Since its debut in May 2004, Digidesign has delivered more than 2,200 ICON integrated recording/mixing console systems to music and post-production studios. Recent installations include London’s renowned Pinewood Studios Group, which took delivery of ICON number 2,000 in July.
That landmark console was the third ICON to be installed at Pinewood’s Shepperton Studios site, following the installation of a similar 32-fader ICON D-Control console in the facility’s Theatre 4.
“Over the last eight years, we have seen Pro Tools become the core audio program used across the whole Pinewood Group,” says Giles Farley, head of Pinewood’s International Sound Post Production unit. “The Digidesign ICON takes the power and flexibility of Pro Tools HD to the next level, reinforcing our long-term commitment to an integrated workflow.
“When managing the localization and dubbing in over 40 languages, it is critical that our systems and sites are 100-percent compatible,” Farley continues. “The installation of ICON allowed our rooms to become much more flexible and attractive to many more customers. With ICON, we now have complete functionality and Pro Tools integration not available by any other means.”
Other facilities adopting ICON systems include London’s Metropolis Studios and the Village Recorder in Los Angeles. “The ICON was an obvious choice for us,” says Village Recorder CEO Jeff Greenberg. “It offers seamless integration with the room’s Pro Tools HD system. Even prior to our officially announcing it, we began hearing from engineers interested in working on the ICON. And since installing it, the room has been booked solid. Feedback from clients has been overwhelmingly positive. It sounds great, and it’s really had a profound impact on the mixing environment.”
Leading audio education institutions are integrating ICON training into their programs, including Full Sail in Orlando, Fla., London’s Alchemia, Ex’pression College in Emeryville, Calif., and the Los Angeles Recording School.
Full Sail has installed 17 ICON systems into its facility in the last three years. “The ICON is really the cutting-edge of worksurface technology, and students who are conversant with it will have the edge in a competitive industry,” says Bill Smith, Full Sail’s recording arts program director. “We know that 95 percent of our graduates are going to be sitting in front of a Pro Tools rig, and the trend toward mixing ‘in the box’ makes a sophisticated control surface more and more essential.”
L.A. Recording School’s director of education, Steve Miller, observes, “As educators, we have to be conscious not only of the current state of technology, but of what things will look like 10 years from now. The ICONs are, for us, a long-term investment in tomorrow’s technology.”
For more information, visit www.digidesign.com/icon.
