Mere Mortals: Upgrading their studio to Pro Tools

Mere Mortals wanted to upgrade their complete audio for post workflow to include Pro Tools HD. We helped them get all the hardware and software they would need to attract bigger clients.

As an Avid Elite Dealer, with a dedicated audio and post team, we were able to give Mere Mortals a complete suite to meet their needs. Senior audio technician, Rich McCoull explained: "We had a long discussion and Rob [Holsman, Jigsaw audio consultant] gave me about seven or eight different options which was good as in the current climate, everyone's on a budget. He found solutions that fitted nicely with what we're doing."

Rob said, "They needed a system that was capable of handling large sessions and working to high-definition video, which they could rely on to meet their delivery deadlines. Because of its power, stability and support for most professional video standards, a Pro Tools HD system was the natural choice."

An end-to-end audio post system

The result was a Pro Tools HD Accel 2 system that was powerful enough to take on multiple demanding jobs, and a Digidesign HD C24 control surface for tactile control over editing processes. A Blackmagic DeckLink Studio 2 video card was added for playing back video directly within Pro Tools, while the TC Electronic LM5D loudness monitoring plug-in would help Mere Mortals conform to current UK loudness standards.

The Pro Tools HD system hasn't just ensured that Mere Mortals has access to impressive sound effects and music libraries, they are now able to offer their customers end-to-end post-production services for radio commercials, visual effects and CG graphics, and editing and finishing on Smoke and Nuke. Their potential has been boosted with a sister office opening in Dubai, as well as increased work at home:

"What's good about the new solution is that when we talk to our national clients and tell them what we've got in terms of both audio and video equipment, it's just accepted that we can do whatever it is that they bring in. Since we've put in the new system, there's been quite a lot of interest from our clients. We've had two or three jobs that have come in specifically because we've put in the new suite," said managing director David Jeffries.

- See more from the guys at Mere Mortals by clicking on the video at the top of the page...

To find out more about boosting your potential by upgrading your studio to Pro Tools HD, call 03332 409 306 or email audio@Jigsaw24.com.