Tony Maserati's Una Volta studio

[gainreduction]

Saw a pic in a Tannoy ad from Tony Maserati's Una Volta studio.

Looked to me like PT, a smallish Neve sidecar, a couple of summing boxes and a few outboard pieces.

Wondering if anyone knows anything more/specific about his new Una Volta setup ?

[strauss]

I believe there is an interview in the March issue of Sound on Sound where he talks about it.
Isn't this just where the industry is going? Mix engineers having their own small place to keep costs down.
It isn't strange Sony Studios is closing...

[gainreduction]

Bumporama.

Still wondering if anyone knows some juicy details about Maserati's studio.

[walth]

The SOund on Sound article was good.

[FreaQuency]

Go to sonic circus website and check the ask the pros section

[gainreduction]

Originally Posted by FreaQuency

Go to sonic circus website and check the ask the pros section

Just what I was looking for, thanx.

[colinmiller]

I could probably pass along a question to Tony if you need.

[krytikal1]

Originally Posted by colinmiller

I could probably pass along a question to Tony if you need.

in that sonic circus interview, he explained that he has the 192's in use as hardware inserts. does that mean if he wants to hook up the neve compressor or whatever, that he goes da-neve-ad? stupid question i'm sure, because that's what it sounds like he is doing, but just checking.

thanks,

K

[colinmiller]

Originally Posted by krytikal1

in that sonic circus interview, he explained that he has the 192's in use as hardware inserts. does that mean if he wants to hook up the neve compressor or whatever, that he goes da-neve-ad? stupid question i'm sure, because that's what it sounds like he is doing, but just checking.

thanks,

K

I am 99% sure he does use hardware inserts because I had a conversation with him once about it, but not specifically about his set up. I can try to see if I can ask him though.

[gainreduction]

Originally Posted by colinmiller

I could probably pass along a question to Tony if you need.

The Sonic circus and SOS articles covered pretty much everything. It's very interesting to see what A-list engineers with a lot of hours on large format desks choose for their own "scaled down" setups.

Maserati seems to have done pretty much the same thing as Mike Shipley, another mixer whose work I admire a lot. PTHD, controller, summing box(es) and outboard compression (and eq in Tony's case).

If you meet him... just ask him to guest mod on Gearslutz

Tony's mixes just kick ass.

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by gainreduction

The Sonic circus and SOS articles covered pretty much everything. It's very interesting to see what A-list engineers with a lot of hours on large format desks choose for their own "scaled down" setups.

Its for 4 reasons:

1) The amount of tracks of some of the current pop songs are Gi-normous. They easily break the 150-200 track plateau. There just is no way anymore to mix it strictly on a console alone even if its a 96 channel monster. I mean if CLA submixes every thing down with plugs ITB before he even begins to mix anything its telling you something.

2) Alot of songs are being done now in the "produce as you go" style and the days of "lets finish the song first and mix it after" are coming to an end. Because of this recall is ultimately crucial. In the SOS mag there is a great article about how Manny Marroquin mixed Kanyes "Stronger". He stresses this very point that when he gets something he likes down in the middle of the mix he tracks it back into ProTools because you never know when the artist/producer will want to go back and use that particular kick several mixes down the line(which is exactly what Kanye did right before it was time to print the final). I've been doing the same thing for years when it comes to vocals. When i get the lead vocals happening i commit it to ProTools and just work the mix from there. Especially if i am using tube gear which changes from day to day. Its happened too many times lately where an artist/producer at the very last minute wants to add music parts during the final mix and if i try to recall the way i had it the day before to make it match it never works. But if i recall it tracked than whatever i track new i just blend i in as close as possible.

3) No one has the space or the dough for a real console. There is also the headaches with maintenance and not to mention the rising costs of electric bills. Here in NYC the electric bills for a studio easily breaks $1200 alone during the colder months and in the summer it can easily break the $2K barrier per month. On top of the high rents for a space its a real back breaker.

But eventually everyone gets tired of the workarounds with the summing mixers especially if you still rely on the outboard gear. Eventually people go strictly all ITB with the plugs & maybe a few choice pieces or you bite the bullet and get a console that fits(like hopefully i will do with the Neve Genesys if it sounds good).

4) The last one is probably portability and travel. Its cool to have your own space to work in whenever you want but its even cooler if you can go out to a non studio enviroment that's inspiring and work there. Doing the same thing every day can get stale and boring. For some guys i guess that's fine(especially if you are married with kids). But for other guys who are you used to freelancing(hey remember when we used to do that) all over it can become a buzz kill.

If your gear is serious and mobile you can do both. Heck didn't Dave Kutch master Alecia Keyes record in her live room?

"Hybrid" mixing or "Hybrid" working is the buzz word for this year. You'll hear that word alot everywhere.

[robmix]

That's pretty much where I'm at too. On smaller rock stuff, that might not have recalls I'll mix on the desk. Over 40 tracks and I'm thinking ITB with inserts. When it gets above 70 or 80 tracks I start reprinting my outboard processing and maybe do stems.

[colinmiller]

Tony said he has 24 channels of hardware inserts.