The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) has installed two new Audient consoles in time for its new term. These represent are the third pair of large-format Audient desks at the institute, and the first ASP8024 Heritage Editions. This represents the first stage in a refresh of LIPA’s studios, with the desks settling in well from the outset.
‘Returning students feel right at home, with nothing significantly different to learn, just some great new features to explore,’ says LIPA Head of Sound Technology, Jon Thornton.
The ASP8024-HE was designed around the same clean sound as the original Audient console design from 1997, with a few key improvements. Upgrades include Vintage Mix Bus processing, John Hardy Op Amps on the mix bus output, and additions to the Mix Bus Compressor.
Thornton specified Audient desks, again appreciating the intuitive yet flexible design that originally appealed 20 years ago. Since their arrival, he has been experimenting with the new features.
‘Obviously the Retro Iron feature is the most obvious difference with the Heritage Edition version, and it’s far more obvious sonically than I was expecting it to be – in a good way,’ he reports. ‘But it’s some of the little things I like most – the new monitor pot is gorgeous, the reworked labelling is very clear and I love the footswitch capability for talkback.’
Each ASP8024-HE console is semi-modular, offering both standard configurations and bespoke layout possibilities. Thornton took advantage of this at LIPA, ordering a deep meter bridge, keyboard bump and centre producer panel. ‘The options we specified tidy up the studios, and position us for the next phase of our refit,’ he says.
There are already plans in place for the next phase of the LIPA studios’ refit: ‘We’ll be incorporating a control surface into one of the new consoles to give a hybrid approach to tracking and mixing,’ Thornton explains. ‘Over next summer we’re planning to completely refresh the furniture, layout and interior finish of the two rooms. They are substantively the same as when we opened 26 years ago and have worn really well, but could do with a bit of updating – with the new HEs taking centre stage.
‘At the same time, we’re planning to make one of the studios Atmos capable – with a focus on Atmos for music. That will then give us our second Dolby Atmos studio to meet the growing interest in this area.’
LIPA students have been learning on Audient desks for two decades now, and Thornton is well-versed in using them as a teaching aid. Why keep coming back to Audient? ‘So many reasons,’ he offers, ‘First, the desk itself is still the best thing out there for teaching at entry level – with its layout, space and logical signal path, there really isn’t anything else that competes in my view.
‘And they are rugged – our studios are in use 24/7, and the desks have no problem handling that level of use. And for over a decade, in the case of the last pair. Finally, the company and the people have always been super-helpful, and the relationship is maintained well beyond the initial purchase.’
More: www.audient.com
