Some Velvet Morning (pictured), a three-piece London-based band comprising brothers Des (guitar/vocals) and Gavin Lambert (bass), and drummer Rob Flanagan, recorded its self-titled debut album for U.S. independent label Rhythmbank Records at Antonio’s Freshly Frozen Fish Market, a private studio in London. The label appointed Rik Simpson, whose credits include Coldplay, Athlete and Kasabian, to produce the album.
Simpson tracked the album using Prism Sound converters and old analog gear, including a vintage Neve console, with a Pro Tools HD system supplied by FX Rentals. For the mixing stage, Simpson and the band chose Overtones Studio in Holborn, central London.
“We wanted to work at Overtones because it has such a cool vibe,” says Simpson. “The studios are great and we really loved the relaxed atmosphere. But although Overtones had Prism Sound ADA-8XR converters, it didn’t have the necessary HD cards we needed to work with our Pro Tools system.”
Because the band’s budget was tight, Overtones’ directors Lesley Willis and Lesley Wood contacted Prism Sound to see if the company could help. Prism Sound immediately dispatched five Pro Tools HD cards and three extra A/D cards, enabling Simpson to mix the album using a Pro Tools HD system with 40 outputs.
“Our ADA8-XR units usually come with HD cards, but Overtones had requested Mix cards for their units because the studio doesn’t normally offer HD facilities,” says Prism Sound’s sales director and founder, Graham Boswell. “We were only too happy to help and are delighted that Some Velvet Morning’s album has been recorded and mixed using Prism Sound converters.”
“We were really grateful to Prism Sound for helping us out,” Simpson adds. “I really couldn’t have got such punchy, three-dimensional mixes without them.”
Lesley Willis adds that Overtones will upgrade both of its studios to encompass Pro Tools HD and will buy another Prism Sound ADA-8XR unit in the near future.
For more information, visit www.prismsound.com, www.fxgroup.net, www.overtones.co.uk and www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk.
