First Soundmaster ION system installed in China at BFI
Published: ASIA
CHINA: The Beijing Film Academy (BFI) has recently invested in a Soundmaster ION system for its dubbing stage, which is the first time the system has been implemented in the country. ‘I’m very glad that our system has finally appeared in China,’ said Robert D Predovich, president of Soundmaster.
The installation took approximately one day, and fine-tuning and training was provided over the subsequent days. The completed system is comprised of seven modules: an ION/Atom series 8000 main platform, an ION/Ikis console control interface/record control matrix, ION/Pro Tools integration for workstation control, an ION/Virtouch programmable keypad/touch screen, an ION network interface and Digimote wearable wireless remote, and CallHome network support.
‘Soundmaster has made a strong impression on me,’ added Shen Jianqin, a respected film sound mixer in China. ‘It provides whichever control signals we need, and it’s so powerful that nothing is impossible when it’s rolling. Stability is most important for me – losing automation information was always a problem when I was working on the former system. Soundmaster provides a very stable working environment and fast, accurate synchronisation, and this allows me to focus completely on sound mixing.’
‘ION/Ikis, ION/Virtouch and ION/Pro Tools are time-saving functions and are very easy to operate,’ continued Mr Shen. ‘These features make my work much more convenient, and what’s more, the CallHome network support provides us with online updates, diagnosis and other technical support from headquarters in Toronto, which is a very efficient custom service platform.’
‘In 1990 Soundmaster was instrumental in the sound postproduction of the China/Canada co-production of Bethune: The Making of a Hero feature film,’ continued Mr Predovich. ‘I wondered whether there would come a day when Soundmaster would be utilised in China. The ball started rolling in 2005 when BFA invited me to speak to its students, and I am thrilled that it has now culminated in a state-of-the-art installation there.’