The ASP 8024 Heritage console was the main workhorse whilst I was studying at University. The warmth of the analogue console blended with the digital interface and Audient’s Faderlink made the console a pleasure to work with and engineer sessions on. To date it is one of my favoured consoles for record production.

The ASP 880 Rack interface offers a similar warmth to the 8024, but does lack the pleasure of having a full control surface to work with. However. it’s compact size, and its ability to be linked to other 880 racks does make it a very useful bit of kit if space is limited, or a loaction recording requires the analogue tones.

ATEM 4K + Controller Software

Ultra-Studio

Ion

Eos

Eos TI

8128 [Rockfield Studio]

Having only used the Midas Pro1 for a limited time, I can’t pass a solid view on it, but first impressions are that it is a great console, possibly not designed with theatre shows at the forefront, but for busking live I can see why the desk is so popular.

Once you have a grasp on programming, saving, and setting up the soft-patches, the console is remarkably easy to use during a theatre show, as you can program mutes, fader positions and names, for if an input is likely to change throughout the event.

As the main interface system at WCS, the Motu units introduced a different way of working with regards to operating and running a session. The units are generally controlled via the Motu Pro Audio controller, which is hosted by the device, rather than having a physical controller on the unit. This did mean that there was an extra layer of setting up before a session, however it also meant you could roughly program the interface before the session, then transport the units [if required] and not risk any settings changing.

The 1248 is a great way to blend a digital I/O with fairly clean pre-amps, and a multiude of routing options within a single 1U rack slot, allowing for it to be positioned alongside other outboard equipment and studio systems, without taking up valuable space within a small space. Add to this set-up a B-16 stage box, and the options and capabilities of the system grow considerably. The B-16 can be used as a solo interface, or in conjunction to provide more I/O, and also a unit within the room - linked over ethernet - back to the control point. This allows for isolated recordings whereby the data is coming direct from a single line as opposed to requiring a large patch-bay or multicore coming out and creating an air-gap from the live room. Further to this, if a venue has network patching, it allows for the unit to be placed in the best room, and it not become isolated in a certain part of the venue. This is especially useful if a venue has multiple rooms set up for different kinds of performance/recording.

Having been introduced to SSL Consoles in 2016, the Duality Delta has been a premium console, and a joy to use on the occasions that I was able to record using it. The Super-Analogue pre-amps, combined with the digital interface and fader link to your selected DAW make working on projects both during tracking and Post Production a pleasure.

The sound quality that the desk offers is second to no other console that I have worked on in recent years, for studio work especially.

The Yamaha CL/QL5 Series consoles are brilliant consoles to work on within both live and theatre situations. The surface control that the consoles offer you for busking a show are fairly easy to navigate, and once you’ve wrapped your head around the quirks, both consoles are incredibly powerful. The offline editor from Yamaha for both consoles allows for pre-programing of a show, but also allows you to edit and change a show whilst on the move; and then impliement the changes when you arrive at a venue.

The 01V-96i, despite being an older console, still provides a purpose, and is great for smaller venues, with its array of I/O, and basic, but still useable scenes, it is great for small scratch shows, or weekly acts that require a certain level of processing.

Following on from this, the LS9, either in it’s 16 or 32 channel setup, is the middle ground betweent the O1V and the CL or QL Series console, and it is a great surface to run a show or live concert from in a small or large venue.

It is easy to navigate, and the ability to have different user profiles with some global settings [Such as GEQ] make it brilliant for a venue that has multiple technicians or volunteers, as the major system settings can be locked, whilst still having access to the remaining parts of the desk to operate a full show from.