Grover Notting focuses on the acoustic centre at Disk-Edits
Published: ASIA
AUSTRALIA: Adelaide-based production complex Disk-Edits has completed a comprehensive upgrade and refurbishment that sees Grover Notting’s Code 102 Mastering Series monitoring system positioned at the heart of the setup in its main mastering room. The facility required an ‘accurate system’ to cater to the varied nature of productions worked on. The renewal included the acquisition of new equipment and an upgrade of all production platforms, as well as architectural and acoustic treatment and an aesthetic makeover of the dedicated mastering and mix room, as well as the recording space. The demanding requirements outlined by the production house ultimately resulted in the development of the Mastering Series.
‘During the formative period of Grover Notting, we researched and developed our techniques and technologies by prototyping then field testing, which took place in numerous regions to many and varied professional ears. On one particular occasion Disk-Edits allowed us to use their studio facilities to present our prototypes to the Adelaide audio production community,’ recalled Grover Notting lead designer, Frank Hinton. ‘During the course of this assessment Neville Clark asked the question, “why can’t someone produce a monitoring system where all information is reproduced from one source”, he said to me, “this is what I, as a mastering engineer desperately aspire to work with – namely extended bandwidth, no subs, no phase compromises, all data be it felt, heard or perceived from one baffle”.’
‘On further investigation it appeared such a system did not exist and many engineers expressed the same sentiment as Neville,’ continued Mr Hinton. ‘We initially evaluated the possibilities and it was soon evident we could most likely achieve a range of 10½ octaves from one acoustic centre, giving Neville and his fellow artisans optimum linearity. Eighteen months and several thousand hours later, the Grover Notting Mastering Series was presented to the industry.’
The resulting Grover Notting Code 102 is one of three models in the Mastering Series, featuring a triple chamber critical listening system with a frequency bandwidth of 24Hz (at the corner frequency) to 32kHz and with only two transfers. The output capability is a reportedly ‘comfortable’ 105dB at 3m. Designed for free-standing or soffit mounting, it is ideally suited to medium/large production spaces and varied disciplines, including music mastering, mixing, film mixing, postproduction and broadcast.
‘This story evolved and is loosely centred on the “Acoustic Centre”, an often misunderstood subject,’ elaborated Mr Hinton. ‘There is no hard and fast acoustic centre measurement parameter, due the varying technical criteria and intervening environmental factors. The acoustic centre of a transducer or speaker system is the origin point from where all frequencies begin, and in a speaker enclosure that deploys multiple transducers it is determined by certain design criteria, in particular the configuration of the transducers on the baffle, and the crossover point(s) of the transducer complement. Specific systems may feature other design elements that will impact on the location of the Acoustic Centre. In summary, all relevant and contributing design aspects coalesce to create a point in front of the speaker enclosure where the energy of all the individual transducers merge and radiate.’
The renewal also included acquisition of new equipment and an upgrade of all production platforms including Merging Technologies VCube Video Recorder/Player to V6 and Pyramix MassCore and Native Digital Audio Workstations to V10. A Merging Technologies Hapi I/O converter system was added to the inventory as were 64-bit compliant workstation PCs, with audio production available in all current sample rates up to DSD.
The upgrade process was completed with the selection and consequent implementation of the audio monitoring platform which features Grover Notting CR-1 and CR-2 Cross Reference monitors, Code 102s in the main mastering room and soon to be installed Code 4s in the mix room. The principal systems are driven by Grover Notting Universal and Mastering Series Power Plants.