Arteus Post ProductionInstalls 5.1 Suites With ADAM Audio

Arteus Post Production (previously: 422.tv) is a full-service post production company for film and television based in Glasgow, Scotland, close to the River Clyde.

Working alongside a talented team of editors, colourists, and VFX artists, the post-production sound department at Arteus Post Production is led by senior dubbing mixer John Cobban, along with dubbing mixers William Cory and Kevin Robertson. Supported by their post-production producers, Arteus can offer end-to-end solutions including data management, editing, grading, audio dubbing, graphics, 4K finishing and broadcast delivery.

Last year, Arteus completed four feature films which premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival: There were two Icelandic drama productions from director Graeme Malley – ‘Pale Star’ and ‘A Reykjavik Porno’; an art house feature ‘Seat in Shadow’ directed by Henry Coombes, and ‘Where You’re Meant To Be’, a music led documentary directed by Paul Fegan. This latter film featured Aidan Moffat of cult Scottish band Arab Strap. Arteus has also recently completed their third series of the CBBC hit children’s sci-fi drama ‘Eve’, produced by Leopard Drama.

The team of dubbing mixers have all come to the world of Film and TV post production from very diverse professional backgrounds in sound recording, theatre-sound, and the musical influences of playing in bands… all later gaining an interest in, and developing a talent for, film and television sound design.

The sound department at Arteus is just part of its larger full-service post production facility covering offline and online editing, colour grading, VFX and motion graphics. Two original sound studios were purpose-built in 2007 as dubbing suites catering for the demanding requirements of film and TV production and a shared voice-over booth adds to what the post production company can offer.

In their studios, on a daily basis, Avid Pro Tools is used in various areas including: mixing, editing, SFX generation, ADR, voice-over and Foley recording. Due to popular demand, Arteus has recently added a third Pro Tools suite. All three dubbing suites are equipped with a full set of identical studio monitors from ADAM Audio configured for 5.1 mixing: three ADAM S3X-Hs used as (front) L/C/R speakers, two ADAM S2Xs used as (rear) L/Rs, and one ADAM Sub12 takes care of the low end.

“We pride ourselves that our studios have a relaxed, informal and friendly feel. Our multiple Pro Tools workstations – networked to Avid ISIS shared storage – allows for extreme flexibility within the shared work-flow during production. Our food and drinks aren’t too bad either!”, grinned, Ian Ballantyne, director and senior colorist at Arteus.

“We were also curious about the X-ART ribbon tweeters, so we decided it was time to find out. To say it was an ‘eye opener’ would have been an understatement!”

While speaking to Ian, you get an excellent insight into their decision-making process when it comes to professional monitoring. He carried on: “The studios may vary in size, naturally, but consistency is achieved by the use of identical ADAM Audio monitoring setups in all studios. The smaller rooms are used to prepare the dialogue edits, ADR, Foley work and SFX. Extensive track-laying preparation then moves the production along to the pre-mix and final mix, which can be achieved in either of the main dubbing suites, depending on delivery specification.”

John Cobban picks up the story: “Many loudspeaker manufacturers produce monitors that are relatively accurate but lack musicality; you can hear the mix OK, but you are just not fully immersed within it. The depth of field and stereo imaging is sometimes lost. Monitors require a balanced frequency response across a wide range of SPLs – particularly when you consider the varying demands of mixing for TV or Cinema levels. At Arteus, we require a high level of reliability and have found that some monitors, have, over time, let us down.

We were aware of ADAM monitors from reviews in professional journals and were impressed by ADAM’s loyal customer base. We were also curious about the X-ART ribbon tweeters, so we decided it was time to find out. To say it was an ‘eye opener’ would have been an understatement! From the moment we installed a loan pair of ADAM S3X-H monitors in our main studio we all loved the accuracy and detail, the immersive and involving quality – the stereo imaging – there was no way we were going to return them…”

“The detail of the ADAM monitors stood out, for us, as being not only accurate but, more than anything, ‘musical’.”

“The detail of the ADAM monitors stood out, for us, as being not only accurate but, more than anything, ‘musical’. You were placed within a landscape where you could feel the breeze, touch the grass and, if required, knock the toupee off a bald man’s head from twenty metres away! Never being intrusive, or fatiguing, we felt confident that our mixes would sound outstanding in the most varied of circumstances – from a 500-seat film theatre to a home cinema, or an iPad.”

According to Ian, feature documentaries form the backbone of the work at Arteus Post Production. They have just completed a pair of feature documentaries, (for cinema release), about the 80s and 90s Scottish music scene called ‘Big Gold Dream’ and ‘Teenage Superstars’. Their current work also includes numerous television productions for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Sky such as ‘This Farming Life’, ‘Rivers’ with Jeremy Paxman, ‘Britain’s Lost Masterpieces’ and ‘Air Ambulance ER’. Arteus are about to start dubbing the new series of ‘Grand Tours of The Scottish Islands’, which will be their seventh year of working on the sound and picture post production of one of Scotland’s favorite series.

“When other post production professionals come into the studio, they love the sound of the ADAMs.”

John finally added: “When other post production professionals come into the studio, they love the sound of the ADAMs. Our clients tell us that they feel absorbed within the sound, which really helps us develop and sell adventurous sound design. They notice the richness and detail of an orchestral score – which makes our friendly composers very happy! And thanks to the effortless range and power of the monitors, our clients often talk on their ‘filmic’ experience. When other post production professionals come into the studio, they love the sound of the ADAMs and often comment on their appeal.”