Soundfield DSF-2 anyone?

[starfighter]

Hi! I'm curious to know if anyone has any experience with the new DSF-2 system/mic?

I'm looking to do livesound from an arena to an OB van and it seems the DSF-2 is the only solution because of the distance. We will run the Bformat to ProTools for a 5.1 broadcast. Is this the way to do it? Or do we need to go analog into the
SP451 Surround Processor for the 5.1 output? What about latency issues with PT?

Any help is appreciated

Morten

[Haigbabe]

Bump

(As I understand it the software will work in real time to do decode A Format to B Format to whatever you need eg mono, stereo, 5.1, 7.1 etc)

[Brad Lunde]

Originally Posted by starfighter

Hi! I'm curious to know if anyone has any experience with the new DSF-2 system/mic?

I'm looking to do livesound from an arena to an OB van and it seems the DSF-2 is the only solution because of the distance. We will run the Bformat to ProTools for a 5.1 broadcast. Is this the way to do it? Or do we need to go analog into the
SP451 Surround Processor for the 5.1 output? What about latency issues with PT?

Any help is appreciated

Morten

None in the USA yet Morten. Coming. The DSF2 is designed to be digital out and drive long lines for broadcast (ex. 1 kilometer!); most users will use it with the Protool version of Surround Zone, the SoundField software. there you can manipulate it however you liek adn et mono, stereo or 5.1 from the same recording.

There are quite a few DSF2's in England right now with SkyTV for sports and a whole bunch were used for WorldCup. Everything worked great.

SoundFields are really great for motion so they are ideal for sports. The best part is that its image is really a true 3D image, with 3 axis to it, L to R, Up and Down and front to back. Smooth and complete , no "holes" or empty spots. Also cool for locations where ambience is important, like music PAC's or an outdoor setting (ex. documentaries). Tone quality is good enough for extreme high end recordng (Cheske Records uses one exclusively for their high end consumer recordings).

Brad

[Haigbabe]

Hi Brad.

A question about the included software if I may.....

Is the software only for PT?

What about us SADiE and Samp users?

Best regards,

Haigbabe

[Brad Lunde]

Originally Posted by Haigbabe

Hi Brad.

A question about the included software if I may.....

Is the software only for PT?

What about us SADiE and Samp users?

Best regards,

Haigbabe

Software is an option...
and yes, there is a Nuendo and a Sadie version.
Brad

[Brad Lunde]

Originally Posted by Haigbabe

Bump

(As I understand it the software will work in real time to do decode A Format to B Format to whatever you need eg mono, stereo, 5.1, 7.1 etc)

Actually, it decodes from B format and delivers mono, stereo, 5.1, 6.1 etc. A Format is what comes out of the mic BEFORE the preamp. Preamp converts to B format (X, Y, Z, W) so you can create what you need for delviery. The future might be an A Format to surround software package to use the new 200 system we showed at AES, a 4 mic package on one body.

Brad

[Haigbabe]

Originally Posted by Brad Lunde

Actually, it decodes from B format and delivers mono, stereo, 5.1, 6.1 etc. A Format is what comes out of the mic BEFORE the preamp. Preamp converts to B format (X, Y, Z, W) so you can create what you need for delviery. The future might be an A Format to surround software package to use the new 200 system we showed at AES, a 4 mic package on one body.

Brad

My apologies to all. I was *thinking* of the SPS200. Morten was asking about the DSF-2.

So Brad, when do you think the SPS200 will be available?

And can you tell me a little more about the software that it will use please?

Best regards,

Haigbabe

PS Actually, I am taking this thread away from where it should have been heading. I'll take my questions directly to Brad. Apologies. Back to topic now...

[Brad Lunde]

Originally Posted by Haigbabe

My apologies to all. I was *thinking* of the SPS200. Morten was asking about the DSF-2.

So Brad, when do you think the SPS200 will be available?

And can you tell me a little more about the software that it will use please?

Best regards,

Haigbabe

PS Actually, I am taking this thread away from where it should have been heading. I'll take my questions directly to Brad. Apologies. Back to topic now...

