HHB Communications has provided Dolby’s UK headquarters in Royal Wootton Basset with an Avid Pro Tools | S6 modular control surface.

Multi-Use Theatre

At their Wootton Basset HQ, Dolby have an underground preview theatre, but showing films is not its only use. It can also...

• Demonstrate and test the latest in Dolby technology
• Host technical training
• Be used for internal and external content creation
• QCing Digital Cinema Packages

The Challenge For HHB

HHB's challenge was to make all of these scenarios easy to switch between, and clear enough so that a wide variety of different people could use the room with minimal familiarity.

The S6 is used to demonstrate a full Dolby Atmos mixing setup based around entirely in the box Pro Tools | HD 12 systems but the backbone of the system is a BSS Audio Soundweb London installation, which gives Dolby the required flexibility to easily switch between theatrical replay and content creation environments.

From D-Command To S6

Dolby was previously using an eight-fader Avid D-Command in this room, but when the company decided to look for for a larger mixing desk, time was spent looking at all the solutions available and how they integrated with Dolby Atmos. 

Richard Stockdale, Manager, Produced Content, Content Services Group UK at Dolby told us....

We need to be highly flexible in our workflows (receiving/sharing mix sessions with other facilities etc) so we were naturally drawn to a control surface over a more traditional mixing desk. The modular design of the S6 meant that we were able to create a control surface that would exactly suit our needs, both in terms of its physical form-factor and workflows. The great thing about the S6 is the flexibility of what it can control within Pro Tools. This flexibility allows us to demonstrate almost all the varieties of different mixing workflows with Dolby Atmos. With all the different ways in which the S6 can be configured, it means that when different mixers work in the theatre, they are able to work in a manner which they are accustomed to.

Greg Wheeler, HHB’s Manager, Professional Audio Sales, added... 

Dolby and HHB have a very long-standing working relationship. HHB is a dealer for Dolby Professional audio products so the flow of knowledge and support goes both ways between the two companies.