​​Larry the O's comments in Final Mix: Stuck in the Middle (June 2001) are right on the money.

 

I am the broadcast and recording engineer for Atlantic Records' Internet department, and I own a commercial studio in New York City. At Atlantic, I use a Digidesign Pro Tools/24 system (hardware and software), a Yamaha O2R digital mixer, and a pair of Genelec monitors. At my studio, I use a Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU) 2408mkII system (hardware and software); a Mackie 32-8 analog mixer; Mackie HR824 monitors; Event 20/20 monitors; and a consumer monitoring setup, which consists of an Onkyo M-501 power amp, a pair of Allison bookshelf speakers, and a Panasonic boom box, all for A/B comparisons. Both studios use Mac G3s. I have a clear understanding of what Larry the O is talking about.

 

For the high-profile Atlantic recordings, the tracking gets done on the Pro Tools system, recorded in 24-bit, 48 kHz format. I then transfer the tracks to a FireWire hard drive and bring them to my studio for post-production work. There was a time when that would have been impossible without having an expensive setup to handle the critical applications of truly professional work but not anymore. Although Atlantic's pro system is great, you can't beat the modern midrange audio systems. No matter what audio sequencing software you use, the 2408's I/O can compete with the big dogs.

 

The power has been brought back to the people by the outstanding efforts of companies such as MOTU, Echo, and so many others. Larry the O is right when he says that rough times are ahead with new operating systems, protocols, and software. If you can ride out the storm, it's only going to get better.

 

A. J. Tissian​

via e-mail