Available in DUO or QUAD processor format (with either two or four Analog Devices SHARC processors, respectively), UAD-2 Satellite packages provide a processing “boost” for digital audio workstations, and include a selection of classic analog emulation plug-ins, right out of the box.

“This is a really exciting announcement, both for UA as a company, and for legions of musicians and engineers wanting to tap into UAD-2 plug-ins via Firewire,” commented Universal Audio President Matt Ward. “The UAD-2 Satellite is a sleek, high-quality product that delivers even higher quality results.”

“UAD-2 Satellite is the result of UA listening to our customers, and giving them a processing solution that is both elegant and powerful,” added UA Senior Product Manager Lev Perrey. “Coupled with our roadmap of exciting new plug-ins, we anticipate this product expanding our 40,000-strong UAD user base significantly in the years to come.”

Notable UAD-2 Satellite features include:

• Access the UAD Powered Plug-Ins library on select Firewire 800 and 400 equipped computers
• Compatible with a wide range of modern Intel-based iMacs and MacBook Pros
• Run larger mixes in Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, Nuendo, Performer and more — without taxing host computer CPU
• 5 models to choose from: DUO (Core); DUO Flexi (w/ $500 Plug-In Voucher); QUAD (Core), QUAD Flexi (w/ $500 Plug-In Voucher), and QUAD Omni v.5.7 (w/ 50 UAD plug-ins)

The complete line of UAD-2 Satellite DSP Accelerators is slated for a Q1 2011 release with prices starting at $899 MAPP USD.

For the latest release information on the UAD-2 Satellite, go here.

About Universal Audio Inc.

Founded in 1999 by Bill Putnam Jr. and based in Scotts Valley, California, Universal Audio is best known for its vintage analog reproductions and advanced Digital Signal Processing technology, including the award-winning UAD Powered Plug-Ins Platform. The company is focused on merging the best of classic analog and modern digital technology. UA is devoted to this endeavor, following its rich recording heritage and motto, “Analog Ears. Digital Minds.” http://www.uaudio.com

Prior to the emergence of DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations), the process of mixing used to be carried out on a device known as an audio mixer, sound board, desk, or mixing console. Nowadays, more and more engineers and independent artists are using a personal computer for the process (commonly referred to as mixing in-the-box).

The role of music producer is not necessarily a technical one, with the physical aspects of recording being assumed by the audio engineer, and so producers often leave the similarly technical mixing process to a specialist audio mixer. Even producers with a technical background may prefer that a mixer comes in to take care of the final stage of the production process. Noted producer and mixer Joe Chiccarelli has said that it is often better for a project that an outside person comes in because:

“when you’re spending months on a project you get so mired in the detail that you can’t bring all the enthusiasm to the final [mixing] stage that you’d like. [You] need somebody else to take over those responsibilities so that you can sit back and regain your objectivity.”

However, as Chicarelli explains, sometimes limited budgets dictate that a producer takes care of the mixing as well

Mixing as we know it today emerged with the introduction of commercial multitrack tape machines, most notably the 8-track recorders that were introduced during the 1960s. The ability to record sounds into a multitude of channels meant that treating these sounds can be postponed to a later stage – the mixing stage.

In the 1980s, home recording and mixing began to take market share from recording studios. The 4-track Portastudio was introduced in 1979. Using one,Bruce Springsteen released the album Nebraska in 1982. The Eurythmics charted at number 15 in 1983 with the song “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)“, recorded by bandmember Dave Stewart on a makeshift 8-track recorder. In the mid-to-late 1990s, computers replaced tape-based recording for most home studios, with the Power Macintosh proving popular. At the same time, digital audio workstations (DAW), first used in the mid-1980s, began to replace tape in many professional recording studios.

A mixer, or mixing console, or mixing desk, or mixing board, or software mixer is the operational heart of the mixing process Mixers offer a multitude of inputs, each is fed by a track from a multitrack recorder; mixers would normally have 2 main outputs (in the case of two-channel stereo mixing) or 8 (in the case of surround).

Mixers offer three main functionalities:

• Mixing – summing signals together, which is normally done by a dedicated summing amplifier or in the case of digital by a simple algorithm.
• Routing – allows the routing of source signals to internal buses or external processing units and effects.
• Processing – many mixers also offer on-board processors, like equalizers and compressor

Outboard gear (analog) and software plugins (digital) can be inserted to the signal path in order to extend processing possibilities. Outboard gear and plugins fall into two main categories:

• Processors – these devices are normally connected in series to the signal path, so the input signal is replaced with the processed signal (e.g. equalizers).
• Effects – while an effect can be considered as any unit that affects the signal, the term is mostly used to describe units that are connected in parallel to the signal path and therefore they add to the existing sounds, but do not replace them. Examples would include reverb and delay

Common classes:

• Processors:
  • Faders – used to attenuate or boost the level of signals.
  • Pan pots – used to pan signal to the left or right and in surround also back and front.
  • Equalizers – used to manipulate the frequency content of signals.
  • Compressors – used to manipulate the dynamic content of signals. Among many applications they can even the level fluctuations of a singer, or reshape dynamic envelopes of percussive instruments (e.g. adding attack to a snare).
  • Gates – used mainly to attenuate low-level signals, for example, the kick spill on a snare recording.
• Effects:
  • Reverbs – used to simulate the boundary reflection created in a real room, but that adding a sense of space to otherwise ‘dry’ recordings.
  • Delays – most commonly used to add distinct echoes as a creative effect.

