An Audient ASP8024 Heritage Edition mixing console with Dual Layer Control (DLC) now sits at the heart of Multitrax studio, an ‘old school’ outfit based in Melbourne, which prior to its recent upgrade was wholeheartedly analogue.
Heritage: “this is, without any shadow of doubt, the best desk we have ever worked on”
So when the time came to upgrade the console – the last one having been hand-built by co-owner Shane Alley – it wasn’t a decision that was taken lightly. His brother, sound engineer and producer, Ray explains, “We decided on the Audient ASP8024 Heritage. We knew it would be good, but we were in for a big surprise. Both Shane and myself arrived at the same conclusion independently: this is, without any shadow of doubt, the best desk we have ever worked on. I would go as far as to say it’s the finest desk you can buy in the world – for any money.
“It’s so flexible and makes even the hardest possible recording sessions a pleasure. Instead of pulling your hair out, you can just focus on the recording without having to worry about things!”
“I would go as far as to say it’s the finest desk you can buy in the world – for any money.”
Considerable research led Ray, Shane and their business partner Brett Owen to the conclusion that investment in the Audient desk would help broaden their offering: enabling their regular clients to continue enjoying all analogue, whilst opening up their services to new artists wanting to integrate digital technology. “Apart from our digital effects and outboard gear, we have always been an all analogue studio, and that will continue to be our main flow of work,” says Ray.
Audient’s DLC enables seamless integration with creative DAW control and automation, along with eight moving faders that can be banked across the entire session and offers further useful control features, including transport control, track record enable and plug-in selection/editing.
“the customers love it, as do the freelance engineers”
“It has made a hell of a change to our standard of work,” continues Ray. “The customers love it, as do the freelance engineers who were in just last week. Everybody comments on what a great looking desk it is, too.”
Starting out as musicians back in the day, the brothers quickly found themselves drawn to the other side of the glass. “We were encouraged to sit in on sessions and learn the ropes of recording. At that time there were no courses to learn it, but we were trained over the next two years in all aspects” Teaching themselves and steadily investing in technology, in the early years they worked their way up, recording first on 4-track machines, then 8-track and finally 16-track with a 2” optronic recorder – an Australian built machine.
They are the first to admit that they’ve been around a good long time on the Australian recording scene, hitherto relying on long-term clients and simple, word-of-mouth recommendation for their business. Ray confirms, “We have had no need to advertise in the past, but with the new desk and other equipment we have added – that changes everything.”
It certainly does, as next year they plan on investing in another Audient Heritage desk, further cementing their relationship with the British manufacturer.
Audient looks forward to catching up with the chaps at Multitrax soon.
