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AMS (Advanced Music Systems)
Encyclopedia
AMS were a manufacturer of professional studio equipment. The company later merged with Neve Electronics to form the award winning AMS Neve
Ltd company, who received an Emmy
in 1992 and a Grammy
in 2000.
Aerospace
engineers moving into the design of professional studio equipment for the manipulation and control of sound
. The first product designed by the company was the DM-20 Tape Phase Simulator. This initial product was notably used by ELO
, 10cc
and Sir Paul McCartney
, who used it on his London Town album in 1978. In 1978 AMS introduced the world's first microprocessor
controlled, 15 bit digital delay line
- the AMS DMX 15-80. Later the DMX included "loop triggering" launching the use of digital
sampling
. The DMX later included pitch
changing and up to 32 seconds of delay.
In 1981 AMS released the RMX-16 digital reverberator
. This new effects processor's "Non Lin 2"-setting was digitally emulating the drum sound (of compressing and gating a room microphone) that was used on the Phil Collins
recording In the Air Tonight
. The track's unique drum sound was created by a combination of a room microphone compressed by the "Listen Mic"-Compressor of an early SSL Console in combination with cutting off the reverb sound with a noise gate. Later in 1988 the company released the Logic 1; it was the first fully dynamic, automated digital mixing console
. In 1992 AMS merged with Neve and carried on manufacturing professional recording equipment.
AMS Neve
AMS Neve Ltd was the result of the amalgamation in 1992 of AMS with Neve Electronics.-Background:Neve Electronics was a British manufacturer of mixing consoles that originated in the work of Rupert Neve in the 1960s...
Ltd company, who received an Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in 1992 and a Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in 2000.
Background
AMS (Advanced Music Systems) were established in 1976 by Mark Crabtree and Stuart Nevison. They had beenAerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
engineers moving into the design of professional studio equipment for the manipulation and control of sound
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
. The first product designed by the company was the DM-20 Tape Phase Simulator. This initial product was notably used by ELO
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
, 10cc
10cc
10cc are an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The band initially consisted of four musicians -- Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme -- who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the "10cc" name...
and Sir Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, who used it on his London Town album in 1978. In 1978 AMS introduced the world's first microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
controlled, 15 bit digital delay line
Digital delay line
A digital delay line is a discrete element in digital filter theory, which allows a signal to be delayed by a number of samples. If the delay is an integer multiple of samples digital delay lines are often implemented as circular buffers...
- the AMS DMX 15-80. Later the DMX included "loop triggering" launching the use of digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
. The DMX later included pitch
Pitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
changing and up to 32 seconds of delay.
In 1981 AMS released the RMX-16 digital reverberator
Reverberation
Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air...
. This new effects processor's "Non Lin 2"-setting was digitally emulating the drum sound (of compressing and gating a room microphone) that was used on the Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
recording In the Air Tonight
In the Air Tonight
"In the Air Tonight" is a song by Phil Collins that first appeared on his 1981 album Face Value. It was recorded in 1979 and was the first single of Collins' solo career, and remains one of his best-known hits. The music video, directed by Stuart Orme, was released in 1981.-The song/recording:The...
. The track's unique drum sound was created by a combination of a room microphone compressed by the "Listen Mic"-Compressor of an early SSL Console in combination with cutting off the reverb sound with a noise gate. Later in 1988 the company released the Logic 1; it was the first fully dynamic, automated digital mixing console
Digital mixing console
In professional audio, a Digital Mixing Console , is an electronic device for combining, routing, and changing the dynamics of digital audio samples. The digital audio samples are summed to produce a combined output. A professional digital mixing console is a dedicated desk or control surface...
. In 1992 AMS merged with Neve and carried on manufacturing professional recording equipment.
Notable products
- AMS DMX 15-80 digital delay (mono)
- AMS DMX 15-80S digital delay (stereo)
- AMS S-DMX
- AMS RMX-16 digital reverberator
- AMS Audiofile digital audio editor
- AMS Logic series