The year 2015 marks the 30th anniversary of Focusrite, the award-winning manufacturer of computer audio interfaces, microphone preamplifiers and audio signal processors based in the UK.
Focusrite grew out of a 1985 request from Beatles’ producer Sir George Martin to Rupert Neve to design a new, high-quality microphone preamplifier and equalizer—and later a dynamics module—to extend the capabilities of the vintage Neve recording console installed in Martin’s AIR Montserrat studio in the Caribbean. Their success in Montserrat and subsequently at AIR London resulted in their commercial release as stand-alone modules. These modules and their successors shared the same design with only minor alterations—with versatile mic, instrument and line inputs and a classic sound—and found a home in many leading recording studios. They’ve been used on hundreds of hit records by top artists, engineers and producers.
Focusrite reports that today, the Focusrite Heritage Sound is more popular than when the original units were first introduced more than a quarter of a century ago. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original creation of the first of these classic designs, Focusrite is running an exclusive competition.
Buyers of an ISA or Red 1 500 product from March 2, 2015, who register a product and use it on a track before September 1, 2015, could win the chance to have a song mixed by engineer Damian Taylor. Based out of his Golden Ratio studio in Montréal, Canada, Taylor has worked with Arcade Fire, The Killers, Bjork, The Prodigy and many other leading artists.
To enter, upload an MP3 rough mix of a track made with the ISA or Red 1 500 before September 13, 2015. Taylor will choose the winner and begin his mix mix as soon as possible after the source files are supplied.
