Mark Midgley

Calrec Audio unveil Artemis light

2011-09-27T23:47:00.000-07:00

Calrec Audio unveiled Artemis Light at IBC 2011, the newest member of its Artemis family of Bluefin2/Hydra2 audio consoles. Artemis Light introduces a new compact processing rack dedicated to delivering DSP and routing capabilities in a 4U enclosure.

Like all Artemis consoles, Artemis Light incorporates Bluefin2 High Density Signal Processing and Hydra2 networking technologies in the same compact yet extremely powerful and scalable control surface used by Artemis Shine and Beam. Employing the same hardware and software architecture, the Artemis Light can be fully integrated with any existing Hydra2 network.

“No sacrifice has been made to quality, reliability or specification. This is a powerful, full-featured broadcast-production audio console with full redundancy, designed to be an integral part of the Bluefin2/Hydra2 family,” said Henry Goodman, Head of Sales and Marketing at Calrec. “Full compatibility with other Hydra2 networks means the Artemis Light is scalable beyond its stand-alone capabilities, providing a cost-effective platform that can be easily expanded if production environments become more demanding of resources."

The Artemis Light router has 8 x Hydra2 ports for interfacing with the extensive Hydra2 I/O range, as well as other Hydra2 routers and their I/O. The flexibility of the Hydra2 I/O range means a large amount of I/O can be connected in various formats, tailored to the specific needs of each environment.

Like the rest of the product range, Artemis light also supports point to multipoint routing, the Calrec H2O router control GUI, and third-party remote control protocols SW-P-08 and EMBER, allowing remote control of router and console functions.

The Artemis Light DSP card uses the powerful Bluefin2 architecture to provide 240 input channels that can be assigned as mono, stereo or surround paths. Up to 16 main outputs and 48 audio groups can be assigned as mono, stereo or surround from a pool of 72 busses, as well as 48 track and 24 auxiliary output busses. Combined with a comprehensive multiple-operator monitoring system, these options make it ideal for complex and demanding production environments.

As with its larger siblings, Artemis Light provides comprehensive EQ and dynamics on all paths, as well as large resources of audio delay, direct and mix-minus outputs, inserts, and more, all in a compact card size dedicated to the Artemis light DSP package.

The Black Lanterns Mini Album out now

2011-09-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

The Black Lanterns have released their debut 7 track Mini album on cd

Its now available through the website here.Twisted noise punk dirge in the vein of Prong, Killing Joke, Unsane,The Jesus Lizard Entombed and Black Sabbath

The track listing is

Victims have it Easy

Good Cop Bad Cop

Basement Tenant

Red Carpet

No for an Answer

Revenant

Selling it

Recorded and engineered in the rehearsal room,by Mark MIdgley and the band in the DIY way

Go get it here http://www.theblacklanterns.webs.com

Guild Atonement featured on Shining Crimson Horror Audiobook

2011-07-27T04:53:00.000-07:00

Guilds 'Atonement' and The Black Lanterns 'Red Carpet' have both been featured on Robert S. Wilsons Shining Crimson horror audio book you can check it out on the link above

Punk Rock '77 thru Today: The Black Lanterns New Interview

2011-06-26T12:25:00.000-07:00

Punk Rock '77 thru Today: The Black Lanterns ***New Interview***: "The Black Lanterns are another great band coming out of the UK. They have a ton of experience in other bands and they have put on some great..."

GUILD Ascension EP Disquiet review

2011-05-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

GUILD: Ascension / Atonement ep

A new review from excellent online music site Disquiet of the latest Guild release, Ascension, on Resting Bell.

RAREFIED GOTHIC DRONE POP (MP3)

It isn't a drone. The drone is there, sure, a background thing, like the surface noise of an old jazz record, or the dust in an underutilized chapel. But it's just part, maybe parcel, but certainly not the whole thing. There seems to be a voice buried in the drone: a melody, snail slow and no less determined, plugs along, plowing through the thick haze. Shoegazer drone rock. Snailgazer. It's a choral music where the score is a map of the torque of some massive structure in free space, shifting at a pace determined by a processing system overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the effort. Sparks fly, circuits short out. The sound is massive and unholy, gothic in its impact but downright rarefied in its implementation. This is "Atonement" by Guild. It's one of two tracks onAscension, the other of which takes its name from the album's title, or vice-versa.

