"The course includes a significant audio theory element, without which it's pretty impossible to optimise or even measure a sound system," says Mike Mann, technical manager at Autograph Sales. "It also includes hands-on time learning the routines and sequences for measuring and adjusting systems in live situations. There's a lot to learn over the five days, as it's the mostintensive training course Meyer offers.
Oliver Driver, a partner in Audio Alliance North, Manchester, who attended the course, says: "It was a very educational week, with lots of hard work from 9am to 7pm every day and homework each evening which didn't just involve the pub. The SIM philosophy is about quality from start to finish, the SIM analysis being only one part of that philosophy. Topics such as phase response and polarity were covered in depth and provided some intriguing insights into loudspeaker design. Overall a very enjoyable and educational week's work."
SIM II is a multi-channel advanced FFT (fast Fourier transfer) analyser, enabling operators to view the response of an audio system in the time domain as well as conventional (but very high resolution) frequency analysis. A key advantage is its ability to use any full bandwidth source, such as music, as a signal, rather than a constant tone or noise, allowing measurements to be taken before and during a show. Developed 10 years ago this year, it is still the most advanced audio system measurement tool for live sound applications. Only certified SIM operators may use SIM on shows. "At the end of the course we were delighted to find that all 10 students had passed the final exam - by no means a foregone conclusion!" says Mann.
(Lee Baldock)
