The creative home for Brazillian super-stars such as Titãs, NX Zero, Charlie Brown Jr and Claudia Leite, Midas Studios is also one of the largest studio facilities in Brazil. A newcomer to its fold is the Solid State Logic AWS 948 SuperAnalogue Console/Integrated Controller. recently installed its Studio 3 Mastering/Pre-Production Room.

The console was chosen for the compact size, sterling sound quality and the capability to control the studio’s resident DAW platforms: ‘The AWS has the sound of a traditional analogue SSL with its mic pres and EQs, plus it offers an incredibly fast way of working and controlling digital,’ says producer/composer Rick Bonadio, winner of seven Latin Grammy awards for production and engineering, and owner of Midas Studios, Arsenal Music and Music Midas record labels.

‘I have been using a Special Edition 4000 G+ in Studio 1 since 1998 with great success, so the move to the AWS was comfortable and uncomplicated for our engineers. '

We are very happy to continue our relationship with SSL through the AWS.’

The studio complex has three studios on two stories, with the newly renovated Studio 3 sharing space on the second floor with Studio 2. Originally designed to be a mastering suite and pre-production/composing room, Studio 3 now has an upgraded control room and studio room to bring it to the quality level of Studio 1.

‘Midas is enjoying expanded demand from artists, composers and producers at all levels of the industry.’ Bonadio says. ‘All major labels use these studios, so we needed to maximise the impact of Studio 3, and the AWS was definitely the way to go. The AWS allows us to expand the objectives of the space to include final quality recording and mixing, making our booking and workflow more efficient. Studio 3 can now offer world-class production and mixing because of the AWS.’

Studio 3 offers Logic Pro 9 and Pro Tools DAWs, with all the support resources for digital recording and pre-production songwriting, including an SSL X-Rack, outboard mic preamplifiers, compressors and plug-ins. The AWS brings all the different elements together allowing the engineers to easily jump between different tasks.

‘I use the studio for writing my projects using Logic 9 and I am not experiencing the engineering troubles I had in the past,’ Bonadio says. ‘With the old system, it was impossible to compose and mix simultaneously. Now with the AWS, I can control Logic from the console surface and go back to analogue to record guitars and vocals very quickly.

‘The AWS has allowed my music creations to flow freely because I don’t have to stop all the time to deal with clicking a mouse when bouncing between recording and mixing. The AWS 948 is the ideal console for our purposes.’

More: www.solidstatelogic.com