Claiming the accolade of European Flagship Studio, Vision Seven Media Group (VSM) is a ‘broad-reaching’ studio and multi-media complex with an unusually high count of Audient equipment.

Located in Neusaess, on the city border of Augsburg in Bavaria, VSM is both a commercial studio and home to the VSM Institute of Arts, which aims to develop the technical skills of young people, preparing them for work in the music industry. Behind the operation is US-born producer and musician, Joe Webb La Fontaine.

The VSM Audient haul includes a 48-channel ASP8024 console with Dual Layer Control (DLC), its compact ASP4816 sibling, an ASP510 surround sound monitor controller, an ASP880 eight-channel mic preamp and ADC, and two iD22USB audio interfaces, all of which arrived at the same time as Avid Pro Tools 11 HDX and HD Native systems. Having completed the installation, VSM feels that, ‘we are really putting this ship in the water for the first time’ .

‘The digital world is great and the possibilities are endless,’ Webb La Fontaine concedes, but warns that, ‘at the end of the day, we are just trying to make it sound like analogue.

‘I have always been a user of English-type mixers,’ he continues. ‘The EQ and filters in the ASP8024 and ASP4816 have that authentic sound: special and warm. Just a true pleasure to work with – and let’s face it, it all comes down to the sound. I also like having my hardware effects on the board. It’s old school and the way so many experienced engineers like to work. Plug-ins are great and I also have a ton of these, but there is something special about putting your hand on a real knob and turning it, and hearing something change.’

VSM offers a comprehensive list of services ranging from recording, mixing and mastering, through artist development, video production, graphic design and promotion to touring packages, calling on a large network of professional engineers and producers to augment the VSM team.

‘We need a system that is flexible in its routing, runs 20 hours a day, seven days a week… and has the exact feature set needed, no more, no less,’ Webb La Fontaine explains. ‘It’s got to make my job as senior engineer fun and serve as a professional toolset for our in-house engineers and clients and for teaching and educational purposes. That’s why I choose to fill my rooms with these products.’

VSM Institute of Arts reckons to help aspiring engineers and producers achieve their potential: ‘Basically we work as two organisations under one roof,’ Webb La Fontaine says. ‘It’s what I call BAM  –Business As Missions/Community – concept. The commercial side is business for profit, and the missions/community side is a non-profit youth organisation that has been running since 1999 here in Europe.’

With multiple projects running concurrently, VSM opted for a big desk: ‘I chose the 48 channel version because we have a schedule that needs tools that are flexible,’ he says, adding that it would be, ‘almost impossible without a mixer like the Audient ASP8024 DLC 48.

‘I also have a fixed system with DAW stems going back into analogue channels on the board with my new and vintage outboard gear fixed on the inserts. This is all possible without the need for external summing equipment. Everything happens in the ASP8024. I still love working with an inline concept mixer. With 96 faders, eight subgroups, plus the eight DLC faders, I have finally been able to find the ideal way to get through my daily workload. Since our major studio update we have had only good comments from our commercial clients, artists and students. And we as the VSM engineering team are also super-happy.

‘Our goal is to have all our new advertising, sponsoring and educational programmes in full swing by January 2015. That’s a lot of work…’