WEST HILLS, California – November 2007 — Renowned score recording and mixing engineer John Rodd is a master of his craft, sought after by some of the biggest composers in Hollywood. In films, television and video games, Rodd’s work ranges from large-scale orchestral recordings on the finest scoring stages in the world, to hybrid scores that blend orchestral music with rock, jazz and electronic elements. Working in a variety of Los Angeles facilities, as well as his own private studio, Rodd recently added a pair of A-Designs Audio EM-PEQ modules to his set of essential hardware tools.
A-Designs Audio’s new EM-PEQ module emulates the classic Pultec EQP-1A, a sound Rodd chose over and over in a blind test performed at his studio just a few months ago. “I set up blind, level-matched comparisons with an engineer friend on a couple of different occasions so we could take turns comparing high-end hardware EQs with a wide variety of source material,” he explains. “It turned out that once the identities of the EQs were revealed, I had consistently preferred the EM-PEQ for adding size and low-end punch. The EM-PEQ has an amazing low-end ‘muscle’ and a great top end that is ideal for certain tasks. The EQ shootouts were all I needed to convince me to purchase a pair of EM-PEQs to add to my current arsenal of hardware EQs.”
Nominated for ‘Best Score Mixer’ as part of the 2007 Film & TV Music Awards, Rodd’s recent credits include mixing the orchestral score for the upcoming animated feature The Legend of Secret Pass, the recently released live-action Bratz movie, and the horror-thriller Primeval. He recorded the orchestral score for the film Victim and the videogame The Golden Compass, as well as music for the video games Stranglehold and Conan. He recently mixed the orchestral score for the videogame BladeStorm: Hundred Years War and serves as scoring mixer for NBC’s Journeyman television series.
Recording and mixing music for such a diverse set of projects, Rodd finds himself in many different studios, working on all sizes of analog consoles, and using a variety of DAWs, including Pro Tools, MOTU Digital Performer and Apple Logic, as well as a wide range of outboard hardware. He frequently finds himself reaching for the EM-PEQs to add unique character to sources that need some improvements. “The beauty of the EM-PEQ is that I can EQ to make the bottom end huge without it getting all ‘flabby’ or ‘woofy’,” Rodd notes, “and I can make the top end ‘pop’ without it getting harsh.”
Recently mixing an orchestral film score for an upcoming animated feature, Rodd found his new EQs particularly useful. “The EM-PEQs were invaluable for making the overdubbed Taiko drums and other low percussion sound massive,” he reports, adding, “I also recently mixed a Hollywood blockbuster film trailer where the EM-PEQs were extremely useful at sculpting some low-end elements.”
Between big film, television and video game scores, Rodd also records and mixes for album projects. “I’m about to mix a few more songs for an upcoming album by a rock-electronica artist and I’m positive my EM-PEQs will be put to good use,” Rodd assures. “No one hardware EQ is perfect for every application, but for some tasks the EM-PEQs are more than perfect!”
With the new EM-PEQ, A-Designs has captured much of the essence of the classic all-tube Pultec EQP-1A, one of the best equalizers of all time, venerated for its almost mythical ability to improve the sound of just about anything running through it. A-Designs Audio was able to ‘shrink’ this highly sought after filter design into the now red-hot compact 500 Series format without compromise to either build quality or sonics. The EQ section design and control layout of the classic EQP-1A, as well as its wonderfully smooth musicality, has been meticulously maintained in the EM-PEQ.
The EM-PEQ is an approved API™ ‘VPR Alliance’ product and may also be used in A-Designs Audio’s new 500HR single-rack-space, dual-slot power supply.
A-Designs Audio is a boutique manufacturer of high-quality professional audio products, including the MP-A Series (all-tube microphone preamplifiers), Pacifica (stereo solid-state microphone preamplifier), REDDI (all-tube direct box), ATTY and ATTY2’D (passive line attenuators), and new EM Series (500 Series-compatible microphone preamplifier modules). For more information, please contact A-Designs Audio at 818-716-4153 or visit www.adesignsaudio.com.
Contact:
A-Designs Audio, P.O. Box 4255, West Hills, CA 91304
Tel: 818-716-4153 / Fax: 818-716-4154
Email: [email protected] / Web: www.adesignsaudio.com