According to the brief liner notes, both tracks are the result of a bass guitar put through its paces: "drones effected, looped and processed." Guild is a name adopted by Mark Midgley, who on his markmidgleyofficial.blogspot.comnotes the association between his slomo death pop and the work of My Bloody Valentine and, more recently, Jesu. Midgley is a member of various bands, including Falconetti, Alt, and the Black Lanterns. Album released by the netlabel restingbell.net.

GUILD Ascension EP Available now for free Download

2011-03-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

Guild's Ascension EP is now available for free download through Berlin based net label

Resting Bell

The follow up EP to Requiem features 2 tracks: Ascension / Atonement

Thanks for your support

http://www.restingbell.net/releases/rb095-ascension

The Black Lanterns new photos up

2011-02-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

The Black Lanterns played our debut show on Friday 4th February at Cookies bar, Halifax supporting Punk band Bleed, There are new photos now online here thanks to Photographer Darren Fleming.

You can also now contact The Black Lanterns directly on facebook

New GUILD EP Ascension to be released on Resting Bell netlabel March

2011-02-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

Solo Instrumental bass project,Guild is to release the brand new 2 track ep Ascension,on the Berlin netlabel,Resting Bell.

The release will be available as high quality MP3 download,at the end of March 2011 exclusively through Resting Bell.

The EP features 2 tracks:-

Ascension: the heavier of the 2 tracks referencing My Bloody Valentine or Jesu.

Atonement: comprising sequences of subtle vast drones.

As a netlabel, Resting Bell releases music in MP3 format under the creative commons license for free and has previously released music from Ian Hawgood, Jeremy Bible and Ryonkt

Thanks to Christian Roth for the release.

The Black Lanterns: New project

2010-11-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

The Black Lanterns is the new Hardcore/Punk/Garage/ project featuring members of Falconetti, Seal Team Six, Alt, Guild,Largactil,Human Wreckage and Razorback.

Six tracks from rehearsal 2/11/10 were recorded,the first of which,Revenant is now available to listen to on the myspace site at myspace.com/theblacklanternsofficial

The line up:

Scott Rogers: Vocals

Jonesy: Guitar

Mark Midgley: Bass

Matt Fortune: Drums

Add The Black Lanterns as a friend on facebook

and videos on Youtube up soon.

GUILD Requiem on WAS IST DAS Podcast 6

2010-09-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

Experimental/Krautrock home page WAS IST DAS release Podcast No.6 featuring

GUILD Requiem

Available for download or stream from PODOMATIC (includes subscription options)

stream from MIXCLOUD

GUILD - "REQUIEM" from the Requiem EP (Rural Colours)
MICE PARADE - "INBETWEEN TIMES" from the album What It Means To Be Left-Handed (Fat Cat)
COOL PIANO ROLL - "MONTENEGRO" from EP2
DAMO SUZUKI with C.I.A. - untitled live improvisation from Hebden Bridge Trades Club, July 31st 2010

top 5 from Weirdo Records
844 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge MA 02139
857-413-0154
weirdo@weirdorecords.com

1.Various artists - Chinese Rocks (Outhouse)
2.International Hello - S/T (Holy Mountain)
3.Les Rallizes Denudes - Heavier Than A Death In The Family (Phoenix)
4.Various Artists - Let's A Go Go (Silver Tortoise)
5.White Boy & The Average Rat Band - S/T

DEAD SEA APES - "SOY DIOS" - free download from here
TWINSISTERMOON - "DESERT PROHECY" from the album "And Then Fell The Ashes..." (Blackest Rainbow)
GLASS TREES - "EVE'S EVE"
CLUTTER - "YELLOW LIGHT DISCARDED" from the EP Yellow Light Discarded (Clutter Music)
BIG BLOCK 454 - "BLIND JACK OF KNARESBOROUGH" from their next album, currently a work in progress
MININOKOTO - "THAT SPIRAL ORBIT" from the album Chofu Ekoda Koenji (Plunk's Plan)

GUILD on AREW Recordings Compilation: Melodious Miscellany

2010-08-30T13:20:00.000-07:00

AREW Records release Melodious Miscellany, an experimental Compilation album for free Download.

