Gearforce Tackles the Present & Future of Virtual Concerts
AUDIOBOOKS A Unique & Thriving Business
BARENAKED LADIES Take a Little Trip to Record Detour de Force
HIP-HOP PRODUCTION 5 Hyped Producers on Their Craft
PLUS : Integrated DSP is Changing Installations , Service & Business Models
An intimate look at the Barenaked Ladies ’ remote cottage recording sessions , pg . 38
DEPARTMENTS
9 INPUT
Fostering Change Together Through ADVANCE , Canada ’ s Black Music Business Collective
10 SIGNALS
The latest from across the pro audio industry
18 PROFILE
Wayne Hawthorne , Julie Legault & Brian Moncarz
22 PRODUCT TESTS
Zoom F6 professional field recorder , Flux ::’ s SPAT Revolution Essential immersive audio software & Campfire Audio ’ s Honeydew & Satsuma IEMs
44 PRODUCTS
The latest tools & technologies for pro audio professionals
53 ADVERTISERS ’ INDEX
56 SOUND ADVICE
Audio DSP & the Blended Learning Model
58 ITINERARY
Your industry events calendar
60 CLASSIFIEDS
62 PROJECT FILE
Javier Fracchia ’ s mastering studio , the Stardome Observatory and Planetarium in New Zealand & more !
Contents
FEATURES 26
Gearforce Goes Beyond
The virtual concert model has kept the spirit of the “ live show ” afloat ; but is it here to say ?
By Andrew Leyenhorst
Vancouver ’ s Gearforce is one of Canada ’ s premier pro audio and production firms , so it ’ s very little surprise that they too dipped into the livestreaming pool in the past year , albeit in a way that goes far beyond what many others have done . PS learned about Gearforce ’ s approach to livestreamed concerts with artists such as Jann Arden , and gained insights on the future of the model from some of Canada ’ s top touring techs .
30
The Unique & Thriving Business of Audiobooks
The audiobook market is exploding , so why is that & are they really that simple to make ?
By Michael Raine
There is something innate in the human spirit that craves , or even needs , stories . Stories – the ones we tell ourselves and each other – are how we learn , entertain , and process the world around us . It ’ s a tendency as old as humans . Over the centuries , various storytelling methods have come in and out of favour , with some lasting centuries , and others lasting mere months . So , it ’ s interesting when new life gets breathed into an older storytelling format because of current technology . Audiobooks are having such a moment .
August 2021 , Vol . XXXII No . 4
34
PS ’ s Hip-Hop Producers Panel
Going Behind the Beats with Five Hyped Canadian Producers
By Michael Raine We spoke with five highly-respected Canadian rap producers who offer a mix of the new school and old school – David Strickland , Prezident Jeff , FrancisGotHeat , Taabu , and London Cyr – to learn more about what they do and how they do it , the gear and software they ’ re using , and what tracks and sounds stand out to them from their impressive bodies of work .
38
Up in a Snowbank with the
Barenaked Ladies :
Recording Detour de Force
By Andrew Leyenhorst “ We knew we wanted to make a different kind of record ,” says BNL vocalist / guitarist Ed Robertson . “ Our plan initially was to do the entire record up here at my cottage , which is not a studio at all .” Professional Sound chats with the band alongside producer Mark Howard about the technical logistics of recording at a cottage , stories from the sessions , and a very special piece of musical history that found its way to their remote Ontario hideout .
COVER PHOTO : ROB NEVALAINEN , COURTESY OF GEARFORCE
IS LIVESTREAMING HERE TO STAY ?