Sam Oliver (left) and Gina Fant-Saez.
Nearly two years ago, producer and engineer Gina Fant-Saez installed a Dangerous Music summing and monitoring system in Blue World Music, her studio in Austin, Texas. She says that her current setup delivers the sound that she and her clients desire. “Ever since I bought my Dangerous Music system, I just don’t miss the console,” she says.
Blue World Music has a pair of Dangerous 2-Bus units normaled to Digidesign 192 HD interfaces for 32 channels of analog summing, as well as a Dangerous Mixer that is linked to the 2-Bus units for external effects and reverb returns. A Dangerous Monitor and MQ complete the system by providing input and speaker switching, and cue and talkback functions, as well as a reference D/A converter and metering.
“I replaced my SSL with a Dangerous Music system after researching and testing other available summing systems,” Fant-Saez says. “Before selling the SSL, I ran three mixes: one on the board [no EQ or compression], one in-the-box mix and one through the Dangerous system. I invited a handful of Austin’s best engineers and producers to listen, and in blind tests, we had a unanimous decision that the Dangerous mixes beat out everything. They were simply cleaner and warmer to everyone.
“I found that I was using the SSL for analog summing and maybe some EQ,” Fant-Saez adds. “I had all the faders at unity gain, and I was using mostly plug-ins, and all the automation in Pro Tools. I basically replaced my large format analog console with a Dangerous Music system and some key outboard compressors, EQs and mic pres.”
Explaining how she creates a complete console sound, Fant-Saez says, “I put the Alan Smart stereo compressor on the end of the mix chain to replicate the sound of the SSL. The Alan Smart is the same compressor that the SSL console uses. Combined with my outboard gear and plug-ins, it’s like my large format console in a rack. We’re very happy with the system.”
Fant-Saez’ main project is eSession, a Web-based music collaboration system. Blue World Music’s clients include Sting, Shawn Colvin, Spoon, Jimmie Vaughan, Nelly Furtado, Walt Disney Pictures and Chris Vrenna (Nine Inch Nails, Tweaker). Fant-Saez has also teamed up with German producer Sam Oliver to write and produce a techno-pop project called Room 2 Breathe.
For more information, visit www.dangerousmusic.com, www.blueworldmusic.com, www.esession.com and www.protoolsformusicians.com.
