In simultaneously switching both its operating and DAW platforms, Malaysia’s StarMount put its reputation for high-quality recordings of jazz, classical and regional music on the line.  But StarMount owner liked the look of Merging Technologies’ Pyramix, and embarked on a trial period with a Pyramix and Horus on loan from local distributor Stagetec Asia.

‘I have been a Pro Tools user for more than eight years,’ Tan explains. ‘The time came when the studio was ready to upgrade to the latest HDX and the meeting with Johan [Wadsten, Merging Product Manager] together with a product demo period was a total game-changer. The only thing that really mattered was the superior audio quality but the sheer power of the DAW in handling high track counts in high sampling rates was really surprising. It was so good that we made the decision to migrate an ongoing session – halting it, rewiring to Horus and recording the rest of the tracks entirely with Pyramix at 192kHz. That was WVC TRiO+1 ‘Waiting For That Day’.

Its emphasis on sound quality prompted StarMount to order the Horus with Premium converter cards and the Pyramix with MassCore, so that DSD recordings can also be made in the future. With the increasing enthusiasm in Asia for Hi-Res Audio, this looks like a shrewd move, but surely the change of operating system was a difficult decision: ‘I do not deny that it was a leap of faith and tough shift from OS-X to Windows. It’s all worth the pain as not only my team and I have gained from this new change, but our clients are improving on each session because they like what they hear and that drives them to be better.

‘I like the way Pyramix is presented,’ he continues. ‘The proprietary audio processing is far superior to any DSP cards in my own user experience. All in all, we are still learning, exploring within the Pyramix and constantly in contact with your fantastic tech support to make the most out of our workflow. Again, it’s all down to dollars and cents and I think it’s the best system at an affordable price point.’

Having great gear is one thing but the studio location and the atmosphere is just as important. ‘Like many others, it all sparked from the flame of passion towards crafting my own music masterpiece. We didn’t start lavishly like those big establishments; the studio is camouflaged in a shopping area in a residential neighbourhood in Taman Sri Bintang, Kepong in KL. The main reason for this location is the lower overhead expenses that allow us to invest in the best gear. The perks are lots of eateries with wide variety of local delicacies to choose from and a friendly and quiet neighbourhood.

‘The audio fidelity from the Horus converters is truly amazing. The audio engine of Pyramix is the most powerful yet versatile DAW we have come across. I feel this is the best purchase to date for our studio.’