Pictured in Ocean Way’s Studio D are, from left, producer Dik Darnell, Super Audio Center engineer Gus Skinas and assistant engineer Robule Kapoor. Photo by David Goggin.
Award-winning producer/engineer Dik Darnell recently mixed jazz singer/songwriter Lindsey Brier’s new album at Ocean Way recording studios in Los Angeles. Brier’s album is the first 64-channel project to be produced on the DSD Sonoma system. Like the Super Audio CD, the audio recording technology in the Sonoma system uses true Sigma-Delta A/D conversion, operating at a sampling rate of 2.8 MHz. Darnell was joined by Sonoma founder/engineer Gus Skinas, one of the pioneers of digital recording.
All tracks were recorded to the Sonoma DSD multitrack at Immersive Studios and the Super Audio Center studios in Boulder, Colo., with the exception of the orchestra, which was recorded through a Neve 88R at the Skywalker Sound scoring stage in Nicasio, Calif. Emmy Award–winning composer/arranger Gary Malkin handled the album’s orchestration.
The project was mixed on a Neve 88R at Ocean Way’s Studio D in L.A. The Sonoma uses EMM Labs’ ADC8 MKIV DSD converters, designed by Ed Meitner, for the analog front end.
During mixing, two 32-track Sonoma systems were linked for 64-channel playback while the mixed masters were recorded back into the Sonoma at the same time. “When working in a good analog environment such as Ocean Way,” commented Skinas, “the Sonoma has very much the sonic characteristic of an analog multitrack but still gives you the production flexibility and power of a digital workstation.” Darnell added, “The sound has a distinct analog quality that’s clearly warmer than the digital norm.”
Lindsey Brier’s album will be released on the Etherean Music label.
For more information, visit www.oceanwayrecording.com, www.superaudiocenter.com and www.emmlabs.com.
