ION by the dozen

When CBC Montreal recently installed four massive Soundmaster ion systems (with 22-device control computers in them), it brought the tally of systems from Toronto-based Soundmaster Group delivered to the pubcaster up to a dozen. The sale, through Adcom, was well over $100,000.

Using a proprietary form of ‘simultaneous universal translation,’ the ions integrate sundry digital and analog studio devices, and funnel their operation via a human interface creating a central control for the broadcast center’s audio post suites. A component of the system is Syncro7, the main hardware control device, which works in tandem with host software.

Montreal’s AstralTech followed suit and added two more ion systems to its smart new digs (previously it had one Soundmaster system).

Systems start at around $20,000.

Blue dude with 3D ‘tude

Sonic the Hedgehog will be scrapping in the game wars on Pentium chip-powered pcs later this year, and Sonic cd will blast gamesters on his new platform with the help of 3D audio effects from virtual sound maestro, Calgary-based QSound labs. The upcoming celebrity hedgehog title will be a pioneer in the game conform to Intel’s nsp design specs.

QSound has done sound design for games on Sega cd, 32X and the newly launched Sega Saturn (for which North American sales of over 600,000 units are projected by year end). Its early launch was announced at E3, where Sega of America ceo Tom Kalinske says Americans were paying up to us$800 to buy the units from Japan where it was initially launched, and 500,000 units were sold in the first month.

New on the box

cbc@É

fyi: cbc has a new home page site on the World Wide Web. Key in //www.cbc.ca and e-mail your way into the nerve center of over 65 tv and radio shows emanating from the Mother Corp. Radio-Canada will be similarly wired this fall. Construction talks are underway with other pubcasters for devising a global central net.

Comedic post: in on the laugh trackÉ

The Post Group is doing for Inside Comedy what it did for Inside Country, developing a look for the half-hour comedy mag created by comic/actor Tim Progosh and producer Chas. Hay. The Toronto shop is currently editing the ComedyTelevision series pilot; graphics and design are by gfx.

New in the box

– The slickest offspring of Quantel digital effects classics, Paintbox Express and Hal Express, will be unveiled at the Broadcast Designer’s Association show (June 7-10 in Washington, d.c.). Always a company with a good sense of whimsy when it comes to naming product, Henry’s latest progeny, Image Processing Power Option, or hippo, has set the industry standard for recall. hippo, as seen at nab, takes processing to the tenth power and packs more effects, storage and editing capacity.

– Panasonic has a new dat recorder that brings together the traditional dat solitudes of synch or non-synch machines, enabling varying levels of ‘house’ (speed-only) synchronization. The SV-4100 dat recorder allows for audio/video synch sans smpte time code, and sans smpte price tag (about three times less – cdn$3,850).

– The ever-prodigious Fujinon has two new lenses out, the CPT-1A-10D pan and tilt head engineered to raise the bar in small ccd camera remote control, and the AH70X9.5ESM zoom, boasting the highest zoom ratio in tv field production lens circles.

MuchTalent

Since everyone seems to be on red alert for animation talent, I thought I’d share some winning images yielded by the MuchMusic logo animation competition held at Sheridan College recently.

Best of field went to Jonathan Moyes for his Punch Much entry, second place was clinched by Michael Sneath’s CD Much creation, and Jason Anastas was third across the aesthetic finish line with Eye Much.

The prizes were awarded by MuchMusic senior producer Michael Heydon in the useful form of cash: $2,000, $1,000 and $500. The winning station ids and runners-up will air on Much, which is perhaps the overall winner here.