McAllen, TX – February 2017… With a list of credits that reads like a Who’s Who in the music and film market, Latin Grammy® Award winning guitarist / arranger / producer Pavel Cal knows what it takes to get the job done. In addition to working with acclaimed artists including the pop duo Sin Bandera, singer / songwriter Juan Gabriel, composer Armando Manzanero, and R&B vocalist Kalimba, Cal has also produced and scored several projects for TvAzteca, Televisa, and Lionsgate Films. With credits like these, Cal knows what it takes to get the job done. That’s why he relies on the cutting-edge performance of his RME Fireface 800 audio interface, which is distributed by Synthax, Inc.
Splitting his time between McAllen, TX, Mexico City, and Monterrey, Mexico, Cal uses his Fireface 800 with Apple Mac Book Pro running both Steinberg’s Cubase and Avid Pro Tools. “I’ve been using my Fireface 800 since 2008,” Cal reports. “Up until 2013, I used my Fireface with a Windows PC before switching over to the Mac. It’s important to note, however, that this interface works beautifully on both platforms.”
Cal has used his Fireface 800 for several high-profile projects. These include when he wrote and pre-produced the string arrangement for pop artist Natalia Lafourcade’s song No mas llorar from the Grammy Award winning album ‘Hasta la Raiz.’ He also used the Fireface 800 for tracking some of the musical selections featured on Lionsgate Films’ comedy / drama motion picture From Prada to Nada.
As a guitarist, Cal uses his Fireface 800 for virtually all his guitar tracking work in his studio. “I own a wide array of acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and amps” he says, “along with a variety of acoustic instruments such as dobros, mandolins, and charangos. I work on a lot of arrangements, preproduction in both audio and MIDI, as well as post production sound design work—and my Fireface 800 is with me just about all the time.”
When asked about the various characteristics of the Fireface 800 that he finds most appealing for his manner of work, Cal offered the following thoughts. “Most importantly, its sound quality, zero latency, and excellent stereo imaging are the qualities that help me feel totally immersed in the music that I develop and record,” he said. “The Fireface 800’s connectivity is fundamental to my creative workflow. The fact that there’s no noticeable latency enables me to focus on the music as opposed to the technical aspects of operating the studio equipment. Equally important, as a guitarist I use a variety of outboard equipment such as guitar effects, delays, etc. With the Fireface 800, everything sounds exactly as it should. I also think it’s important to note that this interface has terrific stability. It has never caused me—or anyone else that I’m aware of—any performance issues while recording.”
“I remember I was in the middle of the From Prada to Nada sessions—and using another interface brand—when I acquired my Fireface,” Cal recalls. “When I changed interfaces and played everything through the Fireface 800 for the first time, I was blown away by how my studio sound suddenly improved 100%. I was blown away and, from that moment on, I never looked back. The Fireface 800 and RME will always have a very special role in my professional life for a long, long time!”
For anyone operating at this level, knowing that quality, responsive customer and technical support services are available is important. When queried about his experience with Synthax / RME, Cal said, “To be honest, I haven´t needed any technical support because the few questions I encountered were easily resolved by way of the owner’s manual, which is very thorough, and the RME website. The gear is intuitive to use and it’s built really well, so reliability—in my experience—is excellent.”
Before turning his attention to his current project, Cal offered these final comments, “I was introduced to the Fireface 800 by way of a recommendation from audio engineer Javier Talavera, who uses this equipment to record symphony orchestras. He told me that all he needed was his laptop and his Fireface. He was absolutely correct. The way this interface embraces you with its great sound quality still takes my breath away. RME understands musicians and the way recording gets done. They really do get it—so much, I might add, that I just recently added a Babyface Pro!”
To learn more about Pavel Cal, go to www.facebook.com/pavelcalshowroom or email him at [email protected].
About Synthax, Incorporated
Synthax Inc. is the exclusive USA distributor for RME digital audio solutions, myMix audio networking slutions, Ferrofish advanced audio applications, and ALVA cableware. We supply a nationwide network of dealers with these products for professional audio, broadcast, music industry, commercial audio, theater, military and government applications. For additional information, visit the company online at www.synthax.com.
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Photo Information: Pavel Cal
