News And events

New In house producer at Spence-Thomas

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:09:01 -0400

All of us at Spence-Thomas Audio Post are proud to announce that Rob Kirkpatrick has joined our team. Rob will fulfill the newly created role of In-house Producer. He brings with him many years of leadership in the film and television business, having worked in large and small production facilities since 1979.

Our association with Rob began 15 years ago when he listened patiently as Patrick and Richard Spence-Thomas attempted to convince him that our company would make a suitable new audio post supplier for the range of animation projects he was managing. We were thrilled that he accepted our proposal then, and we are equally thrilled now that he has agreed to be part of our operation today.

Please feel free to contact Rob with any and all questions and tap into his vast knowledge of television post production.

Rob can be reached via email at rob@spence-thomas.com or by phone at our office 416-361-6383.

New Console in Studio #1

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:29:17 -0400

After nearly 12 years in service, our old Pro-Control hardware control surface was ready for a rest. Fortunately for us it has a new big brother, the Avid/Digidesign D-command ES console, part of the ICON series of mixing surfaces. What can we say, it’s new and cooler, WAY COOLER.

STAP Now Encoding Dolby E

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 23:02:00 -0400

Due to popular demand we have just installed a new software based Dolby E encoder in our suites at Richmond Street. This system from Neyrinck and Dolby allows us to take mixes produced inside our Pro Tools systems and encode them into the Dolby E format in much faster than real time. These Encoded files can then be imported into any digital editing system and output to tape formats such as HDcam (SR) or Digital Beta.
This new system is the perfect compliment to our existing Dolby LM100 loudness monitor and Dolby DP 569 Dolby Digital encoder. We are now able to meter, preview, and master the entire Dolby Digital chain that modern broadcasters require.

Gemini Nomination for Shaun Firth

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 22:47:50 -0400

We are very proud to announce that long time Spence-Thomas mixer Shaun Firth has been nominated for a Gemini Award in the “Best Sound in an Information/Documentary Program” category this year.

The Program “Empire of the Word” was Shaun’s last project before leaving us, and the business, for medical reasons mid way through last year. We were always very proud of his accomplishments, and this is the icing on the cake. Of course this just makes us wish for his return even more.

Please join us in wishing him the greatest success at the awards gala on November 2nd.

Way to Go Shaun !!!!

New Toys

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 11:34:14 -0400

Studio #1 Has seen the following improvements in the last year:

Dolby Digital Approval- following a reconfiguration of the console position
New High Definition Digital Projection in native 1080/24p directly from within protools
2 new Digidesign HD Accel proccess cards
Blackmagic Decklink HD extreme video card
Waves Mercury plugin upgade- basically everything that they make.
Focusrite Liquid Mix HD software- 40 Classic Eq and Compressor emulations inside protools
Adam S3A secondary near field monitors
Blue-Ray playback

Studio #2 has gained:

Upgrade to Digidesign C24 console controller
1 new Digidesign HD Accel proccess card
New HD Projector
Added our Classic Neve 1073 mic amps and UREI 1176 limiter to this room

Studio #4 has gained:

Upgraded computer
Final cut Version 7, Protools version 8, Titan version 3

Also many new microphones including:

B&k 4003 high voltage (pair)
Shure SM7 (pair)
AKG 414 XLII (pair)
AT 4040

Coming soon:

Studio #3 upgrade to 5.1 surround sound
Vintage 1974 MCI Jh16 2inch 24-track machine