AVID’S S6 TARGETS AUSSIE FILM ‘ALEX & EVE’

Avid’s new Pro Tools S6 control surface has finally made its way to Australia and Steve Peach, of Stereo Missile, is the first lucky Film Composer to get their hands on it.

Steve is based in Sydney and is a music producer/songwriter by trade. Throughout his career, he’s worked on some of the most iconic Australian talent. Such as, Icehouse, Marcia Hines, Stafford Brothers, contestants from The Voice, Jenny Morris, Choirboys and many more.

Currently Steve’s working as a composer & music supervisor on the new Australian feature film, Alex & Eve (slated for release in 2015).

Being able to use the S6 on such a demanding project has been a great way for him to thoroughly ‘break in’ his new gear.

“I’ve been really enjoying working with the S6 the last few weeks,” says Steve. “It’s a huge step up in terms of workflow for me. Despite the incredible power and depth of functionality of the S6, I found it really quick to get started. It’s so easy to find what you want and you can do what you need intuitively.”

When discussing the console with a recent client, Steve told us:

“The guy said, ‘Man, your new desk sounds great!’ which at first was quite funny to me because, of course, the S6 doesn’t pass any audio but when I thought about it some more, I realised what he meant; the vastly improved workflow of using the S6 for all of my EQ, dynamics, pan and automation settings wasn’t just about convenience or speed. It was actually translating into better mixes. That has been the biggest revelation for me – workflow is not just about speed or ease. It’s about results.”

The S6 has been built on the ICON and System 5 product families. So it enables Engineers to simultaneously control multiple Pro Tools and other EUCON-enabled DAWs over an Ethernet connection, integrating them into a single unit.

“The scrolling waveforms and the visual feedback on the desk are so good,” Peach said. “You really need to understand, it’s not just a flashy gimmick, it really impacts the way that I work, and it makes navigating around a session and finding the right control so much better.”

Steve also mentioned that Avid had been very “hands on” in helping wipe out any bugs or glitches while using the S6. From talking with them, Steve got a little insight into future updates for the console, saying  “As fantastic as it is already, I know that there are some more amazing features to come that will take it to the next level again.”

We’re looking forward to checking out the S6 and giving it a work out. As to the future new features, well, who doesn’t love an upgrade? Upgrade days are always red lettered.

Originally Published in AudioTechnology Magazine