Woodside, CA – September 2019… Capturing music free from annoying ambient sounds has always been a challenge—particularly when those ambient sounds emanate from the very tools being used to record the music. To address this issue, Arista Corporation recently introduced their Stealth Audio Workstation, which combines 8th generation Intel® i7 processing power with fanless silent operation and SSD storage. One of the first such systems has been handling production tasks for Chris Chafe, a composer and cellist from Woodside, CA.
Chafe is a composer, improvisor, and cellist who develops much of his music alongside computer-based research. He is an active performer whose music reaches audiences in dozens of countries and, sometimes, at novel venues—such as a 2009 performance at the United Nations. Chafe’s works are available from various online media. Recent works include the Brain Stethoscope project, PolarTide for the 2013 Venice Biennale, Tomato Quintet for the transLife:media Festival at the National Art Museum of China, and Sun Shot played by the horns of large ships in the port of St. Johns, Newfoundland. He discussed his experience with the Arista Stealth Audio WorkStation.
“I’m using the Stealth Audio Workstation on my music synthesis projects that I record in my private home studio,” Chafe explained. “One of the system’s most appealing aspects for me is the ease at setting up a dual-boot configuration using Fedora for Linux-based audio tools. Open-source tools for music making are readily available and are splendidly useful. In many cases, they serve as the backbone of my artistic practice. In this regard, the Arista workstation is perfectly matched to my requirements and marks a significant improvement over many alternatives.”
“This flexibility, combined with the system’s exceptional computational speed makes this workstation invaluable for the type of work I’m involved in,” Chafe added. “The system’s speed, combined with complete silence, allows the unit to be placed anywhere in the recording area, which isn’t the case with many computer-based recording setups.”
Arista’s Stealth Audio Workstation is equipped with an Intel i7-8700 six-core processor that provides plenty of CPU power to record musicians, compose film music, work with sound effects for TV or film, and play virtual instruments. Additionally, the system is populated with 64GB DDR4 memory that enables one to load large sample libraries. The system also has the option of larger SSD’s (Solid State Disk) that provide enough storage space to record live instruments or save a library of sample-based plug-ins. The system supports a 4K display or up to three HD displays.
As is the case in any music production environment, configuration or operational questions may arise, so responsive, capable support is essential for the working professional. In this regard, Chafe was very complimentary of Arista Corporation’s customer support services. “Arista’s customer and technical support has been extremely responsive,” he reports. “I am indebted to them for their interest and cooperation, as this is a significant part of what makes the workstation so valuable.”
Before shifting his focus back to the business of the day, Chafe offered these parting thoughts, “I’ve been working with the Stealth Audio Workstation for roughly eight months and I’m very pleased. I have a demanding set of requirements in my synthesis work. Part of it requires measurement of physical instruments in varying acoustical conditions. It is not always possible (nor desirable) to work in treated spaces or in locations with proper signal paths between source and recording machinery. The Arista workstation allows me to put high-speed computation in close proximity to where the work is, wherever it is—and that has proven invaluable.”
For a sample of Chris Chafe’s recent work, check out the soundtrack for A Day in the Sun (video by Greg Niemeyer).
About Arista Corporation
Arista offers products for a variety of professional audio-visual markets, including events, retail, residential, education, government, healthcare, and control rooms. Networked AV over IP has forever changed the dynamics of the pro AV industry by enabling installers and system integrators to replace proprietary AV matrix switches with off-the-shelf Ethernet networks that deliver dramatically better price/performance, flexibility, and scalability. Arista focuses on this market trend and has invested considerable resources on developing and expanding its networked AV over IP product families to help customers achieve their goals with the latest technology products. To learn more Arista Corporation, visit www.aristaproav.com.
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