Services & Technology
With a combination of Creativity and Skills, the Advantage Team will help you reach and ultimately achieve all of your sonic goals
Services

Mixing

Advantage’s four mixing stages are equipped with Digidesign D-Command consoles offering Dolby Atmos Home Cinema, 7.1, 5.1 or Stereo Mixes. This environment is ideal for multi-channel audio and utilizing ProTools|HD systems for playback of dialog, sound effects, music and foley. It also allows for real-time editorial changes to any sound element during the mix. Everything is random access, enabling the mixing process to move at a focused rhythm. Our digital sound path ensures that all of your audio remains ‘first generation’ throughout the process. This impressive collection of equipment combined with the expertise and the technical horsepower of our award-winning re-recording mixers makes mixing at Advantage a uniquely rewarding experience.

Sound Design

At Advantage, sounds are created and designed specifically for each project. From cute and cuddly, huge and menacing and Everything in between, our effects editors create richly layered elements for every production style. Even sounds pulled from our extensive library are modified for every use to ensure you get a unique sound experience. Each sound is individually processed to achieve the best equalization and placement for the situation.  Through the extensive use of specialized technology, our team builds customized sounds to meet the exact needs of your picture. This attention to detail during the design/editorial process results in better sounding final mixes that take less time.

Foley

To achieve a more dynamic, accurate and organic performance, we routinely create sounds in foley that other facilities would cut from libraries. Live recording of all footsteps and prop movements is provided on our foley stage and recorded directly to ProTools through a super-clean analog front end, and positioned to tight-sync for every cue.

Dialog

Upon receipt of your work-print, we retrieve the original digital dialog files (either from our archives or another facility, depending on where the pre-production was done). We then tight-sync all lines to match your picture and insert additional lines or ADR where required. Advantage also maintains libraries of useful character readings from each series in order to enhance scenes that need unscripted dialog or reactions. All transfers are digital, and all editorial is performed in ProTools.

Transfer

Often overlooked, but of vital importance to the integrity of the finished product, is the transfer department. Advantage employs the highest quality systems for maintaining the full dynamic range of your finished soundtrack. We offer a wide array of options to accommodate your Video Masters and the latest security encryption and processing technologies to insure the safe use of your work print and loudness and level standards compliance.

Mixing

Advantage’s four mixing stages are equipped with Digidesign D-Command consoles offering Dolby Atmos Home Cinema, 7.1, 5.1 or Stereo Mixes. This environment is ideal for multi-channel audio and utilizing ProTools|HD systems for playback of dialog, sound effects, music and foley. It also allows for real-time editorial changes to any sound element during the mix. Everything is random access, enabling the mixing process to move at a focused rhythm. Our digital sound path ensures that all of your audio remains ‘first generation’ throughout the process. This impressive collection of equipment combined with the expertise and the technical horsepower of our award-winning re-recording mixers makes mixing at Advantage a uniquely rewarding experience.

Sound Design

At Advantage, sounds are created and designed specifically for each project. From cute and cuddly, huge and menacing and Everything in between, our effects editors create richly layered elements for every production style. Even sounds pulled from our extensive library are modified for every use to ensure you get a unique sound experience. Each sound is individually processed to achieve the best equalization and placement for the situation.  Through the extensive use of specialized technology, our team builds customized sounds to meet the exact needs of your picture. This attention to detail during the design/editorial process results in better sounding final mixes that take less time.

Foley

To achieve a more dynamic, accurate and organic performance, we routinely create sounds in foley that other facilities would cut from libraries. Live recording of all footsteps and prop movements is provided on our foley stage and recorded directly to ProTools through a super-clean analog front end, and positioned to tight-sync for every cue.

Dialog

Upon receipt of your work-print, we retrieve the original digital dialog files (either from our archives or another facility, depending on where the pre-production was done). We then tight-sync all lines to match your picture and insert additional lines or ADR where required. Advantage also maintains libraries of useful character readings from each series in order to enhance scenes that need unscripted dialog or reactions. All transfers are digital, and all editorial is performed in ProTools.

