Recording equipment and multimedia system design from...

A recording console is the studio's centrepiece, at the heart of almost any professional audio production facility. While digital audio has now largely replaced analogue recording media, all audio information that moves speakers, or moves through air to a microphone, or to our ears, is analogue (analog, in American English) in nature, so it's unlikely that analogue processes will ever really disappear from the industry. In fact, upon comparison, many engineers have discovered that analogue audio circuits are vastly superior to even the best digital-only systems, because of their warmth, their flexibility, their smooth response when overloaded, and their infinite resolution, giving a sonic depth and a natural harmonic complexity unlike anything the digital realm has to offer. In fact, the bulk of the world's Grammy-winning productions are still completed on analogue mixing consoles, including such mega-hit soundtracks as The Lord of The Rings trilogy, Titanic, and Avatar. The depth and musicality of an analogue console in the mix stage is undeniably superior to a simple "in the box" mixdown, any way you look at it.

Choosing a recording console or mixing console (sometimes called a mixing desk) can be a daunting task, but the best questions to ask all surround audio musicality and production transparency, because the only reason to own an analogue console, is to use it as a tool to make your studio's output shine. A really top recording or mixing console will have boutique-grade mic preamps, world-class, musical-sounding channel EQ, lots of routing flexibility, an ultra-low noise floor, and be big and comfortable enough to actually work on easily. Adding such amenities as motorized flying faders, master buss EQ, and dynamics in the channels and/or master section make these systems pretty much unbeatable for their combination of ease of use and supreme final mix quality.

Rock Shop Pro Audio specializes in high-end British designed and built consoles for all recording, mixing, post-production, live sound and broadcast applications. Other models and manufacturers may be available, in addition to those listed here. Custom designed units are also possible. Contact RSPA to discuss your requirements.