Alcons Elevates The Standard For Bleat Studios

With studios in Hackney and King’s Cross, London, Bleat Post Production Ltd is a boutique, state-of-the-art finishing house which aims to deliver the highest possible standards. The facility’s Dolby Atmos-certified theatrical mix stages feature Alcons pro-ribbon monitoring, allowing Bleat to claim that it delivers the lowest harmonic distortion and highest SPL delivery of any mix theatre in the UK.

Described as ‘a uniquely warm and welcoming atmosphere, with attention to all the details demanded by world-class end-to-end feature, commercial and episodic post-production’, Bleat founder Tristin Norwell’s mission was to create a facility built to the very highest acoustic Dolby Atmos Theatrical and HETV specifications.

The studios were designed by Level Acoustic Design (LAD), with construction and technical design by Studio Creations. LAD has regularly partnered with audio solutions specialist Mill Road Technology, which was asked to ensure the rooms and loudspeaker monitoring were precisely designed in terms of specification/model type and required dispersion/aiming at each location, as well as signing off the final Dolby Audio Room Design Tool (DARDT) spec prior to submission to Dolby Labs.

Following a long-term demonstration of the Alcons Audio CRMSmkII pro-ribbon cinema reference monitor systems in Tristin’s recording studio, comparing it against other well-known studio monitors, Mill Road Technology owner Laurence Claydon specified two identical Alcons systems for the two rooms in the Hackney studio.

“The bass management provided by the subs has an unparalleled pin-point feel when mixing. Coupled with the pro-ribbon tweeters, this creates a ridiculously high standard of imaging. It’s like you are QC’ing as you mix – it’s genius.”, Tristin Norwell, Bleat Founder and Owner.

Each system comprised six CRMSmkII, four CB181slFV-4 1×18” compact shallow subwoofer systems, 36 CRMSC-SRHV/90 and 20 CRMSC-SRHV/120 compact horizontal/vertical reference surround and four CB151slFV 1×15” compact shallow subwoofer systems, all powered by 20 Sentinel3 amplified loudspeaker controllers, delivering a total of 80 audio channels.

The CRMSmkII offers the most natural digital cinema and HD audio sound reproduction possible, thanks to its three-way format featuring one RBN401 pro-ribbon high frequency driver, eight-inch mid-section and vented, 15” low frequency unit with low power compression, four inch voice-coil design. The patented horizontal dispersion of the RBN401 extends the stereo imaging to a larger number of seats in the auditorium and, due to the compression-less principle of the pro-ribbon transducer, the system has a linear response at any SPL.

The CRMSC-SRHV is designed as a matching (height layer) surround system. By utilizing identical MHF technology, a perfect voicing match between screen and surround system is realized, resulting in an exceptionally wide and uniform sound stage throughout the entire listening area. Featuring one RBN202 pro-ribbon driver for high frequencies and a vented 6.5” mid-bass for LF, the CRMSC-SRHV HF section has a 500 W peak power input, enabling a 1:16 dynamic range with up to 90% less distortion from 1 kHz to beyond 20 kHz. The revolvable RBN waveguide and trapezoidal enclosure, together with the optional grill and ACO™ colour option, provides for easy, low profile wall or ceiling mounting.

Alcons pro-ribbon systems were new to Studio Creations so, as well as supplying them, Laurence was on hand to assist with identifying which type of CRMSC-SRHV should be located in each position. He pre-rotated all the HF waveguides, so they delivered the correct dispersion, as well as setting up the amplification DSP gain structure and providing API assistance to ensure the Sentinel DSP amplifiers would be seamlessly managed by the studios’ Q-SYS audio, video and control system.

“I have been recommending Alcons since 2009, because they provide the very best combination of sound quality, linearity, low distortion and transient response coupled with SPL capability that is unique in the market,” he says. “When a prospective client listens to an Alcons pro-ribbon solution and compares it against respected competition – even high-end studio monitors – they choose Alcons.”

Bleat Post Production owner Tristin confirms that he is very happy with the Alcons solution, saying, “The choice of speakers for our theatres was a daunting one, until the moment I heard Alcons. The near-zero harmonic distortion was a revelation in itself, meaning long hours of work result in less fatigue. And, in the case of Dolby Atmos Theatrical,“(…) the bass management provided by the subs has an unparalleled pin-point feel when mixing. Coupled with the pro-ribbon tweeters, this creates a ridiculously high standard of imaging. It’s like you are QC’ing as you mix – it’s genius.”, Tristin Norwell, Bleat Founder and Owner.

More information on www.crms.info and www.bleat.tv

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