Lucasfilm THXÆ pm3ô Program Expands With New Sites Worldwide

10-Oct-00

Lucasfilm THXÆ announced the certification of four new sites within its THX pm3ô Program, with another four currently under construction. The THX pm3 Program, for professional multichannel mixing and monitoring, was created one year ago to provide standards for facilities increasingly used for multichannel mixing and monitoring for DVD, television and music. Newly certified under the program are rooms at Electric Switch London, a DVD production facility, Intersound in West Hollywood, California, Sony PCL in Tokyo, and two rooms at La Curva in Mexico City. These join three previously certified sites - four rooms at the 20th Century Fox Los Angeles post production facility, plus rooms at Londonís Tape Gallery and Origin in Austin, Texas. THX pm3 sites are under construction at Chace Productions in Burbank, California, Double Sound Studios in Rio de Janeiro, Marina Studio in Carasco, Italy, and Studio Maunior in Geneva. All three are expected to be completed within two months.For Bob Auger, founder of Electric Switch, a DVD design, graphics and compression center and a DVD by Deluxe subsidiary, pm3 certification was critical. ""We monitor the quality and consistency of the soundtracks for major films on DVD, and we needed a reference standard to ensure that consistency,"" he explained. ""THX pm3 provides that assurance so the finished product isnít just one individualís idea of how it should sound.""At Intersound, a full-service post production facility for more than 20 years, the pm3 room is used for the studioís TV,CD-ROM and airline projects. It joins an already-existing larger THX-certified soundstage at Intersoundís new nine-month old Los Angeles location. ""THX certification is a calling card that tells the industry that you can withstand the toughest scrutiny,"" said President and General Manager Kent Harrison Hayes. ""The company is also an excellent resource when it comes to fine-tuning a room to produce the best sound possible.""Building on over a decade of experience in post production and recording, THX developed a standard for DVD mastering, sweetening and mixing, and for facilities doing work in broadcast, music or multimedia applications. The program established new equipment and room acoustics specifications, with the objective of providing two key benefits. First, THX pm3 makes it easier to design and build rooms that provide the proper environment for monitoring transfer quality. Second, it ensures that a multichannel mix will deliver accurate results in any size room.""The rapid growth of multichannel sound has brought about the need for consistent and superior performance in professional multichannel mixing and monitoring facilities,"" said Monica L. Dashwood, Lucasfilm THX General Manager. ""The programís acceptance confirms that assessment as studios have turned to pm3 as a way to ensure consistency and accuracy in their multichannel mixes.""