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2.

One-Inch Demand Rises
Artists and producers in the Los Angeles area are steadily notching up their demand for stereo mastering on the 1-inch analog format. In response, studios and rental companies are purchasing additional inventories of 1-inch ATR-102s from ATR Service Company (York, Pa.).
"We’ve seen a gradual building of interest, month by month," said Gary Ladinsky, president of the Design FX rental company. "We bought one machine and then ran into a situation where we were getting more calls, and that machine was already out!"
Design FX now has two of the machines working at various studios around Southern California. According to Ladinsky, recent 1-inch analog mixes using his ATRs include projects by Meat Loaf, BeBe Winans, Lee Ritenour, Blue October and System of a Down.
Extasy Recording also owns a pair the 1-inch ATRs, which either shuttle between the company’s two studios (Extasy North in North Hollywood and Extasy South in Los Angeles) or go out to other studios through the company’s 1080 rentals division.
"After the first big rush into Pro Tools, it’s coming full circle and people are getting back to putting things on tape," noted Joe James, engineer and operations manager at Extasy. "I know that when it comes to the final mix, I love to print to analog. And when people start to put these 1-inch machines into their working environment on a regular basis, we expect they will be very much in demand."
Larrabee Sound Studios is banking on a continued upswing in 1-inch demand, having recently taken delivery on the first of three 1-inch machines ordered from ATR Service. "We just uncrated it and it looks fantastic," enthused Larrabee maintenance engineer Aaron Becker. "It has stirred up a lot of interest already. I talked to one producer who really prefers to mix to analog at 15 ips, but he doesn’t like using Dolby SR. Now, with the 3 dB lower noise on the 1-inch, he can do 15 ips without the noise reduction."
Though the 1-inch stereo format has been around for a number of years, machines from ATR Service seem to have cornered the lion’s share of the emerging wide-track market. Design FX’s Gary Ladinsky said that he relies on ATR Service’s Michael Spitz, because, when serving clientele at this level, it makes no sense to cut corners just to save a few dollars.
"Mike has the reputation of being the best rebuilder in the business," said Ladinsky. "I have a lot of confidence in what he does. That was one of the main reasons I took the plunge and bought the first machine."
Joe James at Extasy echoed the same sentiment. He remembers what the studio’s ATR-102 looked like before it went to ATR Service for acomplete overhaul and 1-inch upgrade. "When it came back, the buzz went around the shop, ‘Hey everybody, come look at this!’ It’s amazing, the quality of work he does. And it’s not just the visual appearance, but the performance as well. I can’t say enough about the quality of work he does. It’s amazing."
For more information, visit www.atrservice.com.

L.A. Studios Upgrades with Sony Digital Console
The L.A. Studios Inc. (Hollywood), parent company of the audio post-production facilities L.A. Studios, Margarita Mix Hollywood and Margarita Mix de Santa Monica, announced today that the L.A. Studios location has re-opened it's newly refurbished Studio C suite, which is designed around Sony's DMX-R100 digital console. This is the third step in their two-year plan to renovate each of its six studios.
Studio C will continue to be helmed by mixer Cameron Davis, lending his expertise to voice recordings for animated feature films, animated television series, and the recording, editing and mixing of commercial and entertainment advertising campaigns for radio and television.
L.A. Studios engineer Paul McGrath has been working with the R100 in Studio D since the spring of 2001: "I can juggle numerous projects due to the digital console's ability to save the settings for up to 10 titles," noted McGrath. "Now, with three R100s in our facility, I can seamlessly migrate from one studio to another. I also like the R100's digital router, which virtually eliminates the need for the patchbay."
Other upgrades to Studio C include an Islands International decor with dark, Indonesian wood furniture, supple leather couches and a leaf-patterned carpet. "In addition to the new digital gear and stylized creature comforts, the upgraded studios are designed to be more video-friendly than their predecessors," stated L.A. Studios general manager Jane Curry.
In other L.A. Studios new, Jimmy Hite, chief engineer at Margarita Mix de Santa Monica facility, was named this year's "Best Audio Engineer" recipient at the 23rd annual Telly Awards for his audio post work on "Cat Herders." The humorous spot, mixed for EDS Business Solutions, spoofed cowboys articulating the hardship and the adventure of corralling, not cattle, but cats. Hite's past honors include "Los Angeles Mixer of the Year," presented by The Association of Music Producers in May of 2001.
Hite is a 20-year veteran in the audio post industry. His experience in live radio, television, commercial mixing and motion picture promotions has made him one of the most respected and sought after mixers an the L.A. Studios proprietary sound library, The Sound Effects Network. Hite is constantly working on some of the most high-profile projects in advertising and entertainment, including spots that ran during the 2002 Super Bowl, the Oscars and the 2002 Winter Olympic Games for clients like Chevy, Home Depot and E-Trade, to name a few.
"It is always an honor to be appreciated by one's peers," remarked Hite. "Audio mixing is often an overlooked component in this business. However, with technologies like 5.1 and 7.1 surround on the rise, my craft has become more crucial than ever."
For more, visit www.lastudios.com.