Spread across two commercial spaces in East London, The Recording Studio London is a music recording and production company that specialises in writing production, recording and artist development. As well as being producers and artists, owners Paul Visser, Joe Barboza and Dave Ferguson are also play together in rock band, Black Orchid Empire.
Having set up the studio in 2014, they have since swapped out a vintage large-format console for one with a much smaller footprint – a small-format and highly versatile Neve 8424. ‘The 8424 is unique in its class and perfect for us. It was a no-brainer,’ Visser says. ‘Having the benefit of the top-flight analogue path combined with the very well implemented flying fader DAW control has already been a game-changer. It reminds me of mixing on a large-format console.
‘We used to produce in other studios but eventually decided to get our own place,’ continues the Black Orchid Empire singer and guitarist. ‘We now have a larger tracking, mixing and mastering studio with a live room in Mile End and a smaller writing and production space in Star Lane. The 8424 has been installed in the Mile End studio and our clients love it. The few attended sessions I’ve done so far have been great, and ergonomically the studio is now a much nicer place to be, which is a huge bonus.’
Designed to fit the needs of a modern hybrid studio, Neve’s 8424 console is a flexible and cost-effective centralised platform that is very straightforward to use and captures the sonic character of the large-format Neve 80 Series. Since its launch in 2020, it has proved popular with artists, producers and commercial studio owners for its connectivity and its ability to easily link the worlds of analogue processing and digital DAW workflows.
‘The console’s layout and small footprint are very well thought through and powerful without being overly complex,’ Visser says. ‘Actually, one of the main reasons it worked as an option for us was that the preamps and EQ are external to the console. We already have outboard for those – meaning we weren’t spending money on features we didn’t need to duplicate. That said, we ordered a Neve 1073OPX and two 1073EQLBs, which are also amazing.’
Neve recently introduced an automation package for the 8424 and this, says Visser, was another reason why The Recording Studio London chose the console. ‘We knew the automation package was coming and it was a big deal to us. I’ve always wanted physical control over an in-the-box mix, but never found a solution like this.
‘As we were one of the first 8424 users to receive the flying faders, we weren’t sure exactly what to expect but the functionality is great – the scribble strips are awesome and the faders feel perfect. It’s actually better than I’d hoped. Having the benefit of the analogue path combined with the very well-implemented DAW control has already been a major benefit.’
He adds that 8424 has now become the backbone of the studio’s entire set up and is already having an impact on his own workflow. ‘I’ve always tracked through as much colourful hardware as possible and then actually mixed ITB – the need for recalls and changes makes it more efficient,’ he explains. ‘With the 8424 I’m definitely going to be tempted to run an analogue mix bus more often and possibly sum through the desk too. The low-end weight supplied by the console is undeniable.’
More: www.ams-neve.com
