Super Audio CD Mastering Editor Updated for AES New York
 December 4, 2001
SADiE's new Super Audio CD Mastering Editor, announced originally at the Amsterdam AES Convention in May 2001, includes a number of new developments that have occurred since the product was debuted.
Designed for editing and mastering stereo Direct Stream Digital (DSD) material and producing finished masters for the Super Audio CD format, the SADiE Super Audio CD Mastering Editor is based on a radically new hardware platform. The Super Audio CD Mastering Editor represents the first of a series of new workstations from SADiE. It supports all existing and new delivery formats and offers total system solutions to mastering facilities across the world. The announcement of the SADiE Super Audio CD Mastering Editor coincides with increased industry support from the major labels Sony Music, Universal, EMI and Virgin, who will be making titles available on the high-quality Super Audio CD format.
The new system supports the recording and full editing capability of stereo DSD material, with equalization and dynamics control also available in the DSD domain.
Input level metering and control to Annex D&E standard are provided, offering the mastering engineer full multiband metering -- a major benefit for monitoring the extended frequency range of the format with the level of accuracy necessary for full mastering confidence. The level meters can be selected to show either a block or a waveform display.
In editing mode, the Super Audio CD Mastering Editor permits an unlimited number of
non-destructive "razor-blade" edits. In addition, named locate points can be created during
the recording process, as well as up to ten locate points with hotkeys. The system can automatically name and stack up to 999 takes, and segments can be generated automatically after recording.
Several different editing paradigms are supported, for maximum functionality and familiarity in different pro-audio editing and mastering environments, including Super Audio CD editing and mastering, CD pre-mastering, music editing and radio/speech editing.
In addition to the recording and editing functions, full Super Audio CD authoring facilities to
the Scarlet Book standard are incorporated. Using a similar interface to the familiar SADiE
Red Book PQ editor, a dialogue window will allow all of the Super Audio CD text and ancillary data to be entered and edited. An image file can then be automatically written to the built-in AIT tape drive to generate a master tape for transfer to the factory for disc manufacture.
Full interchange with Philips and Sony Super Audio CD authoring systems is supported.
Based on SADiE's standard editing user interface for operator familiarity, the new DSD editor also supports down-conversion to 16-bit PCM for production of the Red Book CD layer on a hybrid Super Audio CD, or a separate conventional CD product.
"DSD technology and the Super Audio CD format are capable of delivering outstanding sonic performance," SADiE MD Joe Bull noted, "and they will be vital components in the delivery
of secure high resolution audio to the consumer." Already in use at Metropolis Mastering in
the UK, the SADiE Super Audio CD Editor is being used for production in an upcoming collection of Peter Gabriel material for Super Audio CD release. Other current projects include Rounder Records' release of Laura Nyro's Angel In The Dark album, edited and authored on the SADiE Super Audio CD, as well as ongoing production work in the UK with renowned classical recording engineer, Tony Faulkner.
For more information, visit their web site at www.sadie.com. | 
