New ProTools website - wtf?

After recently receiving an advanced email about the unification of all Avid products on one central website, I sighed with relief. My sigh was due to the fact that the (previous) digidesign website was not what you would call, the best as far as it's navigation was concerned. The email, as far as interpreted, explained that the new"Avid" website would fix some of these problems, and thus present the public with a new, easy to navigate site under the avid banner.

Well... today I was trying to install my "Complete Production Toolkit" software, and was greeted by window after window of countless links - and in fact the pages just kept me going around and around in circles... to no avail and still not to a link of the software. It all started when I inserted my PTLE 8 disk to do an install from disk. When I found the folder with the "additional installers" I was greeted by a text document which mentioned that the installation is a link found in my digi account.

The first mission was to go to my digi account. I found the link which said "my Account" and my login and password were accepted. Good start. I was then taken to a new "Avid" login page which wanted a new email login and password. After placing my details in again I was directed to a page - my new "my account".

The problem now is, I have NO software backlog of my previous "my account" digi downloads and thus there is No record of any of my purchases, meaning I have no link to download the "Digi Complete Toolkit". What there is however is a link saying Avid downloads. Clicking on this brings up a list with all the Avid downloads. This enables me to then search the entire Avid website for "Digi Complete Toolkit". The problem is.... the search function doesn't find it. Actually, it doesn't find any thing for "complete" - and the only software it finds for "toolkit" is PT7.4.

OK, so I spent about another half an hour digging around the website. This proved to be slightly fruitful. I did manage to find the new Complete Toolkit product description page. I even found (under More resources) a download like to the file. Unfortunately though, the link seems to be broken...

WOW I am so blown away by this new easy to navigate website. NOT!

Got some zombies to kill? Aliens to autopsy? Vampires to disembowell?

Tim Prebble from New Zealand releases "Vegetable Violence" - a sound effects library for horror, gore and all things violent.

Check out the trailer!


A promo for a new sound FX library available from
http://hissandaroar.com
please visit to get yourself a free copy of the sound library

Solo exhibition

iPod/ iPhone remote

Ever since getting my first ipod touch I have been interested in it's use as a remote control. This includes controlling the TV, DVD player, Amp etc, but more importantly I have been interested in it's use to control my computer. One example is that I currently use my ipod touch to remote control my mac when I record in the studio. I do this by setting up a local wireless network and using the ipod as a remote mouse/ keyboard. This is very cool as I can control my cpu in the control room with it's noisy fans from the studio floor.

This guy however has taken the use of the ipod/iphone to a whole new level...

are these cool ???

I saw these on Ebay and couldn't work out if they are cool or not... I don't think I could buy a pair but I am sure there is a market out there...

2GB MP3 Player Bluetooth Sunglasses Headset:

• Works for Non-Bluetooth mobile phones from Samsung, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, iPod.Wireless hands-free talk with your Bluetooth Cell phones,Listen to your iPod, PDA, MP3 Player, MP4, TV, Radiow/o tangled wires with a bluetooth adapter,Listen to MP3 music if your cell phone has MP3 function,Non-Bluetooth cell phones can be used with a bluetooth adapter,Designed for all outdoors activists: drivers, cyclists, skaters, hikers, golfers, sunbathers

... And the results are in

Well the results have come in from our survey, with some interesting statistics. Just click the images to be taken to a size which is readable!

Thanks to all of you for filling this out- we had 37 people in total!





There are some interesting statistics in regards to how long people have been working in the industry for, the difference in pay rates, and how people feel they are valued by both producers and colleagues. It is encouraging that as a sound team, people feel supported by their colleagues.

Having a "creative" job also is beneficial as often this adds to other rewards within the job, not obtained by money or working long hours.... There is a saying, that if you love your job - you never have to work.

If anyone is after a good read to do with work/ life balance I can recommend James O'Loghlin's "How to Balance your Life". and no I don't have an invested interest in this book...

Australian Sound Post Production Survey

After reading many blogs and discussions on the Yahoo Australian Post Production Industry digest I decided to create an online survey so that we can all get a better understanding of what is happening in our industry, in the way of pays and working weeks. Many of us do not like discussing the ins and outs of these areas in person, so this is a good way to do it whilst remaining anonymous. This survey is set up to be completely autonomous - and as such I will be able to post the results here on this blog or through the Yahoo Australian Post Production Industry digest.

Can I please get all Australian Audio post production people to fill this out. You will need to make sure that you do not have pop-ups blocked.

Click here to take survey

This survey ends February 28th 2010.


Disclaimer: This survey is for the intention of gauging work conditions for those working in Audio Post Production in Australia. The survey results do not represent the opinion of the author, with the author not being held responsible for the result outcomes. As the author also works in academia, the survey results may be used as data in print publications, journals, magazines and online. As the survey is completely anonymous, no user data is collected or stored on surveymonkey.