As part of a complete architectural and electronic renovation, Virginia Arts Recording recently replaced its large-format digital console with a 16-channel API 1608 analogue console with P-Mix fader automation.

The north-central Virginia-based studio has been serving local musicians, labels and radio stations for more than 30 years. Current owners Chris Doermann and Sean Dart are celebrating its history with the new console and a 24-track, 2-inch tape machine. The studio also retains its digital platforms with top-end converters to allow projects to chose from both technologies.

Virginia Arts Recording resides in a historic house in southeast Charlottesville, near the University of Virginia campus. A little over a year ago, the premises flooded during a long holiday weekend: ‘When we returned, the control room, and much of the equipment was totally wrecked,’ recalled Dart. ‘The digital console was one of the casualties, but we decided to make the most of it. We wanted to put the studio on solid footing for the next 25 years.’

Analogue consoles, tape machines, Adat digital tape decks, and a procession of DAWs have a place in Virginia Arts Recording’s history. Doermann and Dart decided to build a hybrid analogue/digital studio with a workflow that made negotiating the two technologies transparent. ‘We definitely wanted an analogue console, and we pride ourselves on capturing big drum sounds,’ Dart says. ‘That’s API’s signature talent, so we chose the 1608.’

Doermann and Dart took an API factory tour as a part of their research. ‘Interacting with API is a different experience,’ Dart says. ‘Mark Seman of API invited us to the factory, and we packed a few mixes that we know well. API let us see everything, and gave us a few hours behind the 1608. It sounded amazing, and the feel of real faders has been a welcome relief from menus and double clicks. I just get in there with my hands, and thank API for giving us the recording feel we were missing.’

More: www.virginiaarts.com
More: www.apiaudio.com