LA-based TNT Film Productions has added two RME Fireface UFX+ interfaces to its equipment arsenal for film/audio editing, recording/overdubbing, audio sweetening, Foley and tracking orchestral arrangements for film soundtracks, along with two ARC USB remote controls and of Alva Madi fibre-optic cable.

The redundant Fireface UFX+ interface and ARC USB remote control set-up has helped optimise TNT’s workflow both in the studio and in the field by eliminating the need for additional equipment and streamlining TNT’s operations into the future of film production.

TNT Film Productions studio technician Dan Dukes believes that the interfaces allow the studio to maintain the character and quality of work without negatively affecting the techniques of their craft, which they developed using analogue equipment: ‘We are old-school in that we enjoy traditional methods of recording film and audio,’ he says. ‘But we chose RME because we were convinced of its true delivery on performance, which drove us to replace the old ways and achieve the high-end results we expect.’

TNT Film Productions’ new studio set-up includes one RME Fireface UFX+ and ARC USB remote-control unit per studio, connected via 160ft of Alva Madi fibre-optic cable, allowing TNT to link the units for an extra level of redundancy during recording in either studio, along with providing traditional multiple tie lines between the studios, all kept in a digital domain.

‘Having two Fireface UFX+ units allows us to work between studio rooms through Madi connectivity,’ says TNT founder TonySpataro said. ‘And using the ARC to control whatever we assign makes it possible to perform instantaneous actions – with no delay and no latency – triggering whatever actions you need with the touch of one button. And, by placing control right in front of you, the ARC USB remote control saves you from having to lean over to try to find the function knob you need on a console, or in a DAW, no matter how high-end the console or DAW may be.’

When it comes to recording in the field, Spataro will remove a UFX+ unit and an Alva Madi cable from one of TNT’s studios and bring it on the production truck with a one-patch set-up.

‘We can work at a serious distance between the film truck/mobile studio and the stage/film set, Spataro says.

‘It’s a great field unit,’ Dukes adds. ‘With the DURec [Direct to USB Recorder], we can just bring a thumb drive back to one of the studios after recording and start editing the playback right away. It saves us a lot of time and legwork. We start working immediately, and in addition, we have a backup. So, in case one unit goes down, we can just patch it in. Not to mention that the thumb drive serves as the backup to the project.’

While TNT Film Productions previously used an external mixer, the quality of the preamps in the Fireface UFX+, combined with the ease of using RME’s TotalMix FX software, have eliminated the necessity for additional external hardware, like a mixer, while, at the same time, the Madi fibre-optic cable has replaced the need for patchbays.

‘Feedback comes with the turf in the audio business,’ Spataro says. ‘We all know that, and traditional methods of recording and mixing has its share of accidental feedback. We have been impressed by how tremendously the UFX+ minimises feedback with its intelligent routing system.’

‘The UFX+ combines complex matrix mixing with a creative kind of linear, in-series mixing, so it’s having the best of both worlds, because you can use matrix (parallel) mixing, but then if you desire to insert linear circuitry into your signal flow, you can do that very easily, ’ Dukes offers,

‘Since we do TV and film, it’s nice to have different mixes,’ Dukes continues. ‘So we’ll have one mix for mastering, one for TV, one for film and one for instrumental soundtracks. With TotalMix FX, the mixes take place simultaneously. So if we want to hear the different mixes by toggling between them, we can, without affecting or interrupting the true audio signal flows associated with those individual mixes. They continue flowing to and from their destinations, in the background, while we toggle listening to them. It’s pretty incredible.

‘And we’re not even going back to the DAW to mix down,’ he explains. ‘We’ll just take the outputs directly from the UFX+ and master onto whatever format the client wants, and this is because of RME’s high-end output and amazing dynamics.

‘I have to also mention that when we output to the different studio monitors, RME allows us to EQ those separate outputs on the UFX+ units, resulting in us not having to insert a separate graphic, or parametric equalizer just before the amps/speakers. RME provides this for us on all outputs. We love and take advantage of this option, especially since we can tweak the settings from TotalMix FX, among all the various effects TotalMix FX provides.’

More: www.rme-usa.com