New on the landscape of St-Blaise in Switzerland, Damp Studios is a purpose-built studio, offering recording, mixing, engineering and mastering. The man behind the studio and its 32-channel Genesys Black G64 mixing console is producer, composer and arranger, Pascal Brunkow.
‘I bought my first Roland SH101 and just played with it – it ignited something in me,’ he recalls of his journey into music recording. ‘At 19, I went to music school in Pairs to study piano and arrangement, where I had the privilege of working with Jean Roussel [Bob Marley, Abba, The Police, Celine Dion, Joe Cocker, Stevie Wonder]. ‘It was during my time working under him that I realised I wanted to open a recording studio, which I did when I returned to Switzerland aged 20.’
With some commercial success under his belt, Brunkow says that selecting a console for his latest studio was simple: ‘I have used Neve outboard for years – the 1073 is my go-to mic pre. However, I bought a VR60 back in 2005 and that console allowed me to further discover Neve’s legendary sound, its warmth, punch, its depth and its colour. Everything you put through that board comes out sounding like a delight.
‘In the modern age of production, the computer has replaced the mixing board as the heart of the recording studio. For me, Genesys Black is the perfect mix of analogue and digital, and the inclusion of 1073 preamps, amazing EQ, creamy and punchy compressors made this board the ideal choice.’
Working on a multiple projects means that moving easily between mixes was key to the console choice: ‘The instant recall allows me to switch from one mix to another in a single click. And, it sounds amazing. It was obvious to me that the other boards on the market were just not in the same league as far as my needs were concerned.
‘Genesys Black’s power-to-size ratio also means that I don’t have to compromise. The compact nature of desk keeps the sound coming from my speakers from being obstructed by too great a mass,’ he adds. ‘In truth, this board is so well thought out, that I can virtually do anything that I could possibly need or dream of with it. It is so fast, intuitive and powerful.’
