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Since 2008, SoCo Music Project has been a cornerstone of the Southampton creative community, dedicated to changing lives through the power of music. From supporting young people at risk of exclusion to providing professional development for emerging artists, this ambitious music charity delivers over 1,000 creative sessions every year.
Based at Planet Sounds – a vital hub for the region’s independent music scene – SoCo recently upgraded their recording capabilities by adding an EVO SP8 8-channel mic pre to their studio setup.
We caught up with Lou Sawdy, Lead Studio Engineer at Planet Sounds, to find out how the new gear is making an impact.
Seamless Integration and Expanded Workflow
For a busy community studio, workflow is everything. The EVO SP8 was chosen to integrate directly with their existing Audient iD48 audio interface, allowing for a fast and straightforward installation.
“The SP8 has allowed us to put in eight more inputs to the studio, making it easy, quick and simple to set up and route recording sessions that require more inputs such as live sessions and drum recordings,” Lou explains. “Having something that integrates so easily with the iD48 has meant the installation was incredibly fast and straightforward, and the iD software works seamlessly with it.”
The addition of the SP8 has also allowed SoCo to integrate external preamps via ADAT, bringing their total input count up to 24. This flexibility gives them the best of both worlds: modern efficiency and the option for a more vintage sound when needed.
Empowering the Next Generation of Producers
A key part of SoCo’s mission is education, and the EVO SP8’s intuitive design has become a valuable teaching tool for their young producers.
“For our young producers, using the Smartgain feature is a really helpful way for them to understand how to set the input gain when recording,” says Lou. “It’s incredibly intuitive and with the LED screen, makes it really easy to see and understand what you’re doing.”
Beyond the smart features, the SP8 provides practical peace of mind. “Being able to turn on phantom power to individual channels was really important to us,” Lou notes. “The previous interface we had didn’t allow that and we were worried about microphones getting damaged – something we no longer need to worry about.”
Performance that Sounds “Huge”
When it comes to the most important factor – the sound – the SP8 is already delivering professional results for SoCo’s “Sounds of South Central” programme, an initiative helping emerging artists across the region.
“The SP8 sounds great – crystal clear recordings, great tone, plenty of headroom and no noticeable noise floor,” Lou shares. “So far we’ve had two of our bands… come in and record EPs and they are sounding huge. We’ve just wrapped up the recording and are on to the mixing, so we’re very excited to share that when they are released.”
Whether it’s for weekend open sessions for under-18s or 1:1 mentoring, the EVO SP8 is now a permanent fixture in helping Southampton’s talent express themselves.
