Designed by NYC-based Malvicino Designs Group for Grammy-winning artist Carlos Vives, Gaira Musica Local Studios is now the home of Colombia’s first Rupert Neve Designs 5088 console.
‘When we started with the idea of the studio, we wanted magic in every single piece of gear,’ says Chief Engineer Francisco Castro. ‘It was so important for the team.’
Castro says many options were considered for consoles and control surfaces, but they knew the 5088 would be the ideal choice for the studios: ‘I knew RND products from the beginning – Portico, Portico II, Centerpiece – and when we saw the 5088 console, we loved it because of its sound, logical configuration, size, and the unique magic of Rupert Neve Designs.’
The Gaira Musica desk is configured with 24 channels of Rupert Neve Designs Shelford 5052 mic preamp/EQ modules and the company’s proprietary SwiftMix moving fader automation. Castro notes that the sound of the 5088 is ‘close to the 80 Series Neves’ with which he had been familiar, with ‘great low end’, a ‘broad midrange tone’ and ‘a huge soundstage’.
But the console modules’ Silk Red & Blue and ‘Texture’ controls – used to enhance and modify harmonic content passing through the channel modules – are his favourite element. ‘It is remarkable even the first time you sit in front of it – but once you know the blue and red lights, it becomes amazing.
‘It is a big pleasure for me to talk about this great studio, that was dreamed up by Claudia [Vasquez] and Carlos [Vives], designed by Horacio [Malvicino], with consultation by me. Gaira Musica Local Studios is amazing, and the 5088 signed by the hand of the great Rupert Neve is our treasure.’
