SANTA MONICA, California -- Yahoo! recently completed a technical upgrade and redesign of the main audio production and post production studio at its Santa Monica facility that included the installation of one dozen A-Designs Audio 500 Series-format microphone preamplifier modules. Purchased from GC Pro, with Account Manager Pepper Denny facilitating the sale, the complement comprises four P-1 modules plus two each of the EM-Red, EM-Blue, EM-Silver and EM-Gold modules. Ian Dittbrenner, Director, Studio and Content Operations for Yahoo! Music, is thrilled with the performance of the modules. “I just used the P-1s on acoustic guitar for a performance in our studio and have never recorded a better guitar sound,” he enthuses. The P-1 is based on the A-Designs Pacifica, a rack-mount mic preamp that recreates the performance of the classic Quad Eight analog console. A-Designs Audio’s EM Series modules – named for designer Jon Erikson and company founder Peter Montessi – feature custom-wound input and output transformers that produce tonal colorations that make each particularly suited to certain instruments, voices or microphone types. “The ability to mix and match offers almost limitless possibilities,” comments Dittbrenner. “And the proof is when you mix. In the sea of ‘sweet pres’ the A-Designs modules are awesome new fish!” Dittbrenner is generally to be found behind the mixing console in the Yahoo! Music facility recording, mixing and mastering ‘live’ in-studio performances by top artists, which have included Dixie Chicks and Coldplay. “If you want to hear what instruments are supposed to sound like, try putting bass through the EM-Silver, snare through the EM-Blue, toms through the EM-Red and backing vocals through the EM-Gold,” he says. It was while attending an annual audio conference that Dittbrenner first experienced the P-1 and EM Series modules. “I luckily stumbled into hearing them at TapeOpCon,” he recounts. “I was never looking for any reason to swap out my previous pres but after hearing the subtle differences of each A-Designs pre on the convention floor I got really excited and knew that I would be able to hear the differences much better once they were in my studio. I really wanted to explore those differences, so I bought them.” The four P-1 modules at the Yahoo! Originals studio are installed in a 10-slot API™ 500VPR rack alongside the pair of EM-Gold modules in the studio’s equipment credenza. The other six modules are housed in an API Lunchbox. A-Designs is a member of the VPR Alliance, which has set a program of standardization and consistency guidelines for manufacturers producing modules to fit into API Audio’s 500 series rack format. The most visited destination for music on the Internet, Yahoo! Music offers a broad range of original programming, such as Pepsi Smash and Who’s Next, for which Dittbrenner also produces and post-produces numerous lifestyle pieces every month. In addition, twice a month he mixes and post-produces Nissan Live Sets, which is recorded live before an audience and is the most popular music program on the Internet. Featured artists have included Christina Aguilera, Tony Bennett and Kelly Clarkson. |
|
Las Vegas, Nevada 89128 - Tel: 702-365-5155 Fax: 702-365-5145
BraunerUSA.com * DrawmerUSA.com * SoundFieldUSA.com * TransAudio Group * Las Vegas Pro Audio Site Design by Monomania Media |