The 16 track album features an exclusive Guild track, Magnetic Horizontal Intensity as well as

RW-020
Melodious Miscellany (various artists)
format: mp3 (free download): 320kbps
Zip File Size:152 MB

Track Listing:

GUILD - Magnetic Horizontal Intensity (4:06)
CINIK - when our internal organs reach harmonic freedom they will emerge from their fleshy prison (5:44)

Radio Salva - The Grand Believe (8:25)
Biomass - Soaracido (2:01)
Lounge Gizzard - Arcane Virtue (7:19)
Der Domestizierte Mensch - Es ist nicht so wie Du denkst (6:34)
Joris. J - A Fine Dying Day (3:21)
God Pussy - Mudanças Climáticas (4:39)
Richard Wilmer - RW0808101131 (2:43)
To-Bo - Defekte Umwelt (3:04)
Lienullnoyz - Being Followed (2:11)
cloud61 - safe (lnn remix) (2:32)

Trans Atlantic Rage - Exploring the depths of my mind for opportunities (4:58)
O.O.O. - Still Light (1.55)

o best beloved - stems in the water (RW Remix) (3:55)
Inconnu Ictu - Commemoration (7:34)

Run Time: 69 minutes approx

GUILD Requiem review on Was Ist Das

2010-08-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

Guild 3'' cdr , Requiem has been reviewed on the excellent experimental site Was ist Das

" 2 Tracks of extended mysterious its hard not to be spellbound....

if you can find wonder in the rain or in the fog or in the bleakness of the moors should be able to relate to this their sonic equivalent.

Fluid Radio also have Requiem on their site where you can download the tracks for free

Read the full review here

Fluid Radio also have Requiem available on their site where you can download the ep for free here

GUILD Release Requiem EP on Rural Colours

2010-07-31T12:53:00.000-07:00

Guild Requiem ltd. edition 3'' cdr is now available through Rural Colours .

The subscription only label release this 1 of 2 special ltd edition hand crafted package as a box set featuring other excellent 3'' cd-r's

Beginnings - waiting for the weather

Listening Mirror - .... after the briefest of pauses

Finglebone - 23

To coincide with the release of bass solo drone project Guild 3'' cdr, Requiem is now available to stream from the excellent Fluid Radio here. 2 tracks of evolving bass loops featuring Requiem and Low Mass.

Calrec audio launch new website

2010-07-31T12:35:00.000-07:00

Calrec audio has launched their new website.

The site contains all news and related links for Calrec audio

as well as this there is also a new Community site,which features various

news and views,the site has RSS feeds and Twitter providing an invaluable

window for anyone in the audio field.

GUILD Release Requiem EP on Rural Colours

2010-07-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

Rural Colours release Guild Requiem on special edition 3'' cdr format 23/7/10.

The experimental solo bass project includes 2 tracks,Requiem and Low Mass,both slow dark expanses of bass signals,processed looped layered and manipulated into 2 evolving tracks.

With artwork and layout by Jonathan Lees and Photography by Mark Midgley

this is the 4th release of the DIY label and is available 23/7/10

for only £3

ALT WHITE-OUT EP Review Compulsion Magazine

2010-06-12T01:51:00.000-07:00

New review of ALT White-out from Compulsion Online Magazine

ALT WHITE - OUT

ALT's White-out is a homespun brew of industrial,krautrock and noise rumblings.The pulsating distortion of the first track 'Long Now',picks up on old school industrial greyness.The second track 'Cold Bones' is even heavier with shuddering vibrations; its heavy low end sound so deep they shake your speakers. The tremulous throb is undelined with soft rustling rhythms, the occasional clank and chimng guitar notes, that pushes the krautrock influence into LaBradford / Stars of the Lid territory. The other two tracks on this EP are far noisier affairs. 'Whiteout' is awash with jerky bass throb,distorted rumblings and soft-swishing rhythms,while 'Mirror Phase'

is part obliterated motorif beat and part scaping tape abuse.

Each of the tracks on the White-Out was compiled from seperate tapes of guitar,bass and noise cut and pasted together. It's a distinctly DIY approach but ALT deliver an engaging musical vision to ensure these anonymous experimental minimalists are well worth checking out. White-Out EP and newer EP Pulse II are available to buy through Indmill records as high quality 320 Kbps MP3 for little over a pound each with 5% being donated to charity.For more information go to www.myspace.com/altonlne

Calrec introduces a modular version of its Hydra2 I/O unit.

2010-04-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

Calrec has introduced a modular version of its popular Hydra2 I/O unit.

This compact 3U box has 20 slots which take an array of modules, and allows the unit to be designed to a broadcaster’s exact specifications. Its modular nature enables our customers to design and build a network around their specific needs, resulting in a mix of audio interfaces with an extremely high density of connections, saving rack space and cutting costs.

Designed for studio floor and outside broadcast applications, the unit has all audio (including SDI) and control connections (Hydra2 links, GPIO, Serial) located at the front of the unit, with power cables connected at the rear.