Haig:
Its cool, the 200 isn't available yet, we are still trying to get the DSF2 out! The software will require an update I think for the 200.....

Brad

[starfighter]

Originally Posted by Brad Lunde

Software is an option...
and yes, there is a Nuendo and a Sadie version.
Brad

We're talking about a different software than Surround zone, right? Any screenshots available? Had my hands on the ST350 the other day by the way; sweet

I'm a little sceptical about the use of the software in realtime, but I'd really like to avoid another generation of AD/DA conversion. Using the SP451 (which VSS did during the 2006 FIFA World Cup) means you go analog out of the DSF-2 system and into the SP451 instead of being able to use the AES/EBU B-format output.
Not to mention the cost of the SP451...

Morten

[Brad Lunde]

Originally Posted by starfighter

We're talking about a different software than Surround zone, right? Any screenshots available? Had my hands on the ST350 the other day by the way; sweet

I'm a little sceptical about the use of the software in realtime, but I'd really like to avoid another generation of AD/DA conversion. Using the SP451 (which VSS did during the 2006 FIFA World Cup) means you go analog out of the DSF-2 system and into the SP451 instead of being able to use the AES/EBU B-format output.
Not to mention the cost of the SP451...

Morten

Yes, there is different software for the 200. We don't know much about how it works yet since its still a proto product and SF is tight lipped about how the final product will look. We DO know the 200 mic is A Format output from the connector and needs to be B format (which is what the preamp does with the SoundField mics we currentlly ship). So it will need to have extra to work like other SoundField mics....

The sp451 works from [analog] B format to deliver a final audio output (like 5.1 or stereo). It is analog input/analog output only, totally analog inside, designed to take the [analog] input of B format, past or present (current models are SPS422B or Mark 5 or ST350).

The Surround Zone is the digital version of a Sp451, with some advanced filtering completely in the digital domain to get improved channel seperation and other benefits. Surround Zone can accept a digital B format input and deliver a 5.1, stereo or mono digital output.
Brad

The DSF2 has a digital B format output from 2 BNC connectors, digital stereo from a third BNC and a analog STEREO XLR output. No analog B format.

You can go here to see a back panel picture of an DSF2:
http://www.soundfield.com/products/dsf2_controls.php

Brad

[starfighter]

Originally Posted by Brad Lunde

The DSF2 has a digital B format output from 2 BNC connectors, digital stereo from a third BNC and a analog STEREO XLR output. No analog B format.

You can go here to see a back panel picture of an DSF2:
http://www.soundfield.com/products/dsf2_controls.php

Brad

Hmmmm... So how did they solve the connection from the DSF-2 to the SP451 during the 2006 FIFA World Cup? What type of converters do you need to go from BNC to analog? Or from BNC to AES/EBU? Or is there are breakout cable included with the DSF-2?
Soundfield website states the following: "In live broadcast applications the B-Format outputs of the DSF-2 should be connected to the B-Format inputs of the SP451 (after D/A conversion) which will output full 5.1 surround on six discrete channels "

morten

[Brad Lunde]

Originally Posted by starfighter

Hmmmm... So how did they solve the connection from the DSF-2 to the SP451 during the 2006 FIFA World Cup? What type of converters do you need to go from BNC to analog? Or from BNC to AES/EBU? Or is there are breakout cable included with the DSF-2?
Soundfield website states the following: "In live broadcast applications the B-Format outputs of the DSF-2 should be connected to the B-Format inputs of the SP451 (after D/A conversion) which will output full 5.1 surround on six discrete channels "

morten

Those back and forth conversions were all done on the ground at World Cup by the broadcasters themselves. Yes, is digital out so you need to go back to analog to use the analog in 451. The object was that they could run the SF [digital] output a Kilometer+ before it hit the truck, a big requirement of such a location broadcast. You could not have run analog so far. The 451 was in the truck.

The BNC is just a connector, so its still 24-48/96/192 coming out; this is something that is set up for broadcast use were BNC is the standard and 24/48 is also standard.

Brad

[huub]

for bnc to xlr aes/ebu you need an impedance adapter, altough a simple bnc to xlr adapter also works fine :P
But I suppose the soundfield can be either bnc or xlr?