The process of mixing often accounts for a few mixing domains:

• Level – concerned with the relative level between instruments and their dynamics.
• Frequency – concerned with the spectral content of the various instruments and the overall mix.
• Space – concerned with the spatial aspect of the various instruments. The space domain is often further subdivided into two sub-domains:
  • Stereo – concerned with the horizontal panoramic aspects of instruments.
  • Depth – concerned with the front-back aspects of instruments.

Mixing in surround is very similar to mixing in stereo except that there are more speakers, placed to ‘surround’ the listener. The same mixing domains mentioned above are involved, but instead of stereo’s horizontal panoramic aspects, and depth’s front-back aspects, mixing in surround lets the mix engineer pan sources within a much more three dimensional environment. In a surround mix, sounds can appear to originate from any direction.

There are two common ways to approach mixing in surround:

• Expanded Stereo – With this approach, the mix will still sound very much like an ordinary stereo mix. Most of the sources such as the instruments of a band, the vocals, and so on, will still be panned between the left and right speakers, but lower levels might also be sent to the rear speakers in order to create a wider stereo image, while lead sources such as the main vocal might be sent to the center speaker. Additionally, reverb and delay effects will often be sent to the rear speakers to create a more realistic sense of space. In the case of mixing a live recording that was performed in front of an audience, signal recorded by microphones aimed at, or placed among the audience will also often be sent to the rear speakers to make the listener feel as if he or she is in the crowd.

• Complete Surround / All Speakers Are Treated Equally – Instead of following the traditional ways of mixing in stereo, this much less conservative approach lets the mix engineer do anything he or she feels like. Instruments can appear to originate from anywhere, or even spin around the listener. When done tastefully, interesting sonic experiences can be achieved.

Naturally, these two approaches can be combined any way the mix engineer sees fit. Recently, a third approach, or method of mixing in surround was developed by surround mix engineer Unne Liljeblad.

• MSS – Multi Stereo Surround – This approach treats the speakers in a surround sound system as a multitude of stereo pairs. For example, a stereo recording of a piano, created using two microphones in an ORTF configuration, might have its left channel sent to the Left Rear Speaker and its right channel sent to the Center Speaker. The piano might also be sent to a reverb having its left and right outputs sent to the Left Front Speaker and Right Rear Speaker respectively. Additional elements of the song, such as an acoustic guitar recorded in stereo, might have its left and right channels sent to the Left Front Speaker and the Right Rear Speaker with a reverb returning to the Left Rear Speaker and the Center Speaker. Thus, multiple clean stereo recordings surround the listener without the smearing comb filtering effects that often occurs when the same or similar sources are sent to multiple speakers.

Mixer Window

The main page of the StageMix is called the “Mixer” window. It shows the EQ curve, CUE and ON buttons, fader and level meters, and channel names for eight adjacent channels. Across the top of the screen, all Input, Mix and Matrix level meters and faders are displayed in blocks of eight. This is the “Navigation/Meter Bridge”. Press any of these blocks to select which channels are viewed in the fader strips below.

Sends On Faders
The colour of this button matches those used on the M7CL console. [CUE] and [ON] buttons appear below, allowing the currently active Mix or Matrix bus to be Cued and turned On/Off.

EQ Editing
One band of EQ can be adjusted at a time. Press one of the green circles to select the band, and it will be highlighted yellow. EQ bands in StageMix are labelled as follows:

• HP = HPF (input channels only).
• 1 = Low Band.
• 2 = Low-Mid Band.
• 3 = High-Mid Band.
• 4 = High Band.

Functions:

• Controllable Parameters.
• Sends on Faders.
• Input Channel Faders.
• Input Channel On/Off.
• Input Channel Parametric EQs.
• Input Channel Cue.
• Mix Master Faders.
• Mix Bus On/Off.
• Mix Bus Parametric EQs.
• Mix Bus Cue.
• Last Cue/Mix Cue Mode.
• Clear All Cues.
• Graphic EQs (Please note that this parameter may not be available in the initial release)..

Display Only Parameters:

• Input Channel Names.
• Input Channel Meters.
• Mix/Matrix Bus Names.
• Mix Bus Meters.
• EQ Input Meter.
• EQ Output Meter.

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