Each of the 21 slots is 4HP, or 0.8 inches wide, with one slot being a dedicated Hydra2 interface module. The remaining 20 slots are all available for other audio interfaces. These cards can be made up of:

Mic/line inputs

Line inputs

Line outputs

AES3 inputs (unbalanced)

AES3 outputs (unbalanced)

AES3 inputs & outputs (balanced)

Dual SDI embedder

Dual SDI de-embedder

Card types can be freely mixed, and as it is a Calrec-designed piece of kit, both primary and secondary Hydra 2 links are provided as standard. In addition, two PSU modules provide redundant power, and PSU modules can be hot-swapped without interruption to operation
as can any of the interface cards.

SDI embedders and de-embedders support SD, HD and 3G SDI streams and are able to decode all four groups (16 channels) and later, as well as de-embedding 32 audio channels from 3G SDI as proposed by SMPTE.

To illustrate the density and flexibility of these boxes one such box can deal with:

40 mic/lines on XLR or

80 line inputs and 80 line outputs on DB25s or

80 unbalanced AES3 inputs or 80 unbalanced AES3 outputs on BNC, or combinations thereof or

160 balanced AES3 inputs and 160 balanced AES3 outputs on DB25 or

32 Embedders or 32 de-embedders (for 16 channel de-embedding), or combinations thereof.

As part of the Hydra2 network, each box will be able to deal with 512 bi-directional signals.

The Modular box joins Calrec’s well established range of fixed format boxes on the Hydra2 network, which provides an enormous 8192 ² synchronous router with mini-GBIC connectors allow customers to fit their own cable connectors. Hydra2’s router is a TDM-type router, capable of true 'one-to-many' routing and is truly point-to-point; any input on one router can address an output on any other. This allows for enormous networks with highly flexible topologies involving multiple routers.

ALT New track and video Heartless out now

2010-03-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

ALT have released a new track and video, Heartless. The Track, scheduled for release as a single later this year, is available now through on ALT Channel Also watch out for extra video updates for previous tracks.

This is to tie in with the new ALT Blog ,which will be updated along with this page for all up to the minute news of the band.

ALT : PULSE II EP For Exclusive Download

2010-02-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

PULSE II is the brand new 2nd EP from the Experimental drone trio, ALT. Available for exclusive download from Indmill.com as a high quality 320 kbps Download.

The EP includes 4 new sound manipulations with more electronic influences than the previous CD-R,but continuing with the the favoured guitars and overloaded tape techniques,subsequently looped on PC, which retains the organic elements of the White-out EP

Final track listing is:

Pulse II

Parsec

False Flag

Diving Bell (ALT vs Worriedaboutsatan) remix

Pre-orders for the PULSE II white label CD-R will be taken from 1st March 2010

Available from the ALT Myspace site.

ALT New track on aReW Records Compilation Indistinct Passages and Encounters

2009-11-25T13:10:00.000-08:00

ALT, Experimental drone/electronic trio,have just released new track, Pulse II, on the first free download compilation from Birmingham based label aReW Records.

To coincide with this,ALT have finalised tracks for the 2nd EP PULSE II

Including the 4th track which is a remix of worriedaboutsatan

The running order is as follows

PULSE II

PARSEC

FALSE FLAG

ALT vs WORRIEDABOUTSATAN (remix)

Scheduled for release Jan 2010

Cd-r available through the ALT myspace

Or as a high quality download from Indmill Records

ALT US and UK Mp3 distributIon by Indmill

2009-10-24T12:09:00.000-07:00

Alt have signed up a distribution deal in the UK and US, with online download label Indmill.

Initial release of the Whiteout EP,will be followed by all future Single, EP's and Album releases by the band.

Downloads are in MP3 format at 256kbps from

http://indmill.com

As Indmill put it themselves:

From the moment we had the idea for Indmill it stuck. Selling music for next to nothing and giving almost everything to the artist made perfect sense. But why wasn’t everyone else doing it?

It used to cost a lot of money to get music in the shops but, to paraphrase a famous poet, the times are a-changing. Music can now be recorded and made available for download without the expense of paying a record company, advertising agency, manufacturer, agent, manager, lawyer or retailer.

With most of these costs out of the window music is getting cheaper … but not cheap enough to persuade a generation of fans to pay to fill their iPods. Unless someone figures out how to pay artists to record music, well … they might not bother.

