BROOKLINE, New Hampshire – Aside from album production, mixing and mastering at Studio Metronome in Brookline, New Hampshire, House Engineer and Studio Manager Brendan Connors also records live shows at remote locations. Recently, the business upgraded to a HARMAN’s Soundcraft Si Expression 3 console for higher-quality sound, portability and a smaller footprint. Having worked with world-famous artists such as The Pixies, Peter Frampton, Black Eyed Peas and Warren Haynes, Brendan accordingly requires world-class equipment.
Studio Metronome needed a more space-efficient digital console to minimize its outboard gear, allowing for a lighter load-out when traveling to and preparing for live shows. In addition, a MADI option card makes the Si Expression compatible with the existing MADI-based infrastructure of the studio’s location recording and studio equipment. When ergonomics, channel count and price were added to the mix, the 32-channel console made a compelling argument for the engineers at Metronome.
“I’ve been quite happy with this console, as I just used it at the Unifier Festival in Connecticut,” said Brendan. “While I plan on exploring more MADI remote control options, I am already impressed with many of the digital capabilities of the Si Expression 3. It sounds better and with a smaller footprint than other brands within this price range, and the other boards I’ve tried also did not have recall capabilities that are as robust as those of Soundcraft.”
Brendan also creates real-time broadcast mixes while multi-tracking the concerts for touring artists, allowing him to deliver properly mixed and mastered CDs immediately after the show. Audience members often have the chance to take home the live recording of the show they just attended or purchase it online. Hence, ergonomics are critical for delivering flawless mixes and keeping track of every element of the recording.
“I enjoy the layout, and it’s been a pleasure to work on such an ergonomic board,” said Brendan. “Coming from a Yamaha console, I really enjoy the intent behind the layout. I basically mixed a show with the Si Expression one-and-a-half hours after I took it out of the box. Also, I love the FaderGlow™ feature, because it makes it easy for me to separate monitors from effects with just a glance. The intuitiveness of the board allows me to provide more comprehensive services for my clients.”
For more information on Studio Metronome, please visit http://StudioMetronome.com
HARMAN designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a global workforce of 15,200 people and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last 12 months ended March 31, 2014.
