Occupying the former Expo 2020 site in Dubai, District 2020 is a sustainable mixed-use community that includes Firdaus Studio. Designed by the team at Modi Digital, the aim is for the facility to become a leading musical hub, servicing established musicians from around the world while taking an active role in nurturing the next generation of talent from within the region.
‘Firdaus translates to Paradise in Arabic, so it was important that all aspects of the studio reflect this ideal and we believe a sonic paradise is best achieved with high-end analogue sound quality,’ says Adita Modi of Modi Digital. ‘We have spared no effort in ensuring the performance captured is of the highest quality.’
The original idea for the studio came from Her Excellency, Reem Al-Hashimy (Minister of State for International Cooperation, United Arab Emirates & Director General) and composer, artist and musician, AR Rahman, who each recognised that a world-class recording studio was an essential component of the growth in the region’s music and cultural sectors.
The multi-use Live Room is designed to function in cinema mode, performance mode, and recording/scoring mode and able to accommodate up to 80 musicians. The Control Room features an analogue/digital hybrid workflow based around a 40-input Rupert Neve Designs 5088 and Avid S6 digital control surface, and is certified for Dolby Atmos Music/HE 7.1.4 mixing. In addition, there are four iso booths equipped with screens and 4K cameras, and an Auxiliary Control Room for programming, writing or small recording sessions.
Following an early mandate requiring Firdaus Studio t procure the best available equipment available, a survey was carried out encompassing a wide variety of industry stalwarts with the Rupert Neve Designs 5088 emerging as the choice of the majority.
As a digital workflow was non-negotiable for a future-forward studio with Dolby Atmos capability, the studio’s desk – custom-built by Sounds Fishy –divides the 5088 into two sections with the S6 in the centre for digital mixing capabilities.
‘Our 5088, fully loaded with Shelford 5052 Mic Preamp and Inductor EQ and 5051 Inductor EQ and Compressor modules, is extremely special sounding,’ says Navneeth Balachanderan, Sound Engineer and AV Tech at Firdaus. ‘The detail and the warmth of the preamps are simply unmatched by any other pre we’ve heard, the desk has infinite headroom, and the saturation you get when you hit the desk hard sounds really musical. It just sounds right on any possible source you can think of.’
More: https://rupertneve.com
