A frequent visitor to big-name studios around the world, producer and mixer, Romesh Dodangoda is most at home in his own Cardiff-based Long Wave Recording Studio where he keeps an extensive collection of vintage and modern high-end gear. Recently, the classic Audient ASP8024 mixing console that has been the control room centrepiece for around 15 years has given way to a new ASP8024-HE desk.
‘I have not had even one day of downtime due to the console,’ he says of the old ASP8024. ‘It has been so reliable and never let me down.
‘This mixer has such sentimental value to me, he says. ‘I first saw it in 2000 and dreamt of owning one, one day. I finally got it in 2007, and the first album I did on it was Smart Casual, by Kids in Glass Houses for Roadrunner Records,’ he reminisces. ‘Since then, pretty much everything I have done has gone through this console at some point or another. I love the sonics and reliability of it, so upgrading to the new one was a no-brainer for me.’
On arrival day, Dodangoda ensured his 13,000-plus Instagram followers didn’t miss any part of the exchange by documenting both the decommissioning of the original console and the install of the new one on. ‘It was a sad day to say bye to my console, however I could not be happier with the new one, it is stunning,’ he reports. ‘It looks fantastic in the studio.
Swapping an Audient for an Audient meant that the install went relatively smoothly, joining outboard from API, SSL, Neve, Avalon, Retro, Chandler, Empirical Labs and Tube Tech among other marques. ‘The hardest part was getting it into the building, but after that it was effortless to connect up. Everything sounds brilliant.
‘The new Heritage Edition is simply amazing – there are lots of feature upgrades that, although small, are actually incredibly useful to me, making the desk have even more functionality for my sessions. It sounds fantastic and the new transformers on the mix bus are pretty hard to turn off once you hear what they do.
‘Having the deeper meter bridge option has also been a great addition to the new console, too. This means my monitors are closer to me, allowing me to hear more detail while being in front of the desk.
‘Everyone who has popped into the studio since we put it in hasn’t been able to take their eyes off it,’ he adds. ‘It really does look the part in there, and is a big focus of the room. The studio feels more modern, sounds better than ever, and is a joy to be in front of every day.’
His ASP8024 was snapped up by a member of Romesh’s Control Room Audio Community, and remains in Wales: ‘I’m thrilled that the old console will be nearby and continue to produce new music,’ he says.
