Kathmandu, Nepal (November 4, 2011)—Alejandro Sanchez-Samper brought along Sound Devices’ 788T digital audio recorder and USBPre 2 when he flew to Kathmandu to record an album of traditional and contemporary Nepalese music earlier this year.
Sanchez-Samper, assistant professor and assistant director of commercial music at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton, FL, used the Sound Devices 788T to capture live performances for the upcoming album, titled “Nepali Ho,” while using the USBPre 2 as a standalone preamp.
Thanks in part to a research travel grant awarded to him from FAU’s Asian Studies certificate program and a successful fundraising campaign through Kickstarter, Sanchez-Samper was able to secure enough funds to produce the full-length album. The album features a variety of musical styles such as rock, pop, street rap, jazz, traditional Hindustani, Nepalese folk and fusion. Two of Nepal’s most revered and respected groups, Kutumba and 1974 AD, recorded new material for this album.
“The 788T is very user-friendly, has more features than you could ever imagine, and its small size and incredible battery life is perfect for recording in the field,” says Sanchez-Samper, who recorded mostly at the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory’s Kat/Jazz studios. “Just the ability to be able to have output mixing is great. Four of the eight groups I recorded were done with the 788T in the field. It lived up to its specs and far exceeded my expectations.”
Sanchez-Samper also utilized Sound Devices’ USBPre 2, a high-resolution, portable hardware interface for Mac- and Windows-based digital audio. “The USBPre 2 that I purchased prior to the trip proved invaluable,” adds Sanchez-Samper. “I used it on every session in the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory’s Kat/Jazz recording studio, both as a stand-alone preamp and as an interface. The guitarist for 1974 AD liked it so much that he convinced me to sell it to him. I guess I will be purchasing another one real soon.”
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