Sony Music Studios has installed a 72-channel Neve 88RS mixing console in its five-studio recording complex in Nogizaka, Tokyo. The large-format analogue desk replaces an Avid System 5 digital mixing set-up in Japan’s premier recording facility.
‘The original concept for Studio 5 was for surround-format mixing,’ recalls Chief Engineer, Koji Suzuki. ‘Back in 2001, when the studios were first established, it was easier for us to handle surround formats with a digital console, so we chose the Avid System 5. After 15 years, the console had become difficult to maintain, so we made the decision to replace it.’
Despite the proliferation of digital consoles in this kind of environment, replacing the Avid console with a wholly analogue console was a carefully considered choice by the Sony team. The 88RS is designed for great flexibility in surround mixing and coupled with its superior aural quality and longevity, provides the perfect solution for the studios.
‘Although there are operational advantages to a digital console, the Neve 88RS is timeless and durable, and its attraction does not depend on technical specification or trend,’ Suzuki explains. ‘As a matter of fact, the three 88R consoles in our Studios 1 to 3 have been used for more than 15 years, and moreover they will continue to be used for much longer.’
More: www.ams-neve.com
