
This is a
view of Serif Sound's primary digital audio workstation, SonicStudio HD
1.9.1. This final version hails from 2001, therefore it runs on Mac OS
9 on an Apple G4 PPC, with 1.5 GB RAM and a
SonicStudio HDSP card (for the application's processing there are four
dedicated Motorolla chips), Adaptec 39160 SCSI accelerator, and a 36 GB
Ultra160SCSI hard drive for recording to and from. Despite
its relative maturity in the world of software, it remains an industry
workhorse and still provides state-of-the-art editing features,
loop-through workflow, and delivery formats including DDP v. 2.0
(folder of image files), Exabyte (DDP v. 1.0), digital audio on CD-R,
Jam® image,
and
timed tape.
It is a direct descendent of the first DAW, invented by Dr. James "Andy" Moorer, who also developed LucasFilm's SoundDroid workstation, that they used to edit the audio for "Return of the Jedi," among others. SonicStudio HD's 48 bit audio bus, which provides three times the amplitude resolution of compact disc audio, gives its proprietary EQ, gain modification, and HD Sample Rate Conversion calculations a substantial amount of precision, allowing for natural sounding adjustments, even at extreme settings.
This
SonicStudio HD workstation is also authorized for Manual operation of
Dr. Moorer's famous NoNoise® suite of processors, including
DeClicking, DeCrackling, as well as General noise reduction.
(Serif Sound
also uses Izotope RX for Spectral Repair, DeHiss, DeHum, and other
related processes.)
Sonic's Edit Fade Mode window provides highly precise, derivatives for quick adjustment of fades, up and down, of each segment of audio.
Sonic's Edit
Decision List window allows for audio tracks to be positioned and
edited quickly and precisely, and for track and index markers to be
placed anywhere
during the program, within Red Book specifications. Sonic's
Delivery features ensure accurate
track number, start/stop location, and elapsed time (P-Q code)
programming, and can verify the master's actual data against the
EDL. ISRC and UPC data are also programmable. A PQ code document
generated by Sonic is available for each [pre]master, as is a track
list.
In addition to SonicStudio, Serif
Sound can play files the sample rates of which that are different from
the target (rate) into the console from one of several other DAWs on a
separate PC, such as Samplitude or Pro Tools LE.
Furthermore, Pro Tools LE can funtion as a host for third party plug
ins, for stream-through processing, just as if the plug-in were a piece
of hardware.
For DVD-V titles, we use Apple DVD
Studio Pro (on an Apple G5), and for DVD-A titles, we use Minnetonka
Audio discWelder.