice of monitoring from two-track, the stereo bus or Auxiliaries 1-2 or 3-4 for two separate studio locations allowing comprehensive headphone mixes to be established. d) The solo control section, which allows the selection of AFL, or solo in place, with momentary action or interlocking choices. The large control room level rotary knob ranges from 0dB down to -75dB in 0.5dB steps before it mutes completely, and it's possible to connect two sets of nearfield monitors, whose level is controlled by a separate rotary control. |
| PowerVCA Mixer Automation |
The PowerVCA software was designed specifically for use with D&R consoles and requires an external Pentium 2 PC with at least 233MHz and 32MB internal memory. Due to the fact that the software uses its own video card to interface with the console's computer screen, it's possible to power the normal PC monitor from the standard outlet to allow a second screen for producers, assistant engineers etc: who may have an interest in seeing the mix operation.
Once powered up, the screen shows four main sections: the menu bar across the top, the timecode bar below that to the left, the status bar to the right of that, and the actual mix window displaying the faders, mutes, and status indicators for each channel. As with most automation systems it provides the options of Isolation (no automation used), Read (playback recorded data only), Autotakeover (reads recorded mutes-and records fader information when the fader is touched), Write (overwrites both mute and fader data) and Trim (records mutes but generally offsets the already recorded fader moves by selected dBs). It's naturally possible to save multiple versions of mixes that tie in to the general project recall information. Practically all faders and soft switches are automated, and it's possible to trim fader automation off-line as well
The cursor was controlled by a built-in trackball on earlier versions that seems to have been replaced by a touchpad on the more recent ones. The recall system uses the LEDS to the left of the panpot as a nulling control that goes out when the control is in the correct position which, along with several interesting variations for multiple operators on horizontal resetting, allows for a very fast recall indeed, taking literally a few minutes. |
| In Use |
Not having been able to actually run a session behind this console, I can only comment on the few tests that I was able to run In the relatively short time available. My initial reaction was that of familiarity, as nothing seemed bulky or unwieldy which can sometimes happen with large-frame consoles, and when I sat behind it I felt immediately at home and could see the benefits of the ergonomic design employed in the general layout. I had the feeling that after a very short time I would be working the console like a pro. I fed a CD through a couple of channels to test EQ and the digital channel control and receive my first surprise: the EQ response was one or smoothest I've ever heard.
With very little applied, a sweep through the frequencies achieve very smooth audible results with the top end being bright without being harsh, and the low mids providing warmth while effectively remove clutter. More and more manufacturers are looking to higher frequency responses to cover the perceived sub-harmonics that can sometimes be severely lacking in recorded work, and D&R are no exception, boasting a frequency response from 1OHz to an amazing 100kHz, and while it’s naturally impossible to detect that upper limit with human ears, I can only assume that the warmth and non-fragility of the high end that I felt could be attributed to this fact.
Within minutes I was operating the digital control section as if I'd known it for years, and I feel it's not impossible for any competent engineer to walk in to a session fresh an comfortable in next to no time- Having heard that several of the major studios through Europe had already bought their own Octagons I very quickly accepted the invitation to visit Sri Barcelona to see one in action. |
| Bit A Beat Studios, Barcelona |
Bit A Beat Studios in Barcelona has been running for two years and has quickly established itself as being in the forefront of the Spanish music scene. Among its list of clients are such prestigious names as Jose Carreras, Maria Del Mar Bonet, Pat Macdonald and literally a Who's Who of Catalan and Spanish Classical, Jazz, and contemporary musicians.
The studio was built Within an empty shell and the recording area (130 square meters) is the "livest" I've ever felt as it's been built with the experience of the founders with regards to live orchestral acoustics, and enables musicians to feel the same sort of "vibe" that they would on a live stage, without the restrictions of headphones To add to this rather unusual feel are some triangular divider units, designed by the studio that have glass on one side, wood on the other and an absorbent material on the third, allowing for any combination of acoustic needs. It’s obviously easier to deaden an area than to liven it up, and after hearing some of the recordings I can attest to the fact that it adds a pleasant color to natural acoustic instruments.
With a second digital audio post production studio downstairs based on Pro Tools, large recreational facilities and even a parking bay large enough for a broadcast truck, the guys seem to have thought of everything that their branch of the audio world could need. I spoke to one of the directors, Ferran Conangla, about their decision to purchase an Octagon: ''One of the major factors in choosing the Octagon was the fact that we currently don't work in surround, but some of our clients said that when they return sometime in the future they will want surround capability, and we are talking about artists of the caliber of Jose Carreras and productions of this size.
"Also, the capability to change from project to project so easily was a major feature, as we work a lot with orchestras and their session needs can vary quite a lot from rock bands, and when we have a variety of sessions happening through a 24 hour period it's vital to be able to recall a project quickly. The main reason however was that we heard the console and we liked it. Before we decided on the Octagon we previewed many consoles, most of them digital, and didn't like the sound as it was mostly electronic and not warm at all and therefore wouldn't suit our style of recording. "
The console had only been installed about five weeks prior to my visit, but Ferran was obviously happy with the choice " It's so friendly to use, and even though there are, areas of it that I haven't used yet, such as full surround capability, it's so logical that I know I won't have any problems when I need to use them.
"The D&R people have thought carefully over every aspect of the design and put in some revolutionary yet simple, ideas. For example, on the two-track return buttons, when you press two together, it's possible to make a copy from one to the other without any patching required. How many times in a day would you be patching sources in order to master and make copies? And now you only have to press two buttons. The flexibility of the console is very important for us, and the fact that we can now expand our capabilities to meet the needs of our market will make the future a little more secure. |
| Conclusion |
I'm not going to even attempt to hide the fact that I'm very excited by this console. Sitting behind it gives you the same buzz as other large consoles and definitely comparable quality. While only having two fans in the main frame, it doesn't seem to generate as much heat as others, and is as user-friendly as you would wish, bearing in mind that it is a relatively new concept on an old tried and trusted favorite. I would like to have seen a solid, hardware-based compressor across the output busses, which would naturally have increased the price somewhat, but there again, it's nice to have the choice of which units you purchase to provide this function, as no two engineers will ever agree on system choice
The Octagon is being sold worldwide, and a flagship console is one to be proud of. It's a major step to try and capture a market that is ever expanding, and I feel it deserves an equal place alongside the established greats |
| INFORMATION |
|
|
PRICE BOX |
|