Over the last few months we have been amassing as much gear as possible to make your productions as proffessional, stress free and with a variety of options.

We have equipment for any small drama, documentary, eng, interviews voice overs… pretty much anything really.

We have a wide array of microphones for use on location or in the studio, for both dialogue, effects and music.

For dialogue in interior locations we strongly recommend our Schoeps CMC641.  This extremely high quality condenser mic sounds incredibly natural and has great rear rejection which heps combat reverberant spaces. In outdoor locations we have the new Rode NTG3 shotgun microphone.  This sounds identical to the Sennheisser MKH416, a long term industry workhorse.  Not only does this microphone provide great rejection of lateral sound (great for noisy locations where distant traffic is an obstacle), this RF mic will also work under the harshest conditions in low temperatures and high humidity.  When there is no way to get in a cabled microphone, we can also provide new Audio Technica wirelees mics.  There are two available which can also be used  connect a mixer to your camera.  There are also a range of microphones for other applications such as Rode NT1 (for voice over or music application), NT3 (voice or foley recording), Shure SM57 (music, voice and loud effects recording such as gunfire), contact mics, telephone pick ups and plenty more.

There is an SQN 4S series IV location mixer that can mix up to 4 tracks of audio into 2 channels that can be recorded into camera or any other device.  SQN’s are highly reliable and have been used for film and broadcast for over 20 years.  We can also record remotely onto 2 Zoom SD recorders or to hard drive through a Laptop.

We also provide facilities for post production with a choice of several small facilities operating Pro Tools Le, Logic Pro, Soundtrack Pro and Final Cut which are cost effective and can work remotely.  For larger productions we can provide high broadcast grade facilities at Borough Studios right near london bridge which houses 2 Pro Tools HD recording studios.

For rates and more information conact chris@sound-spot.co.uk

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Ok so it may be a slow afternoon at the studio but I did manage to make some use of the downtime I suppose.  Here’s a little treat I’m sure I’ll play out at gigs

Big Youth vs MOP – Daddy Ante

Daddy Ante - Boco

Audio Post Production Showreel by Palani. Autumn 2009. Featuring works from University of The Arts London Alumni.

Palani Sound Post Showreel from Palani Bala on Vimeo.

Join El Club Cinema Commercial from Kasia Sobocinska on Vimeo.

Here it is up on Vimeo and in HD Join El Club Cinema Commercial / Skillset director: Victor Naveira writer : Joseph Kendle director of photography: Luis Posada camera operator: Kasia Sobocinska producer: Stephen Roberts production designer: James Morrall key art director: Jessica Hand editor : Adrian Thompson sound designers: Palani Bala, Chris Box

If you trace the history of these 6 seconds of drums, from the late Gregory C Coleman, you will also trace an entire history of sampled music.  Moving through genres such as Hip Hop, Breakbeat, Jungle, Hardcore, Drum & Bass, even Britpop, & Metal as well as Commercials. Originally from the B side of The Winstons 1969 single ‘Color Him Father’, ‘Amen Brother’s 6 second drum solo has immersed itself into popular culture.

Through the use of samplers through hip hop producers in the 1980s and 90s and similarly electronic musicians like Mantronix, the ‘Amen Break’ quickly became synonymous with electronic music.  It’s common use again and again within genres meant that it has been taken away from its original context and been re-appropriated into a new culture. Like the standards of Jazz and Rock ‘n’ Roll and folk cultures throughout history, the ‘Amen Break’ has become a central part of Hip Hop and Electronic music.  Each DJ, Producer, Musician that uses the ‘Amen Break’ is not just using 6 seconds of a record, they are using a central component of a culture and adding their personal stamp, constantly adding new meaning.

This constant evolving and developing of the Amen Break is often a slow evolution, however every now and again a huge leap in its use can be seen, through both technological and economic means. After the emergence of breakbeat, electronic musicians began to use new and more sophisticated samplers that allowed samples to be not only looped, but chopped, reordered, reversed and lots more.  This gave way to Jungle and eventually ‘Drum and Bass’. More recently, as electronic and sampled music have become a major part in mainstream music, and as clear systems developed for the use of samples, the corporate and commercial world has swallowed the ‘Amen Break’ into its industries.

As mainstream media eventually absorbs youth culture, the Amen Break can now be heard in commercials, corporate videos and TV shows.  In fact the coups de gras can be found in Matt Groening’s ‘Futurama’ where the ‘Amen Break’ is used alongside its brother (another giant of sampling cultre) the ‘Apache Break’ (from Mike Viner’s Incredible Bongo Band cover of the Shadows song Apache). Nate Harrison’s audio installation ‘Can I Get an Amen’, provides an interesting and in-depth profile and history of the Amen Break.  In this piece Harrison questions why the ‘Amen Break’ has become a ‘key aural ingredient in contemporary cultural expression’ and the relationship between an emerging art form and copyright law.

Working with Nate Harrisons voice (among others), I have put together a mix together which attempts to visualize or auralize his ideas.  This cut and paste documix you will hopefully enjoy and will take you through a history and also a development sampling culture itself as well as the amen break.  This was originally available through Blue Slims Radio but is now also available through the CardBoardBoss  podcast and hopefully Squidge.

Amen Documix - Boco Further more if you are interested in finding out more about the amen break (if you start you will never finish)

here are a few links for you to peruse.

A long but very short list of tracks using the Amen Break

40 variations of the ‘Amen Break’

Boy and Bike from Chris Box on Vimeo.

Here is a recent short submitted for the Vigin Media Short competition.  Directed by Edward Wise, camera Milos Moore, sound recording and design by Chris Box

A young boy struggles to fully understand the death of his dog, so he is not best pleased when a grumpy old man get’s in his way.

Chris Box Showreel Summer 2009 from Chris Box on Vimeo.

Here’s the recent showreel for sound designer/sound recordist Chris Box which includes a selection of works such as the shorts Endstation Heimat (dir: Jan Hesse), Inisde Outside (dir Remi Weekes), Tide (dir: Luke White) and Boy and Bike (dir: Edward Wise) as well as the Skillset funded commercial for Pot Noodle (dir: Victor Nameira).

For info regarding projects and future projects you can contact Chris at

chris@sound-spot.co.uk