Almada, Portugal (January 21, 2022)—Studio owner Vasco Teodoro has upgraded his Plateia D’Ilusões recording studio, replacing a hybrid setup with some of SSL’s latest products, including an Origin console.
When Teodoro moved to his present location in mid-2019 he was using a hybrid production setup that included an SSL Nucleus DAW controller/worksurface and an SSL Sigma δelta remote-controlled analog summing mixer. Now, Teodoro has upgraded his control room to include a 32-channel Origin analogue mixing console, UF8 advanced DAW controller and Fusion analog master processor.
Steven Wilson Knows Surround, Part 2
“I liked my first-generation Nucleus, but I was looking for a mixing desk for my studio,” says Teodoro, a producer, engineer and mixer whose facility is located in Almada, just across the river from the center of Lisbon, Portugal’s capital. “When I saw the Origin come up, I thought, this is it!”
Since installing the Origin, he has found himself using plug-ins and outboard gear far less, he says. “The Origin EQ is amazing, and the low end is incredible, rounded but defined. I’ll do a high-pass on the Origin, sometimes some EQ, sometimes not, and it sounds great, so I’ve been using less and less and less other stuff. I’m finishing a mix now and when I look at my Pro Tools window, lots of channels don’t have any plug-ins on them. So the Origin really puts me in the sweet spot of working. That’s something I’m really enjoying — the workflow,” he says.
With his old setup, Teodoro would often use the microphone preamps in a sidecar desk when tracking. “Since I got the Origin, I haven’t used it. I wasn’t expecting that. These PureDrive mic preamps have surprised me a lot, especially the Drive button that adds harmonics,” he says.
There are various other mic preamp options in the racks at Plateia D’Ilusões, he says, including some vintage units. “But I’ve recorded some stuff where I didn’t use them. The Origin sounds good, so why mess it up?”
When Teodoro was working out his budget for the new equipment, he says, “One of the things I said was, I just have to have two more sessions a month to pay for the desk — and it’s worked like a charm. During the COVID times, I worked and worked.” January is fully booked, he says, including three weeks working with bands.
