Johannesburg, South Africa (December 10, 2014)—Downtown Studios in Johannesburg, recently underwent a major upgrade, installing an SSL Duality in Studio 1 and an SSL AWS in Studio 3.
Throughout its 36-year history, Downtown—built under the name RPM Studios and renamed in 1992—has hosted many recording artists including U2, Simon LeBon from Duran Duran, Manfred Mann and Mick Hucknell, amongst many others. “The decision to upgrade Studios 1 and 3 was fuelled by the board’s desire to stand out as the number one, state-of-the-art recording facility in Africa,” says Darryl Heilbrunn, general manager of Downtown Studios. “While we considered other options, SSL’s international legacy and reputation lead us to Duality and AWS.”
The Duality’s 72 channels of dual SuperAnalogue and VHD microphone preamps in Studio 1 allows Downtown to record groups of any size or genre. The more intimate Studio 3, largely used for electronic music production, uses AWS as a hybrid console/controller, catering to clients with a variety of styles of workflow.
The studio is an integral part of the Downtown Music Hub, an entity established by the South African Department of Arts and Culture and run by chairperson Don Laka, a legendary South African musician, and its CEO, Chola Makgamathe. The Downtown Music Hub also provides rehearsal spaces and access to a music museum which showcases the history of South African music.
“SSL has allowed us to fulfill our musical mandate in a big way,” continues Heilbrunn. “The Duality studio appeals to international recording artists; and the sonic consistency between the two consoles enables us to achieve the same results for electronic music on the AWS. Additionally, the sonic quality of both consoles is superb, crisp and warm. Our clients have been blown away by the remarkable clarity and depth provided by the SSLs.”
Solid State Logic
www.solidstatelogic.com
