Sep 1, 2004 12:00 PM

HOLOPHONE H2-PRO UPGRADE

The Holophone (www.holophone.com) H2-PRO multichannel surround microphone is now equipped with DPA 4060 omnidirectional mic capsules. Housed in a tough 7.5×5.7-inch, egg-shaped body, the mic has inset condenser capsules (5.1, plus top and center rear) to capture discrete sources in 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1. The feeds terminate in standard XLRs for connection to your mixer, preamps or recorder.

AMS NEVE DFC GEMINI/CINEFILE

AMS Neve (www.ams-neve.com) has paired its speed-supercharged DFC Gemini^™ digital film console with the CineFile^™ dubber, combining the mixing/recording/editing process into a single integrated solution. The board's innovative WavTrak^™ display of audio track data provides the user with level and dynamics metering, graphical EQ curve and audio waveform information on each channel for a track-by-track graphical display of CineFile data. Additionally, events can be nudged backward/forward in time from the DFC surface, offering users a very tactile feel when slipping tracks. StarNet^™ Networking, unique intelligent cue storage, seamless integration with FX libraries, IP networking to studio infrastructure, facility-wide automated backup/restore, multimachine control and Encore automation complete the package.

SOUND IDEAS CARTOON EXPRESS

The latest effects library from Sound Ideas (www.sound-ideas.com), Cartoon Express offers 5,646 effects on 10 CDs packed with 1,000 cartoon sound clips and accents, including some 500 comedy one-liners (male and female) and 205 selections of unsavory body noises. It also includes several octaves of cartoon/comedy sounds from dozens of musical and percussion instruments, with 3,700 trills, plucks, wobbles, twangs, bends, scratches, honks, animal sounds, toots, zips, boings, snaps and hits, not to mention instruments that talk and laugh. As a bonus, the $795 set comes with a DVD version of the CD content in Broadcast .WAV format imbedded with metadata for quick searches via various PC/Mac applications.

VIRTUAL KATY

Designed for sound editors by a top sound editor, Virtual Katy (www.virtualkaty.com) gives Pro Tools or Fairlight users the power to creatively deal with constant updates during a production. This Mac (OS X or 9.1+) or Windows XP software features simple comparisons between previous and current edit versions; “VK Change List EDL” for auto-conform resynching of PT sessions; auto-list updates/logging/archiving; and batch importing. Virtual Katy is offered in both Premium and Lite versions and works with existing editing technologies, such as the Avid Cut List, OMFs and Pro Tools 5.1.1 and up, including Version 6.0 or higher.

AVID AVOPTION|V10

Now shipping for Windows XP users (a Mac OS X version is in the works), Avid's (www.avid.com) AVoption|V10 video interface for Pro Tools|HD combines the company's DNA video hardware with custom capture and conform software for fast, efficient interchange with the complete family of Avid editors. Via a standard FireWire connection, the AVoption|V10 hardware supports Pro Tools playback of all Avid-created video media, including all JFIF (up to 1:1) and AVR resolutions, DV25 and DV50, multicam, interlaced and 24P/25P progressive scan. The Media Station|V10 software included with AVoption|V10 was designed specifically for the needs of the Pro Tools user, offering automated capture/conform of audio and video with full machine control, EDL import/opening of existing Avid sequences and complete control of the entire AAF/OMF export process. Also, audio from Pro Tools can be imported into Media Station|V10 to verify audio sync with the original video, lay back audio/video to tape or export digital movies for review/mastering/Web distribution.

NIGHTINGALE VOICE DROPS

Nightingale Music Productions (www.nightingalemusic.com) has released Voice Drops, volume four in its Voice Box series of production elements and sound effects created by the human voice. The $129 collection includes an audio CD and a CD-ROM in .WAV format with more than 750 voice bytes, including vocal Foley (sneezes, burps, laughs, screams, etc.), kids, insults and telephone/radio voices, as well as hundreds of all-occasion sentences ranging from insults to greetings and announcements to conversational snippets and (cleared) famous lines from feature films.