Custom Analog Studio Design, Build and Install
7th Mar 2022
STL Pro Audio has NZ's Best Selection of Pro Audio Equipment.
STL Pro Audio designs, builds, installs and configures a custom studio equipment build in Bay of Plenty New Zealand.
During the summer of 2021 - 2022 STL Pro Audio was commissioned to design, build and install a custom analog mix system in a private studio. Built for a long standing client, who'd decided he'd had enough of 'mixing in the box' and wanted to move to a full analog hardware mix system.
The requirements were: an easy to use custom configuration of stereo analogue hardware, processing using Compressors and EQ's in the 500 format, and all with an analogue mixer. The brief in short, required stem mixing in the analog world on an analog console capable of handling stereo stems. Not an easy brief, but perfect if you're aware of the Rupert Neve 5060! The 5060 is a 32 channel (or 16 stereo channels) analogue mixer with inserts, faders with all the Rupert Neve Designs extras you come to expect such as: extremely high quality audio path, Variable Silk, Assignable inserts on the stereo faders and master buss inserts. Perfect for the brief!
After understanding what style of music the customer was mixing, and what he wanted to do with the rig, we designed the signal flow so the system was extremely flexible yet able to be 'set and forget'.
What we ended up with is: 4 primary stereo sub groups in his DAW that feed the 4 faders of the 5060. These four faders each have inserts which feed a 500 series processing chain of Compressor to EQ. Each 4 chains have different flavours so he can processes a certain analog flavour simply by routing to that fader. These flavours also kept in mind choices for a set and forget mix rig.
Analog processing:
- API 529 > 550B for Drums
- RND 535 > Wes Audio Prometheus for Bass
- Wes Audio Mimas > Phoenix Audio Gyrators Guitars
- RND 535 > RND 551 Acoustics
- Wes Audio Rhea > Heritage Audio 73JR EQ Keys
- Wes Audio Mimas > Heritage Audio 73JR EQ Vocals
- Heritage Audio 73JR EQ x 3 Pairs
We also added Wes Audio compression before the Heritage Audio 73JR EQ's on 3 of the 4 remaining stereo pairs, as he felt these EQ's added so much warmth to any signal, he wanted them on as a bare minimum. We have since added some Chandler for that EMI lushness.
For Stereo Buss duties the 5060 also has an insert! So we added: RND 542 Tape Emulators, Wes Audio Dione and Hyperion, SSL 4K Compressor and an Ultra Violet EQ, and to round things out a Rupert Neve Master Buss Processor.
We configured the 500 series in a stacked format so that you're working vertically top down, with the Compressor hard routed to EQ like a channel strip. It makes workflow extremely easy based on our experience.
Designing this system and the signal flow is no small feat, we even incorporated all of our customers existing equipment in the design, so it was a complete studio overhaul! Once the design was signed off, we custom built the cabling, assembled and tested at our Wellington HQ, before delivering and installing in the Bay of Plenty.
We rounded the build off with pair of ATC SCM25A's, the absolute pinnacle of near field monitors and Wavebone studio furniture. We used the Headquarter Workstation, completed with 9U racking, and 2x Fin 13U rack cases.
The end result is a bespoke analogue system designed for their workflow, yet flexible and powerful. The possibiltles within these 2 rack units are immense! Oh, and it's installed and ready to use. We even asked the customer when can we book the room!
If you need help designing or configuring your studio, please don't hesitate to contact us: sales@stlaudio.co.nz or 04 801 5602. We love building studios.