TUCKED AWAY IN A
WINNIPEG strip mall lies a little studio called Frank Digital , one of Canada ’ s top full-service video production and post facilities . Not only is it world-class , providing services for a host of high-calibre Canadian and international clients ; it ’ s also one of the country ’ s busiest .
“ We ’ re in this little strip mall and it doesn ’ t really look like anything from the outside , but when people come in for a tour and we open the double doors into the recording and mixing suites , they are honestly quite amazed that all of this exists in a small centre ,” says Chris McIvor , the studio ’ s owner and executive producer .
With operations in Winnipeg and Vancouver , Frank has serviced an international film and TV clientele , including major studios and networks such as Fox , Universal , Sony , NBC , ABC , CBS , and HBO . As a result , it has clients from a variety of sectors , including animation and VFX , corporate films and advertisements , and original series .
Lately , the company , which has become a sought-after specialist in a secondary video and broadcast market , has been busy editing and mixing for television specials in both of Canada ’ s official languages .
With over 7,500 sq . ft . of audio and video post-production space , Frank Digital ’ s Winnipeg studio houses nine HD / SD edit suites , four Da- Vinci Resolve colour timing and finishing suites , a Dolby Certified 5.1 digital audio mixing theatre , smaller Pro Tools editing suites , and stateof-the-art animation / VFX and QC / output suites .
Frank Digital ’ s mix theatre was designed by Pilchner Schoustal International , the studio acoustics consultancy firm behind studios such as Reservoir Studios and The Mastering Palace in New York , Sigma Sound in Philadelphia , and
Revolution Recording in Toronto , to name just a few .
The main mix theatre runs Pro Tools 12.7 HDX and boasts a main monitor system featuring five Genelec 1032Bs , six Genelec 0140as , and a Genelec 7071 subwoofer . Besides an enviable collection of Neumann , AKG , and Sennheiser microphones , the studio houses outboard options including a Telefunken V672 and V72 , Avalon 737sp , API 512c , and Drawmer 1960 mic preamps and Drawmer 1960 , Urei LA4s , and Avalon compressors . The Dolby gear includes one Dolby SEU 4 , two Dolby 363 SR / A noise reduction units , and DP 569 and 563 encoders .
Control Room B also runs Pro Tools 12.7 along with a Digidesign Digi 003 , Drawmer 1960 , and Tannoy Reveal monitors .
Howie Rissin , Frank ’ s chief engineer , considers the studio to be the best sound recording facility he ’ s worked in because , for the most part , it was “ built from scratch and done properly .”
And he should know . He ’ s been a sound recording engineer for nearly 40 years . He began his career in Winnipeg and then relocated to Vancouver where he recorded acts including Idol Eyes , Boulevard , Chilliwack , and the iconic Rita MacNeil . In 1991 , he moved back to Winnipeg as chief engineer for Channels Audio and then in 2001 began his stint at Midcan , which later became Frank Digital . He ’ s been there ever since .
“ What ’ s really unique about the facility is the control room ,” explains McIvor . “ It was designed to be certified by Dolby for print mastering for theatrical releases , but also a comfortable mixing studio for television series production .”
Pilchner Shoustal designed the control room so that the engineers could seamlessly switch from film to TV to recorded music mixes . The speakers in the wall surrounds were installed primarily for use in television mixes while the Genelecs up top were intended for feature films . Rissin does edit and mix for theatrical releases , but for the most part he has been focusing on television documentaries and series . He notes that while the studio does occasionally rely on some of its outboard options , the bulk of its mixing is done in the digital domain .
“ All the processing is in the box and it just makes it so much easier for recall , because I can automate everything ,” he shares . “ All of my
The CREW
HOWARD RISSIN & CHRIS MCIVOR
EQs are automated . All of my compressors are automated . So if somebody comes back to me and needs a different deliverable , or something is coming back for any kind of change , it ’ s much easier to fix . I try to keep it all in the box .
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