Contrary to current belief, there is a solution. Indmill customers pay ludicrously low prices for music they can keep and 90% (excludingVAT on EU sales) of the revenue goes straight back to the artist. We take a 10% cut (excluding VAT on EU sales), of which 5% goes to a charity nominated by the artist. The artist can, if they wish, give a cut to charity. The customer also gets the chance to donate something to charity at the checkout. Everyone gives something, everyone gets something. Everyone’s happy.

Indmill sells whole albums and singles as MP3 files (because it’s currently the most widely accepted format) encoded at 256 or 320Kbps (because 128Kbps just doesn’t cut it through decent speakers) and at a price you won’t find anywhere else (without breaking the law). Oh, and we sell whole albums and singles rather than individual tracks because - well that’s how the artists wanted them to be listened to. If you don’t want some of the tracks you’ve downloaded, delete them.

Alt feel that Indmill reflect the integrity and ethics of their music and a percentage of each sale of every track will be donated to Save the Children.

Calrec Audio Launch Artemis

2009-09-01T13:04:00.000-07:00

UK: Calrec Eclipse the Competition with Artemis

Calrec Audio has announced that it will unveil a brand new audio console at IBC 2009 in Amsterdam. Calrecís new Artemis console is based on the award-winning Apollo platform, which was launched at NAB in April, and utilises the same core technologies such as Bluefin2 and Hydra2.

These technologies equip the console with an enormous routing and processing capacity which belies its mid-size footprint. Using a combination of OLED displays, touch screens, and light-emitting knobs the soft Artemis control surface not only provides instant visual feedback, but a flexibility which enables the user to reconfigure the desk on the fly.

Artemis utilises Bluefin2, the next generation of Calrecís trademark Bluefin High Density Signal Processing platform, to provide substantial resources at multiple sample rates. At 48kHz, Bluefin2 gives Artemis up to 640 channel processing paths, 128 program busses, 64 IFB/Track outputs and 32 auxiliaries.

Artemis also features a second Compressor/Limiter in each channel, more than 70 minutes of assignable delay, and three independent APFL systems for multiple operator use. Like all Calrec designs, these facilities do not share resources so that they are available to the user at all times.

Central to the Artemis console is a dedicated integrated router so that its I/O functions can be performed by Calrecís next-generation networking system, Hydra2.

Hydra2 uses high capacity 8192 x 8192 cross-point routers and makes available a variety of I/O units to provide analog, AES, MADI, SDI and Dolby E formats. All use copper or fiber connectivity, and can be fitted with GPIO cards. Console routers can be connected together to form large networks, and stand-alone routers will also be available.

As with all Calrec consoles, the inclusion of full automatic hot-swap redundancy is part of the system architecture ñ on Artemis all DSP, control processor, router, power supplies, and connections are fully redundant.

Since its launch in April, Apollo has been sold to NTV in Japan, and both the Artemis and Apollo consoles are key to broadcast TV operations at the MediaCityUK project in Salford Quays, Manchester, UK.

Alt finalising tracks for their 2nd EP Pulse II

2009-08-07T16:35:00.000-07:00

Alt are currently in the process of finishing songs for their 2nd EP, Pulse II.

More electronic than the previous release,it still maintains the core of tape saturated guitars and found sound,processed looped and manipulated to create 4 avant electronic tracks.

Release is scheduled for Winter 2009/2010.

GUILD new Instrumental Bass solo project

2009-06-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

Guild,the new solo bass instrumental project of M.Midgley,now has 3 initial tracks uploaded onto the Myspace.

Requiem

Magnetic Horizontal Intensity

Low Mass

Constructed solely utilising 4 & 5 string Bass Guitars and laptop, to create drones effected and looped. This reflects minimal ambience drone in the vein of Fennesz, Stars of the Lid and Final.

Calrec and Riedel Announce Technology Partnership

2009-06-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas, USA 2009 –

Riedel Communications, leading manufacturer of digital intercom, fiber and radio solutions, and Calrec Audio, manufacturer of state-of-the-art digital audio mixing consoles for on-air and live productions, have announced a close technology partnership at this year’s NAB exhibition and conference.

The partnership includes the integration of Riedel Artist intercom functionality in Calrec’s brand-new digital mixing console Apollo, as well as the integration of Calrec’s Hydra2 audio routing network into Riedel’s fiber network solution MediorNet.

"Although the Apollo console and the new Hydra2 core already provide extensive audio networking, the integration into MediorNet expands the possibilities even more. To provide maximum benefit for our customers it was a logical step to cooperate with Riedel," said Henry Goodman, Calrec’s Business Development Manager.

