‘We fell in love with the ease of working on a console after working in the box for so long,’ says producer Dan Hannon of the new mixing console that now forms the centrepiece of his production work with engineer Brad Fisher.
Hannon and Fisher formed Eldest Only Productions in 2009, offering songwriting, production, recording, engineering, mixing and artist management. While researching consoles, the pair visited Nashville’s Blackbird Studio for a demo of an API 1608 analogue desk. ‘We almost decided on the spot that we wanted our own,’ Hannon says. ‘Even before going to Blackbird, we’d heard great things about the board from Joe Chiccarelli, who had worked on The Killers’ own 1608, and was actually at Blackbird doing overdubs on the desk when we visited. Then we watched the Foo Fighters documentary Back and Forth, which was a great endorsement.’
The two first worked together in 2006 when Fisher interned for Hannon’s first company, Counterfeit Mistress Productions, while on a break from Berklee College of Music. Since acquiring their own 1608 earlier this year, Eldest Only Productions has recorded and produced multiple projects including the album Simple Math by American indie rock band Manchester Orchestra, and young rock band Asherel’s debut recording. ‘We’ve really been euphoric ever since we got it,’ Hannon says. ‘There are so many advantages to having it, never mind that it’s an API.’
Hannon and Fisher specifically cited a much faster mix time than when they mixed solely in Pro Tools, easier tracking and overdubbing, and flexible routing with the 1608. ‘Its aggressiveness allows us to both track and mix very quickly, which is really, really awesome,’ Fisher adds. ‘The finished products retain all the energy of the original tracks. Having the availability of all that headroom was something we weren’t accustomed to with Pro Tools and the results we’ve had so far are just amazing.’
Eldest Only Productions recently finished Art Decade’s debut album, Western Sunrise, and is currently working on Right Away, Great Captain!’s third album titled The Church of the Good Thief as well as rock trio Cusses' debut LP – all with the help of the studio’s 1608.
According to Fisher, ‘the sound we’ve been chasing so long is finally at our fingertips.’
More: http://eldestonly.com
More: www.apiaudio.com
