Santa Rosa, CA (January 4, 2018)—House of Rock is hoping to generate a vibrant music scene in California’s Sonoma wine country with a combination live venue and recording studio, the latter equipped with a 48-channel SSL Duality δelta SuperAnalogue console.
Arthur Kelm, chief engineer at Capitol Records, designed the second story studio, whose control room and the three isolation rooms overlook a stage area that is connected via 48 analog lines and 64 channels of MADI. The studio is an auxiliary facility for live events and productions, and vice versa; the stage doubles as a recording space.
“It’s a great set-up,” says Jared Havens, studio manager and engineer. “As well as the main recording activities, we’ve already had a few music video recordings here, and the SSL is wired up to stream mixes online, so we can broadcast concerts with HD video and a live SSL studio-console mix.”
The choice of console for the studio was driven by client demand. According to Havens, a visiting producer was disappointed with the in-the-box solution that was already installed – even with high-end console-style control. “The then-owner of the studio was a bit upset that he didn’t, apparently, own the coolest studio in the world,” says Havens. “So, after some consultation we bought a brand-new Duality. Now we have the studio we always wanted, and as an engineer, I couldn’t be happier; the console sounds amazing.”
Havens believes the VHD (Variable Harmonic Drive) preamp—an SSL patented circuit that gives the user control over a blend of second and third-harmonic distortion characteristics—is a big selling point. “I’ve done a lot sessions in the past where people have insisted on recording through a particular flavor of console and then mixing on an SSL,” says Havens. “With VHD they don’t need any other consoles.”
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