HOLLYWOOD – R/H Factor (www.rhfactorsound.com), an audio post
house specializing in long-form episodic drama for television, as well as
independent features, recently upgraded its main mixing stage with the addition
of a Euphonix System 5-MC. The two-position console replaces a ProControl and
features an integrated DAW control surface with 24 faders on each side.
Craig Hunter, co-owner and mixer at the eight-year old studio
with partner Dave Rawlinson, says the new board allows the studio to seamlessly
work with its pick of workstations, which include Digidesign’s Pro Tools and
Steinberg’s Nuendo.
“Our goal is to not be an operating system bigot,” Hunter
says, noting that each of the DAWs has certain strengths. “Editorially,
everything is done in Pro Tools. It’s a very strong editor for sound effects
and dialogue editing, ADR and Foley. Nuendo is also an efficient editor with
unique characteristics. It does certain editorial functions very well. We view
it as a palette of choices.”
In addition to the main stage, R/H Factor has an ADR/Foley
stage, six edit bays, and a smaller pre-dub music and effects room. The
studio’s past credits include numerous pilots and season work for shows such as
CSI, Ally McBeal and Boston
Public. It is currently working on Boston
Legal, My Name is Earl and Wedding
Bells. On the feature side, the studio
completed work on Fred Durst’s directorial debut, The Education of
Charlie Banks. Hunter serves as effects and Foley mixer on the stage with
Peter Kelsey handling dialogue and music.
Pro Tools rigs serve as source
machines during a mix and the final mix is recorded back to an Nuendo system. All broadcast work posted at R/H Factor is mixed in 5.1 surround
on the System 5-MC, knowing that it will ultimately be released on DVD at some
point, if not initially airing in HD. An LTRT mix is also generated. Hunter
says a 30-minute show in mixed in one long day, while a 60-minute show takes
two days.
The stage is equipped with Genelec monitors featuring
digital inputs. A Doremi video server, connected to a projector, provides
nonlinear picture playback. Final layback is to a D5 machine.