Having recently relocated from in Washington, DC, to Orlando, Florida, StudioWhiteNoise has reopened its doors with a new Rupert Neve Designs 5088 mixing console, supplied by Vintage King Audio.

Founder Abe Elmazahi opened the studio following success with his band 23rainydays: ‘Our philosophy has always been to create an atmosphere that inspired the best performance from our artists, and one that elevates their art to the next level.’ He says. ‘We are hopeful that we have achieved this in the new space.’

The studio generally work with rock and hip-hop, but Elmazahi is open to all types of project: ‘If we click on a personal level with a client, which is most important to us, we are happy to work with them regardless of genre.’

When moving to Orlando, Elmazahi took the opportunity to undertake a complete overhaul of the studio design and workflow – and the decision was made to move to a full analogue console. And most of his favourite albums were recorded on Rupert’s vintage consoles…

‘To me, they have a distinct and recognizable character. In my quest to achieve that same flavour in my recordings, I realized that the only way to do so is through an authentic Rupert Neve Designs console.’

In the original studio, Elmazahi had several pieces of Rupert Neve Designs gear including a rack of 511s, 543s, and 551s, plus a Portico II Master Buss Processor and 5059 Satellite: ‘Those pieces of gear helped us achieve an amazing sound, and when used in conjunction with one another, gave us that signature Neve sound.’

Elmazahi’s new 5088 has an eight-channel mainframe with a penthouse of Shelford 5052s, a meter bridge, and SwiftMix automation.

‘I will never forget the first time I heard music running through this console,’ he says. ‘It is rare when a piece of gear exceeds your expectations, especially when those expectations are so high. The best way to explain it is that, this is how the music should sound. The clarity is outstanding. We heard harmonics on pre-recorded tracks that we have never heard before. It is simply amazing.

‘The headroom on this console is unmatched – the 90V power rails make it near impossible to overdrive. The best part is that if you do manage to push it hard enough, the overdrive is very nice and musical. I have even started to overdrive some channels purposely on tracks to use the distortion as an effect.’

Moving to an analogue console from their previous workflow has also simplified the studio’s recording and mixing process: ‘The 5088 and 5052s immediately add the character and tone we’ve always sought. Therefore, less time is dedicated to the technical aspect of the process, and more time to the artistic side. When making such a big investment, one that will probably last you for the rest of your life, it is very comforting to know that you cannot outgrow it.’

StudioWhiteNoise uses Apogee conversion paired with a Rupert Neve Designs RNDI, and has an extensive collection of mics and instruments.