Transfer

Often overlooked, but of vital importance to the integrity of the finished product, is the transfer department. Advantage employs the highest quality systems for maintaining the full dynamic range of your finished soundtrack. We offer a wide array of options to accommodate your Video Masters and the latest security encryption and processing technologies to insure the safe use of your work print and loudness and level standards compliance.

Technology

Advantage Post Sound Services boasts 4 re-recording stages, 5 editorial bays, and a 950 sq.ft foley stage.

We can deliver in Dolby Atmos Home Cinema, 7.1, 5.1 or Stereo formats.

Video Formats

We accept the following video formats:

QuickTime files in numerous resolutions:
DNxHD, JPEG, DV, H264, and Pro Res codecs.  Please call to verify compatibility.

Audio Formats

We accept the following audio formats:

  • Preferred digital audio format is BWAV 48Khz at 24bits. All other resolutions will be converted to this standard unless instructed otherwise
  • ADM BWAV and DAMF (Dolby ATMOS RMU file)
  • All ProTools Sessions should be delivered in folders with all audio files included in folder
  • Please include 2pops and tail pops
  • OMF/AAF files should be output with embedded media
  • QuickTime files (audio can be part of a movie file)
  • Audio Tracks can be delivered in any of the above mentioned formats
  • Secure digital deliveries are preferred. We have a Signiant Media Shuttle encrypted server for delivery/ingest

Equipment

  • Digidesign/Avid D-Command consoles / installed in Mix-A, Mix-B, Mix-C and Mix-D
  • ProTools Ultimate systems / used in all (9) editorial and mixing suites
  • PMC audio monitors / used throughout the facility for accuracy and continuity
  • Bryston power amplifiers / drive the PMCs for maximum benefit
  • Our symmetrical 1Gbps Fiber internet assures fast uploads and downloads of media assets

Security

We take Media Asset Security very seriously at Advantage Post Sound Services. We are an Approved Vendor with both Trusted Partner Network (M.P.A.A./C.D.S.A.) and Walt Disney Studios’ Vendor Portal. Our secure Signiant Media Shuttle file server and Fortium Technologies Media Seal encryption protects your media from ingest through final delivery.

For more information on the vendor approval process, click here.

Remote Review Practices:

We have several technologies in place to provide remote review of sound design, dialog editorial and final mix review.  Reviews can be in-person, fully remote or a hybrid of both depending on your scheduling and geographical needs.  

(See our Best Practices article below)

The following are our go-to platforms for reviewing remotely (click links for overview):

SyncSketch

Allows for real time synchronized and offline review and notes for sound design and dialog editorial.  Leave notes on platform or communicate through video chat.

Moxion

Encrypted collaboration workspace for online and offline review of workprints and editorial outputs.

Source Live Pro LL

Real time encrypted low latency HD video and audio streaming platform with built in live video chat for up to 20 participants.

Evercast

Streaming encrypted HD video with audio with built in live video chat.

Video Chat

We use all popular video meeting platforms for communication on reviews if required.

Zoom, Teams, Google, GoToMeeting, Blue Jeans and more.

 

BEST PRACTICES FOR IDEAL VIEWING/COMMUNICATING.

  1. Quiet Environment
  2. Wired headphones of studio quality (Bluetooth introduces Audio delay)
  3. Use separate device (smartphone) to access Zoom meeting. (Zoom can compete for audio/video resources with SyncSketch)
  4. Wired internet connection.  (If unavailable, setup in closer proximity to wireless router)
  5. Keep Zoom device microphone muted except when giving notes or conversing between playbacks.
  6. Source Live is qualified for use in Chrome Browser.  Copy provided link in Chrome and you’ll be prompted for your name and the provided passphrase (case sensitive).  You will then see and hear the stream.  Click on “Join Chat” (you may have to give permission to Chrome for your Mic and Camera).  The chat windows will appear below the main stream. Default push-to-talk button is your spacebar.

Contact us for more detailed information or for assistance with any technical obstacles you may be facing.