Apollo features comprehensive Artist intercom integration, which allows the control surface to show Artist intercom control panels directly on the fader control cells. Apollo can assign up to 124 buttons with full Artist functionality to any place on the console. Individual operators can instantly configure their own distinctive operational settings, including the position of the intercom panel.

In addition, a jointly developed interface for MediorNet, Riedel’s new fiber-optic network solution, provides direct interfacing with Hydra2 ensuring that the Hydra2 audio network becomes an integral part of the MediorNet solution. MediorNet provides the integration of multi-channel HD video, audio, intercom and data into one single fiber-optic network with integrated processing and conversion features.

"We’ve always seen our intercom and fiber products as an open platform. Integration with other manufacturers always results in benefits for our customers. Therefore we’re proud to welcome Calrec as our newest technology partner,” said Thomas Riedel, Managing Director of Riedel Communications.

About Calrec Audio

As broadcast specialists for more than thirty years, Calrec is exclusively dedicated to excellence in audio mixing for on-air and live production. This understanding has helped Calrec develop a range of digital and analog consoles relied on by the world’s most successful broadcasters. For putting sound in the picture, broadcasters trust in Calrec.

About Riedel

Riedel Communications – the largest supplier of communications equipment to the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing – designs, manufactures and distributes the most sophisticated intercom, fiber and radio technology for customers worldwide in the broadcast, pro-audio, event, sports, theatre and security industries. The products reflect today’s leading-edge technologies that expand conventional concepts into tomorrow’s applications. The Riedel group of companies also includes a European based large rental operation that provides radio and intercom services, event IT solutions as well as fiber-based and wireless audio & video transmission systems. The Company was founded in 1987 and today employs over 180 people located within 8 locations in Europe, Australia, Asia and North America.

ALT WHITE-OUT EP Available now

2009-06-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

ALT

WHITE - OUT EP

Available now

LTD Edition

ALT,The long awaited EP from the Halifax experimental drone trio, is now available as a limited edition, 100 only, hand pressed

Cd-r.With Artwork by one of the core members,the cd represents the groups DIY ethic.

To coincide with this, US Magazine,Witch K+nt features an interview with ALT this month and comes with a very limited addition White-out 3" Cd-r.

Calrec Audio Launch Apollo

2009-06-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

Providing more than twice the processing power than Calrec’s Alpha platform and a channel count that sets a new industry benchmark, Apollo introduces a revolutionary control surface that takes the concept of user configurability to new levels.

Apollo utilises Bluefin2, the next generation of Bluefin HDSP, which provides unrivalled resources at multiple sample rates.

At 48kHz Bluefin2 provides Apollo with 1020 channel processing paths, 128 program busses, 96 IFB/Track outputs and 48 auxiliaries. At 96kHz, Apollo provides 510 channel processing paths, 64 program busses, 48 IFB/Track outputs and 24 auxiliaries.

In addition, Apollo has a second dynamics section in each channel, more than 70 minutes of assignable delay and three independent APFL systems for multiple operator use. As with all Calrec designs, these facilities do not share resources and are available to the user at all times. All this processing, including power supplies and all I/O routing, is contained in a space-efficient 8U rack.

The Apollo control surface manages all these channels over 12 layers and on up to 320 physical faders. In addition, the Calrec A/B path selection system is retained for those users who wish to use the desk in a similar manner as Calrec’s Alpha platform products. Layers and the A/B path system can be disabled if not required.

Featuring OLED displays and touch screens to provide hi-resolution feedback of function and status, the Apollo control surface also has light emitting knobs which change colour depending on function for immediate recognition. The surface can be instantly configured into different operational settings to suit the operator.

In assign mode the console mirrors the assign panels used on previous Calrec designs. In channel strip mode the panels are configured to resemble an analog design.

Calrec has also developed Calrec’s Hydra network, using a a largescale I/O router based on Hydra networking technology – Hydra2.

Hydra2 is an audio network that uses high capacity 8192 x 8192 cross-point routers. Each console has a dedicated integral router which enables all I/O to be remote from the console. A variety of I/O units are available to provide Analog, AES, MADI, SDI and Dolby®E formats. All use copper or fibre connectivity, and can be fitted with GPIO cards. Console routers can be connected together to form large networks. Stand-alone routers will also be available.

Like all Calrec consoles, Apollo is also highly resilient. Calrec’s customers operate in mission-critical environments and so resilience is designed in from the ground up. This includes full automatic hot-swap redundancy systems in DSP, control processor, router, power supplies and connections.