Reinstating its neglected recording services to full strength, Scotland’s largest recording and rehearsal complex has installed a 48-chennel Audient ASP8024 mixing desk – one of the largest formats available.
Head engineer Ophir Shamir arrived at Lofi Studios two years ago, after the recording side had been out of operation for a while: ‘I started running sessions and picking things up,’ he says describing his first few months at the rehearsal studios at Lofi. ‘Time passed, business grew and it was time to take it to the next step and build what is currently Studio 1 – the main recording facility.’
And so 7 West Studios was born, able to accommodate different kinds of artist from solo musicians to bands or choirs, and offering production, recording, mixing and mastering, with ‘personal service, a great attitude and a love for the craft’.
‘We also have a unique position in the heart of historic Glasgow, right inside Merchant’s House, with access to the Grand Hall. We aim to bring in jazz, trad and orchestral musicians to be recorded in the hall from all over the UK,’ Shamir says. ‘There is even a roof space that is occasionally used for music videos, but the weather in Glasgow is a bit more tricky to work with.’
‘The mixing desk was purchased about two years before the building of the room,’ Shamir explains. ‘It was waiting for a proper studio to contain it.’
The studio’s equipment list includes gear from the old studio as well as new purchases, with the ASP8024 at its heart. ‘What I love about the Audient console is simple – it does what it’s supposed to do, it does it well, it’s simple to understand and operate, and it gets out of the way. Since day one, all projects have recorded and mixed on the Audient desk, with support from outboard preamps and processors for added colour.
‘The preamps are clean, the EQs shape anything going to tape, and the master bus noise floor is virtually non-existent. The master compressor is used extensively as well. All of this combined makes it a very flexible console, and allows me to shape and colour things the way I want for each project,’ he says.
Since he has been at its helm, Shamir has recorded local acts Yashin, Pronto Mama, Rainbow Dissolve and Knock On Effect at 7 West Studios. ‘There is a big advantage to working in a room which I have planned and wired myself, and operate on a daily basis,’ he says.
Current projects include debut albums by energetic pop-rock Start Static and 50s-60s style blues/rockabilly The Black Denims ‘The studio is really picking up and there is more album work coming in, as opposed to singles or EP’s, which I am very happy about,’ Shamir reports.
Lofi Studios celebrates its tenth anniversary this year.
More: www.audient.com
