Console Delivers Sonic Honesty for Capture and Mix
PERTH, AUSTRALIA – West Australian Sound Production (WASP) Studios, has installed a Solid State LogicAWS 948Hybrid Console/Controller in its control room as part of a major equipment upgrade. The studio plays host to international and local bands performing everything from Brazilian Pan-Pot dance music, blues, rock, jazz and funk to traditional English dulcimer music. The console’s SuperAnalogue™ sound quality and ease-of-use provides sonic honesty for WASP Studios, while attracting more clients.
“We saw the AWS 948 at a local distributor and were immediately blown away by the sound quality,” says Derek Fernandez, owner and engineer for WASP Studios. “We use the RADAR system for capture, so we loaded a file I had previously recorded using our digital console and played it back from RADAR’s analogue outputs through the AWS. The sound of the console was awesome, revealing every detail of the music I had already recorded. I thought that using high-end outboard gear, including an SSL XLogicX-Rack full of mic pres and EQ, would give me the clarity I needed, but that was only one piece of the puzzle. Having the AWS to record and mix through takes our sound to a higher level – simply amazing.”
Fernandez and his brother were co-owners of the original evolution of the facility, Gerico Recording Studios, which was opened in 1983. In 2011, Derek became the sole proprietor of the studio and began the task of retooling the control room and rebranding with the new name. Today, WASP Studios offers a comfortable control room with a recording space large enough for a six-piece band and an abundance of high-end outboard gear and microphones. The AWS 948 helps bring all the studio elements together to achieve superior sonic results.
“Before the AWS, we used my analogue outboard gear as the input path to the digital console,” Fernandez explains. “Once in the console, we would
record to the digital inputs of the RADAR system. It was a major pain to recall a session and all the outboard gear settings. With the AWS, our workflow is now streamlined as the console acts like an outboard signal router that also has automation and the Total Recall system.”
In the end, studios are about sound quality, and the AWS 948 delivers big time for WASP Studios. “With the digital console, I had to fight the desk to get the sound, even when using a high-end mic pre,” states Fernandez. “With the AWS, there’s no problem. A bit of EQ here, a little level tweaking and the sound is right in front of you, clear as day. The AWS easily lets us capture the essence of any style of music with a sonic honesty that delivers every nuance of the creative intent of the client.”
Solid State Logic is the world’s leading manufacturer of analogue and digital audio consoles and provider of creative tools for music, broadcast and post production professionals. For more information about our award-winning products, please visit:www.solidstatelogic.com.
